SUMMARY OF LAST CHAPTER

- Gwang Soo goes through the mourning period of his unrequited love, but faced with his hyung's and noona's mutual love, he decides to move on by calling the older ex-date to set him up with the supposedly-beautiful girl she tried to set him up with. 

- Ji Hyo decides that she is not the type to sit and do nothing, instead decides to take a leap of faith. She resolves to make Jong Kook genuinely love her. 

- Jong Kook questions Joong Ki and Ji Suk Jin whether Gwang Soo likes Ji Hyo and is told he doesn't, (Suk Jin lies for the good of all three of them)

- Jong Kook finds Ji Hyo crying, but he finds she hid the real reason of crying (severe migraine) so as to not make him worry. This makes him realize that while he loves her, he still doesn't know her nearly as well as she knows him. Jong Kook then decides his mission is to get to know Ji Hyo. 

He flung his arms out on either side of the wall as he backed them into the corner, shielding her from the attack. Jong Kook mused how often they found it was just the two of them against the rest of the members these past years, as a predatory smile curved his lips and his eyes gleamed with the adrenaline rush. The fact that this time he was protecting the love of his life and not just an ally gave the alpha male in him the extra zeal. Her tiny hands gripped his nametag tightly, defending it just in case one of the attackers manages to get around his defenses. 

"Oppa," She whispered, as both their eyes watched every small movement of the three people who were approaching them, like predators deciding when to pounce. He simply nodded and took an anticipatory breath, which he immediately regretted as the strawberry scent that seemed to surround her attacked his heightened senses. "Gwang Soo first, from the left. I'll take care of the girl" She continued, and this time it was her breath that tickled his ear, a result of the proximity that their stance required as he caged her in the corner behind him.

Needless to say, it was a Herculean task to keep his focus on the battle and not on Ji Hyo, but he managed, years of experience behind him. "Fall flat on your back if nothing works." He cautioned. 

It was the impulsive female guest who lunged first, novice to the hunter games that were essential to Running Man. Here it was like a jungle, where you wait and the opportunity comes to you. Of course, this young girl thought that Kim Jong Kook would go down just because she is a pretty girl, thought Ji Hyo. Well, it wasn't just Kim Jong Kook here now. 

The idol girl launched herself against Jong Kook as he backed himself into Ji Hyo to avoid touching the girl as much as possible. Ji Hyo, as if grasping his reluctance to touch the woman, let go of his nametag and instead wrapped an arm under his arm and across his chest to protect his nametag with her body. This gave her one free arm with which she easily grasped the rail-thin idol's t-shirt, the nametag inches from her fingers as the girl flailed around to get out of her hold, despite having both hands free. 

"Gwang Soo Oppa, Oppa! Help." The girl shrilled for her allies as Ji Hyo let go only to lunge again from behind Jong Kook, her hand finally closing on the nametag it was seeking. "Ha Ha Oppa!"

Unfortunately for the poor idol, her two saviours were in a bind themselves. Now that Ji Hyo firmly and literally had 'his back', Jong Kook employed both his free arms - one holding Gwang Soo in a headlock to stop him from taking advantage of his long limbs and the other to throw Ha Ha around like a puppy. 

"Unnie, no, NO!" The girl gave a pitch-y wail as her nametag came off with a crisp rip and a hoot from the triumphant Ji Hyo. 

The Ace stepped out from behind the Commander and the two predators grinned at each other as the numbers were now evened. The next actions took but a blink of a moment and the announcement of the two male herbivores' elimination came on. The 'SpartAce' team proved triumphant yet again. He immediately turned to her, their hands rising simultaneously for a hi-five that somehow always ended up with their fingers interlocking for the briefest of moments. 

As the production team called for a ten-minute break before the closing shoot, as Gwang Soo and Ha Ha drained water bottles and as the idol girl tried to get her trembling in control, Jong Kook sauntered up to Ji Hyo with a cryptic little smile playing on his face. 

"I did my part of the deal; our team won. Do I get to claim my prize now?" He asked, his eyes twinkling with mirth. Ji Hyo had offered a little alliance to help each other as only the surviving members of the winning team took home the prize.  They had shook on it and he had shamelessly asked for a favour in return. 

She looked up to him slyly, knowing where this was going. "Name it."

He smirked, "Kickboxing. Thrice this week." He chuckled when she pouted at his demand. Ji Hyo hated organized exercise, preferring yoga and long runs. 

"Why do you want to teach my kickboxing?" She asked. 

Something had shifted between the two of them. For the two weeks after they had come back from the island, the two had returned to being an awkward version of how they used to be, but suddenly the day before yesterday Jong Kook oppa had dangled four movie tickets of the latest superhero flick (which she had been meaning to watch soon) in front of them and all the unmarried RM members found themselves sneaking into the theatre to catch the movie like "normal" people. 

Somehow Ji Hyo had ended up sitting in the aisle seat with Jong Kook next to her and had a great time discussing whether the DC heroes were better or Marvel ones all throughout dinner afterwards. Gary had tired of their heated discussion and retreated to his office (for they were dining in his restaurant) and Gwang Soo too left early but not before making a wry parting comment, "I didn't know you even liked superheroes, Hyung." Of course its not the superheroes I am sitting here for, Jong Kook thought, you idiot! 

