A shocking reverse choice was made.
On the 14th episode of MBN's Love after Divorce 7, episode 9, the 10 divorcees — Dohyeong, Donggeon, Myeongeun, Seongwoo, Suha, Areum, Yewon, Inhyeong, Jiwoo and Heejong — gathered at the "divorcee house" in Gold Coast, Australia, and after a five-night, six-day romance journey entered the "Ferris wheel final choice." As a result, the safe-asset couple Jiwoo♥Seongwoo chose each other as expected, and Donggeon♥Myeongeun surprised viewers with a shocking reversal by becoming a final couple without a single 1:1 date. The broadcast recorded a household viewership rating of 2.2% (paid TV households, nationwide) according to Nielsen Korea, marking its highest rating. The peak minute rating was 2.5%, showing intense interest in the divorcees' final choices.
On day five at the divorcee house, one day before the final choice, Inhyeong and Yewon and Heejong and Areum enjoyed their last 1:1 dates. Inhyeong and Yewon had a luxury yacht date, and later received an instruction to reveal their ages. Inhyeong said he was born in 1987 and is 38, and Yewon said she was born in 1998 and is 27; the two finished the date building camaraderie rather than engaging in romantic talk. Heejong and Areum were born in 1990 and 1987 and are 35 and 37 respectively, and they had a conversation close to counseling. Heejong said, "I did everything I could to express myself to Jiwoo here," and Areum, worried she hadn't properly talked with Donggeon after confessing to raising two children, said, "You don't have to feel sorry."
Dohyeong and Myeongeun showed sweet chemistry throughout their 1:1 date. The two made DIY couple T-shirts using initials from their nicknames "steady otter" and "sleepy otter." Later, when instructed to reveal their ages, Myeongeun said she had only dated peers with an age difference of one year up or down and revealed she was born in 1993 and is 32. Dohyeong said he was born in 1984 and is 41; although he seemed somewhat intimidated by the nine-year age gap, he sincerely appealed to Myeongeun, saying, "Meeting you feels like a miracle." He also presented a "Yanggwan-style boutonniere" he made from flowers he picked that morning. Myeongeun thanked him, saying, "Wow! I'm touched. My heart feels warm," and studio MCs Lee Hyeyoung, Yoo Seyoon, Lee Jihye, Eun Jiwon and Lee Da-eun cheered them on, saying, "Dohyeong's sincerity seems to have moved Myeongeun's heart again."
After all the last dates ended, Donggeon honestly confessed his feelings to Areum at the lodging, saying, "Let's talk." He said, "Realistically, it seems difficult to develop a relationship (with Areum)," and Areum comforted him, saying, "You don't have to feel sorry." Immediately after, Donggeon called Myeongeun out for a mini date. He expressed his growing feelings to her, saying, "I wanted to try to sew the tangled button back on," and Myeongeun replied, "I said in my production interview that during my time here, (Donggeon) was first or second in my heart."
In the sweet atmosphere, the two continued their flirting mode while cooking and eating ramen in the communal kitchen, and Dohyeong, who watched them, could not hide his troubled feelings. Areum also learned the details of Donggeon and Myeongeun's 5 a.m. conversation, and feeling hurt, she returned the gifts and letters she had received from Donggeon and completely cut ties with him.
The next day, the final choice took place on the famous Ferris wheel in Brisbane, Australia. Suha, Areum and Yewon were not chosen by the divorcee men and disembarked the Ferris wheel alone. Suha said, "I want to meet someone who recognizes my worth," Areum said, "I have no regrets because I did my best," and Yewon said, "I'm leaving holding hands with a more mature me." Jiwoo became the final couple with Seongwoo as expected, and Heejong, who had pursued Jiwoo directly but gave up on the final choice, said, "There was no room to get between Seongwoo and Jiwoo. They look so good together," and cheered them on. Myeongeun chose Donggeon, who had bulldozer-level advances on day five, over steady pursuer Dohyeong. Inhyeong, another admirer of Myeongeun, said, "I expressed my feelings to Myeongeun without regret, and after 고민 ended, I sorted out my emotions," and chose no one. On the Ferris wheel, Myeongeun told Dohyeong and Donggeon, "Thank you both for acting so admirably in your own ways. (Between Dohyeong and Donggeon) the difference in my feelings wasn't huge," then took Donggeon's hand and stepped off the Ferris wheel.
The 5 MCs were stunned by the unusual romance of two people becoming a final couple without ever having a 1:1 date. Still, the 5 MCs said, "You have to keep moving until the end," and showed respect for Donggeon's bold move. Dohyeong, left alone on the Ferris wheel, said, "When Love after Divorce first aired, I had the prejudice that it was a program that commodified divorcees, but after coming here and joining, I'm so grateful for the program."
Meanwhile, after finishing a five-night, six-day romance in Australia, Donggeon and Myeongeun, who became the final couple, will return to Seoul and have their first 1:1 date, and Seongwoo and Jiwoo will move in together at Jiwoo's Seoul home, raising anticipation for the next broadcast. The aftermath of Seongwoo♥Jiwoo and Donggeon♥Myeongeun's final choices and their romance restarting in Seoul can be seen in Love after Divorce 7 episode 10, which airs on Sunday the 21st at 10 p.m.
[Photo] MBN
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