She wondered when will he notice her. She analysed her long list of rivals, she even can categorised them.

Rivals

1. Work. His long list of work commitments, Turbo, Running Man, Escape Crisis No 1, Fan meetings, Commercials,  Ad Hor program in China, Singing, Song writing,.
2. Exercise. His need to exercise. She shouldn’t complain about this one but, sigh, it did take up his time.
3. Buddies. Running Men, esp like Kwang Soo, The Dragon Gang, Exercise Buddies, Turbo, Singing buddies, dancing buddies, Company employees, colleagues, the list is long!

She was not in his buddies list, she was a woman. If there are running men gathering, then she will be meeting him, otherwise, he won’t even talk to her other than recording.

But yet, he was closed to her during recording, he was a touchy person around his buddies, she had observed that, therefore when he was a touchy person around her, she wondered was she his buddy or something more.

She looked at her latest rivals, the turbo brothers. They had made it known that they wanted to remain at his side to serve him, even if it was not singing. She felt distaste, she couldn’t even say that, it was so unfair.

Then she remembered, she still had a list of love lines to worry about, the first been Eun Hye. Although the list was not long, but it a considerate amount of them too, and each of them, she felt, had fallen for him. She was one the more subtle love lines, and she had fallen for him bad. When will he realised she was a potential and good candidate for him.

She wondered should she interrogate Haha to know who his girlfriends were, so she could analysed whether she stood a chance with him. She knew that he had said his girlfriends all confessed first, but she wondered was it the truth. So far, none of them had commented on that. Maybe it was truth, and he did treat them good. She envied them, she wanted to be his last girlfriend and his only wife.

Ok, she had analysed the situation enough! It simply not getting her anyway, she shouted “Kim Jong kook Yah!”, lucky she was alone in her car, she needed to release her stress. He was not cooperative at all. She and he was not getting any younger, maybe he was not interested at her at all. That thought depressed her even more. Tears were gathering in her eyes, a sense of hopelessness drown her. Maybe she needed to get over him and find another one to love.

It would be difficult, he treated her too special in running man for her to forget him. He was good to everyone but he was special to her, she felt that, and from the conversation of the other running man, it was not her one sided thinking. But that was all, she was just his special colleague and no more. The tears started to run down her eyes, she needed to stop somewhere. She drove into the nearest carpark she knew, beside the han gang river, she stared into the river and remembered the day, her heart nearly stopped when he fell into the river, or when she felt his eyes were on her when she swam across it. Those memories didn’t ease her desperateness, maybe, she had misread him, it was just a concern he showed everyone else, she was just a someone he knew. And with that thought, her tears waterfall down and couldn’t stop.

She heard her phone rang, she picked it up, and she tried to answer it a normal voice. “Hello”, that was all she could say.

“Is this Ji Hyo?” a voice she missed so much came from the other end of the phone.

She was stunned. “Yes,” she answered, trying to stop her voice from shaking.

“Jong Kook Oppa here. You don’t sound too right, are you ok?” he asked her in concerned.

She shouted in her heart, I am not ok because of you but she answered, “I am a bit under the weather, but I am ok”

“Oh, I was thinking could we have dinner together tomorrow night, if you are sick, maybe another time.” He sounded disappointed.

No .. that wouldn’t do, she had waited too long to be invited to have dinner with him, she wanted to attend, but with who? “Oppa, I would love to have dinner with you tomorrow night. Who else will be going?” Her tears had stopped falling, her heart was lighter, she was going to see him.

“Mmm, actually just the two of us. I need to ask you something.” He replied. Her heart stopped, he had full power over how her heart could do, she hope he didn’t want to ask her how to get him a girl, seriously, other than the girl was her, she couldn’t give him any recommendation.

“Ok, Oppa. I will see you tomorrow night.” Despite her negative thoughts, she wanted to see him.

“Ok, I will message you the place. Oh and mm I had taken the privilege to pick up a dress for you for our dinner tomorrow. I will send it to your home tomorrow. I hope you like it.” And the phone went dead.

Ji Hyo stared at the phone, funny Oppa, she smiled. She restarted her drive back to her house. The night passed quickly and her lightened heart wished it could see her dress sooner. She waited for it patiently since morning, she had no schedule that day. The moment it arrived, she tried it on immediately. She wondered how he knew her size, it had fitted her perfectly. The dress was a simple and elegant dress, yet showing her figure in a very flattening way.She smiled.

She took her time to prepare for their dinner date, she could call it that couldn’t she. She didn’t want to think any negative things, she wanted to at least experience once dating Kim Jong Kook. She put on her makeup, he loved her to have a light one, and a flower scented perfume. She looked simple yet chic, she had to congratulate him for his excellent taste.

He messaged her that he was near, and she  waited for him at her lobby. She saw his car drew near and she hopped onto it when it came to a stopped. She could see he liked how she wore the dress.

“You are beautiful, I never knew I had such a good taste in clothes.”

She giggled. So did she. “Well, it must be something did rub of you from fashion king.”

“Seem like it” they fell into a comfortable conversation in their ride to the restaurant. It was not a fancy restaurant, just one that gave them enough privacy and the atmosphere was good. They were seated in a private room.

“I had planned something, this is the menu, are you ok with it?” he asked her, showing her what he had preplan. The menu consist of both of their favourite food , there was no reason for her to say no.

“Oppa, this looks like the perfect menu for both of us.” She smiled in agreement.

“You really think so? I couldn’t remember all your favourite food.” He looked pleased. She was wondering what else could he had forgotten, the menu was already very impressive.

They continued their conversation, dinner was served and it was delicious. Jong Kook was looking more and more uncomfortable throughout the dinner. She finally gave up after they had finished the dinner. “Something bothering you, Oppa?”

“Actually, yes. I wanted to tell you I am just good buddies with Kwang Soo. We are both singles, that why we hanged around a lot. And he was a good brother. He is just a good brother.” He began.

“Ok, I know.That was bothering you?” she asked.

“I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.” He emphasised.

“I won’t. Kwang Soo was a good brother to me too. I know what you meant.” She saw him relaxed a bit.

“There is more.” she gestured him to continue. “There’s nothing between all the love lines that was listed here.” He passed her an article, her heart froze, that included her! “except for one. Or I hoped to have one with her” He continued.

She found her voice, “Which one?” she braced herself for the impact. She tried to look and sound calm, but she knew she should have looked stoned.

“Mm,” he looked a bit apprehensive. “She is a beautiful actress and very successful now in running man. She always takes good care of everyone, especially me. I not only wanted to have a love line with her but also wants her to be a real couple with her.” He looked at her expectedly.

She looked at him, her wish was getting fulfilled. The man opposite was as unsure as her. she stood up, he stood up as well, she hugged him.

“So are you asking me to be your girlfriend”, she asked.

“Well, ..”

“well what?” she asked.

“I am! I wanted you to be my girlfriend. Do you want to be my girlfriend?” He confirmed.

“Well,…”

“well what?” it was his turn this time.

“Ok.” She whispered into his chest.

“Yah??” he wanted to make sure he heard correctly.

“Ok, “ this time it was louder.

He looked at the woman in his arms. “thank you for fulfilling my dream, love.” He lowered his lips and kissed hers. She could taste his lips were green tea and she was slowly getting drunk with his kiss. “I love you, Song Ji Hyo, for the longest of time. Thank you for been my girlfriend.”