Chapter Fourteen: The Signatures

Ji Hyo had spent the past week wondering if her conversation with Jong Kook had really happened. Had he really agreed to team up when they could from now on? Or had she just dreamed it? Or perhaps he’d changed his mind over the past six days. What if she saw arrived for filming on Monday and he went back to avoiding her? In a way, she was more nervous to see him now than she had been after an argument.

However, when she showed up for filming early Monday morning, Jong Kook was nowhere in sight. In fact, none of the Running Man cast was around her. After having her mic fixed, the staff had Ji Hyo ride to the location in a van with Sung Gyu, Song FD, and Oh PT. (Sung Gyu and Ji Hyo exchanged miserable glances at the thought of spending the morning with the latter.) Through the dark-tinted windows, Ji Hyo watched as they drove through Hwaseong city.

When the van came to stop, it was in a parking lot—practically devoid of people.

Oh PT directed her to a small plastic table and a matching white chair that were placed in the shadow of a huge, concrete wall. On top of the table was a mission card, which read: “Immediately hold a fan signing event. After signing thirty pieces, the mission is complete. Head to Dong Tan’s M Shopping Mall.” And a small note at the bottom said, “You can only start to search for the guest after all eight have successfully completed their missions.”

There was even a banner overhead, of course facing the wrong way, on which the words “Fan Signing” were printed. Ji Hyo laughed with the embarrassment of it all. She had to hold a fan signing event here? There wasn’t a person in sight except for Running Man staff members. There were a few cars parked in the lot, but the people they belonged to were long gone.

“You come up with the craziest ideas,” Ji Hyo told Song FD.

He smiled and said, “You should probably turn the banner around so your fans can see it.”

With another laugh, Ji Hyo began setting up her fan signing site. She moved the plastic table and chair away from the wall and then grabbed the poles of the banner, attempting to carry it, except—“My arms are too short,” said Ji Hyo. “I can’t lift it.”

Sung Gyu snickered as he filmed her desperate attempt to lift the banner. Finally, Song FD came and helped her turn the banner around and place it behind the table.

Ji Hyo sat down and waited. The parking lot remained empty.

“We’re going to be here awhile,” she told Sung Gyu.

 It was ironic, thought Ji Hyo, that she’d spent all week worried about seeing Jong Kook during Running Man, but now that Monday had come, they were separated before filming even began. She wondered where he’d ended up for his fan signing, and for a second, she debated texting him and asking. She even pulled out where phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found his name. But then she chickened out, choosing to message Kwang Soo instead.

A few more minutes passed and still no one had appeared in the parking lot. Ji Hyo had just begun to wonder if she would ever complete this mission when an elderly woman with curling, gray-streaked hair crossed the street and entered the lot.

Without thinking, Ji Hyo leapt up from her plastic chair and cried, “Ajumma, would you like an autograph?”

The woman didn’t hear her and started pulling out the keys for her little red car.

“Song Ji Hyo fan signing event right here!” shouted Ji Hyo.

The woman finally looked up. She saw Ji Hyo and then the camera. Her eyes got wide.

“Please,” said Ji Hyo. “You’re the first person I’ve seen.”

Slowly, the woman put away her keys and made her way across the lot to the fan signing table. Ji Hyo gave the woman a huge smile before uncapping her marker and preparing to sign the card. “Thank you, thank you. Who should I make it out to?”

“Are you filming for a show?” the woman asked, glancing at the cameras.

“Yes,” said Ji Hyo. “Running Man.”

The woman’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “My son and his family watches that show. My grandchildren talk about Kim Jong Kook all the time. They say he’s the Commander or something. I don’t even think they know he’s a singer. I own all his Turbo albums, you know.”

Ji Hyo smiled, but didn’t admit that she owned all his albums too. “Kim Jong Kook should be holding his own fan signing even in the area.”

“Really?”

“Should I make the autograph out to your grandchildren?” asked Ji Hyo. Two more people had entered the parking lot—a young couple on a date—and had caught sight of the banner.

The woman told Ji Hyo their names and then asked, “Could you tell me where Kim Jong Kook is holding his event? My grandchildren would love his autograph.”

Ji Hyo resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands and laugh. She really couldn’t escape him—even when she was holding a fan event in a remote parking lot. Because the woman was her first fan and because she felt a kinship with this fellow Turbo fan, Ji Hyo pulled out her phone and sent a text to Jong Kook. She typed, “Hyung, fan asking. Where are you?”

“I don’t know if he’ll reply,” said Ji Hyo, honestly. “He might be busy.”

More people had begun to gather, so the woman stepped back to let Ji Hyo continue the mission.

“Your show is very nice,” said the woman as Ji Hyo finished her twelfth signature. “Holding fan events outside of Hwaseong.”

