Chapter Twenty-Five: The Return

Ji Hyo flipped mindlessly through apps on her smartphone as her managed pulled the van into the parking lot. The staff had already set up the cameras, preparing for the first Running Man filming of October, a two-day shoot that began in Chungcheong Province and then ended in Seoul.

It’d been two weeks since Ji Hyo’s collapse, and she was finally returning to Running Man. While she had talked to Jae Suk and Kwang Soo on the phone and received texts from Haha and Jong Kook, she hadn’t seen any of her cast mates since their visit to the hospital. There had been no shoot for Running Man last Monday. The director of Gyebaek had wanted Ji Hyo to film that day, to make up for the scenes she’d missed while she was in the hospital, but Baek Chang Joo had argued on her behalf. And so, Ji Hyo had gotten the day off, sleeping for fourteen hours and then catching up on Joong Ki’s drama with her sister. She could still feel the itch of exhaustion under her eyes, but it was nowhere close to how bad it had been.

As she got out of the van, Ji Hyo saw that Jae Suk, Gary, and Kwang Soo were already there, standing in a group in front of the cameras. As much as she wanted to run to them, Ji Hyo made sure to greet the PDs first, apologizing for any inconvenience she might have caused and thanking them for their patience. The PDs were all understanding and told her to take care of her health. Ji Hyo was tired of hearing that phrase. It wasn’t as though she had sacrificed her health on purpose—she’d just wanted to do her work properly.

After speaking to the PDs, Ji Hyo didn’t even wait to be fitted with a microphone before she rushed across the platform to greet the other members. Kwang Soo swept her into a hug immediately with a cry of “Noona!”

“I missed you too,” said Ji Hyo when Kwang Soo released her. She saw Jae Suk and Gary smiling at her from behind Kwang Soo.

“We’re glad you’re back,” said Jae Suk. “There was no one to keep us in line when Girls’ Generation was here.”

“And I missed my Monday Girlfriend.” Gary placed a hand over his heart.

“Don’t lie,” said Ji Hyo. “Did you have fun with Girls’ Generation?”

Gary grinned. “I was partnered with Jessica.”

“Don’t forget Yoona,” cried Jae Suk. “You two were partnered as well.”

“And Yoona,” said Gary quickly.

Ji Hyo smiled. Kwang Soo had called to fill her in on what she’d missed during filming. Apparently, Kwang Soo had been partnered with Yuri, and they had won the first race together. He’d been excited, speaking quickly through the phone, as he explained that Yuri had been his first love line. Ji Hyo had tried to feel happy for Kwang Soo, glad that he’d enjoyed it so much, but a part of Ji Hyo had been jealous, wishing that she’d been that enthusiastic about her own love line. She had instead dreaded every moment of being set up with Gary, begging Jae Suk and Suk Jin not to leave them alone.

“You can’t talk about other girls today, Gary,” Jae Suk was saying.

“I won’t,” said Gary.

“Why can’t you?” asked Ji Hyo.

Both Gary and Jae Suk feigned horror, while Kwang Soo gasped and asked, “Noona, you don’t know what day it is?”

Ji Hyo mutely shook her head.

“It’s Monday Couple’s first anniversary,” said Gary. He lowered his voice and added, “I didn’t know either. Myuk PD reminded me when I showed up this morning.”

Ji Hyo laughed. She knew Monday Couple was popular, but she was amazed anyone had the time to keep track of that. Already, Ji Hyo knew that the day’s filming would involve a Monday Couple date: Gary would enjoy it, since he loved his role as the Monday Boyfriend, while Ji Hyo would tolerate it, preferring to be with the rest of the Running Man cast.

“You’re back!” Suk Jin’s voice interrupted Ji Hyo’s thoughts, and when she looked up, she saw that Suk Jin was making his way through the crowd of staff to join the cast. He gave Ji Hyo a quick side hug, saying, “We missed you.”

“Sure you did, oppa,” muttered Ji Hyo.

“Just think of it this way,” said Jae Suk. “It took six Girls’ Generation members to fill your place.”

Smiling, Ji Hyo shook her head. She didn’t believe Jae Suk’s words—she’d seen the Running Man men fawn over female guests too often—but still, it was nice to hear she was appreciated.

