Chapter Twenty-Three: The Best Partners

At 6:30 in the morning, the two-tone ring of a doorbell sounded in Jong Kook’s hotel room. Still spread out underneath the white duvet, Jong Kook slowly opened one eye. He could see the outline of the door, the golden hall light shining through into the pitch-black bedroom. There was a dark shadow at the bottom of the doorframe where people were standing outside, wanting to come in.

The doorbell sounded again.

Jong Kook was not a morning person, and on top of that, he’d spent over twelve hours filming Running Man in Beijing yesterday, and after his team had won the race, he, Kwang Soo, and Gary had stayed up past midnight playing card games on the hotel balcony. He’d been told that they didn’t need to be down for breakfast for another hour and a half, which meant that whatever news the people at the door had, it wasn’t good news.

Battling the urge to put a pillow over his head and go back to sleep, Jong Kook dragged himself out of bed, switched on the table lamp, and staggered to the door. He opened it a crack, just enough to see his VJ Ki Jin and Cho PD standing in the hallway.

Jong Kook half-sighed, half-laughed. A Running Man PD in the morning could mean only one thing. “Why are you here? You said to come out at eight am.”

“We have a mission for you,” said Cho PD.

Jong Kook stared at him.

“You can go back to bed after we’re done.”

With another sigh, Jong Kook pushed open the door to let Cho PD and Ki Jin inside.

“What will happen today?” asked Jong Kook. “What’s up? Argh, seriously.” He crawled back into bed.

“I just received an emergency call for you,” said Cho PD. He pulled out a smartphone.

“Ah, really? What?” Jong Kook did not have the patience for the PD’s theatrics this early in the morning; nevertheless, he took the phone. Holding it to his ear, he asked, “Hello?”

“Hello.”

It was a female voice. Jong Kook felt like he should know who it was, but he was still half asleep, and all he could do was mumble, “Yes, who is this?”

“Oppa, it’s me, Ji Hyo.”

Jong Kook looked from the smartphone to Cho PD and then back. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ki Jin smirking behind his camera. Finally, Jong Kook said, “Hey, Ji Hyo, what’s going on? Don’t you need to shoot your drama today?”

“That’s how you greet me?” asked Ji Hyo. Despite the humor in her voice, she sounded just as tired as he felt. “Didn’t you miss me, oppa?”

At Cho PD’s request, Jong Kook switched the smartphone to speaker. “Yah, it’s too early in the morning to miss you.”

“Fine then, oppa,” said Ji Hyo. “This will be a business relationship. That money briefcase, my subordinates will steal it.”

“What?” It took Jong Kook a second to realize that she was referring to the money briefcase that his team had won during yesterday’s race in Beijing.

“Oppa,” said Ji Hyo, “please be my spy today.”

“Ah, Ji Hyo.” Jong Kook shifted on the bed. He had known this was coming. To be the spy was the only reason the PDs would wake a member up so early. “I was also it in Thailand. I can’t do this. If I do this, they’ll know.”

“Who cares what happened in Thailand, oppa,” said Ji Hyo. “No one will know.”

Jong Kook ran a hand through his already messy morning hair. “Ji Hyo…”

“If oppa helps me, we can win. Then I’ll split the prize money with you, okay?”

“I understand,” said Jong Kook. “You’re really treating this like a business relationship, aren’t you?”

“Oppa started it,” said Ji Hyo. “If we were friends, you’d miss me.”

Jong Kook fought back a yawn. “So how are we splitting it? My team won the money, so right now I’m getting one-third.”

“We split it fifty-fifty, oppa.” There was a hint of disappointment in Ji Hyo’s voice, so slight that Jong Kook wasn’t certain if he’d imagined it or not.

“If you want me to be a good spy,” said Jong Kook, “I need to get some more sleep. And you need to sleep too, Ji Hyo. I know what you’re like when you’re tired.”

“I’ll sleep on the plane, oppa,” promised Ji Hyo.

