The second location is a restaurant. It seemed like the second mission involved food. Both teams are free to order whatever they wanted to eat. As veteran, Running Man team knew that something must be going on, yet it didn’t stop them to order lots of food. They didn’t have resistance toward meat. Both team ended up order a lot. Right after they finished order, PD told them the actual mission. Every dish already labeled with steps. As a group, they need to dance more of the accumulate steps according to what they ordered. Listened to the mission grew a sour look on each member at Running Man team, while the athletic team could only laugh at the ridiculousness situation.

When calculated, Running Man team should dance up to 1.600 steps while athletic team should dance up to 1.800 steps. The time limit was five minutes. In five minutes, each person for both teams will take turn to dance. When the song stopped, everybody must stop dancing and referee will counted the steps they made on the step count. It’s not really an easy task. Jaesuk shook his hips vigorously and Kwangsoo jerked all his body but it still hard to take turn and danced for more than 200 steps each. Both teams failed at the first try. After a strong negotiation with the PDs, driven by strive for eat, they managed to get the time extended to six minutes. Running Man team was the first one to complete the mission, so they considered a winner for this round.

Right when one of the team won, they all took off the step counter and got ready for eat. Meanwhile the guest team still tried to success to be able to eat. Jongkook sat next to Jaesuk and Jihyo took place next to him. They were side by side for countless times, but it still send spark down to his spine whenever she was right beside him. The sounds of meat sizzling and grunted were heard here and there. Everyone praised the juiciness of the meat and nonstop eating.

The same goes for her. She’s happy with the good food she’ll eat. Jihyo’s waiting for the meat to cook with mouth watered. She’s impatient to taste some. Next to her, Jongkook flipped all the meat on the grill with his chopstick for them all to eat. Jihyo helped him to flip the meat, let the other side cooked. She also ate some of other food while waiting for the meat to cook. Every time Jongkook moved, Jihyo could smell his scent. She was familiar with the scent of his cologne. The scent is refreshing and pleasant. Among all the men in the Running Man, Jihyo fond of his scent the most.

Not only his cologne, Jihyo could also smell something that she can’t pinpoint. The scent also felt familiar, yet she forgot what scent is that. That scent, along with his cologne creating a weird combination, but felt comfortable.  It felt like Jongkook. Jihyo looked at Jongkook with puzzled look, tried to distinguish the smell. Once her gaze landed on him, Jongkook lifted his gaze to meet her.

“Why?” he asked.

“Nothing, oppa,” she replied, took the meat and put it on her plate. “I just think I want to eat a lot.”

Jongkook smiled. “Of course, eat a lot,” he said while flipped another piece of meat.

On Jihyo’s other side, Haha took a piece of meat as well. “Whoa. It’s really amazing,” he said after chewed the meat.

Jihyo put some of the meat on Jongkook’s plate. “You eat a lot too, oppa.”

The afternoon ended quickly. After they all finished eating, each teams got a card that told them the location of the last mission. It was in the business building. Both team got into their car and drove to the last location. Jaesuk drove the car, next to him on the passenger seat was Sukjin. In the middle two-seat was Haha and Gary. Jongkook, Jihyo, and Kwangsoo sat in the back. According to the GPS, they will drive for one hour to get to the location. Jihyo got herself comfortable by rested her head on the head rest and craned her legs. Her leg bumped onto Jongkook’s knee who sat in American position.

He averted his eyes from his phone screen to glance at Jihyo, and then he lifted down his leg so she could stretch her legs comfortably. Jongkook turned his attention back to his phone, replied to the message his manager sent. After several minutes, Jongkook locked his phone and looked to the road outside. It’s evening already. In front, the rest members started to open up conversations. From time to time Kwangsoo joined in, but Jongkook didn’t. He just listened to them quietly. Sometimes he chuckled along with them. Jihyo is quiet too.

“Jihyo nunna is sleeping again,” Kwangsoo commented.

