Chapter 11: Family Perspectives

Jae suk cleared his throat loudly startling the two shadows hiding at a corner. “Err, guys? Aren’t you two cramped in there?” the older one asks, peeking at the liger’s den.

Jong kook and Ji hyo were huddled between two massive pillars with only enough standing room for one big sized man. Their VJs were squeezed between lockers nearby, barely able to film. Their spot considerably more spacious than the commander’s and Ace’s corner. Yet, they chose to cuddle there without a care.

Both of them looked at Jae suk with a guilty grin. “I know we need to hide for now, but don’t forget we’re filming. Aigoo seriously, you two.” Just date already! He thought but didn’t say it out aloud. Jae suk finally left them and went on to find his own hiding place.

Ji hyo grinned at her oppa, looking at him through her lashes, enjoying his warmth. They had been there ever since the game started and they did not intend to leave until it’s their turn to chase the other team. A meaningful look passed between them and Ji hyo let her head rest on his chest. She closed her eyes inhaling his scent that reminds her of gym and the sun. After a while, she felt his lips gently planted on her hair.

She wanted to ask him, wanted to know what they are now, but at the moment, the silence felt just right. The unspoken words can wait while their feelings do the work for now.

>/////<

“Ji hyo?” Haha blinked rapidly as if doing so will make Ji hyo disappear. The Ace only laughed at him. “What are you doing here Mong Ji?”

“I’m exercising?”

“But it’s a Sunday and it’s,” Dong Hoon glanced at his wristwatch and looked back at Ji hyo taking in her sweaty appearance. “It’s only 9 and it looks like you’ve already been working out for at least an hour. I’m not having a nightmare right?”

“Yah!” she berated him in between laughter, poking his soft stomach and pinching his cheeks when someone draped heavy muscled arms around them. “Hyung!”

“Oppa!”

“Why are you two fighting?” Jong kook says, eyeing the two. Haha has this look in his face as if he knows a big secret that he will use to torment his hyung forever while Ji hyo was just smiling at him sheepishly with the oops-we’re-caught look.

“Dong hoon oppa called me a nightmare.” she whined. Dong hoon shuddered. “No, she’s the end of the world. Workout on a Sunday morning… Jesus.”

“Cut it out you two, let’s go spar? I got a friend who coaches for the boxing team. He’s here today.”

Dong hoon paled and stared at Jong kook in disbelief. “I’m going to spar with you hyung?” Jong kook shakes his head. “With her then?! No way… I’d rather run miles.” Meanwhile Ji hyo’s already cracking her fingers with an annoyed look in her face.

An hour and a half later on, Dong hoon, Ji hyo and Jong kook sat on the floor their backs resting on the wall facing the ring. Ji hyo and Jong kook doesn’t have any space between them but Haha didn’t mind and stayed distant. He’s actually glad at the developments and knew better than to ask about it.

“Seriously you two!” Dong hoon huffed. “Human’s will never be able to keep up I swear!”

“Where are you going?” Ji hyo asked when Haha stood up, his knees obviously shaking after the intense workout. “Home of course… sooner or later you two will also… home…” he let the statement hang but they all know what it is.

“Looks like we have to go too Ji hyo-yah…”

“I’m still tired, give me five minutes.” Haha left. She rested her head on his shoulder and it didn’t matter if it was too warm or if they’re sweaty or in the gym. No one’s there anyway.

>/////<

Gary looks up from the music sheets and scowls. He looks back on the papers again then hears a distracting chuckle. It was not loud but the studio was silent enough to hear a pin drop. His scowl deepens and so did the furrows in his brows. “Hyung?”

“Sorry Hee gun-ah…” the older one placed his phone back in his pocket and went back into writing lyrics, humming along the melody. They discussed the intro for a bit and made another arrangement. They tested it, the process easier after the amazing breakthroughs in digital music. Jong kook got into the rhythm and sang.

“Hyung… your lyrics.”

“What’s wrong with them?”

“It’s good but… you sounded so in loved. Honestly it’s giving me goose bumps.” Gary even shuddered, earning a playful hit from his hyung.

They fell into a comfortable working silence. Jong kook went back to tinkering lyrics for his comeback. Gary was writing the rap part tapping his pencil.

The vibrating sound of a phone echoed in the studio then a giggling sound followed. Gary scowled again but laughed out hard when he saw his hyung’s face.

“Hyung I’m sorry but… goodness, you look stupid.”

The older one didn’t respond, instead he beamed even wider making Gary shake his head in disbelief. “I’m going to go for coffee break. Just give her a call hyung… you’re beginning to scare me.”

Still no response from the older one, not that he expected any. Gary left Jong kook who’s literally going crazy over some texts that he hoped he’d never see. Whatever’s making the commander act like that is probably lethal.

>/////<

“Oh god seriously, not again!” the editor exclaimed inside a booth, one of the many cubicles inside SBS. Hyo Jin walked by and stuck his head inside the cubbyhole. “Hyung…” the staff started. This was very familiar to the Running Man Pd.

“Again?”

“Yep hyung… I didn’t study abroad to hide their .” He complained dramatically while the Pd went through the footage frame by frame.

Jong kook’s VJ was laughing beside the editor as he arranged his tapes, copying them to the system. “If you’re going to get a raise for editing, how about us VJs? I’ve been learning so much about creative angles and new ways of filming that I bet I could already produce a book about creative takes.”

“You two shut up and just cover up as much as you can.” The Pd said, muttering curses under his breath before letting out a chuckle. Well they did look cute and maybe he’d compile and edit the unofficial couple’s moments in the show and gift it to them on their wedding day. He’s just not sure the two even knows that they’re crazy for each other.

>/////<

“Hyung?”

“Oy… Gwang soo?” his hyung sounded like he was surprised to hear from him when in the past they had always done this every weekend.

“Hyung you’re home right… so, can you come out for a while?”

“Umm Gwang soo… about that.”

“We haven’t spent much time together and – oh!” Gwang soo heard a voice in the background and he’s sure he knows the owner of that voice well. “Sorry for disturbing you hyung. Are you… it doesn’t matter – sorry hyung.” Gwang soo’s voice sounded playfully accusing. It doesn’t take a genius what the giraffe is implying so the tiger snapped at him “Look, Gwang soo it’s not –”

“—don’t worry about it hyung. Tell noona I said hi… don’t worry about it neh?”

“But – yah! Hey! Aissh, he really hung up.” Jong kook turned to Ji hyo his face red.

“Was that Gwang soo, oppa? And why are you so red?”

“Yeah, him. I was about to tell him that Suk Jin is also here and if he wanted to come over but he hung up.” Jong kook purposely didn’t answer the other question and Ji hyo didn’t really notice.

They both shrugged and texted the poor girin who’s feeling alone in a weekend. “That guy needs a girl friend or maybe he misses Joong ki.” Suk Jin murmured as he entertains his dongsaengs who had been smartly dodging the issue between them the whole day.

Sorry for the mistakes (I'm sleepy) and thanks for reading ^^ this chapter is mainly just about how Running man family sees Jong kook and Ji hyo's interactions