Inspired by Sasha Sloan’s song called ‘when was it over’ featuring Sam Hunt. You can read the story while listening to this song here.

AU Running Man/SpartAce fan-fiction. Everyone still has their jobs here as celebrities, but they didn’t meet in Running Man. The show doesn’t exist in this story’s universe.

And a personal note from me: I apologize for not being able to update To Heal and To Love yet, because my emotions are still all over the place and this was already in my draft. I apologize once again, I will try to update within this week. Thank you for waiting, dear readers. Please enjoy this (hopefully) heart-wrenching 2 shots.

when was it over?

2013, Summer

Through their mutual friends, Jihyo and Jongkook met for the first time back in 2008. Who knew that in 5 years time that they would be sitting on the park’s bench, when it’s dark and the park is a little eerie, laughing while enjoying each other’s presence?

A few months ago, during a cold winter, Jongkook asked her to a date that she didn’t even think would go well. She only agreed to come because it’s worth a try, right? They’ve been friends for 5 years and he never crossed the line of their platonic friendship. Jihyo won’t name some but throughout her career, other men around his line of popularity came with the intention to bag her, which of course flattered her but she’s not some kind of pretty trophy to boast around.

In the group of friends that she shared with Jongkook, there wasn’t a single thing that made Jihyo uncomfortable around them, despite only 2 of the 8 men were already married, 3 if you count the newly married man, Ha Donghoon. And despite their different jobs, they still managed to be a group of friends that people knew and aware of.

Jee Seokjin and Yoo Jaesuk, they are both MC and comedian. Kim Jongkook, Ha Donghoon and Kang Gary are singers. Lee Kwangsoo, Song Joongki, Jeon Somin and Jihyo herself are actors and actresses, and the youngest one, Yang Sechan is a comedian. It’s an odd group of friends but they somehow worked.

“You’re zoning out again, Jihyo-ya. That’s the second time tonight.” Jongkook dared to poke her cheek with his fore-finger. Jihyo usually hated those kind of aegyo gestures but she giggled this time around. “Mianhaeyo, oppa. I was just thinking about how our friends will react to this.” She lifted their intertwined hands.

They’ve been on the flirting stage for a few months now, and went to too many secret dates to count, but their friends had no idea about it. “Hmm, let’s guess their reactions, Jihyo-ya. I think it’s fun trying to guess their reactions, don’t you think?”

Jihyo smiled. “Joha. Let’s start with Jaesuk oppa and Seokjin oppa, what do you think their reactions would be?”

Jongkook in a breath, thinking about the hyeongs personalities. “Jaesuk hyeong will warn us to be careful, if we don’t want the medias all up on our faces. I think he’ll give us many many advices.”

Jihyo nodded, pursing her lips. “I think so too. He’s wise like that. But Seokjin oppa is going to be different… I think he’s going to think that we’re pranking him.”

Jongkook laughed at how spot-on Jihyo was. “Because we played too many pranks on him?”

“Right? He would think that we’re joking.”

“I agree. You try with Donghoon and Gary first.”

Jihyo didn’t need to think about Jongkook’s closest minions/dongsaengs reactions, since she knew them way too well. “Donghoon oppa will be so loud that you have to threaten him not to blurt this out to anyone out of our group.” Jongkook laughed again, she knew Donghoon almost as well as him by now. “You’re right, he’s been trying to get us together. How about Gary?”

“He’d be happy for us too, but keeping his worries to himself until we have to ask what the hell is he thinking.”

“Spot on, once again, Song Jihyo.” He adored this woman so much. “He’s definitely the type to keep his opinions to himself unless one of us ask him.”

“You go with the two trouble-makers next, oppa. Kwangsoo and Joongki.”

He smirked. “First of all, Joongki would be jealous. He had a crush on you.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Jihyo slapped his hand and laughed at the same time. “He didn’t. He just liked to blurt things out randomly like that.”

Jongkook shrugged. “I bet there’s some truth on his teasings though, but that’s my opinion. Kwangsoo would be annoying, he’d warn me not to hurt you and stuff but he has no idea about relationship at all.”

Jihyo continued laughing because that’s 100% Kwangsoo, he’d go around advising people about relationship when he has no idea, much like his hyeong, Yoo Jaesuk.

