‘I Am SOLO’ Hyeon Suk breaks into tears after receiving zero votes

The mismatched feelings of the participants in Season 33 of 'I Am SOLO' ultimately led to another round of tears. Hyeon Suk, who was not chosen by anyone, finally burst into sobs while eating her 'solitary meal,' reflecting on her long-standing reality as a 'forever solo' (someone who has never dated), while the participants' lines of interest became even more complexly intertwined.

In the 270th episode of SBS Plus and ENA's 'I Am SOLO,' which aired on the 9th, the 'Hand-holding Random Date' for men and women with no dating experience and the 'Choices of the Forever Solo Men 7 Hours Ago' were revealed. This episode recorded a combined national average viewership rating of 4.0% across both channels.

Season 33 is a season where the lack of dating experience among participants acts as a direct variable in forming relationships, more so than in typical dating reality shows. Because they attach meaning to even the smallest tone of voice or action and struggle to distinguish between interest and consideration, the interpretations of the same dates differed sharply between men and women.

A representative case was Yeong-su and Sunja. Yeong-su judged that his interest had grown while participating in the mat date that Sunja had wanted. Even during the awkward process of holding hands and sharing snacks, he responded meticulously to Sunja's words, and when Sunja laughed at him eating leftover sweet and sour pork at the lodging and wiping his mouth with a banana peel, he felt hopeful, thinking, "There might be a possibility."

However, Sunja's interpretation was different. Looking back on the date, she said, "I wondered if this was even a date."

While one person read a signal of interest from the same scene, the other accepted the awkward situation itself as something to laugh at. This clearly revealed the gap that occurs when people with little dating experience attempt to interpret the other person's reactions.

Hyeon Suk and Sang Cheol also held hands and went flower viewing while discussing their jobs, career paths, and residences, but the results were different. After the date, Hyeon Suk judged that there were not many points of connection in terms of location and profession, stating, "It seems like various conditions don't match with me."

Jeong-suk also appeared to have already given up hope during her date with Gwang-su. She lowered her own chances of a relationship, saying, "I don't think there is anyone interested in me."

The conversation between Yeong Sik and Ok-sun flowed in another direction. After finishing his date with Yeong-ja, Yeong Sik requested a conversation with Ok-sun, and Ok-sun directly asked, "Am I among the people you are currently interested in?" However, Yeong Sik replied, "To be honest, no."

Ok-sun later confessed, "It started with excitement, but it ended with rational thought." It was a moment where emotional expectations were organized into rational judgment.

The participants' views on dating were also different. Hyeon Suk described romantic attraction as a "spark that pulls you from 7 to 10," while Yeong-ja said, "It's either 0 or 10." They essentially believe that a decisive change in emotion is required for a relationship to begin, rather than subtle levels of interest.

The 'Choices of the Forever Solo Men 7 Hours Ago' revealed later caused sharp differences in joy and sorrow among the female participants. Yeong-su and Yeong-ho chose Sunja, Yeong Sik chose Yeong-ja, and Yeong-cheol chose Jeong-suk. Gwang-su and Sang Cheol headed toward Ok-sun. On the other hand, Yeong-suk and Hyeon Suk were not chosen by anyone.

For Hyeon Suk, 0 votes were not just a failure in a popularity contest. She entered the 'solitary meal' with Yeong-suk and returned to her room without even touching the food. In the process of comforting each other, Hyeon Suk finally could not control her emotions and shed tears.

Hyeon Suk confessed, "It was an expected result. But even so, it was upsetting because it reminded me so much of my status as a forever solo." This means that even though she had already anticipated the result, the moment she confirmed the actual number of '0 votes,' the frustration she usually felt regarding dating resurfaced all at once.

However, this does not mean all possibilities are closed for Hyeon Suk. Regarding Gwang-su, who was considerate of her, she evaluated him by saying, "It's not quite romantic attraction, but he seems like a perfect spouse candidate." She saw him as a partner with sufficient value from a long-term relationship perspective, even if he doesn't make her heart flutter immediately.

Ok-sun had a pleasant time eating with Sang Cheol and Gwang-su, but she said there was no excitement, noting, "It was too comfortable." This part revealed that comfort in a relationship does not necessarily lead directly to interest.

The competition surrounding Sunja became even more complex. While Yeong-su and Yeong-ho both showed interest in Sunja, Yeong-su emphasized his serious personality during a one-on-one conversation with her. However, Sunja replied, "More important than that is whether the tone of the conversation matches."

When Sunja later expressed a desire to talk to Yeong-ho, Yeong-su took it as her drawing a line against him. He decided to move on, saying, "Let's just settle it this time." On the other hand, Sunja, upon meeting Yeong-ho, spoke candidly, saying, "I thought of Yeong-ho a little during my 'romance date' with Yeong-su earlier."

Yeong-ho was greatly encouraged. He expressed his desire to make Sunja his final choice, saying, "The dopamine is just exploding." This repeated the unique dynamic of dating reality shows, where the moment one person's feelings cool, a decisive signal of interest is ignited in another.

Jeong-suk and Yeong-cheol shared more realistic stories. Yeong-cheol revealed that due to difficult family circumstances in his childhood, he earned his own living expenses after his college entrance fees and once worked five part-time jobs in a single day. While Jeong-suk admired his resilience, she expressed regret that she was the one asking most of the questions during their conversation. To her, asking questions was a measure of interest in the other person.

Gwang-su also moved to manage the aftermath of his choices. After his date with Ok-sun, he expressed his apologies to Hyeon Suk regarding the selection, and he also requested a conversation with Yeong-ja. However, Yeong-ja replied, "There is no one I am particularly interested in," and because Gwang-su is one year younger than her, she treated him more like a close younger brother rather than a romantic interest, asking, "Why does he feel so much like a younger brother?"

Another variable in Season 33 is the competitive structure among the male participants. Yeong Sik and Yeong-cheol began to be conscious of each other after confirming that their respective interests, Yeong-suk and Jeong-suk, overlapped. A chain reaction has already begun where one person's choice changes the choice of another.

The reason this broadcast is interesting is not the '0 votes' result itself, but how that number acts as a different meaning for each participant. For some, it is a signal that there are still opportunities for selection, but for others, it is a moment that reconfirms long-standing romantic deprivation and self-doubt.

In particular, Hyeon Suk's tears showed that the competitive structure of dating reality shows is not a simple popularity contest, but something that can touch upon an individual's self-esteem and relationship experience. The process of waiting for a partner's choice in front of a camera is, ultimately, a constant process of confirming how one is perceived by others.

The relationships in Season 33 are not over yet. The preview teased another intersection of interest with the appearance of simultaneous choice dates. Whether Hyeon Suk, who received 0 votes, can develop a relationship with Gwang-su, how the competition between Yeong-su and Yeong-ho for Sunja will end, and how the clumsy romance of the participants will evolve into the final choice are the key points to watch in the next episode.