It was a calm evening at the villa, the group gathered around the firepit after dinner. They had settled into their usual banter, trading stories to lighten the heaviness of survival. Ji Hyo sat among them, enjoying the rare moment of peace.

“Alright, Ji Hyo,” Glenn said, breaking the lull. “You’ve shared a lot about your life, but there’s one thing I still don’t get.”

“What’s that?” Ji Hyo asked, sipping her tea.

“You said you were an actress,” Glenn continued. “But what’s this Running Man show you mentioned once?”

“Oh, that,” Ji Hyo said with a smile, setting her tea down. “It’s a variety show I was on for over a decade. Kind of like a mix between a game show and a reality show.”

“Game show?” Tara asked. “What kind of games?”

Ji Hyo’s grin widened. “The extreme kind.”

---

The Stories Begin

Ji Hyo leaned forward, her eyes sparkling as she began to explain. “Running Man was all about challenges—physical, mental, and sometimes just plain silly. We’d play games, solve puzzles, and chase each other around to rip off name tags.”

“Name tags?” Daryl asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Ji Hyo said, laughing. “Each of us wore a name tag on our backs, and the goal was to tear off the others’ tags to eliminate them. It sounds simple, but it could get intense.”

“How intense?” Rosita asked, intrigued.

“One time,” Ji Hyo said, her tone conspiratorial, “I had to sprint up a hill, wrestle a teammate twice my size, and escape from a group of people all trying to catch me—all while wearing a hanbok.”

“A hanbok?” Eugene repeated, puzzled.

“It’s a traditional Korean dress,” Ji Hyo explained. “Beautiful, but not exactly ideal for running.”

---

The Group’s Reactions

“You’re telling me,” Abraham said, leaning back, “that you were basically in a weekly survival competition before the apocalypse?”

Ji Hyo laughed. “Something like that. But it wasn’t always about running. Sometimes we had to do crazy stunts, like jumping into freezing water or hanging off buildings.”

“Hanging off buildings?” Michonne repeated, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Ji Hyo nodded. “Once, I had to rappel down the side of a skyscraper to get a clue for a game. I was terrified, but I did it.”

The group stared at her in stunned silence.

“You’re tougher than you look,” Daryl said, shaking his head.

“You might’ve been better prepared for all this than any of us,” Rick said, his tone half-joking.

---

Ji Hyo’s Nickname

“I wasn’t always this tough,” Ji Hyo admitted. “At first, I struggled. But over time, I got better, and the fans started calling me the ‘Ace.’”

“The Ace?” Tara asked.

“It means I was good at everything,” Ji Hyo explained, blushing slightly. “Running, strategy, problem-solving—you name it.”

“Wait,” Glenn said, holding up a hand. “You’re telling me you went from being scared to rappel down a building to being the best at all of this?”

“It wasn’t easy,” Ji Hyo said. “But I learned to push through my fears.”

“That’s impressive,” Michonne said, nodding in approval.

---

A Running Man Moment

“Okay,” Rosita said, smirking. “If we put you in a Running Man game right now, how do you think you’d do?”

Ji Hyo grinned. “Against all of you? I’d win, no question.”

“Oh, really?” Daryl said, crossing his arms. “You think you could outrun me?”

“Absolutely,” Ji Hyo said confidently.

Rick chuckled. “I’d pay to see that.”

---

The Takeaway

As the group laughed and teased Ji Hyo about her Running Man adventures, she felt a sense of lightness she hadn’t experienced in years. The memories of her time on the show reminded her of the strength and resilience she had built long before the world fell apart.

“You’re full of surprises, Ji Hyo,” Glenn said, shaking his head with a smile.

Ji Hyo shrugged, a playful glint in her eye. “You have no idea.”

And as the night wore on, the group found themselves inspired by her stories—not just by her physical feats, but by her determination, courage, and ability to find joy even in the most unexpected circumstances.