Spring of Youth episode 5 recap: What's Sa-gye's next move after leaving TWO SAGYE & Kim Bom? Will Tae-yang pursue music career, joining The Crown?

On May 28, 2025, Spring of Youth's episode 5 was released on Viki. The K-drama follows the tale of Sa-gye, a former K-pop idol, who is suddenly removed from his famous K-pop group.

He begins a fresh chapter as a college student at Hanju University. There, he crosses paths with Kim Bom. She is an ambitious music major who once aimed for the Ivy League but gave up her dreams after losing her mother six years ago.

In the latest Spring of Youth episode, Sa-gye quits TWO SAGYE, leaving Kim Bom heartbroken. He confronts CEO Cho, setting the stage for a showdown over the CEO’s shady actions in the following episode.

Meanwhile, Tae-yang’s father pressures him to take Sa-gye’s spot in The Crown, but Tae-yang turns the offer down. Spring of Youth's episode 5 opens with Kim Bom speaking to her mother over a phone call while her mother drives through heavy rainfall caused by Typhoon Lucy.

As the storm intensifies, a sudden blackout hits the area. While still on the call, Bom hears the harrowing sound of her mother’s car losing control, flipping over, and crashing.

The phone call abruptly ends, leaving Bom in shock after hearing what she believes is her mother’s final moment. The following morning, Sa-gye regains consciousness at Seung-su’s residence, having passed out from excessive drinking the night before.

He notices an incoming call from Kim Bom but opts not to answer. At Bom’s home, she shares a quiet breakfast with her aunt, Gyu-ri, and Tae-yang. During the meal, Bom’s aunt remarks on Sa-gye’s recent behavior, noting that he seems distant and emotionally withdrawn over the past few days.

At a nearby medical facility, Sa-gye visits to retrieve documentation regarding his past corneal transplant, as shown in the Spring of Youth episode 1. While there, he unexpectedly experiences vivid flashbacks.

In one vision, he sees Kim Bom tearfully refusing the idea of donating her mother’s organs following her death. He then recalls the moment during his surgery when the attending doctor told him that a donor cornea had just become available.

Connecting the sequence of events, Sa-gye realizes with horror that the eye he received belongs to Bom’s late mother.

Furthermore, through a vision passed from the donor’s eye, Sa-gye sees what Bom’s mother saw moments before her death. He sees a car speeding toward her, leading to a fatal collision caused by CEO Cho.

Wracked with guilt, Sa-gye is left to cope with the devastating connection between him and Bom’s loss. Elsewhere at the music label, CEO Cho berates Producer Ji-na for delays in obtaining a song essential for The Crown's upcoming world tour.

Under pressure, Ji-na contacts Bom to ask if she would consider contributing her music to the company. However, Bom firmly declines the offer. Despite Bom’s refusal, Ji-na decides to present a track she secretly stole from Bom’s compositions in the Spring of Youth episode 3.

CEO Cho is impressed by the emotional depth and lyrical quality of the song and gives it a green light for official release under the company’s biggest idol group, The Crown.

Following a tip from a potential witness, Bom and her aunt visit the police station to reopen the investigation into her mother’s fatal accident. The individual who came forward reveals he was just 14 years old at the time of the incident.

The witness wasn’t sure if what he witnessed was real or a dream (the witness may be Sa-gye himself). At the station, officers inform Bom and her aunt that the case was previously categorized as a hit-and-run.

Due to a lack of solid proof, the investigation was closed years ago. While Bom remains unaware, Sa-gye observes the scene from afar, silently watching without revealing himself as Spring of Youth continues.

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Spring of Youth episode 5: TWO SAGYE falls apart as Sa-gye steps out, Tae-yang is offered the CROWN leader spot, and Kim Bom faces a new betrayal

Spring of Youth resumes with Hanju Hospital's director, who is also Tae-yang’s father, sitting down with him for an emotional conversation. He encourages Tae-yang to pursue his passion for music instead of following the expected path of a medical career.

Choked with emotion, the director tells his son that after the loss of Tae-yang’s mother, he has placed all his hopes in him. He then offers Tae-yang a place in The Crown, suggesting he take over Sa-gye’s position.

A flashback reveals that Tae-yang had auditioned for Spring of Youth's fictional group The Crown when it was first formed, but was ultimately passed over in favor of Sa-gye. However, Tae-yang denies.

Later, the director meets with CEO Cho. They agree to keep the leader position of the group open for Tae-yang. They also discuss Sa-gye’s visions regarding the accident.

CEO Cho expresses concern, but the director assures him there’s no conclusive proof linking the CEO to the crash, and therefore, nothing to worry about. The next day, Bom and Tae-yang spot Sa-gye en route and stop to talk.

Sa-gye tells Bom that he is officially quitting the TWO SAGYE group and will no longer be part of any rehearsals. He does this to prevent causing her more pain. Hearing this, Bom becomes overwhelmed and walks away in tears.

Witnessing her breakdown, Tae-yang confronts Sa-gye physically, unable to contain his anger over how Sa-gye treated her. That evening, Bom and Tae-yang visit a local bar, where they spend the night drinking and causing a bit of a stir.

As they leave the venue, Tae-yang playfully leans close to Bom against a wall and confesses his romantic feelings for her. However, Bom responds by gently telling him that her heart belongs to someone else.

Meanwhile, Sa-gye, overwhelmed with frustration and guilt, heads to the company parking lot. He then smashes CEO Cho’s car in a moment of silent protest and rage.

The following morning in Spring of Youth, Bom finds a new mobile device left outside her door. It is an anonymous gift from Tae-yang meant to replace her broken phone. She chooses not to accept it and heads to her university’s music practice room, previously shared by TWO SAGYE.

After discussing with Tae-yang’s father, she begins to pack up the group’s belongings. Shortly after, Gyu-ri, Tae-yang, and Gong Jin-gu arrive at the room. They argue that it isn’t up to Bom or Sa-gye alone to decide the group’s fate.

Still, Bom leaves. Elsewhere, Tae-yang returns home, quietly dealing with the fallout of the group’s disbanding and his feelings for Bom.

Spring of Youth's episode 5 concludes with Bom going about her shift at her part-time job. While at work, she hears a familiar tune playing on a nearby television screen. To her shock, it’s the song she wrote, which is now released under The Crown’s name without her knowledge or consent.

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The next episode of Spring of Youth will be available to stream on Viki on Wednesday, June 4, at 10:40 pm KST.