The arrangement is supposed to be simple. Jihyo lives with him and they have a few more months, if they can stretch it, before it’s clear they can’t hide from the public and she’ll have to leave Running Man temporarily. Until then, they have time.

They discuss all this on Friday, with her manager and his on the side, and even craft the official notice and when they’ll reveal it. Sometime when she hits her second trimester in April or May if nothing goes wrong, everyone’s going to know about how they’ve been dating for years and expecting their first child. The discussion gives them both a timeline and a deadline; they’ll need to figure out how to make things work by the announcement, and how Jihyo’s going to slowly move out of the public eye until the baby’s here.

Heck, they haven’t even told his parents.

Nobody teases Jihyo or Jongkook, to their relief. Not even her manager, who definitely saw their awkward interaction at the hospital and knew way more than he could reveal. Maybe that’s why she likes her manager oppa – he doesn’t pry or judge.

Then comes the meeting with the Running Man team that is thankfully fast and painless; PD Bopil doesn’t even blink when they lay the bombshell on him, not even when Jongkook promises that nothing will change between the members and the two of them. Team dynamics, as they were once told, were very important to the show. PD Chulmin on the other hand, who’s slated to leave by the end of March, laughs and laughs at Bopil, and maybe a little bit at Jongkook, and Jihyo pretends she doesn’t see him winking at her like he knows this won’t end well.

But that’s done and they promise to arrange a date when she starts showing and has to go. Her manager even makes her pause every other activity she’s been preparing for, including the drama she was about to film, meaning she’s literally out of job now. It’s frustrating and she wishes she could continue them – 2020 was supposed to be her year! – but Monday’s scare that put her in the hospital was enough of a wake up call.

Even so, she doesn’t think too much of it, because there’s other things to worry about in the weekend. She enjoys the comforts of her own bed and ends up wide awake at 3am the morning before she’s arranged to move to Jongkook’s house, and barely catches any sleep as she thinks about how awkward she’ll be in the months to come.

She moves in the following day, on an extra cold Saturday morning with Kwangsoo, Somin and Sechan’s help, and her manager drives the whole gang to Anyang. It’s outside Seoul, so she thinks of how much earlier she has to get up whenever she has something going on in the city, and sulks a whole good hour as they hit the highway.

“Unnie.” Somin’s holding on to her hand, clingy as ever. “Unnie, I’m going to miss you, you’ll never be close!”

“You sound like she’s moving to Europe.” Kwangsoo mocks.

“Yah, I see you guys every Monday.” Jihyo rolls her eyes endearingly. Somin’s very sociable and she never liked it when her friends were far away from her.

“Um, noona? Aren’t you taking your break soon?” Sechan asks meekly from the back of the van, banished for being the youngest.

“No?” Jihyo frowns. “It’s way too early. Yah, Yang Sechan! Are you trying to get rid of your noona?”

“Really? Jongkook hyung said–“ Kwangsoo yelps in pain as Somin nudges him in the ribs with her free elbow. “Ow! What are you doing?”

“What did he say?” There’s a hint of anger in Jihyo’s voice as she glares at the tallest member. “Sechan?”

“Noona...” The youngest gulps under two of the female members’ glares – Jihyo wanting him to answer her, and Somin wanting him to shut up. “You... you need to rest soon, and–“

“Rest?” Jihyo questions, disbelief in her tone. She doesn’t just rest. Variety doesn’t just give rest days to anyone. You have to be dying or incapable of walking to be able to miss a week, like the time she was literally lying in the hospital with an oxygen mask strapped to her, or when Kang Gary’s back threw out and he needed the surgery. You don’t just rest when you’re filming a variety show. “I’ll rest when I’m showing.”

“Unnie, you can’t be running forever.” Somin adds in softly, clutching her unnie’s hand once more. “Jongkook oppa’s just worried. Your doctor did tell you to take it easy, and we don’t want you to be overworked, so don’t worry about us!”

“The PDs just changed, we can’t spring more surprises on them, and we’re already slightly behind schedule–“

“Noona, we’ll be fine.” Kwangsoo promises, interrupting her. “I can take care of these two kids.”

“I think I trust them more than you at this point.” Jihyo’s not in any bit convinced.

“Just stay at home and rest, unnie.” Somin says, doing her best. “I’ll miss you, but I’m sure oppas will take care of me!”

“Sure...” Now Kwangsoo’s the one sounding unconvinced.

“Never mind that, it’s a Saturday! Why are you talking about work?” Sechan jumps in,  moving them away from the conversation. “Noona, how are you doing?”

The churning in Jihyo’s stomach comes back with vengeance, and she’s pretty sure it’s not purely morning sickness this time. “Like I might puke again.”