Ji Hyo had blushed, realisation setting in. Jong Kook had squirmed in his seat for a minute, sheepish at being found out, but mustered courage to provoke her by commenting how "Batman isn't all that great". Suffice to say, the dinner had lasted long and both had returned home with tiny smiles cropping up whenever they thought about their outing. 

"Why are you denying yourself a chance to learn to literally "kick some ", as you so eloquently put it?" He smirked at her, 

"But what's in it for you?" She asked warily. 

"Your charming company, of course!" He teased as he discreetly caught of her hand, his body shielding the exchange from the eyes of the production crew. 

Ji Hyo cleared nervously as she looked down at her  hand which he kept in a light grip, his thumb lightly coasting over her knuckles, sending little sparks across her skin. "Oppa, is there a reason to all this?"

"Cheon Sung Im, you want to pretend like you do not know the reason?" He replied, the smile not faltering even the slightest bit. "You are smart woman, I am sure you can deduce my intentions."

If Ji Hyo wasn't out of her element before, she was definitely now. opened and closed several times as she scrambled for an appropriate answer. Jong Kook took pity on the flabbergasted girl, "I never actually promised to back-off that night, if you recall. I simply gave your arguments a fair hearing and later, a fair thought."

"And what conclusions did the thinking lead you to?" She asked, fighting to keep her tone casual but a mess of anticipation burned in her stomach. 

"Why don't you find out? Humour me, woman, join this poor old man for kickboxing. " He flashed her toothy smile,

"Jong Kook Oppa!" She whined, shaking the hand he had imprisoned in his. 

He chuckled, squeezing her hand before bringing it close to his mouth, "I am going to woo you, little one." He chuckled again, her hand still near his lips but they never touched it. Like a gentleman pressing a kiss upon a lady's gloved hand, where she could only feel the faintest feeling of the act through the fabric. In Ji Hyo's case it was a mockery of a kiss and only air gloved her delicate hand. He saw her breath hitch and wickedly wondered that if a ghost kiss upon her fingers could fetch him this reaction, what if he were to... Patience, Kim Jong Kook, he smirked to himself. Softly returning the precious appendage back to her side, he moved a step back to give the stunned girl in front of him some room. 

"See you tomorrow, then?" He asked, but she only stared up at him, those beautiful orbs looking at him in wonder. 

Cocking his head to one side, he shot her a crooked smile, and then simply walked away. 

"Well, how will I know if she is here?" Gwang Soo hissed into his phone. It had taken a lot of effort to get ready and actually show up for the blind date. He had snatched up his phone at least five times to call the noona ex-date to cancel for him, before giving himself the "moving on" pep talk and putting the device down. And so now he was here in the crowded cafe, trying to hide behind his scarf and sunglasses. "In fact, how will she know I am here?"

"Believe me, kid" The noona drawled, "You are pretty much a failure when it comes to going unnoticeable."

Kwang Soo scowled. "And what if she is too shy to approach me?"

There was a sharp laugh at the end of the other line, "She is ANYTHING but shy. You'll get to know soon enough."

"Just who have you set me up with?" Gwang Soo asked curiously, but the noona had already hung up on him and his incessant questions. 

His eyes roamed over the crowd once more as he searched for his elusive date who was ten minutes late. It would have been nice to have at least have a picture of her beforehand, he muttered to himself. 

"Pictures never do living things justice." A haughty voice spoke from behind him. 

Gwang Soo turned around to come face to face with perhaps the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, which is saying something considering the profession he is in. He was so struck with the ivory skin and the golden-brown waves cascading down her back that it took him a minute to take in the smug and arrogant expression that accompanied those exquisite features. "Shin Cheon Sah ssi?" He confirmed, though he was plenty sure from her confident stance that this was his "date". 

"Yes." She stated shortly. "And you, of course, need no introduction." There was a certain condescending tone to her statement that Gwang Soo disliked. 

"Lee Gwang Soo" He offered anyway, extending a hand to shake which she contemplated pointedly before reluctantly taking it for the briefest of handshakes. The haughty stance never slipped. "I believe there is a nice French restaurant on the second floor. How about going there?" He asked, gesturing in the vague direction of the restaurant.

"What about Korean food?" She asked instead, though it sounded more like a demand than a suggestion. 

Gwang Soo raised his eyebrows. So she was that kind of girl. Perhaps rich, spoiled and definitely aware of just how beautiful she was. Just the kind that he steered clear of. His tastes leaned more towards the cheery, caring and witty type. Definitely not holier-than-thou princesses. 

They made their way towards a traditional Korean restaurant, with her watching him closely while he squirmed under the scrutiny. 

"Why are you so wary of me?" She asked directly, as they both seated themselves on the low seats.

"I am not wary." He replied defensively. Slightly offended at her presumptuous tone. "You are the one judging me."

"Are you sure you even want to be here?" The actor in Gwang Soo did not miss the minuscule hint of hurt in her tone and he immediately felt somewhat guilty. 

"Of course I want to be here, Cheon Sah ssi. Now, why don't we order?" He hurriedly pushed the menu in her hand, trying not to be taken in by just how stunning the woman looked with her features softened by a fraction. "The beef patties here are out of the world!"

