Chapter 19

Ji HYo Pov

            Oh, the day was more than tiring. I still can’t believe that Gary oppa and I had to go to scan our brains in order to prove the world that we don’t harbor any romantic feelings towards each other. Yes, the date was nice. And if there were no cameras, I would’ve been much more relaxed though we have been alone out of the work place two times already. We worked together on his songs we performed together and we had some quite enjoyable moments like when he first kissed me on the cheek and when I kissed him on the stage while performing one of Leessang’s songs. We hugged more than I can count. However, all that was for the show. Except, except that night in Bangkok. That amazingly hot night that will be forever imprinted in my brain.

            Oppa and I are close, if you count us talking when we have ‘‘Running man’’ crew gatherings or celebrations. Although, he would always leave first. I started wondering why he never stays too long on this kind of gatherings. I noticed he's never present on our Christmas and New Year's celebrations. From Haha oppa I heard he requested in his contract to have a day off on every October 26 if we have something scheduled on that day. I really would like to know why that day is so important to him but I have no courage to ask. A sharp pain in my arm brings me back to the present. I start to rub as soon as I feel the stab of the one and only pabo among us, Lee Kwang Soo.

            “Yah, Kwang Soo!” I exclaim sharply. We are the only ones from the original cast who left to drink one more drink before we call it a night. “What? What do you want?”

            “Aish noona, I tried to wake you up from your thoughts for the last few minutes. Are you thinking about your Monday boyfriend or your could have been but not WGM husband?” The bloody idiot is teasing me. Does he want to die? He dares to mess with me while I’m tipsy. Ah, my dongseang, not smart move. Hwang Soo and I are close; we are best friends though we bicker all the time. He’s the only of the members who is regularly comes to my home and who my parents acepted him as one of their children.

            “You want to die? Stop messing with me.” I slur a bit but I guess only my tongue is a bit slow from the alcohol.

“No, noona. I’m sorry. But seriously, are you all right?”

“Yes, just tired and tipsy. Maybe I should go before I fall asleep here.”

“Yes, this time you should because Gary hyung is not here to take you home.”

“What?”

“He didn’t tell you? The last time you got quite drunk, way before hyung left and you know he doesn’t stay long.” I probably had blank look on my face since he went on explaining how I got drunk and tried to sleep it off on the bench outside of the restaurant. Hwang Soo was with me at the time but he couldn’t drive me home since he had a couple of drinks himself. That’s when Garry oppa wanted to leave and he offered to drive me home.

“I don’t remember that. Aish, why did I had to drink that much?!” I scold myself bringing my hand to rub my throbbing forehead. Now I know how he knew where I lived when he dropped manager unnie and me off to our homes, respectively.

“You were jealous.” Hwang Soo simply answers munching peanuts like a machine. I look at him with disbelief. Me jealous? With whom? I didn’t realize that I asked the questions aloud until I hear him answer with the same simplicity. “Of Kyung Soo Jin of course.”

I started thinking, trying to remember when we had gathering after filming with her. She was recreantly filming with us but we didn’t... Then I remembered.

“Yah, Kwan soo-yah, that was over a year ago. And I wasn’t jealous at all.” He looks at me with his eyebrows up, challenging me to confirm my own words. Darn, I had already admitted before about my jealousy of her in the interview... I can’t believe he took me home. Was my mother awake when he got me home? She hadn’t said a word, but then again, she rarely does. That makes her even scarier then she looks.

“Ji Hyo-yah, tell your best friend Kwang soo what’s bothering you.” I have no secrets in front of this giraffe but somehow I think I should keep my thoughts to myself. Too bad my tipsy brain and mouth don’t agree.

“I’m nervous about the scan results Gary oppa and I had to do. What if he feels something for me?” It would be awkward if he really has some feelings towards me and everything comes out in the open, in front of the all people to see. However, what took me aback was Hwang Soo’s question.

“What if it is you that feels something for him?” Now that I think about it, I don’t want to think about it.

Kang Gary’s PoV

       Another Monday, another ‘‘Running man’’ shooting. Over the years I came to enjoy the variety show, more because because of the people that somehow became my second family. This time though it’s different. Today they’re going to reveal the results about our brain scans. For some reason, I don’t feel nervous but rather relaxed. I came to cherish Song Ji Hyo more than I expected especially after I heard her talking about me with her manager years ago. Her words back than hurt like hell. She complained her manager than begged her to find a way to brake off our fake relationship because Kang Gary isn’t someone who suit her, not even as a pretend boyfriend. Why? Because I was ugly, unattractive, not even worth looking at. The cheesy lines she hated the most. She even remarked that my nickname “squid’ suits me perfectly. That’s why I think that the lie detector was broken when she admitted that I’m handsome. Maybe she is that good actress. I don’t care much for other people looks though I enjoy when I see a pretty woman. However, that’s not all I see. I want to believe that what’s inside you is what matters, character and personality. I truly loved her by then, but somehow my happy bubble popped that day. I tried to burry my feeling by writing lyrics, sometimes going out in clubs, when I can. It helped that she was first with her CEO back then, now though...she’s single.

            For the last few years, Song Ji hyo and I became close. I forgot about that incident and tried to be a friend. Moreover, we became one. Of cou