“To be honest,” said Jae Suk, who perhaps had noticed Ji Hyo’s doubt, “there aren’t many women who could fill your place. It’s not easy, the role you’ve taken on for yourself.”

There was a genuineness in Jae Suk’s voice that made Ji Hyo pause. It warmed her heart to hear that the other members had missed her and appreciated the work she put into the show, but she also felt a little embarrassed and wished that they would go back to teasing her. She knew how to respond to that. She didn’t know how to respond to all this flattery.

Thankfully, Jong Kook and Haha arrived right then, bringing with them the sound technicians to fit the cast with microphones and providing for a convenient change in topic. After the hyungs had been fitted, Ji Hyo lifted her arms so that the staff member could fasten the black box to her waist.

Suk Jin was complaining to Jae Suk about the bad weather that had taken place over the last two weeks and how moody it was making his wife, while Haha and Gary were discussing a get together between their old friends that weekend. After the sound technician had left, Ji Hyo tuned into Jong Kook and Kwang Soo’s conversation. They were, it turned out, discussing workout routines. Apparently, Kwang Soo wanted to build up his stamina so he wouldn’t be so tired after filming for Running Man.

“We all collapse the day after filming,” said Jong Kook. “But staying fit helps prevent injuries.”

Ji Hyo nodded. She would never claim to be a workout maniac like Jong Kook, but she enjoyed going on bike rides and running on a treadmill. She hadn’t been able to exercise lately, because of her film schedule, and already her body was missing it.

“We should go to the gym together later this week,” Jong Kook was saying.

Kwang Soo gave Ji Hyo a miserable stare. “I think going to the gym with Jong Kook-hyung will be murder.”

Ji Hyo patted Kwang Soo’s shoulder. “I’ll write a nice eulogy for your funeral.”

“I’m not that bad,” said Jong Kook indignantly.

Both Ji Hyo and Kwang Soo gave him skeptical looks.

“Neither of you have gone to the gym with me before,” said Jong Kook. He pouted a little, and Ji Hyo felt her heart skip a beat. He looked adorable.

“Joong Ki went with you once,” said Kwang Soo. “All he told me was ‘never again’.”

“That’s because Joong Ki doesn’t already have a basic workout routine like you do for modeling,” said Jong Kook. “It was his first proper workout session in some time, and the first few back are always the hardest. Once you make it a regular part of your schedule, then working out becomes enjoyable.” 

“You also have to figure out what routine works best for you,” added Ji Hyo. “I went through a few different routines before I found one that I liked.”

“Well, it might not be the best routine for you if you’re ending up in hospital,” snapped Kwang Soo. Jong Kook punched Kwang Soo’s shoulder and gave him a sharp look. Kwang Soo winced but a moment later, he seemed to realize the fault in what he said. He glanced at Ji Hyo. “Sorry, noona.”

“I’m okay now,” said Ji Hyo. She spoke deliberately, choosing each word with care. After returning home from the hospital, she’d stayed awake at night, planning what she would say to the other Running Man members, how she would explain that she couldn’t do this alone, that she needed their help. Ji Hyo stared up at Jong Kook and Kwang Soo and said, as carefully as she could, “But I don’t know if I have enough energy to go one-hundred percent today. I want to do well, but when I’m doing a drama as well as Running Man, I don’t know if my body can keep up—”

“You’d better not be thinking of quitting.”

Haha’s voice startled Ji Hyo, and she jumped a little. Apparently, whatever conversations Suk Jin, Jae Suk, Gary, and Haha were having had come to an end, and they were now listening to Ji Hyo with rapt attention. Ji Hyo shifted uncomfortably under the gazes of her six cast mates.

“No.” Ji Hyo paused. “Well, I considered it.” She glanced at Kwang Soo, and he gave her an encouraging nod. “But I realized that I can’t. I want to keep doing Running Man with all of you. But sometimes I will get tired, and I might have to ask for help.”

“Of course,” said Jae Suk immediately. “Just tell us if you’re tired.”

“I told Ji Hyo-noona that we’d rip off her nametag so she could rest in jail,” said Kwang Soo.

“Yah, we don’t have to do that,” said Jae Suk. “But we’re a team. We should pick up when others are tired.”

“But we haven’t been doing that,” pointed out Haha. “Right now, we don’t even tell each other when we’re hurting.”

