47: Chapter 47 The Focus of Running Man

In truth, Liu Zijun viewed these injuries as minor issues—nothing more than deep abrasions.

For someone like him, who had crawled out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, these could hardly even be called wounds.

Fortunately, in this life, he had very few scars on his body, with only a single gunshot wound on his back.

During his second tryst with Son Ye-jin, she had asked about it, and he told her it was a puncture from a screwdriver.

Though that woman didn't quite believe him.

Choi Sulli's phone call was the first one in the early morning; her voice carried the grogginess of having just woken up, yet it couldn't hide her concern.

“Oppa, does the wound still hurt today? Have you been changing the dressing on time?”

Liu Zijun leaned back on the sofa and said in a softened voice, “It doesn't hurt anymore; it's just a superficial injury. I'll go to the company to see you today.”

Choi Sulli immediately objected, “No! Oppa, you stay home and rest. I'll come see you after I finish filming the show today.”

Not long after hanging up, Im Yoona's text message arrived, short and to the point.

“Joon oppa, the weather is cold today. Keep the wound warm and don't let it touch water.”

Liu Zijun looked at the message and replied, “Understood.”

Shortly after, Son Ye-jin's call came through, her tone a mix of noona-like concern and a bit of playfulness.

“Liu Zijun, I'll be out of town for these two days, so don't go running around everywhere. If that wound gets infected, you'll be the one suffering.”

Three women, three different ways of showing care, yet all of them treated this minor injury of his as if it were a catastrophic event.

Liu Zijun put down his phone; while this concern felt warm, warmth ultimately couldn't defeat boredom.

Back at the base, he could at least train, but here, even his fitness was being managed by others.

Although the movement in his left arm was still a bit stiff, it no longer affected his daily life.

He truly couldn't stand this state of idleness, so he simply changed into casual clothes and took a taxi to SM Entertainment Company.

When he arrived, Choi Sulli was just preparing to head out.

When Choi Sulli saw him, her eyes lit up and she immediately ran over, but after seeing him, she habitually knit her brows.

“Oppa, why are you here? Didn't I tell you to rest at home?”

Liu Zijun ruffled her short hair and asked, “Where are you heading?”

Choi Sulli said, “To film Running Man!”

Liu Zijun raised an eyebrow; since he was bored anyway, he said, “I'll go with you guys.”

Han Jaeran, standing nearby, originally wanted to refuse, but then he thought about how their staff wouldn't need to do much physical activity for today's filming.

He would just have to pay more attention himself.

Having him there actually felt more reassuring, so he nodded in agreement.

The filming site for Episode 129 of Running Man was at a theme park on the outskirts of Seoul; when the car arrived, many SBS Television Station staff members had already gathered.

Yoo Jae-Suk, Kim Jong-kook, Ji Suk-jin, and the others were huddled together chatting, and when they saw Choi Sulli's group approaching, they all waved with smiles.

“Sulli is here! Are you going to let us witness your 'cute attack' again today?”

Yoo Jae-Suk joked with a laugh, but his gaze fell upon Liu Zijun, who was following behind Choi Sulli.

After all, a man wearing a black overcoat with his arm in a sling couldn't help but attract attention.

The recording soon began. Besides Choi Sulli from f(x), this episode's guests included several other male idol artists.

Choi Sulli's charming, naive laughter rang out from time to time, and everyone took good care of her, especially Choi Min-ho, who was also from SM Entertainment.

In the dead of winter, the filming was still outdoors; Yoo Jae-Suk and the other hosts and guests played with great enthusiasm, making Liu Zijun marvel once again.

These artists in The Peninsula are truly hardworking.

Choi Sulli wore a red down jacket, her short hair slightly lifted by the wind; her peach-like eyes curved into crescents, and her laughter was as crisp as wind chimes.

Liu Zijun stood behind the staff, watching her carefree smile in front of the camera, and a gentle smile unconsciously tugged at the corners of his mouth.

