The filming keep going without Jong-kook and it start after an hour, after the members calm themselves and give up on contacting Jong-kook or Gap-jin. Both of them are unreachable. As an emcee of the show, Jae-suk told the audience that Jong-kook won’t appear for temporary time because his sudden clash schedule. Of course they create their own story about Jong-kook and didn’t tell about Jong-kook withdraw from Running Man. It will cause a huge mess for this show, the production team, and even the members as well if they told the real reason of Jong-kook’s absence.

During shooting, the members would laugh, tease, and bicker at each other like always, but their mind only thinking one person, Kim Jong-kook. When they finished filming, their face a bit brighter because they have been waiting for this time. They will go to Jong-kook’s apartment right after the shooting ended but only Jae-suk, Kwang-soo and Ji-hyo who could go there.

When they arrive right in front of Jong-kook’s door, they press the bell and even knocked the door numerous times. Because there’s no answer from inside, so Jae-suk trying to input the passcode but Kwang-soo hold his wrist.

“Hyung, we can’t just barge in like this.”

“Yah! This is emergency! What if he’s sick and couldn’t move??” Jae-suk push Kwang-soo’s hand from him.

He then trying to input the password but always get wrong.

“I think I forgot the password………”

“Aishhh jinjja! Why did you said that you know his passcode then?” Complained Ji-hyo.

“Did I??? When did I said that??”

While Ji-hyo and Jae-suk bickering, Kwang-soo call Haha and put it on speaker which makes Ji-hyo and Jae-suk look to Kwang-soo in sync. Before they asked, Kwang-soo take initiative to explain first.

“I call Haha hyung, he must be known Jong-kook hyung’s passcode.”

Just then, Haha pick up the call. “Wae Kwang-soo ah?”

“Hyung, do you know Jong-kook hyung’s house passcode?”

“Oh? Jong-kook hyung isn’t at home?”

“We don’t know about that yet, but we did knocked and there’s no answer from inside. It can be Jong-kook hyung fall asleep inside but it can be he isn’t inside too…..”

“Ah….okay. But, didn’t Jae-suk hyung know his passcode?”

“Ani, this old man forgot, hyung.” Kwang-soo said which makes him receive a glare from Jae-suk.

“I don’t know whether he still use this passcode because the last time I input that passcode is about years ago, but he used to use this numbers for everything that need a passcode.”

“So his passcode is…..?”

“1988, try that.”

Jae-suk quickly input the passcode and there’s a green beeping light, the sign that the passcode been approved.

“Oh hyung it’s work! Thank you so much!”

“Ne, don’t forget to inform us if you found him.”

“Arasoo! Gomawo hyung!” Kwang-soo cut the line and get in to Jog-kook’s unit with Jae-suk.

Meanwhile Ji-hyo, she just staring at the opened door blankly. She has been like that since Haha tell them those numbers. 1988……..that’s not a random number, especially for her. That’s a year where she met Jong-kook for the first time. And what did Haha just said? He use this number to everything that needs a passcode?? There are million possibilities to create those 4 digits number, but why he choose that number? Haha also said Jong-kook been used this number since years ago? So all this time, even before she met him through Family Outing, he still remember her? And even after she’s been avoiding him, said harsh thing to him, and push him away, he still didn’t change his passcode? Why….?

Ji-hyo still thinking about Jong-kook and there are lots of ‘why’ in her mind when suddenly Kwang-soo flick his fingers right in front of her eyes.

“Noona, gwenchana? Why aren’t you come in?”

“Oh…” She back to her sense. “I’m okay…. Let’s go.”

Ji-hyo and Kwang-soo come in together and they immediately go to Jong-kook’s room but Jong-kook is nowhere to be found.

Jae-suk opened Jong-kook’s wardrobe to check whether Jong-kook’s cloths still there. “I think he is travelling somewhere.”

“Mwuh??” Kwang-soo quickly goes to Jae-suk.

“His cloths are still here but what’s inside here isn’t as much as the last time I opened this wardrobe. Besides, he used to put his suitcase at the corner of this room but it’s gone too.”

Ji-hyo can’t hide her sadness and choose to not speak. Her eyes then wandering around the clean and well organized room. There’s his work desk at the corner of the room. She hope she can find any clue on that desk about where he is traveled to. There are some papers but they are just his work related paper. There’s a photo frame too on that table but it’s upside down. She took it and shocked to find that it’s their childhood photo. The same one as she has from the box that her mother gave to her.

Her eyes starts getting wet. Even after she hurt him by saying hurtful words, he still put this photo on his work desk, he is not even change his passcode. While he keep their childhood memories in his heart, all she did is throw away the thought of cruel boy who broke his promise from her heart. As much as she want to cry, but she just can’t. She realize that it’s her fault that he left. She lost him. She lost her neighbor oppa.

It’s been a week since Jong-kook disappear. Both Jong-kook and Gap-jin can’t be reach and makes Running Man family more worried about him. Just right after they finished filming today’s episode, Haha got a call from unknown number.

“Yoboseyo.”

“Haha hyung, it’s me Gap-jin.”

“Kim Gap-jin????” Haha shout out loud which automatically makes the members who stand near him look after him in curious. Haha quickly turn it into speaker once the members gather around him.

“Yah Gap-jin ah where are you? Where’s Jong-kook hyung?? He is okay, right???”

