Spring of Youth Ep 1: Sa Gye Meets Bom Amid Scandal

Spring of Youth Episode 1 begins with a flashback to a boy practicing a dance routine. His partner accidentally hits him in the eye with a stick, leading to vision loss. Fortunately, a cornea transplant gives him his sight back. That boy, Sa Gye, later becomes a top idol as part of the boy group The Crown.

After a high-energy concert, The Crown celebrates their success at a lavish after-party. Sa Gye, heavily intoxicated, suddenly sees fragmented visions of a rainy road and a car — memories he doesn’t recognize. That night, a voiceover from Sa Gye reveals that he frequently dreams of a girl and hears the same tune each time. Oddly, he also wakes up every morning at exactly 5:45 a.m.

The next day, his agency’s staffer Yeon Seung-su visits with troubling news — while drunk, Sa Gye assaulted their CEO, Jo Sang-heon. The altercation was caught on video, went viral, and left the CEO hospitalized. On his way to the company headquarters, Sa Gye crosses paths with a girl, Kim Bom, who drops her necklace. It plays a soft melody — the same one from his recurring dream — but he doesn’t yet realize its significance.

At the office, Sa Gye is instructed to take a break from The Crown for two months and return to Hanju University, where he’s still technically a student. Meanwhile, Kim Bom meets Ji-na, the daughter of the CEO and an employee at Jo & Jo Entertainment. Ji-na offers to purchase one of Bom’s songs, and while Bom agrees, she writes a note on the contract critiquing the low offer.

Bom returns home, where she lives with her aunt and cousin. The family is under financial strain due to a home loan, and Bom takes on added responsibility to help pay it off. At the hospital, the CEO recalls Sa Gye confronting him during the altercation and accusing him of something that happened six years ago — something the CEO clearly wants to keep buried.

Sa Gye heads to university, where he and Bom meet again when they get caught in the rain. Her necklace drops again, and this time, Sa Gye finally hears the tune and realizes it’s the same melody from his dreams. Bom confirms it’s her song, but their conversation is cut short when her friend Seo Tae-yang arrives with an umbrella. It’s hinted that Tae-yang has feelings for Bom.

The next day, Sa Gye is greeted by fans on campus and is escorted by Gyu-ri to the theatre department, where he delivers a hilariously awkward rendition of Hamlet. Over the following days, he flaunts his idol wealth, while Bom works on renting out a room in their house to help with the family’s debt.

Sa Gye later finds out that Bom works at a local restaurant. He approaches her, but she avoids him. Tae-yang steps in again, flipping Sa Gye over to protect Bom. Eventually, Sa Gye learns that Bom and Tae-yang are in a university band looking for new members. He auditions, leading to a musical showdown between him and Tae-yang, who’s considered the “Sa Gye” of campus. Bom promises to explain her song if Sa Gye wins.

Tae-yang plays multiple instruments with confidence. Sa Gye performs passionately on guitar, but a broken string ends the duel early, giving Tae-yang the win. Meanwhile, CEO Jo Sang-heon begins investigating someone, eventually receiving photos of Bom and learning that Sa Gye seems close to her.

Trying to move forward, Sa Gye posts flyers on campus seeking bandmates. He visits Bom’s restaurant again and is visibly moved when she plays the piano. After her shift, he persists in asking her to join his band. Their conversation is silently observed by CEO Jo Sang-heon.

That night, Jo Sang-heon confronts Sa Gye and gives him two choices: join the military or study abroad. Sa Gye refuses both. Furious, Sang-heon tells him their professional relationship is over.

The next morning, Tae-yang’s bandmates manipulate a video to make it seem like Sa Gye attacked them. The edited clip goes viral, pushing Sa Gye into yet another scandal. He’s forced to make a public apology and withdraw from The Crown. To pay off the damages, he sells his house and belongings. With nowhere else to go, he wanders the streets and eventually finds himself in front of Bom’s home — a place that sparks hazy memories. He sees a “room for rent” sign and knocks, only to discover that Kim Bom is the landlord.

The episode ends with a quiet epilogue. As Bom and Tae-yang walk away from their run-in with Sa Gye, Bom suddenly rushes back, looking for him. It turns out she had once attended his concert — a show Gyu-ri made her go to. She was captivated by his performance. That night, Sa Gye had tossed a soft toy into the crowd and announced that whoever caught it could go on a date with him. Bom was the one who caught it.