So, letting her laugh heartily like this was the meaning of his coming here.

Coming along to the show this time was definitely the right choice.

During a break in filming, Choi Sulli didn't even stop to wipe her sweat; she ran straight to Liu Zijun, pulled a thermos from her backpack, opened it, and handed it to him.

“Oppa, are you thirsty?”

Liu Zijun shook his head with a smile: “Not thirsty, you drink it yourself.”

“Fine, I'll take a sip first, then you drink!”

Choi Sulli took a big gulp, puffed out her cheeks, and forcefully shoved the cup into his hand, a hint of stubbornness in her eyes.

Yoo Jae-Suk and HAHA watched from the side, dumbfounded, and couldn't help but lean in to gossip.

“Seol-ri, this person is...?”

“Oh, this is my bodyguard oppa, Elder Brother Liu Zijun.”

Choi Sulli introduced him openly, her face filled with pride.

HAHA's eyes widened in surprise: “Seol-ri, isn't SM being a bit too much? This Mr. Liu Zijun has a hand injury and is still being made to work.”

Hearing this, Liu Zijun only gave a faint smile.

Choi Sulli, however, suddenly spoke up, her tone carrying a bit of smugness.

“That's because oppa saved Yoona Unnie; that's how he got like this!”

“Last time in Neon, when Yoona Unnie fell off the stage, it was my oppa who saved her!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the scene instantly went quiet, and everyone's eyes focused on Liu Zijun.

Yoo Jae-Suk said in shock, “Wow! Daebak! You're that bodyguard who saved Yoona?”

Kim Jong-kook also walked over, looking Liu Zijun up and down with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

“Mr. Liu Zijun, not bad! Catching someone from that height—you must be trained, right?”

Liu Zijun nodded; he was trained in more than just a little.

Lee Kwang-soo leaned in, gesturing exaggeratedly as he spoke: “In the news back then, you could see so much blood. Respect, respect!”

Song Ji-hyo also looked at him curiously and asked, “Mr. Liu Zijun, what did you do before? To have such skills?”

Liu Zijun smiled: “I used to do security work abroad.”

Filming continued, and the location moved to an indoor venue.

Choi Sulli put on an extremely bulky protective suit that made even walking difficult; seeing Liu Zijun looking at her with a smile, she ignored the fact that they were filming and couldn't help but make a face at him, sticking out her tongue.

It was beyond cute.

Choi Sulli's athletic nerves were indeed not very developed; this kid lacked exercise too much.

The male idols, however, all took quite good care of her.

During the halftime break, Choi Sulli lay on the floor like a caterpillar, looking up at Liu Zijun.

Liu Zijun stood by the edge of the field talking to her.

Other male idols wanted to come over and chat, but none of them received much attention from Choi Sulli, who politely turned them away.

The people there, including the staff on set, felt a hint of confusion and curiosity; gradually, rumors that Choi Sulli's relationship with her bodyguard was unusual began to spread.

Filming continued, and Choi Sulli had the time of her life, while Liu Zijun stood to the side, watching her quietly with a gentle smile always on his face.

As the show neared its end, Kim Jong-kook walked up to Liu Zijun, patted his shoulder, and said, “Mr. Liu Zijun, this physique of yours is quite good!”

Liu Zijun smiled: “It's alright, I usually work out.”

Kim Jong-kook immediately extended an invitation: “Have time to go to the gym together? I know a good one with very complete equipment.”

“Sure,” Liu Zijun readily agreed. “Once my injury is healed, I'll bring Jin-ri along.”

The two actually exchanged contact information and made plans to work out together next time.

By the time filming ended, the sky had turned completely dark.

From morning till night, this outdoor variety show was truly not easy.

And Choi Sulli's dependence on Liu Zijun was noticed by many.

In the van back to the dormitory, Choi Sulli had a happy smile on her face.

“Oppa, I had so much fun today!”