[Sportschosun Lee Ji-hyun] Minnie of I-dle, who had been rumored to come from a wealthy family in Thailand, invited the members to a resort run by her family.
On today’s episode of SBS’s "Running Man," the members will take on a variety of unusual challenges, from fruit-picking farm work to restaurant jobs, as they try to earn a large sum of money.
During a recent recording, the members transformed into small business owners hoping for a comeback and visited a "mystery peach" farm with money on the line. They had to pick and sort the prized seasonal peaches themselves to earn their daily wages. Since the pay depended on how diligently they worked, the members split into a harvesting team and a sorting team and engaged in a fierce labor competition under the farmer’s watchful eye. Some members picked peaches more diligently than anyone else, while others were more focused on eating than on harvesting, drawing laughter.
During the sorting process, there were even secret side deals as the members tried to win over the sorting team to secure a higher wage. One member even attempted to bribe Yang Se-chan by slipping him a peach with especially high sugar content in hopes of changing the results. In the end, however, the members who failed to work hard were left with a disappointing daily wage of just 5,000 won.
The members then moved on to their next schedule, a "restaurant experience." They were supposed to make and eat a summer specialty menu selected by the production team, but some members put cooking aside and secretly boiled up jjajang ramen instead. Their covert plan was discovered by Yoo Jae-suk, whose sharp nose caught the smell of the noodles, and the set quickly turned tense. But Yoo himself could not resist the temptation and quietly joined in, sending everyone into laughter. The relief did not last long, though, as Kim Jong-kook, suspicious of the members who had suddenly disappeared, eventually went looking for them, raising the tension to its peak. Attention is now focused on whether the slacker members can evade Kim’s pursuit and protect their jjajang ramen until the end.
Meanwhile, Minnie spoke directly about the long-discussed rumor that she came from a wealthy family in Thailand. As soon as the members saw her, they asked, "Will you invite us to your home if we go to Thailand too?" Minnie replied, "Come visit our resort," revealing that her family actually operates a resort in Thailand and surprising everyone. She then added, "Let’s film a 'Running Man' Thailand special at our resort!" with a generous offer that stirred the set.
After hearing that, the members immediately launched into a flattery contest to get on Minnie’s good side. Throughout the race, they even held a so-called "no-look praise" competition, complimenting her every time they saw her, no matter what they were doing. When Miyeon chimed in, saying that Minnie also owns several houses in Thailand, the members reportedly tried even harder to win her favor, saying, "Minnie, send a photo of us together to your mother and father today," and "We want to treat you even better."
Meanwhile, Miyeon, appearing on "Running Man" for the fifth time, once again showed off her lovable clumsiness and unexpectedly matched Yang Se-chan, the show’s resident fool, in a surprisingly silly chemistry. While preparing lunch, Yang kept sending her on one errand after another, and Miyeon snapped, "Can’t you just tell me everything at once?" Yang then asked, "Can you remember it?" and listed all the ingredients at once. But Miyeon misheard "maesil syrup" as "sikhye," and she also returned without several ingredients, turning the set into a scene of nonstop laughter.
But Miyeon was not the only one acting clueless. Yang Se-chan also repeated the same questions three or four times in a row, looking completely flustered. Watching him, Miyeon instead worried about Yang, asking, "Are you sure you’re okay?" Their back-and-forth, with each teasing the other as a fool, is expected to add even more fun.
Minnie, who made a striking impression from her very first appearance, and Miyeon, who brought laughter with her unchanged clumsy charm, will be seen in action on "Running Man," airing today at 6:10 p.m.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