A still silence followed his words. Jae Suk seemed a little stunned, as if he hadn’t realized in the truth in Haha’s words until now. Suk Jin and Jong Kook both wore guilty expressions, while Kwang Soo was looking at Jong Kook with a slight frown. Even Gary was staring at the ground, his mouth set in a grim line.

Ji Hyo’s eyes met Haha’s. She nodded in agreement, and he said again, “We haven’t.”

Gary opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but right then, with almost perfect timing, Myuk PD called out, “We’re starting in five minutes.”

The silence was broken, and all of a sudden, the five other cast members had something they needed to do. Jong Kook needed to talk to his manager, Suk Jin needed to call his wife, Gary and Kwang Soo needed their makeup redone, and Jae Suk needed to discuss the opening segment with Cho PD. The members dispersed, leaving Ji Hyo and Haha standing together in front of the cameras.

The Running Man team had booked rooms at a hotel in Chungcheongnam for the night and even treated the cast and guests to dinner. The two guests, actor Kim Joo Hyuk and actress Kim Sun Ah, weren’t used to Running Man’s day-long filming and went to bed shortly after they finished eating. On the other hand, the seven cast members remained seated in a private room long after the meal had finished.

As the evening stretched into night, Ji Hyo had to fight back a yawn. Her eyes itching with sleep, she looked around the table. Jong Kook was still arguing with Kwang Soo and Suk Jin about what they should have done during filming to stop the mission team from winning, while Jae Suk and Haha discussed what was going to happen in the next episode of a drama they were both watching.

Since Ji Hyo had been separated from most of the members during filming that day, she couldn’t comment on the chasing team’s failure, and since she didn’t even know the title to the drama Jae Suk and Haha were discussing, she couldn’t join their conversation either. She turned to the only other silent member at the table and said, “Happy one year anniversary, Gary-oppa.”

Gary smiled. There were shadows under his eyes as well. “I can’t believe we’ve lasted a year.”

“I know.” Ji Hyo nodded. They had spent the day together, separated from the rest of the cast and playing Monday Couple. It had been surprisingly fun. Ji Hyo didn’t always like playing the Monday Girlfriend; however, this time, they’d joked about becoming the Monday-Tuesday Couple since the film schedule now took up two days, and they’d stopped at a gas station for steamed potatoes and coffee—both of which Ji Hyo loved. Then, after they’d played Monday Couple enough for the cameras, Gary had let her nap in the car without a word of protest.

“Sorry, oppa. I was probably boring company today,” said Ji Hyo.

“No.” Gary grinned. ‘Well, only half the time.”

Ji Hyo scrunched up her face, but before she could respond, Gary kept talking, “It’s like you and Dong Hoon said this morning—we need to look after each other, and we haven’t been.”

Ji Hyo blinked. She’d thought the subject had been passed over when Myuk PD had interrupted them that morning, but it seemed as though Gary had been thinking about it all day.

“I usually just talk to Dong Hoon about any issues,” said Gary. “But he and I aren’t always on the same team, and I can’t keep these things to myself just because Dong Hoon isn’t around.”

Jae Suk and Haha had broken off their conversation to listen to what Gary was saying. Haha was nodding along with Gary’s words.

“I’ve been having problems with my neck and back,” admitted Gary. “Sometimes, it’s just hard to turn my head, and sometimes, it’s a stabbing feeling. I’ve been trying to ignore it, but there are times where I’ve had to rely on painkillers to get through filming.”

Ji Hyo opened but found no words. She had no idea Gary was going through so much pain. She thought about all the times they’d been partnered together; the moments when he’d had to grit his teeth or had trouble doing something that should’ve been easy started to make sense to her now.

“Have you gone to the doctors?” asked Jong Kook. He, Suk Jin, and Kwang Soo had stopped talking and listened with focused expressions on their faces.

“No,” said Gary. “I was hoping the feeling would just go away.”

“It might be a spine problem,” said Jong Kook. “I have issues with mine—it’s been crooked since my Turbo days—but issues with the spine don’t just affect your back. They affect your neck and you nerves and your arms and legs.” He glanced at Ji Hyo as if reluctant to say anything in front of her, but then after a pause, he said, “I’ve had mornings where I’ve woken up and it hurts to move my neck and there’s no feeling in my hand.”