Jongkook turned to see her. Her eyes were closed and her face relaxed. She drifted off to deep slumber already. Her head dangled to uncertain direction with the car bumpy. Jongkook scooted closer to her and rested his hand on his own thigh. It made his arm pinned hers, kept her in place wherever the car got bumpy. Jaesuk looked at Jihyo through the rearview mirror just in time to see Jongkook’s move. He watched a little longer when Jongkook stared at her for a while before turned his attention elsewhere.

“She really sleep well anywhere.”

They arrived sooner than expected. When the car turned to enter the building area, Jongkook lightly tapped Jihyo’s hand few times to wake her up. Jihyo shifted and opened her eyes. “Nunna, we arrive,” Kwangsoo informed.

Jaesuk stopped the car and they all get down. The athletic team arrived at the same time and both teams entered the building. Inside, they went into separate room in the different floor. All running Man team entered the empty room where the PD and camera waited for them. There are long table and seven chairs for them to seat. In the middle of the table was a flat screen TV. The PD asked them to take a seat. They all took a seat and saw the TV screen was separated into nine sections. Each section showed a record different area of the building.

“These are CCTVs of the building?”

“Why you show us these?”

“What do you want us to do?”

Questions came like rain. All wondered what the last mission could be. The PD raised his hand to stop members for talking. When everyone was quiet, PD explained the rule for the last mission. “The last mission is relay name tag elimination. Each team will send their member out to face off in the name tag ripping battle. You could send maximum of two person and you have five chances to send out your member.”

“Relay?”

“What do you mean five chances?”

“Isn’t that mean four of us will perform a two group and the rest three will enter solely?”

“Right,” the PD answered. “You can discuss who will be paired up then each member will draw a number that determine when you will enter the game. When the member of your team gets eliminated, the next in order could enter the game right away.  Team with the last member stayed in the game will be the winner of the entire competition. We prepare the TV so you could watch the match from here.”

“We can do this, we can,” Kwangsoo said while clapping his hand.

“We’ve doing this for six years, we had experience.”

“Let’s win this,” Jaesuk and Jongkook said simultaneously.

 “Let’s determine who will go in couple.”

Haha, the best strategist amongst them, suggested. “Hyung, let’s put Kwangsoo and Sukjin hyung in one team, and Jihyo with Gary hyung in another team. Within us, they got an excellent team work.”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Jaesuk considered. “I actually agree with that.”

“Jongkook and Jihyo as a team are good too,” Sukjin suggested.

“No, we can’t afford to lose our aces at the same time,” Haha countered. “It’s risky.”

Jaesuk nodded and looked around. “What do you think?” he asked.

Jongkook replied this time. “Put Gary and Jihyo in a team. They both have a great team work. I will enter alone so I could focus on attack.”

Jihyo nodded. “I’m with Gary oppa is fine.”

“Okay, it’s all set. Let’s draw the number.”

It turned out that the easy brother are the first one to enter, the second will be Monday couple, followed by the sole commander, Kim Jongkook in third. Haha is the fourth, and lastly is Jaesuk. Athletic team also finished in chose their number. Soon the PD announced the first player from each team to get out. All Running Man members cheered each other and patted Kwangsoo and Sukjin on the back to support them. Sukjin and Kwangsoo did their famous pil-chok-cross before went out of the room.

When they entered the game outside, the rest member sat on their seat while nervously watched the CCTVs. Jongkook sat on the seat in the very corner. He took off his jacket and slump it at the empty chair next to him.

“Hyungnim, you’re not going to wear your jacket?” Gary asked after observed him for a while.

Gary’s question led the rest to look up on Jongkook. “Yeah,” he replied. “They could catch my jacket and pinned my hand with it.”

“You’re not cold?” Haha added.

“It’ll get hot later on.”

