Chapter Ten

As the sun rose, rays of light shone through the window panels, finding their way to their faces. The warmth gradually became heat and the sleepy guys could no longer bear the heat reluctantly woke up and sat away from the window. 
"Hyung, I have drama filming in the afternoon, I have to leave in one hour's time. Noona took the spare house keys I used last night, how do I leave the house?" Kwangsoo talked with his eyes barely open.
"But Jihyo likes to sleep and definitely won't be awake at this timing, would she?"Jaesuk raised a valid point.
"Otteoke (how)? Can we wake her up or take the keys from her room?"Jongkook asked.
"How can we just barge into a lady's room without any notice?" HaHa rebuked.
"Noona isn't a lady, Jihyo is like a man." Kwangsoo commented, this time with his eyes half open.
The guys turned to Kwangsoo.
"Kwangsoo ya, why are you so tired? How will you film your drama later?" Sukjin said, laughing at the comical kwangsoo trying to keep his eyes open.
"We went to eat at a cafe at 3am; we only came back 2 hours later." Kwangsoo explained. 
"We?" Jongkook, Jaesuk and Sukjin asked at the same time.
“Noona and Gary hyung, and I. They went alone but I tagged behind them." Kwangsoo explained in his groggy state, as if angry about the two who left the house to eat without inviting him.
"Oooo!" Giggles followed while pairs of eyes start to travel to Gary who was getting shy. Gary didn't want the members to know anything. But Jaesuk's smile had a different meaning behind. He could guess Gary's intention behind the meal they had in ‘secret’.
Aish! Why did Kwangsoo have to reveal everything? He shouldn't have followed us in the first place. 
"Stress! Hyung, it was just a meal to fill our growling stomachs." Gary tried to explain, and changed the topic, "Hhow do we wake Mongji up?" 
Meanwhile, Jihyo was already awake. She had slept many hours and rested a lot while recuperating. She stood in front of the window, back facing her room door. She then plugged in her earpiece and placed her music playlist on shuffle mode and proceeds to enjoy the morning breeze blowing through the window.
"How nice would it be if love was something that could be earned? (It’s all a dream, holding your hand.) How nice would it beif love was something to get by wanting it? (It’s all a dream but I can’t escape.)" The music played. "Isn't this Leessang's song?" She was reminded of yesterday's conversation. 
"Because you're the most incredible girl I've ever known. You're gorgeous and smart and strong and you make me laugh like no one else can. And I know after all this, I don’t deserve you, but what I'm trying to say is I like you. Very much.” It played in her mind. She heard and remembered every single word. "I like you, very much" her mind replayed. I didn't hear it wrongly, did I? She doubted her hearing, since she heard it in the wee hours, when she was supposed to be sound asleep. But then again, ... She continued to muse while enjoying the breeze and morning sun.
"Let's play a game. The loser enters her room and wakes her up." Jaesuk took the lead. 
"Muk-jji-ppa (Rock Paper Scissors)!" Sukjin suggested since it is the game he is best at and he definitely wouldn't have to wake Jihyo up.

The battle for a loser intensifies and soon they were down to the last battle between HaHa and Gary.
"Yes! Gary hyung, in Jihyo's room you go ㅋㅋㅋ!" HaHa won the match between losers. 
"Gary ya, did you purposely lose this game?" Jongkook joked, and the rest of the members smile among themselves, suspecting something.
Maybe I did, but how can one deliberately win or lose Muk-Jji-Ppa? It is a fair game. Perhaps fate is on my side? Gary feel nervous now, and his heart pounded loudly against his ribcage/chest as he inched towards the door leading to Jihyo's room.
With the music flooding her ears, it was no wonder she couldn't hear the commotion outside. 
Gary stood in front of the door with his hand placed on the doorknob. He could feel his heart pulsating. He turned the doorknob and slid into the room, closing the door behind him. Directly in front of him was Jihyo, with her back facing her. Oh, she's awake! Looks like my punishment is completed. Her short, black silky hair was blowing in the wind, revealing the white wire attached to her ears and her phone. He then softly threaded towards her, closing the gap between both of them.
That song was not bad. In fact, it was quite addicting yet meaningful at the same time! Jihyo lifted her phone to playback the song, "The girl who can't break up, the boy who can't leave", placing it on replay. 
All of a sudden, the earplug in her right ear was removed and two hands appeared in front of her eyes and soon, there was darkness even though her eyes were wide open. 
"Guess who this is!" A familiar voice spoke near her right ear. 
Who else could it be! "Kang gally!" She said and a smile broke on her face. Gary removed his hands from her eyes. She turned around to face him and attempted to hit him playfully with her right hand (which was habitually holding her phone as well). Gary, predicted Jihyo's actions, and gently held her right wrist, avoiding the hit. 
"Were you going to smash your phone onto me?" He joked. Her hand was held in a position that made the phone screen face Gary. 
"What song were you listening to? Hmm.." He read the song title. "The girl who can't break up, the boy who can't leave. Why didn't you say so, I can just sing it live for you." By then, Gary was grinning from ear to ear. I didn't know she was a fan of Leessang. 
"Now? But oppa(s) are behind you." Jihyo appreciated his sweet gesture, but was unsure if the five men at the door wanted to hear him sing to her. 
"Ya, Gary ah, why are you holding her wrist?" Jaesuk stepped between them to make fun of the couple.
Gary shyly loosened his grip around her thin wrist.  
Didn't I close the door behind me just now? When did Kwangsoo and hyung come in? "Hyung, why did you come in?" 
"It was interesting to watch the both of you!ㅋㅋㅋ"Sukjin explained. 
Wait. Why did they barge into a lady's room all of a sudden? 
"Are you guys supposed to enter my room just like that?"Jihyo asked them.
Gary tried to proof his innocence, "It was a punishme..."
"Gary hyung wanted to wake you up!" HaHa exclaimed with his loud voice. 
"No, I lost the ga..." he wanted to complete the sentence with the word 'game' but this time, Kwangsoo interrupted "He insisted on waking you up."
Gary didn't have a chance to clear his name. 
"Gomawo!" Jihyo replied with a sweet smile. 
My name doesn’t have to be cleared; it can be etched forever in her heart. Jihyo, don't erase my name; leave it there, for life. If the hyungs and kwangsoo aren't here, these words will be out of my mouth. These words are only for one person's ears. she'll hear them in future. Gary assured himself. 

