Chapter Seventeen: The Couple Rings

It was early morning—far too early for Ji Hyo who had only gotten eight hours of sleep—and the parking lot to the Kyobo bookstore had been roped off for everyone except Running Man cast and crew. Ji Hyo sat sideways on the edge of the seat, the sliding door of the silver van opened so that she could talk to Haha, who stood in the parking lot. They’d been the first two to arrive for filming that day, and after being fitted with mics, they’d been left to wait for the rest of the cast. Ji Hyo’s coordinator had dressed her in red and black striped shirt with a black smock over top. Haha, on the other hand, had been given a purple jacket with a plaid hat. When they’d first run into one another, they’d laughed about how much their outfits had clashed.

            “How’s the album coming along, oppa?” asked Ji Hyo.

She had gotten closer to Haha after being paired together during their filming in Daegu, and after much insistence on his part, Ji Hyo had ended up switching from calling him “hyung” to “oppa” off-camera. She’d been surprised at how easy it was to get along with Haha and how similar they were in temperament.

“Great,” said Haha, his eyes lighting up at the mention of his music. “It’ll be out in September. I’m calling it ‘Quan Ninomarley A.K.A. Haha Reggae Wave’.”

Ji Hyo laughed. “What even is that?”

“It’s a good title,” said Haha indignantly.

“I can’t even say it,” aid Ji Hyo. “Kwan-nee-no-mar-ley. Is that after Bob Marley?”

Folding his arms across his chest, Haha said stiffly, “If you don’t like it, then you clearly don’t know reggae music.”

“True.” Ji Hyo snickered as she leaned against the backrest.

“Jong Kook-hyung is here,” said Haha suddenly.

Leaning forward, Ji Hyo peered around the side of the van to see Jong Kook, in shorts and a green jacket, walking towards them. Her heartbeat picked up at the sight of him—it wasn’t her fault. The last time she had seen him he’d flashed his abs during filming, making a y pose for a fake CF.

At the time, she’d been disappointed in herself for blushing at the sight of Jong Kook’s abs. She’d been doing so much better about Jong Kook and his love lines. She had laughed and joked throughout Jong Kook’s love line with Shin Bong Sun and had even when Jae Suk and the guest Jang Hyuk had called a pretty office worker Jong Kook had expressed interest in. There had only been the slightest twinge of jealously as she listened to Lee Arisu’s voice on the phone, a feeling Ji Hyo was certain would never fully go away simply because she would always be a fan of his.

“Hyungnim,” said Haha as Jong Kook joined them.

“Hyungnim,” echoed Ji Hyo, and she was pleased to see that her greeting annoyed Jong Kook. For some reason, Jong Kook didn’t like his female dongsaengs referring to him “hyungnim”, which of course meant Ji Hyo had to constantly call him that.

“What have you two been up to?” asked Jong Kook, leaning against the side of the van.

“I’ve spent most of my time at the recording studio,” said Haha.

“Ah.” Jong Kook grinned. “Working on Kwan-ni-no Marley?”

Ji Hyo laughed. “See, Jong Kook-hyung can’t say it either!”

“It’s not that hard to say ‘Quan Ninomarley’!” cried Haha. “And if that’s too hard, you can just call it ‘Haha Reggae Wave’.”

“I like Kwan-ni-no Marley better,” said Jong Kook.

Haha scowled at his hyung, but then, as if some idea had struck him, Haha slowly started to smile. “So. Hyung. What happened?”

Jong Kook frowned. “What?”

“You know who I’m talking about,” said Haha, still smiling.

Ji Hyo didn’t know, and she kept looking back and forth between Haha and Jong Kook. Haha seemed smug and Jong Kook seemed irritated. Finally, when Ji Hyo could stand it no more, she asked, “Who?”

“Lee Arisu,” said Haha. “You got her phone number, didn’t you, hyung?”

Ji Hyo gulped and had to remind herself that she was perfectly fine with Jong Kook dating Lee Arisu.

“Don’t ask me,” said Jong Kook. “We’re at work.”

Smiling a little stiffly, Ji Hyo played along with Haha’s teasing. “I didn’t get to meet her. Was she pretty?”

Jong Kook said nothing.

“She was beautiful,” said Haha. “She’d be a perfect match for Jong Kook-hyung.”

Ji Hyo let out an exaggerated gasp and stared up at Jong Kook. “Please tell me you didn’t let her get away.”

“Stop it,” said Jong Kook through gritted teeth.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t call her.” Haha groaned. “You have to take the initiative sometimes, hyung.”

“I did call her.” Jong Kook folded his arms across his chest and sighed. “Nothing happened. We went on one date. It was just okay. We realized we weren’t each other’s type, said goodbye, and that was the end of it.”

