'I Am SOLO, Love Continues' Mr. Cha Regrets 'Fragile' Confessions, Saying He Became "A Laughingstock for the Whole Nation"

Mr. Cha, who earned the nickname 'fragile beauty' on 'I Am SOLO, Love Continues' by repeatedly mentioning kidney stones, hypoglycemia, and nosebleeds, has revealed his feelings following the broadcast. He explained that his attempt to honestly discuss his health status solidified into an unexpected character, eventually forcing him to deal with both the concern of people around him and ridicule from viewers. He expressed late regret, stating, "I felt upset because it felt like I became a laughingstock for the whole nation."

During a live broadcast held after the final episode of the Boryeong episode of SBS Plus and ENA's 'I Am SOLO, Love Continues' (hereafter 'I Am SOLO, Love Continues') on the 15th, Mr. Cha shared his recent status. He stated, "After filming ended, I immediately returned to my daily life and have been running my academy well," adding, "Recently, I have been busy renovating the academy." He explained that even after receiving unexpected attention through the broadcast, he has been continuing his daily life by focusing on his main profession.

The changes were not limited to his daily life. Mr. Cha said, "I also started exercising," and "There were more internal changes than I expected, rather than work or external things." He mentioned feeling various emotions while reviewing his appearance during filming and his words and actions captured in the broadcast. He confessed that it served as an opportunity to reflect on himself, as he directly experienced how words carelessly uttered in front of the camera are perceived by viewers.

Mr. Cha earned the 'fragile beauty' label during his meeting with 26th contestant Yeong-ja. At the time, he said things like, "I recently got kidney stones, so my face became paler," and "I suddenly lost weight," as well as, "Even before going to sleep yesterday, I felt hypoglycemia," and "I had a nosebleed." As stories related to health continued to emerge during a date where he should have been building attraction, the atmosphere flowed in an unexpected direction.

His partner, 26th contestant Yeong-ja, could not hide her sense of burden. In an interview with the production team, she confessed, "I kept feeling the burden that if this person were to collapse, what would I do, and that I would have to keep looking after him." Ultimately, Yeong-ja did not choose Mr. Cha in the final selection. Contrary to his intention to honestly inform her of his health status, it was conveyed to his partner as a burden, as if she would have to take on the responsibility of care before even starting a relationship.

Subsequently, nicknames such as 'Cha Hospital' and 'fragile beauty' followed Mr. Cha. Reflecting on his words and actions during the broadcast, he lamented, "I became a 'fragile beauty' character because I said a lot of useless things that didn't need to be said," and "I was upset because I felt like I became a laughingstock for the whole nation." It appears that the situation, where lightly tossed words solidified into a single character and that image followed him like a label representing him, was not comfortable.

The reaction from those around him after the broadcast was more intense than expected. Mr. Cha stated, "It is embarrassing because everyone I meet asks, 'Is your body okay?'" and revealed, "The mothers of my students buy me red ginseng sets." He further emphasized, "I am a perfectly normal person and have no problems. I am a physically healthy person." He explained that because he repeatedly mentioned health issues on the broadcast, an image was solidified that he is a much weaker person than his actual health status, leading to continuous situations where he has to explain this in his daily life.

He also admitted that his condition was actually not good at the time of filming. Mr. Cha said, "It was at my worst condition at the time of filming," and mentioned that when he received the contact to appear, he felt regretful thinking, "Why did the contact come at this specific time?" Nevertheless, he explained that he took courage to decide to appear, and the reason he brought up health stories first was that he wanted to let them know that he is not usually in such a bad state. Regarding kidney stones, he emphasized that the disease itself does not represent his overall health status, saying, "Anyone can get them, and it's not just people who are particularly unwell who get them."

The problem was that as the conversation continued, it flowed in a direction of self-deprecating humor. He confessed, "Later on, it felt like I was speaking like self-deprecating gag," and said, "I regretted it a lot" while watching the broadcast. He added a reflection, "Being honest is good, but I feel like I said too many inappropriate things." He realized too late that his honesty in trying to tell his status as it is could instead place a burden on his partner and be consumed as a laughingstock by viewers.

The reactions from other participants were somewhat different. 7th contestant Ok-sun gave a positive evaluation of Mr. Cha, saying, "Others tease him about being weak, but the way he took it well and sublimated it into humor made his personality look very good." Mr. Gong also mentioned seeing Mr. Cha drinking well at a gathering after the broadcast, saying, "He established himself as a heavy drinker." However, he pointed out, "He brought up things he didn't need to say first and thus drew resentment from viewers." This implies there is a difference between the image created on the broadcast and his actual appearance in daily life.

Mr. Cha also expressed his intention to show a healthy appearance by exercising steadily in the future. In the Boryeong episode of 'I Am SOLO, Love Continues', Mr. Choi, 26th contestant Jeong-suk, Mr. Jo, and 7th contestant Ok-sun were formed into final couples, but it ended without them developing into actual lovers. Mr. Cha has come to reflect not only on the result of the final selection but also on his own words, actions, and image. As he has experienced the fact that while honesty can sometimes be an attraction, honesty that does not consider the partner and the situation can cause unintended burdens or misunderstandings, attention is focused on what kind of person he will present to the public again in the future.

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