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. 

Chapter Three

"Is that Gary? Was he waiting for me to be awake?" Jihyo woke up and was shocked when she saw him as soon she opened her eyes, and felt really touched and grateful. She had always only woken up to either her manager or her family members, but never to a guy yet. Besides, he took time off work just for her. She could tell he was writing lyrics when he hummed a tune over and over again while scribbling on some paper. He looked so charming and suave writing lyrics. She always thought men are the most handsome when they focus intently on their work. Her lips curled into a smile as she watched him silently. However, her throat soon felt too dry and needed a sip of water.
"Oppa, can you get me a cup of water?" Jihyo interrupted Gary's hummings.
"Oh! You are awake? Did i wake you up?" Gary replied while pouring her some water.
"Gomawo. Anni(No), did you wait for a long time?"
"Maybe? But it was worth the wait. Why did you take the IV drip knowing you were allergic to it? Didn't you think about the ramifications?"
"I didn't have a choice, filming had to continue. Oppa, are you going to berate me the moment i wake up?" Jihyo pouted. She disliked being scolded even though she could feel that Gary was genuinely concerned for her.
Just then, Jihyo's manager and Kwangsoo came in, interrupting their conversation.
"Noona! Are you alright? What happened? Can you still film Running Man tomorrow morning?" Kwangsoo questioned.
Jihyo rebelled, "Ya! Don't ask me so many questions at once!"
Kwangsoo and Gary laughed, knowing that Jihyo is totally fine.
"Unnie, when is the next filming schedule?"Jihyo asked her manager, fully aware that she has to resume filming soon.
"It was tough persuading the director to postpone the filming schedules. He insisted filming to resume tonight, it will be another overnight shoot." Her manager replied worriedly as Jihyo would not be able to get sufficient rest.
"TONIGHT?! Doesn't she need to rest?! There is Running Man filming tomorrow morning. How can a person who collapsed film a drama and an action variety show back to back with little rest?" Gary suddenly stood up for Jihyo. He felt that it was unjust for a patient to work without recovering.
"Oppa ,it's okay, it is not her fault. Filming schedules cannot delay. Unnie, did you bring the scripts over? I'll memorise them by tonight." Jihyo tried to calm Gary down, even though she wasn't sure her body can take an overnight drama filming and 2 days of Running Man filming non-stop.
There was nothing Gary could do, considering that he wasn't in the acting industry, and the only actors or actresses he is close to are Kwangsoo and Jihyo. Thus, he had no idea how that industry runs. However, he wanted to help Jihyo get some rest and not worry about her tight schedules
"Oppa, Kwangsoo, don't worry about me! I'll take care of myself. See you for filming tomorrow, and tell the other oppas not to worry. Gomawo for coming today, annyong!"She forced a smile on her pale face so that both of them can leave without worries. She didn't want anyone to see her in a weak state. She then refused any other visitors for the day so that she can concentrate fully on memorising the thick stack of scripts before filming. To be honest, she was not confident that her body can handle such a tight filming schedule without recuperating, but she told herself, "If i can't, i must!" With that, she started memorising her script.

Chapter Two

Just then, the doctor came out of the ward. "The patient is out of danger. It was due severe allergic reactions with the contents in IV drips and extreme exhaustion, i suppose you know she has such an allergy ('you' referring to her parents). She has been put under anesthesia and will wake up when it wears off." After thanking the doctor, Gary greeted her parents and proceeded to wait outside the ward while her parents enter.
"It's great that she is fine now! Oh! Do i really have to tell her everything, just like i had promised earlier? I'm not prepared to tell her everything yet. I can break my promise to myself, can't i? No one will know!" Gary leaped with joy as he spoke to himself. He heaved a sigh of relief. After experiencing so much in such a short period of time, his fingers shivered when texting to the members, informing them on her condition.
"Gary, we have something on and have to leave soon. I think she is fine now, could you look after her until her manager arrives? Here, you can contact me if anything happens. Kamsahamnida! We will treat you to a meal one day." Jihyo's mother told Gary, as she passed him a slip of paper with her contact details on it.
As Gary opened the door, he was hit by the strong stench of disinfectants and the extreme silence. Waves of nervousness hit him as he slowly inched towards the chair beside her. There she was, lying peacefully on the bed, with her eyes closed and a white blanket covering her up till her chest. This was another side of her that he had never seen before. She seemed so serene, so calm that she was hardly recognisable. This was the first time Gary could observe every facial features of her so closely. He never thought how long her eyelashes were, how smooth and flawless her skin was, how sharp and pointy her nose was and how kissable her lips looked. He stared silently at her and was lost in his own thoughts. He has never felt this way before, and the feeling felt so warm and comforting. He mustered his courage, inching closer to her, with his lips heading towards her lips. His lips then moved towards her cheek instead and gave her a peck on her cheek. "Get well soon!" He whispered in her ear. "She doesn't know anything about my feelings for her. I shouldn't betray her, we should leave our first kiss for an even more special moment." He thought. Gary continued staring at her, awed by her beauty.
However, he was afraid that Kwangsoo or her manager may come in anytime. Grabbing some paper and a pen, he began to compose some lyrics, which was what he was doing before Jaesuk called. He was so focused in writing lyrics that he did not notice that Jihyo had woke up.