“One date…” Haha pursed his lips, looking heartbroken. “But hyung…”

Jong Kook’s glare effectively silenced Haha.

Ji Hyo didn’t say anything, her gaze fixed on the paved ground of the parking lot. A part of her was glowing with joy that things hadn’t worked out between Jong Kook and Lee Arisu, but Ji Hyo was also angry with that part of her. She had promised Joong Ki that she would move on and that’s exactly what she was trying to do. She glanced up at Jong Kook and forced herself to say, “I’m sorry it didn’t work out, hyung.”

“Why are you sorry?” Jong Kook stuck his tongue out. “Worry about your own dating life first.”

“Yah!” cried Ji Hyo.

“Gary-hyung says he’s been feeling lonely lately,” said Haha with a cheeky smile.

Ji Hyo scowled at the two men. Over the past few episodes, she’d held hands with Gary for the cameras and danced with him during the CF in the previous episode. Wasn’t that enough? Gary was clearly getting tired of Monday Couple too, since he’d abandoned his role and ripped off her nametag during the Battle of the Strongest a few weeks ago.

However, before Ji Hyo could bring this up, one of the sound technicians appeared to fit Jong Kook with his mic. Ji Hyo watched Jong Kook’s retreating form for a second before saying, “Monday Couple. It can be so exhausting at times.”

“It’s for the fans,” said Haha. “And for Gary-hyung.”

“Why Gary-hyung?”

“He hasn’t found another long-term role for himself on the show,” said Haha. “The Monday Boyfriend is where he’s at his best.”

“Then tell him to be the Monday Boyfriend all the time,” muttered Ji Hyo.

“You’re still mad about the Battle of the Strongest thing, aren’t you,” said Haha. “Do Jong Kook-hyung and I have to scold Gary-hyung for that?”

“No,” said Ji Hyo quickly. “But sometimes I can’t tell if this is supposed to be a love line or not.” Ji Hyo yawned and scratched her head.

“You look like you need a nap,” observed Haha.

Ji Hyo smiled drowsily. “A nap sounds so good right now.”

“A nap always sounds good to you,” said Haha as he stepped away from the van. “Just don’t be late for the opening.”

Ji Hyo listened to his footsteps as he walked away. Even though she was tired, she couldn’t quite bring herself to close her eyes yet. It was at times like this that she missed Joong Ki the most. As glad as she was that a friendship was developing between her and Haha, he couldn’t replace Joong Ki. Her dongsaeng had never encouraged her to be a part of Monday Couple. At times like this, she could talk to him and he would tell her that it should be her choice—Monday Couple or Song Song Siblings or none at all. But Joong Ki wasn’t here right now.

For a moment, Ji Hyo debated calling him, to ask him what she should do about her on-again-off-again Monday Couple role. But Joong Ki was no longer a part of the cast. She felt that by calling him, she was clinging to something that was already gone, something she needed to move on from. She could also call Kwang Soo, her other dongsaeng. But she had never confided in Kwang Soo about these matters before. That was how it’d always been since the beginning of Running Man. She would talk to Kwang Soo about her awkward relationships wither her hyungs, and she would talk to Joong Ki about her love lines. It would seem strange to her now to talk about Monday Couple with Kwang Soo. It wasn’t his place.

Ji Hyo closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat. She missed her dongsaeng. Nothing could fill the hole in Running Man that he had left.

The van slammed to halt as they reached a red light, and Ji Hyo had to grab onto the two seats in front of her to stabilize herself. Jong Kook, who was sitting in the passenger’s seat, and Suk Jin, who was driving, both looked over their shoulders at her.

“Yah, Suk Jin-hyung,” said Haha, who was sitting on Ji Hyo’s right. “Drive a little more carefully.”

On Ji Hyo’s other side, Gary was rubbing his left knee which he had bumped against the van door at Suk Jin’s sudden stop. “The light was clearly red.”

“The light was yellow for such a short period of time,” grumbled Suk Jin. “Really only three seconds. Lights really should stay yellow longer than that—how are we supposed to react with only three seconds of warning?”

“It was yellow for much longer than three seconds,” said Jong Kook. “You just didn’t see it, hyung…”

Suk Jin opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself when he saw that the light had now turned green. After a quick glance at him hyung, Jong Kook turned to look out the passenger window.

Ji Hyo frowned at the backs of their heads. Suk Jin and Jong Kook had always been awkward with one another, but for some reason, they’d gotten even more awkward over the past couple weeks. She’d texted Kwang Soo about it last weekend, but he hadn’t noticed that there was anything was strange and had told Ji Hyo it was all in her head. But watching Suk Jin and Jong Kook now, she was beginning to suspect again.