“Now you know the maknaes better. Start from Somin, Jihyo-ya.”

This one, Jihyo had to think it over. Somin is tricky, she made everyone’s head spin with how random she is sometimes. But never mind, she loves hearing about love stories. “She’d be just happy that we’re happy, and maybe she’d ask me some inappropriate questions about our relationship, oppa.” that made Jongkook smiled. “She’s really a lot of work dongsaeng, huh? Now Sechan, how do you think he’ll react?”

“He’d be just like his hyeong, Kwangsoo. You might hear him warn you not to hurt me or something, oppa.”

“He wouldn’t dare, maybe he’d do it subtly. While Kwangsoo would corner me one day and try to look intimidating, but he wouldn’t succeed.”

Jihyo sighed. “How did we even get here, oppa?”

“I’m not sure, but I’m happy sitting here with you.”

“Me too. I’m happy too.”

Was it that night you didn’t ask where I had been?

January, 2020.

Is it the 7-year itch that’s making things complicated in their relationship? Jihyo didn’t even know. All she knew was they’ve been arguing a lot of times for the past few weeks only. Maybe it’s because she’s tired and he’s also tired. They’re busy and couldn’t find the right time to talk things out.

Jihyo had finished her new film’s shoot earlier than scheduled. So she has the idea to visit her boyfriend’s place and had a sleep-over. It’s been weeks since they just sit and enjoy each other’s presence, peacefully without a single argument. “Oppa, can you drop me off at Jongkook oppa’s apartment?” she asked her manager with a grin. “Of course. You take a good rest, okay? We still have lots of things to do even when the filming is over for now.”

“Yes, I will. Don’t worry, I won’t exhaust myself too much.”

Jihyo’s manager rolled his eyes. He’s not a kid, he knew what happened behind the close doors with a couple that has been dating for 7 years now. “Just get enough sleep, Jihyo. That’s all I ask as your manager.”

“Yes oppa, stop worrying.”

The access to Jongkook’s apartment is thankfully easy and discreet, Jihyo skipped a little in her steps, happy with the idea to surprise her boyfriend even this late at night. She knew he’s home since he sent her a selfie of him laying down on his bed after a full day of work. She entered the pass-code to his door confidently, and there he was, gaping at her when she just entered the front door. “Jihyo-ya?”

“Surprise!” she said with a glee. “What are you watching?” she threw herself to the sofa right away, joining him. “Soccer match, but you have to take a shower first.”

Jihyo frowned and smelled her shirt. “Do I smell so bad that you have to send me away like that? Aren’t you happy to see me here?”

He rolled his eyes. He. Rolled. His. Damn. Eyes. On. Her.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Take a shower first since you’ve been outside, Jihyo-ya. You can join me after that.”

Without another word, Jihyo left to his room. She did take a shower as he kindly ask, but she didn’t take his invitation to join him on the sofa. She didn’t care about some damn sports’ match on the TV. She just wrapped a movie, and she declined the invitation to the wrapping party just so she can meet him. But he didn’t look like he’s happy to see her. So what did Jihyo do after finishing her shower? Sleep.

He didn’t ask how her day went, how did she even get there when they didn’t plan anything at all, hell he didn’t even ask where she had been today. So, she chose her sleep over him. Rest and sleep and day-off are luxuries for her, and she learned not to sacrifice those luxuries over anything ever again.

Was it that fight we didn’t have when I came in?

Was it the first time you saw me drunk? Second time that I said “I’m sorry.”?

February, 2020.

As Jihyo heard that Kwangsoo got into an accident, she dropped everything that she was doing. She wasn’t doing nothing big, just cooking some dinner to have for herself. Thankfully, Kwangsoo’s surgery went well and the doctor told him that he’s going to be okay as long as he’s not putting too much pressure on his foot for the next few months. At the hospital, Jihyo visited Kwangsoo’s room with Somin, Sechan and Joongki, basically the rest of maknae line.

“That was… stressful to hear and see.” Joongki sighed as they walked through the lobby. “Thankfully, oppa will going to be okay. He’s talking like he’s not laying on a hospital bed after the surgery too.” Somin could understand Joongki’s mean by stressful, she cried when she heard that Kwangsoo got into a ca