On the Dec. 14 episode of "Running Man," Choi wrapped his stint as a temporary cast member with a heartfelt send-off.
Ahead of his farewell, the cast brought up Kang Hoon, the show’s first “loaned” member. When Kim Jong-kook mentioned him, Choi playfully asked, “You mean the guy Ye-eun likes?” Ji Ye-eun shot back, “No, I don’t.”
Kim pressed, “You don’t? What if he asks you out?” Ye-eun didn’t miss a beat: “Then I’d date him,” she laughed, flipping the mood in an instant.
Right then, the surprise guest appeared ― it was Kang Hoon. The room erupted, and Ye-eun beelined to his side, fueling the playful flirting.
Catching everyone off guard, Kim Jong-kook scolded Kang, “Why haven’t you called? Get it together. You should stick around here longer.” Kang answered with deadpan sass, “I never said I was famous ― why are you coming at me?” prompting Kim to rub his forehead: “You’re stressing me out.”
The members referenced Kang’s buzzy two-line acrostic poem for Taeyeon on another show and dared him to do one with “Ye-eun.” He passed. So Choi jumped in, riffing, “Ye-eun… you look like Ngannou,” leaning into a running gag. Kang finished the bit ― “Ye-eun… you really do look like Ngannou” ― which mock-annoyed Ye-eun and sent everyone cackling.
Later, during a mission transfer, Ye-eun and Kang shared a car. “Don’t misunderstand ― I don’t like you,” she insisted, even as the flirting continued. “Don’t get me wrong. I’d still date you if you asked. But I’m not confessing first,” she teased, keeping the push-and-pull going.
Seeing Ye-eun and Kang walk in hand-in-hand, Choi grew sentimental: “When I saw Ye-eun again after our first shoot, I was genuinely happy ― and I enjoyed every time we filmed.”
“Don’t do that ― you’re going to make me cry,” Ye-eun said before actually tearing up, catching the room off guard. Ji Seok-jin chimed in, “You knew Daniel’s feelings, right?” Ye-eun admitted, “I did pick up that he liked me,” triggering another round of laughter.
For his parting words, Choi thanked the team: “To the 'Running Man' crew and cast who looked after me and embraced me for more than half a year ― thank you. I had so much fun.”
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)