The five Running Man cast members were in the van on the way to the next location. They were doing a Find the Guest mission, but unlike previous missions, each time two members were eliminated, the cast would move to a new location. At the first bookstore, Jae Suk and Kwang Soo had both been ousted by the guest, so the remaining five members had settled in the van and were heading to the second Kyobo location, Gwanghwamun.

 “I thought the first store was strange,” said Jong Kook. “There was nowhere for the guest to hide, so I thought perhaps there was a spy among us.” He glanced over his shoulder at Ji Hyo. “I was so surprised when you started shouting that you’d found the guest.”

Ji Hyo grinned, proud that she had been the one to see the guest when no one else could. They still didn’t know who exactly the guest was, but Ji Hyo had discovered that the guest was male when she found him disguised as one the bookstore staff. She’d tried to corner him in a storage room, but he’d escaped before any of the hyungs could arrive to help.

“Hyung, there are quite few shops here?” asked Gary, peering out the van window.

“Ah, Gwanghwamun may be the flagship store,” mused Suk Jin, his eyes on the road. “It’ll be more difficult to search.”

 “I’ve thought about it carefully,” said Jong Kook. “Even though they’re out, Jae Suk-hyung and Kwang Soo may also be useful.”

“Really?” Suk Jin sounded surprised.

“We could text them,” said Ji Hyo, already pulling out her phone.

Haha caught ahold of Ji Hyo’s hand, stopping her from using the phone. “That would ruin the fun.”

“It’d be bad if we went through the entire opening without knowing who the guest was,” pointed out Jong Kook.

“It’ll be good for the guest,” retorted Haha. “He could be the guest who deceived the Running Man members to the end. Not many get that claim.”

After a moment to consider, Jong Kook nodded. “We shouldn’t text them—though it was a good idea, Ji Hyo.”

With an exaggerated sigh, Ji Hyo put her phone back in her pocket. “You’ll regret not listening to my ideas.”

Jong Kook’s deep laugh came from the front of the van.

“Ji Hyo always has the best ideas,” said Gary, immediately playing the role of the Monday Boyfriend.

Ji Hyo rolled her eyes. Of all her roles on Running Man—Mong Ji, Ace, Bad Ji Hyo, Song Ji Yok—Monday Girlfriend was the one she enjoyed least. Especially since Monday Couple seemed so on-and-off these days. It wasn’t just her. She had never been enthusiastic about being the Monday Girlfriend, and she could acknowledge that, but ever since the Battle of the Strongest, even though they still acted as a couple, Ji Hyo felt that neither she nor Gary wanted to play their roles. He seemed to be forcing himself just as much as her nowadays.

In the front of the car, Jong Kook was still talking, “We can trust Jae Suk-hyung and Kwang Soo to try to cheat from jail.”

“Kwang Soo is useful like that,” agreed Gary.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” said Haha. “Maybe the PDs are keeping stricter watch on jail this time.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic, oppa,” said Ji Hyo.

“I’m not being pessimistic,” said Haha. “I’m being realistic.”

“Haha’s the most suspicious one,” said Jong Kook.

Suk Jin nodded. “Jong Kook and I were talking about that in the store. We thought it was Dong Hoon and then we thought it was Jae Suk and then Gary.”

Ji Hyo was surprised that Suk Jin and Jong Kook had been speculating about the guest together. They seemed almost normal now, all of the awkwardness from earlier was gone and what remained were two hyungs talking about the mission.

“How was I suspicious?” asked Gary.

Jong Kook glanced over his shoulder. “You’re always suspicious.”

“Why were you buying that journal, Gary?” asked Suk Jin. “It’s already halfway through the year.”

“Why does that matter? There’s still half a year left to go,” complained Gary. He turned to Ji Hyo and said, “You should have seen how mean the hyungs were to me. They surrounded me like wolves and tried to take away the journal before I could even buy it.” He pouted. “Don’t you feel bad for oppa?”

Dully, Ji Hyo said, “If you don’t want them to surround you, then don’t act suspicious.”

Gary collapsed back into his seat and said, forlornly, “It is Monday, right? I’m not imagining things and we’re actually filming on Sunday for a change?”

“Couples can get tired of each other,” said Ji Hyo.

“Are you tired of me already?” asked Gary. “We only see each other on Mondays.”

“When you add it all together,” said Suk Jin, “you two have really only been dating for a month.”

Ji Hyo let out a dramatic sigh. “It feels like so much longer.”

Gary nodded. “The honeymoon stage is already over. Now, she throws me to the wolves when they say I’m acting suspicious.”

“But you know,” said Jong Kook. “Everyone looked suspicious. We thought almost everybody could be the spy. Except Ji Hyo.” Jong Kook grinned back at her. “You were working too hard to be the spy.”

