• Anyone •

Inspired by Justin Bieber’s song, ‘Anyone’.

“..I need to make sure you know that you are the only one I’ll ever love. If it’s not you, it’s not anyone..”

Seoul, December 2015

“Kwangsoo-ya, where’s Jihyo?” Jaesuk asked, the Running Man members were gathered for the year-end team dinner along with the production team, but the actress was nowhere to be seen. “I called her but she didn’t pick up hyeong, I’m sure she’s on her way.” Kwangsoo replied.

“We’ll start in 10 minutes with or without Jihyo.” Jaesuk sighed. “That woman knew how to be fashionably late as always.”

Jihyo showed up a full hour after Jaesuk officially started the dinner with a toast with everyone. “My apology for being late, everyone.” Jihyo bowed as she came to the middle of the room. “Where were you, Jihyo-ya? I thought you had no schedule today.” Seokjin asked.

“I lost the track of time, oppa. Mianhaeyo.” Jihyo bowed once again before joining the members, taking a seat in-between Kwangsoo and Gary. She really did lose the track of time. How could she not? She was in a screaming match with her boyfriend until 30 minutes ago.

“Everything is fine, Jihyo-ya?” Jongkook, who was seated across of Jihyo asked. “Of course, oppa. Everything’s fine.” She’s actually a shy person, even to the oppas and Kwangsoo who has been spending every Monday and sometimes Tuesday with her for 6 years. She’s not comfortable talking about her problematic love life with them.

“If you say so, eat up.” Jongkook pointed to the meat Kwangsoo just grilled and put on her plate.

“Ne, oppa.”

Jihyo quickly immersed herself in the conversation with the members, forgetting about her nagging boyfriend and his ridiculous behavior. Jihyo decided not to date someone from the same industry, it’s harder for her to date secretly and it stresses her out.

Her current boyfriend, Seojun (a/n: Not the actor, just the same name) was Jihyo’s friend from college. He’s working at a local firm that handles taxes for big companies, he’s not a celebrity. Jihyo has been dating him for about 5 months now, but they have been fighting a lot for the past few weeks.

Jihyo thought it’ll be easier to date someone who’s not from the entertainment industry, but she was wrong. He didn’t fully understand her work, and often got jealous over nothing. The reason she was late for the team dinner was because he wouldn’t let her go, in fear of her getting too drunk and Kang Gary was there. Jihyo tried to dismiss his jealousy by saying that Kang Gary was just a co-worker and an oppa for her, nothing more than that. But he wasn’t having it so Jihyo stormed off, she had no time to argue with him.

An hour after arriving, Jihyo excused herself to the toilet, leaving her phone on the table.

Seojun is calling…

Kwangsoo didn’t mean to but he caught a glance on Jihyo’s phone. “Hyeong, I think you’re right.” He said suddenly to Jongkook. “About what?”

Kwangsoo lifted Jihyo’s phone for the members (only Jongkook, Donghoon and Gary were listening) to see. “I think noona is dating someone.”

Donghoon got an idea, he was a little bit tipsy so maybe that’s the alcohol’s fault. “Pick it up and we’ll interrogate him.”

“Should we?” Kwangsoo asked, a little bit unsure about the idea. “Just give it to me.” Donghoon stretched his arm to reach the phone. He picked the call up.

“Jihyo-ya, where the are you?”

To say that the members were surprised to hear the rudeness was an understatement. They comically froze.

“Yah, just how long are you going to ignore me? You haven’t reply to any of my texts. Are you having too much fun there with your oppas?!”

Jongkook couldn’t take it anymore. “Who are you?” he ripped the phone from the still confused Donghoon.

“Who is this?” that man has a death wish, so it seems.

“Jihyo is not here so if you have something to say, you can say it to me.” Jongkook said it through his gritted teeth. What kind of man Jihyo is seeing??!

“Is she drunk already? I knew it. I shouldn’t let her go earlier.” Jongkook’s blood boiled. “Mwo?! You’re the reason that she’s late to the dinner??”

“Yah, where the are you? How dare you control my sister like that, you punk!” Donghoon also lost it, now it’s only Gary and Kwangsoo who were still trying to overcome their frozen state.