His simple answer actually shows his confident and determination that sent shiver down to all the members. “At times like this, I’m really glad me and Jongkook are on the same team,” Jaesuk blurted that agreed by Haha and earned a hearty laugh from Jihyo. The laughter brought Jongkook to smile.

“He’s so cool when he said that,” Gary commented.

“Oh, they found her. It’s Nari, the first person is Nari,” Jihyo suddenly blurted. They all focused on the screen how Kwangsoo eliminated Nari’s name tag after a good deal of running.

When the PD informed through the speaker that Nari ousted, Running Man team cheered. Their cheered didn’t last long since the second player of the athletic team launched an ambush attack on Kwangsoo that wandered carelessly. He eliminated Kwangsoo and soon Sukjin joined him. Sukjin is not match for a well-build and fit young man. Jaesuk sighed when they heard the announcement for the second player of Running Man team to enter the game. Both Gary and Jihyo stood.

“Fighting, fighting,” Haha cheered for them. Jaesuk gave Jihyo a pat on the back.

“Oppa, we’re going,” Jihyo said to no particular person but her eyes drifted to Jongkook who haven’t said a single word.

Jongkook nodded to her. “Be careful,” he said. In his heart, Jongkook truly hoped Jihyo didn’t encounter Taeho. It’s unreasonable but since Taeho determined to win and declared he won’t see Jihyo as a woman, Jongkook had this feeling. It’s an odd feeling that Jongkook can’t name. It’s subtle and smooth but it kept taunting him. Jongkook can’t ceased his worry ever since. He watched as the couple went out. Gary will protect her well, even better than Jongkook. Gary has a reason to protect Jihyo, even if he needs to sacrifice himself. People will see it as an act of Monday boyfriend. If Jongkook did that, there will be too many questions as if why didn’t he sacrifice Jihyo and concentrate on winning? Little did people know that the so called game could be pretty real.

“Gary and Jihyo should oust him,” Jaesuk said, mentioned the second player of athletic team.

“It’s okay hyung, Gary is good, and you can’t look down on Jihyo,” he said to reassure Jaesuk and himself.

Gary and Jihyo proved that their worried is not necessary. They worked really well to eliminate the second and third player of the athletic team. Jihyo indeed is a good support for her partner. She defended both of them well so Gary could focus on attack. Jihyo also quick to react, she could easily turn from defense to offense. She even could do both at the same time with ease. Jongkook watched as Jihyo and Gary high five when they successfully removed the second player from the game.

However Jongkook petrified when he watched the third player of the athletic team came out. “Oh, it’s Taeho and Sui!” Jaesuk announced.

“They’re strong,” Haha commented.

The commander didn’t utter any word. He watched closely as both pair tried to find each other. Soon after, they met each other. Both pairs took a step back to create enough space between them. Jihyo stood next to Gary, watched her opponent carefully. She knew both Sui and Taeho were strong. She can’t outnumber them in strength, but she can beat them in speed and agility.

All of sudden, Sui charged forward, right on to face Gary. Gary caught Sui’s hands and the battle of strength began. Jihyo naturally skidded over to place her hand on Gary’s name tag, prevented Sui to remove it. Then Taeho charged forward on her. It made Jihyo lost her grip on Gary and took Taeho in one on one battle.

“Ya, ya, ya, Jihyo takes on Taeho,” Jaesuk spoke, felt nervous as well adrenaline rush.

Jihyo shrieked while avoided Taeho’s grip and unconsciously Jongkook clenched his fists while watching. Gary stole a glance at Jihyo then he removed Sui’s hand by threw him on the side. Sui tripped and almost fell. Gary took the opportunity to run to Jihyo, that forcefully made Taeho took a step back. Sui found his balance again and ran to support Taeho that attacked by both Gary and Jihyo. Sui once again fought head on with Gary. Both finally managed to hold each other’s name tag in a fist. They pulled at the same time and got ousted together. Jihyo gaped when she saw both were eliminated. Taeho also stopped to watch as both of them got up from the floor, tattered and breathe uneven.