Chapter Nine

Donning a dark coloured hoodie with jeans and a plain snapback, she headed out to the place filled with snoring of various tones with no trace of any rhythmic pattern. She caught the only pair of glistening eyes in the dark and he proceeded to crawl out from under the warm duvets. She extended her hand to support him and he held the warm, small hand that unexpectedly had a great deal of strength as she pulled him up. 

She then reached for a bunch of house keys from her pocket and fumbled with it, searching for the right key to the front door. Inadvertently, the bunch of keys slipped out from her delicate fingers and a clang pierced the dead silence. Gary and Jihyo swiftly turned their heads towards the guys only to see 5 figures lying motionlessly, and subsequently turned their heads back to each other. 

"Jo shim hae(be careful)!" Gary whispered softly as he gently picked up the bunch of keys and placed it in her hands. Holding the key to her front door between her index finger and thumb, she then used her other three fingers to wrap around the remaining keys, preventing the loose keys from creating any unwanted sound. She then unlocks the door with a click and the pair silently and cautiously slipped out of the house, with their eyes fixated on the 5 exhausted souls. They slid their feet into slippers and locked the ajar door. They walked slowly, trying not to drag their flip flops on the floor and sneaked out towards the lift. 

But little did they know that a pair of eyes was peeking at the duo from under the heavy eyelids. 

"Cafe?" Jihyo asked quietly while waiting for the lift. Gary nodded his head and replied, “why are we so sneaky? Nothing wrong with filling stomachs right?" 
"Wait till Dispatch (a Korean internet media outlet that often releases news about celebrity couples) spot us and we'll regret not taking precautions."

"Sigh, the life of celebrities."

"What's 58?"Jihyo questioned after they sat on the sofas facing each other, waiting for their juices and brownies to be served.
"Take 15 08(august) and take the last digit of each number."
"Ahh" she finally realised how 58 came about. "But why my birthday?" 
There was a pause.

Jaesuk hyung told me to be brave. I wouldn't want to regret. Besides, there's nothing to lose. Gary mustered his courage and took a deep breath.
"Because you're the most incredible girl I've ever known. You're gorgeous, smart and strong, and you make me laugh like no one else can. And I know after all this, I don’t deserve you, but what I'm trying to say is I like you. Very much. "
He heaved a sigh of relief. It was over. 
"Oppa..." That was all she could say. Honestly, confessing in a neighborhood cafe at 3am isn't one of the most romantic things, especially when it was coming from a usually romantic guy. However, the unexpected confession that caught her. It came out of the blue and she had always taken the Monday girlfriend as a role, as just a character. 

"I'm not expecting any reply. You're an actress and have to always be on your toes. I'm just relaying my thoughts and feelings." He ended with an awkward smile that showed his often shy and faint dimples. 

"Here you go. Your food is here!" The waitress disrupted their supposedly romantic moment.
"Song Ji Hyo! You're Song Ji Hyo, aren't you? I'm a big fan of you and Monday Couple! Sign?" She took out a piece of paper and pen for Jihyo to sign on it. "Gary oppa and you look really compatible. Are the two of you together? Have you considered being an everyday couple instead of just Monday couple?" She asked ignorantly, oblivious to the fact that Gary was right there. The too-common face of Gary created an awkward atmosphere. Jihyo merely smiled politely at her fan. Daebak. What great timing! Am I supposed to break the ice between us? But what the fan asked sparked a train of thoughts. Are we really that compatible? After all, we are just a variety couple, an onscreen couple, aren't we...? Or rather, weren't we?

