A/N: I can't believe I actually have people READING my silly, incoherent little story, let alone having 7 subscribers..! You guys are awesome. Here we go with an update! Enjoy!

            Haha couldn’t believe it either when she stepped into the restaurant with Gary after filming the next Monday. He said as much when Gary disappeared to place the order for three sets of kimchi stew.

           “Yah, Song Jihyo. You actually agreed to come and eat with us? But I thought you hated Gary hyung,” he said, all the while stuffing his face with banchan.

            Jihyo took a sip of water before replying, “I don’t hate him.”

            He scoffed. “That’s bull. On any other day, if you had heard that Gary hyung was gonna be here, you’d hightail it out to some ‘schedule’ that you had to ‘attend’,” was his retort, complete with air quotations, “and now you’re walking into a restaurant with him, side by side. What, are you someone else entirely, or did you finally decide to take a happiness pill this morning?”

“We have an agreement. We’re going to try to be friends.” She put the glass down, trying to look unperturbed. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been paralyzed with dread ever since Gary went up to her during break and invited her to go out for dinner with Haha. “It’s called setting our differences aside and being mature. You should try it sometime.”

“Friends. That’s funny,” he scoffed again. “Let me know how that works out for you.”

She glared at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

He snorted. “You two were never meant to be ‘just friends’.” Just then, Gary returned, and she shot a warning look at Haha to shut up.

“What were you guys talking about?” Gary said, coming to sit cross-legged at the table next to Jihyo and reaching across her for some seaweed. She tensed up automatically, suddenly aware that he was very close to her. Haha noticed and smirked.

“Nothing, hyung. Eat, eat.” Gary shrugged and chewed the seaweed. The ahjumma came by with the kimchi stew, and the trio continued to eat in silence. Her elbow bumped into Gary’s, and she inwardly cringed at the awkwardness as she bowed her head in apology to him.

Gosh, she thought to herself after the 3rd time she accidentally made eye contact with Gary and exchanged a weak smile and nod with him. She knew it would turn out like this. Why had she agreed to come? As tired from filming as she was, she should have been comfortably relaxing at home by now, or going out on a date with her boyfriend, or filming some sort of commercial. Somewhere. Anywhere but there in that restaurant next to him.

Just say something, she willed herself, fist clenching under the table. Break the silence! Ask him about his new album, or the weather, or if he likes cats. Say something, anything! Why was it that whenever she was around him, she couldn’t say anything at all?

Haha, unable to stand it any longer, set his chopsticks down with a clatter and groaned. “Why are you guys so awkward and quiet? This is what I meant when I said you guys won’t be able to do it. For goodness sakes, one of you say something!”

Jihyo glared at him, opening to scream at him that it wasn’t for lack of trying, that she couldn’t help it, but Gary spoke up first.

“It’s called enjoying each other’s company in silence and being mature, Haha-ya. You should try it sometime. Now eat.”

She blinked. She hadn’t been expecting that, and his comment was so similar to the one she’d made earlier that she let out a small chuckle, much to her own surprise. Gary whipped his head around to look at her, and the corners of his eyes crinkled as he gave a startled smile. She cleared and willed herself to grab ahold of the opportunity to speak.

“Y-yeah, oppa. It’s because you talk too much that you didn’t eat enough while you were still growing, and that’s why you’re so short now.” She glanced to her right to see Gary laughing into his stew.

Haha’s eyes opened wide. “So you’re ganging up on me now, huh? I see how it is.” He scooped up a big spoonful of rice and waved it in front of Jihyo’s and Gary’s noses. “Look at this.” He proceeded to jam the entire spoonful into his mouth and continued to inhale the food, chewing noisily. “Look, I’m eating, I’m eating!” His words were muffled by the food in his mouth.

Jihyo wrinkled her nose. “Chew before you speak, oppa.”

Gary thwacked Haha playfully on the head. “Yah, look how you’re behaving in front of a lady.”

Haha snorted and swallowed. “I’d hardly call Song Jihyo a lady-” he started off, only to be cut off by a kick from Jihyo under the table and another thump to the head from Gary.

“Oww! Man, I’m never going act eat out alone with you two anymore. It’s much too painful for me.” He rubbed his head and shin vigorously.

            “Eat!” Jihyo and Gary commanded at the same time, then turned to look at each other and laugh. Haha mumbled a few words under his breath and dug in. They continued the rest of their meal in silence, but at least to Jihyo, the atmosphere no longer felt quite so suffocating.