“All right,” said Jong Kook. “You take care. I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon.”

Jong Kook hung up the phone and handed it back to Cho PD. By having Ji Hyo call him, they made it sound like he had a choice in being her accomplice, but he couldn’t reject the offer without ruining the set up of the game. He was surprised that Ji Hyo was coming, since they’d been told yesterday that she wouldn’t be able to make it to Beijing because she was filming for her drama Gyebaek. Though, now that he thought about it, Jong Kook should have known. Ji Hyo loved Running Man; she always made certain she was available on Mondays.

He looked up at Cho PD and asked, “So what do I need to do?”

“You have to obey a few rules as a spy,” said Cho PD.

“Why are there rules?” asked Jong Kook as he took his mission card. “Why can’t I just do it? There weren’t any rules in Thailand.” He flipped over the mission card and read it aloud. “Spy’s Restrictions: Today, you can’t rip off other people’s nametags, and you can’t lie during the race.”

Jong Kook stared at the card. He reread the words. Twice. Then, he looked up at Cho PD. “What do I do if I can’t lie? What kind of spy is that, one who can’t lie? What is this? Why are you making me do this? Why did Ji Hyo pick me?”

As always, Cho PD and Ki Jin just laughed at Jong Kook’s suffering. Eventually, after the laughter died down, Cho PD explained that during a rest break, the briefcase would be stolen. Then, the cast and guests would be brought to a village film set filled with actors in costume in Huairou Province. That’s where the nametag battle would begin. The cast would not know of Ji Hyo’s presence, and she would be given disguises and the help of the actors. It was Jong Kook’s job to help her oust everyone.

It took Cho PD almost twenty minutes to explain everything. Then, Jong Kook kicked him and a smirking Ki Jin out so that he could get at least one more hour of sleep.

It wasn’t until he was curled up under the duvet again that Jong Kook considered his question. Why did Ji Hyo pick him? The answer was obvious. They were partners. To her, there was no other answer if someone asked who she wanted as her accomplice. And, if he was being honest with himself, if someone had asked him the same question, he probably would have said her name as well. Of course, because he wasn’t the Monday Boyfriend, Jong Kook wouldn’t be allowed to pick her, and in fact, he was surprised the PDs had allowed her to choose him. But still, she was his best partner in Running Man and that thought made him smile.

Ji Hyo doubled-checked the narrow alleyway for any other cast members before stopping to fix her outfit. The Running Man staff had given her three different costumes to change into during the course of the game. She’d started out in a black costume with a round hat and veil, but after Gary almost recognized her, she’d decided to change. She didn’t like this second outfit as much since it was composed of blander colors, but better to have bad fashion sense than to lose the game. She’d also had to do away with the hats, which while helpful in hiding her face, made it hard to move through the houses because of their wide brims.

As she adjusted the beige top and black belt, Ji Hyo saw something—someone—at the end of the alley. Her heart stopped. Who had seen her? It wasn’t one of the actors in the village. They had been told to pretend that Ji Hyo was one of them. Was it one of the cast members? One of the guests? Had her cover been blown? Not yet. She couldn’t lose yet.

Slowly, Ji Hyo lifted her head. Out in the street, a familiar dark-haired man in a long-sleeved blue shirt and striped, colorful shorts was peering into the alleyway. Their eyes met. He grinned and then walked away.

Ji Hyo almost collapsed out of relief. She looked at the camera and, half-laughing, said, “Jong Kook-oppa saw me.”

If it had been anyone else walking by at that moment, she would have been doomed. The element of surprise was her best weapon today. The cast and guests would suspect each other instead of her.

Once her belt and shirt were back in place, Ji Hyo left the alleyway. She took the back streets, glancing down any alley she passed in case any of the cast or guests were there. She needed to keep an eye on them, to hear what they were saying, that way she wouldn’t be caught off-guard if they realized she was the thief.