In the waiting room, Jaesuk and Haha also shouted in regret when they saw Gary got ousted. They watched as the security dragged Gary and Sui to jail.

“Kang Gary what should I do if you get ousted,” Jihyo spoke more to herself.

While being dragged, Gary shouted for her to be careful and cheered for her. Jihyo sighed and started to take step back and position herself to face off with Kim Taeho. Like a predator, Taeho walked slowly to close the gap between them. Jihyo turned to her right. She knew if Taeho pushed her against the wall, she won’t be able to fight him. From her six years of experience plays name tag elimination with the commander Jongkook, she knew she will be defeated once the opponent as strong as Taeho grabbed her hands or clothes. It’s a good thing she followed Jongkook’s example and left her jacket in the meeting room. She only wore a double T-shirt which hard to grab at.

 She glued her eyes to Taeho’s hands and feet, watched closely to his movement. Taeho charged forward and clutched on Jihyo’s tee. The woman wringed out of his grasped by took a sharp turn to the left. Taeho moved forward once again and Jihyo jumped back at the same speed that caused her to stumble. She lost one of her shoes in the process but she couldn’t care less. Not even once Jihyo tore her eyes away from Taeho’s hands and feet.  The audience in waiting room let out sounds of excitement as they watch the nerve racking battle between Jihyo and Taeho. Opposite from them, Jongkook was shut. He watched with both hands clasped tightly in front of his mouth.

Taeho attacked Jihyo once again. This time both of his hand gripped Jihyo’s wrists tightly while one of his legs hooked on Jihyo’s and tripped her. The ace of Running Man fell down on the floor quite hard. Jihyo bewildered by the sudden strong impact she received. She never tasted anything like that. She ever fight on with stronger and bulkier men like Jongkook and even the fighter Choo Sunghoon, but none of the both men attacked her as strong as Taeho. Oddly, at the situation Jihyo was really conscious of the fact that Jongkook never really unleashed his full strength on her, no matter how many times them face to face before. Not even when Jongkook determined to win. 

Jihyo grunted in pain when Taeho forcefully pulled her slightly up by her wrist so he could slip his hand below. She tried to break free from the grip which only made Taeho’s grip tighter like a clasped iron. He quickly placed his hand on Jihyo’s name tag and pulled it off. He then rolled over from Jihyo, breathe uneven. The ace can’t move her body, for her mind hadn’t fully registered what’s going on. Now when the adrenaline rushed off her body, she could felt the ache on the several place of her body. The announcement of her name got ousted was the trigger for her to sit.

“Yah, how come you trip my leg like that?” she scolded Taeho, suddenly angry. “Is it fun to do that to a woman?” Really, if there’s no camera around, she probably swore at him.

Taeho also got up and stood. He tossed Jihyo’s name tag to the ground and let out a little laugh. “I’m sorry Jihyo-ssi, but our team should win.”

Heard his answer just fueled Jihyo’s anger. She stood up abruptly and looked straight to Taeho. “We’ll see,” she said.

“Please her to jail quickly so the other player could enter,” Taeho mocked, told the security.

Jihyo walked out without spare another look to the currently winning man. She walked off to the direction the security told her to. She didn’t allow the security to hold her arm and dragged her out, like the usual on Running Man. She was too furious to allow anybody touched her.

In the Running Man team waiting room, the three had mixed reaction. “Whoa, Taeho hyung is merciless even to woman,” Haha commented.

“He moved so fast. He exactly looks like a beast,” Jaesuk spoke in disbelief by the scene that unfolded in front of his eyes while ago. On the other hand, he was proud of Jihyo to fight off with that man fearlessly. “Jihyo must be angry, being tripped like that,” he added. Then Jaesuk talked to the PD and staff that stayed in the room. “How could you let that happen? There should be rule to fight against woman.”