“We like interacting with fans,” said Ji Hyo with smile. She handed over her thirteenth signature and checked her cellphone in case Jong Kook had responded—still nothing. Ji Hyo’s heartbeat picked up a little as she wondered if Jong Kook was ignoring her just as she had feared. But that was impossible, thought Ji Hyo. Jong Kook was nothing if not professional. If she had texted him about something personal, he may have ignored her, but she had messaged him about a fan. He always took care of his fans as best he could.

“He might not respond,” said Ji Hyo again.

“It’s all right,” said the woman. “I’m in no hurry.”

When Ji Hyo was somewhere at twenty-five signatures, her cellphone started to vibrate. She flipped it open and saw a message from Jong Kook. She turned to the woman with a wide smile and related the news, “He finished his event, but he is on his way here.”

The woman was practically beaming. “See, it was worth the wait. My grandchildren will be so happy.”

Ji Hyo smiled back. She had once waited outside an NRG concert for four hours, wanting to get the idols’ signatures for her cousin who hadn’t been able to make it.

As she signed the penultimate piece of card, Ji Hyo heard the honk of a car horn.

“Miss Song!” shouted Jae Suk, followed by Jong Kook, “Miss Song!”

“Have you signed thirty cards?” asked Jae Suk.

Ji Hyo looked up to see Jong Kook watching her from the passenger seat of a silver van. Jae Suk was in the driver seat, leaning forward to get a good look at Ji Hyo.

Ji Hyo was so relieved to see Jong Kook that she forgot to be nervous. She rose from her plastic chair and waved at him. “Jong Kook-hyung, don’t leave! Wait for me! We can leave together!”

“Have you finished signing?” asked Jae Suk.

“Seems she’s not finished,” said Jong Kook. “Seems we’ve come for nothing.”

Ji Hyo gestured to the woman and said, “Jong Kook-hyung, she’s been waiting for your signature!”

Jong Kook smiled as the elderly woman approached the van, holding out the same piece of card that Ji Hyo had signed. As Ji Hyo completed her thirty signatures, Jong Kook addressed the card to the woman’s grandchildren and signed it. The woman thanked him repeatedly, and Jong Kook looked so embarrassed by her gratitude that it made Ji Hyo smile.

“Are you finished, Ji Hyo?” Jae Suk shouted from the car.

Triumphantly, Ji Hyo held up her final card for the camera and said, “Last one. I’m done.” She handed the card over to a little girl in a pink jacket before grabbing her bag and racing to the van where Jong Kook and Jae Suk waited. The woman thanked her once again, showing her the card addressed to her grandchildren. It made Ji Hyo’s heart skip a beat to see her and Jong Kook’s signatures side by side. She gave the woman a quick hug and then turned to the van.

It was only then, when she saw Jong Kook’s face, that all her fears came back to her. What if he had changed his mind? What if he started to avoid her? What would she do? And, in her fear, she addressed him, saying formally, “Hyungnim!”

She heard Sung Gyu snicker beside her, but she ignored him and cried, “Yay! I’m done!”

Jae Suk unlocked the doors of the van as Ji Hyo approached and she slid into the back seat. Moments after she closed the car door and Jae Suk began driving, Jong Kook turned around in his seat and asked, “Did you just call me ‘hyungnim’? What happened to just ‘hyung’? Have we gone backwards?”

Jae Suk laughed, while Ji Hyo felt her face redden. She tried to come up with a good lie; there was no way she would tell him that she’d called him “hyungnim” in a state of panic. “I’ve always wanted to call someone ‘hyungnim’.”

“It feels weird having you call me that,” said Jong Kook with an exaggerated shudder.

“Why?” asked Ji Hyo. She was just relieved that he had believed her “You’re fine with me calling you ‘hyung’.”

“‘Hyungnim’ is too formal,” said Jong Kook. “And I’ve only ever had guys call me that.”

. “I’ll keep that in mind, hyungnim.”

Jong Kook shot her a scowl over his shoulder, and voice dripping with sarcasm, he said, “I’m not really glaring, Ji Hyo. I’m just looking at you sideways.”

She tried not to laugh at his reference to last Monday. Instead, feigning anger, she said, “I knew you were glaring at me back then, nae hyungnim.”

It was hard to tell from the backseat if Jong Kook was laughing at her or frustrated with her. Ji Hyo really hoped it was the former.

 “Ji Hyo was hosting a signing event in a really remote area,” said Jae Suk, perhaps fearing that they would start bickering again. Ji Hyo had told none of her cast members—not even Joong Ki or Kwang Soo—about her conversation with Jong Kook outside the coffee house last week. From Jae Suk’s reaction, she had the feeling Jong Kook hadn’t told anyone either.

“I’m not the only one wit ha remote area?” asked Ji Hyo.

“Mine was bad,” said Jae Suk, keeping his eyes on the road.

“Mine was worse,” said Jong Kook.

Jae Suk scoffed. “You were at a BBQ place downtown.”