“We’re suspicious of everybody during filming,” agreed Suk Jin. “Even though it turns out that there really is a guest.”

Ji Hyo stared at the backs of Suk Jin and Jong Kook’s heads. They seemed to get getting along fine now, so perhaps Suk Jin and Jong Kook weren’t being awkward around each other, and Kwang Soo had been right—it really was all in her head. Maybe the tension between Monday Couple was all in her head too, and Gary really did want to keep being the variety love line. Ji Hyo sighed and massaged her temple. She really didn’t know anymore. She just wanted a nap.

Jong Kook hated not knowing who the guest was even though they were down to three people. He sat in the passenger’s seat of the van next to the oldest hyung on the ST team who had been assigned to drive the van to the third location, the Kyobo bookstore in Mokdong. Haha and Gary sat in the back, both of them checking their cellphones at the moment. It had come down to him and the Two Kids yet again. At the second location, Jong Kook and Gary had been trying to figure out the guest’s mission, while Haha, Ji Hyo, and Suk Jin had wandered off on their own. Suk Jin had been eliminated first and Ji Hyo not long after.

“Gary and I think the mission must be related to the best sellers,” said Jong Kook. “Earlier when we asked the people where the best sellers were—”

“They panicked,” interjected Gary.

“Right.” Jong Kook nodded. “Because they panicked, it means the guest had to do something related to the best sellers. So, when we reach the next location, we should go straight there.”

“What should we do?” asked Gary. He paused then said, “Those books, can’t hyung carry them all away?”

Jong Kook laughed. “You want me to steal the best sellers so the guest can’t do his mission? Yah, the stores need to operate too!”

“Not steal,” said Gary. “Hyung can just borrow them for a while.”

Jong Kook glanced at their driver, who had so far keep silent, keeping his eyes on the road. Then, Jong Kook looked back at his two dongsaengs and said, “We didn’t even get to see the faces of those who were eliminated. Isn’t that amazing?”

“It’s weird,” agreed Gary. “And why is the jail so far away?”

Haha leaned forward in his seat so Jong Kook could see him. “What I’m most curious about,” said Haha, “is where they are and what they’re doing? That’s what I’m most curious about. Could they be doing anything?”

“Could they be eating?” said Jong Kook.

“No fair,” groaned Gary. “We’re here, hungry but doing the mission, and they’re enjoying lunch already.”

“Maybe we should lose to the guest so we can hurry up and eat,” said Haha.

As Gary and Haha talked about all the unhealthy foods they wanted for lunch, Jong Kook left the conversation behind. He texted his manager to make sure to buy unseasoned chicken s for lunch and then leaned back in his set to stare out the window.

It had been an exhausting morning for sure. On the way to the film set, Jong Kook had talked to Jae Suk on the phone, relaying the events of his date with Lee Arisu. Jae Suk had, of course, wanted to know every detail and had been disappointed when Jong Kook had said there’d be no second date. Sometimes, Jong Kook had said, it seemed like Jae Suk desperately wanted Jong Kook to end up marrying someone he met on a variety show. Jae Suk had laughed and said he just wanted Jong Kook to be happy.

Thanks to Jae Suk, Jong Kook had already been tired of talking about Lee Arisu when he’d arrived on set, so he’d been irritated when Haha had started asking questions about her right away—in front of Ji Hyo too. Jong Kook didn’t feel comfortable talking about his dating life in front of female coworkers, even if they were friends.

And to make matters worse, Jong Kook still had no idea what was going on between him and Suk Jin. When they’d met on set to film the Battle of the Strongest episode a week after Joong Ki’s farewell party, Jong Kook hadn’t known how to act, but Suk Jin had proceeded to treat him as nothing more a friendly coworker. Jong Kook was fairly certain that Suk Jin hadn’t forgotten what he’d said at the barbeque restaurant, which meant that Suk Jin had decided to ignore the issue altogether.

During the Battle for the Strongest, Jong Kook had ripped off Suk Jin’s nametag early on. Jong Kook had felt guilty at first—wondering if he should apologize—but Suk Jin had laughed it off, complaining good-naturedly about how strong Jong Kook was. If anything, that had made Jong Kook even more uncomfortable. He’d expected Suk Jin to be awkward during filming or avoid Jong Kook altogether or even still be angry about Jong Kook’s character; he’d expected anything other than the friendly, polite Suk Jin that he’d been met with.  

