Unlike convention, Mondays were always the highlight of Ji Hyo's week, a day she could spend with her best friends without the pressure of upholding fickle propriety. She savored the comforting environment of unconditional support. They embraced and even glorified her unglamorous tendencies and terrible antics at all hours of the day, unlike many of her industry friends. With that, she entered the set with a hop in her step in anticipation of the day.

Filming started without Jong Kook, much to her surprise, but she figured that he was probably running late. Probably lost track of time at the gym, she scoffed to herself. It was not until teams were decided without him that she began to realize that he wasn't showing up at all, and it felt even stranger that no one else but her seemed to be bothered by it. It wasn't after Haha explained that he would be out for the next two episodes for surgery recovery, after spotting her bewildered eyes, that she finally felt more at ease, though not really. After attempts to brush off his absence as completely ordinary, it left an increasingly larger gnawing hole at her side every time she caught herself leaning against and laughing into the shoulder of the man standing next to her, only to look up and find Gwangsoo's repulsive (ha) and alarmed face staring back at her, clutching his shoulder in protection.

Though Jong Kook and her didn't film together that often per say, she found his presence a silent reassurance. And now that it was gone, the sun and everything seemed a little less vibrant. The four weeks crawl by for Ji Hyo and she finds herself marking off days till his return. Until then, she finds solace in the other members and in a month, a new fabric of jokes and familiarity develops between them.

-----

Jong Kook enters amongst applause from the entire crew in his usual hasty and powerful gait, his hands up to calm the cheers in appreciation. He didn't hear any of the shouts though because his eyes were already scanning the crowd...and there she was, radiating amongst a sea of gray blobs, more beautiful than ever staring off into space in her typical mong fashion. She somehow looked frailer than before, but it may have from the fact that he'd been away for so long and had forgotten her current image. Plus, he'd heard from people that women go on crazy diets to fit into wedding dresses. She may be a victim of the practice as well. He reminded himself to teach her some exercises later on that may help with weight loss.

Everyone hounded him with welcoming pats and hugs but they went unnoticed as he made his way towards Song Ji Hyo, who after realizing the source of the rukus was constantly getting pushed away from the larger bodies wrestling for a spot in front of her. Eventually, the hype died down and in the much-needed calmness, Jong Kook finally approached her, now standing off to the side waiting patiently. With arms extended he reached forward, but when he is within hugging distance, he makes eye contact and it suddenly feels incredibly awkward having not seen her for a month and in front of so many watching and curious eyes, such a friendly gesture felt too intimate. His arms retract unceremoniously, and he resorts instead to the more safe and appropriate bow for greeting.

Ji Hyo scampers off afterwards to join Gwangsoo and Gary in conversation after a terse "hello" to the man. He watched her leave, mouth agape at how distant their relationship suddenly felt. Maybe he had just been deluding himself earlier about their great chemistry. How much has changed in the month he's been out? Was he that replacable?

-----

It was 6:00pm when everyone finally returned to Seoul, having traveled and filmed around the peninsula for over 12 hours, aching and exhausted. The members flooded out of the bus and hurriedly bade farewell, eager to return home to sleep. Jong Kook stayed around to leave with Ji Hyo, as per their usual routine, but also secretly hoping that he'd finally have a chance to catch up with her. They hadn't spoken the entire day having been split into separate teams. Though they did talk sparingly through the month he had been out, it was different to see her face and hear her voice in person. He had been missing it.

It is already 7:00pm and the entire building is cleared save for the two. Well, at least Jong Kook thought so. He hadn't seen her since she stepped off the bus an hour ago. He sat on the tiled ground and leaned against the cinderblock wall, staring out the glass doors in boredom and exhaustion. He'd wait until 8:00pm, he told himself. A drizzle starts and the sky darkens. The dull roar of rain drops begins to drag Jong Kook's lids downwards.

He nearly dozed off when he heard the loud clicks of heels sprinting past him and a red blur exit the building and approach the parked car in front. He jerked back to reality and sat up as he strained to hear what had appeared to be shouting between whom he realized was Ji Hyo in the silky red, backless dress and a shadowed person in the car. The exchange only lasted for a minute before he saw the car pull off with a screech, leaving her behind as she screamed and chased after the disappearing vehicle.

Ji Hyo stared at the car in disbelief, mouth agape. "Yah, Chang Joo!  You ing bastard! Get back here!", she belted out, daring to curse at him, knowing he couldn't hear her anyway, as she kicked off her heels. She had only taken three steps when she was yanked back aggressively. Her small body swung around to land into a firm chest, and she looked up to find Jong Kook staring back at her with concerned eyes. His familiar face was somewhat calming in this moment of despair, but the last thing she needed was his righteous interference.

