“Transit Love 3” Male Cast Has Korean Viewers Unexpectedly Divided Over Plastic Straws

Following an episode of Transit Love 3 (also known as EXchange), Koreans are now asking themselves: How important are first impressions? And can plastic straws make or break it?

“Transit Love 3” | TVING

Cho Hwi Hyun showed up to his date with Lee Yoo Jung, holding two cups of coffee. And, in total goofball behavior, Cho also brought two (well-wrapped) plastic straws tucked behind his ears.

Cast Cho Hwi Hyun | TVING

He then told Lee that he forgot to grab a cup holder for all the items—hence, the straw feelers. While Lee had no problem taking one of the straws, Koreans couldn’t quite get past them. The scene then went viral on theqoo and other online communities.

하 휘현 귀에 빨대 꽂아서 나 혼자 개당황하고 있었는데 유정이 알아서 빼갔어 역시 쿨녀 pic.twitter.com/d9FfNRZoXg

— 핸프 (@lovergoodface) January 19, 2024

Ha. I was panicking because Hwi Hyun showed up with the straws tucked behind his ears. But Yoo Jung knew what to do, of course. She’s the coolest.

— @lovergoodface/Twitter

A post titled “What Would You Do If Your Date Shows Up Like This On A Blind Date?” has garnered almost 60K views, featuring hundreds of comments discussing the straws!

The post asked how it would feel to go on a blind date and have the date show up looking like Cho, with two plastic straws tucked behind his ears, for the first time meeting.

| TVING

Some said it would all depend on what the date looks like. Most agreed that if the date was good-looking, the behavior would seem cute.

| theqoo

• “It would depend on their face.”
• “He’s good-looking, so it’s fine.”
• “It depends on what the date looks like… If they’re not my type and they show up like that, I’d think they’re being a f*cking attention wh*re.”
• “No thanks… Haha. I’d assume they’re kind of weird.”
• “On the first date? Yikes…”
• “I know the straws are wrapped, but still… Why is he letting his hair touch them?”
• “I thought I’d hate it. But if the date looks like Hwi Hyun, then I’d find him cute.”
• “Oh, ew. Why did he put them behind his ears?”
• “Just FYI, Yoo Jung went on this date feeling nervous. But when Hwi Hyun showed up like that, it made her feel better. Haha.”
• “I’d find it f*cking hilarious! LOL.”
• “F*cking hilarious.”

Others said it would make them feel uncomfortable regardless—either because the behavior would seem attention-seeking or because it would be unhygienic!

| theqoo

• “Aren’t those paper straws? Just stick them inside the sleeves…”
• “If the date’s tall and handsome, all is well.”
• “It depends on the first impression. If the date’s cute, I’d be OK with it. But if not, I’d feel uncomfortable. I’d turn down the straw…”
• “He’s cute! Haha.”
• “He is cute. But if it happened to me on the first date, when I’m meeting the date for the first time, I’d be like, ‘WTF?’ These two have known each other for a bit, though. So, haha.”
• “If the date looks like him, A OK.”
• “I’d find it cute, LOL.”
• “Isn’t it kind of funny, though? Haha.”
• “Oh, I’d walk right past them…”
• “On the first date? When we don’t even know each other? It’s a bit too much, IMO. I would not like it…”

Korean dating shows, like Transit Love and Single’s Inferno, have sparked quite a lot of talk across social media platforms and online communities. Another cast member on Transit Love 3 received a tremendous amount of attention after her previous K-Pop idol experience was revealed.

Read more about her here:

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