After filming, Jong Kook wondered if he should talk to Suk Jin, address the issue, but every time he tried to speak to his hyung, Jong Kook couldn’t find the words. If Suk Jin wanted to pretend nothing had happened, perhaps that was the way to go. But in Jong Kook’s experience, ignoring an issue like this never ended well. He’d thought about talking to Jae Suk, who was closest to Suk Jin, about it or Haha, who Jong Kook usually shared his concerns with, or even Kwang Soo, who was a good listener. Jong Kook had even gotten as far as typing up a long explanation on his phone, but before he could send it to Haha, Jong Kook had stopped himself. It was an issue between him and Suk Jin. He didn’t want to drag any of the other cast members into it—not when there was a possibility that an issue like this could upset cast dynamics. Jong Kook would take care of the issue on his own.

However, a month later Jong Kook still hadn’t addressed the problem. In fact, he and Suk Jin had been strangely cordial to each other lately—asking about each other’s lives beyond Running Man, complimenting each other when they did well during a mission, and working together to find a possible spy today. It was as if they were walking on tiptoe around each other, afraid that if they said one thing wrong, everything would implode. The politeness was suffocating, and a part of Jong Kook just wanted snap at Suk Jin, explain that he was the Commander and it was his role to be strong, just so things could go back to the way they used to be…

“Hyung. Jong Kook-hyung.” Haha’s voice snapped Jong Kook out of his thoughts.

“Yeah?” asked Jong Kook, looking over his shoulder.

“Do you want to grab dinner after filming?” asked Haha. “There’s this new seafood restaurant in this area I’ve been wanting to try. Gary- and Jae Suk-hyungs have work to do so you’d better be free.”

Jong Kook pushed away his issue with Suk Jin and tried to focus on what Haha had just asked. He nodded. “I’m in the mood for seafood… Should I see if Kwang Soo wants to come?”

“I’ll ask Ji Hyo while you’re at it,” said Haha, pulling out his cellphone. “I think she’s been feeling a little lost since Joong Ki left. It’s good to include her in these things.”

Gary let out a dramatic sigh. “She’s supposed to be my girlfriend, but you two are the ones spending time with her.”

“She’s not interested in you,” said Jong Kook. He glanced at their driver, wondering if it was too much to talk about love lines in front of him.

“I don’t want to date her,” said Gary. “But I do want to be the Monday Couple. And ‘couple’ implies two people.”

“She’s been participating,” said Jong Kook.

“I saw you two holding hands when we looking for Jang Hyuk,” added Haha.

“I held her hand first,” said Gary. “And she let go the first chance she got. You’d think I was an octopus or something.”

Jong Kook grimaced. He knew Ji Hyo wasn’t thrilled with her love line, though she’d been playing along with it recently. Jong Kook could understand both their perspectives. On X-Man, he’d had girls admit to liking him, while Jong Kook wasn’t interested in the slightest. He didn’t want to reject the girls openly and often went along politely so they wouldn’t be offended, but there was a part of him that felt exhausted by the love lines. However, Jong Kook could also understand Gary, whose character and screen time depended on the existence of Monday Couple. And, of course, there were many fans who loved the Monday Couple and providing romantic moments was part of the cast’s job. And, of course, there was the issue of the Battle of the Strongest episode…

 “You used two hands during the Battle of the Strongest,” said Jong Kook. “The Monday Boyfriend isn’t supposed to do that. If you promised to use only one hand, then you should have used only one hand.”

“It was forty minutes past Monday,” said Gary. “And I thought I could do it with one hand.”

Jong Kook shook his head. “She’s the Ace for a reason, you know. It’s not easy to rip off her nametag with two hands.”

“I’ve been trying to be the Monday Boyfriend again,” said Gary. “But she’s gone back to not wanting to be the Monday Girlfriend and only half-heartedly participating.”

“You can’t be on-and-off as the Monday Boyfriend if you expect her to always be the Monday Girlfriend,” said Haha. “Loyalty—even in a love line—is a two-way street. Just as Jong Kook-hyung.”

“I know, I know,” muttered Gary. “I just really wanted to win.”

“Then you should have done so using one hand,” said Haha. “Decide if you want to be the Monday Boyfriend or not. Don’t go back and forth.”

Gary sighed. “It doesn’t help that we’re so awkward. I’m certain I’m the only cast member she isn’t friends with off-camera now.”

“If you didn’t have work, hyung, then you could come to dinner with us and get to know her better,” said Haha.

 Jong Kook gave their driver an apologetic smile. This conversation about love lines had gone on long enough; it wasn’t meant for the cameras or their ST-hyung. He twisted in his seat to face his dongsaengs and said, pointedly, “So what’s the plan when we reach the bookstore?”

Gary and Haha got the message. Haha leaned back in his seat, and Gary said, “I thought the plan was for hyung to steal all the best sellers.”

“I’m not going to steal from the store,” said Jong Kook.

“Borrow. I meant to say borrow.”