Her nose rose high in the air again, "I am vegetarian"

"Okay." He scrambled to say something else, "Right. I am sure there will be something here that you'd like."

Silence descended while the two ordered. Gwang Soo noted that even though there was no meat in her order, the girl had ordered a hearty meal and had refused alcohol. She was gazing at the restaurant intently, taking in the people around her. Her eyes which often sparked with judgemental looks coasted over everything with enthusiasm as if the usual families and couples around them were something of great interest. He may not like her but he was curious about this Ice Queen. 

"So, I heard you are in college." He struck up casual conversation. 

"Joined late." She replied, her hands gesturing to herself, as if explaining how someone in her late twenties was in college still. "European History"

"Why not Korean?"

"While a lot happened in this country, it's not nearly as interesting as all that has happened in Europe." 

"Yes, they colonised the whole world, what's so good about it?" He scoffed. The waiter then brought in their food and he noticed how his date lit up at the sight of the food. 

"Ha! And you think I am judgmental." She scoffed right back. 

He protested, "I don't think you are judgmental. I barely know you!" 

She gave him a look which can best be described as a sarcastic 'Oh please!', "When you put aside your preconceived views and look at history as a record of what humans did over time, you'd see it as a story. Moralities become trivial over matters as centuries go by. It's not about what is right or wrong but simply what all they did that interests me. Besides, you weren't there when that history happened and most existing historical records are biased; so what gives anyone the reason to judge?" She then scoffed disdainfully, proceeding to mix the pot of rice and kimchi stew while explaining and then dug in. 

He watched fascinated as her eyes twinkled; clearly she had enjoyed 'enlightening' him with her superior knowledge. "So  you are saying you can look at everything objectively?"

"Of course!" She instantly replied with a small laugh, "Now I am contemplating how offended you'd be if I said that I somewhat understand the logic behind North Korean ideology." She flicked her splendid hair behind her and returned to the meal, and Gwang Soo noted that she preferred other utensils over chopsticks. 

"I'd be very very offended" He replied with a mock stern look followed by a short chucke. This girl had grown on him; maybe not to the point that he liked her but definitely to the point that he'd like to know her more. If she was rich, beautiful and spoiled then she also seemed intelligent and passionate. If that wasn't an interesting combination, he didn't know what was. 

She looked up at him seriously for a moment and then turned back to her bowl. "You are not as dumb as I thought." 

Despite her arrogance, her tone told him that she did not mean offense by this statement, "Well, I am not all that I seem" He replied, half-jokingly. 

She gave him a small smile, the first one in the entire evening. So beautiful, it almost made him forget about one Song Ji Hyo, or his own name. "Aren't we all?" She murmured softly, so soft that he didn't hear. 

"You guys do know that you all have a tab here? It's not free every time you come!" Gary announced, hand on his hips, as he looked down on the assembly of the rest of the RM members minus Song Ji Hyo. The venue was, of course, his restaurant. They had called an emergency meeting for a very special reason; though 'some' members of the group were under the impression that the gathering was sudden, but preparations of today have been going on for a week now. "Why don't you go to Ha Ha's restaurant for a change?" He whined. 

"Food there is crappy." Jae Suk announced plaintively, earning a glare from Ha Ha and snickers from the rest. They cunningly avoided to answer Gary's first question and simply dug into the hot platters in front of them. 

"So" Jae Suk started, swallowing the food in his mouth and giving a swift glance towards Jong Kook, "this is an official meeting of the Bibimbap Club."

"Without bibimbap." Ha Ha interjected, gesturing to the meat spread on the table. Jae Suk gave him a stink eye for the interruption. 

"And since we haven't met for a while; let's get some work done." He continued, his eyebrows waggling, clapping his end to punctuate his statement. 

"I thought we had stopped with that idiotic mission." Jong Kook hissed to Suk Jin sitting beside him. The elder hyung just gave him an amused wink. Frustrated, the singer turned to the rest, "Just let the girl be, she is happy now that she is not being treated unfairly when there are women guests. I say, mission accomplished." He spoke loudly, with finality. 

"Hyung, we are nowhere near done!" Gary protested, at the same time Jae Suk scoffed loudly, both of them trying to keep little smiles escaping when they looked at the indignant Jong Kook. "We are only halfway there! I mean, there's been progress, right? By the end of this year, we can possibly even get that brat a boyfriend!" He finished with a smug face and his arms open in a  flourish.

Jong Kook's face turned slightly pink at that and when Ha Ha gleefully proclaimed "Maybe even married!", it turned a glaring red. Suk Jin's amusement at the changing hues of his dongseng, of course, was great. It got even better and a repressed chuckle escaped the mat hyung's lips when Jong Kook abruptly stood up, almost unsettling the table.

Gwang Soo watched it all with a self-imposed indifference. He had imagined a gathering like this when he would have finally gained courage to announce his feelings for Ji Hyo. There would have been loud laughter and protests at first, which would soon be followed by grilling and threats. Now, well, now it was so very different. If anyone Ji Hyo noona is going to marry, it'll be her Jong Kook Oppa, it was only a question of 'when', Gwang Soo knew. 