When Ji Hyo had first been told that she would be the thieves’ leader for the nametag mission in Beijing, she’d been on her way to the airport from her film shoot for Gyebaek. Her eyes had been itching with sleep and her entire body had been aching with exhaustion when the FD and VJ accompanying her explained that she and an accomplice of her choice would have to take on the other eight people.

Ji Hyo had thought she wouldn’t be able to handle the task. However, she should never had underestimated herself or Jong Kook. There were now only the three guests remaining. Ji Hyo had ousted Gary, Haha, and Jae Suk herself, stalking Gary and Haha until they were alone and getting lucky when Jae Suk stumbled into her path at the right time. She didn’t know the details of Kwang Soo and Suk Jin’s ousting yet, but she had little doubt that Jong Kook had played some hand in it even with the restrictions that had been placed on him.

When the FD had told her that she could choose one member to be her accomplice, only one name had come to mind: Kim Jong Kook. Ji Hyo had wanted no one else. Perhaps if it had been Myuk or Taek PD who had been there when she was choosing, they would have persuaded her to pick someone else, like her Monday Boyfriend, but the FD had only dutifully handed her the phone with which to call Jong Kook.

She was glad no one had tried to talk her out of it—having Jong Kook as a partner gave her a comfort that none of the other members could have provided. Kwang Soo or Gary would have been nerve-wracking, and while Jae Suk and Haha probably could have done decent jobs of the role, they didn’t have the same calm air of reassurance that Jong Kook did. And Ji Hyo needed that reassurance right now.

When she first signed on to play the part of Eun Ko in Gyebaek, Ji Hyo had been excited. She loved doing Running Man and its popularity had given her many more opportunities that she wouldn’t have gotten otherwise, but acting was her real passion and Gyebaek gave her a chance to further herself as an actress. However, after a little over a month of filming, Ji Hyo was beginning to realize how difficult it was to do both Running Man and Gyebaek. The filming schedule for Gyebaek was demanding, and it was taking a toll on her body. She hadn’t had anything close to eight hours of sleep for two weeks now, and her muscles ached all the time. She wanted to put one-hundred-percent into Running Man today, but she found that she was forcing herself at times. Her body felt stretched and thin, and it was terrifying.

Ji Hyo entered one of the two-story houses and made her way up the narrow, wooden staircase to the second floor. She hoped that the building was high enough that she’d be able to locate the three guests and Jong Kook in the streets below. She knelt beside the wooden windows and peered out at the cobblestone road.

Joong Ki had left Running Man for a similar reason—he couldn’t further his career as an actor and do Running Man at the same time. His departure from the show had been devastating to both Ji Hyo and Kwang Soo. Not only because the three of them were good friends, but also because of what it meant for her and Kwang Soo’s futures. They were actors as well, and their careers were just as important to them as Running Man. Joong Ki had quit; they had not.

Ji Hyo bit the inside of her cheek. She didn’t want to leave. She loved Running Man too much to leave. And yet, her body betrayed her. She felt sapped of energy, and she didn’t know if she could keep the smiles and laughter throughout the usually twelve hour filming. She didn’t know if she could do it, if she could be an actress and still be a member of Running Man.

“I saw the thief!”

The sudden, booming voice from below made Ji Hyo jump. Her heart thundered in her chest as she peered out the window. Who had seen her? But then she caught sight of Jong Kook in his blue, cartoon hamburger shirt, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She could trust Jong Kook.

He and three guests were in the street below. They circled each other, guarding their backs carefully. The actor Kim Joo Hyuk stood a little behind Jong Kook, looking back and forth between the two female guests, while the actress Lee Yeon Hee had a tight grip on the nametag attached to her pink shirt, making things hard for anyone who wanted to tear it off. Kang Ji Young of the girl group Kara had her back to the building as she asked, “Who is it?”

“I really saw the thief.” Jong Kook took a couple steps towards Ji Young but stopped when she started to back away.

“Then, oppa, come here and tell me,” said Ji Young.

