A/N: Whoa, so many suscribers @_@ thank you so much for reading my story! This chapter is based off episode 90, when Gary and Jihyo are in one team for the first time since Jihyo’s relationship got announced.

            Monday rolled around again and the PDs had the members dressed in school uniforms for a couple race. She spent the morning laughing at the frozen faces of the boys as they were continuously disappointed by the elderly hyungs that kept coming out of the guest doorway instead of female idols. However, the laughter died in as the partner-picking progressed and she realized that she was down to either Kwangsoo, Jaesuk, or Gary to be her partner for the day.

She stood a little apart from Gary as they, along with Kwangsoo, lined up to be chosen by Jaesuk for a partner. Shooting Jaesuk a desperate glance, she willed him to either pick her or Gary. Surely he would help her out. Jaesuk paced around them and stopped in front of Gary, but Jihyo felt a sense of dread when she spotted a twinkle in his eye.

“Why don’t the two of you be together?” he mischievously told Gary and Jihyo, bowing to them and then going to Kwangsoo, who cheered. She elbowed Kwangsoo sharply, trying to curb his joy at her expense.

“Ow, noona! What was that for?” he cried, rubbing his injured side. Jaesuk grabbed him in a bear hug and they spun around in a happy circle.

“Oppa, I really don’t want to!” She pleaded, grasping Jaesuk’s arm. She kept her smile on her face but inwardly she almost felt like crying. There was no way she could be all alone with Gary for several hours, even for filming. She could imagine the awkwardness that the two had had between them last time in the restaurant. At least that time, there’d been Haha to break the silence. It would be ten times, no, twenty times worse in that car next to him, all alone with cameras trained on their faces, preventing them from just completely disregarding each other.

Jaesuk patted her shoulder reassuringly. “It’s a couple special today! Have a last journey together. Enjoy your last journey with Gary,” he said, pulling her towards Gary and, to her shock, putting Gary’s hand in her own. They recoiled back from each other, with Gary playfully shriveling away from her, grasping his hand. She buried her face in her hands as the rest of the cast laughed. Her mind whirled with worry as the PDs told them about the mission. Missions aside, what was she going to do about all that time spent alone with Gary in an isolated car?

The slate clapped and she immediately turned to glare at Jaesuk accusingly while Gary went to get the key for their car. He gave her an innocent look and shrugged.

“What’s wrong, Jihyo-ya? Haha told me that you and Gary were working on being friends with each other. I just gave you a golden opportunity!”

Jihyo spun around to scowl at the culprit, who avoided her gaze and struck up a conversation with his guest partner.

“It’s okay, Jihyo. I’m proud of you two for trying to work things out between yourselves,” Jaesuk informed her, smiling. “I don’t know what happened and why things are like this, but it will be good for the show as well as for you if you two make up and be friends. And who knows, you might discover that Gary’s not so bad after all.” He gave her one final pat on the shoulder before going off with Kwangsoo to the cars. Jihyo heaved a great sigh.

Gary returned, dangling the car key between his fingers. “Let’s go, Jihyo-ya.” She nodded gamely, and they made their way to the car.

They drove in silence, and Jihyo felt the wall between them again, about a foot thick and invisible, full of her resentment, his uncertainty, and their unfamiliarity with each other. She waited for him to speak first, but after around ten minutes of uncomfortable silence, it became clear that he wasn’t going to.

She frowned to herself. Wasn’t he the one who had suggested that they be friends in the first place? What had happened to that? It was so like Kang Gary, she thought to herself grumpily, to be infuriatingly dense.

She let the silence continue for about five more minutes until she could stand it no longer.  

“Say something.”

“Why? What about?”

“Talk about anything.”

“Why?”

She stared at him incredulously. “Because it’s awkward!” Surely he wasn’t too dense to feel the air of discomfort that filled the space between them.

“Why’s it awkward? I’m fine though?” He answered nonchalantly, fixing his eyes on the road. She frowned at him but noticed a little smile on his face, and she got the feeling that he was teasing her. She adjusted herself in her seat, refusing to get worked up. What else was there to talk about? Oh yeah. The weather.

“What are we going to do outside if it’s raining now?” She asked offhandedly. He didn’t say anything for a moment.

“You know, usually, 2 months ago, I would say, ‘I’ll be your umbrella, Jihyo-ya’,” he suddenly joked, and she laughed, suddenly realizing that after that bickering and teasing, she was now relaxed. She watched him drive out of the corner of her eye.

I miss your cheesy pick up lines, oppa, she almost said, but caught herself just in time. She shook her head vigorously. This was why she hated being around Gary. The awkwardness aside, Gary was a dangerous guy to be with. He made her want to say dangerous things.

“It’s good that we’re partners together, oppa,” she offered for the sake of the show, and her comment was met with his agreement immediately. Then they returned to silence.

Oh well. At least they were going to have some screen time now. She laid back in her seat and pretended to sleep, even though her brain was too wired for that.

            It was going to be a long day.