Ji Hyo could feel her eyes starting to water a little. She tried to imagine what it would be like to wake up and not feel her hand. It was strange, shocking even, to realize that Jong Kook and Gary had been going through so much and she hadn’t even known. Well, she’d known that Jong Kook’s back caused him pain, but she hadn’t realized the extent of it. And Gary… Ji Hyo had been teamed up with him more than anyone else and yet she’d had no idea that he’d been having back problems. Ji Hyo was disappointed in herself; she should have noticed and done something to make filming easier for him, not let him suffer in silence.

“How do you manage to rip our nametags off when you can’t feel your hand?” asked Suk Jin suddenly.

Jong Kook wasn’t looking at anyone in particular when he said, “You just have to fight through it.”

Some silent exchange happened between Jong Kook and Suk Jin. Their eyes met, and then Suk Jin, almost guiltily, looked away. Ji Hyo knew those two had gone through their share of conflicts, and she realized that perhaps it was just as shocking to Suk Jin to learn what Jong Kook was going through as it was to Ji Hyo.

“What about you, Jae Suk-hyung?” asked Jong Kook, who seemed desperate to change the subject.

It worked. Ji Hyo had no idea that Jae Suk, the Nation’s MC, suffered from any kind of injury. She turned in her seat to look at him. Jae Suk frowned slightly. For a second, Ji Hyo thought he wasn’t going to say anything, but then Jae Suk said, “I injured my ankle back during Family Outing, actually. I did physical therapy back then, and for the most part it’s okay now, but the injury still jumps up on me sometimes.”

“I have swollen joints in my knees,” added Suk Jin, “so I’m not very good at running.”

“We have to look after one another,” said Haha. “We say that we do, but in reality, we try to pretend that our pain doesn’t exist. We can’t all be one-hundred-percent all the time. Even when we betray each other, we’re a team.”

Jong Kook smiled at his dongsaeng. “We’ll try to be better from now on.”

Ji Hyo’s heart warmed as she looked around at the rest of the members. They were all so important to her. She’d had many jobs before, working on dramas and working on variety, but she’d never felt such a connection to a cast as she did to the other Running Man members. Over the past year, they had become her family, and she wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Just as she was thinking that, Ji Hyo’s cellphone vibrated with an incoming text. She checked it and saw the words “CEO Baek Chang Joo” on the screen. Ji Hyo quickly hide the phone underneath the table, hoping none of the other members had seen the name. Thankfully, they were too busy sharing their aches and pains to notice.

Slowly, using the table as cover, Ji Hyo opened the text: “How was filming today? If you’re awake and reading this, it means that you’re not making sure to get enough sleep. Look after yourself and go to bed soon.”

Ever since she’d gotten out of the hospital Baek Chang Joo had been messaging her, asking how she was feeling, asking if she was getting enough sleep, asking about her day… He was definitely interested in her, and Ji Hyo wasn’t certain how to respond. She’d talked about Baek Chang Joo’s attention with her friend Se Yeo, and Se Yeo had recommended taking him up on one date at least—Ji Hyo should have some fun while she was still young, hot, and single.

But, of course, there was something stopping Ji Hyo. That something was sitting on the other side of the table, laughing at some joke Suk Jin had made about getting old. His eyes were crescents as he looked across the table at her. When their eyes met, Jong Kook’s smile widened, and Ji Hyo found herself grinning back at him. Her head dizzy and her heart pounding, Ji Hyo placed the phone in her pocket, the text unanswered. She wasn’t ready to let go of whatever this might be just yet.

Suddenly, Kwang Soo caught sight of someone behind Ji Hyo. For a second, disbelief flashed across Kwang Soo’s face, followed by joy. Ji Hyo twisted around in her seat and saw who was standing in the hotel lobby with his manager and some of the Running Man staff—it was Song Joong Ki.

“Joong Ki?” cried Kwang Soo as he rose from his seat and hurried out of the restaurant. “What are you doing here?”

Ji Hyo was up and out of her chair shortly after Kwang Soo, and the rest of the members weren’t far behind.

She couldn’t believe that Joong Ki was in Chungcheongdam by coincidence. That was too much. However, she didn’t question it too much right then—she was just happy to see Joong Ki. It’d been over two months since they’d last met up with each other, since they’d both been busy with work, and even though they messaged each other regularly, it wasn’t the same as meeting in person. 

