If you just finished bingeing the latest episodes of XO, Kitty, you're probably scratching your head about one specific name that keeps popping up: Simon.
For a show built on teen romance and messy love triangles, this particular mystery felt a lot more personal. It wasn't just another boy for Kitty to potentially crush on. No, Simon was the ghost hanging over Kitty’s entire journey to Seoul.
Initially, the show baits us. We're led to believe he might be a secret ex-boyfriend or the "one who got away" for Kitty’s late mother, Eve Song. But as season 2 unfolds, the truth is way more complicated—and honestly, a lot more emotional—than just a high school fling.
Who is Simon in XO Kitty?
Let's get the big reveal out of the way. Simon is Eve Song’s cousin. He isn't a secret lover. He wasn't a hidden romance from her time at the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS). In reality, Simon was the bridge to a side of the Song-Covey family that Kitty never knew existed.
For the longest time, Kitty believed her mother’s connection to Korea was mostly about her friendship with Principal Jina Lim. But the letters Kitty finds at the end of season 1 mention Simon in a way that feels heavy. It turns out Eve and Simon were working together behind the scenes for years. Their mission? To heal a massive, decades-old rift between their mothers—Kitty’s grandmother (Young Ja) and her great-aunt (Soon Ja).
The tragic backstory you didn't see coming
While the name Simon carries a lot of weight in the plot, we don't actually get to meet him in the present day. This is the part that usually catches fans off guard.
As Kitty digs deeper into her family tree in season 2, she connects with a girl named Jiwon. Through their conversations, the heartbreaking truth comes out: Simon died in a car accident.
Jiwon reveals that she is actually Simon’s daughter. She tells Kitty that she was only ten years old when the accident happened. This explains why the letters stopped and why Eve was never able to fulfill her dream of a full family reunion before her own passing. It’s a double layer of grief for Kitty to process—losing the chance to meet a relative who clearly shared her "matchmaker" spirit and her desire to fix broken relationships.
Why the "Simon mystery" changed everything for Kitty
In the beginning, Kitty went to Korea for a boy (Dae). She thought she was the expert on love. But Simon’s existence shifted the entire focus of the show from romantic love to generational healing.
- The Family Rift: Kitty learns that her grandmother, Young Ja, moved to the U.S. and basically cut off her sister, Soon Ja, after a massive falling out.
- The Letters: Eve and Simon were the original "KISS detectives." They wrote back and forth constantly, trying to figure out how to get their mothers to speak again.
- The Failed Reunion: One of the most painful details is a letter revealing that Young Ja had finally agreed to fly to Korea with a baby Kitty to see Simon and Soon Ja. But Eve died before the flight ever happened, and the secret stayed buried for nearly twenty years.
Is there another Simon? (The Florian confusion)
If you've been hanging out on Reddit or TikTok, you might have seen some confusion regarding the name. Some fans accidentally mix up the "Mystery Simon" (the cousin) with Florian Simon, a student at KISS.
Florian is a very real, very present character played by Théo Augier Bonaventure. He’s the guy who dates Q and ends up in some hot water over his grades and a bit of "academic dishonesty" (okay, he cheated).
But just to be 100% clear: Florian Simon and Cousin Simon are not the same person. They just happen to share a name, which is a classic trope for keeping viewers on their toes. Florian is part of the modern-day teen drama; Cousin Simon is the key to Kitty’s heritage and the Song family history.
What this means for Season 3 and beyond
By the end of season 2, Kitty has essentially finished the work that Eve and Simon started. With some help from Yuri and a private jet (thanks, Min Ho), she manages to get her grandmother and great-aunt in the same room.
The emotional climax of the season isn't a kiss—it's the Jesa ritual. Seeing the women of the family lead this traditional ceremony for Eve and Simon is a huge deal. It’s a way of saying that even though Simon is gone, his goal of bringing the family back together was finally achieved by the next generation.
Moving forward, the mystery of Simon seems "solved," but the doors he opened aren't closing. Kitty now has an extended family in Korea, including her cousin Jiwon. This gives her a much deeper reason to stay in Seoul than just chasing a boyfriend.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the lore, keep an eye on how Kitty interacts with Jiwon in future episodes. There’s a lot of "Simon" in both of them—that stubborn, hopeful streak that refuses to let family ties stay broken.
Actionable Insight for Fans: If you want to catch every clue about Simon's backstory, re-watch the season 1 finale and pay close attention to the specific wording in the letter Jina gives Kitty. Knowing he's a cousin makes those "mysterious" sentences read in a completely different, much more bittersweet light.