Jong Kook approached her slowly. “Really, Ji Young.”

They both disappeared from Ji Hyo’s sight underneath the roof of the house, but a few seconds later, she heard Jong Kook cry, “You need to believe me! Oppa is the most honest person here!”

Ji Hyo giggled into the sleeve of her beige shirt. Only she knew the truth of that statement. When she’d heard the rules of the accomplice, she’d been shocked—there have never been such restrictions before. But if any of the members could do it, it was Jong Kook.

“You need to believe me,” said Jong Kook. “I really saw the thief.” He emerged from under the building back into the street again and Ji Young followed him. They stood in front of a stone statue. Ji Young took a seat on the wooden fence, while Yeon Hee and Joo Hyuk stood side by side, facing Jong Kook.

“Who is it, oppa?” asked Yeon Hee. “Who’s the thief? Me?”

“The thief is Song Ji Hyo.”

Ji Hyo’s mouth dropped open. What was Jong Kook thinking? Yes, the rules of the accomplice dictated that he had to tell the truth all day, but that didn’t mean he had to tell everyone that she was the thief.

“Ah!” cried Yeon Hee. “You’ve been saying such strange things since a while ago.”

Ji Hyo blinked.

“I really saw Song Ji Hyo,” cried Jong Kook. “I really saw her. Why won’t you believe me that it’s Ji Hyo?”

That’s when the laughter started. Ji Hyo had to cover so that they couldn’t hear her in the street below. How was it possible? Jong Kook was telling them everything they needed to know to win, and they refused to believe him.

However, Ji Hyo’s laughter started to fade when she saw that Joo Hyuk and Yeon Hee had started to surround Jong Kook in the street below. Jong Kook took a step back and cried, “How come you don’t believe me? You fools!”

“Oppa,” shouted Yeon Hee, “from what I see, you’re making up stories.”

Joo Hyuk lifted his hands, and Jong Kook was forced to grab Joo Hyuk by the wrists to stop him from ripping off any nametags. Ji Young had started to cross the street, approaching Jong Kook. Ji Hyo bit her bottom lip. Her accomplice was in danger. Three people were about the gang up on him, and he wasn’t allowed to rip off nametags.

“Yah, Song Ji Hyo!” shouted Jong Kook. “Come out!”

Should she help him? Ji Hyo wasn’t certain if she could oust the last three people by herself, especially if they realized Jong Kook had been telling the truth, but to help Jong Kook now would reveal that he was the accomplice and might doom them anyways.

And then Ji Young grabbed Joo Hyuk’s nametag.

Ji Hyo’s heart was racing in her chest. Jong Kook kept a firm grasp on Joo Hyuk, twisting and turning so Joo Hyuk couldn’t escape Ji Young. Yeon Hee started to run towards them, but it was too late. Ji Young tore Joo Hyuk’s name from his back.

Jong Kook released Joo Hyuk immediately and ran, avoiding Yeon Hee’s reach. He caught her by the wrists and asked, “Ji Young? Is there anything? Nothing?”

Silently, Ji Hyo applauded Jong Kook’s acting. He would never be the star of a drama, but he was an amazing spy on Running Man.

Now that the danger had passed and the girls showed no signs of wanting to rip off Jong Kook’s nametag, Ji Hyo leaned against the wall of the house. Every muscle in her body ached, but she couldn’t give up now, not when she and Jong Kook were so close.

She glanced at her VJ who had kept the camera lens fixed on her throughout the whole scene. Because her appearance on the show today was meant to be a secret, her normal VJ, Sung Gyu, had been assigned to one of the guests. While she had nothing against this new VJ, she missed Sung Gyu. He understood that filming her drama exhausted her, and he would take a long time switching out the tapes so that Ji Hyo would have and extra few minutes to rest. This VJ knew nothing about her, and no matter how exhausted she was, Ji Hyo felt obliged to keep showing him her Ace image.

She took a deep breath and headed for the stairs.