They silently poked their forks at the edges of the brownies they ordered, nibbling the crumbs that fell off, and occasionally peek at what each other was doing.

"Hyung, noona, is this for me?" A lanky figure clad in black approached them.
"Oh! Kwangsoo ya, why are you here?" Gary was flabbergasted and craned forward to face the unusually tall figure with his mouth ajar. Oh great, now the plan to spend time together is wrecked.
"How did you come here?" She added. Could he have followed them, and eavesdrop, hearing every single word exchanged between them? 
"Someone dropped something in the house and woke a light sleeper like me. I saw someone exiting the house and followed suit with noona's spare house key." He explained as he grab a fork and sat on the same safa as Gary.
"So did you hear everything we said?" She asked apprehensively.
"Aniyo (no), a fan asked me for an autograph while I was trailing behind you. Then, I lost track of both of you and slowly found my way here." 
"Wait, what we're the two of you talking about? I want to know. Were you talking about me behind my back?"Kwangsoo added.
"Fancy a fan asking you for an autograph at 3am!" Gary brought out a fact and the trio sniggered. He had to think of something witty to say in order not to answer the last two questions that Kwangsoo asked.
"Fancy the two of you eating at 3am! Aren't you afraid of paparazzi?" Kwangsoo tried to liven up the atmosphere.
"Kwangsoo ah, eat faster. Both of us haven't slept much." Jihyo requested, trying to change the topic.
"Ne(yes)!" Kwangsoo ended the conversation brightly.
The trio polished their plates and cups and made a beeline back. 

Back in Jihyo's house, Gary seemed to have read Jihyo's mind and wondered if Jihyo only thought of Monday Couple as on-screen characters that will never become a reality off-screen.  In an attempt to cast his worries away, he sent a text to Jihyo, just in case she had such a thought in mind.

[Text message]
Gary: The person confessing just now wasn't Kang Gary, but was Kang Hee Gun.

Jihyo saw the message. But was the person he confessed to Song Ji Hyo or Cheon Seong Im? And she didn't know how and what to reply.




I'm not sure how this chapter turned out because i thought of the plot and wrote(typed in my phone) while working at my workplace. This chapter was created and posted from my workplace, so i'm not sure if a change in environment affects the quality of the fanfic. My workload isn't heavy, actually it's very light that i barely have anything to work on these few days. So do feel free to comment so i can work on it!(: And do follow my fanbase on twitter at @mongxgae . Have fun reading!!

Chapter Eight

Awkwardness was prevalent but Gary took hold of this golden opportunity to get closer to Jihyo. How often can they stay alone together without rumors spreading like wildfire or Monday Couple fans shrieking at the mere sight of them together? 

He then sat beside her and started the ball rolling, and they chatted for awhile.  After they became much more comfortable, Gary decided it was time. Time for him to become a happier man. Time for him to be freer in his words, thoughts and speech. Time for the empty space in his heart to be filled.
Her heart skipped a beat. Something smells fishy; oppa is seldom serious, unless it was when he composes music. 
"Figure out my tweet name."Gary hinted.
"Tweet name?" She replied, looking at him quizzically.
"My twitter's username. “He explained.
"Wae(why)?" A curious her asked.
"Find out and I shall tell you." Gary ended the conversation with a grin, keeping her in suspense.

When the guys returned with packed dinner, Jihyo who didn't have a Twitter account asked her dongsaeng about Gary's tweet name over the dinner.
 "Why? Noona, do you want to create an account?" Kwangsoo replied.
"Kanggary58. Jihyo ah, create an account! Then 5 of us can chat on Twitter without Jaesuk and Jongkook!ㅋㅋ" HaHa interrupted and avoided Jongkook's deadly stare.
"Very few actresses have a Twitter account. Besides, I wouldn't know what to type. " Jihyo expressed.
"Tweet!"They corrected her. 
"Hyung, why 58?" Haha curiously questioned.
Gary explained, "because I love Kwangsoo too much, so I inverted 85 from his birth year to 58 (Kwangsoo was born in year 1985.)"
"Ayyy hyung!" Kwangsoo commented, and proceeded to give Gary a smooch on the cheek nearest to him. 
But deep down, 58 had another meaning, and Kwangsoo's birth year had no relation to it at all.
The guys decided to stay over as it was too late to head back. Moreover, they didn't have any schedule the next morning. However, they had to sleep in the living room, separated from Jihyo, just like when there was overnight filming for Running Man.