As Ji Hyo stepped into the lobby, Kwang Soo had his arms around Joong Ki in a tight hug. It looked as through Kwang Soo’s arms might have been smothering Joong Ki, but they were both just so happy to see each other that neither one of them cared.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were staying at this hotel?” asked Kwang Soo.

“You all are supposed to be in bed,” said Joong Ki when his friend released him. When he caught sight of Ji Hyo, a wide smile spread across Joong Ki’s face and he hugged her. “It’s good to see you, noona. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“Good to see you too,” said Ji Hyo. She stepped back and let the rest of the cast members take turns greeting Joong Ki.

“Are you filming here?” asked Jae Suk. “What drama are you shooting?”

“Good of you to stop by,” said Gary.

“Why are we supposed to be in bed?” asked Jong Kook suspiciously.

“I heard you got yourself a girlfriend,” said Haha with a mischievous grin.

“He has a girlfriend?” asked Suk Jin, who somehow was always the last to know.

Joong Ki blushed a little, and Ji Hyo couldn’t help but smile at him. She’d heard about Joong Ki’s pretty girlfriend from Kwang Soo a few weeks ago, and she’d been happy to hear things were going well. Joong Ki needed a good woman in his life.

“You should bring her by sometime,” said Jae Suk. “We need to make sure she’s worthy of our Joong Ki.”

“Ji Hyo can intimidate her,” said Haha. “She can be the scary unnie.”

“I’m not scary,” said Ji Hyo, which of course caused all the men to laugh.

They chatted for a few more minutes. The cast members telling Joong Ki what had happened during the day’s filming, Cho PD joked about how ugly the cast had gotten since Joong Ki left, and Joong Ki gave hints about his new girlfriend. The group was all smiles and all laughter, just happy that the eight of them were together again. But as much as Ji Hyo wanted everything to go back to those times when there were just the eight of them, she knew that something was different. She could feel it. There was a clear line between the current cast members and Joong Ki. The cast had gone through things since Joong Ki had left, and while Joong Ki would always be a part of the Running Man family, he was no longer one of the members.

Something bumped into Ji Hyo’s shoulder, and when she looked up, she saw Jong Kook standing over her. In a low voice, he whispered, “Don’t cry.”

“I’m not,” said Ji Hyo, even though she could feel her eyes started to water. Ever so slightly, she leaned against Jong Kook’s shoulder. He glanced down at her with a smile before turning back to the group and making some comment about Joong Ki’s improved acting skills.

Tears welled up in the corners of Ji Hyo’s eyes as Joong Ki talked about his new drama and the friends he’d made on set. She didn’t know why that made her so sad; people leaving and moving on was part of life, and it wasn’t as if she was no longer friends with Joong Ki just because he wasn’t part of the Running Man cast anymore. But still, she wished that they could turn back time, back to the days when she, Kwang Soo, and Joong Ki would get dinner together and spend hours talking about their lives.

However, as she leaned against Jong Kook’s strong arm, she realized that if Joong Ki had remained a part of Running Man, she might not have grown as close to Jong Kook and Haha as she was now. She’d only joined their post-filming dinners because she’d felt lonely without Joong Ki. But she’d made friends with them, and they’d become incredibly important to her. She wouldn’t trade them for anything. Joong Ki had moved on, and perhaps so had Ji Hyo.

“You haven’t told us what you’re doing here, Joong Ki,” Kwang Soo was saying.

Joong Ki glanced at his manager and at Cho PD with a reluctant smile. Cho PD shrugged and said, a little irritably, “It was supposed to be a surprise. We were trying to sneak Joong Ki past the restaurant without you noticing.”

 “You need to work on your stealth skills,” said Haha with a laugh.

“So why are you here?” asked Ji Hyo.

Joong Ki turned to her, but he paused as if he had just noticed that Ji Hyo was leaning against Jong Kook’s arm. Suddenly self-conscious, Ji Hyo straightened up. She regretted it a second later—she hadn’t been doing anything wrong. Jong Kook was her friend. She was allowed to lean on her friend when she needed support.

After a second, Joong Ki seemed to recover from his surprise. He grinned at the members and said, “Haven’t you realized? I’m a guest for tomorrow’s filming.”

