Break time during Running Man filming was always Kim Jong Kook’s favourite time. It wasn’t that he doesn’t enjoy filming, he preferred to interact with his fellow cast members and the guests’ members.

However, this very day, he felt otherwise. It felt like he was facing a malfunction due to the insufficient sleep that he had acquired from hours ago. He admitted that he was on an edge. However, he didn’t expect himself to be that edgy to speak without thinking. At that moment in time, he had forgotten that the cameras were all recording every action he did and every word that he breathed. Yet, his mouth betrayed him to say such an insensitive statement to Ji Hyo that day, in front of everyone.

He saw how anxiety plastered on Ji Hyo’s face the moment he had carelessly exposed the secret, which he agreed to keep. Yet, his tiredness clouded his judgement on knowing the severity of his words that he had uttered.

The realisation only struck him hard after lunch, when she had constantly averted his gaze on hers. He couldn’t help but feel crestfallen. Was it his guilt that caused him to be crestfallen? Or, was it because he realised had offended the angel, in his head, who aided his journey to dreamland, the previous night? Maybe, it was more of he couldn’t afford to lose his only female close friend over such a petty matter? He couldn’t pinpoint which reasoning makes more sense, but it should be one of those.

He couldn’t help but blamed his restlessness. If it wasn’t due to his restlessness, he wouldn’t have made that careless mistake. Truth to be told, he wasn’t able to forget that day when he promised to keep their secret aside.

-

Kim Jong Kook stirred around his bed for the umpteenth time. His mind was behaving like a broken recorder, rewinding how awkward he had behaved earlier. He didn’t mean to witness the confession of such juicy news from his fellow Running Man members first-hand.

He was trapped in the washroom after doing his business as his sensitive ears perked at the sudden conversation by the familiar voices that he recognised, from the unoccupied corridor. He swore that he thought that Gary and Ji Hyo had left the corridor outside.

But he was so wrong.

The sight of the two whose contact was entangled at their wrists caused his heart to nearly stop and made him forgot to breathe. He was glad that his heart muscle was muscular enough to supply sufficient blood to all his body parts before he was able to breathe again.

That sight caught him off guard. He had three options to react to the situation to choose from: return to the washroom, exit the corridor discreetly and that included passing by Gary and Ji Hyo or just stand there like a mannequin.

Out of all the brain cells in his brain, the dumbest one decided to be a smart alec and worsened the initially awkward situation.

Right, he chose to be a mannequin.

The first time Ji Hyo turned over to look at Gary, the tiger wasn’t being spotted. Like a tiger with such vibrant eye-catching colour of orange, he was glad that he had black contrasting strips for him to camouflage into the jungle.

Yet, his lucky stars failed to bless him for the second time around. When questioning eyes were fixated on him, he was at a loss and could only stutter out a small apology, “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I thought the two of you had left when I heard your voices trailed off.”

Despite Jong Kook’s stupendously colossal built as compared to an average man, he felt minuscule as compared to his onlookers. A surge of numbing sensation radiated from the insides of his heart, causing him to be paralysed on the spot.

“Then, how much have you heard?” Ji Hyo asked.

Should he answer honestly, or should he feign an answer? He debated with himself for a considerable time, when he admitted, “Well… since Gary’s confession…”

Thinking those words in his mind doesn’t sound as bad, however, the moment he heard his voice that uttered those words out, he instantly reprimanded himself silently in his mind. Why did he trail off his words? If he hadn’t, the deafening silence wouldn’t cause them to feel more uncomfortable with each passing second. He was upset that he engulfed awkwardness amongst the washroom’s corridor, yet again they were having an averting gaze competition.

Feeling the need to explain his point, he elaborated, “It’s not that I want to nag or jinx you on anything, but love lines on variety show never come to fruition. I’ve been there and done that.”

He was speaking of his own experience, the experience that he had with his ex from X-men, Yoon Eun Hye. Despite being a love line for only a year, he was only human. He succumbed to love and yes, he did date Eun Hye.

He felt that there was a need to explain to them as with Running Man’s popularity increasing rapidly, he didn’t want to see the failure of the relationship of Monday Couple in reality to affect the show. He knew deep down in his heart that, love lines tended to tug the heartstrings of the involved parties. It’s a game to be played by the two parties and it wasn’t good for them to do so if they continue in real life.

Uncertain on his helplessness regarding the scene that he had witnessed earlier, he continued to stir on his bed. However, his certainty on the fact that both were like his younger siblings that he treasured, so he decided to treat them to a meal to compensate for the awkwardness that surfaced amongst them.

The following day, Ji Hyo and Gary were seated side by side, opposite of Jong Kook in his friend’s (not Dong Hoon’s) restaurant to keep the matter private.

Having the desire to vacuum the daunting silence that was evident, Jong Kook cleared his throat,” I’m sorry for making the two of you feel uncomfortable yesterday.”

“Oppa, it’s not your fault,” Ji Hyo quickly remarked.

“Yes,” Gary chimed in, nodding vigorously.

“Then, can I apologise for the words that I said?” Jong Kook asked.

“Then hyung, can you tell me why you said it?” Gary suggested.

“Well, I’ve dated and broke up with Yoon Eun Hye. It’s hard to keep up with both parties being celebrities. The figment of the imagination of thinking that was love was nothing but infatuation. It’s hard to keep up to expectations and reality, especially when you’ll have to act accordingly to the persona required as of you. I know that my failure doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go ahead. I’m giving you the green light. But it’s just that I don’t want my beloved dongsaengs to hurt as I did,” Jong Kook explained wholeheartedly.

Jong Kook chuckled at the sight before him. He may have shared a slice of his personal life and advice, but it felt like he didn’t say it. Why? Kang Gary donned on his peaceful expression and well, Ji Hyo had her blank expression on. Kim Jong Kook could only wonder how the two would be able to date if both spaces out at different timings. Jong Kook was having fun seeing the two putting on their spacing out expressions while he knew that their minds were just processing the words that he had uttered.

It took them nearly a minute to respond as they digested what Jong Kook had just said. The silence? It doesn’t bother them that much anymore.

“We’ve decided to be friends for now anyways. What you said was right, oppa,” Ji Hyo finally replied.

Surprised by Ji Hyo’s answer, he gestured towards Gary, “You okay with Ji Hyo’s decision? I didn’t mean to ruin your chance, Hee Gun-ah.”

“Hyung, I’m not blaming you nor Ji Hyo. I understand. Well, for now on Mondays, Ji Hyo is still mine!” Gary declared.

“Oppa, you should stop worrying about us. We know what we are doing. All you need to do is just to forget yesterday’s scene and well this conversation,” Ji Hyo said.

“Yes, yes,” Jong Kook agreed, nodding.

-

Yet, he was the one who exposed the Monday Couple duo’s secret to the whole wide world earlier on. He was glad that Jae Suk fixed his mess and not let the others pry open the almost opened Pandora’s box.

He didn’t know what’s wrong with him that day, but he was extremely moody, especially when it comes to Song Ji Hyo. During the mission earlier, the mission required them to hold hands and Jong Kook was fuming when he saw Ji Hyo held hands with Dong Hoon, then Se Chan. He wanted to be the one to hold her hand, yet he didn’t get the chance to.