“What downtown?” asked Jong Kook. He shifted in his seat so that he was partially facing Ji Hyo, in effect including her in the conversation.

“Compared to mine,” said Jae Suk. “Yours was really populated.”

Jong Kook shook his head. “Hyung, when I started, there was no one around.”

“I was outside of a supermarket,” said Jae Suk as he stopped the van at a red light.

“There can be a lot of people outside supermarkets.”

“Not at all!” cried Jae Suk. “With this cold weather, who would go?”

Personally, Ji Hyo thought they were both being bratty for the cameras. If they were outside a supermarket and a BBQ restaurant, then she clearly had the worse location.

“I told people Yoo Jae Suk was nearby,” said Jong Kook.

Jae Suk scowled. “Give me a break.”

“Those people who came to you were my people.”

“Yah,” said Jae Suk. “From those people, nobody told me that they’d come after hearing from you.”

As Jae Suk and Jong Kook continued their bickering, Ji Hyo pulled out her cellphone and checked her makeup on the black screen as best she could. It seemed like her lip gloss had faded, so she pulled a tube out of her purse and began applying it.

 “Look at Ji Hyo,” said Jae Suk, pointing in the rearview mirror. “Ji Hyo’s sitting in the back.” He pointed to himself, “I am the manager,” and then he pointed to Jong Kook, “You are the road manager. Song Ji Hyo is on her way to her next recording, putting on lipstick.”

They laughed; Ji Hyo had a hard time picturing the Nation’s MC and the 2005 triple crowned singer as her managers.

Up front, Jong Kook was checking his cellphone, while Jae Suk asked about the location of the next member. Ji Hyo was having trouble telling if Jong Kook had decided to ignore her or not. He was talking with Jae Suk mainly in the car, but that could simply be because he knew Jae Suk better and they were in the front two seats. Besides, Jong Kook never outright ignored her in front of cameras—only during the breaks between shoots.

Suddenly, as she checked her phone for new messages from Kwang Soo or Suk Jin, an idea came to Ji Hyo. She found Jong Kook’s name in the contacts.

“Here,” said Ji Hyo a minute later, holding out her phone for him to see. “I fixed your contact name in my phone.”

Jong Kook looked over his shoulder at the cellphone screen and then cried, “Yah, Ji Hyo!”

“What?” asked Jae Suk. “What did she do?”

“He’s now ‘Jong Kook-hyungnim’,” said Ji Hyo cheerfully.

After the laughter died down, Ji Hyo took her phone back, refusing to change the contact name despite Jong Kook’s insistence. Then, he switched her contact information to read “Ji Hyo-dongsaeng”.

Ji Hyo was beginning to relax a little. She was teasing Jong Kook and he was going along with it—and not for the cameras. She doubted the whole “hyungnim” argument would even make it to the episode, since the producers liked to portray the Running Man cast as close. They had even asked, during her third time filming, that Ji Hyo use “oppa” for her older cast mates. With Jae Suk and Suk Jin, Ji Hyo had no problem using “oppa”, since she had gotten close with them quickly. She was less comfortable with Jong Kook, Haha, and Gary—she slipped up sometimes still during filming, calling them “hyungs” instead of “oppas”.

Ji Hyo stared at the back on Jong Kook’s head and fought to keep a wry smile off her face. She didn’t think she could ever call him “oppa”. Even if she had a little crush on him and even if they became good friends eventually, she could never call him “oppa”. At first, it’d been because she was a Turbo fan, and she didn’t want to turn back into a teenage fangirl, but somewhere in the past few months, the reason had changed. She wasn’t exactly sure why it had changed, but she felt that calling him “oppa” would cross some invisible line, throwing her into unknown territory that shouldn’t be entered.

After pushing away her thoughts, Ji Hyo asked, “Where are we headed?”

Dongtan’s Metapolis Shopping Mall was huge, containing over one-hundred shops, an ice rink, a theatre, and a mini kid’s theme park. Even though it was late evening on a Monday, people were wandering about, meandering through the main hall and checking out the stores.

It was here that the Running Man cast had to hunt down the guest for today. So far, they had done so with very little luck.

They had been in the middle of picking up members who had finished their fan signing events when they received a call saying that Ji Hyo and Gary had already been ousted by whatever mission the guest had been given. Desperate to get to the mall and find the guest, they’d told Kwang Soo, Suk Jin, and the already out Gary to take taxis. Almost a half hour had passed since then, and still none of the Running Man cast knew the guest’s identity. It was frustrating.

Jong Kook’s back was hurting, as it still did on occasion despite the surgery last year. He wasn’t sure what had caused the pain today—perhaps he’d slept in a bad position last night—but as the day had gone on, the ache in his back had slowly gotten worse and worse. Finally, Jong Kook gave in a decided to take some painkillers. Ki Jin had switched off the camera for a few minutes, so as not to film Jong Kook taking medication.

