Chapter 2: Blind Date

Filming for Family Outing continued the next morning. Ji Hyo yawned lazily as she got into the car that was supposed to bring her, Haejin and Daesung to the nearby town to buy breakfast for the Family. "There's a market there, I think." Haejin quipped as the car trundled along the road.

The first shop they went to, however, had nothing to do with a market. Instead of the stinky smell of fish and seafood, different types of flower scents wafted into their noses. Ji Hyo inhaled the sweet smell in a deep breath. They had stepped into a hair salon.

"Seriously Daesung sshi?" Ji Hyo mumbled to herself. She looked doubtfully at the man who was now sporting a wide grin. "How can he just step into a salon when his job is to buy breakfast?" she thought in disbelief, feeling a little at a lost of what to do. She was tempted to nudge Daesung on the shoulder, before Haejin quickly stepped in to stop her.

"Ji Hyo sshi, you might be new to variety so you might not realise that Daesung is trying to make the programme more interesting for the audience. Don't worry, I can understand since this is your first time. Just relax, I can see you are very tense." Haejin whispered. With a subtle smile on his face, he left her side with ease as he went forward to greet the ahjummas in the salon.

In the cramped and crowded shop, Ji Hyo could feel her face burning. She was just a rookie and yet she wanted to question her elders and people who are way more experienced in the variety sector than her.

Ahh...I can't do this anymore!! That was so embarrassing! I hope they don't think I am rude or something. I....I...Ahhh, I am totally a misfit for variety. I should just go back to my acting. And now even my acting is falling through...I can't believe Haejin saw through me!!! This is all Mother's fault!! If only I hadn't listened to her and got myself casted....

Just then, amidst the turmoil of emotions she was feeling, Ji Hyo's phone started to vibrate in her pocket. Her eyes darted from the left to the right. Seeing that all the ahjummas were caught up in an amusing conversation with the men, she walked into a smaller room in the salon. "Hello Mother. What do you want? I am filming now and the others are waiting for me." she spoke in a hushed and urgent tone. She silently hoped her mother would not think that she was being rude. She just didn't want everyone else on the set to have a worse impression of her when they found she was missing.

The bad impression they have is already good enough to prevent me from being casted to any variety shows in the future...

"Ji Hyo ya! I'm sorry for interrupting but you are free tonight right? We are having a guest for dinner so you better be early. Just in case you want to prepare something, the guest is going to be Kim Jong Kook. He is filming with you right? You guys can them come together!" Ji Hyo's mother fired off like a gun excitedly.

"WHAT?! Kim Jong Kook?!" Ji Hyo half shouted into the phone, forgetting to keep her voice down. She saw a writer come to open the door moments later and she bowed as an apology, totally embarassed. She felt her face turn a deeper shade of red than it already was from the mistake she made moments before. This was caused partially by the writer checking on her, and partially also on the fact that Kim Jong Kook was going to eat at her house today.

Why?How on Earth did Mother contact him? What should I do when I see him? How can I even eat with that Mr Muscles? I can't face him. Oh my god. Mother, please don't say this is another one of your ideas of a blind date? There is simply no way I can even be friends with this guy who hasn't spoken to me...I think he dislikes me as much as I dread to see him. Did he really agree to the dinner? AHHH....Mother!!!!!

"Yes, my dear daughter. Are you as excited as me? Hurry up and finish filming, I can't wait for you and your boyfriend...oops I mean Kim Jong Kook sshi to come back. Your sister is driving me up the wall by refusing to step into the kitchen to help me. I think I will only be done cooking by eight, so don't come home before that! I don't want the guest to think he is intruding! Anyway, don't be nervous for filming. Relax and behave like how you usually do. Just don't go overboard like how you play with your sister. Good bye!"

The line went dead before Ji Hyo could say anything else. "What the....Oh Mother, how can you just leave me like this? First you make me agree to guesting on Family Outing even if you know I don't want to, then you drop the big bomb that Mr Muscles is going to eat at our house. How can you do this?" she uttered in shock and despair. On her way out of the small room, she sighed deeply and hoped for the best. At least she had her mother's support for filming this show.

And then the moment she looked up, she was nearly rolling on the floor laughing. Daesung had turned his hair into what words could not describe. It made him look like a clown. Ji Hyo laughed the loudest of all, forgetting everything that was annoying her and letting herself out for a moment. She commented without much processing and filtering of her thoughts like she did so far on set. She laughed again when Haejin made his hair like Daesung's. Everyone exited the salon in a joyous mood and took a quick walk to the market nearby to purchase a single fish for an entire family. It was just too unlucky for the Family that the trio had used up most of the allowance given by the producers to buy anything more than the poor fish.

"Do you know why it is raining? Because I commanded it to rain." Daesung's voice could be heard loud and clear even with the millions of tiny raindrops hitting the ground.

Ji Hyo didn't know whether to be angry or to laugh. The situation was absurd. It had started to rain while the three of them were preparing breakfast and Daesung started his nonsense by telling Ji Hyo how much power and influence he had.

"Ji Hyo sshi, if you listen to me, I can make the PDs turn you into a permanent member of this Family."

She could see the PDs sitting behind the countless recording equipment trying to contain their laughter to prevent being heard from the microphones placed nearby.

"Really, believe me. Now, bring me a pot of water please." Daesung ordered her. She only looked in horror to see him dunking the entire pack of seasoning powder into the gurgling pot of soup, before standing up unwillingly to follow 'master' Daesung. She barely suppressed her anger, as she spit out a string of curses inside the empty house under her breath. Daesung had no such authority, other than the fact that he was her sunbae, to order her around like that. She had some self-respect and disliked people ordering her around.

Time passed slowly for Ji Hyo as she struggled to keep the bad side of her under control. "It's all a show....a show...Daesung is doing it for the show. Chill...cool down, girl. No use getting angry...."

"Ya....,what are you kids doing? Making such a din early in the morning... Aish." Ji Hyo heard the familiar voice of the grasshopper and nearly jumped up in joy. Luckily, she was currently in a difficult position to do so, with her legs stuck under several containers.

"Jae Suk..oppa, you know what Daesung was saying before you woke up...."Ji Hyo spoke slowly as she stood up. She gave Daesung a you-are-so-going-to-be-dead look and smugly continued her revenge. "He said, he is the one who commands the rain. He is the one who decides when it rains." She finished with an evil glint in her eyes.

By then, most of cast members were also awake, thanks to the ruckus outside from those making breakfast. They squinted their eyes for a moment, adjusting to the bright sunlight, before aiming a look of disbelief at Daesung who was now trying to escape the situation by excusing himself into the house, on the pretext that he was preparing breakfast. "Ya Daesung! How can you say that?" "Mwuh rah goo? Did you really say that?" Shouts from sleep-deprived adults could be heard. Sleep deprivation only caused them to be more irritable and grumpier than usual, which wasn't exactly a good sign for Daesung if Ji Hyo were to continue complaining.

Ji Hyo laughed silently, enjoying the various reactions to her statement. She blurted out a few more, smiling at her sweet revenge. Remember Daesung, not to ruffle my feathers. I am not someone you bully easily. Revenge is always double....Hmm, that was funny. I'm sure the producers won't cut this. Yay, another moment on screen. I seem to be doing bet-