The children were driven to a mud flat. The adults peered out of their vans and groaned.

“Seriously?” Haha grumbled. “They are just children!”

“It’s too much for them,” Jong Kook added. “What missions do you want them to do?”

Gary and Jihyo looked at each other and sighed. They were worried, of course, but they usually kept their complaints to themselves, as with their time in running man.

“Would you guys calm down?” the PD said. “Their mission is just get to the red flag and bring it back as fast as possible. It’s just 2.5 km to and fro.”

Their complaints ceased a little knowing that it’s just walking, but 2.5 km was still quite a distance for the younger ones. Besides, they were tired already. The adults were worried if they could even complete it.

The instruction given to the children was that everyone have to cross the red flag before turning back, so naturally, they should go at the same pace. Hyun Woo decided to carry Jun Suk after a while, because he was just a baby, and his steps were unstable on the mud. It was commendable of him, because he didn’t have to. But he was the big brother and the leader of the team, so he volunteered to help. The adults nodded at his gesture, commenting about how helpful he was and how Suk Jin should be thankful that his son grew up finely.

With the toddler in his arms, it’s natural that Hyun Woo wanted to speed up so he’d reach faster. But the younger ones couldn’t catch up. Ji-Ho kept close behind Hyun Woo, then there was a huge gap, then it was Dream and Min Yee slightly behind. Then even further back was the twins, because it the ground was uneven and Ji-ohn was afraid to walk quickly, even with Jiyoung helping her.

“You have to walk faster,” Jiyoung urged, pulling her along.

“I’m tired…” she whined.

“They’re very far away now,” Jiyoung informed her. “We should hurry.”

“No… they are too fast. Tell them to slow down,” she whined again. Jiyoung didn’t say anything more and they quietly walked for another 10 minutes or so. They had caught up with Min Yee, who was also starting to lag behind because she was tired. The mud stuck to their legs and it was harder to walk on the mud flat than on land. Dream turned behind to see the three others lagging behind and pondered if he should tell the older boys to slow down. But then he was still upset with them, so he didn’t tell in the end and slowed down for the other three, occasionally pausing to wait for them.

It was Ji-Ho who realised that the younger ones are far back. “Hyung! Hyung! Wait!” he called out.

Hyun Woo turned behind and realised how far the gap was. He sighed and stopped to wait, but he got annoyed when they are moving so slowly.

“Hurry up,” he yelled, not because he was angry but because they were too far away. But of course they weren’t much faster than before. He told Ji-Ho, “I’ll walk first and go there and rest.” It wasn’t against the rule since the rule was just for everyone to pass the flag before turning back, so the PDs let him. Ji-Ho looked at Hyun Woo, then at the younger ones, at a loss of what to do.

Behind, Jiyoung was helping both Ji-ohn and Min Yee, who were getting more and more tired by the minute.

In the van, Jae Suk commented on how Jiyoung is like Gary- taking care of the girls around him so well. Gary and Jihyo just laughed.

The trio finally caught up with Dream, and Dream went to help Jiyoung with the girls, so they now formed a line of 4. 

Ji-Ho waited for the rest at his spot as well, and by the time they caught up, they were near the end mark. Under Ji-Ho’s encouragement to speed up a little, they finally reached the flag after close to 30 minutes.

Hyun Woo stood up and got ready to go, but the younger ones wanted to rest.

“But we should hurry,” he said. “They said to go back as soon as possible. Then we’ll get better clues.”

 Then, all of a sudden, Min Yee started to cry. It startled everyone. “I am very tired…” she whined. “I miss appa… don’t walk anymore…” she mumbled between sobs. Her cries got Ji-ohn crying too, and now the boys were all in shock. Ji-ho and Jiyoung tried to comfort their younger sisters.

“Don’t cry,” Jiyoung said, sitting down beside Ji-ohn. “We’ll see appa and eomma soon...” he said, himself on the verge of tears.

In the van, the adults looked on worriedly. If even Jiyoung start to cry, Dream is likely to follow and even Jun Suk may start, then they would never start making their way back.

But Jiyoung didn’t cry. He stood up and tugged on Ji-ohn gently. “Come… let’s go,” he urged again.

“Now let’s all walk together,” Ji-Ho suggested, trying to encourage everyone. “We can walk slowly but we’ll walk together,” he said, but looked questioningly at Hyun Woo. The elder boy nodded.

And so they did.

They finally made it back after almost an hour. The staff helped the kids to wash up. Then they were sent back to SBS. They all fell asleep on the drive back.

When they finally arrived, they were given a vague clue about their parent’s location, but none of them could guess. Then, with the exception of the baby, they were separated to different rooms. In each room, the PD in-charge told them this, “Since you were unable to guess where your parents are, we give you another chance. If you choose to go, we’ll tell you where your parents are, and you can go home right away. But if everyone chooses go, then you all will have to wait for another 2.5 hours before we tell you where your parents are. If everyone forgo the chance and stays, you all will have to wait one hour. If only you forgo the chance and the rest takes it, then only you will have to wait for 2 hours alone.”

“Can’t we all choose to forgo, and everyone just wait together?” Hyun Woo asked.

“You can’t discuss,” the PD said.

He pouted and knitted his eyebrows together. Of course the wisest and fairest choice was for everyone to forgo, but knowing the other children, they are unlikely to grasp the idea, and they will choose to take. But he can’t choose to take the chance, because if everyone takes then they have to wait 2.5 hours. But if he chooses to stay, and the rest all leaves, then he would have to wait for 2 hours alone. He sighed and told the PD his choice.

“But if I chose to stay and Min Yee choses to take the chance… do I get to go home too?” Ji-Ho asked cheekily.

“No.”

“Then it’s not fair…” he whined. Like Hyun Woo, he understands that there must be someone who chooses to stay in order for them to not get the ‘punishment’. But he also knows that the person will have to sacrifice because he would have to stay alone for two hours.

“Then I’ll stay,” Ji-ohn said. “I can just sleep while waiting, right?”

The PD laughed but nodded.

“Then my oppa?”

“If he decides to go, then your parents will bring him home first.”

Ji-ohn shook her head. “Aniya, he will stay with me.”

Jiyoung also decided to stay. “Because Ji-ohn will stay.”

Alas, the children were gathered in a single room again.

“All of you have chosen to stay…” the PD announced, surprising the adults. It seems like the kids are more aware of the quality of fairness that the adults thought they were.

“And there was a rule that we decided from the start… that is if everyone decides to sacrifice for the group… you all can go home right away. We hope that through today’s mission you all have learnt more about each other. And this quality of caring for others… don’t let it fade away,” he said. With that, the casts came into the room to meet their weary children.

At the sight of Jihyo, Jiyoung immediately burst into tears. Startled, Jihyo carried him up and patted his back.

“I missed you,” he mumbled between sobs.

“I know, I know,” she said, brushing his hair. “But you’ve done so well today! You held on for so long!” she said, kissing his cheeks. “Eomma and appa are really proud of you for not crying at all just now, you know? So don’t cry now, okay?”

He shook his head, but his sobs slowed and gradually quietened down. “I wanted to cry just now but if I did, then Ji-ohn wouldn’t stop. So I didn’t. But I missed you a lot…” he said softly.

Jihyo hugged the little boy tighter and kissed him again. For a boy his age to go through all those missions without crying was not easy. But for him to stop his tears because he didn’t want to affect his younger sister… not every 4-year-olds can do that.