The practice time for the other two teams passed and it was time for the real race. "You only get one try." the PD said "When you fall in the water you can get back up where you left. The team who solves the riddle first wins of course." he finished his explanation. The Runningman members looked a bit confused "The team who solves the riddle first? You mean the team that finishes the quickest?" they asked. "No," the PD said "it's not a timed mission. You'll take the obstacle course at the same time.". All the other teams started to mutter their disagreement while Jong Kook and Haha accepted it gladly "How are we supposed to win against Jong Kook?!" Kwang Soo yelled, Gary agreed "We'll never be able to get pass him! We'll have to work together" he said while looking at Kwang Soo. Jong Kook leaned towards Shirley and whispered "As soon as the race starts i'll push of Kwang Soo, so they won't be able to attack us together, make sure they don't push you of the course at that time, ok?." Shirley nodded that she understood. Their first priority was to get rid of Kwang Soo and then make sure they got a good lead before they could re-group.
They all got up on the starting point and Jong Kook made sure Shirley and himself stood in the middle with Kwang Soo next to him. The second the PD blew his whistle to indicate the start of the race Jong Kook grabbed Kwang Soo and threw him of the course, it happened so quick that they didn't get the chance to react, and because Kwang Soo was holding Ji Hyo's hand she got pulled into the water along with him. Then Jong Kook grabbed Shirley's hand and together they ran towards the hill, he scrambled up and at the same time pulled her up as well, and without wasting a second they slid down on the other side of the hill making sure they where out of reach from the rest. Jong Kook held on to her hand to prevent either of them to fall in the water while sliding down. Shirley herself was amazed at how fast everything happened and could only laugh, it all happened so unbelievably fast. When they arrived safely in front of the inflatable poles they took a moment to take a breath and look behind them, the other teams where still trying to get up on the hill, or in Kwang Soo's case trying to get back on the course. Jong Kook gave a big smile "Nice! Let's go.".
He jumped against the first inflatable pole and scrambled over it, after he got over it he held it down to the side so Shirley could also easily get past it, like that they cleared the first hill and inflatable poles without once falling into the water. Next was a small tunnel they had to crawl true and after that some horizontal inflatable bars close to each other; one low, one high and then one low again, they had to climb over and under them. They had left the other teams far behind them by now, Shirley could hear them scream and yell at each other while they tried to get past the poles, and occasionally a big splash when one or two of them fell in the water again. Jong Kook and Shirley couldn't help but laugh each time when there was the sound of someone falling into the water behind them. In front of them was the next big challenge, they had to swing on a rope to get over a small pool in the inflatable course. The rope was hanging on their side of the pool so they could get it, Jong Kook grabbed it "Do you know how to do this?" he asked. " Hmm, well." Shirley contemplated "I guess just take a run-up and jump as high as possible in the rope and hold on tight?" she looked a bit doubtful at Jong Kook, he nodded "Yes, that's the basic idea. I'll go first so i can catch you if necessary.". He nicely jumped over the pool in one try and swung the rope back towards Shirley "Remember to jump up high in the rope and hold on tight!" he instructed her. Shirley nodded and took a few steps back, then she ran and jumped up in the rope, but something went wrong and she slipped from the rope falling down in the pool. After her first try she failed two more times, at her second try she let go of the rope to soon and on the third try she let go to late which made her fall into the pool backwards. "One more time" Jong Kook encouraged her " Don't let go of the rope this time, i'll catch you." he said. Only the thought of Jong Kook grabbing onto her made her cheeks flushed already, but she couldn't tell him not to do that. He stepped aside while Shirley took a few steps back to make her fourth attempt, when she jumped she held on to the rope for dear life and closed her eyes tightly, she swung true the air and then suddenly felt two strong arms circling her waist "Got you." she heard him say in her ear, she let go of the rope while he quickly put her down. Both of them where flustered and where too embarrassed to look at each other, they turned their attention to the next obstacle. Again there where poles in front of them, now the path was wide enough but the poles where standing close to each other and there where several rows of them, you had to squeeze true. This time it was fairly easy for Shirley who was pretty thin, but for Jong Kook it was more of a problem with his broad-built, even though he could use his strength to push them aside they where tough to get true for him. When Shirley had reached the other side of the poles she extended her hand to help him and pull him true the last few rows of poles, he smiled at her a bit embarrassed for getting help from her.
Finally they where in front of the last obstacle, they could hear the other teams getting closer behind them, but all that was left was a big hill they had to climb up using the ropes with knots in it who hang down from the top and then slide down on the other side. Because her strength was drained from the other obstacles Shirley had a tough time climbing up, but with Jong Kook's encouragement and help they both reached the top. Jong Kook had grabbed her hand and pulled her up the last few meters, he kept holding her hand while they slid down the slope together. They swam the short distance to the other end of the pool, he helped her up on shore and while again still holding her hand they ran towards Haha so he could start on his part of the race. He quickly managed to solve the riddle that was right up his alley, and the PD blew his whistle marking the end of the race and declaring Jong Kook, Haha and Shirley's team the winners. The other two teams came back to shore shortly after one another totally exhausted and blaming each other and their own team members for everything that went wrong after Jong Kook and Shirley had taken off. 

Afterwards the people who did the obstacle course headed towards the showers.
While they showered Ji Hyo suddenly said "Shirley, you like Jong Kook, don't you?", shocked Shirley froze for a second and then slightly nodded and softly answered "Yeah". Slightly surprised Ji Hyo laughed "You admitted to that very easily, i didn't expect that.". "Hmm i guess, I'm kind of incapable of lying. It's a thing of mine, sometimes problematic." Shirley answered with an embarrassed laugh, then she quickly added "But don't worry, i won't let it show and bother him, really. I know he's far out of my league.". They headed from the shower to the dressing room to change back into their dry clothes, Shirley said "I've got years of experience with secretly loving someone without him ever knowing, so you could say it's my expertise! Kim Jong Kook won't find out." and she laughed confidently so Ji Hyo wouldn't worry. Ji Hyo frowned "That sounds kind of sad, but i know what it's like." she winked. Shirley gave her a sympathetic smile "I'll just enjoy this time i have with him very much and silently" and winked back, then she asked "But how did you know? I thought no one would notice.". Ji Hyo smiled at her "Call it a woman's intuition. The others won't have noticed for sure.". "Oh, i definitely hope so." Shirley let out a relieved sigh, she didn't even knew she was holding her breath after hearing she was found out, "I'll be extra careful from now on". 
It was a short talk but they seemed to have suddenly become much closer and have a mutual understanding.

While they walked from the dressing room Ji Hyo suddenly put her arm through Shirley's to her surprise, when they reached the guys who where already ready and waiting Ji Hyo announced short and to the point "I like this one.". The guys all looked baffled at her announcement "That's very unlike you Ji Hyo, you must indeed like her allot. What happened over there in the female dressing room?" Yoo Jae Suk asked laughing, "Nothing that concerns you." she said teasingly, Yoo Jae Suk just huffed at that and let it be, he knew when he shouldn't stick his nose in to matters amongst girls. Ji Hyo walked arm in arm with Shirley towards Jong Kook and stopped next to him, there she let go of her and walked back to her own group like she had delivered Shirley back to him/her team.