Special Episode

Part 1

Yoo Jae-suk won the first game, so he got the first hint of the thief of Running Man’s production team top-secret files. The others are complaining due to the first game was a straight common-sense quiz, which other than Kim Jong-kook, none other was really on Jaesuk’s radar of threat.

“Can I see the hint right away?” Jaesuk asked the Main PD, Choi Bo-pil, who nodded. “Yes, but you have to go to the other room in order to see the hint.”

“Other room where?” one of the writer and young PD quickly escorted Jaesuk to the other room.

He was surprised to see an opened laptop in the corner of the room, sitting nicely on a table. “A video hint right away? This must be really important.” he reacted perfectly for the cameras. “Please put on the earphones too.” the young PD instructed, Jaesuk did as told.

A : This is big, are you sure the two of you are ready for this?

B : There’s no other way to do it, in my opinion.

C : We’ll do it—

It wasn’t a video hint as Jaesuk expected earlier, as he only heard voices, 3 of it and the exact words of the conversation were written on a black screen. But there’s no way he could recognize the voices as they were altered. “What was that?” Jaesuk racked his brain, trying to find the true meaning of the conversation. “That was all?” he asked the production team who responded with nods.

“From the conversation, I think the biggest thing I can take is the culprit are two people. Am I right?” he said to the camera. “Ah, we’re in trouble if there are two thieves out of 7 of us.” he continued before started walking away from the laptop. Wondering out loud, “what’s going on today?” he left the room.

“Hyeong, can you share the hint with us?” Yang Se-chan immediately went to Jaesuk when he walked back to the set. Ha Dong-hoon also followed. “It’s only right if you share it with us, hyeong. We’re on the same team.”

“Geure hyeong, the first hint usually still vague anyway.” Kim Jong-kook added.

Jaesuk, still in daze after hearing the first hint, turned to the Main PD. “Can I share it with them?”

“You can do as you want with the hint you received.” the PD answered.

“See? You can share the hint with us, Jaesuk-a!” Seokjin said, tapping Jaesuk on the shoulder. “Okay, okay.” Jaesuk waved his hands to everyone.

“I heard the first hint, listen to me first.” commotion started right away as the other members were excited about what sounded like a big hint.

“Here, I wrote down the conversation.” Jaesuk shared his note to everyone. “There are 3 thieves, oppa?” Song Ji-hyo asked first. “Ey, seolma eonnie, 3?” Jeon So-min said.

“No, I think the first one wasn’t the thief, but the B an C are.” Jaesuk shared his thought to the other members.

“Ah, Jaesuk hyeong is right.” Jongkook, the quick-thinker, also got it. “Because A was just making sure if B and C wanted to do it.” he added.

“Exactly! So there are 2 thieves, right?” Jaesuk high-fived Jongkook for the same conclusion from the hint.

“Does that mean the thieves might be among us?” Donghoon asked to no one in particular. “That’s possible, oppa.” Somin backed the idea up.

“If Kwangsoo was still here, he must be one. Now he left, it’s getting harder for us.” Jaesuk didn’t miss the timing to tease the former member, Lee Kwang-soo. He successfully made the other members laughed in the middle of trying to solve the problem.

“Now we’re going to move to the next location, please change into team uniform and go to the bus.” Choi Bopil announced and the members ceased their conversations right away. “Everyone is on the same team today so it’s the same coloured sweaters!” Bopil PD added before they all leave the set. “Ne!”

Now the 7 members were settled on the bus, everyone put on their seatbelts. The sitting arrangement was Seokjin, empty spot, Donghoon and Jihyo on the first row while Jaesuk, Jongkook, Sechan and Somin were seated at the back row.

“Seokjin oppa, can you pass me the bottle of water?” Jihyo asked, the cameras weren’t rolling yet and the bus hasn’t moved an inch from the parking lot. “Here you go.” Seokjin gave the bottle to Jihyo, passing it to Donghoon first.

“You looked a little pale today, Jihyo-ya. Are you feeling unwell?” Donghoon asked when he passed the bottle to Jihyo. “Really?” Jihyo took her mirror from the blue Running Man bag to check. “Maybe I should get some tan, oppa. I do look a little pale these days.”

“Song Jihyo-ssi, can you do a slate for us?” Bopil PD asked. Jihyo did the slate and that marks the start of the bus filming for Running Man members.