"Let me go!" she screamed, venting her anger on him, gritting her teeth and struggling to shake off his hand to run off again. Her heart pounded furiously, as she watched the car fade into the distance from the corner of her eye, still desperate to catch the culprit, but now with a noble idiot in her way. Every second was precious to her chase.

"I said 'let me go'! Please, Jong Kook, please! Just once, listen to me. Let me go.", her voice hoarse from the intensity at which she hoped to project, and her face drenched in either rainwater or tears, she's not too sure. She tries to wiggle out of his embrace, and then harder after realizing the water could help her slip through with wet skin against wet skin. Her efforts are futile though, against Jong Kook's iron grip. He can feel his muscles straining to contain the now reckless woman flailing in his arms. He pulls her over to a nearby crew truck and firmly holds her up against it to assist his fading strength, his right hand pressing into her shoulder. The cold metal surface now up against Ji Hyo's shocks her into temporary silence as she stares up at him with doe eyes, breathing heavily from her earlier outbursts.

The crisp splatter of raindrops echo in the background as they finally meet face to face. Her eyes are hollow and eyeliner is running down the corner of her right eye. Her hair is now a frizzy mess and she is kicking at his shins and swearing at him, but he swears she is still the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. He tries to ignore the fact that his eyes are tracing the water droplets slowly trickling from her soaked hair and down her porcelain neck, or the fact that the wet fabric is outlining her tiny waist and the curve of her hips, or that now he can see the mounds of her s through the crimson dress and the perk of her s that sends his loins into a frenzy.

He carefully keeps himself at an arm's distance away and takes a deep breath.

"Stop going after him.", he scolds.

"Why, huh? Why?", she yells in return, her hands moving in exasperation.

"You're not thinking straight. You're just being reckless"

"How do you know? You don't even understand what's going on."

"Do you think he'll stop just because you're chasing after him?"

"I don't know, but I never found out because you decided to interfere with my life."

"Stop being stubborn, you know the answer is 'no'."

"There's no point in trying to reason with you. You weren't even there to know what happened. Don't lecture me on something you don't know."

He tightens his hold on her sensing her nervous twitches of a sudden escape.

"Let me go", she spits back, knocking off his hand with her left arm as storms off back into the building, her heels long forgotten, strewn haphazardly on the nearby asphalt.

He watches her leave and follows her a few steps later. Some space would be good for the flaring woman. The last thing he needed to was to chase her down again in an unpleasant hide-and-seek inside the 20-story building at that.  As he stepped in, he catches the ending notes of her conversation, "Okay, see you soon, unnie." She promptly hangs up and stares out the glass panels beside the door, refusing to acknowledge him.

"You know, I can help if you need me to", he tries.

"Please leave me alone", she returns sternly before walking further across the lobby, distancing herself from him and squatting down, leaning against her knees and staring blankly outside.

She could feel his eyes on her as he stood on the other side. His presence was suffocating, and it was a good five minutes of silence before she finally spoke up, no longer able to handle the itchy feeling of having someone breathing down her neck.

"You can leave me, you know. I'm not forcing you to stay and you probably don't want to.", she suggests.

"No, it's fine. I don't mind."

"It's not like I need you here"

"Why are you so insistent that I leave?"

"Because you're just wasting your time here"

"What if I want to stay?"

"You're crazy. Why would you?"

"Because, I just want to make sure you get home safely. Here, why don't you change out of those clothes first? You're soaked in them. Go change in the bathroom and I'll let you know when your manager comes."

There was a brief pause. "Please leave", dismissing is suggestion. She was in no mood to deal with this rationally.

"You sure? I don't want you to get sick."

"Whatever, I don't even care anymore."

"C'mon, don't say that."

"I can say whatever I want, Jong Kook. Can you leave now?", her eyes shot daggers into him and she ce more such that her back was facing him, shunning him completely.

He was now left staring at her , and he felt a nervous twitch as his mind suddenly wondered what it'd feel like to trace her milky skin with his fingers and slip under the fabric...

It was another minute before Jong Kook responded. "Fine, I'll go. Happy?", he retorted, reluctantly, knowing that any practical solution with her in the mix had died long ago, probably when she was chasing after Chang Joo.

She didn't answer.

He reached into his bag and pulled out a fresh towel he kept for heading to the gym afterwards and threw it onto squatting figure without a second look before stepping out, not even bothering with a goodbye.

She only managed to unmask her face after she had heard the door close behind his exit. Ji Hyo watched with regretful eyes as his outline stepped out into the heavy rain, his soaked shirt now plastered against his body, burdened with defeat. His car pulled out and disappeared down the road, and she sat dwelling, wrapped in a blanket of silence, wondering if the sinking feeling in her stomach was any indication of things gone wrong. She told herself that this was the right thing to do. It was going to make their inevitable parting easier.

She'd have to learn to live without him anyway. Might as well start now.