She figured out his twitname. Now what? Curiosity killed the cat. She didn’t want to be harmed or hurt. Maybe she shouldn't bother and just drift off to sleep.

However the missing piece to what Gary wanted to tell her cluttered her mind. After much flipping about and rolling around on the bed, she reached for her phone.  

[Text Message]
 Jihyo: Awake? I found out your twitname, what's next? (:
Gry: Guess where 58 came from? Hint: it has nothing to do with Kwangsoo.
Jihyo: Was what you said during dinner a lie? Is this a mission? ㅋㅋ Who thinks so much in the wee hours of the morning?
Gary: It's a cover-up, not a lie. Another hint: see your birth date.
She mused. 15 August 1981. Hmm…
Jihyo: I don't see any link? *Mong*
Gary: Aigoo, I forgot our Sung Im is mong. 
Gary chuckled when the image of Mongji appeared in his mind. He should have remembered she may not be able to figure this out. 
She thought, should I reply with a ‘yes’? While musing, her phone screen lit up.
G: I'm hungry. Let’s head for supper and I'll tell you what 58 really means after my stomach is filled.ㅋㅋㅋ *Merong (Sticking out tongue)!*
Food never failed to tempt her and once again, she succumbed to her temptation. 



Sorry for posting this chapter really late. I hardly have time to sit down for long to write a chapter. Currently, i try to type as and when i'm travelling. I will continue writing whenever i can(:
Meanwhile, i'll keep you in suspense of how 58 in kanggary58 came about. It was just something i came up with and may not be true. It's easy to figure out with the hints given above! Go ahead and give it a try!

Chapter Seven

Indeed they cannot deny the fact that that incident didn't occur, nor forget that incident. Fate was what made the incident become a reality. It wasn't that both of them didn't want it to happen, but rather, both of them didn't want to make it happen.

