Title: Caring For You

Author: Sa_Ligercouple

Disclaimer: I have no association with RM or its crew. The plotline is solely mine.

Pairing: Spartace – Song Ji Hyo/Kim Jong Kook

Rating: PG-13

Summary:  A follow up with Spartace in Shanghai, China for the Asia Smile Cup 2016.

Caring For You

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years. – Audrey Hepburn

*

Jong Kook leaned on the leather seat behind him with an inward grimace. Worried eyes followed his injured right knee that he’d tumbled on while playing in Shanghai, China for the Asia Smile Cup 2016. Jong Kook never imagine he would find himself in such a dilemma. He’d seen soccer players constantly fall on TV when he was in the mood to watch sports on his days off - which were rare with his newest album just having launched and award ceremonies lined up, he had little time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life even. Drowsiness loomed over him as e tried to keep his small eyes opened, but the fatigue and the throbbing pain on his knee did little to detain the dark cloud of sleepiness that took over him. He sighted softly, eyes closed, as he turned his head to the source of warmth next to him, a slender hand brushed away the strands of hair covering his eyes. Opening his eyes sleepily Jong Kook was met with hesitate dark big eyes, her question gaze had him thinking how lucky he was to have her by his side. Even if it was in matters like this, Jong Kook felt cared for, unlike the commander image he portrayed usually on Running Man, for the first time he let his guard down. Just this once. Just to have her next to him. Not that he was seeking her pity. Far from it.

One thing Jong Kook has learned over the years of knowing Song Ji Hyo was that she was a very nurturing person by nature. The warmth she carried around her while helping out others, and giving out food to the production team when extended hours of filming were prolonged, was something he secretly admired about her. Not many actresses cared enough about others displeasures like Song Ji Hyo did. Jong Kook clearly remembered with detail the times she’s given him water bottles, and towels during water games. He didn’t have to ask for it before a moist-covered water-bottle - just gotten out of the cooler - was shoved under his nose for him to take. Oh he clearly remembered thinking how cute she looked with her bulging cheeks sticking out full with water as she drank hers and watched him, waiting to take the water-bottle in front of him.

“Oppa, are you okay…?" she quietly asked as she turned to look around her, the other members had fallen asleep on their way back to the hotel where they were going to spend the night. In the morning they had to film the Shanghai episode for Running Man before taking off to South Korean.

Jong Kook reassured her with a somewhat-tight smile, his dimples making their appearances known as he stared at her. Pain or not, Jong Kook deep down felt happy to have her by his side. “Yah, when is oppa a chicken and not take things like a man…mhmmm?” he questioned as he raised an eyebrow at her, folding his arms on his broad chest as he leaned backwards. Not wanting to be seen like a weakling in front of her, though, it didn’t take a genius to know his current battle of wills with his injury and male pride.

Ji Hyo’s eyes widen before they narrowed on him, looking at his bandaged knee to his questioning gaze once again. “Hmmph. I suppose you are right oppa, but it doesn’t hurt to let others help you out for a bit either. If you need anything oppa, let me know.”

Jong Kook gave her another reassured smile as he unfolded his arms. He took her slender right hand in his bigger hand and patted her. The soft reassured squeeze that followed afterwards had Ji Hyo semi blushing. She cleared as she nodded her head, a mong look on her face.

Jong Kook found her reaction amusing and revealing. He didn’t want to dwell on that particular look that had gone through her face seconds when he had patted her slender hand. He didn’t want to contemplate and start with what ‘ifs’ only to end up in the same place once again; without her. And in front of others? He wasn’t too keen on having multiple eyes set on him – them. He knew oh too well how a certain impala and pororo had betted on them based on ‘get together and wedding in less than six months’, or so the conversation went on the other side of the door that one time he had caught them having that particular conversation while searching for them to rip their nametags off.

“Now let oppa sleep, yeah?”

Ji Hyo’s devilish look didn’t go unnoticed to by him before she said, “Wae oppa, old age is catching to you…”

Jong Kook chuckled, for a moment forgetting about his pain as he was getting teased by Running Man’s only female and their Ace.

“Yah, are you calling me an old man Ji Hyo ah?” he jokingly restored back, giving her the image she had insulted him. Though Ji Hyo saw through his ploy as she continued teasing him, ignoring the warning bells on her head. When she was around him nothing else mattered to her. Not even if she was to get caught by the production team or the rest of the members.

Ji Hyo leaned backwards, relaxing as she contemplated his answer. “You are saying it oppa, not me… You are calling yourself an… ajusshi…” She closed her eyes, relaxing as she taunted him with her words, holding back her laughter as she heard him huffing in an annoyed manner. Ji Hyo opened her when she felt something warm fanning her face.

Small eyes clashed with hers, his warm breath fanning her face as he leaned towards her, trying to intimidate her with his bigger build. One of his hands held the seat in front of him while the other held himself from falling forward with his weight. “Ajusshi… who are you calling an ajusshi?”

Ji Hyo inwardly passed her suddenly thicken saliva, she’d imagined many times having him this close – they have before, with their failed ice stick challenge coming to her mind fervently, she shook her head off those thoughts for the time being, and truly why would she think about them when the person who usually gives her those thoughts was in front of her in a very tempting manner?