“Kookjong-a, what’s going on?” Jaesuk asked after hearing Donghoon’s loud voice, he’s seated a few seats away from them.

“What can you all do, anyway? I can leak your rude behavior to the press and ruin your careers in no time.” Jongkook was about to take a chance to ruin that er’s face instead when Jihyo snatched her phone back. “We’re done, Seojun-a.” she simply said before ending the call and turning her phone off.

“Yah, what’s going on?” Seokjin asked, the table grew quiet. “Who picked the call up?” Jihyo asked to the members near her seat, Gary, Kwangsoo, Jongkook and Donghoon. “Please don’t do that again in the future, it’s rude and it’s hurting my feelings.” Jihyo sighed before taking her seat back.

“Mianhaeyo, Jihyo-ya.” Donghoon apologized. “Who was that, Jihyo-ya?” Jaesuk asked kindly. “My boyfriend, well, ex-boyfriend now.” Jihyo shrugged. “I was going to break up with him anyway so don’t start feeling guilty about that.” She glared at the flustered Donghoon.

Jongkook snorted. “Why would you date that rude- boy anyway?” Jihyo rolled her eyes. “He wasn’t that annoying before, of course.”

“Noona…” Kwangsoo felt bad for being the first one who meddled with Jihyo’s phone. “It’s fine, Kwangsoo-ya. But I’ll teach you a lesson if you do that again.”

“Song Jihyo.” Jongkook called. “Eung.” Jihyo didn’t lift her face, but she’s definitely listening. “Let us know if you’re dating someone from now on, your taste in men is ridiculously bad.”

Seoul, December 2016

“Jongkook oppa?” Jihyo sniffled, she can recognize his voice from miles away. “Eung it’s me, open up, Jihyo-ya.”

3 days. It has been 3 days since Jihyo found out from the news that she’s being kicked out from the show. No meeting, no heads-up, no nothing. She only found out because her phone’s notifications almost blew out thanks to her family & friends, asking if the news was true. It’s been 3 days since she cut off contacts with everyone and locked herself up in her apartment.

“Wae?” Jihyo asked, still standing behind the locked front door. “Yah, I’m in the same position as you, Jihyo-ya. Open the door.” It’s true, his name was also there. Jihyo tried her best to wipe her puffy face from too much crying to at least looked presentable, but Jongkook will understand her messy appearance with what’s currently going on.

Jihyo had no time to react as Jongkook pulled her into a tight hug before kicking the door close right away. “Gwenchana?” he asked, almost whispering the question. Jihyo’s tears broke with the simple question. “Ssh, I know I know, cry it out.”

“Is this even fair, oppa?” Jihyo asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. It has been 30 minutes since Jongkook arrived and Jihyo had finally calmed down. Jongkook passed the tissue box to the actress. “It’s not. Jaesuk hyeong is making a big fuss right now, and everyone basically wanted to quit because of it.” Jongkook explained. Just like Jihyo, he also wanted to turn his phone off. But of course, he has to see the end of it.

“I’m not going back even if they ask me to, oppa. I’m done, for good.” Jongkook’s eyes softened. Her firm words were a big hint of how hurt she is, but she’s trying to hide it with acting tough.

“What if they ask you to do the same exact thing that you’ve been doing since 7 years ago?” Jongkook asked softly. “I’m… they kicked me out, oppa.” Jihyo repeated uselessly.

“They kicked me out too, Jihyo-ya. But I’m willing to go back if nothing will change.”

Jihyo tried to hold it back, but her tears started streaming down once again. “I’m not cut-out for the show anyway, oppa. I’m not funny like everyone else…”

Jongkook reached out for Jihyo’s hands and squeezed them in his. “Don’t start with that again, Jihyo-ya. You don’t need to try and act like a comedian to be on the show.”

He listened to her when she’s feeling down, when she’s disappointed with herself, when she thought that she didn’t fit in with everyone. He listened to her insecurities about her job, and he held her close back then. He told her to believe in herself. He won’t let her drown herself in those thoughts again.

“Let’s face them, Jihyo-ya.” Jongkook lifted her face, cupping her chin. “We will only continue the show with you and I on it, or they will have to cancel everything now.”

