Like Flowers in Sand: Ending explained and season 2 renewal possibility explored

On Wednesday, January 31, 2024, Like Flowers in Sand's season finale episode 12 premiered on Netflix and ENA. This Korean drama series, which centers around Jang Dong-yoon as Kim Baek-du and Lee Joo-myoung as Oh Du-sik, explores the themes of sports, crime, and romance.

In the epilogue, the killer confronts Mi-ran (played by Kim Bo-ra) and demands the proof. By the conclusion of the twelve episodes, viewers experienced a sense of unity with the narrative due to the seamless and progressive progression of every character's emotional journey.

The murderer's face is revealed at the start of Like Flowers in Sand's last episode. Before attempting to murder Mi-ran, he confronts her in her café and admits his wrongdoing. When Du-sik and the others get there in time to save her, the criminal flees. The narrative ends happily despite the early upheaval and rules out the scope of a second season.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Like Flowers in Sand.

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Like Flowers in Sand is a slow-burn drama that leaves its audience craving for more

When Du-sik (Lee Joo-myoung) relocated to the city, Baek-du (Jang Dong-yoon) and Du-sik, who had been closest friends since childhood, were forced to split ways. A botched match-fixing operation led to the accusation against Du-sik's father of killing Cheol-yong, Mi-ran's father. However, it was later established that he was not guilty.

However, due to the accusations and gossip that circulated in the locality, he had to move away with his daughter. Once a ssireum prodigy, Baek-du gradually lost his passion when Du-sik moved away and their childhood friendship came to an abrupt halt.

Everyone found it puzzling that he turned out to be one of the worst players as he grew older. Even Baek-du, who was so miserable that he abandoned the game, did not understand why he could not live up to people's expectations and accept his destiny.

As an undercover police officer, Du-sik/Yoo-kyung returns to Geosan to solve the murder of Chil-seong. Once regarded as the greatest ssireum player, Baek-du left because of uncertainty regarding his skills.

But he comes back to the squad because he still loves Du-sik, who is secretly the team manager and has returned as Yoo-kyung. His life is changed by Du-sik's homecoming since he gets to see her again, regaining his passion and strategy for the game.

Meanwhile, Du-sik learns that the reclusive café owner, Mi-ran, is still living in the area. They learn that the village is home to the same man who killed Chil-seong and Cheol-yong. The lost cell phone of the murdered Chil-seong, discovered by Snowball, the neighborhood dog, provides them with proof against him.

In episode 12 of Like Flowers in Sand, Mi-ran (Kim Bo-ra) then reveals that she is the daughter of the deceased Cheol-yong, leaving everyone in a state of confusion. However, Mi-ran's confession aims to reveal the real killer, Lee Kyung-moon, who killed Cheol-yong and Chil-seong.

The murderer, who went by the name Lee Kyung-moon, was the neighborhood rice cake store proprietor. Twenty years ago, when Cheol-yong had abandoned the match-fixing scheme, Lee Kyung-moon brutally murdered him. Similarly, when Chil-seong declined to support him in Lee Kyung-moon's schemes, he killed him and threw him into the reservoir.

Several people attempt to find Lee Kyung-moon after saving Mi-ran. However, he evades them and is on the run. The final episode of Like Flowers in Sand also shows the police issuing a country-wide arrest warrant on Lee Kyung-moon. After coming back to Seoul, Du-sik and her group of police officers start searching for the killer. Meanwhile, Baek-du prepares for his next title.

Kyung-moon's whereabouts are eventually revealed, and this allows the authorities to capture him. Due to her obligation to catch the killer, Du-sik had to miss Baek-du's most recent ssireum match. However, Baek-du is unfazed by that and is grateful when he learns that Du-sik is safe while trying to catch the killer.

Later, Baek-du goes to see Du-sik before his match, hoping to prevent her from returning to Seoul. However, since she has always desired to be a detective or police officer, he advises her to fulfill her ambition. Baek-du asks her to respond to his declaration of love and attend his championship event without fail.

With her, Baek-du is able to rediscover his outstanding dedication to minute details, which offers him an edge over more skilled opponents. He does a good job leading his squad even though they don't win the title. On the day of the championship, Baek-du asks Du-sik for an answer and declares his love for her in the series finale.

Like Flowers in Sand ends with Lee Joo-myoung's character, Oh Du-sik, confessing her love for Jang Dong-yoon's character, Kim Baek-du.

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Although the slice-of-life genre makes it a must-watch for K-drama enthusiasts, the screenplay, storyline, cinematography, and exceptional acting by the entire cast make Like Flowers in Sand one of the top-rated Netflix K-dramas.

Furthermore, with a clear ending to the story that showcases ssireum and South Korea's extreme respect and love for the sport, Like Flowers in Sand will not have any possible renewal in the future and had its final curtain call with the happy ending of episode 12.