“Yah oppa, are you trying to convince me you aren’t one?” She innocently restored back, not giving into his ploy. She could almost see the wheels turning on his head a semi pout appeared on his small lips.

“Of course I am a man…” the way he said had Ji Hyo clearing once again and looking next to the seat beside her where Suk Jin was happily snoring away hugging the pillow between his hands.

“I’m sure you are one oppa, we can all see it…” she lingered on the last part as she lowered her gaze feeling herself get flustered once again as she admitted to it. She heard him tsk beneath his breath as he made himself comfortable again on his seat. She heard him grunt again as his knee made contact with the seat in front of him.

“Damn small spaces,” he darkly muttered, rubbing the spot.

Ji Hyo’s hand made its way to his bandaged knee, trying to sooth away the pain. Not knowing the owner of the knee had his fixed eyes set on her bent head as she continued rubbed softly the aching area that took over his hand.

Jong Kook mentally counted to ten on his mind as he dropped his scrutiny on Ji Hyo’s silky hair unware of the picture she presented herself before him. Jong Kook cursed his erted mind and blamed it on his years without being with someone the way he was imagining Ji Hyo on his mind.

Like you haven’t imagined her the way before, a little voice on his head mocked with glee.

“Yah, you babo, you need to be careful with your leg or it will never heal the proper way,” she scolded him softly.

Jong Kook found her vocabulary amusing to say the least. “First an old man and now a stupid one. Yah, aren’t you being too much?” he mockingly abolished with a raised eyebrow. He was used to her forward words and manners. In some ways Ji Hyo reminded Jong Kook of himself. From sharing a loveline with different partners in the past, present for Ji Hyo, to both being smart and pigheaded when things didn’t go their way. Jong Kook didn’t want to think in what other ways she’d be able to match him physically wise.

Physically wise? He snorted inwardly, more like ually wise. Jong Kook once again cursed his betraying mind if anyone would have noticed their battering they’d imagine something else completely. To avoid such a dilemma Jong Kook laid back on his seat and closed his eyes, putting an end to their conversation on his thoughts. He thought of Jae Suk and Suk Jin wearing tutus and ballerina slippers dancing to the rhythm of Bach doing pirouettes and wearing tights.

Now THAT’S a way of getting rid of Ji Hyo’s imagine from his mind, he sarcastically mocked, stifling a laugh at the picture that South Korea’s national emcee Jae Suk and Running Man’s Race Starter Suk Jin presented themselves on his mind.

Ji Hyo felt somewhat hurt for his lack of response. She was perchance being too much like he had said and had offended him? She knew it took more than that to offend Running Man’s Tiger, after all it wasn’t the first time she’s called him ajusshi. They both played around with each other after five years of no formality between them Ji Hyo imagined for the first she’d said more than she should and had put her foot in .

Aishhh, yah, Ji Hyo you want to die? She thought scolding herself as bit her bottom lip and composed herself and told herself she wasn’t sulking as she noticed his face facing the window beside him completely ignoring her.

Ji Hyo followed behind Suk Ji as she got off the bus that was dropping them off on the hotel they were staying for the night. Fans stood beside the sliding doors leading to the hotel’s entrance as did security guards for their protection. She waved at them timidly with a half-smile feeling herself get self-conscious hearing them scream her name. Despite the fact that she was an actress she didn’t like the spotlight. She didn’t like the attention given to her. It was common knowledge when filming Running Man that she preferred all the attention given to someone else and not herself. Just like she’d forsaken girly things, she’d clearly forsaken being an attention-seeker.

Pushing past the threshold of the glass doors, Ji Hyo waited for Jong Kook to get off the bus. Suk Jin and Jae Suk had already made their way to the lobby accompanied by the production of Running Man and PDs. She heard and saw the fans cheering his name and snapping pictures as he made his way past the sliding doors.

She felt her hands gets sweaty as their eyes momentarily made contact before he made his way to her and unceremoniously placed his hand over her shoulder as she slid her hand on his trimmed waist his cologne had her inhaling his smell, she leaned her head toward him as they made their way to the lobby where everyone was waiting for them and for the rest of the members to get off the bus. No one bat an eye at their closeness since it wasn’t something new they’d seen. Apart from all the members, and even Kang Gary included with Ji Hyo, Jong Kook and Ji Hyo shared a closeness no could deny there was chemistry and attraction between the two – even if the two didn’t react to it, others could clearly see it when they were in each other’s presence.

Jong Kook pulled Ji Hyo closer to his side when the fans inside the hotel got near them again asking him to autograph their copy of his new released album. He let go of Ji Hyo as he signed a few and took selcas with the younger girls who Ji Hyo thought they got too closer to Jong Kook in her opinion. She could feel the green eyed monster crawling to be let out and show her jealously. Yet Ji Hyo knew Jong Kook didn’t appreciate tantrums or having his personal life get exploited by the media. She felt herself stiffen as she noticed other fans filming them with their phones, she took a step back to put some distance between, intending to make her way to the others.  Before she even turned she found herself once again tucked between his muscular arm and body, his fingers digging softly on her slender shoulder. “Stay by me,” he whispered on her ear for a second, his warm breath causing a shiver to travel down her spine.