Jihyo frowned. “No oppa, if you want to do this, I won’t judge you and we can still be friends—”

“I’m not doing this without you.” Jongkook cut her off. “If you’re leaving, then I’ll leave too. I won’t give them the second chance too.”

“Oppa, but you’re important for the show—”

Jongkook rolled his eyes. “The news said the opposite, Jihyo-ya.”

“It’s fine, opportunities come and go. I’ll call them to tell that I’m out for good too.” Jongkook took his phone out, ready to call the PDs. Jihyo stopped him by snatching his phone away. “Oppa, can we meet the members first?”

“Of course. They’re all gathered at Kwangsoo’s place.”

Jihyo nodded meekly. “Can you call them here?”

“You have my phone right there.” Jongkook attempted the light joke, pointing to his phone that’s on Jihyo’s hand. “Ah, right.” Jihyo gave the phone back, a small smile forming.

“Jihyo-ya.” Jongkook called. “Eung, oppa.”

“I’ll make sure to get into the bottom of this.” He suddenly promised. “Ne?”

“Whoever tried to kick you out will face me, Jihyo-ya.”

“That punk also tried to kick you out, oppa.” Jihyo mumbled.

“That’s true, but I can handle it. I probably offend him or her somehow anyway, but you… You’re like an angel, you never complained, you never brought anyone trouble for 7 whole years, Jihyo-ya.”

Jihyo lowered her eyes. She knew he said the truth. “And that’s why whoever did this, will mark their end of careers in this industry. I won’t forget about this and I’ll make sure they won’t cross paths with you or with me ever again.”

New Zealand, November 2017

Instead of separate rooms, Jongkook specifically asked the production team to rent them an apartment-like place to stay. They got a nice unit with 3 bedrooms in the heart of Queenstown, New Zealand. “Oppa, look at the view.”

“I know, amazing.” Jongkook took his phone out to take pictures of the view and send the pictures to his mother, she’ll love it.

“Jihyo-ya, ladies first, pick a room.” Donghoon said. Before Jihyo can answer anything, Jongkook pointed to a door on the farthest end. “That, that one has a balcony and enough sun for you, Jihyo-ya.”

“Really?” Jihyo asked excitedly as she walked towards the room. “Wah, daebak! I pick this one, oppa!”

Jongkook laughed at her excitement. “Okay.”

“Hyeong.” Donghoon called. “What?”

“Aren’t you playing favorites, here?” He teased. Sechan snickered besides him but one look from Jongkook stopped them. “You two will share a room, don’t make so much noises at night.”

Later that night, the four of the members were lounging at the living room with couple cans of beers opened. “Somin-a sent this.” Jihyo lifted her phone up. The crazy maknae sent Jihyo a picture of a freshly showered Seokjin with Kwangsoo and Jaesuk on his sides with their thumbs up.

“Kwangsoo called and he said Seokjin hyeong’s scalp smells like a burnt flesh.” Donghoon scrunched his face. “How did that even happen?”

“Kwangsoo loves exaggerating things Donghoon-a, and with Jaesuk hyeong there, I believe Somin-i will learn a thing or two from those two.” Jongkook rarely drink alcohol because of the sugar level on it. But light drinking with his friends in New Zealand is not something that happens every other week.

“Now Sechan-a, do you have a girlfriend?” Donghoon turned Sechan unexpectedly. “So suddenly, hyeong?” Sechan covered his surprise with a laughter. “Geure Sechan-a, you can talk to us. It’s not like we’re going to run to the press and spill it.” Jongkook encouraged. Even Jihyo looked excited to hear about it.

“I actually just broke up with someone.” Donghoon is the best out of them to dig up into the story. It turns out that Sechan was dating a flight attendant for almost two years before they broke up a few months ago, just around the time he joined Running Man.

“Aww Sechan-a, I can tell from the first time you came as a guest that you’re a great guy, you’ll find someone better soon.” Jihyo reached out and gave a light pat on his right shoulder. “Thank you noona, I hope so.” Sechan smiled kindly.

“Yah Song Jihyo, worry about yourself. I haven’t heard anything about you for years now.” Donghoon joked. “That’s because I chose to keep things to myself, especially fr