“Ah, where are we going now?” Jaesuk asked to the Main PD.

“We’re going to a restaurant in Hongdae, as it’s near lunch-time.” the PD replied.

“Lunch sounds good!” Sechan said excitedly, high-fiving with Somin who complained her hunger before they get to the bus earlier. “But the two of you had been really close these days, has anyone else noticed?” Jaesuk casually targeted the maknaes. “They have been teaming up together too lately.” Jongkook added happily, as long as the target is not him, he’s happy to chime in.

“Somin-a.” Donghoon called, tilting his head towards the back row. “It’s time for you to say you’re playing along to the love-line too. Now, quick!” the maknaes laughed while shaking their heads. “Guere! The senior couple already said it weeks ago, you should say the same too.” Jaesuk happily encouraged, Jongkook responded with a slap to the hyeong’s shoulder. “Senior couple?” Jongkook repeated.

“Wae?” Jaesuk’s playful smile was there, flashing everyone at the bus. “Kookjong-a, you might be new but Jihyo is a veteran in love-line, senior is the right term alright?” Jongkook, along with everyone at the bus, burst out laughing. “A veteran, oppa? I haven’t been doing the love-line since Kang Gary left!” Jihyo defended herself with a smile/frown.

“I know Jihyo-ya, don’t worry, I’ll sort everything up here.” Jaesuk waved to Jihyo before focusing back on Jongkook. “Kookjong-a, Kang Gary left in 2016, it’s 2021 now. What took you so long?”

“What do you mean, hyeong?” Jongkook knew a teasing would come from the nation’s MC but he played along. “Things won’t be awkward here if you’re getting serious with our Jihyo, she’s not in any love-line other than with you, Kookjong-a.”

That successfully brought a playful beating from Jongkook to the nation’s MC, which made everyone burst out laughing again. More teasings continued for Jongkook, mostly came from Jaesuk and his loyal romance-seeker brother, Donghoon. Minutes passed and the teasing went to the oldest member like usual, adding more to the popular ‘Jee Seok-jin’s Show’ clip for sure.

“Everyone, we will play a game to win another hint about the thief.” Bopil PD announced. “What kind of game?” Jongkook asked.

“It’s the same game we played in Jeju Island, during the sudden shopping trip last year.” the members who were left at the bus to play the game that time vaguely remembered, Seokjin, Donghoon, Jihyo and Somin. Jongkook, Jaesuk and Sechan went for the sudden shopping that day so Bopil PD explained the rules once again. (A/n: The games referred to Episode 528)

“We’ll start with the 007 silent game. Who would like to go first?” Seokjin was chosen without his consent but he can’t do anything about it. The game continued as the bus tore through the light traffic of Seoul. Kim Jong-kook ended up winning the hint and he cheered alone while the others complained.

“The hint will be given when we arrived at the restaurant.” Bopil PD said to Jongkook who said his usual ‘Okay’ loudly, making Sechan and Jaesuk who were seated on his sides covered their ears playfully. “Listening to Jongkook’s voice after the silent games is the worst.” Jaesuk started. “Hyeong, can you check if my ear is not bleeding?” Sechan asked Donghoon.

The bus finally stopped in front of a restaurant. The members were getting excited as they saw the restaurant’s sign, they’re at a Naengmyeon restaurant. Summer was not that bad this year, but Naengmyeon on a summer is a must.

“Ah, I hope they’re not making the losers not eat. Naengmyeon is amazing on this sunny day.” Jihyo grumbled, she already felt watering at the mention of Naengmyeon.

“Naengmyeon is the best on summer.” Seokjin said before hopping off the bus. “Hyeong, don’t make unnecessary comments.” Jaesuk teased, saying it seriously to the oldest member. “Yah!”

“As everyone expected, we’re going to play a game and only 3 members can eat one portion of Naengmyeon each, the 4 losers had to share 2 bowls of Naengmyeon.” Bopil PD started. “At least we can still have them!” Donghoon excitedly cheered the members up.

“Okay, bring the bowls of Naengmyeon in, please.” The PD called, and the members laughed bitterly at the sight in front of them.

“Are you kidding me?”

“This is not the bowl the losers have to share, right?”

At the long table, 5 bowls of Naengmyeon were served. But only 3 of the bowls were in normal size, the losers’ bowls were on the smaller size.

