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Synopsis
The first individual match of the championship begins, and everyone becomes an enemy. The contestants decide to cooperate, but not everyone can be trusted.
Plot
Liu screams as he is forced up the stadium.
The episode opens with Liu clinging to a platform as it transports him to the stadium's center. A door opens, and the platform comes to a halt, hurling Liu into the air. As the cameras fly up to broadcast the peacock, Liu lands upright on the platform and straightens himself, looking up at the entrance of Charming Gold's mansion. Charming Gold greets the crowd, announcing the championship's first solo bout and posing dramatically, a tall tower erupting from the ground as he does so.
A holographic screen appears in front of it, with Alt 332, the anchor, proclaiming the match's title: The Bell Hunter. The game's rules are explained on the holographic screen.
Because Kuga won the first mini-game, he is picked as the hunter and given a few minutes to hide seven marbles around the tower's floors. The remaining Running Men are then entrusted with grabbing the marbles inside the tower, with the winner being the one who collects the most marbles. The hunter, on the other hand, will win the game if he manages to tag out all six of the prey.
Liu talks with the Running Men.
Liu groans and wonders aloud how they could have let Kuga to be the hunter, prompting Miyo to make a nasty remark about Lonky. Lonky defends himself, claiming that it was not his fault, and then goes on to try to raise everyone's hopes by suggesting that they work together, which causes everyone to shake their heads.
The panel continues to explain; it informs the participants that, in order to keep the game fair, the hunter will wear a necklace created from the last game's bells and will be held in a cage for 5 minutes before being freed. The game will have a 30-minute time limit.
Lonky comes up with a plan.
Liu taps on his watch to communicate with the others, and Lonky instantly returns to his suggestion to collaborate, irritating Popo, who chastises him for it. Lonky points out that if they split out to look for the marbles, they'll have a better chance of finding them. Gai argues with Lonky over the likelihood of finding a marble-free floor, asking if it's all or nothing, and Lonky bites him back, asking if he has a better strategy. Liu interjects, agreeing with Lonky's point about working together, and Miyo threatens to scratch Lonky if he betrays them again. Lonky rejects her, reclaiming his regal status, and causes everyone to roll their eyes at him before hanging up. As he poses, Lonky smirks at the audience and says, "Down with Kuga."
Charming Gold announces the beginning of the game.
Charming Gold asks the audience if they are ready with a smile and a point. The audience erupts in laughter and cheers, prompting Charming Gold to begin the game. Lonky declares that he'll go to the third floor, and Popo accompanies him to keep an eye on him for the rest of the players. Miyo rides up to another floor and stumbles when Gai bumps into her. She accuses Gai of following her and Gai denies it, only to implicitly say that he was; he then suggests that the two work together since they're going to the same floor, only for Miyo to brush him off and fly ahead, disappointing the former.
Charming Gold's shrine room.
Lonky and Popo dash through one of the floors, halting in the middle of a room when an automated voice reminds them of a'secret object' buried on each floor and provides them a hint for the secret item hiding in the present area, which is humility. The area in question is revealed to be a shrine room with several Charming Gold statues, the centerpiece of which is a massive statue of Charming Gold with his arms spread wide and the seven tribes bowing before him. Lonky smirks as he leans over to Popo and begins acting friendly with him, telling him to look to the left while he looks to the right. This enrages Popo, who tells Lonky that instead of looking the other way, they'll walk away from the giraffe. They proceed in opposite directions, and when Lonky opens one of the room's containers, he hears Popo trip and turns to look, scoffing as he finds Popo supposedly bowing to a Charming Gold statue.
Popo discovers a ring on the foot of one of the Charming Gold statues as he recovers from his fall; the ring turns out to be the'secret item' that was placed in the room, its purpose being a detector for the marbles hidden in the tower. Popo scrambles up to the statue and snatches the ring from its holder, which he places in his watch. He smiles to himself, but his attitude shifts fast when Lonky approaches behind him, kissing his head and praising him, calling him "Partner." As they continue to squabble, Popo growls and pushes him away, stepping on his foot.
Miyo sitting on Gai's head.
Miyo sits on Gai's head as she tries to find a marble, while Gai is left dazed, dreamily asking Miyo about their relationship now. Miyo retaliates by asking what he meant, to which Gai responds that, although claiming to work alone, she opted to collaborate. Miyo counters with Gai's claim that Kuga must have buried the marbles high up, and Miyo tells Gai to relocate to the right. Gai obeys and moves as directed, but Miyo is disappointed. She begins by asking if Gai is bored, hinting that if he is, she will leave. Panicked at the prospect of Miyo stepping off, Gai reassures her that he'll be fine, and Miyo resumes his orders. Gai obeys, his face lit up with the same dreamy smile as he walks away from the screen.
Liu on a high as the alarms ring.
Meanwhile, Liu's ears perk up as he hears Pala declare that he found 'it,' mistakingly believing he has discovered a marble. Liu is ecstatic when he hears the announcement and rushes up to Pala, appearing behind him with a smile that swiftly fades as he realizes Pala was referring to a 'Materio Vitacus' sprout. He tells Pala that they aren't marbles, which causes the impala to go on a rant about the Materio Vitacus, informing Liu about all of its merits; the grasshopper covers his ears in an attempt to drown out the impala. Pala grabs the plant's fruit and places it in his vial, then returns the bottle to his cane and shakes it rapidly while repeating his mantra.
