Jong Kook couldn’t put down his phone even for just a second. He couldn’t get thru with Ji-hyo since last night. He had been calling and left dozens of messages but not even one was replied. He started to feel nervous. Ji-hyo was affected so much when the news about their dismissal from the Running Man broke out. Even if Jong Kook had calmed her two days ago and she said she was okay, Jong Kook still worried especially now that he couldn’t get hold on her. Ji-hyo’s reaction was unpredictable. And she loves to keep everything to herself which worries Jong Kook even more.

When his manager called and informed that Ji-hyo’s manager also couldn’t reach her, Jong Kook decided he needs to go and check on her at her house. He didn’t wanna play guessing anymore when Ji-hyo’s life could be at stake. He reached for his car keys and drove towards Ji-hyo’s apartment.

After ringing the doorbell for few times but reached no answer, Jong Kook key-in the password which he secretly saw few days back coincidently. He didn’t have the intention to misuse it. Ji-hyo didn’t even know that he knew the password. But Jong Kook is glad that at least he can use it when something emergency like this happened.

He expected to see Ji-hyo inside the house since her car was downstairs and the security mentioned didn’t see her going out of the building for the whole 24 hours. Entering the house slowly, Jong Kook started calling for Ji-hyo.

“Ji-hyo ah……It’s me, Jong Kook……Are you okay?.......Ji-hyo ah……where are you?.......” Jong Kook called out while checking here and there for Ji-hyo. There was still no sound of Ji-hyo.

Until Jong Kook walked towards the bathroom, he started to hear like water running. He moved faster while calling Ji-hyo’s name.

“Ji-hyo ah….you’re in the shower?” Jong Kook checked out.

But Ji-hyo didn’t answer.

“Song Ji-hyo! Can you please say something?”

Still there was no answer from Ji-hyo. He hold the knob but reluctant to open it, afraid if Ji-hyo was in the shower and couldn’t hear him. He didn’t want to shock them both. But after a while and receiving nothing, Jong Kook simply opened the door.

To his surprised, Ji-hyo was sitting on the bathroom floor while leaning her head to the bathtub edge with her eyes closed. There were a bottle of wine and few cans of opened beers on the floor and at the bathtub. There was even a glass drown inside the filled water bathtub.

“Yah Ji-hyo ah! Yah! What did you do to yourself?” Jong Kook quickly gets Ji-hyo on the floor. “Ji-hyo ah! Yah!” Jong Kook kept tapping Ji-hyo’s cheeks to wake her up. But Ji-hyo doesn’t move at all. Jong Kook started to get panic and thinking of the worst. “Oh my God! Ji-hyo ah! Don’t scares me like this! Wake up, Ji-hyo ah!”

Jong Kook checked her pulse and it’s still there. Jong Kook decided to try and wet Ji-hyo’s head. He took the showerhead and watered Ji-hyo’s face carefully.

“Come on! Don’t scares me, Ji-hyo ah! Please…..”

After a while Ji-hyo started to move and whine. Jong Kook quickly turned off the shower and hugged her tight.

“Oh God! Thank you! Thank you, God!” Jong Kook said.

“Mmmhhh…….hmmmmhhh…..” Ji-hyo moaned, looked like she’s uncomfortable.

“Ji-hyo ah, can you hear me? Ji-hyo ah…..please open your eyes for me….” Jong Kook requested while holding Ji-hyo like a baby.

At first Ji-hyo tried to push Jong Kook away but after Jong Kook talked longer to her, she started to gain conscious and slowly open her eyes. But she stared blankly into Jong Kook’s eyes, as if she didn’t know him.

“Hey…..it’s me…..” Jong Kook said softly.

Ji-hyo stared for few seconds more and then started to look around.

“……Where……What happen?........” she asked, puzzled.

“I’m not sure either. But before we talk about it, let’s get you change okay? You are all wet and it’s gonna get you sick if you don’t change your clothes.”

When Jong Kook tried to help Ji-hyo stands up, Ji-hyo suddenly hold her head.

“Arghhhh!!”