They stood on the skywalk that connected the two halves of the massive shopping mall. It was nighttime, but street lamps illuminated the sidewalk and street below. Bright signs—purples, blues, and yellows—dotted the downtown buildings. People mulled about the sidewalks below, dressed for the chilly temperatures of a spring night. To his right, Jong Kook could see the bases of Dongtan skyscrapers, the windows lit with bright golden lights.

“Hyung.”

Jong Kook looked up and saw that Joong Ki was making his way through the skywalk.

Joong Ki stopped beside Jong Kook before asking, “Found anything yet, hyung?”

“A nice view,” said Jong Kook, gesturing out the window.

Joong Ki grinned. “I haven’t found anything either.”

“We should figure out the guest’s mission,” said Jong Kook. “If we know the mission, we’ll know where to look for the guest.”

“You have any ideas?” asked Joong Ki. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

“We’re in a shopping mall,” mused Jong Kook. “So the mission is probably related to that…” He trailed off because when it came to shopping malls, the only thing he could think of was clothing. Was the mission related to that?

“I feel sorry for Ji Hyo-noona and Gary-hyung,” said Joong Ki. “They didn’t even get a chance to look for the guest.”

Jong Kook nodded. Then he shot a sideways glance in Joong Ki’s direction. He hadn’t asked about Joong Ki and Ji Hyo’s relationship since the after-party for the SBS award ceremony, but now that Joong Ki had mentioned Ji Hyo, Jong Kook found himself filled with questions. Had Joong Ki managed to get over Ji Hyo? Or was he still struggling with his feelings? Jong Kook doubted there had been any romantic development between them, since Ji Hyo pretty obviously only thought of him as a close dongsaeng. Still, one never knew for certain.

Joong Ki must have noticed Jong Kook’s curious glance, because he said, “Did I tell you I have a date Thursday night?”

“No,” said Jong Kook, raising his eyebrows. “Who with?”

“A friend of a friend,” said Joong Ki. He didn’t sound enthusiastic.

So Joong Ki had gotten a friend to set him up on a date, Jong Kook figured, which probably meant that he wasn’t over Ji Hyo, but he was trying.

Jong Kook wanted to say that getting over someone was easy, but he knew that wasn’t true. For the most part, he had never been distraught over the end of a relationship. His girlfriend had always been the one who ended things, and then Jong Kook would spend that night wondering what he’d done wrong (usually over drinks with Haha or Tae Hyun) before deciding that breaking up was for the best. He had never had his heartbroken, and the only time things—not even a relationship, really—had ended with him wondering if he had made the right decision had been with Yoon Eun Hye.

“I hope the date works out,” said Jong Kook.

“So do I.” Joong Ki smiled half-heartedly. “I keep telling myself, ‘At least, you don’t work with her’.”

Jong Kook glanced at the VJs, wondering what they thought of this exchange. But Joong Ki’s VJ Jin Su was changing the tape in his camera, and Ki Jinwas tactfully staring out the window, his camera still switched off as he waited for the painkillers to take effect before filming again.

“Come on,” said Joong Ki finally. “Let’s go find the others. I have to do well today.”

Even as Joong Ki started walking towards the far end of the skywalk, Jong Kook hesitated. The muscles in his back were still tense with pain, but he didn’t want Joong Ki to know that he was hurting. It was better to fight through the pain than let his coworkers worry about him. With a quick nod at Ki Jin, telling him to turn the camera back on, Jong Kook followed Joong Ki into the shopping mall.

Three minutes later, the announcement came: “Ji Suk Jin, Song Joong Ki out. Ji Suk Jin, Song Joong Ki, out.”

In the end, the guest won, managing to oust all the members before they could find out who he or she was. Ji Hyo had asked each member as they entered the jail, but none of them had known the guest’s identity. Jae Suk was the only exception, but he kept his mouth closed—apparently, he wanted it to be a surprise. As the cast lined up in front of the stationary cameras to film the final mission of the show, they still hadn’t been told who the guest was. Jae Suk and the staff had been determinedly close-mouthed on the matter.

The cast had been divided into two teams and given store worker outfits—complete with aprons and hats—to wear. On the lime green team was Jae Suk, Gary, Kwang Soo, and Suk Jin. On the red team was Jong Kook, Haha, Joong Ki, and Ji Hyo. Since the teams were evenly divided at the moment, Ji Hyo couldn’t tell where the guest would go.

“Ah, I found today’s guest, but I just had to let her go,” said Jae Suk when Cho PD prompted them to begin.

Ji Hyo frowned. Up until now, Jae Suk hadn’t even told them if the guest was male or female. If the guest was a woman as Jae Suk said, then she’d probably join the other team.

“Who is today’s guest?” asked Jong Kook.

“I already found her,” said Jae Suk. “I know who it is.”

“You saw the guest?” asked Suk Jin, playing ignorant for the cameras. (They had all had to listen to Jae Suk brag about knowing who the guest was why they didn’t for the past half hour.)