Liu ignores Pala's chanting and begins theorizing about the marbles' whereabouts, attempting to put himself in Kuga's shoes. Pala joins in, informing Liu that if he were Kuga, he would've kept the marbles close to him, sparking an idea in Liu. Pala hands him the concoction created from the Materio Vitacus combined with the liquid from his vial while he thinks. Liu removes the vial from Pala's hand and inadvertently drinks it, sending him into a trance while simultaneously discovering the location of the marbles, frightening Pala. An alarm goes off inside the tower, signaling that Kuga has been released.
Charming Gold's statue.
The Running Men respond in a variety of ways: Miyo and Gai glance about, Pala and Liu flee, and Lonky and Popo fear when the alarm sounds, Popo yelling for the siren to stop and whining when the lights abruptly switch off, leaving them in the dark. Lonky, who can't see due to the darkness, asks where Popo is in a panic. Popo reacts, and Lonky uses the sound of his voice to try to locate him, clutching a hand he guesses is the penguin's. He teases Popo, telling him not to let go, and the emergency power comes on, revealing the Lonky was holding a Charming Gold statue instead, scaring the giraffe.
Lonky screams and leaps atop Gai's shoulder as he flees the monument. Gai, irritated, asks him to out, and Lonky relaxes as he looks over to the side and sees Miyo and Popo laughing at his antics. Popo advises them to go, pointing out the creepiness of the area as the camera pans to the many Charming Gold sculptures, which are illuminated by the emergency power and appear frightening. It shifts to Charming Gold, who is watching the game and is enraged by their insults; he swipes the screens away, forcing the cameras to turn off as the Running Men leave.
Charming Gold offended at the Popo and Lonky's comments.
Because Popo is the one with the marble detector, the Running Men pursue him around the next floor. They're having no luck, and Gai begins to worry if it's broken. He comes to a halt when Miyo hushes him up and asks the others if they've heard anything. When they hear bells ringing, they remain silent and rapidly flee. While hiding, they notice Liu and Pala enter, the sound of the Materio Vitacus clinking against the latter's vial resembling the sound of bells ringing. Popo, Lonky, and Gai approach the two, the penguin hissing at him for deceiving them with his cane. Lonky covers his lips as Liu addresses them lightheartedly, warning him about the danger of Kuga discovering them in the room. Liu pushes his hand out of his mouth and tells him that Kuga will not arrive, making Miyo come in-between them, hanging upside-down as she orders Liu to explain, and Liu informs them that Kuga will not enter the room because there are no marbles on the floor.
Miyo scares Liu and Lonky.
Popo hisses at him, telling him to lower his voice and to explain further. Liu smugly tells them to think harder, informing them of the Bars Tribe's lifestyle; that since they're hermits, they don't leave their village. Popo frustratingly yells at him to get to the point and Liu tells him to relax, further explaining that since they live like hermits, Liu theorizes that Kuga must have hidden the marbles near him. Miyo realizes what Liu is implying and asks him if it's in the hunter house and Liu enthusiastically confirms it. However, he points out that Kuga is clever and that he must have spread the marbles all around the floor.
Lonky, doubtful, asks Liu to prove his claim and the latter smugly obeys, tapping his watch. A holographic screen emerges from the watch, showing Mr. Suitcase, Liu's companion, inside the hunter house. He asks it if Kuga had left and Mr. Suitcase shakes it's head, further proving Liu's claim. Liu thanks it and hangs up, declaring "Now let's go get those marbles!" as the others look at him, still doubtful.
The Running Men run away.
The Running Men descend to the basement, with Liu sprinting inside and the others following cautiously. They continue strolling inside, when Popo's watch alerts him to the presence of a marble nearby. The others glance at the watch with Popo and then turn to Liu as he says that he has found the stone and proudly holds it out to them. Popo mutters something and orders Liu to hand over the marble. The Running Men stop moving, perplexing Liu; Pala shakily points above him, causing the grasshopper to look up, and the camera pans to Kuga, who is hanging upside down and smirking at him. Liu responds with a hesitant smile, and Kuga lands on the ground, causing the others to flee.
Miyo activates her psychometry.
Kuga wraps his arms around Liu, causing him to flee, hitting his face into the room's ceiling and dropping the marble. Kuga extends his hand, attempting to capture the marble till Miyo appears and grabs it. Angry, Kuga tries to capture her along with the marble while Miyo avoids all of his assaults, landing on his back and distracting him with the marble while she kneads on his skin, triggering her psychometry.
Miyo looking at Kuga's memories.
Miyo uses her psychometry to delve into Kuga's memories, swimming around the many stems until she discovers the stem that contains the memory of Kuga hiding the marbles. She looks at the locations and expands on the memory stem, smiling to herself, before being dragged out when Kuga throws her off of him. Miyo stands up and tries to grasp the marble in front of her, but Kuga pursues her down, causing her to flee screaming. Meanwhile, Lonky takes the marble and puts it in his watch while praising himself, but freezes when Kuga climbs up the vents and finds him. As Kuga reaches out to grab Lonky, he shivers nervously and yells in terror.
Cast
Main
- Kim Seo-young/Rachel Slotky - Liu
- Kwon Chang-wook/Daniel J. Edwards - Kuga
- Eom Sang-hyeon/Daniel J. Edwards - Lonky
- Kim Yeon-woo-I/Carrie Savage - Miyo
- Nam Doh-Hyeong/Matthew Ip Shaw - Gai
- Kang Si-hyeon/Syndi Szabo - Popo
- Jeon Tae-yeol/Mark Szabo - Pala
Side
- Park No-sik/Daniel J. Edwards - Charming Gold
Trivia
- This is the first two-part special of Season 1.
- This episode showcases Miyo's psychometry in action.
- The game is based off the Bell Hide and Seek game from the Korean variety show the series was based on.