“Please don’t puke on me.” Kwangsoo murmurs as Somin smacks him.

“Again? Noona, is the morning sickness bad?” Sechan ignores the two of them, hoping to move on to a different topic.

“It’s not so bad...” Jihyo trails off, watching the maknaes glance over at each other like they were trying to converse purely with eye contact. “Okay, I know you three are holding back.” She eventually sighs. They’ve already bombarded her at the hospital, but they don’t usually volunteer their free time without getting something in return. In fact, she’s surprised they were even free in the first place. “What do you want to know?”

Somin jumps right in before anyone else can. “Unnie, was the good?”

Jesus Christ, Somin. Jihyo’s never doubted the younger girl’s ability to make everyone uncomfortable with just one question, especially when both Kwangsoo and Sechan start coughing dramatically.

“I didn’t ask you guys to come help me move, so why are you all being so annoying this early in the morning?” Jihyo chooses to ignore her question, probably to spare Kwangsoo.

“I don’t want to know anything about that!” Sechan glares at Somin, and Kwangsoo just whacks her again. “Besides, Jongkook hyung was very demanding when he asked us for help.”

“I don’t even know what comes out of anymore.” Kwangsoo mutters, scarred for life.

“Then cover your ears! Unnie, was he totally y? Like the best in your life, or was it a boring, drunk one night stand?”

“I swear I will kick all three of you out of this car right now if you don’t stop talking.” Jihyo blushes, her cheeks going red with embarrassment. Her manager’s listening to all this! God, why her?

“I can kick all of you out now, because we’ve arrived.” Her manager oppa sniggers as the car comes to a stop, grinning wide at all of their discomfort. They truly have – all of them realize as they look out the windows, recognizing the apartment easily.

“Thank god!” Kwangsoo doesn’t need to be told twice as he flings the car door wide open, scrambling to get out to freedom. He’s not paid enough to do this. In fact, he’s not even paid! Jongkook was very persuasive when he asked them to accompany Jihyo and they agreed like fools, but at what cost? How the hell was he going to look at his hyung and noona again? Curse that Jeon Somin and her crazy mind!

More bad luck, because Jongkook’s standing right in front of the car, probably waiting for them. He eyes his fellow cast members looking all jumpy and embarrassed, and is immediately concerned. “What’s wrong?”

Poor Kwangsoo jumps in fear, then shakes his head so fast he might have gotten whiplash. “Nothing! Hyung, let’s start moving!”

Later, the girls are banished to the living room while the boys move everything to Jongkook’s spare room, an agreement done after Somin nearly trips over her own feet carrying nothing. Jihyo’s not complaining – she’s exhausted. Pregnancy has made her feel all kinds of levels of emotions, but perhaps this was the only thing she felt all day and all night no matter how many naps she took. Or maybe it was because she was up late last night worrying about how she was going to live with Kim Jongkook for the rest of this arrangement.

“Unnie, can I ask you something?” Somin settles herself beside her before she can pass out on the couch.

Opening one eye tiredly, Jihyo doesn’t really feel like answering. “I’m almost scared to say yes.”

“I promise I won’t say anything crude.” Somin swears, holding out a pinky. She’s over thirty, that one, but sometimes she acts like she’s twelve. Nevertheless, Jihyo can’t ignore her, and joins her own finger in promise.

“Will you consider dating oppa now?”

How is that any better? Jihyo’s been avoiding this question the entire week, afraid of what she’d think of. They’ve agreed on fake dating – for who? The public, their families... but their friends? The same ones they saw every week? The Running Man cast know better than that. Sure, it was almost natural when they faked it during the meeting with the PDs yesterday, but her manager didn’t even rat them out, and neither did his. Besides, they were all there when she and Jongkook explained the situation — she’s not going to forget Jaesuk’s words for a long time to come.

“Don’t tell anyone this, but... we agreed to fake date in front of everyone else so we don’t get hate.” Jihyo confesses, and Somin’s eyes widen. Maybe she shouldn’t have told the resident gossip queen of the group?

“Fake... date? Unnie! Daebak! This really sounds like a drama!” Somin squeals, pretend to faint on the couch dramatically and then straightens up again. “But... what about your family?”

Jihyo winces; maybe telling Somin this wasn’t the best option. “My mother... she surprised us both when I got back from the hospital. So I guess we’ll have to fake it in front of our families too.”

Now Somin has so many unanswered questions. “Wait, he sent you home? On a Tuesday? Instead of going to the gym? And your mother was there?”

“He told my manager he’d do it and– wait, why am I trying to defend him? I didn’t know he’d do that!”

“Unnie, you still haven’t answered my question.” Somin says, all serious again. “Will you date him? For real?”