“Why? What is it? Ohh….you must had a terrible headache…Ermm….Tell you what…I’m gonna get you something to feed, while you change your clothes….okay?”

“…….Hmm……”

“Ji-hyo ah….can I trust you on this one?”

“Yessss…Don’t worry….I just need to take some time with my head…..I’ll be fine….” Ji-hyo sounded a bit angry because of the headache she had.

“….Okay…..After change, lie down on the bed okay? I’ll bring the food to you….Got it?....”

“….Hmm…..” Ji-hyo answered in short.

“Song Ji-hyo…” Jong Kook wasn’t satisfied.

“Arasso!!! Just….go…..Your voice could blow my head, oppa!” Ji-hyo burst her anger while holding her head.

Jong Kook was a bit upset actually but since he knew about Ji-hyo’s condition, he tried to coax himself to understand the situation.

When Jong Kook brought a tray of food and water to Ji-hyo’s room, she was already sitting up, leaning her body to the headboard. But her eyes were still closed. Jong Kook placed the tray in front of her which makes her opened her eyes.

“…..Here…..You need to feed yourself and drinks lots of water…..” Jong Kook directed calmly.

He gave Ji-hyo a glass of water but Ji-hyo holds his hand.

“Oppa…..thank you…..”

Jong Kook started to smile, a bit bitter.

“You scared me…”

“I know…..I’m scared too….I…..I don’t know…..I…..I’m sorry….”

“We’ve promised that we’ll move on….We’ve promised that we will make it better….We’ve promised that we’ll go thru this together….But why…….Why are you torturing yourself, Ji-hyo ah?” Jong Kook started to sound upset.

“…..I don’t know….I’m just…..so sad…..and I just…wanna be alone….I wanna let out….all my sadness….just for a day....But….things get uncontrolled….I can’t control….my sadness….I can’t bear….the pain…..So I looked around….for soju or wine….or anything….that will help me forget….that will take the pain away……”

“Did you know that you almost get yourself killed?”

“Huh?”

“You were there, unconscious, next to the bathtub filled with water….What if you fall into the bathtub?” Jong Kook gets angry.

“But I….it wasn’t my plan to get drunk….”

“Whatever! I’m not gonna leave you alone anymore.”

“Mwuh?” Ji-hyo was surprised with Jong Kook’s statement. “Okay, oppa! I admit….that was my mistake….and I’m sorry….for making you worried…..But I promise you, that will never happen again.”

“Nice try, but I’ll never believe you again.”

“Oppa….I said I promise…”

“Yeah! You’ve also promised before and look at where we are now,” Jong Kook was still upset.

Ji-hyo lost her words and just looked down. Jong Kook suddenly passed her the water, making her wondering.

“Drink. You need to drink lots of water to clean your inner side.”

“But I’m getting better now…I swear…It’s slowly getting back to me….” Ji-hyo giving excuses.

Jong Kook turned away for a second, biting his lips before turning back to Ji-hyo.

“You want to drink this glass of water…..or you would rather drink the whole tub there?” Jong Kook hinted about the water in the bathtub.

“Andwae!! I will…drink this….”

“Good! Try to lessen your stubbornness so that we can save more time…..arachi?”

“Arasso!!” Ji-hyo answered loudly and forced herself to follow Jong Kook’s instruction.

Then she started to eat the food that Jong Kook provided.

“Good girl!” Jong Kook praised in smiles.

Ji-hyo just rolled her eyes.

“Anyway…….they’ve called us for a meeting tomorrow…..” Jong Kook informed.

“They? Who? New show?” Ji-hyo questioned while hungrily feeding .

“The production….The Running Man production team….”

Ji-hyo automatically stopped everything. After few seconds she started chewing again.

“I’m not going!” she answered.

“Ji-hyo ah….let’s just hear what they wanna say…hmm?” Jong Kook tried to convince.

“Oppa! They kicked us out! Which part didn’t you understand?” Ji-hyo blasted at Jong Kook.