“Hyung mianhae to only contact you just now. Yes, Jong-kook hyung is fine. Actually, we are in New York right now.”

“New York?? Wae??”

“Jong-kook’s father is sick hyung, and we can say that it’s quite bad. Jong-myung hyung suggest to bring him to US for speedy recovery since he has many friends in here who he can rely to take care of his father. So, here we are at US. But we are here not just to accompany Jong-kook hyung’s father, but Jong-kook hyung also has work to do in here.”

“Is that so? But why he has to say that he withdraw from Running Man?”

“Because he doesn’t know when he will come back. It can take more than a month and not attend filming for a month is like missing more than 5 episodes and missing from more than 5 episodes in a row is like take a leave slowly from the show. Viewers might think like that too.”

“This hyung really only have big muscle but with short mind jinjja!” Haha start feeling frustrated.

“Gap-jin oppa.” Ji-hyo take a turn to speak at him.

“Oh Ji-hyo ah….”

“Is Jong-kook oppa stay beside you and tell you anything that you’ve just said before?”

“…… Ani, he is not here.” He lie. Of course Jong-kook beside him. He heard all of their conversation silently.

“Then please tell him this. We refuse his leave from Running Man because this show won’t be the same anymore if there’s not him. If he still care about this show, he better considered again his decision. But if he really want to leave this show, he better talk to us and the PD face to face.” Ji-hyo said firmly. Soon after she said that, she receive thumbs up from the members.

“Arasso Ji-hyo ah, I will tell him about that.”

“Ne, gomawo oppa. Please take care of him and abeonim as well.”

Ever since Jong-kook left, Ji-hyo doesn’t have any spirit in doing her job, especially Running Man. But still, she act professionally despite how sad she is. The thought of not being able to see his face ever again start scaring her. If the past few weeks she always push him away from her, now she regret it. Even though it’s torturing her for seen his face once a week because she has to buried and hide her feeling towards him, but she should admit that seeing him it’s like a vitamin to do well.

A week passed after Gap-jin told her a news about Jong-kook whereabouts. Lately, she’s pretty often meet Jang-hyuk. Well, that’s because both of them currently don’t have any movie or drama to shoot. It’s like almost every day they meet. Somehow, Hyuk’s presence can distract her from her thought about Jong-kook.

Ji-hyo just done drying her hair when she hear a bell from entrance door. When she sees the monitor, all she can see is a picture of food. She’s confused. Whoever the guest, he/she must be place this picture right in front of camera.

“Nuguseyo?” She asked.

“Jjampong or Jjajangmyeon?”

She recognize the voice right away and that’s makes her smile. “Choose one of my favorite then. If you’re right, I will open this door, but if you wrong then I won’t open the door.” She giggling alone.

“Then if I’m wrong I will just barge in.”

“Barge in? Well do you know the passcode?”

“Hahahaha I know everything about you, Seong-im ah.”

“Being so confident huh, Yong-joon oppa?”

“Let me guess. A simple minded girl like you must be choose a simple numbers too like 0000 or 1234 or maybe…….. your birthday?”

“Yah!! That’s not how to play! Just guess it oppa!”

“Hahahaha you sounds piss off, then one of my guess must be right. Hm okay, you are my childhood friend, my best friend, how come I don’t know that you love to eat jjampong.”

Right after Hyuk said that, a beeping sound can be heard and followed by a green light on the door knob. The door is opened and a wide grin formed on his face.

“Told you I know everything about you!” He said as he entered Ji-hyo’s house.

Ji-hyo welcomed him by grab a plastic from his grip. “Gomawo oppa, you know me so well that I’m hungry at this hour.”

Hyuk only look at her in disbelieve. “Woah Song Ji-hyo you……. You’re happier to see the food isn’t it than meeting me?”

“Well, I’m hungry oppa, of course I’m excited and can’t wait to fill up my empty stomach.” She grin playfully while turn her body to walk to dining table. “Come oppa, let’s eat together.”

Hyuk obeyed her and sit across her. They start to open their food and Ji-hyo smell the jjampong scent in pleasure.

“Woahh seems delicious, thanks again oppa!”

“Anything for you, Ji-hyo ah.” He smile at her excitement to meet her favorite food.

“Oh oppa, what do you want for drink?” Ji-hyo already stand up to prepare their drink.

“Yah, I can have a drink by myself. All this time you even ordered me to grab my drink by myself when I come here. Why you being so kind offering me a drink all of sudden?”

“Because you came with my favorite food in the right time.” She said while put a glass of water for him.

“Yah! What’s this? I haven’t said what I want to drink and you simply give me a water???”

“I ran out of coffee and soju so this is all I can offer to you hehe…” She grin sheepishly.

“If I’m Kim Jong-kook, then I’ll be happy with just this plain water.” He mumbling while put a noodle inside his mouth, doesn’t realize that Ji-hyo frozen once he mention that name.

Ji-hyo eat her food too and swallow it before asking him a question. “So oppa, do you have any news from Jong-kook oppa?”

“Not yet. The last time we keep in touch is a week ago. He said his whereabouts and he want me to take care of you.” He said while munching his food.

“Take care of me??”

“Yeah, you know, you have a chronic stomach ulcher and he want me to watch you to not overly drinking coffee or soju. Even it’s better if you aren’t touch those drinks.”

“Why…?”

Hyuk look at Ji-hyo. “What do you mean by why? For a stubborn like you, of cour