*Flashback*
After arriving in Thailand and completing a series of missions for the day, the members gathered to chat with the guests, as the night was still young. They were astounded and amazed by their huge popularity. Never had they thought a Korean variety show made up of several variety rookies(plus some veterans) would be appreciated and supported by uncountable fans across Asia. It seemed unbelievable to them, and it felt more like a dream than a reality. They couldn't comprehend what made teenagers (and those of other ages) become their fans when they could have been fans of young, pretty and handsome idols who are full of talents. They couldn't understand why their fans chose to support 6middle-aged men and 1woman who weren't that handsome or pretty compared to idols. Nonetheless, they were brimming with smiles having felt and experienced the Hallyu wave; something they didn't even dare to dream of.
Soon, they sent their guests back to their hotel rooms to rest while the members decided to stay up a little longer. It has been quite a long time since they've gathered together as 7 members as many of them had tight hectic schedules. Since there was filming the next day, they couldn't stay up too late and should rest.
All the members slept alone in a single bed room, but by chance and by luck, Gary was randomly allocated to a larger room. They then agreed to wash up and then meet in Gary's room for a chat or some leisure television watching. Jihyo joined them because she didn't want to be left out of their conversations. 
"Noona, I'm leaving my hotel card (key) here so I'll remember to take my clothes for tomorrow later." Jihyo told her manager (who shared a room with Jihyo's stylist) and left for Gary's room without her room key.
By then, all the guys had arrived and sat on the king size bed in his room. She felt awkward, not knowing if she should sit on the bed too or sit on the sofa situated a distance away from the guys. Or maybe she should sit on the floor? The guys could feel the awkwardness.
"Jihyo, you can sit on the bed, we shall sit on the floor. The floor is comfortable too!" Sukjin broke the awkward silence with a grin.
"Never mind, it's okay, I can sit on the..." her voice trailed off. Jihyo felt weird because it's supposedly Gary's bed and not hers, and how could she make all of them sit on the floor when she sits on the bed alone.
"Take the bed, jihyo. We can shift the sofa over or something." Gary replied, as if granting her permission to take over his bed.
"Jongkook can shift the sofa for us." Kwangsoo playfully suggested, "Gary hyung, why don't you sit on the bed as well? She will feel odd sitting alone."
"Really? Can i?" Gary chuckled as he sat on the edge of the bed. Gary has never shared a bed with any females before, but he has to act like he isn't shy about it, or else Jihyo will feel awkward.
"Ya! How can I shift the sofa alone? I'm a human too." Jongkook quarrelled with Kwangsoo.
"Hyung, aren't you Sparta?" Kwangsoo mockingly retaliated.
"Aish! It's so noisy!" Jihyo raised her voice amidst the squabble as she proceeded to sit on the other edge of the bed.
"Let's watch tv! How about soccer... or baseball?" HaHa initiated, somehow forgetting that Jihyo wasn't enthusiastic about those sports.
Both Jihyo and Gary laid on the bed watching soccer, sharing a comforter which covered them up to their chests as the room was cold. Jihyo felt comfortable as she was used to being with many guys. Besides, she has a younger brother and often shared the bed with him when she was younger.
However, Gary's heart was beating furiously under the comforters. He wasn't engrossed in that soccer match since they weren't the clubs he supported. He wasn't really a soccer fanatic either. Instead, he was focused on calming his hyperactive heart. It's a boon having a peaceful expression; he could mask his true expressions. He even prepared an excuse to say if anyone caught him feeling nervous: the match was too nerve-wrecking. 
Jihyo felt bored. She couldn't see why men found it fascinating to watch 22 sweaty guys chasing after a ball. Everyone seemed so interested in the match. She couldn't talk to anyone nor change the channel. Her phone was also running low on battery and she was too lazy to get a charger. She stifled a yawn, then another yawn, and soon, she fell asleep, oblivious to the rest of the guys.
"Ya! Aren't you two getting too close?" Jaesuk exclaimed as he turned around to check on them during the half-time, still not knowing that Jihyo was asleep.
"Hyung, she's asleep. Should we wake her up and get her to her room?" Gary pointed out.
"I guess she isn't interested in soccer. Gary, carry her to her room then!" Sukjin mischievously suggested.
"I wouldn't mind, hyung!" Gary cheekily replied.
"Won't there be paparazzi outside?" Kwangsoo asked, not knowing anything as it was his first time abroad.
"Gary, you are the nearest to her, wake her up." Jongkook ordered.
Gary placed his hand on her smooth arm and shook it gently while calling her name softly, attempting to bring her out of the land of dreams. However, she was in deep slumber-probably due to exhaustion from the energy-draining missions earlier on-and didn't respond to him.
"Let's carry her then. Where's the key to her room?" Jongkook continued.
"Hyung, she didn't bring her key. She only brought her phone here." Kwangsoo mentioned.
"Mongji is really mong. How can she not bring her key out?" HaHa said, not knowing that she left her key with her manager.
She didn't have her key with her and they didn't know her room number, so they couldn't ask the hotel staffs to open the door to her room. Moreover, her phone was off because it ran out of battery. 
"Let's charge her phone. Gary, you have an iPhone charger right?" Jaesuk tried to rectify the situation.
However, her phone was locked and the clueless guys didn't know the password to her phone. There was no way they could find out Jihyo's room number through contacting her manager. 
In addition, they couldn't temporarily shift Gary to another member's room as the other rooms were smaller and no one knows when filming starts. There could be trouble if filming starts in their rooms and Gary wasn't in his room. As a result, both Jihyo and Gary had to stay in the same room. 
"Gary ah, just sleep on the sofa. If it is too uncomfortable, place a pillow between the two of you then sleep on the bed." Jaesuk suggested. 
Gary agreed, knowing the difficult situation they were in. The guys then left Gary's room. 
The length of the sofa was too short for Gary and his legs dangled outside the sofa when he tried to sleep on it. It seemed impossible to sleep on the sofa. He had no choice but to share the bed with her. He was shy, but there was no choice. He snuggled under the comforters beside her. 
"Ohno! I usually sleep without clothes. I can't sleep with clothes on. Ottoke(how)?" Gary suddenly thought when he was about to remove his clothes. He slept without clothes on for many years, probably since he was a little kid. It was a habit he couldn't break. 
"I can't sleep without clothes beside a lady. But I can't sleep without clothes." He mused. He had to choose between sleep and being a gentleman. He chose sleep, as he needed to perform his best for tomorrow's mission. He then removed his clothes, leaving only his underwear. He obediently followed Jaesuk's instructions and fell asleep immediately.
"Wake up, Jongkook. You have to wake up now. Starting from now, wake the members in this order. (KJK, HaHa, YJS, LKS, Min Jung,Nichkun, JSJ, SJH, KG) !" The PD instructed. 
"Ohno! Has Jihyo left Gary's room yet?! Filming has started!! We have to wake Jihyo before Gary," Jongkook thought while waking HaHa up. He hoped that Jihyo had already woken up.
Jongkook relayed his train of thoughts to HaHa and motioned him to get Jihyo out of Gary's room as soon as possible while Jongkook tried to buy time completing the waking up mission.
"PDnim, pass me Gary's room key for a second. I need to take something that I left last night." HaHa approached the PD and made up an excuse. He bolted to Gary's room.
"Jihyo!! Wake up!! Mission has started! I think they are heading to your room soon!" HaHa shook Jihyo vigorously. There was no time left. He couldn't believe Gary and Jihyo slept for so long!
"What? Where am i?" Jihyo woke up with a mong face.She woke up seeing HaHa's face in an unfamiliar place. Beside her was an unclothed man with tan skin sleeping soundly without a comforter covering him.  
After getting a grip of the situation, she rushed to her manager to get her clothes and room key. 