Ji Hyo and Jong Kook’s fingers intertwined as they celebrated the Red Team’s win. Three seconds later, Jong Kook released her hand and moved to high-five Gary. Ji Hyo smiled and clapped and tried to ignore any of those annoying feelings that accompanied Jong Kook’s touch.

The second mission of the day had been to find three of the seven married couples that worked in Kyobo Books’ main office. It was now time to confirm if the two teams’ guesses were correct. The Blue Team had gotten their first couple wrong, while the Red Team had been right—making the score 1-0. Ji Hyo, Jong Kook, Gary, and Kwang Soo were still celebrating their win, while the Blue Team—Jae Suk, Suk Jin, Haha, and Hyun Joong—were still in shock from the strong blast of air that had been sent through the microphones.

Ji Hyo smiled. Jong Kook had been the lone victor of the first race after removing the golden band around the guest Kim Hyun Joong’s ankle (and, apparently, Jong Kook had shoved Haha into the closest while doing so). Jong Kook’s win had rewarded the Red Team with a Running Ball, and if they won the second mission, which was worth two Running Balls, then they’d have a great advantage over the Blue Team for tomorrow’s shoot.

 “Don’t forget the couple rings, the couple rings,” said Jong Kook, urging the married couple to the front where seven boxes containing rings waited for the confirmed real couples.

The couple selected their rings and moved to stand together in front of the cameras. Jae Suk, in his usual MC mode, immediately began interviewing them.  “I’m curious to know how it feels to be an office couple.”

“It’s mixed,” admitted the husband, causing both him and his wife to laugh.

“This is going to be broadcasted,” said Jong Kook, “so you should say something positive.”

Jae Suk, who was laughing and clapping, nodded. “It’s not like you’re anything else—you’re a married couple.” He tried again, “What are some of the benefits of being an office couple?”

“We can be together all the time,” said the husband. “And we can communicate often.”

“So being together all the time is a positive,” said Jae Suk. “And what about the disadvantages?”

The husband hesitated. “Being together all the time.”

The wife nodded her agreement while everyone laughed. Ji Hyo’s hands curled around the microphone stand as she watched the husband and wife smile at each other. For a second, she imagined herself and an unnamed future husband smiling at each other like that. But when the unnamed future husband in her imagination started to resemble a certain coworker, Ji Hyo pushed the image away.

“It’s really mixed,” said Jong Kook, shaking his head and grinning. “The advantage is also the disadvantage.”

Ji Hyo had never dating someone while working with them before, only after the film shoot had ended, so she could only imagine how being together with one’s partner all the time could become suffocating. She smiled at the married couple as they returned to their spots at the back of the stage with their chosen couple rings.

The Blue Team’s remaining two couples were both correct, while the Red Team’s second couple was wrong. The score was at 2-1 with only the Red Team’s final pair left, which meant that winning was no longer an option—the Red Team could either lose or tie. Ji Ho was anxiously waiting to find out when all of a sudden, Jong Kook said, “If there are extra couple rings, perhaps we could give a set to these two.”

Ji Hyo didn’t have to look to know that he was pointing to her and Gary. She tried to smile—she really did—but inside she felt disappointed that she would have to play the Monday Girlfriend today. She glanced over at Jong Kook, but he wasn’t looking at her.

“Then, Gary-hyung and Ji Hyo should come out and try it,” said Haha.

Ji Hyo didn’t want to try it. These were real couples confirming their relationships. She and Gary weren’t real. They weren’t even friends. But at the same time, she couldn’t be mad at Jong Kook and Haha. She knew why they were doing this. It was an act, it was part of the show, and it made the fans happy.

“Go out and try,” said Jong Kook, placing a hand on Ji Hyo’s shoulder and gently pushing her forward.

She followed Jong Kook’s advice and moved to the center of the stage. Gary stood opposite her. Both of them smiled awkwardly. Ji Hyo couldn’t look at him and her gaze kept jumping from the far wall to the floor to the cameras. She didn’t want to be here, and she didn’t think Gary wanted to be there either.

“If you get it wrong and they’re not a couple,” said Jae Suk, “your team gets a wind blast.”

“Fine, fine,” said Jong Kook. “And if we get it right? You get the wind blast.”

Ji Hyo was tempted to get it wrong, to not call out “jagiya”, just so Jong Kook would get blasted by the wind.

“If they call each other ‘jagiya’,” said Haha, who seemed to be Jong Kook’s partner in this, “Then you have to give them the couple rings.”