Two people left. Just two more people. And then she could rest.

The idea of protecting his back with a tiny, hot pink paper umbrella was laughable, but unfortunately, Jong Kook had to keep up the deception that he was just afraid of Ji Hyo as the two guests, Yeon Hee and Ji Young. He’d left the two women in the market place, promising he’d return after searching for (or rather, meeting with) Ji Hyo and advising them to stick together (so it’d be easier to oust them in the end).

Jong Kook was impressed with how well he and Ji Hyo had done. He had never doubted their ability to win as the mission team, but he’d been skeptical if he could get through the whole game without being caught. He’d figured that surely someone would realize that Ji Hyo was there and deduce that the man who knew everything had to be her accomplice. But despite Jong Kook telling them everything, no one in the cast believed him. They’d continued to suspect each other, making it easy for Ji Hyo to eliminate them. And now, there were only two people left. He and Ji Hyo hadn’t even needed to meet up and discuss any plans. They’d both understood each other’s roles, and one by one they had chipped away at the cast and guests. Their level of teamwork surprised him sometimes.

Jong Kook had been told by one of the village actors that “the thieves’ leader” waited for him in the east side of the village. With two VJs and an PT following him, Jong Kook sped-walked through the streets, scanning for Ji Hyo. He had to find and talk to her quickly before the female guests started getting even more suspicious than they already were.

As he passed by a courtyard, Jong Kook peeked around the wall. Sure enough, underneath a small gazebo sat Ji Hyo surrounded by a VJ and an FD. She had changed outfits again, this time into a navy blue wrap with a brown and beige patterned right shoulder. The second she caught sight of Jong Kook, she stood up and bowed. “You’ve come, hyungnim.”

Jong Kook laughed. “You need to stop calling me that.”

“This is a business relationship, hyungnim,” Ji Hyo reminded him. She caught sight of the pink umbrella and asked, “Why are you pitifully using such a small umbrella?”

Instead of justifying that with an answer, Jong Kook spread his arms wide and pulled her into a hug. “You’ve done well.”

They patted each other on the backs and then separated. It was hard to hug in front of cameras, but Jong Kook hadn’t been able to help himself. He hadn’t seen Ji Hyo since they’d filed the Chuseok Special almost a week ago and she’d been slow to respond to texts since filming for Gyebaek was taking up so much of her time.

As he stepped back, Jong Kook noticed the shadows under her eyes and the lack of color in her face. “Did you sleep on the plane? You look tired.”

“I’m fine, oppa,” said Ji Hyo.

Jong Kook frowned. “You need to take care of yourself.”

“Oppa.”

There was note of warning in her tone, and Jong Kook stopped himself from asking any more questions. They were filming Running Man. The cast’s rule was that they avoided discussing physical problems as much as possible, and of all the members, Jong Kook should respect that rule the most, since he rarely talked about his back.

“That small umbrella with that hamburger shirt is ridiculous,” said Ji Hyo, not-so-subtly changing the subject.

Jong Kook glanced down at the cartoon hamburger on his shirt and fought back a sigh. “It’s a comfy shirt.”

“Maybe people will think the hamburger’s the accomplice instead of you.”

Jong Kook gave her an exasperated look, and she smiled sweetly in response. However, it was hard to ignore the exhaustion etched in her face. A part of Jong Kook wished he could rip off nametags today so that he could tell Ji Hyo to rest for the remainder of the game. Of course, she would never agree to that even if it was possible—she wanted to prove that she could be the Ace. He tried to forget how tired she looked, tried to treat her like just the Ace.

“You’ve done a good job, oppa,” said Ji Hyo. “It sounds like no one suspects you’re my accomplice.”

“No one believes me,” said Jong Kook. “I thought giving them the answers would cause them to trust me, but instead they think I’m lying and I’m the thief. It’s crazy.” He smiled. “You’ve been busy though. Did you get Jae Suk-hyung, Gary, and Dong Hoon?”