"What is the red thing below your eyes, you applied blusher?" Jongkook said as if he was surprised when they bumped into her while heading to her room. He gave her a look to show that he was relieved a disaster was prevented.
The guys (excluding Gary) looked at her nervously.
"Yeah.." She lied. Her cheeks were red not just because of the blusher, but because of the sudden and unexpected morning workout and sudden realisation of what just happened. She merely put a tint of blusher to cover up her redden cheeks.

She looked at them with anxiety. She knew all of them were lucky to escape a crisis.
She disappeared from the cameras to touch up on her makeup and tried to think back about what happened a moment ago. "Firstly, I slept on the same bed as Gary, sleeping beside him. Secondly, he was not wearing clothes, apart from navy underwear..." Jihyo thought. She was still in shock and disbelief.
This became a hotly debated topic during breakfast. HaHa reiterated what he saw in Gary's room and the guys explained the sequence of events that happened last night to her and the guests.
"How can you sleep naked beside me?!" Jihyo exclaimed.
"I wasn't naked. I had my underwear on. Besides, there was a pillow separating us." Gary tried to clear his name.
"Can't you at least sleep with clothes on?" Jihyo rebelled.
"Hahah! This sounds like a lover's tiff!" Kwangsoo commented, leaving the guests for Thailand special clueless and mong. 

* End of flashback*

Chapter Six

"Unit 18! Hyung, it's that house!" Kwangsoo excitedly exclaimed, making a beeline to the door and giving the doorbell’s button a press.

Hearing the melody emit from the doorbell, Jihyo gave a quizzical look while placing the remaining laundry that she was hanging on the poles aside and walked to the door. She peered into the door's peephole but saw nothing, for HaHa had mischievously covered it with his hand so she couldn't find out that they were at her doorstep. Not suspecting anything, she opened the door and saw a bunch of guys with huge smiles plastered on their faces shouting "annyong”! They saw a lady dressed in a simple pair of shorts and a long shirt, with silky, short, black hair that wasn't styled. She looked more like an ordinary citizen than the beautiful celebrity she was known for, but would nonetheless stand out among the populace.

Flabbergasted, she said, "Ohh!! How did all of you..."

"Come here? It's a secret! Are you just going to let us stand here?" Gary completed her sentence, glad that he could see her. He has never been inside an actress’s house and Jihyo’s house will be his first experience.

"Oh, come on in then." She couldn't think much at that point in time and naturally let the six men into her humble apartment.

"Ohno! Wait! Don't come in, wait there for a while!" In that instant, she suddenly recalled that she left her lingerie clipped on the bamboo poles. Flustered, she bolted into the kitchen, removed her lingerie from the poles, swiftly threw them into the washing machine and shut the door of the washing machine.

The guys could roughly guess what she was doing and stood outside obediently, not knowing what to do. Seeing her naturally hiding stuffs that guys shouldn't be seeing and a flustered Jihyo made her even more cute and attractive to him. No one will be able to tell that she had fallen severely ill the day before. Being so independent and strong made Gary fall for her even more.

"Were you doing laundry at this hour?" Jaesuk attempted to break the awkwardness.

"Ah yes, come on in." She replied, feeling slightly shy.

"Geum (gold)!!!" Kwangsoo pointed out as they entered her house.

Looking at the vast amounts of gold she won that were arranged neatly in a glass cabinet, Jaesuk joked, "I told you that you could open a shop selling gold!" The gold was displayed together with the many awards she won as an actress and as a cast of Running Man.

She then showed them around her small apartment. Her house was painted white and had wooden flooring. The living room only had one large flat screen television, the glass cabinet and a two-seater brown sofa, with a matching coffee table.

"This is the kitchen.."she introduced.

"Shall I help you with laundry? I'm a single man who lives alone too." Gary initiated cheekily, making Jihyo flustered again.

"Ah no! I can handle it alone. Let’s go to my bedroom." She placed her hand on the door of the washing machine, not letting any of them see what was in it.

In her bedroom lies a super single bed, a table with her laptop placed on it and a shelf fitted with all her scripts which she couldn't bear to throw. They then saw her dresser which was filled with rows and rows of cosmetics and facial products.

"Wow! You use all of that?" Sukjin questioned, while reaching out for some bottles and looking at their labels.

"Some, but not all.” She answered him.

What shocked them later was a room filled with clothes. The whole room was filled with clothes sorted according to seasons, sleeve lengths, formal and informal wear and even by colour!

"I think the amount of clothes you own is the amount of gym equipment Jongkook hyung has!" HaHa joked, erupting laughter among them.

"Woah! Looks like I don't have to buy you any clothes!" Gary exclaimed.

"But you can still buy me some shoes!" Jihyo mischievously played along.