The cast members talked to Joong Ki and Cho PD a little longer. Cho PD explained that Kim Joo Hyuk had to leave tonight due to scheduling conflicts, and they’d gotten Joong Ki to replace him on the show. Apparently, the cast members were supposed to be surprised by Joong Ki’s appearance during the morning mission, but unfortunately, the cast had decided to stay up late and they hadn’t been able to sneak Joong Ki into his room.

Jong Kook didn’t care if the surprise had been spoiled; he was just happy to see Joong Ki after so long. The two of them occasionally exchanged messages and would sometimes eat dinner together when Kwang Soo invited them both, but Jong Kook and Joong Ki never went out of their way to meet up individually, and it was good to see his dongsaeng on the Running Man set again.

Kwang Soo and Ji Hyo were obviously thrilled, unable to leave Joong Ki’s side in the elevator and on the floor. It was only when Cho PD reminded them that they had filming early the next morning that Ji Hyo and Kwang Soo bid farewell to their friend.

It was just past midnight when Jong Kook collapsed on his bed. Much-needed sleep came almost instantly, and all too soon he was being woken by the sound of a staff member’s footsteps and a blast of sudden sunlight. He opened one eye. Jae Suk was standing by the windows, while Gary was laughing. There were several cameras pointed at Jong Kook, a smug Ki Jin behind one of them. Jong Kook rolled over and pulled the duvet over his head.

He still had in earbuds from the night before when he’d fallen asleep listening to music. The playlist was done, and through the earbuds, Jong Kook could hear the voices of Jae Suk and Gary telling him to wake up so they could do the morning mission. Jong Kook groaned; he’d forgotten all about the morning mission.

There were cameras focused on him, and all Jong Kook think about was his puffy face and his messy hair. As Jae Suk dragged him into an upright position, Jong Kook ran his hands through his hair, trying to fix it.

“Your hair’s fine,” said Jae Suk.

“Ji Hyo?” called out Gary.

Jong Kook looked up and, for the first time, saw that Ji Hyo was in the room. With ruffled black hair and a bright yellow jacket, she stepped through the crowd of staff members, carrying Jong Kook’s toothbrush with some white paste on it. Jong Kook didn’t have the energy to question why she had his toothbrush. Instead, he simply watched as she approached the bed. Ji Hyo looked tired, with purple shadows under her eyes, and Jong Kook felt annoyed on her behalf that she had to be woken up early for this stupid morning mission.

Jong Kook reached for his toothbrush, figuring it was part of the mission, but Ji Hyo raised the brush out of his reach.

“You can’t brush your own teeth,” explained Jae Suk.

Too tired to be bothered by the idea of Ji Hyo brushing his teeth, Jong Kook obediently opened his mouth and let her start scrubbing. She placed one arm on his shoulders and leaned forward, very intent on her task. Her dark hair tickled Jong Kook’s face and neck, but he remained still, letting her brush without interruption.

“Hyung is the cleanest now,” whined Gary.

Jae Suk laughed, while Gary complained about being scrubbed for dead skin. Jong Kook had no idea what Gary’s connection to dead skin was, but Jong Kook should probably be thankful that he was having his teeth brush by Ji Hyo; he could only imagine the horror if Jae Suk or Kwang Soo had been the one given this task.

“If you’re brushing Jong Kook-hyung’s teeth, you have to be very forceful,” said Gary.

Ji Hyo placed her hand on the back of Jong Kook’s neck to help with the scrubbing, and Jong Kook had to focus on the bristles of the toothbrush against his gums so that he wouldn’t think of the tingling feeling on his skin where her fingers touched him.

This had to be the strangest experience Jong Kook had ever had with brushing his teeth. His teeth and gums hurt, but he was too tired and too stunned to tell Ji Hyo that.

“Okay, done,” said Jae Suk.

“Done.” Ji Hyo let go of Jong Kook and stepped back, leaving the toothbrush in his mouth.

“If only I’d had that,” said Gary. “Having your teeth brushed seems so nice.”

Ki Jin zoomed in the camera on Jong Kook sitting there with a toothbrush still dangling from his mouth. Jong Kook made sure to glare at his VJ, but the toothbrush must have brought down his intimidation factor because Ki Jin only laughed.

