Ever since Haha came back from the restaurant, he had been trying to keep his assumptions about the earlier rejection from clouding his brain. Jong Kook and Gary had noticed his glum face when they boarded his car but they didn't think much of it and didn't bother to ask what was troubling him. If Haha wanted to talk, he would've done it. 

To the eyes of many, Jong Kook and the Two Kids couldn't possibly be sentimental men: the Commander had a frighteningly well-sculpted body, the Random Mr. Capable had emotionless facial features and the Penguin acted like an elementary school student. Who could ever imagine that those three would have a meal together frequently to talk about how their week had been? Or that they'd share with each other details about their private life which included the subject that all men talk about?

Having a character associated to them was a boost to the ratings but it was also burdensome. Jong Kook was perceived as a muscled bully, Gary as an idiotic man and Haha as an immature playboy. True, that was their concept on Running Man but that was not all there was to them. Some viewers had difficulty understanding that their alter-ego was only for the show.

Jong Kook had learned the hard way that the nicknames he acquired can follow him for the rest of his life. How many times had people mentionned Yoon Eun Hye when he was filming a show or being interviewed? He had stopped keeping track of the number after they had reached two digits. They used to be a friendly oppa/dongsaeng pair but there was nothing else going on between them during their X-MAN days despite all the rumors. 

After nearly 15 years in the industry, SpartaKook had become very knowledgeable about the way variety shows maintain a high number of viewers. Counting only on funny moments wasn't enough to keep a show alive and interesting. There had to be chemistry between the cast and hilarious unscripted dialogues. But the most essential ingredient in a succesful variety show was love-lines. The more, the better.

Seeing how his close dongsaeng was already falling for Ji Hyo, Jong Kook hoped from the bottom of his heart that Haha wouldn't be talked into being part of a make-believe couple. He didn't want him to mistake the love-line for reality, especially since he just got out of a serious relationship. Using Ji Hyo as a rebound was not something he'd wished for Haha. He deserved to be loved and so did she and that's why he thought that for now, all Haha could do was wait for the one instead of trying his luck everywhere. If the medias got wind of all his female conquests, the playboy label would stick to him in real life.

Haha hadn't thought that far ahead.

When he returned from his military duties, he had expected his life to pick up from where it left off. Unfortunately, during the two years of his absence, a lot had changed: his popularity had died down and his girlfriend had found someone else. It hasn't been that long since he came back in the entertainment scene and he was still adjusting back to his old life. Without his loved one by his side, he had no choice but to fall asleep next to a cold and empty space in his queen-sized bed. He longed for female company and it just so happened that his eyes had set on the quirky Ji Hyo. Maybe could she become the woman he could come home to every night? It didn't matter that he wasn't deeply in love with her yet, romantic feelings can always develop later on just like they often do in arranged marriages.

As he thought about all the possibilities for their future children's names, his phone rang, making his vivid thoughts come to an abrupt end.

"Jae Suk Hyung, what's up?" He asked as he brushed his teeth, ready to hit the covers.

"Do you have Ji Hyo's number?" The Grasshopper asked, worried. "I checked with Kwang Soo but maybe we both jotted down the wrong number. I've been trying to reach her for the last 10 minutes but she didn't answer any of my texts..."

"Maybe her phone's turned off." He reasoned logically. "I did offer her a ride but she wanted to take a cab instead." He added as he took off his glasses and made himself comfortable in his bed.

"Yeah, I know. I asked Kwang Soo to take her home." 

"She didn't reject him?! Does she like him or something?!" Haroro shouted, a little bit insulted that she preferred riding with a clumsy and lanky boy. 

"Yah. Now's not the time to worry about that!" Jae Suk reprimanded the thoughtless Haha.

"You're right, you're right." He said, realizing how serious the situation was, as he sat upright in his bed. "Do you think that something might've happened to her inside her house?"

Haha had always had an overly active imagination. What if someone broke into her house and murdered her? What if she was stalked by a deranged fan and was killed in the elevator? What if a crazy arsonist got out of jail and burned down her apartment building? Take any bad life situation and he would be able to make it worse in his mind!

"Don't say nonsensical things! Kwang Soo assured me that she had gone into her apartment building safely." Jae Suk replied as Haha heard a baby cry on the other side of the line.

"I'll be back in a few seconds, Ji Ho's awake." The Nation's MC excused himself as he went to free his 3 months old son from his crib.

Haha was completely awake now. He stumbled out of his bedroom, grabbed his keys and headed for his apartment's parking lot, wearing nothing but Bob Marley boxers and a wifebeater. He was about to ask Jae Suk for Ji Hyo's address so that he could check up on her when he heard the older man gasp.

"Hyung! What's going on?" He asked, afraid that something bad had happened. 

"She texted me back!" Jae Suk told his younger friend, relieved that she hadn't been abducted. "She's alive!" He said loudly, hugging tightly his newborn son.

He said a quick goodbye and ended the call, promising to call Haha back. Immediately after, he gave a call to Ji Hyo. As soon as she picked up the phone, she apologized for making him worry and explained the whole situation in one breath. Jae Suk, being an understanding and forgiving man, simply warned her that her safety was no joke to him. She was a dongsaeng and it was his responsibility to take care of her. He felt a sense of duty towards the youngins under his wing and wanted to make sure they were all out of harm's way. She felt bad about her little revenge and swore to him that she would never do it again. No more childish vengeance-filled pranks, she was going to be straight up honest with him from now on.