The couple rings weren’t much motivation, since Ji Hyo had no reason to wear a matching ring with Gary outside of filming, and she couldn’t wear jewelry during filming because of the physical games they sometimes played. She glanced up at Gary. He seemed to be laughing slightly at Jong Kook and Haha’s attempts to set this up, and Ji Hyo suddenly wonder if he was the reason Jong Kook and Haha were doing this. Perhaps she had been wrong. Perhaps Gary hadn’t gotten tired and did want to still be the Monday Boyfriend.

She frowned and stared at the floor. Monday Couple wasn’t one-sided.

Haha moved to put Gary and Ji Hyo in the proper “couple” position. “I’m a pro at this,” said Haha when Jae Suk tried to stop him. “It’s going to be used in the previews!”

 “Move aside!” cried Jae Suk, suddenly pushing Haha back over to the Blue Team. “They’re not on our team.”

“You always have to be the MC!” Haha shouted back.

Ji Hyo laughed. For a moment, the pressure of being the Monday Girlfriend was lifted from her shoulders for a second and she watched as Jae Suk and Haha pretended to fight. She forgot about the man standing in front of her and only enjoyed watching her friends pretend to bicker. But the fight ended all too soon, and Jae Suk and Haha returned to their places behind the microphones. Ji Hyo and Gary stood alone in the center of the stage.

She could not say “jagiya”, saying that they weren’t a couple. Would that be the end of Monday Couple? Would the fans be upset? But maybe it would be more amusing if she refused to say “jagiya”. Would people laugh? What if it wasn’t funny? What should she do?”

            “If you say ‘jagiya’, you’ll get the couple rings,” said Jong Kook. “They’re nice couple rings—I got a look at them before.”

Ji Hyo glanced at Jong Kook. He was standing behind the microphone, watching her as he spoke, as if it was important for her to understand that this was for the couple rings. Ji Hyo stared at him for a moment longer before turning back to Gary. It was for the couple rings. And the fans. And for Gary’s character. But mainly for the couple rings. If she thought that maybe it would be easier.

“Gary-sshi,” said Jae Suk. “Are you ready?”

Ji Hyo and Gary’s eyes met, and it took all her effort not to laugh.

Gary spread his arms wide. “Jagiya.”

For the couple rings. For the couple rings. For the couple rings.

Ji Hyo laughed. She couldn’t help it. Gary looked ridiculous—she couldn’t even imagine him as her boyfriend—standing there with his eyes closed and arms wide, waiting for her to reply.

“Hurry!” cried Gary, his face turning red.

“Sorry, sorry,” said Ji Hyo. She could do this. Even if it wasn’t for the couple rings, it was for the show. She was just acting. Putting on her best Monday Girlfriend smile, Ji Hyo said, “jagiya” and quickly hugged Gary.

The Red Team cheered, while the Blue Team stood in shock. When she caught sight of Jae Suk and Haha’s stunned faces, it occurred to Ji Hyo that they really hadn’t thought that she’d go through with it. Did she really come across as that reluctant to be the Monday Girlfriend? The fans loved Monday Couple, and Ji Hyo didn’t want to disappoint them. She wanted them to love this show as much as she did, and if Monday Couple made them happy, then she would do Monday Couple.

A wave of relief washed over Ji Hyo as she turned to the couple rings. Jong Kook patted her on the back, a silent subtle gesture, as he moved past her towards the Blue Team. Gary was still celebrating, pretending that, as the Monday Boyfriend, this game was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.

“Yah!” cried Jae Suk. “Ji Hyo! Just because you like the rings—”

Jong Kook pushed Jae Suk away with one arm. “They’re the Monday Couple.”

“You said I could get the rings,” said Ji Hyo. “If I said ‘jagiya’, I could get the couple rings!”

“They’re really nice,” said Jong Kook, holding up one of the boxes for her.

“Let me see,” said Ji Hyo.

She and Jong Kook crouched down to look at the boxes while Gary moved to stand between them. Gary didn’t say anything, just watched silently as Ji Hyo and Jong Kook examined each set of rings. In the background, Haha and Jae Suk were shouting “Jagiya” and “I love you” at each other and then at the guest in the hopes that the PDs would give them a set of rings too. Ji Hyo smiled. Jae Suk and Haha’s reenactment made her feel better, saying “jagiya” didn’t have any meaning if they were doing it as well. And she was thankful to Jong Kook also. Instead of her and Gary picking out the rings as a couple, it was her and Jong Kook. In Ji Hyo’s mind, it was a team win rather than a Monday Couple win.

“Which one do you prefer?” asked Ji Hyo, holding up two boxes, the first containing simply designed rings and the second containing rings with a crisscross pattern, for Jong Kook to see.

Gary peered over Ji Hyo’s shoulder and said, “The first one.”

Jong Kook examined both sets of rings carefully, and then said, “I like the first one as well.”

