"Hey, come here I want to talk to you." Top said as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to a private spot in the theater.

 

"What?" I asked.

 

"I want you to call me by my first name. Please?"

 

"O, o, ok, but is a lot easier for me to pronounce Top."

 

"Then call me Top, but I am going to call you nae sarang."

 

"Which means?"

 

"My love."

 

"But, I don't know. I mean what about YG and what about VIPs and what about the rest of your bandmates? Top oppa, I'm concerned. I live in the USA, you in Korea. And while I care about you and this is a dream come true, it's all fast and sudden. I don't even know how to respond."

 

"I know its all fast and sudden, but I can't imagine not talking to you and being with you and loving you. The VIPS, they won't know for some time because this relationship will have to remain hidden from the public. That is part of the contract and how I live my life. As far as YG and the band, I will talk with them. I don't see the guys having an issue, they seem to like you, each has taken a liking to you. They trust me as the older more wiser one, if I love you, they'll love you."

 

"Ok, but what about me? I have a son and a family, how do I handle them? They're going to think I've lost it if I go home and tell them I fell in love with a Korean Pop Idol."

 

"Listen," he said as he grabbed my hands, "I have confidence it will all work out. Deni, I like you even though I know we don't know each other well. I feel like this is right and I don't want to lose out.  Please let's give this a chance. Let's just see how things go, ok? I truly believe it's met to be."

 

"Omo, ok! Let's see where things go with this." I smiled. "God, I must be dreaming, pinch me!"

 

"You aren't dreaming." He said as he leaned in and kissed my forehead.

 

"What are you two doing?" Jiyong asked as he came up.

 

"Oh, uh, I had a headache and Top was just making me feel better."

 

"Right and I fly around here like Peter Pan. Funny, to me it looked like you two were having an intense conversation that ended with a kiss." Jiyong joked.

 

"Seriously Jiyong, we just wanted to talk and get to know each other better. And you know me, always finding a way to kiss the ladies." Top smiled as we were called back to stage to being our final mission.

 

"Now is time for our final mission. Jingle Bell Hide and Seek. We as the red team will hunt you as the blue team. We will get one hour to find all of you and take off your name tags. If we can do this then we will earn our running ball and a chance to avoid punishment, if we don't then we will automatically get punishment." J.S explained. "Now blue team go hide."

 

We strategized and headed off. Top and I end up as partners because we wanted to talk and spend more time together. We knew that we were close to being separated for a long time. We headed off wandering around to find the perfect spot. We chose the closet in the directors office. We huddled in there and talked.

 

"This is so surreal to me. You know? Meeting you guys has been amazing, this experience has been amazing." I said whispering. "But to realize that in just under twelve hours the man of my dreams has fallen for me...impossible."

 

"I agree. As we were talking and introducing ourselves earlier I thought for sure we'd be friends. Then you told me about your son, the light in your eyes was priceless. It was then that I fell. Then I held your hand and that's when our fate was sealed."

 

"But Top oppa, how are we going to work this out?" I asked.

 

"Shhhhhhh...." Top said suddenly. "I think I hear something." We stopped talking to listen, sure enough, we heard the bells...coming..., quickly. Top peaked out into the office. Thankfully no one was there so we crawled to the door, listening. The bells were gone, but we realized we should go hide somewhere else. We grabbed hands and ran...fast...finding ourselves hiding in the stairwell, under the stairs.

 

"Seriously, how will we work this out?" I asked again, whispering.

 

"We should exchange numbers and emails. We must text and call and write each other. I will pay for you to come to Korea at some point, too!"

 

"I like the idea of exchanging info. But visiting Korea....you don't have to do that for me."

 

"I want to, I want you to come. I want you to experience my home and my culture."

 

"What if YG doesn't approve, or the guys. And what about VIPs? I have a feeling they will hate me." I said. "Wait...shhhhh." I said putting my finger over my mouth. The sound of bells came from above us. We made a move and jetted out the door,  running as fast as we could. We hid behind pillars and in corners praying that no one would catch us. Quickly we made our way to the make-up room. We locked ourselves in another closet. It was becoming a habit.

 

"I don't want to be hated." I said carrying on the conversation.

 

"If they do, that's their problem. You should know how they are, you are one after all and remember, most of them are young and immature. But you don't have to worry about that anytime soon, we won't be public anyways."

 

"Not when they see this, we won't. I am sure when they watch this the rumors will fly."

 

"True, but rumors they will remain. I won't confirm a thing until we are allowed. The rumors will die down by then. Stop worrying your pretty little head. I want to be with you, learn more about you and love only you."

 

I smiled, "Say that again...that last sentence."

 

"I want to be with you, learn more about you, love only you." He said, grabbing my hands lightly kissing each one.

 

"Why me?" I asked

 

"To be honest, I am not 100% sure. But I do know that you match what I want, someone who knows how to talk and be honest and doesn't use foul language. Someone who dresses nicely, who makes me smile. That's you."

 

"Top, I do swear sometimes ya know? I'm far from perfect, but never in a million years did I think you would ever say anything like this to me. And here we are."

 

"Here we are. You are perfect in my eyes and what I said earlier...Saranghae, I do not throw that term around wildly. When I say it I mean it."

 

I smiled. I didn't quite know how to respond. At that moment I forget about the game, about running man. All I could concentrate on was this man in front of me. This perfect human being who I could have only dreamt of loving and knowing. My dream was coming true and I didn't care if there were bells or not. I just wanted that moment locked in the closet to last. We were the only two people there and it felt perfect. I took a chance and got on my knees. I wasn't sure how he'd feel, being that he wasn't touchy feely, but I knew I needed to do what I was about to do. Getting on my knees I kneeled in front of him, holding his hands tightly. I smiled as he looked me in the eyes. Letting go of his hands I flung myself into his arms. I needed him to just hold me. What would he do, how we would he respond?

 

Wrapping my arms around his shoulders I held on, hoping he wouldn't pull away. In an instant, he wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me tightly. The world stopped. In that moment I felt all of what he'd been feeling all night. The intense feeling of knowing this is meant to be, this is what I want. I couldn't do anything but hold on. We didn't let go for what seemed like an eternity. Slowly Top let go, and grabbed my arms unlocking them and pushing me away from him. He took my face in his hands, lighty touching my cheeks and leaned in, kissing me softly on the forehead.

 

Then we heared the bells...growing ever closer.

 

"Go over there in that corner and hide behind the clothes there," Top said. "I can't let them catch both of us." (It should be noted during this time, he and I had heard Haha, Gary's and Dae's names called. Meaning there were three of us left and only 15 minutes to go.) "I'll be waiting for you." He said as he squeezed my hand. I smiled and ran to the corner where there were some clothes. I hid quickly under a table with clothes all around me. Within seconds I heared the door open hearing Ji Hyo and Jiyong come in. They quickly took off Top's name tag. "Top out, Top out, Top out." came over the speaker.

 

After 15 minutes passed I realized I had never been caught and neither had Jong Kook. I heard the announcement that the mission was done and failed by he red team and we were to head to the jail. Once there, we the blue team members celebrated. We had won Running Man!!! No punishment!!! Jaesuk said his final lines and we all clapped as taping ended. The PD had explained that the winning team was allowed to head back to their hotels to rest while the losing team would stay and clean up the theater helping to prepare it for the incoming cast of the Lion King.

 

Us, the winning team, headed out and back to our hotels. It turned out that I was in the same one as the guys. I was so tired I could hardly stay awake during the ride back.