Ji Hyo nodded. “And what about you? I saw Ji Young rip off Joo Hyuk-sunbae’s nametag.”

“Dong Hoon thought Kwang Soo was suspicious,” said Jong Kook a little proudly. “All it took was a little encouragement from me, and he led the charge against Kwang Soo. Suk Jin was the one who ripped it off in the end though. And I told Suk Jin to act as bait to lure you out—I figured I’d lead him to you—but Joo Hyuk-hyung ripped off his nametag first.”

“It’s amazing what people will do with just a little encouragement.” Ji Hyo took a step back and then asked, “Oppa, what do we do next?”

“We’re almost done now,” said Jong Kook. “Don’t we have just two left? You know I don’t attack girls and I can’t rip off nametags, so it’s up to you.”

“Oppa, then you have to lure them.”

“Of course, I’ll lure them.”

“It’s all part of business, hyungnim.”

Jong Kook grimaced. All this “business relationship” and “hyungnim” talk was starting to get on his nerves. He wanted to end this quickly so she could rest, but he knew she wanted him to forget about how tired she was and focus on filming. Well, Jong Kook could play the “business relationship” game just as well as she could.

“To tell you the truth, I know you’ve been working hard and you came all the way here, so I’m helping you,” said Jong Kook. “But you have to understand how difficult my role has been today. I’ve had everyone suspecting me because I’ve had to tell the truth, but I also haven’t been able to rip off their nametags when they’re ganging up on me. I don’t think fifty-percent quite covers my efforts today.”

“Half and half,” said Ji Hyo bluntly.

“Let’s do six-four,” said Jong Kook.

Ji Hyo fought back a smile. Then she pointed to herself and asked, “Six for me?”

“Six for me, four for you,” explained Jong Kook.

“Ah, seriously, oppa…”

“This is how business works, Ji Hyo-sshi,” said Jong Kook. When it looked like she was going to disagree, he added, “If you insist on fifty-fifty, I can explain to our two guests that I’m the accomplice…”

“All right, oppa.” Ji Hyo extended her hand and they shook on it. “Then we just have the two girls left?”

He let go of her hand. He didn’t actually intend to take sixty-percent in the end, but if she wanted him to play along with the “business relationship” then he would.

She left the gazebo first, and he watched her go. He wondered if she knew how tired she looked, how much she needed a full night’s sleep. No one would question her dedication to the show, flying to Beijing when she has such a busy filming schedule, but still, her health was most important.

Jong Kook sighed and lifted the pink umbrella to cover his nametag again. The least he could do was make sure they won today.

“Yah, I didn’t think that Mong Ji Hyo would come here.” Even though the cameras were still rolling, Jae Suk smiled fondly at Ji Hyo when he said that. “I’ve found Ji Hyo has a lot of love for Running Man. Also, we have to congratulate Ji Hyo and our weasel Kim Jong Kook. Today, these two people are victorious. Congratulations!”

Ji Hyo tried to clap along with the rest of the cast and guests, but she was holding the money briefcase and had to clap by hitting one hand on the back of the other.

“This time,” continued Jae Suk, “for our recording in China, they were with us for two days, Joo Hyuk-sshi, Ji Young-sshi, and Yeon Hee-sshi. Thank you! We sincerely thank everyone who took care of us during the filming here in China. To the many people who supported us, thank you very much!”

Ji Hyo bowed with the rest of the cast. Throughout the closing segment of the show where she and Jong Kook had announced their win, the adrenaline had drained out of her and she could feel exhaustion settling into every muscle. She watched through half-closed eyes as Haha did the slate and the cameras were shut off for the day.

“I’m glad you made it, Mong Ji.”

Before Ji Hyo could really register what was happening, Jae Suk had pulled her into a quick hug, and then when he released her, Haha was next.

“You really surprised me,” said Haha as he stepped back. “When Jong Kook-hyung said you were here, I thought he was just making things up.”