“I know! Ji-hyo ah, I’m upset too. I’m hurt just as much as you. But, let’s just hear them out. Who knows they have better explanation about all this. Besides, Jae-suk hyung, Suk Jin hyung, Dong Hoon and Kwang Soo will also be there. I don’t think they will allow those people to hurt us further,” Jong Kook tried to talk to Ji-hyo.

“They can’t do anything, oppa! If they can, they will even from this mess happen!”

“Ji-hyo ah, we don’t know what’s the real situation now. It’s unfair to be upset with the other members when you don’t even let them talk to you. They’ve been trying to reach you, Ji-hyo ah. But you never answer them. How would you know how they felt?”

Ji-hyo started to think of Jong Kook’s statement. And she hates it when Jong Kook was right.

“Ji-hyo ah, they were like family to us. We know them better than anyone else. I’m sure they were as upset as we were……So please….let’s deal with this once and for all….I’m sure the fans are also waiting for our statements…..”

“But…..what if I’m not strong….to face any of them?” Ji-hyo’s voice started to tremble. She didn’t look up to Jong Kook but to her tray instead.

“Ji-hyo ah…..don’t worry….I’ll be there….right next to you…..” Jong Kook convinced while hugging Ji-hyo from sideways.

Ji-hyo leaned her head onto Jong Kook’s shoulder. They were silent until few seconds.

“……Oppa…..”

“Yes?”

“……..Can you stay with me tonight?.......”

“Hmm?”

“Stay with me here…..and tomorrow….we’ll go together to the meeting…..”

“But Ji-hyo ah…..”

“Please……I don’t think I can stay alone today…..I need you, oppa….I need to gain all the courage for tomorrow…….” Ji-hyo begged.

“…………….Okay…………..But I’m gonna need to ask Gap Jin to send my clothes………..”

“Oh you can wear mine,” Ji-hyo teased Jong Kook, playing with her eyebrows.

Jong Kook bit his lips and started to tickle Ji-hyo. “Very funny….huh? Trying to get back at me, huh?”

“Ahhh! Ahhh, oppa! Stopp! Oppa! Ahahahahah! I’m not trying to be funny…..I’m serious, oppa…..ahahahahahah….stop itt!!” Ji-hyo shouted in laughter while trying to endure the tickles.

Once Jong Kook stopped, he hugged Ji-hyo again.

“……I love your laugh, Ji-hyo ah……Please don’t be sad anymore….okay?.....” Jong Kook talked softly.

“…..I will be okay…as long as you are with me, oppa….I just wanna be with you now…coz you are the only one who will understand my feelings right now…..”

“Of course…..I won’t leave you….”

“Hmm…..Gomawo……..” Ji-hyo replied, feeling relieve. She then tried to feed Jong Kook her food. “Aaaa…” she asked Jong Kook to open his mouth.

“A-ani! Ani! You eat it!”

“Ahh oppa! Let’s eat together. Open your mouth………aaaa…..”

“It’s okay Ji-hyo ah. You should eat a lot. Go ahead!”

“Oppa, if you don’t eat with me, I won’t go tomorrow.”

“Mwuh? Aishhh….stop playing the blackmailing game will you?”

“I don’t care!”

“Okay! Okay! I’ll eat it,” Jong Kook surrendered, making Ji-hyo smiles childishly.

“Aaaa….”

Jong Kook opened his mouth and Ji-hyo fed him.

“Hoohooo….Good boy….” Ji-hyo cheered up.

“Yah! You are not thinking of me like your dog right?”

“Hahahahah…You can be my pet if you want to....”

“Such a naughty unpredictable girl…You can’t even dance TT but now you are showing all your aegyos to me….huh….”

“That means you are special, oppa….That’s why only you can see me like this…”

“Really? You mean you don’t even show it to Gary?”

“Hoh? Why should I?”

“Hmm….good then…..”

“Hahhaha…Stingy…”

“Of course! It’s not easy to be at my place, watching you with him and other man the whole time, you know?”

“Heheh…But now, you can have me to yourself…without sharing…”

“Really?”

“Hmm….”

“Then