Jae Suk shot Suk Jin a sly smirk and turned to his muscled dongseng who had his fists clenched. "Ya, Kim Kook Jong, what's the matter with you?". The smirk didn't go unnoticed by the quiet Gwang Soo. The maknae looked at the rest of the smirking faces and couldn't shake the feeling that the herbivores had laid a trap for tiger. 

Jong Kook took a deep breath and a moment later also took his seat again. He aligned the pads of the fingers of both hands and rest his chin on the top, and watched them as they watched him, his attention sharp at the little details - like the slight twitch that gave Suk Jin hyung away, the poker face of Jae Suk hyung which he knew told more than it hid, Gwang Soo who was watching him with blatant interest, and finally the fidgeting of the two "kids". 

His eyes narrowed at the group. "You all know." 

It wasn't a question, so none of them answered. If they were shocked on how easily he caught on, they hid it well. "Very well," He continued with a strange (and "creepy", Ha Ha would say) smile playing on his lips. "Then I am sure you'd know better than to actually set Ji Hyo up for a blind date, not to even mention marriage dates. If I see even one of you even trying to introduce my girl to other men under the guise of this mission or whatever, I assure you, heads will roll."

It fell silent as the threat rang in the air. They didn't know whether to be angry, shocked or simply amazed. Finally Ha Ha turned to Gary and wondered aloud, "Wait, why is HE threatening US?"

And a racket broke out in true Running Man fashion, with Jae Suk arguing with Suk Jin about the turning of tables in their 'foolproof' meeting, Gary and Ha Ha looking baffled and Gwang Soo laughing his head off at the ironies of the universe. Jong Kook sat, the smug expression now on his side of the court, while chaos went on around him. No one messes with the king of the jungle. 

Suk Jin hyung turned to him, pointing an exasperated finger. "YOU!" He sputtered in frustration. 

Jong Kook looked at him lazily, "What about me, hyung?"

"We were supposed to threaten him!." Jae Suk moaned, his head in his hands. 

"How did you guys know, anyway?" Jong Kook asked, still comfortably lounging in his chair. He picked up something to eat from the platters but kept it back when he saw it was a french fry. It reminded him of Ji Hyo, which made him smile. 

All of them, except Gwang Soo, pointed at Suk Jin as the answer to his question. Gwang Soo knew then why he wasn't in on the confrontation plans; Suk Jin hyung was probably trying to be sensitive about his 'feelings'. Suk Jin turned defensively to his bespectacled partner-in-crime, "Ya, Jae Suk ah, you already knew!"

Jong Kook turned to Jae Suk with a raised eyebrow, "Jang Hyuk?"

"Give me some credit, kid. I have eyes. I have known you and that stubborn girl for far too long." the older man replied, a little hurt making its way in his statement at being kept in the dark, before it turned to outrage as he factored in the dongseng's words "AND you told Hyukie before me?!"

The bickering resumed until Gary banged the tissue holder on the wooden surface of the table to get their attention. 

"Let's get back to the topic here! WE are going to ask the questions." He aimed his words sternly at Jong Kook, "And WE are going to make the threats!" 

Jong Kook bared an almost feral smirk at the impertinent dongseng but was impressed when the rapper didn't back down. It seemed to bolster the rest as they huddled together in front of him. "What are your intentions?" Suk Jin asked.

"Seriously?" Jong Kook asked, offended. 

"You are going to make an honest woman out of her." Jae Suk proclaimed sternly, something he would have expected from Ji Hyo's father if he were alive. "You will marry her."

Jong Kook wanted to laugh. He also wanted to tear his hair out. "If she will have me, I'd marry her tomorrow!" Then he did laugh. "Suk Jin hyung, didn't you tell them that she refuses to believe my 'intentions'?"

Guilt dripping off his face, the mat-hyung tried to mould his features into what he believed was an innocent gesture. "How would I know about that?"

"Hyung, it's pretty obvious that Ahjumma has been talking to you plenty!" Jong Kook chuckled as Suk Jin ducked his head at being caught yet again. "Everyone, if you think that there is something going on between Ji Hyo and I, I confess wanting that to happen but you'd have to wait for that to actually happen."

Gwang Soo couldn't help directing a question towards the hyung this time, "What makes you so confident that it will happen?"

"Because I love her." And the table gave a collected gasp. The concept which was on some level unbelievable yet was finally signed, sealed and delivered to their brains. Besides, they never expected him to actually say that aloud.  "And if there is any mission that you guys should take up, it's to help me convince her of the same."

"I don't get it." Ha Ha asked, his expression still a picture of confusion. "You love her, she loves you and you are not together. Exactly why AREN'T you together?"

"Point is, he has his evil ert eyes on our Ji Hyo!" Gary interjected, his finger jabbed in his hyung's direction. Jae Suk swatted his head with a hissed "yah!".

"Wait. She loves me??" Jong Kook asked as he kept staring at Ha Ha in wonder. He abruptly turned to Suk Jin and demanded, "She still loves me?!"

Suk Jin rubbed his eyes. This was so not how this meeting was supposed to go. He had outed the two idiot stubborn lovers' secrets so that they all could  collectively cajole Jong Kook into taking action after the quiet of the past two weeks, but the man already seemed to have found his motivation. If anything, Suk Jin couldn't see how their help was required anymore, with Ji Hyo's "I'll make him love me" and Jong Kook's "I'll make her see that I love her so that she could love me" missions already going on. 

