"Solo Minbak — one more special" popular cast members, season 20 Yeongsik and season 25 Yeongja, ignited in a blaze from a single date.
On the March 9 broadcast of SBS Plus and ENA's I m SOLO, love continues afterward (hereafter "NaSolSaga"), the 10 single men and women faced a scene where hopes and disappointments diverged over the second date selection. According to Nielsen Korea, the episode posted an average rating of 2.97% (metro paid TV households combined figure for SBS Plus·ENA), and the peak minute rating rose to 3.2%. The "best minute" was taken by season 20 Yeongsik's confessional moment when he confessed, "I was embarrassed because I didn't know how to respond to skinship".
On the morning of day two at "Solo Minbak," season 17 Sunja stood side by side washing dishes with season 27 Yeongcheol. Watching this, season 20 Yeongsik paced around them, visibly uneasy. After finishing the dishes, season 17 Sunja went outside, where passing season 18 Yeongho scolded her, saying, "Don't wear things that look like grandma clothes." Seeing this, season 20 Yeongsik said, "Let's get as far away from the brothers as possible, let's go for a walk," and took season 17 Sunja with him. Later he asked, "Will you change your clothes later?" and season 17 Sunja hesitated, saying, "The older guys told me to wear more feminine clothes." Then season 20 Yeongsik, slightly jealous, said, "You're not going on a date with the older guys, right?" In a later interview with production, he said, "Earlier season 18 Yeongho told season 17 Sunja, 'You look like youre wearing grandma clothes,' but I thought 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'—I thought 'as long as I think she's pretty, that's fine.' My feelings for season 17 Sunja seem to have grown from 70% a bit more."
Season 27 Yeongcheol also asked season 17 Sunja for a conversation. He said, "The more I talk, the more charming you seem," and asked, "Are you currently narrowing it down to about two people? Would I possibly be the one left out?" Season 17 Sunja answered ambiguously, "It's a secret, but no," and season 27 Yeongcheol pressured her, "Are you going to keep stringing people along?" Season 17 Sunja replied, "I'm not stringing anyone along. I need a little more time."
The second date selection proceeded as a "simultaneous choice." First the single women made their date decisions, and at night the single men decided. Season 17 Sunja surprised everyone by choosing season 27 Yeongcheol instead of season 20 Yeongsik. She explained, "I chose season 27 Yeongcheol because I wanted to avoid a multiple-on-one date." Season 27 Yeongcheol laughed, "Until now I was 'all alone' (solitary formal), but I'm so happy to be chosen for the first time." Meanwhile, season 20 Yeongsik, who had hoped to date season 17 Sunja, smiled ruefully. Season 24 Sunja and season 25 Sunja both chose season 18 Yeongho, and season 25 Yeongja rose as the 'one pick' of season 13 Sangcheol, season 15 Yeongcheol, season 18 Yeongho, and season 27 Yeongcheol, while choosing season 20 Yeongsik and winning the luck of a "1:1 date." Finally, season 27 Hyunsook chose season 13 Sangcheol. As a result, only season 15 Yeongcheol ended up with two consecutive solitary meals.
After the date selections, season 20 Yeongsik went to the women's room and said, "Season 25 Yeongja, let's go eat something delicious," taking the lead in discussing the menu. At that moment season 24 Sunja teased season 20 Yeongsik, asking, "How does it feel to be abandoned by the women who chose someone else yesterday?" Stung in his pride, season 20 Yeongsik forced a calm reply, "I'm very grateful. After all, I'll get to meet all five of them." In the strange atmosphere, season 20 Yeongsik put season 25 Yeongja in his car and headed to a restaurant. Along the way he leaned in to season 25 Yeongja and, saying, "There's something on your face," brushed dust off with his hand. Season 25 Yeongja froze, and the three hosts Defconn, Kyungri, and Yoon Bomi excitedly reacted, "It's a frenzy!" in vicarious excitement at Yeongsik's "touch flirting." Later the two performed a role-play as clerk and customer at the restaurant, showing perfect back-and-forth chemistry, and season 25 Yeongja repeatedly used her signature eye-smile, heating up the mood.
Meanwhile, the date between season 27 Yeongcheol and season 17 Sunja was tinged with awkwardness. Season 17 Sunja showed low energy with little conversation. She then confessed, "Usually men meet younger women, right? I originally had high self-esteem, but now that I'm in my thirties, I have a fear of aging." Season 27 Yeongcheol said, "Men are surprisingly simple. If she's pretty, they'll date her," and asked, "Seeing me from the outside, what do you think of me?" Season 17 Sunja complimented him, "You seem to be better at talking than I expected." Season 27 Yeongcheol joked, "Am I among the two attractive men? The other one would be the soft tofu guy (season 20 Yeongsik), right?" After the date, season 17 Sunja told production, "The conversation was comfortable and nice, but it felt more like a friend than a lover. Thinking back, when I talked with season 20 Yeongsik in the morning, I was shy about meeting his eyes, and I realized that's because the sexual attraction was strong. I only felt that after dating season 27 Yeongcheol."
Meanwhile, energized by the back-and-forth with season 25 Yeongja, season 20 Yeongsik suggested, "Let's go drink beer later." Season 25 Yeongja pouted, "After you drink with that girl (the single woman season 20 Yeongsik chose during the 'simultaneous choice' date)?" Then she complimented-flirted, "Why is your nose so high?" At one point she said, "Your face looks like a baby, so you have a lot of hair?" and patted season 20 Yeongsik's arm with a 'stroking' gesture. Unabashed, season 25 Yeongja's skinship made season 20 Yeongsik's face turn red, and in an immediate interview with production he said, "I think my head was broken; I didn't know what to do. I didn't completely dislike it, but it was awkward to tell her 'don't.' I was embarrassed because I didn't know how to respond to skinship." Near the end of the meal, season 25 Yeongja tried to use a lint roller to remove dust from her clothes, but season 20 Yeongsik asked, "I think you don't need to do that anymore. Is there someone you want to look good for?" To this, season 25 Yeongja answered, "You!" making season 20 Yeongsik's heart flutter. After that, the two rode in the car back to the lodging arm in arm, exchanged sweet looks, and raised their 'excitement index.'
After the date, season 25 Yeongja confessed to production, "I really felt like we were having a spark. I want to talk more with season 20 Yeongsik." In the following preview, she declared to season 17 Sunja, "I've decided on season 20 Yeongsik now." Season 17 Sunja's expression grew serious, and curiosity swelled over how the quadrangle involving season 27 Yeongcheol would unfold.
[Photo] Broadcast capture
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