“I don’t want to win anymore,” she sobbed.

Suk Jin her head and reassured her, “Don’t worry. He will be all right. He is a strong man.”

She continued sobbing next to the older man. The scene in which she had found him kept replaying in her mind. They were having a queen race today again. He was her knight and he had piggy-backed her in today’s challenges. She enjoyed being on his back. It made her feel safe. She could not stop smiling, but she did notice that he was not smiling and laughing as much today. During their break, she went to pass him some water and saw him lying flat on the ground. His forehead was wet with cold sweat and his brows were knitted into a deep frown showing the great pain that he was in. He could not answer her when she called out to him. He wasn’t even struggling to move himself. It seemed that all his strength had left him. He had always been the strong one. It scared her to see him in this state but she was calm enough to call for an ambulance.

“I don’t want to win anymore,” she repeated. She could never win this. 

As Gary approached the emergency department, he saw Ji Hyo and he stopped in his long and purposeful strides. Their Ace was crying. She was shaking in her sobs. She looked like a small child wrapped around in Suk Jin’s right arm. In these three and half years, he had almost never seen her cried despite her multiple occasions of injuries. The only time he had seen her cried was during Joong Ki’s farewell episode. He knew then that she was a sentimental person. And now he realised from her current streams of tears how much Jong Kook had meant to her. He wasn’t sure if she would cry as hard for him.

His companion, Haha, was about to ask Gary why he had stopped when he took in the same sight and paused too. This was not the feisty Ji Hyo who always fought with him. This was a Ji Hyo who he wanted to protect and comfort. She had finally shown her weaker side. And it was for that man in the emergency room.

Kwang Soo did not notice that his hyungs had stopped and walked straight up to his noona. He squatted down in front of her and took her cold hands into his. He rubbed them with his own hands to make them warmer. He did not tell her to stop crying. He supported her in his silent way by just being there. He was also worried about his favourite hyung but he still did not ask anyone anything for he knew everyone was just as worried.

Jae Suk had finally arrived in the hospital. He had to settle the matters at the filming set first. He gave both Gary and Haha, who were sitting in a nearby bench, a pat on their shoulders but didn’t stop. He seated himself next to the exhausted Ji Hyo and patted her head. She had drained herself out and fell asleep on Suk Jin’s shoulder. He got a quick update from Suk Jin and joined in the wait.  

Together, the six family members waited for the one other member.

Jong Kook’s chronic back problem had haunted him once again and he needed to be out of action for one month this round.

Ji Hyo had asked to meet Suk Jin and Jak Suk in a cafe. They sat a quiet corner. She kept stirring her cup of coffee nervously while the two older men waited patiently for her to speak up.

She finally asked after a long while, “May I borrow some money from you?”

“It would be a rather big sum and I may take quite some time to return it to you,” she added.

“Why do you need so much money? Did something happen?” Jae Suk asked with concern.

She bit her lips. After another long pause, she said “I will be doing something which breaches my contract so I would need to compensate the company. I have already put up my apartment for sale but it is still not enough.”

“If you do something serious enough to breach your contract, your career may be ruined too.” Jak Suk pointed out.

“Yes, I know. That’s why I may not be able to return you the money soon.” Her voice cracked. Of course she knew. Even though she had been in this industry for quite a number of years, her star had only started to rise in the last three years. She had worked hard before, but in these three years she had put her health on the line and she hardly had any time for her family and friends. The people who she worked with were now her only friends. The possibility of losing her career pained her greatly, but it was even more painful for her to see him suffer.

“Isn’t your boyfriend the CEO of your company? Can’t he do something?” Jae Suk queried.

She looked into her coffee cup and replied, “We have actually broken up almost six months ago. A new young starlet has caught his attention so he is no longer interested in me and we spilt up.” There was no bitterness in her words, only embarrassment.

“It’s his loss then.” Suk Jin quickly said. “So, what is this thing that you would be doing which will breach your contract?” He asked for he knew that Ji Hyo was a responsible person who took pride in her career.

She lowered her head further and murmured, “I want to quit Running Man.”

They were shocked. “Why do you want to quit Running Man?” Suk Jin asked immediately.

“I can’t see Jong Kook get injured anymore” she replied in a small voice. “After Gary’s hiatus incident, the producers did say that if any of us is to leave the show then they would stop the show, didn’t they? Please forgive my selfishness.” Her sense of guilt almost overwhelmed her and she sniffed her tears back. She loved this family but she loved him even more.

The men were stunned by her revelation. “What if they don’t stop the show even after you quit? Then you would be doing this for nothing. Have you considered this possibility?” Jae Suk asked.

She shook her head. No, she had not considered this possibility. She just wanted to stop Jong Kook from hurting himself. She knew that his pride will be hurt if he was unable to fully participate in the show. He wouldn’t want his fellow members to go soft on him, and the guests always deemed him as the strongest opponent and took him on severely. Hence, she thought the best way to keep him out of action was to stop the show.

“What if Jong Kook joins another variety show like Infinity Challenge or Laws of the Jungle?” Jae Suk further questioned her.

She shook her head again. Because of his muscles, his image in all variety shows had always been the strong one and they would never spare him from the physical straining. Jae Suk’s questions made her realised how simple-minded she had been. “Then, what should I do?” she asked in anguish and looked at her seniors with her pleading eyes.