He sighed and plaintatively asked, "When has she not been in love with you?" 

Jong Kook ignored the gagging motions the younger men made at all the "romantic" talk and repeated with wonder, "She still loves me."

"What a bunch of idiots." Jae Suk muttered, his attention returning to the food in front of him, "Making love proclamations all over the town except to each other." Jong Kook shot him a scathing look but found no grounds to argue the truth in the words. "I don't even know what a girl like her sees in this lump of muscles."

Ha Ha was fast to come to Jong Kook's defense, "What's wrong with my hyung?"

"Has he seen his face in the mirror?" Jae Suk retorted, which made Jong Kook self-consciously pat his hair. 

"Have you seen YOUR face in the mirror?" Ha Ha shot back.

"Yah!"

"YAH!" Both frenemies grabbed each other by the shoulders and shoved, as per their usual routine. 

"I am sure she could have done a lot worse" Suk Jin offered, smirk playing on his lips as he saw Jong Kook's temper rising with each jibe. 

"Yeah, at least he is somewhat better than that sad chap she got linked with, her CEO, wasn't it?" Gary offered his two cents. 

"I heard he is still trying to make amends with his actual girlfriend over the scandal."

"Definitely better than that Goong guy she went out with a couple of times. Wasn't he found with drugs? Our Jong Kookie wouldn't touch drugs with a ten-feet pole." Jae Suk continued. 

"Joo Ji Hoon." Gwang Soo supplied the name. 

"He was kind of handsome." Gary scratched his stubbly chin as if in deep thought. 

"And tall" Suk Jin commented. By now Jong Kook's ears had turned bright red as he controlled his temper. 

Jae Suk put the final nail in the coffin. "But our Ji Hyo's smart. Better an idiot than a druggie." 

"THAT'S IT!" Jong Kook roared. "I can do this without your acceptance. If she'd have me, you think I care what anyone else thinks?"

All of them laughed out loud, while he fumed because he had once again given into their provocation. He glared at each of them individually, daring them to keep on laughing. And they did just the same. Kept on laughing. 

"Stop teasing the boy now. Our Jong Kookie is already having a hard time because of that stubborn girl." Suk Jin told them good-naturedly, once he had controlled his amusement. He patted the tense younger man lightly, hoping for him to let go of his anger. 

"I have one last thing to say." Jae Suk said, standing up, brushing the crumbs of the fried chicken leg he had been chewing on. His voice was solemn now, as he looked Jong Kook straight in the eye."I have seen Sung Im go through hell and back, and I have seen you go through hard times as well. She would never break your heart; so mark my words, if you break hers, I will break your face. I will do worse that break your face. Just keep that in mind." He ended, his voice still very much low but in the silence that cloaked the table, it rang like a bell clang. 

Jong Kook kept his eye connection with the hyung who was closer to him than his real brother, and was floored by his concern and love for the woman in question. A moment later his eyes roved over the rest of the four men in the group and their eyes echoed the same. He realized he had been talking to brothers and fathers and not just concerned team members. This was their way of giving him their blessing as well as make sure he did the right thing. 

Looking each of them in the eye, he gave a short nod. 

THREE MONTHS LATER

"Everything is set." Jae Suk whispered to Suk Jin as both of them walked towards that day's RM shoot site "The PDs are in the loop and hopefully if the two idiots do not screw it up, everything should go down smoothly. Mission: Make Her His Woman is a go!"

"This is going to be a disaster!" Suk Jin declared for the hundredth time. "I can feel it in my bones."

"Hyung, look at them!" Jae Suk insisted as the rest of the members came into sight, "Just look at the two of them. You think it is not going to be all over the news if they continue to act like this?" He physically pointed at the two kids who were going to give him white hair before his time. 

Ji Hyo and Jong Kook had come a long way. Kickboxing lessons were followed by lunches after; the movie plans dwindled down to just the two of them when their former companions saw that the two would just be in their own world anyway. Gary let go his Food-Here-Is-Not-Free-! policy and let Jong Kook manipulate him into giving them corner seats in his restaurant for relaxed fan/paparazzi free dinners. 

Gwang Soo soon started refusing be the chaperone to the clubs they used to drag him to so that they could look like just friends hanging out. No one believed the poor Giraffe when he said he had dates on those days, but thought he was just sick of being the third-wheel.  Ha Ha and Byul even loaned Jong Kook their baby so he could call Ji Hyo over with the excuse of co-babysitting. 

The change wasn't instantaneous but so natural that it left the rest of the Running Men wondering why these two were not together yet. The past few weeks the two were joint at the hip, giggling at inside jokes, ordering for each other, texting across the table, to the point that it drove the rest of them half crazy with all the pent-up . 

Currently, the two of them were sneaking glances at each other, grinning when was caught by the other. When Ji Hyo subtly started shuffling the standing arrangement so that she could stand next to Jong Kook for the opening shot, Jae Suk audibly sighed. 

"That" Jae Suk pointed at them again, "THAT is why this is going to end in a disaster anyway, so we will try and make it a smaller disaster!" He walked over and placed himself right in between the two lovebirds, even though it earned him a glare from Jong Kook. 