Yeah, she’s pregnant now. In a few months, she’s going to balloon like a whale and pop out a little human. There’s nothing for her dating life from now onwards, considering she’s having a child with her colleague and friend. But to date him? She doesn’t know.

“What century is this? We can have a baby and not date, right? People in Hollywood do it! They get married and divorce and still have a kid!” Jihyo goes back to their first agreement, defensive. She’s not going to think about it, not now. She’s going to live with him, for crying out loud! They were moving her things as they speak! As if that wasn’t awkward enough, sharing an apartment with someone she accidentally had a one night stand with, and now she had to think about love?

“They fell in love before they had their kid.” Somin points out, unconvinced. “Unnie... be careful. What if someone gets hurt? Fake dating only works in dramas, you should know that.”

Now Somin’s wising up and telling her the exact same thing Jaesuk’s said? Jihyo really wishes they’d look at it in her perspective – she needed this to work out for everyone. Not just for her child, but for their careers, and their families’ sakes. Wasn’t this the best scenario they can have out of a million other horrible ones?

Well of course, you could go ahead and actually date him.

A tiny voice in her head reminds her that she still had option A: date and marry him, instead all the other options B to Z. That option was absurd in itself; if they broke up, it would be terrible for their child. So why the hell was everyone telling her to be careful? She knew what she was getting herself in to, and so did he.

“I’m just saying, it’s not so bad to date Kim Jongkook. My mom says if he wasn’t so old she’d want him as a son-in-law. Ooh, what did your mom say?”

Somin, fickle-minded and nosy as always, doesn’t even wait for Jihyo’s response, but she laughs it away, glad for the girl’s short attention span. “It’s fine, don’t worry for me so much, Sominie. Nobody needs to date anyone. It’s just a way to make sure the public doesn’t find out, and that our parents are happy.”

“Okay, if you say so.” Somin shrugs, and all is quiet again, except for the cursing in the guest room followed by an apology – Kwangsoo, because he stubbed his toe. It’s so normal of him to do so neither of them say a word. It does give them a break from the conversation though, and Jihyo’s satisfied with her explanation and accepts Somin’s nonchalant response as an end to the conversation.

She’s almost about to take her nap, her eyes fluttering shut, when Somin speaks up again.

“Seriously though, was the good?” 

“Somin!”

Jongkook’s almost afraid to see the maknaes go. No matter how many times he persuades Kwangsoo, the tallest member apologizes and claims to be heading off to a schedule.

If he wasn’t so flustered by the prospect of having to be in a house alone with Song Jihyo for the rest of... whatever this arrangement was, he might have dug in more. A schedule on a Saturday? When he’s wrapped up his drama and movie filming?

But his house is quiet now, as it always has been. Somin’s no longer yapping about something nonsensical, and Sechan’s not randomly commenting on something or another elsewhere. Except Jihyo’s waving them off, and she looks every bit like someone’s wife.

Not his.

“You guys moved everything?” Jihyo says, snapping him out of his thoughts as he closes the door behind them. They are alone now, just the two of them. She hasn’t been to his apartment since... well, that time. It’s starting to feel very awkward around here, and she almost wishes Somin was back with her questions.

“Did you have to bring the giraffe?” Jongkook teases, lightening up the tension as he referred to Kwangsoo’s gift that she so happily hugged since she got back from the hospital.

“Kwangsoo gave it to me, of course I did!”

And... it’s awkward again. Jihyo racks her brain for something, anything to say, so they won’t stand here looking like two fools.

“Are you hungry?” He asks, all of a sudden. “I have some samgyetang in the fridge.”

It does sound good, but she’s too tired to think of food now. “Maybe later? I kinda want to nap.”

“Already?”

“Yah, I’m carrying your child here.”

“Okay, okay.” Jongkook holds his arms up to defensive, and she’s already heading to the spare room. He follows her down the hallway, and she’s a little confused by that, but maybe he’s just seeing that she doesn’t escape through the window or something, so she opens the door to find... nothing? Just some of her things by the side, and an empty bed frame.

“Am I sleeping on the floor?”

“No, silly.” Jongkook places his hands on her shoulders, and guides her out of the room to another one, and she swears she remembers this one through her blurry, drunk memories.

“Um, on hindsight, I should have told you... But I couldn’t get the spare bed yet. I’ll have to get one soon, so you’ll sleep on my bed before it comes in. Sorry, Jihyo.” He pauses, feeling very awkward now. He’s not trying to bed her again, this time both of them sober – god, no. Except he knows they... they last ed each other in this room. And from Jihyo’s silence, she probably remembers.

“Then where will you sleep tonight?” She asks instead, her eyes avoiding his.

“The couch? It’s fine, Jihyo. Go take your nap.” He shrugs it off, nudging her towards the bed as he leans against the door frame.