Suk Jin thought for a while and said, “You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s gather the rest of them and seek their consent to stop Running Man. If all of us agree to stop the show, we will then talk to the producers together. We can even give them some ideas for a new variety show. If we manage to convince the producers to stop the show, then you wouldn’t be breaching your contract. We have been running for more than three years so it is time to give my old bones a break too.” Suk Jin ended with a laugh, and Jae Suk gave his old pal a pat on the back.

“As for Jong Kook joining other variety shows, I will persuade him to take a break first. I will also ask his dongsaengs to speak to him.” Jae Suk added.

She looked at the two older men gratefully. They had not failed her.  

Suk Jin had something else on his mind. He always felt that Ji Hyo treated Jong Kook slightly different from the rest. It was obvious that she liked to be in his team but she seldom had any contact with him outside the show except for phone calls. She took his words and game betrayals rather personally and he had caught her looking away when Jong Kook was being sweet or charismatic to other female guests.  So he asked, “Do you like Jong Kook?” Jae Suk listened with interest.

She blushed. “Yes, I have been his fan since his Turbo days.”

“Don’t pretend not to understand me, Ji Hyo.”

She knew she had blown her cover earlier so she nodded shyly.

“Since you have already broken up with your boyfriend, why don’t you let him know your feelings?” Suk Jin probed further. Jae Suk was hiding his grin for he thought that her feelings had a high chance of being reciprocated.

She fought a battle within herself on how she should respond to this question. She was weary from her worries for him and she didn’t have the strength to put up a false front and give politically correct answers anymore. She whispered, “I’m not good enough for him.” 

“Why?” Suk Jin was puzzled. He always saw her as a self-confident girl.

She had never regretted her career choices before. She didn’t doubt herself even when she received those negative remarks for her performance in Frozen Flower as she had wanted the movie to be remembered for the storyline and not those scenes. However, she knew how much his family mattered to Jong Kook and her career history might not fit well with his family. She felt even more inferior especially when she compared herself to Eun Hye. She was proud to be strong and independent but his ideal type was the innocent and gentle girl, and she felt that she was far from that. She could be his partner in mission but never the damsel-in-distress waiting for his rescue.

She let herself go and shared her worries and insecurities with her two seniors. Just when they thought she was simple-minded, they learnt about her deep thoughts and complex deliberations. She never failed to amaze them and they could only listen for even they could see some truth in her thoughts.

The group of six had gathered at Haha’s restaurant. All these while, Gary observed that Ji Hyo was poking at her food more than eating it. He also noticed her cheekbones looked higher and her chin was more pointed for she had lost weight. He casually put more meat into her bowl, hoping that she would take more bites but she hardly noticed the food in front of her.

Jae Suk waited till everyone had almost finished their food before he came around to initiate the topic of stopping the Running Man show. He cleared his voice to get their attention. “All good things must come to an end. Suk Jin and I would like to suggest that we stop Running Man while the going is still good. This will make our fans remember Running Man in its prime and not as a show has become stale and boring.”

Gary, Haha and Kwang Soo looked at the two older men, from one to the other, then back. They couldn’t believe their ears.

Jae Suk continued, “All our careers have benefited from the show. We have fans in many parts of Asia who we would never have without the show. But it’s time for some of us to focus on other aspects of our careers.”

Haha was not convinced and he noticed that Ji Hyo didn’t look surprised with the suggestion. A thought hit him and he asked, “Ji Hyo, did you know about this beforehand? Are you the one who suggested this?”

She looked up and he held her eyes. She couldn’t look away. “Yes, I was the one who suggested this,” she confessed.

“You did this for Jong Kook hyung, didn’t you?” Haha pursued.

She swallowed her tears. “Yes.”

Jae Suk was about to intervened when Ji Hyo stood up and kneeled before the group. “I’m very sorry. Please forgive me.” She apologised. Tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked them away.

Kwang Soo quickly got up and kneeled in front of Ji Hyo. “Noona, please get up. No one is blaming you. If this can help hyung, I will do it.” He held both her forearms, trying to raise her up but she refused to be lifted.

It hurt Gary to see her kneeling to seek forgiveness because of another man, but that man was Jong Kook. Gary never forgot how Jong Kook had helped him fit into the show. Both of them loved music and they had created great songs together. They were like brothers. But this woman had held his heart for so long. It started as a crush. It started as love line. But his feelings for her were real and he remained steadfast even when she was someone else’s girlfriend. He wasn’t lying when he said he had drunk for three days after knowing that she was in a relationship. He loved them both.

Ji Hyo fought back her tears but one of them betrayed her. It spilled over at a corner of her eye and threatened to roll down her cheek. Gary moved in front of Kwang Soo and squatted before her. He used his thumb to gently brush away her tear. “I agree with hyung’s reasoning. Let’s stop the show,” he spoke softly to her and gave her a hug. In his heart, he said to her “If this can really make you happy, I’m willing to do so. I can’t bear to see another tear of yours. Please be happy.”

At this moment, Haha was glad that he had kept his crush on her a secret. He could not and would not compete with his hyungs for her affections, and now he knew her affections were for this particular hyung – his big brother. He would always wonder if she would have accepted his courtship and he could always fantasise on how their romance might turn out. For now, she could be his “sister-in-laws” as he always predicted, and he was contented with Byul and his child.   

Ji Hyo looked up at Haha, hoping to get his forgiveness. He got behind her, pulled her up and turned her around. “Are you begging me now? Oh, this day has finally come,” he . She stole a little smile. She knew he was trying to make her better. “I’m begging you? You dream on. I shall scratch your face until you can’t appear on television instead.” She showed him her nails and he covered his face. The rest of them laughed.