[Sportschosun reporter Jo Yoon-sun] Youngja also opened her heart after seeing the sincere side of Yeong-cheol from the 32nd season.
The real dating program "I Am Solo" on ENA and SBS Plus aired on Wednesday the 24th and showed the 32nd "divorced singles" season entering its second day, starting their first dates and launching a full-scale round of mutual exploration.
Oksun went on a "4-on-1 date" after being chosen by Young-soo, Gwang-soo, Sang-cheol, and Gyeong-su. The four then took turns in one-on-one conversations. First, Young-soo told Oksun that she seemed to fit his practical conditions, including religion and plans for children, and expressed his interest. However, he kept bringing up Yeong-suk, saying, "If Yeong-cheol hadn't gone to Yeong-suk, we might not even be having this conversation right now," which left Oksun flustered. Next, Gwang-soo spoke candidly about the reason for his divorce when Oksun asked him, and she sympathized with the pain he had gone through. After their talk, Gwang-soo said in an interview that he was now focusing on Oksun and that their conversation style seemed to match, showing that his interest had grown.
Sang-cheol made a bold move, telling Oksun, "I only have you now. How could someone like me have two or three people I like?" Oksun burst out laughing at how serious he was and said, "Now I'm curious about Sang-cheol's lighter side too." Finally, Gyeong-su spoke with Oksun, but the atmosphere was awkward. After the conversation, he said in an interview, "I kept thinking more and more that I needed to talk to Hyun-suk soon," drawing a clear line with Oksun. Still, Oksun said, "My interest in Gwang-soo and Sang-cheol is about the same, and Gyeong-su comes after them," making it clear that she was open to all three without a definite top choice.
Yeong-ho showed a shy side during his one-on-one date with Jung-suk. When Jung-suk asked the embarrassed Yeong-ho, "Do you usually have trouble making eye contact?" he replied, "If I keep looking at you, I melt. I feel like I'd be easily enchanted, just like by a gumiho," making her laugh. But after the date, Jung-suk said in an interview, "I haven't found a point of attraction that would make me drawn to him as a man," while adding, "Still, he's my No. 1 for now," in a somewhat ambiguous remark.
Around the same time, Hyun-suk, who had to eat a solo meal, broke down in tears while talking to her son on the phone. Youngja also shed tears of disappointment after Yeong-cheol chose Yeong-suk instead of her, but in an interview she revealed a surprising change of heart, saying, "Just because he didn't choose me doesn't mean my interest in him went down." Unaware of Youngja's feelings, Yeong-cheol flirted with Yeong-suk during their date, praising her by saying, "You looked so cool when you introduced yourself." Yeong-suk thanked him, but also brought up Youngja, saying, "Youngja likes vanilla lattes. Buy one for her later," and subtly kept her distance from Yeong-cheol even while they were eating tofu hot pot. After the date, Yeong-suk admitted in an interview, "I tried to see him as a man, but I didn't feel him as a romantic interest."
Young-sik built a stable rapport with Sunja during their date. Considering the cold weather, he had already started the car in advance and prepared a blanket and water. Sunja thanked him, saying, "That kind of thoughtfulness is great!" and the two spent a long time talking about child-rearing at the restaurant as well. After the date, Sunja said excitedly, "Young-sik is my No. 1 right now!" Young-sik responded that he was reminded once again that Sunja is a really good person.
As soon as Yeong-suk returned to the lodging after her date, she went to find Young-sik. She told him that she had been trying since the day before to create a chance to talk with him. In the sweet atmosphere, the two also had a deep conversation about children and religion. After the talk, Young-sik said in an interview, "When I went on a date with Sunja, my feelings were stronger for Sunja, but after talking with Yeong-suk, my feelings are now 50:50." Yeong-cheol also called Youngja over after his date with Yeong-suk ended. Feeling sorry, he handed her vitamins and a hangover remedy. He then honestly opened up about why he had not dated for eight years after losing his spouse. He said, "I closed my heart. I thought I had to stay loyal. If it had been a divorce, I would have dated already. But because it was bereavement, I couldn't. I thought I had to take responsibility until the end. I didn't think remarrying was very cool," revealing his pure-hearted side. After their conversation, Youngja said in an interview, "The more I learn about him, the more I like him. He's cute too," showing that her anger had softened.
After finishing his date with Jung-suk, Yeong-ho requested a one-on-one conversation with Yeong-suk at the lodging. He confessed, "It's true that Jung-suk is my No. 1, but actually Yeong-suk is my No. 2." Sang-cheol also called Yeong-suk over and said, "There are exactly two people who fit the conditions I want, and they are Oksun and Yeong-suk." As the stream of confessions toward Yeong-suk continued, Young-soo kept making awkward remarks in the shared living room. In the end, Yeong-suk warned him, "The more you talk, the more points you lose!" In the chilly atmosphere, Yeong-suk stood up, saying, "I'll just go change my clothes and come back," and ran into Yeong-cheol by chance outside the door. After hesitating, Yeong-suk clearly turned him down, saying, "We have similar personalities, so we should meet other people." Yeong-cheol immediately accepted it, saying, "I understand." Tired, Yeong-cheol went back to his room alone, and a little later Youngja came to see him. She began by saying, "I was disappointed because I have feelings for you," then asked, "So have you sorted out your feelings?" Yeong-cheol replied boldly, "Right now, it's just you, Youngja." After the conversation, Yeong-cheol laughed in an interview and said, "I was going to walk her back to the women's room, but she told me not to come out. That made her look brave and pretty."
Meanwhile, the women's lodging was filled with frank and lively conversation. When Jung-suk said, "My interest level is about 'Yeong-ho 8 : Young-soo 2,'" Hyun-suk bluntly added, "But Young-soo is the type who loses points the more he talks." Oksun also had everyone laughing by nicknaming Young-soo "Minus-soo."
Whether "Minus-soo" Young-soo can bounce back from his mistakes and become a rising star in romance will be revealed in the 32nd season of "I Am Solo," airing Wednesday, July 1 at 10:30 p.m. on ENA and SBS Plus.