Ignored the ruckus, Jongkook bended down to fasten his shoe lace and got ready to get out. He gulped down water before stood and walked to the door. PD change the subject by mentioned that it’s time for Jongkook to make his enter. Upon hearing the announcement, Jaesuk and Haha stopped protest. Jongkook opened the door and glanced back to the entire PDs and staff. “Don’t you think it’s too much to attack a woman like that?” he condemned, as cold as ice and left the room.

Jongkook didn’t need to protest out loud like Jaesuk and Haha did to make the room completely silence after his departure. Even Jaesuk and Haha can’t help but feeling sorry for no reason. PD also felt bad. “We didn’t expect Kim Taeho-ssi to go this far,” PD stated distressed.

“I don’t think he blamed anybody but I never saw Jongkook as disturbed as a while ago,” Jaesuk voiced out. His commented earned nod from staff and the PDs.

“Jaesuk hyung, I think among us all, Jongkook hyung is the only one that treats Jihyo as a woman the most. He always a gentleman, so I think this affected him a lot,” Haha said. They, together with staff all watched the CCTV in nervousness.

Meanwhile on his way out, Jongkook met Jihyo that on her way to the jail. He captured trace of what she did earlier. Jihyo’s tee was disarray, especially in the neck part. Her hair was in a mess, though she covered it with hat, and she went on limping, since she only wore one shoe. When Jihyo tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, Jongkook could see the faint red mark on her wrist where Taeho gripped her. The scene lidded a fire within him. His rage crawled on the pit of his stomach.

“Where is your shoe?” Jongkook asked her with a total opposite of the cold tone he used earlier. He asked her gently.

Followed Jongkook’s gaze, Jihyo stared at her own foot. “I left them earlier oppa. I’m too angry to pick it up.”

Both Jihyo and Jongkook kept walking, shortened the gap between them. “Next time you meet him, kick him hard,” he suggested.

Jihyo grinned. Hearing that actually lifted her mood, suddenly she didn’t that angry anymore. “I don’t think I want to meet him ever again for now,” she declined. Now they were face to face. Both stopped walking to look at each other in the eyes. “You should be careful, oppa. They are strong.”

The commander walked closer and patted her hat. “I know,” he said. “You’ve done well.” Then Jongkook released her and walked passed to enter his battlefield.

She shoved the hat away from her view and turned to see Jongkook’s back for the last time before continue her trip. In the jail, she was welcomed by both teams that already ousted.

“Nunna,” Kwangsoo cheered for her. He stood from his chair so Jihyo could sit.

“Song Jihyo, you really impressive,” praised Sukjin. Gary offered her some water.

“I’m out almost immediately after you’re out,” Jihyo told Gary. But still, every single person in the room watched her movement before and praised her to pull of that move.

“It’s Jongkook hyung versus Taeho hyung!” Sui informed with excitement.

Jihyo watched the TV screen which showed the face-off between Jongkook and Taeho. She frowned when she saw the commander’s facial emotion. A polar opposite from before, Kim Jongkook now had a stoic face. He was already in his attack stance. Unlike Taeho, whom walked here and there to look for a chance, Jongkook didn’t move an inch. His eyes calmly followed Taeho’s movement, didn’t even once lose his composure. He exactly looked like a carnivore that waited to devour his target.

“He’s angry. I never saw Jongkook hyung this angry before,” Gary expressed.

In the waiting room, Haha and Jaesuk watched with amazement. “I really glad we are on the same team with Jongkook,” Jaesuk revealed once more.

When Taeho sprung out to attack, Jongkook was ready. He met Taeho in the middle and set a tight grip on his clothes and hand. Taeho pulled him and he pulled him back. They twisted and turned. Taeho tried to escape from Jongkook’s clutched, but he is Jongkook and he never let anyone slipped off his hand. Taeho backed against the wall, protected his back. He tried to reach out to Jongkook’s back but Jongkook bind his move while kept pushed him. Taeho broke into sweat and his breath erratic but Jongkook didn’t even flinch. He was cold. There’s an enormous calm anger surrounded him. It was not an explosive anger and fired race, it’s a calculating rage, a cold one.

