The pink mood between Kim Jong-kook and Song Ji-hyo in "Running Man" made hearts flutter once again.

On the 20th broadcast of the SBS variety show "Running Man"

On that day, the members put items they had purchased according to the staff's demands up for auction. The production team, camera team, and stylist team transformed into customers to participate in the auction, but as a "reverse auction at rock-bottom prices" emerged, the auction house became chaotic.

In particular, while moving, various stories continued in the car. Kim Jong-kook noted, "Surely CEO Ji-hyo is different," to which Song Ji-hyo, sitting in the back, suddenly exclaimed, "Honey..." and the word naturally slipped out, causing everyone to exclaim, "Honey to Jong-kook? We need to address this," in excitement. Song Ji-hyo, flustered, said, "I meant to say hello but it turned into honey," but the members continued to joke, "At this rate, we might hear 'darling' or 'sweetheart.'"

During dinner, someone asked again, "Why did you call Jong-kook honey?" and remarked, "That honey tone was warm." Later on, stories were shared that they seemed like a couple who had lived together for 30 years. Yoo Jae-suk also joked, "Although we don't want to connect love lines, that was a bit strange," leading to laughter. Kim Jong-kook responded, "It was strange for me, since I'm the person involved! At one point, I almost said 'my honey!'"

This is not the first time the two shared a pink mood. They were called the "Pepper Couple" to the extent that fans often supported them. Two years ago, during a concert in the Philippines, the crowd passionately cheered for the "Pepper Couple" while shouting their names. They even began a couple's march as the "Bridal Chorus" played, with Song Ji-hyo actively leading and linking arms with Kim Jong-kook, causing cheers to erupt.

As the "Running Merchant Association" auction progressed, the atmosphere heated up again with the question, "Aren't the two of you a couple?" to which Song Ji-hyo jokingly declared, "From today, we are a couple," and eventually, the members urged, "Then if you show us a kiss, we'll acknowledge our loss!"

Continuing on, the members of the "Running Merchant Association" after ending the auction could purchase sections of a roulette to determine team fates of either jackpot or bust with the final revenue. The more sections they purchased, the higher the chances of getting items; however, the direction of the dart was left to fate, making it impossible for anyone to guarantee the outcome.

Among them, the "bust member" of the Running Merchant Association who would end up doing troublesome penalties was Yoo Jae-suk's team.

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