It turned out that the morning mission was to wake the members and then the guests up one by one, each person doing a task for the next. Jae Suk had scrubbed dead skin off Gary’s elbow, Gary has washed Ji Hyo’s feet, and Ji Hyo had brushed Jong Kook’s teeth. Jong Kook, it turned out, had to wash Haha’s hair. Jae Suk had joked that poor Haha would be terrified to be woken by the Commander, but Jong Kook and Haha had known each other for so long that when Jong Kook dragged Haha to the bathroom for cleaning, Haha only mildly protested.

Around that time, Jong Kook had woken up properly and was starting to enjoy the mission. He and Ji Hyo laughed together at each torturous task, and she followed him into each room in case one of the sleeping men was inappropriately dressed.

Next, Haha cleaned Suk Jin’s hands, and Suk Jin washed Kwang Soo’s back—a task that had required far too much screaming for the early morning. Then, Kwang Soo had put the guest Kim Sun Ah’s hair in pigtails. Sun Ah had gone into the last bedroom expecting to wash the face of Kim Joo Hyuk, and when she realized that it was flower boy Song Joong Ki, she let out a yelp of surprise. The rest of the Running Man cast pretended to be shocked. Jong Kook didn’t think their acting was particularly convincing.

 “I’m glad he decided to visit us,” said Jong Kook.

Ji Hyo smiled up at him. “Even if he’s not a member anymore, he’s still in our hearts.”

They were walking down to breakfast, the two of them walking a little behind the others. The cameras were on them, so Jong Kook had to watch what he said. He didn’t expect the staff to put any scandals in the episode, but he also wouldn’t past them to put some personal information for their own amusement.

“At least someone was surprised this morning by Joong Ki’s appearance,” said Jong Kook with a nod at the guest.

Ji Hyo laughed. “We ruined everything by staying up too late.”

“We had a lot to talk about,” said Jong Kook. He hesitated. As he’d been getting ready for bed last night, he’d recalled the injuries each member had talked about it. Now, he wanted to tell Ji Hyo about how glad he was that the members had agreed to rely on each other more, and he wanted to thank her, because they would probably never have had that conversation without her. But he couldn’t find all the words to explain how grateful he was, so he settled for, “I’m glad you’re back.”

She smiled at him. “I am too.”

The cameras at least left them alone when they went to the breakfast buffet. Kwang Soo and Joong Ki stole Ji Hyo’s attention for a minute, and Jong Kook wandered over to the fruit section of the buffet.

“Hyung,” called out Joong Ki when Jong Kook finished dishing some melon slices onto his plate. “You still eat so healthy?”

“He’s worse than ever,” said Ji Hyo with a laugh. “We tried to force him to eat ramen as a punishment once during dinner, and he swore he’d beat us up if we ever tried that again.”

Kwang Soo shuddered. “I still have nightmares about that.”

“I wouldn’t really beat you up,” said Jong Kook, but when he saw the evil glint in Kwang Soo and Ji Hyo’s eyes, he quickly added, “I’d find a far worse punishment.”

“You don’t know how to joke around, hyung,” complained Kwang Soo.

“I bet if Ji Hyo-noona was playing the joke, Jong Kook-hyung wouldn’t get so mad,” said Joong Ki.

Jong Kook paused at that strange statement. He had no idea what Joong Ki was getting at. Yes, Jong Kook probably wouldn’t get as mad at Ji Hyo if she played a joke on him as he would if the culprit was Kwang Soo or Haha, but that was because Ji Hyo was the only female member. She was different.

“Jong Kook-hyung doesn’t treat Ji Hyo-noona like he does any other woman,” said Kwang Soo, who didn’t seem to find anything that strange with Joong Ki’s words. “She’s the Ace, you know. She can beat us all up if she wants.”

Laughing, Jong Kook nodded. Perhaps Joong Ki had been away from Running Man too long. As much as the members acted as though Joong Ki was still one of them, he wasn’t. There was at times a stiffness to their conversation, where sometimes everyone would have to pause and catch Joong Ki up on a joke that he didn’t get because he hadn’t been there. Perhaps Joong Ki had missed the changes in the cast dynamics or perhaps he’d forgotten how threatening Ji Hyo could be when she wanted to.

