A thin, hunching man with thick glasses, unfashionable hairstyle and loose clothes nervously walked to a corner of the room. He scanned the area and his eyes brightened seeing in the middle a familiar bunch of people. He even caught the gaze of someone well known for his big nose and funny antics. That gave him the courage to walk towards the group.

The man reached Suk Jin and bowed deeply. “Anyeohaseyo, I am Yoo Jae Suk. I’m new, please take care of me.” he said with a sincere and friendly voice despite the obvious nervousness.

Most of the seniors that weren’t even there for a year ignored the unattractive man, continuing their conversations as if nothing happened. They were laughing at something but the newbie knew that he was the subject of their merriment.  

Still, he didn’t lose his smile. Suk Jin pretended to also ignore him but when everyone turned their back, he gave Jae suk a faint smile. Suk Jin never forgot how much that newbie’s face had lit up. As if he just received his first daesang.

The sunbae actually thought the guy wasn’t that bad looking but only when he smiles.

/////

Suk Jin saw Jae suk sitting on a corner. He was almost hidden in view by clothes and props but the older one easily found him with his hair sticking out. Suk Jin walked towards Jae suk uncertain of why he was doing that, but careful not to make any sound. Before he could reach the guy, he heard him say something on the phone. He was about to leave but the newbie said something that made him burst into uncontrollable laughter.

He heard a chair scraping the floor and Jae suk stood there, awkwardly bowing at him. “Sunbaenim, a-anyeohaseyo…” Jaesuk greeted, but unlike before, he wasn’t smiling. It was odd. The younger one had never failed to greet Suk Jin with a big smile on his face every day.

Jaesuk looked dejected, lost and the worst part was Suk Jin believed he was the cause of the sudden change in the younger one.

“Jae suk-s-ssi, umm Jae suk-ah,” Suk Jin said, looking down on his very uninteresting shoes. He could feel that the other one was as shocked as he was with what he just called him.

Jae Suk-ah, he thought over and over again thinking it wasn’t that bad to have a dongsaeng like the man. “That was really funny. You are really are funny,” he said with a sigh, wishing he sounded more sincere than he showed because he was.

It must have been 5 minutes or an eternity. There was only cold silence as the two men each gathered their thoughts to formulate a word. It was suddenly awkward and Suk Jin had to look away embarrassedly.

“Thank you…” Jae Suk finally said. Suk Jin looked up upon hearing those words from the hoobae and just like the first day, Jae suk has on a beautiful smile. But something had changed, and it made the older one really happy. That day he had gained something so priceless and enduring.

A dongsaeng and a friendship.

/////

It had been years since that fateful day and Yoo Jae suk wasn’t just an average guy anymore. For all of South Koreans knows his name. Many things had changed, even their status in life. Suk Jin’s image now was just of an old man who was jokingly speculated to have majored in pitiful body gags that could make you drown for air. He was the race starter and a sunflower… the oldest and icon of weak and frailty. If ever, the good thing was he’s much more funnier than the past.

Suk Jin stopped dead at the door of his son's bedroom. He craned his neck to hear what his son was saying while his heart pounded hard on his chest. It was not really his style to eavesdrop on anyone but a word caught his attention, making him frozen on his tracks. The place suddenly felt too small and suffocating as it closed on to him.

"Appa is not like that." Suk Jin winced as he heard the unconfident words from his son. He could already imagine what it was all about.

There was silence and he could already imagine his son nodding vigorously as always. Suk Jin caught his breath. His feet seemed to move on their own accord, his hand was on the doorknob. Then he caught his wife's gaze. She was smiling softly as she shook her head. With a sigh, he stared at the door for a while before letting his hand drop to his sides. His shoulders slumped, his heart broken from the defiance and doubt in his son’s voice. Suk Jin slowly backed away and joined his wife. He draped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry...,” he whispered, “I wish I wasn’t, I—”

"No. Suk Jin-ah, you misunderstood our son.” His pretty wife said. “I am sure he is proud of you. He might get tired of telling off people but he’ll never get tired believing in you."

“I know, I just wish I could do more.” he said, to which his wife only chuckled.

“Don’t push it too much, your joints will grumble and crumble. Hon, laughter is more appreciated than the name tag, although I bet it would be funny to see you do get one.” Suk Jin smiled at his beautiful wife. He was lucky to have her. She was a woman who can still laugh after her husband joked about regretting meeting her. He could still remember when he scolded Jae suk for introducing him and his wife before. She laughed it off and called it variety gold and his son had always been happy seeing him in television.

He wondered how it was possible to have a family like that.

All he wished now was be a father his son can brag about to his friends. He wished he could do better, win a game alone or better yet, rip the tiger’s nametag.

/////

Suk Jin carefully locked the door and shivered. It was still cold despite summer not being far away. He stretched his arms as he went down their apartment, sighing as his body groaned in protest.

His wife watched her husband jog away from the house. She shook her head with a smile. 

I told you it's not like that yeobo...

/////

Suk Jin smiled sheepishly at Ji hyo. He mouthed mianhe as two guards escorted him to jail. The sounds of race start echoed in his head. 