“Who is it?” asked Ji Hyo impatiently.

“It’s Ye Jin!” cried Jae Suk.

And then, a beautiful actress with short, straight hair and a lime green apron emerged from the crowd of staff to join the cast in front of the cameras. She smile and waved her arms about, like a queen making a grand entrance, causing the cast laugh.

Ji Hyo smiled and clapped automatically at the sight of Park Ye Jin, but on the inside, she felt something akin to shock in the pit of her stomach. She had never met Ye Jin before, since Ye Jin left Family Outing two episodes before Ji Hyo guested, but she’d always admired the woman’s acting talent and variety persona. However, Park Ye Jin had also been in a love line with Jong Kook. Ji Hyo knew from personal experience that romantic interest wasn’t needed for a love line, but that didn’t stop her from wondering.

“Ah, so it was Ye Jin,” said Jong Kook. There was something suspicious in the way he looked over at his amused VJ when he spoke.

Then, Ye Jin said, “We met earlier. You saw me earlier.” She slapped Jong Kook on the right arm, and then he used his hand to block her. Her fingers curled around his wrist.

“Look at him, look at him!” cried Jae Suk.

Ji Hyo looked to her right and saw a smug smile on Jong Kook’s face as Ye Jin continued to hold his wrist. The shock in Ji Hyo’s stomach had started to turn into icy dread.

“You guys met earlier?” asked Jae Suk.

“I met him before you, oppa,” said Ye Jin, finally releasing Jong Kook’s wrist.

Unable to help herself, Ji Hyo grabbed Jong Kook’s left arm and asked, “You two met?”

“I said we didn’t meet,” insisted Jong Kook.

“Didn’t we meet in the changing room earlier?” snapped Ye Jin.

Immediately, the cast gasped in horror and started questioning Jong Kook’s intentions. Thankfully, their outrage gave Ji Hyo an excuse to hit Jong Kook’s back with both fists. She didn’t hit hard enough to hurt him but just enough to vent her frustration. She hadn’t forgotten that Jong Kook and Ye Jin had been called the Fake Scandal Couple.

“Crazy,” cried Ji Hyo. “I’m going crazy.” She was only partly exaggerating for the cameras. “Why are you like this?”

Jong Kook grimaced at the cameras.

“Oppa really changed a lot,” observed Ye Jin. “He’s become a lot softer. Originally, I asked him to keep my presence a secret, because it’d become too easy for you. But how could he deny it now?” She glanced at Jong Kook. “You’re good for nothing.”

Jong Kook laughed.

“There are two people who can speak like that to Kim Jong Kook,” said Jae Suk. “Park Ye Jin. Lee Hyori.”

Ji Hyo laughed along with the rest of the cast, sending glances in Jong Kooks direction to see how he would react. He smiled at the joke and then tried to explain himself. Jae Suk, however, was having none of Jong Kook’s excuses and added, “After a while, Ji Hyo will be the third generation.” He held up three fingers and listed them off. “Song Ji Hyo. Lee Hyori. Park Ye Jin.”

“Three ways to abuse,” added Ye Jin.

Ji Hyo grinned. She probably should have said something, talked about her style of abuse, but a part of her was still too stunned to respond. It was not that Jae Suk thought she’d be able to stand up to Jong Kook that surprised her—Ji Hyo thought that as well—but the fact that Jae Suk had compared her to Ye Jin and Hyori, both of whom were in love lines with Jong Kook, had shocked her. She wondered if the comparison to his former love lines would scare Jong Kook away. So far, he’d been nothing but friendly and teasing, but Ji Hyo was certain that he would change his mind about teaming up with her sometime soon.

“My talk skills aren’t good today,” cried Ye Jin, covering .

Ji Hyo laughed until her cheeks hurt. Even as he mind was racing, she tried to keep up with the rest of the cast as they bantered back and forth for a few more minutes. Then, one of the writers held up a sketchbook, instructing them to introduce the next segment of the show.

“At a glance,” said Jae Suk, gesturing to the two makeshift kitchens and counters behind him, “I think we’re going to have a cooking competition.”

“Looks like you don’t know the power of our cooking abilities,” said Haha.

What cooking abilities? Ji Hyo wanted to ask.

“Where did you learn your culinary skills?” asked Suk Jin.

“This one over here,” Haha abruptly pointed at Ji Hyo, “is the four generation of a family,” Ji Hyo crossed her arms and tried to look important, “that constantly curses.” She gave up trying to look important and just laughed. “She is currently managing a soup shop,” finished Haha.

“Then it’s the famous Song Scolding Soup Shop,” said Jae Suk.

“No mistake,” said Haha. “This is the famous Song Ji Yok’s last granddaughter.”

Ji Hyo made a peace sign for the cameras.

“Happily curse someone,” added Joong Ki, who was standing beside her.