Chapter One

"Ya! Gary ah! Sung Im (Jihyo's real name) has collapsed during drama filming! Hurry rush down to xxx hospital. it's near your studio right? The ambulance is on its way. Kwang Soo will reach in an hour's time, the rest of us have schedules. Tell us about her condition as soon as possible! Get there quickly! I've got to go, annyong! Remember to update us! Gomawo!" Before Gary could speak a single word, Jaesuk had rattled off like a machine gun, with an anxious yet worried tone, As soon as Gary heard the news, he immediately dropped whatever he was doing, snatched his phone and keys(for the studio) and sprinted out of the studio.
However, he was stopped by the red man at the traffic light. Unable to cross the road due to the heavy traffic, Gary cursed under his breath. Waiting caused his mind to wander off, and soon, frightening images of Jihyo in pain flashed through his mind. In no time, his mind was brimming with uncountable scenarios that could happen to her.A worried expression appeared on his usually calm face. In that instant when the green man flashed, Gary dashed across the roads, this time ignoring the many cars that came his way. 
"Get out of the way! Uisa (doctor)! she is in a critical condition! It has been 20 minutes since this happened!" A paramedic swiftly jumped out of the ambulance and wheeled Jihyo into a ward, as he spoke in an urgent tone to the man clad in white, with a stereoscope hung around his neck. Gary recognised Jihyo instantaneously while panting from the morning run to the hospital. However, he was stopped from entering the ward.
All he could see while Jihyo was being wheeled into the ward was the girl he love gasping for air, like a fish out of water. Her flawless face was flushed red and seemed to be in great agony. His heart pained to see such a strong and sanguine lady suffer so much. The lady he saw smiling and laughing heartily yesterday disappeared overnight. He was stunned. 
As she was shut away from his view, the scene of her suffering replayed endlessly in his mind, and an increasingly apprehensive expression hung on his face. He was overwhelmed experiencing so many different feelings at once. Gary could not stop picturing what could happen to her, and became even more frantic. 
"Jihyo, continue to stay strong! I don't want anything nasty to happen to you. Hang in there, i know you can and i strongly believe in you. I can't lose you, i have so many things i have yet to say to you. I promise you, as long as you can be well again, I will confess my feelings for you. I will reveal everything." Gary worriedly said in his mind, hoping with all his heart that Jihyo will be fine. All of these were witnessed by Jihyo's parents, who rushed over after hearing the news about their daughter.


**Here are two articles that will give you much more information on what actually happened to Jihyo and why she was hospitalized.
http://www.soompi.com/2011/09/19/song-ji-hyo-rushed-to-the-hospital-for-dyspnoea/#.UpdSldIW1IU
http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/09/song-ji-hyo-in-and-out-of-hospital-requests-schedule-cutbacks/

[My exams just ended today and i'm tired (mentally drained). But i promised to upload chapter 1 tonight, so here you go! I know there's not much interaction between Gary and Jihyo in this chapter, but you will see much more interactions in the chapters to come. I will upload the next few chapters whenever i am able to.]

Heyyo! This is my first time writing a fanfic, but has always wanted to try writing one. (It had been quite awhile since i did narrative writing, so i'm a little rusty at that hahahs). Just a little bit about myself: I'm a huge fan or Running Man, especially Monday couple and Song Jihyo. I just started a fanbase on twitter, support me by following mongxgae! I accept feedbacks and comments to improve on writing an even better fanfic. Do correct me if there are any grammar errors, etc as i can be pretty careless at times. I will correct them asap. Enjoy the fanfic(:
Ohya, do ignore the goggle+ thing. Im not sure how to un-sync that.