Ji Hyo set the crisscross patterned rings back down and kept the first box. Then, she, Jong Kook, and Gary moved back to their positions behind the microphones. The Blue Team had finally settled down and were now saying that at Monday Couple wouldn’t count towards the actual score, because they were just a love line.

As Ji Hyo moved to stand next to Jong Kook, she glanced up at him and smiled.

He smiled back. “Good job.”

“I really didn’t expect you to say ‘jagiya’,” said Haha, leaning back in his seat.

After filming had ended, Haha, Kwang Soo, Jong Kook, Ji Hyo, and their managers had gone out for dinner at a nearby seafood restaurant. The managers had grabbed a table of their own in the front of the restaurant, while the four cast members were seated around a table in the back, hidden by some potted plants so that regular customers couldn’t see them.

“You’ve always had this do-not-cross line when it came to being the Monday Girlfriend,” continued Haha, “and I thought for sure saying ‘jagiya’ would cross it.”

“It was the power of the couple rings,” said Kwang Soo.

 “And the fans,” said Jong Kook.

Haha snorted. “You’re still an idol after all these years.”

“An idol?” asked Ji Hyo blankly.

“It’s the programmed answer for any idol,” explained Jong Kook. “If they’re asked why they work so hard or where they get their energy from, all idols are trained to say, ‘It’s thanks to the fans’.”

Ji Hyo smiled at the table. Even if it was trained response for idols, there was some truth to it. She’d thought of the people who cheered for her and told her how much they enjoyed watching Monday Couple every Sunday.

“So what are you going to do with the couple rings?” asked Haha. “Give one to your boyfriend?”

“I’m going to give them to my parents,” said Ji Hyo.

She saw Jong Kook smiling out of the corner of her eye. “I’m sure your parents will appreciate it.”

“That means you’re definitely single,” said Haha. “If you want, I can set you up with one of my friends.”

“Don’t listen to him,” said Jong Kook. “Most of Haha’s friends are weird.”

“You’re one of my friends,” said Haha.

“That’s why I said ‘most’.”

“You’re the weirdest of them all, hyung,” said Kwang Soo.

“Who are you to say that?” asked Jong Kook with a laugh. “You’ve never met Haha’s friends.”

“I hate to admit it,” said Haha. “But Jong Kook-hyung is one of my more normal friends.”

“There are people weirder than Jong Kook-hyung?” asked Kwang Soo in mock horror.

“You’re one to talk, Lee Kwang Soo,” said Ji Hyo.

“You’ve gotten drunk around me far too often to say anything,” said Jong Kook. “Or should I tell Ji Hyo about that time—”

“Let’s not,” said Kwang Soo, cutting sharply across Jong Kook’s words.

“Tell me what?” asked Ji Hyo eagerly.

Jong Kook grinned across the table at Kwang Soo before turning to Ji Hyo. “Maybe another time. I’ll wait until he tries to blackmail me, and then tell you about it.”

“See!” cried Kwang Soo. “This is why a gangster is the only role Jong Kook-hyung can play!”

Ji Hyo laughed until her stomach hurt. She looked up and saw Jong Kook smiling down at her, his eyes little more than crescents. On the other side of the table, Haha and Kwang Soo were grinning at Ji Hyo.

She had never gone out to eat after filming without Joong Ki around before. For the first year, it had always been her, Kwang Soo, and Joong Ki. Sometimes Suk Jin or Jae Suk would come along, but it was always at least the three of them. But things had change. Kwang Soo was still there—something she would always be thankful for—but now Jong Kook sat beside her and Haha sat in front of her.

When their meal first began, she found herself missing Joong Ki’s presence—someone to turn to and share a joke with or to tease Kwang Soo with—but as the meal went on, she found that being with Haha and Jong Kook was fun as well. Jong Kook was always willing to tease Kwang Soo with her, and Haha was quick-witted, switching the conversation from topic to topic without missing a beat.

The four of them ended up talking for hours about their hometowns, about what they’d been like as children, and about what they’d wanted to be as children. Haha and Jong Kook told the story of how they’d first met during Jong Kook’s Turbo days, and Kwang Soo talked about his first modeling job. Ji Hyo told them about her time at Kookje College, and they’d joked about how they would have never guessed that she had an accounting degree. The four of them laughed and shared their stories, and Ji Hyo found that while she still missed Joong Ki, she wasn’t as lonely as she had thought she’d be.

A/N: This chapter was less spartace and more Monday Couple plus HaHyo, but Monday Couple and HaHyo iare both important to the history of RM. And don't worry, JSJ and KJK's issue will be addressed in the next chapter. Plus more spartace. 

Please leave a comment! What did you think? Did I do a good job with MC? Did I do a good job with the cast friendships? Anything you really want to see in the upcoming chapters?