Since Jihyo's house was small and she didn't expect any guests, all of them sat around the coffee table in the living room to talk. It seemed just like any other talks they regularly had, just that this time, it was held in Jihyo's place. Jihyo told them about what happened to her, and that she had already recovered. She has more free time currently as the director was pressured by the media and the public to push back her filming schedule after news about her being hospitalised surfaced.

After a long talk and some laughter, Kwangsoo mentioned, "Noona, I'm hungry. Is there food?"

"Buy some food then. Don't make a patient cook for you." Jihyo replied.

"But you said you've recovered, didn't you?" Kwangsoo talked back as he was lazy to go out.

"I've been filming outside so there's no food at home. There are only two packets of ramen for my dinner tonight." Jihyo answered.

"You've just recovered and you'll be eating ramen for dinner if we didn’t visit you today?!" Gary spoke words of concern.

"Let's buy back then. Some of us can remain here!" Jongkook suggested.

"Why not let's leave Gary and Jihyo here?" HaHa cheekily initiated.

"Why? I can go out!" Jihyo rebelled.

"Why me?" Gary voiced out. Even though he desired to spend more time with her and getting to know her better, he thought it would be awkward for both of them to stay together alone, furthermore in an actress’s house. Moreover, they weren’t that close yet.

"You are sick, and you bought fruits for her. So both of you can stay, annyong!" Kwangsoo said laughing, pointing to Jihyo and Gary respectively.

"And it's not like both of you haven't stayed together before. Both of you fell asleep in the same room in Bangkok, remember?" Jongkook reminded them.

They remembered that night very clearly, because it happened not long ago, and they experienced a close shave with trouble.

Chapter Five

Before drifting off to sleep, the guys chatted as usual, something they always did whenever there was Running Man filming two days in a row. It was also something Jihyo was jealous of, because she had to stay in a separate room, unable to hear or join in the guys’ conversation. Thus, these talks before entering slumber land often included topics that Jihyo weren’t supposed to hear. As expected, Monday couple was a hot topic among them, and each time they ask Gary about how he truly feels about Jihyo, he wants to tell the truth, but always kept mum, for fear that the cat would be let out of the bag. It wasn’t that he didn’t want them or Jihyo to know the truth, but he knew he wasn’t ready yet. Besides, many consequences would follow if they knew the truth. Things can become awkward between them, and that is one thing he never wants to experience, since he took much time and effort to grow closer to an introvert. Sometimes, Gary would try to figure out why the PDs wouldn’t let Jihyo stay in the same room as them. They were the same PDs who directed Family Outing, which made both females and males sleep in the same room, albeit separated by a tiny gap or something like a bolster. Why couldn’t Running Man have the same system? Of course, it was only the wishful thinking on his part, as he never dared to voice it out, afraid that the members would misunderstand him.

However, as Jihyo was absent from filming that day, the topics they discussed naturally surrounded the only girl in the show.

“Hyung, how about we surprise noona at her house today (since it was already past midnight) after filming? We’re all free tomorrow anyway, and we can help take care of noona. I’ve checked with her manager just now, noona will be staying at home alone.” Kwangsoo suggested.

“Kwangsoo ah, don’t you know she dislikes even mentioning about her house? What makes you think she will let us enter her house? And I think she will have to look after you instead of you taking care of her.” Jaesuk voiced out in the dark.

“Let’s go, hyung!” Gary’s eyes lit up in the dark, he never thought of this and silently thanked Kwangsoo, while hoping the other hyungs and HaHa will agree to it. “We’ve been to all of our houses except her’s. I doubt she will lock 6 men who just finish filming out of her house, waiting for paparazzi to capture pictures of us.” He added, he really wanted to see how she lives, but also wanted to see her.

The rest, apart from Jaesuk agreed to with the plan unanimously. They thought that Jihyo would feel lonely resting alone and tried to convince him.

“I’m not so sure about this but let’s give it a try then. But let’s not force her if she really isn’t comfortable with letting six guys into her home, alright?” Jaesuk finally agreed.

“Hyung, Jihyo isn’t a lady; she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable with us!” Jongkook added jokingly.

After filming, Gary offered to drive them to Jihyo’s house, partially because he wanted to drive faster so that they, or rather he, could see her soon. They decided to sit in one car and give their managers a break for the day, as it was pointless driving 6 cars all the way to Ilsan, the outskirts of Seoul. They figured that they could just stayover at HaHa’s place and Gary could just drive Jaesuk and Sukjin to their respective homes if they wanted to be with their families after visiting Jihyo.

Gary bought some fruits and energy drinks on their way to Ilsan, as he always believed that one shouldn’t enter someone’s home empty handed.

“Don’t tell her I bought it, but tell her we bought it together, if not she won’t accept it.” Gary told Kwangsoo, who helped him carry the stuffs to the car.