Haha laughed and placed his hand in front of Ji Hyo’s mouth, hiding it from the cameras. Ji Hyo took this as permission to swear, so she did. She had a colorful vocabulary.

“You…you…” Jae Suk stumbled over his words. “Yah, Song Ji Hyo cursed!”

“When the customer comes in,” said Haha, continuing the act. “Start!”

Both Haha and Jong Kook placed their hands in front of Ji Hyo’s mouth and she cursed again, making sure her eyes were wide and animated. The rest of the cast laughed and applauded her swearing as Jae Suk said, “Song Ji Yok is not to be looked down upon.”

“Then what are you best at?” asked Jong Kook, pointing to the green team.

“Us?” Jae Suk grinned. “Our specialty is also cursing.”

Jae Suk and Jong Kook then placed their hands in front of Ye Jin’s mouth so she could swear on camera. Ji Hyo laughed, remembering why she had liked Ye Jin so much on Family Outing.

The last mission for the day would have the two teams act as competing businesses. One team would make ddeokbokki and the other would make hot bars for one-hundred people. Of course both teams wanted to make the ever-popular ddeokbokki. Cho PD declared that they would play a one-on-one game of Snatch the Apron where the winner’s team would get ddeokbokki.

Jae Suk suggested that the two women compete, and Jong Kook said that he trusted Ji Hyo to do the mission correctly. Ji Hyo was of two minds—happy that Jong Kook trusted her but terrified that she would lose and disappoint him.

Ye Jin, it turned out, was a tough competitor. She got an early lead on Ji Hyo, and even though Ji Hyo clung to her apron strings, Ye Jin eventually tugged the apron free.

Ji Hyo could barely meet Jong Kook’s eyes as she rejoined her teammates, but then he patted her lightly on the arm before slipping back into his Commander character and crying, “Yah, Ji Hyo!”

That one comforting touch gave Ji Hyo the strength to continue. She placed her hands over her heart and said, in her best aegyo voice, “Oppa, it was very scary.”

“What were you afraid of?” exclaimed Jong Kook.

“It really was very scary,” she insisted, jumping up and down a little.

Jong Kook spluttered with laughter, his eyes small crescents, before he turned back to face the green team.

“Of course she’d scared,” said Jae Suk. “Park Ye Jin strikes like a cobra.”

“How can we settle this with just one battle?” asked Jong Kook.

Before Jong Kook could issue a challenge to Jae Suk, Joong Ki stepped forward and said, “Noona, you really are charming.” He applauded Ye Jin loudly, making her laugh.

“She’s on the other team,” said Ji Hyo irritably, pulling Joong Ki back into his spot beside her.

“So it’s decided,” said Jae Suk when the chatter had died down. “Our team will do ddeokbokki and your team will do hot bars.”

“I can’t believe I’m doing hot bar today!” cried Jong Kook and then he stomped both feet—one after the other—in true Kookie style.

The cast burst into laughter, Joong Ki crying, “Please don’t do that!” and Ye Jin wearing an expression of shock and horror.

“Why is he like that?” asked Ye Jin. “Why is oppa acting like that?”

“Because we have to make hot bars,” said Jong Kook, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. Then, he turned to Ji Hyo with a groan and said, “You should have won. Aren’t you strong?”

Immediately, Ji Hyo turned away and stomped both feet—one after the other—in mock Kookie style.

Laughter filled the room—even some of the staff were chuckling—and Ji Hyo glanced over at Jong Kook, expecting to exchange smiles. But he had turned away and was saying something to Jae Suk. Ji Hyo’s heart sank. He really was mad, she thought, he only wanted to team up with her because they had a winning record.

However, the filming wouldn’t pause for Ji Hyo’s insecurities, so she forced herself to forget about Jong Kook and participate whole-heartedly in the show. The two teams went to their kitchens, which were separated by a curtain, and began planning their menus.

Jong Kook decided to have a group meeting straight away to discuss how they should prepare their hot bars. Haha and Joong Ki, who usually went out to eat, had little to contribute, so the conversation was mostly Jong Kook and Ji Hyo discussing ideas. Jong Kook liked sausage hot bars and spicy hot bars with chili inside, so they decided to make those, and then Ji Hyo mentioned that she liked egg hot bars, which Jong Kook thought would be a good addition to the menu.

The cooking process was more fun than Ji Hyo had imagined. She quickly figured out that Haha had no cooking skills whatsoever, so he dedicated most of his time to entertaining the cameras. Joong Ki dutifully stood beside Ji Hyo and asked her how to do things, while Jong Kook diligently made hot bar after hot bar. He was meticulous in his work—scolding Joong Ki for being sloppy and then teaching him how to correctly make hot bars. Ji Hyo tried not to giggle as she remembered how he was known as Coach Kook on Family Outing.

There was one instance where she caught Jong Kook splashing water in Kwang Soo’s face through the gap in the dividing curtain.

“What are you doing?” asked Ji Hyo.