Taeho tried to release from him once again without result. Nobody could lay their hand on Jihyo and left the tiger’s den without scratch. With one quick movement Jongkook pulled Taeho, half embraced him and as fast as lightning, he tore the name tag away. He tossed it to the ground. The audience, even the staff couldn’t hide their awe. Taeho screamed in regret when Jongkook beat him. Soon the announcement told them that Kim Taeho was eliminated.

“How could you move like that?” Taeho questioned him, half angry, half impressed.

Jongkook smiled at him but turned to the security. “Please him right away, so the next player could enter. Let’s put an end to this quickly.”

In the jail, Jihyo smiled when she heard Jongkook tossed the words back to Taeho. Everyone broke into two reactions; shouted in joy like crazy and awestruck. Even the athletic team acknowledged Jongkook’s capability. Few minutes later, Taeho entered the jail. Both team in the jail clapped for him politely, told him he did a good job, except Jihyo. Jihyo spared him a glance than drifted her attention back to the CCTVs. She was amused when the screen showed that Jongkook found her shoe.

After eliminated the strongest person on the opponent team, the rest was easy peachy. Even though the last player of the athletic team was consisted of pair, Jongkook meant business. He waited for them in corner, his position whenever he had to face more than one opponent. The two men attacked him at the same time. He blocked them with one hand on each. He also tried to grab them. In a split second he pulled one of them forward while still leaned his back against the wall. The other one tried to reach his tag but he can’t. Jongkook eliminated one of them in the blink of eye. He fell along in the process but he was ready to take down the other one. The other one tried to use the opportunity while Jongkook lay on the floor and attacked him. Jongkook held him and turned their position.

Jihyo watched as Jongkook’s tee rolled up when the last player tried to pull him. His back exposed and Jihyo observed Jongkook’s waist that full with pain reliever patches. Those were plastered around his waist. Jihyo suddenly remember the familiar scent she can’t pinpoint whenever Jongkook was near. That was the scent of herbal patch. Jihyo noticed Jongkook wore that a lot. Her trail of thought cut off when Jongkook finally eliminated the last player from athletic team.

“We won!” Gary and Kwangsoo shouted in delight. They stood and hug each other. Jihyo and Sukjin also jumped from their seat and happily held each other’s hand and chanted ‘we won, we won’. Next to them, the athletic team all solemn. In the waiting room, Jaesuk and Haha hug each other and scream that they won and they don’t have to go on the battle.

Lastly, they all moved to shoot the closing in the jail. Jongkook was the last one to enter the jail. He entered while holding to water bottle in one hand, and Jihyo’s shoe in the other hand. Everybody in the room clapped for him. All Running Man members ran to him and touched him, patted him, and talked to him. That’s when Jongkook released his tension and finally smiled with them. He also gave Jihyo her shoe.

“Here, your shoe,” Jongkook said to her.

Jihyo beamed. “Thank you, oppa,” then she wore her shoe.

For the prize, they won a gold medal that made the situation merrier. The episode ended with Running Man group hug. Then the camera was off and everybody started to get ready to go home. Jongkook walked out of the building with the rest members and staff. Jihyo skidded over to him and held his arm.

“Oppa, let’s go grab dinner,” she suggested.

Jongkook bowed his head to see Jihyo’s eyes. She looked back at him, waiting for his answer. She looked pretty like that. She looked pretty in anything she does. Her hand shot a warm feeling inside him. Even though Jongkook reprimanded himself countless times that he had to stop, he was powerless in front of her. Refuse, his mind warned. Just lie to her. Don’t go with her. You already had enough pain. Stop this.

You have to stop.

But the words never slipped his mouth. “Alright, what do you want to eat?” he asked instead.

(Lady Deb)