It's still not enough. I still have to work harder.

Suk Jin slumped on the comfiest chair in prison while his VJ changed tapes. He cringed seeing how little they had filmed.

He was tired. He was tired of being a burden. He was tired of being ignored and pegged as the oldest and the weakest. He couldn't face his son or watch Running Man with his family.

He knew he was irrationally thinking since his family, both in Running Man and at home, never made him feel useless. It was just variety, it was all a cover to make the show funny, but he was tired of pretending that it does not affect him.

/////

"Suk Jin hyung, is everything alright?" he gave a little nod to his dongsaeng, Jae suk who once looked up to him. He smiled thinking of how much has changed.

Jae suk was there on the top already while he, he was still Suk Jin and he’s now the one who looks up to Jae suk.

"You seem pretty uneasy hyung."

"I guess… I am just tired. I'm not getting any younger you know." He waved his hand to dismiss Jae suk and sank back to his seat. "Go on Jae suk-ah, don't dally here in jail since you’re not yet ousted." Reluctantly, Jae suk left but before he was gone, Jae Suk left words for Suk Jin to ponder. “I am, because of hyung.”

“I am because of hyung…” Suk Jin couldn’t help the smile spreading across his face as he mulled over Jae suk’s words.

He never really understood why teachers would want students to be better than them but now he seemed to understand it a bit already. That warm feeling in his chest and that pride that he was a part of someone’s success made him grin.

/////

Suk Jin felt lighter as he completed another round in the track. He wiped his sweat off his brows and rummaged in his bag for a bottle of water. A pair of feet appeared in front of his vision then a bottle of water was into him. He looked up to thank the person and was surprised to see Jae suk.

“The wind brought me here.” Suk Jin chuckled at the phrase. He could still remember the first time he heard of them.

“The wind brought me here.” Jae Suk said

Suk Jin looked at the younger man from head to toe. He knew him well but pretended not to do so. “Why are you here again?”

“The wind brought me here… I know you can help me out hyungnim!”

“The wind eh… why come to me? There are bigger names out there…”

“I just felt like we would work well together.”

“You got a nerve kid.”

“I am desperate hyungnim.”

The eagerness in Jae Suk’s eyes caught him off-guard. Maybe the guy was desperate but he also saw desire, the want to be with him. “Okay what do you want from me?”

“Let me try your show, I wouldn’t disappoint you hyung.”

After a while, Suk Jin nodded. There was something more about the younger guy. Jae Suk would do anything and in variety, you just need to do everything with the right people. He grinned thinking of the right people. “What’s your name again?” he asked even if he knew… maybe it was pride, but Jae Suk made him feel bigger than he really is.

“It’s Yoo Jae suk.”

That was their second meeting, just two weeks from the first time they met each other’s gaze.

Suk Jin chuckled at the memories. It was very lame and not even funny. What he saw was determination and simplicity.

 Jae suk was hard to ignore. He might be a mess and was all over the place but he was very considerate and polite. It was Jae Suk’s attitude that took him far until his name became a brand.

“It’s been years.” Jae Suk said and Suk Jin only nodded. “I was trembling that day hyung. I thought I was going to lose it.”

“There was a time when I intimidated you eh?”

“You still do… I mean hyung you are still my hyung. The hyungnim that I’m thankful for.”

“So that’s why you let the wind bring you here?”

“Actually, I was worried about you. You seemed –”

“Desperate?” he finished for his dongsaeng, chuckling. “Maybe I was jealous Jae Suk-ah, Aren’t you bothered by that?” Suk Jin waited but Jae Suk never showed anything but humility. Just like whom he was before he never changed. “But then I already knew that night you looked at me. You’d make it big… and I was right.”

Jae Suk didn’t speak. For years, their popularity or their paycheck never got in the way. They were mentor-hoobae and also, they were friends.

Suk Jin stood up and prepared to leave.

“Hyungnim.” Jae Suk called out to him and the older one turned back. Their eyes met and it was just like the first time. Jaesuk was still unfashionable with his tight violet skinny pants, and a striped shirt that was two sizes smaller. Before Jae Suk wore loose, and it was very lose now it’s fitted and it’s very tight. He was still a bumbling nervous guy when he lets his control and confidence rest.

“You know I am always thankful… right hyungnim?”

Suk Jin smiled.

“Of course. I know it well, Jae Suk-ah.” He cringed at Jae Suk’s outfit. “And next time don’t wear something like that.”

That day the empty field was filled with laughter from two ajusshis bickering and teasing each other.

Suk Jin finally realized… so what does it matter if he is the weakest? The tiger bows at him everytime. The Ace treats him like her father. He has Jae Suk looking up to him, the two kids – Haha and Gary – never fails to make sure he was safe and comfortable during filming. And he has a family who knows and believes in him beyond what he shows in TV.

Umm sorry guys for not updating this too much. I can't also remember who requested a Suk Jin fic DX I need to find that person hahaha 

I hope you guys enjoy reading and I am sorry I can't accept more requests I can't even do the others I've accepted >~<