After the four of them entered the dining room that had been set up for the Running Man cast and crew, Jong Kook took the seat nearest to the door, setting his plate down in front of him. Ji Hyo took the seat on his left, and after a moment’s hesitation, Joong Ki took the seat on his right. It was a good breakfast with lots of laughing at Jong Kook’s picky food choices, joking about Sun Ah being motherly to the members, and catching up on Joong Ki’s life since they last saw him. Kwang Soo jokingly pretended to be Joong Ki’s rival, and Ji Hyo stole a piece of mango off Jong Kook’s plate. He complained that she should get her own, and then she gave him some of her unhealthy fried eggs, which of course only made Jong Kook complain more.

Throughout the meal, Jong Kook was aware of Joong Ki sending him and Ji Hyo curious glances. Jong Kook didn’t understand what the big deal was—none of the other members found his interactions with Ji Hyo odd. 

After everyone finished eating, the PDs explained the day’s race and split the cast into teams. Joong Ki was partnered with Kwang Soo and Ji Hyo, as expected, while Jong Kook and Haha were placed with Sun Ah, which was somewhat surprising, as it wasn’t often that Jae Suk wasn’t teamed with a guest.

As they headed to the restrooms to get changed into their team uniforms, Joong Ki lagged behind the rest of the cast and pulled Jong Kook with him. Haha sent them both curious glances, but Jong Kook could only shrug. He didn’t know what was so important that Joong Ki wanted to talk in private.

“Hyung and Ji Hyo-noona have gotten a lot closer since I left,” said Joong Ki. He tried to sound nonchalant, but there was a strangeness to his tone.

He didn’t understand why his friendship with Ji Hyo was so important to Joong Ki. Yes, the two of them had gotten closer. But why was that such a big deal? Wasn’t it only natural that they would after working together for over a year? In the end, Jong Kook simply said, “Yes, we have.”

“What happened to your ‘never a coworker’ policy, hyung?” asked Joong Ki with a wry smile.

“What?” Jong Kook might have said that a bit too loudly, since Haha and Gary both looked over their shoulders curiously. Jong Kook shook his head, and Haha pulled Gary back into conversation. Jong Kook glanced over at Joong Ki. “What are you talking about?”

“You and Ji Hyo-noona,” said Joong Ki. “You told me never to date a coworker, but really, you just wanted Ji Hyo-noona to yourself.” He laughed at Jong Kook’s horrified expression. “I’m joking. I know you wouldn’t do that, hyung.”

Jong Kook had no idea what to say. He wasn’t interested in Ji Hyo like that. They were coworkers, partners, friends—there was no romance between them and there never would be. When Jong Kook had told Joong Ki that it was bad idea to date a coworker, Jong Kook had meant it. He wasn’t interested in Ji Hyo like that. But, of course, there was a nagging voice in the back of his mind, which sounded suspiciously like a smug Jae Suk, that reminded him of all the times he’d checked Ji Hyo out, of all the times his heart had beat a little faster around her—Jong Kook silenced that voice. Ji Hyo was beautiful and had a great personality, what man wouldn’t react like that to her from time to time?

“You’re reading too much into things,” said Jong Kook finally. He placed a hand on Joong Ki’s shoulder and gave his dongsaeng a playful shake. “You’ve been away far too long.”

As Jong Kook removed his hand, Joong Ki stared at his hyung as if he was trying to tell if Jong Kook was lying or not. In the end, Joong Ki shrugged. “You’re probably right.”

“Besides,” said Jong Kook, “why are you worried about Ji Hyo? All your attention should be on your girlfriend.”

“It is,” said Joong Ki with a smile. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t look after my idiot noona and idiot hyung.”

“Yah, don’t call your elders idiots,” cried Jong Kook.

Joong Ki laughed, and soon Jong Kook joined in. They got a few curious glances from the other cast members, but everyone left them alone. Finally, when the laughter had subsided, Jong Kook grinned and said, “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

Joong Ki looked up at the Running Man members walking in front of them, and Jong Kook followed his gaze. Haha and Gary were chatting with the guest, Sun Ah, while Jae Suk and Suk Jin were bickering over something. Kwang Soo was rambling about his tragic love life to Ji Hyo, who looked amused more than anything else. As if sensing Jong Kook’s gaze, Ji Hyo glanced over her shoulder and smiled first at him and then Joong Ki. The two men, of course, couldn’t help but return the smile.

“We’re all glad you’re here,” said Jong Kook. “Even if you’re no longer part of the cast, you’re still part of Running Man.”

Joong Ki nodded. “Thank you, hyung.”