Jong Kook held an open water bottle and said, “Kwang Soo and Haha have been exchanging food behind our backs—and Haha keeps giving away food we need for food we don’t need.”

Ji Hyo had giggled and stood next to Jong Kook, waiting for Kwang Soo to appear again. But—to her horror—Ye Jin’s face appeared through the gap instead. Thankfully, Jong Kook had stopped himself before throwing water in Ye Jin’s face. Ji Hyo  grabbed Jong Kook’s arm to stop herself from collapsing with laughter, while he clutched the open water bottle to his chest and breathed with deep relief.

As the time to start selling the ddeokbokki and hot bars to the staff drew closer, it became apparent that the red team’s hot bars were below average. Ji Hyo had tried not to blush with embarrassment because her cooking skills were obviously not up to bar.

“Hot bars are harder to make than ddeokbokki,” she muttered.

“Why don’t we have special sets?” asked Haha as they prepared the written menu for their makeshift restaurant. “We can have a junior set, or a ‘Song Ji Hyo Foreheard’ set.” He placed his forehead against Jong Kook’s in demonstration and repeated, “forehead set.” Then Haha patted Ji Hyo on the shoulder and said, “Put your forehead to good use, okay?”

Ji Hyo laughed, but since she knew the green team’s ddeokbokki was better than their hot bars, she agreed.

Haha created the menu, adding a “Song Joong Ki Hug’ set and a ‘Song Ji Hyo Foul Mouth’ set. Jong Kook referred to it as their “marketing strategy”.

However, their “marketing strategy” only worked in the beginning. The green team lowered their price and added a “Park Ye Jin Hug” set, and soon after that, the staff realized that the green team had better food. Not even a hug from Joong Ki or a forehead-to-forehead touch with Ji Hyo was enough to make the staff buy the hot bars. Even Jong Kook’s manager, Kim Gap Jin, and his VJ, Ki Jin, chose ddeokbokki (though Jong Kook then forced them to buy hot bars as well). Ji Hyo had jokingly cursed at Sung Gyu until he agreed to pay for the “Song Ji Hyo Foul Mouth” set, and Haha resorted to selling their team’s unused vegetables and water bottles.

In the end, however, when the time came to count the money earned, the green team came out victorious.

The laughter, the shared smiles, the teasing jokes of the evening faded, and the ddeokbokki and hot bars Ji Hyo had eaten no longer sat well in her stomach. They had lost. After all the times she’d told Jong Kook they were a great team and after he’d finally given in to her wishes, they had lost.

The green team was allowed to leave filming early since they didn’t have to face the punishment. Kwang Soo, Gary, and Suk Jin took off right away, but Ye Jin remained behind to catch up with Jong Kook and Jae Suk while the staff prepared the cameras and van for the penalty trip to what Cho PD had called “the mysterious highway rest area”.

For most of the downtime, Haha was on the phone, discussing with his manager the schedule in the upcoming week, while Ji Hyo and Joong Ki talked—or, at least, Joong Ki talked. He told her about dubbing the film Rio, about how difficult it was to schedule Running Man around dramas, and about how he had a date with a friend of a friend. Ji Hyo smiled and nodded, but her eyes kept straying to the wooden bench on the other side of the hall where Jong Kook, Ye Jin, and Jae Suk were chatting and laughing amongst themselves.

“Noona?” Joong Ki tapped her shoulder lightly. “Are you listening?”

“Sorry,” said Ji Hyo honestly. “What were you saying?”

Joong Ki glanced across the hall at the others and then let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Noona.”

“Do you think there’s something going on between them?” Ji Hyo regretted it the moment she blurted the question. She didn’t really believe there was anything other than friendship between Jong Kook and Ye Jin…but there was this tiny seed of doubt in her, and it kept biting at her insides whenever she saw them together.

A grimace tugged at the corners of Joong Ki’s mouth, but there was something more to it than just frustration—bitterness, pity, and what seemed like a hint of understanding.

“Park Ye Jin is like a sister to hyung,” said Joong Ki finally.

Ji Hyo blinked. “How do you know that?”

Joong Ki looked over at Haha, who was still talking animated on the phone. After a minute, Joong Ki said, “A few weeks ago, Kwang Soo and I went out for dinner with Gary-, Haha-, and Jong Kook-hyungs. Gary-hyung was asking about past love lines, and Jong Kook-hyung had said that he’d never dated any of them. He mentioned that Park Ye Jin was like a sister.”

Ji Hyo bit the insides of so she wouldn’t ask what Jong Kook had said about Lee Hyori and Yoon Eun Hye.

“Noona,” said Joong Ki, his voice so gentle that it startled Ji Hyo. “You should put an end to this. It can’t end well.”