Ji Hyo managed a small grin in return as another fan got closer to them, a phone on her hand, excitingly waving at them from her spot where she was stopped from advancing any closer to them by a bodyguard.

“Oppa, are you ok?” she looked up at him to see him look at her for a second to once again direct his look on the fans.

Jong Kook nodded at her as he continued waving at fans, pushing past them to lead them to the whole where the production team was waiting for them as they made their way to their lobby, which had been restricted for anyone else to enter other than Running Man members and the production team.

“Eyyy, isn’t it too much having the whole wing to ourselves?” Kwang Soo questioned as he continued walking ahead of them, questioning the hotel’s arrangements regarding their sleeping quarters. Gary led the group with a phone on his ear talking to someone on the other line, ignorant of the rest of the members while he kept on walking with his manager next to him. The members were too far away from them to hear and comment. Any other day the rest of the members would have , or make up fake accusations of seeing someone behind Ji Hyo’s back, which would earned them all a glare from her and an awkward look from Gary.

Jae Suk answered with a, “True, it seems like it, but if we think about it, would you be able to sleep contentedly knowing you could be getting watched by fans Prince of Asia?” he teased the lanky girin, who had an surprised look on his face, staring at him with his mouth agape.

“Andwae!” He jokingly restored, covering his chest as if those fans were going to do more than just take a peek at him.

Suk Jin rolled his eyes as he got near his reserved room, “You give yourself too much credit,” he derisively enunciated, pausing momentarily to yawn. Omo, he was exhausted. Old age was making itself known.

“Eyyy, what’s that supposed to mean?” Kwang Soo asked back, semi sulking for the lack of confidence he suddenly felt with Suk Jin’s comment.

“They won’t be able to reach you since you are too tall,” HaHa added, standing next to Jae Suk, who was staring at the rather too close figures of Jong Kook and Ji Hyo who were the last ones of the bunch and the last ones walking. They could see Jong Kook limping a bit, but side-hugging? These two… Giving the status quo no one said anything had it been any other day without the obvious incident, Jae Suk would have been more than suspicious along with everyone else.

“Yah,” Kwang Soo snapped, walking towards the shorter man, who backed away from him, laughing, “and you are too short,” he childishly, and pathetically, replied back without convention pointing a finger a HaHa.

“Shorter is better than being a giraffe,” HaHa enunciated through his laughter, not caring in the slightest that he was called short. It was a true fact he was the shortest of the members, Ji Hyo being the second shortest, why feel upset when he was taller than his wife? And she liked him the way he was. “Besides, Byul likes my height,” he said, his words somewhat sounding like the player HaHa he was before get got married and became a father.

“Yah, yah, yah, none of that, I want to keep my ears intact without having to imagine you in anyway other than your pororo image,” Jae Suk half joked.

“Aigoo, clearly everyone is mentally deprived after getting hit by soccer balls, “Suk Jin commented drily.

“You especially,” Jae Suk pointed out without missing a beat.

“Mwo rah goo? Yah, aish, you and your jokes, no respect for your elders,” Impala reprimanded, already knowing he was going to get nailed by another witty remark.

“When the younger one thinks clearly than the older one than, yes, it’s best to act as the older one while the other one follows behind on his heels,” Jae Suk’s comment was met with laughter from anyone who was listening to them.

“Aigoo, cleary the green grass has gotten attached to your antennas preventing you from thinking rationally.”

“Someone’s being ornery, lack of sleep ajusshi?” Jae Suk couldn’t help but joke again.

“Lack of sleep? my -- ”  The words were cut off by the door shutting on Jae Suk’s face who just laughed at his older friend’s remark, knowing too well in the morning they were going to tease each other again, as usual.

“Goodnight everyone,” Kwang Soo said, closing his door. HaHa ended up being the room next to Kwang Soo, and he, too, with a nod entered his room, giving his hyung – Jong Kook and Ji Hyo one last look, who were just nearing them. Gary waved at everyone and entered his own room for the night, closing the door silently behind him, the phone still on his ear, and a wide grin on his face. Someone looked too happy?

Jae Suk’s expression didn’t give anything away when he turned to the last two who were looking rather tired and beat like the rest.

“Are you okay Jong Kook?” he asked, looking at the younger man with amused eyes.

Jong Kook silently weighted his words before answering him, “I’m fine hyung just a sprain, nothing to worry about.” Letting his arm drop from Ji Hyo’s shoulder, who wasn’t even paying attention to both men, but on his knee. Jong Kook felt the heat crawl up his neck to his face, those dark eyes of Jae Suk told him everything he needed to know. The nod of approval wasn’t lost to him. Deep down he felt a weight lift off his shoulders knowing some was on his side. It wasn’t just that but the fact that Jae Suk saw Ji Hyo as a little sister, and anyone who messes around with her would have to deal with Jae Suk. He may be a timid man when it comes to fighting someone who’s stronger than him, but he did ha