“Before I explain the game, Kim Jongkook-ssi can see the hint he earned from the bus game.” Bopil PD reminded. “Ah right, the hint!” Jongkook stood up from his seat. “Where do I go?” like Jaesuk earlier, he had to follow a writer and a PD to see the hint. It’s the same kind of hint, a recording of a conversation with the words written on a black screen.

A : So your mission is to make this as difficult as you possibly can for the other members, can you do it?

B : I always make things difficult for the other members anyway. *chuckles*

C : Ah, ottohke? I’m nervous.

B : What’s the mission, Director?

A : .........................................................................

C : That’s easy, I feel bad already.

“We’re in a trouble.” Jongkook chuckled to his camera. “That was the hint?” he shook his head as he walked back to where the others at. “Hyeong, was it vague too? The hint?” Donghoon asked.

“Let’s play the game first, I think I need to think this one over.” Jongkook said, promising the members that he’ll share the hint to some of them when the lunch game is done. That was enough to make the members sit back down on their seats.

Bopil PD explained the new card game the members had to play. It’s a game where the members had to open one card each from a deck before placing the card in front of their hands. If anyone had the same pair of card showed on the table, the quickest one to shout the opponent’s made-up name get to give the stack of cards they have to the loser. (A/n: I got the game idea from here.) 

The game was as chaotic as the production team expected. Jongkook gotten rid of all of his cards first by transferring them to Somin, Donghoon and Seokjin during the first round. Surprisingly, Jihyo won the second round by not being a target of the chaotic game. Donghoon won the third and last round by rounding everyone to target poor Seokjin but deceiving Jaesuk at the last minute.

“If Jongkook hyeong is one of the thief, we’re done for.” Sechan said after Bopil PD announced that the 3 winners can take a look at a hint together after the lunch. “Sechan’s right, he got a hint earlier too.” Jaesuk also starting to get suspicious at Jongkook.

“My hint was a little longer than Jaesuk hyeong.” Jongkook said to the members. “That’s why I said I’ll only share it to some, because it might be wrong for the thieves if they know about the hint.”

“Oh? Kookjong-a, you’re already onto someone now?” Jaesuk stood up from his seat to ask. “Who’s the poor soul this time?”

Jongkook laughed. “I’m narrowing down the list, hyeong. If you’re not on the possible thieves list, I’ll share everything with you.”

“Hyeong, you’ll share the second hint with Jihyo and I right?” Donghoon whispered. “Yes oppa, we have no idea if you don’t share the hint you got earlier.” Jihyo desperately asked too.

“Of course I’ll share, but not here. Later, okay?”

When everyone is done with the lunch, the three winners were led into a different room, the one Jongkook got the second hint before the card game.

“What? It’s not on a laptop this time.” Donghoon noticed first as there’s only one thing on a table and that wasn’t a laptop. It was a brown envelope.

“What’s in it, oppa?” Jihyo encouraged Jongkook to open it for them to see.

Inside of the envelope, they were surprised to see a medical record of someone. “Is this real?” Donghoon asked the present production team who just stare back without giving an answer. “This is someone’s privacy!” he screamed to the camera. “Donghoon-a, at least we can rule out Seokjin hyeong from here.” Jongkook joked.

“No face-surgery.” Jihyo laughed when she realized. “Oh, that means Jaesuk hyeong is off the list too.” she remembered the accident that made Jaesuk went to get his eyebrow fixed.

“You’re right! That accident!” Donghoon also remembered the accident. “But I think this is only a record for one thief.” Jongkook burst the bubble with what he knew. “From the hint I got before, it’s 100% that there are 2 thieves today. And A wasn’t one of the thief, A is Director Choi Young-in.”

“Ye???” Jihyo and Donghoon said simultaneously.

“On the hint that I received, the A’s voice wasn’t altered, and that was definitely Director Choi’s voice.” Jongkook explained.

“Does that mean the thieves talked to Director Choi? Who’s close with the Director among us?” Jihyo wondered. “Jaesuk hyeong.” Jongkook answered. “He’s the closest one, yes.”

“You could be one of the thieves too, Donghoon-a. You’re close to Director Choi too.” Jongkook narrowed his eyes at Donghoon who quickly put both of his hands up. “I swear I’m not one of the thieves today, hyeong. I swear!”

“Are you sure?” Scary-kook started pressing again but Donghoon denied it once again.

“Okay, let’s get back to the others first.” Jongkook put his arm on