The PD called their attention, "The Princess Song Ji Hyo Special starts in 1, 2..."

The same day God looked at his beautiful child and sighed, "This is going to be a disaster."

"Father!" The Angel griped, but then her tone softened with pleading "Please."

"I won't deny you this, my child" He looked at her fondly, sorrow dimming His smile "I could never deny you anything. I have always loved you so."

"And so have I" The Angel replied, tears pricking her blessed eyes, she hated this but she knew she would regret the alternative more, "And I shall always do, Father, I shall always love you the most!"

God chuckled with watery eyes, "And I shall also miss you so"

Jong Kook pulled Ha Ha and Gary aside as the cameramen changed tapes and the Ji Hyo went to get her face powdered, "YA! What are you doing?"

"Wha? Hyung, we are making sure you win!" Gary replied, offended at his intentions being questioned. "Just like you said."

"Yes, but you are making it so obvious! Even editing will not hide it." Jong Kook scolded, "At least put up a decent fight. She will figure it out, dammit!"

"Hyung, will you chill. It is okay." Ha Ha placated him, "God, you are so anxious and extra-naggy today"

"Yes, well, today is not just any day" Jong Kook pointed out sarcastically, "So excuse me for being nervous!"

"You are nervous?" Gary looked confused, "Why would you be nervous?"

Jong Kook hung his head, not feeling any of the confidence that his teammates felt for this plan. This just can't go wrong!

"Just keep your head on straight and look like you are trying to win." He patted his two friends--brothers on the back but pulled them back as they started towards the set, "And thank you." Ha Ha looked like he was going to object, "No, seriously, thank you all for everything you are doing. I will never forget it."

The two smiled at him encouragingly and looped an around each of his shoulders, "All the best, Hyung!"

"Gwang Soo ssi!" 

Gwang Soo discreetly turned so that none of the PDs catches him talking on phone right before shooting was to resume. "Has something happened? You never call on shooting days, Cheon Sah ssi!" 

"I felt like it." Gwang Soo's eyebrows rose at her statement, even though he should be used to it seeing how demanding she can be sometimes. But this was unusual. Even when Shin Cheon Sah was demanding, she was never unreasonable; so calling him while he was shooting had never happened. 

"Are you sure?" Gwang Soo asked, concerned as he detected that her haughty words were not accompanied by her usual arrogant tone, "Is everything all right?"

"Yes." She said, still sounding a little out of character, "I was wondering if you'd like to go out for dinner after shooting? Or breakfast if it ends early in the morning?"

The maknae member couldn't contain his grin which made Suk Jin give him questioning looks. Gwang Soo shook his head, partly to signal the hyung that nothing was up and partly in wonder. Wonder, because over the three months that he had pursued this elusive woman -  not knowing why he was doing so but compelled because there was just something about her - there had never been a time when she had herself initiated. Sure, Cheon Sah loved to dictate how their meeting should go, but had never been the one to say she would like to meet him again. 

Now that he thinks about it, nor did she ever say she would not like to meet him.

His grin gets wider, "I'll call you as soon as I am done here. It's a date!"

He ran with all his might even as his calf muscles protested, keeping his lead from Jae Suk hyung who was the last remaining contender. Jong Kook clutched the fake-wooden chest which held the ring which the winner is supposed to give to the Princess to secure a victory. 

His heart pounded as the room where the Sleeping Princess lay, waiting for the man who would wake her and become her prince. God, sometimes these themes can be embarrassingly corny, Jong Kook thought, as he took a nervous breath to steady himself. 

He rounded off the corner and barged into the room, and all cameras swiveled towards him, following him as he made his way to the platform where the love of his life pretended to sleep in a Snow White costume (Wasn't this a Sleeping Beauty theme?) Wait, even with her acting skills, she looked way too convincing. 

"Ya, Ji Hyo ah!" He barked, startling her awake. She almost slipped from her platform in surprise, and he deftly caught her elbow to steady her, laughing along with the staff at the unbelievably adorable woman in front of him. "Did you actually sleep?"

Ji Hyo couldn't contain her glee and her expression was a dead give-away to how happy she was to see him as the final winner in her Special Episode. "Aniyo, Oppa! I am just that good an actress." She replied cheekily and confetti burst behind them, signaling the end of the race and the big pink heart lit up on the screen behind them, driving the point of the race home. 

All the defeated members filed into the room to take their positions for the ending shot, smirking knowingly at Ji Hyo, who was far too distracted by Jong Kook's openly adoring looks.  Jae Suk looked towards the camera to make some jokes about the SpartAce win, congratulating Jong Kook with mock-anger but shaking his hand with real reassurance. 

Ji Hyo was surprised when Jong Kook Oppa handed over the chest which contained the prize rings to Ha Ha Oppa and instead took both her hands in his. She looked apprehensively at the camera which were still shooting and then back at her Oppa who looked even more apprehensive but not because of the cameras. 

"Princess. Ji Hyo ah" He said softly, though every word was caught by the mic; it seemed as if the air was out of the room but a quiet murmur had begun among the staff who had no idea what was happening, "My one true love."

Ji Hyo burst out laughing at the cheesy words, which did not help Jong Kook's anxiety in any way, "Oppa! We won! Give me the ring." She shook his hand, trying to free her hand in order to grab at the chest but he did not let go. 

