It was late at night, and a couple was lying beneath the sheets. Jihyo had her head on Jong Kook's wide, muscular chest, feeling it rise and fall as he breathed softly. His breathing was a mantra that helped relax her, especially after he made her heart jump during mind-blowing . This time, they enjoyed their time slowly, as neither of them had schedules the next day. And also because they hadn't been with each other like this for some time. 

As she continued to relax, she flashbacked to how they got to where they were. 

The first time they met was on Family Outing, where she was cast as a guest. Jong Kook-oppa was already a veteran of variety shows while she was literally a newbie. And not only that, he was already hooked into a love line with both Lee Hyori, the Queen of Kpop, and Park Yejin, a fellow actress. Jae Suk, being the playful matchmaker as always, tried to put Jihyo into the love pyramid, and Jihyo did her part by playfully flirting. Of course, Jong Kook played it off shyly, not making her feel awkward at all. And after that, he made her feel comfortable on the show by just playing the hapless victim of all of the women on the set and not acting like a Casanova. He watched out for her, and she really appreciated that. 

Then a few years later, Running Man started. She showed up as an addition to the show when the show itself was still being developed. Her unease as being a permanent cast unnerved her greatly back then, not to mention all of the negative comments made about her and her love life. She would have almost quit if it were not for Jong Kook-oppa. He didn't comfort her and make her feel better from the start, but instead acted like a strong older brother, telling her that whatever she was doing wasn't working and that she could be more herself on the show. She could be more honest with the rest of the cast, and he would do the same. She learned to lean on him more and be more comfortable. 

As the show progressed, Jong Kook-oppa, as a way of helping the cast, even brought the idea of Gary working together with Jihyo, as Gary was a newcomer to variety as well. And thus formed the Monday couple segment, which Jihyo really enjoyed. Her friendship with Gary, along with other members, blossomed like never before.

Then Gary suddenly left, leaving her feeling vulnerable again. Monday couple was no longer a thing, but others convinced her to explore what else she could do with her Running Man Character. And she did, to cement her part as the Ace.

Then, something nightmarish happened; both Jong Kook and Jihyo received sudden messages from SBS, saying that they would no longer be on Running Man. Jihyo actually lost count of how many times she called Jong Kook, asking if this were a joke. This sudden surprise brought Jihyo's emotional state to its knees because she didn't how to process this sudden change. Even though it was later canceled, other Running Man Cast members decided to not attend Running Man as a way for supporting their castmates. And then Jong Kook-oppa slowly convinced all of them to continue to do Running Man together. Jihyo remembered how she was the first one he talked to, at her apartment.

Flashback

Jong Kook and Jihyo were sitting alone in her apartment. The actress was in her pajamas with a bathrobe over her. She was holding a cup of warm coffee. Same as Jong Kook, who was sitting across from her. 

"You really look awful," Jong Kook commented. "You should really go out some more. And remember to take some medicine I got for you." He pointed at the box of herbal medicine he got for her. 

"Thanks, Oppa," Jihyo smiled softly. "And thanks for checking in on me." 

"Somebody has to," Jong Kook chuckled. 

"So, is that the only reason you came by?" Jihyo asked. 

"Actually, no," Jong Kook sighed, rubbing his hands. "So you know how Running Man is scheduled to end next month?"

Jihyo nodded. "Yeah. What of it?"

"I was hoping to convince all the others to remain on the show." Jong Kook gave her a small smile. "In fact, I came here first before anyone so I could convince you first."

Jihyo took a deep breath before setting her cup down. "I don't know, Oppa. I mean, I'm still processing what just happened. How the production handled this? Without telling us? How can we trust them again?"

"I'm not asking you to trust them. I'm asking you to trust me." Jong Kook spoke. "I already spoke to the production team and even the board. Apparently, the PD who made the decision got too ambitious, thinking that our replacement would help the show better than either of us combined. Thankfully our fans and our castmates didn't think so too. That PD is resigning and being replaced with one that Jae-Suk-hyung himself trusts."

"But why would the PD think that?" Jihyo spat. "Replacing us with Kang Ho Dong?"

"That PD working on X-Man with Jae Suk and Ho Dong. That MC combination before either of them got super famous? I suppose it was just too tempting," Jong Kook shrugged. "But he's no longer the problem."

"Oppa, I still don't know. What makes you think things will be different?" Jihyo asked. 

"Because we'll make it better." Jong Kook said. "You, Me. Jae Suk-hyung. Suk-Jin-h