'Couple Palace 2' is drawing intense interest towards the final proposal with a whirlwind romance until the very end.

On Dec. 2 (Wed), the 9th episode of Mnet's 'Couple Palace 2' (directed by Lee Sun-young CP and Jeong Min-seok PD) aired, depicting the unpredictable stories of the couple zone and single zone as Palace Week was in full swing leading up to the final proposal. The episode proved to be even more exciting and generated a buzz as it recorded a peak rating of 1.6% (according to AGB Nielsen, based on paid households in the metropolitan area).

In the couple zone, where couples were preparing to marry, a surprising reversal of expectations captured attention. Pharmacist Jo Yeong-seok, who was referred to as the 'couple of conviction' with corporate employee Kim Su-min due to their common interest in Tongyang philosophy, was involved in conflict for the first time. When Kim Su-min appeared drunk at the couple zone party, Jo Yeong-seok, who saw this for the first time, began to have deeper thoughts as the proposal approached. He shared, "It felt like dealing with a difficult guest," and began to distance himself from Kim Su-min, creating tension.

The couple of Kim Hyun-joong and Im Si-yeon also faced unexpected obstacles. After the meeting with the parents, Im Si-yeon appeared to be in poor condition throughout, worrying Kim Hyun-joong. Attending the couple zone party without having processed the emotions from the meeting turned out to be detrimental. Kim Hyun-joong suggested, "I think it might be okay to withdraw," but this consideration only hurt Im Si-yeon further. She expressed, "Hearing the word 'withdraw' felt like a blackout," intensifying curiosity about what choice she would make before the proposal.

In a surprising twist, Kim Ji-woong chose Kim Ha-yeon instead of Oh Sin-da. Previously, after breaking up with Lee Jeong-won, Oh Sin-da had declared direct feelings towards Kim Ji-woong in the couple zone. Although Kim Ji-woong seemed to show affection for Oh Sin-da, his choice was Kim Ha-yeon. He shared that he tends to take a long time to develop trust in women due to trauma from his first relationship. About Kim Ha-yeon, who had consistently shown trust, Kim Ji-woong said, "I thought she was sincere, and I felt I couldn’t let her go."

Meanwhile, in the single zone, the final love battle unfolded before the last proposal. Lee Sang-gyeong went on a wine bar date with Bae Joo-hee to hear her true feelings after she failed to keep a breakfast date promise. Bae Joo-hee confessed that the reason she chose Choi Jae-yeon for breakfast was "because he showed consistent trust." Lee Sang-gyeong, who had been wavering between Seo Jin-joo and Bae Joo-hee, expressed clear affection towards Bae Joo-hee during this date, feeling more attracted to her for genuinely liking him as he is.

In the single zone, it was time for the vote on the final proposal partner. Each participant could only choose one person for the final proposal. Lee Jeong-won first chose Oh Seung-yeon instead of Oh Sin-da. Oh Seung-yeon smiled happily, saying, "Everything feels like timing and destiny." Choi Jae-yeon and Kwon Yeong-taek continued to select Bae Joo-hee, while Hwang Jae-geun chose Seo Jin-joo as his final proposal partner. The most anticipated, Lee Sang-gyeong, surprised everyone by choosing Bae Joo-hee instead of Seo Jin-joo.

After the voting ended, Seo Jin-joo could not hide her feelings of betrayal towards Lee Sang-gyeong. In particular, Seo Jin-joo interpreted Lee Sang-gyeong's choice as a sign that he had closed off his heart to her rather than having feelings for Bae Joo-hee; however, Lee Sang-gyeong made it clear by saying, "That's not a way to protest." Meanwhile, Bae Joo-hee, who had declared direct feelings to Choi Jae-yeon, could not hide her growing affection towards Lee Sang-gyeong and appeared shaken. Choi Jae-yeon, who was unaware that Lee Sang-gyeong had voted for Bae Joo-hee, also felt equally shocked. Choi Jae-yeon spoke with the shaken Bae Joo-hee, expressing, "There’s nothing I can do," while shedding tears.

Seo Jin-joo transmitted incorrect information to Bae Joo-hee, igniting misunderstandings. The choice of Lee Sang-gyeong was not due to feelings for Bae Joo-hee. Bae Joo-hee, with a complicated expression, was hurt and shed tears alone. Choi Jae-yeon appealed to Lee Sang-gyeong, her roommate and competitor, saying, "It’s too hard. I feel like I want to tell him to give up on you,” expressing her distress. When she revealed her trauma about having liked someone who had a boyfriend in the past, tears surfaced, and this visibly distressed Lee Sang-gyeong, raising curiosity about their fate.

Meanwhile, toward the end of the broadcast, the much-anticipated final proposal and the last choices of the unpredictable single men and women were previewed, heightening anticipation. In particular, interest heightened in who Bae Joo-hee would choose among the three men, Choi Jae-yeon, Kwon Yeong-taek, and Lee Sang-gyeong, and how many couples would form in this Season 2. The final episode of 'Couple Palace 2' will air on Dec. 9 (Wed) at 10:40 p.m. on Mnet and tvN.

[Photo] 'Couple Palace 2'

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