“Hyung, even if you didn’t tell me that, I will tell noona that I bought it!” Kwangsoo replied with a smirk, knowing that the naive Gary forgot he had betrayal DNA in his blood.

It was an impromptu trip to a colleague, or more so a friend’s, house, and neither any of them know how the trip will turn out to be. 

Chapter Four

Filming for Gyebaek was really strenuous and exhausting-both physically and mentally-for Jihyo. Nonetheless, being a strong woman, she was able to bear the overnight filming, which lasted from 8pm till 3am, with only short breaks for her to change her costumes required for different scenes or to touch up her makeup.

Kakao talk:

Jihyo: Oppa, filming has just ended. I’m still feeling alright, I’ll head to Goyang for filming soon. I’m going to sleep on the way there~

Gary: Alright! See you later! Good night and sweet dreams ^^

Gary was glad that she remembered to text him after filming. He was worried for her and could only toss about in bed, unable to fall asleep. He could finally sleep peacefully.

Jihyo also messaged the other members that she will be present for filming later on.

When Gary reached the filming site at Goyang, all of the members except Jihyo and him were seated at a table together with the PDs.

Jongkook happened to spot him in his car and beckoned him over, “Gary ah, come over quickly, we are facing a crisis.”

PD Jay then repeated the sequence of events to Gary. “Jihyo-sshi has been admitted to the hospital again in the morning. We have a problem with how the missions are going to be carried out because of the number of guest invited for this episode. Initially, we only invited 5 guests, so that there will be 12 people. But now there’s only 11.”

“AGAIN? But she was fine today morning. So she won’t participate in today’s and tomorrow’s filming?” Gary exclaimed, but his voice trailed off towards the end, knowing he could only see her a few weeks later during the next filming.

Kakao talk

Gary: Mongji! Are you okay? SNSD appeared as guests for filming, but filming will still be different without you. Get well soon!

Gary felt gloomy throughout filming. Even though it was a couple race with one of the most famous Korean girl groups, filming felt different. There wasn’t someone he could steal glances at every now and then while completing missions, or someone who he could say cheesy lines to. If Jihyo was present for filming, there would be a chance of them partnering together for this couple race, then he could show more love and care to her. Nonetheless, he tried to put on a cheery smile on his face in front of the cameras. He had to be professional and couldn’t let Jihyo’s absence affect today’s filming. Jihyo didn’t reply his message, and he was disappointed every time he checked his phone during breaks. Being professional was tough and the veteran in variety, Jaesuk, saw through him.

“Still worrying about her? If you’re that worried, why don’t we give her a call?” Jaesuk suggested, and signalled the other members to come over. They decided to call her to ask about her condition during one of the longer breaks.

“I shall call her!” Kwangsoo enthusiastically took the initiative.

However, Jihyo didn’t pick the call up, and Kwangsoo was directed to her voice mail.

“Let me try this time. Maybe she refused to pick up your call.” Gary voiced out while putting the call on speaker.

After the second ring, Jihyo answered in a small voice, as if she had just woken up, “Oppa..”

“Ayyy! Why didn’t you answer my call? Do you only answer Gary hyung’s call?” Kwangsoo pointed it out.

“OOOOOHHhhh! Monday couple continues even without cameras filming them?” HaHa disturbed them cheekily.

“How’s your condition?” Gary, whose face started turning a little red, asked in a soft but seemingly caring voice, not giving Jihyo a chance to reply Kwangsoo and Haha.

“I’m feeling much better. Sorry that I missed filming, I hope I didn’t create any hiccups for the missions because of my absence. Mianhe (sorry). How’s filming?” Jihyo answered Gary.

“Jihyo ya, why did you only answer Gary’s question? Are Kwangsoo and Haha invisible?” Jongkook continued teasing them.

“What were their questions again?” A mong her replied innocently, as if she didn’t hear their questions. She had no idea what they asked as she had totally forgotten their questions.

Cheerings could be heard in the background.

“When will you be discharged?” Gary asked in a soft-spoken and caring tone again, with a smile on his face after the teasing.

“Ya, Gary! Why are you speaking in that tone? Is there something between the two of you?” Jaesuk continued with their merciless teasing.

“Tomorrow morning, but I have filming schedules three days later.” Jihyo answered, ignoring Jaesuk this time.

"Filming is starting soon, get ready!" PD Jay suddenly interrupted their conversation.

"Oh, we have to resume filming soon. Get well soon, annyong!" Jaesuk ended the conversation.

"Take care, we'll see you soon! Annyong!" Gary managed to sneak in 2 sentences before ending the call.

Gary became a lot brighter after the phone call. Hearing her voice brought much peace and joy to his heart. Perhaps a phone call with her could suffice to offset her absence for filming for him.