Ji Hyo smiled. “No one believed Jong Kook-oppa.”

“Their loss,” said Jong Kook. He held out a hand for the money briefcase, and Ji Hyo was relieved to hand it over; it weighed like led in her arms.

“I recognized Ji Hyo right away,” said Gary proudly. “I was thinking Jong Kook-hyung might be right and then I saw a woman dressed in black wearing men’s formal socks. And I thought—what actress would be wearing men’s formal socks right now?”

All eyes turned to Ji Hyo, and she felt her face reddening in embarrassment. “What?” she asked. “Men’s formal socks are more comfortable.”

“It’s okay, Ji Hyo,” said Gary. “I’ll still be your Monday Boyfriend even if you wear ugly socks.”

“Gary missed his Monday Girlfriend,” said Jae Suk.

“That’s a lie,” said Kwang Soo. He turned to Ji Hyo. “The moment you were gone and he saw the female guests, he says, “Who’s Ji Hyo? I don’t know her?’”

Ji Hyo smiled. She expected nothing less of Gary.

Oh PT led the cast and guests to a waiting area outside the village. A bus would arrive shortly to pick them up and take them back to the hotel. Their flight out wasn’t until that evening so they had a few more hours in Beijing. Ji Hyo wanted to sightsee with the rest of the cast members, but her body ached and she knew she would spend those two hours sleeping.

Jae Suk, Gary, and Joo Hyuk were talking to some of the Running Man staff members about the places they’d visited in Beijing, while Ji Young and Yeon Hee stood together with their managers, discussing their upcoming schedules. A part of Ji Hyo felt like she should join them—after all, she was a woman as well—but her body wouldn’t move, and she wanted nothing more than to stay with her cast members. She stood between Haha and Kwang Soo, listening as Suk Jin complained about today’s race to slightly smug Jong Kook.

“They need to stop partnering the two of you,” said Suk Jin. “How many races have you two won together now?”

“We’ve only been partnered once before,” said Jong Kook. Ji Hyo nodded silently.

“Really?” asked Suk Jin. “It feels like more often than that. But they shouldn’t let you two pair up anymore. It’s not fair on the rest of us.”

Ji Hyo smiled and hoped the staff didn’t listen to Suk Jin. She loved being the best partner for Jong Kook. She loved working together with him. She loved that the other cast members were acknowledging how good of a team they were. From the very beginning, it had been easier to work with Jong Kook than anyone else, and as they had gotten to know each other, their coordination had gotten better and better.

“You must have got up early to make it here,” said Haha suddenly. Ji Hyo glanced to her right and saw Haha looking at her with concern. She wondered if she looked as tired as she felt.

“How’s Gyebaek shooting going?” asked Jong Kook. 

“Good,” said Ji Hyo. “I really like my character.”

She must have been swaying slightly, because Kwang Soo placed a hand on her elbow to hold her steady. She winced, knowing that the four members were watching her carefully.

“Look after yourself,” said Haha. “It’s not Running Man without you.”

Jong Kook nodded. “Yesterday felt lacking without you.” He opened his mouth to say something, hesitated, and then with a rueful smile said, “I missed you. We all did.”

“It’s amazing,” added Suk Jin, “that you can film Gyebak, fly out to Beijing for a day, and still beat all of us.”

“The Ace,” said Kwang Soo. “Noona’s definitely the Ace.”

The corners of Ji Hyo’s mouth curled up into a smile. There weren’t words to express how she felt. Not just to Jong Kook, who had finally said he missed her, but to all the members. They supported her, reassured her, made sure she always had a place on this show. She was overcome by a sudden feeling of shyness, and she had to look down. After over a year of filming together, they had become her family, and she couldn’t be more grateful to them.

A/N: I'm sure y'all can tell what's going to happen in the next chapter. I love this episode, but I spent most of this setting up what's going to happen. I'm really looking forward to writing that chapter, so I hope it turns out good.

Thank you for all your comments! Y'all are awesome!