The murmurs and gasps among the staff grew. 

"Song Ji Hyo" Jong Kook spoke, "Little one."

Ji Hyo gasped, the staff gasped again and members burst out laughing. 

But Jong Kook did not react and simply looked her in the eye, "I love you, Song Ji Hyo."

And then chaos came. 

"OPPA!" Ji Hyo tried to clamp a hand over his mouth, as if it would be of any use now that the cat was out of the bag and the crew was in a tizzy over what to do. 

The cameramen did not dare to move the cameras from the couple, perhaps even if the PDs had asked them to, which the PDs surprisingly did not. 

"What are you doing?" Ji Hyo whisper-hissed at him, frantic yet a mad smile kept threatening to escape her lips in joy. "Everyone is watching, Oppa!"

"I love you." He simply repeated, "And I will keep on saying it till you believe me."

"I..." She looked towards the mat-hyungs who nodded at her encouragingly, "I, um, believe you. But stop it now!" Her cheeks were on fire and she was sure there wasn't a single part of her that wasn't on fire. Her heart was bursting with joy and excitement, so it was a surprise to her when she felt pin-pricks on the back of her eyes and moisture threatening to overflow. 

The past months had been a revelation for her. Her plan to make Kim Jong Kook fall in love was never needed because she realized that he had already made up his mind to love her. And when Kim Jong Kook makes up his mind, nothing comes in his way. She had been scared every minute she spent with him, fearing he would change his mind if he got to know her more. It was a pleasant shock to her when every time they parted, he made her promise to meet for the whatever next outing he had planned. 

And the revelations were not limited to Song Ji Hyo, Jong Kook thought he loved her when he started out on the quest for her love, but only after spending time with her, getting to know her beyond the Oppa-Dongseng barriers that had always been between them, he realized if that was love then this was madness. It was utter madness, what he felt for this little slip of a woman. His friends had a good laugh on his behalf when he actually punched himself for wasting all that time.  Even a smile from her had him giddy like a schoolboy and it was only when his mother pointed out that he was eating the cheese-laden pasta Ji Hyo had made them on one of her visits to his house a little too enthusiastically, that it actually struck him. While he had eaten contrary to his diet on the insistence of an ex-girlfriend and even Ji Hyo herself in the past, he had always been conscious of the sacrifice he was making to make them happy. But that day was the first time he was simply happy to eat whatever she put in front of him; the thought of calories and health never crossed his mind, nor did it matter when his mother pointed it out.  She freed him from his demons and insecurities. His little ball of sunshine. 

And this is why he was standing here, with all these people (and soon, the whole world) watching; his eyes hopeful that this amazing woman will give him a chance to make up for keeping her waiting for so long. 

Grinning so hard that his cheeks hurt, Jae Suk decided to intervene when he saw the couple growing emotional. Looking at the camera, he extended his arms in a flourish and announced as if the drama right now had not occured, "Today's victory goes to Kim Jong Kook. Give the Princess her prize, Prince-nim!" 

Ha Ha started to give back the chest he had been handed but Jong Kook already had his hand in his pocket to retrieve the ring. Gwang Soo took the box out of Ha Ha's hand, chuckling, "Did you really think he wouldn't have already taken the prize out of the box so that no one can steal it away from him?"

Ha Ha looked down at the chest in Giraffe's hand, his brows furrowing. His eyes shot to his muscled hyung, who was bending down on his knees with the ring enclosed in his fist, and then shot back to the box in the maknae's hand. 

Oh no. This was not part of the plan. 

"The box is still locked." He whispered in shock. 

"Song Ji Hyo." He stared up at her, smiling, watching as tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks. Jong Kook braced his weight on one knee and extended the ring towards her. 

It did not have an 'R' logo. Nor was it the Running Man's standard small solitaire. 

The stone was a pale pink and shone so brightly amidst the gold setting, that it almost rivaled the blush his beautiful Ji Hyo wore when she was happy. 

"Marry me."

He did not know who initiated the kiss. Maybe it was him, reacting to her awed 'Yes'; or maybe it was her, for he could have stood there like an idiot because he couldn't believe this stunning girl would agree to spend the rest of her life with him. 

The point was that he can finally taste her and knew he could never go back. His lips coasted along hers, slightly chapped to her softness; he groaned because she even tasted like the strawberries. The world had fallen away as her teeth playfully nipped at his lower lip and he couldn't help but damn all propriety to kiss her more fiercely and pull her even closer, wrapping his massive arms around her small frame. 

It wasn't the throat-clearings, or the PD's frantic "CUT! CUT!" shouts that roused him from the haze his fiancee's (HIS FIANCEE!) lips had put on him, but a heavy hand (Suk Jin's) which fell upon his shoulder. Disengaging from Ji Hyo's lips, he turned to glare at whoever dared to interrupt him,

 "Wha---" However, before he could finish he was yanked by his all-too-eager would-be wife (HIS WIFE!) who climbed him like a tree and caught his lips with hers again. 

He complied. All too happily. 

Even the disgusted "SONG JI HYO!" from one of the members (who care who?) did not stop either of them this time. 