“I know.” The words came out as a sigh. Ji Hyo knew what Joong Ki meant. Nothing good could come from a crush on a coworker—especially one who obviously didn’t like her back. But still, even though she knew this, she couldn’t stop herself from liking Jong Kook. Her heart didn’t work like that. There was no start and stop button, no separating her feelings from her actions; she had a crush on Jong Kook and she honestly had no idea how to end it.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to explain all this to Joong Ki, because at that moment, Myuk PD announced that the van was ready and that the losing team members should change into their punishment outfits

Ye Jin and Jae Suk stayed just long enough to see Jong Kook, Haha, Joong Ki, and Ji Hyo in their red long underwear. Then, the losing team along with Woong PT and Myuk PD headed out to the parking garage to find the van.

Woong PT and Myuk PD were discussing some ideas for next week’s filming as they walked ahead of the cast, and Jong Kook, Haha, and Joong Ki were talking about how Manchester United, for whom Korean soccer star Park Ji Sung played, was on track to win the 2010-11 Premier League. Ji Hyo, who had minimal interest in soccer, had little to contribute to the conversation, so she walked silently behind them, trying not to let her fear swallow her whole.

It was nice to know that Jong Kook only thought of Ye Jin as a sister, but she was still worried that he would change his mind about teams.

She tugged at the sleeves of her red long underwear (though this week the underwear was more pink than red). They all wore aprons and colored shorts over their skin-tight underwear. The fabric stretched over Jong Kook’s muscles, and Joong Ki looked thinner than usual in the outfit.

“Noona,” asked Joong Ki, looking over his shoulder. “Are you all right?”

Ji Hyo blinked in surprise and then quickly said, “I’m fine.”

Myuk PD opened the door to the parking garage, but told the cast members to wait in the hallway while he went to get the car. While they waited, Haha tried to interrogate Woong PT on next week’s mission, but Woong PT remained firmly silent. Soon, Joong Ki had joined in the interrogation.

“Ji Hyo?”

Jong Kook’s voice next to her ear caused Ji Hyo to jump. She twisted around to see that Jong Kook stood next to her, leaning against the white wall of the hallway. His eyes met hers for a second, and then he looked away, towards the metal garage doors.

“Are you really all right?” he asked quietly.

She opened to say “I’m fine,” just like she had to Joong Ki, but she found herself saying, instead, “I’m scared.”

“Of the ‘mysterious highway rest area’?” asked Jong Kook, his voice colored with disbelief.

“No.” Ji Hyo had no idea why exactly she wanted to explain her feelings to Jong Kook. Perhaps it was because he was so strong and so solid, simply his presence beside her infected her with confidence. Perhaps because he had been so open and honest with her in regards to his feelings about love lines, she wanted to be open and honest with him now. Or perhaps it was because she wanted their relationship to be something more than they had now, something deeper and more meaningful, something she wasn’t ready to put a name to.

In a small, tight voice, Ji Hyo said, “I’m scared that you won’t want to be on my team anymore. I’m sorry we lost, hyung. I’ll do better in future, I promise.”

Jong Kook tore his eyes away from the garage doors and stared at her. She didn’t know him well enough to read the emotions there, but for a brief second, she thought she saw something like hurt.

Turning his gaze away from her again, Jong Kook folded his arms across his broad chest and said, “I don’t change my mind easily. Ask Jae Suk-hyung or Haha, they’ll both tell you I’m too stubborn. It takes a lot to change my mind, and once I do, it takes something much more than losing games to make me change it again.”

Suddenly, Ji Hyo couldn’t look at him either. She stared at the floor, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She had been stupid to doubt him. Even if they weren’t close, she knew him better than that. Yes, Kim Jong Kook was stubborn, but he was also loyal. And now, here she was, blushing and avoiding eye contact and liking him now even more than ever.

“Don’t worry,” said Jong Kook finally. “We’ll get them next time.”

The garage doors opened and Myuk PD appeared. “The van’s here.”

Jong Kook pushed off the wall and followed Haha and Woong PT through the metal doors. Joong Ki held one door open for Ji Hyo. When their eyes met, he had that look on his face again—frustration, bitterness, pity, and understanding.

It won’t end well.

That’s what Joong Ki had said, and right then, Ji Hyo fully believed him. She knew now what that feeling was, the one that caused her to share her feelings but at the same time refuse to call Jong Kook “oppa”. She wanted something more. She wanted him to like her back. And she knew that was dangerous, that this couldn’t evolve beyond a simple crush. Not only because it would be bad for Running Man, but also because it would undoubtedly break her heart.

“I’ll try,” she told Joong Ki softly as they headed towards the black van that waited for them. “Just friends. That’s all I want. We’ll just be friends.”

Joong Ki took her hand in his and gave it a little squeeze.

A/N: Yay for shorter chapters! This probably isn't the most eventfu chapter (sorry), but I feel like I had to give some closure on Ji Hyo's end on the teaming up issue and her crush. What'd you think of the KJK-SJK-SJH dynamic here? Can you tell I love irony? Please leave a comment! Please!