 
EPILOGUE

Kim Jong Kook and Song Ji Hyo got married  four months after they took the Korean media by the storm with their news. There was disappointment, condemnation. There was even hate. Gary tried to explain to the Monday Couple fans, which helped to some extent but it took a long while for the public's sentiment to turn. The Running Man executives at SBS, who had initially tried to be supportive, couldn't help but blame them for the flack the show got (though ratings reached new highs). 

But their love had already passed enough hurdles to let the opinions of strangers dictate their lives. The closest, most beloved people in their lives couldn't be more happier for them, which was enough for the new couple. Jong Kook tried his hardest that the negativity did not get to his family; starting with making sure Ji Hyo moved as far away from her mother as possible, to fiercely defending her to any reporter who dared to question his wife's integrity.

When their chubby-cheeked Kim Ji Yoon was born, even though Ji Hyo had to take a sabbatical from Running Man, she sure that the public's interest will just going to shift in the face of the overwhelming cutness of their son. Much to her chagrin, it was Lee Gwang Soo's astonishing good fortune of getting an ethereally beautiful woman like Shin Cheon Sah to be his girlfriend which had all of Korea riveted, and not the most perfect baby in the world. 

"What is wrong with the world?" Ji Hyo asked her husband as she tried to find a channel which WASN'T talking about that stupid-ly pretty woman, "Look at her name! Did she drop from the Heaven itself to be named so? How is that arrogant woman more interesting than our Ji Yoonie?" She tickled the baby's stomach who gurgled back happily at his mother. 

"Song Ji Hyo ssi" Jong Kook teasingly ruffled her hair, then picked up his son, "Are you jealous?"

Ji Hyo ignored his question and flung the remote on the adjacent couch in frustration. "Have you seen how she orders Gwang Soo around? Argh!"

"I am pretty sure that is exactly why he likes her." He rubbed his cheek against Ji Yoon's and the baby chose to return the favour by gnawing on his father's jaw with his baby gums.  

"But he is mine to order around!" Ji Hyo huffed, genuinely ruffled. 

Jong Kook merely raised an eyebrow at his wife. 

"What? I told you! Lee Gwang Soo is mine. Not yours, definitely not that woman's." 

Shuffling close to her, with only his tiny progeny is between them, Jong Kook leaned to give her a lingering kiss. "I am yours, and you can order me around to your heart's content. Let the poor kid have his fun."

"I still maintain something is fishy about her. She is just not normal." Ji Hyo nodded to herself. 

Jong Kook could care less about Gwang Soo's supposedly-mysterious girlfriend right now, with the most beautiful woman to him sitting right here, biting her lip in thought. He shuffled even closer and placed a hand on her thigh, "How about we get this littlest one to bed, little one, and then find our own bed?" 

"But it's only 9:30!" Ji Hyo turned to him in protest, only to be faced with darkened eyes, "Oh. OH. Yes, definitely!" She smirked saucily at him, which made him even more eager to hurry things along, "Off to bed with you, my baby!" She plucked their son from his father's arm, purposefully rubbing against her husband, making him groan. 

Her hips had a more pronounced swing as she carried Ji Yoon to his nursery, her husband's eyes glued to her behind. 

Jong Kook gazed at his tiny daughter, wiggling around in her little cot beside her sleeping mother's hospital bed. Kim Ji Ya was one-day old and already had all the men in their family wrapped around her tiny finger, much like her mother. His twin toddlers were milling about, needing repeated reminders from their older brother to keep quiet and not wake their mother, and Jong Kook smiled at the perfect little family. Looking around the room filled with well wishes and stuffed animals, one for each member of Running Man, he thought to himself perhaps his family is much more bigger than he thinks. The show ended a few years ago but the relationships only strengthened. 

Ji Hyo was yet to wake after she had fallen asleep, exhausted from the long labour. Though exhaustion did not stop her from ordering him to get a vasectomy because she would rather kill him than pop out one more baby. His mistake was pointing out that one of her pregnancies was twins so technically they got four kids for the price of three. Ji Hyo almost threw a vase at him. 

At the age of thirty-seven, he had hardly believed an outstanding woman would take his hand in marriage, let alone give him three beautiful boys and one precious daughter. He ran a finger lightly along the very short length of his youngest child, just as his second son slammed into his leg, only to get up, brush off his clothes and continue chasing after his twin like the happy child he was, like all his children were. Just the black-haired chubby-cheeked menaces he had imagined on the beach of the Upside-Down island years ago. Look how far they had come today. 

Moving to perch next to his sleeping wife on her bed, he leaned down to kiss her forehead and closed his eyes as strawberries surrounded him. Thank you, God, thank you, he whispered. 

Thank you for making her the woman she is. 

~fin~

I cannot even begin to apologize for the massive delay and almost abandoning this story. Even as little compensation, I offer you this long final chapter and an epilogue. 
I will be honest, I had planned for at least 3 more chapters after the last one but life and Law got ahead of me and I know I would never have been able to finish that way. I hope the ends are tied up and please pardon any errors that you note. 

It was fantastic to have so many of you reading my humble work and getting enjoyment from it. Thank you for all your encouragement. Even if I haven't replied to your comment, please know that each comment has been read and re-read by me till I was so charged up to not further disappoint you and finish what I have started.

Thank you again. 

Much love,

~NJ