Gary blinked, unable to fathom what was in front of him. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, making sure that he wasn’t dreaming.

“She wants to see me now? It’s 1am and we have a shoot in less than 6 hours. What could she possibly need to talk to me about at this time of the night?”

He was totally confused, but nevertheless got out of bed. Turning on the lights, he grimaced at the blinding contrast causing his signature frown to show up even more. Stretching his tired limbs, he made his way to the dresser and opened his bag. He put on a simple t-shirt and shorts, all the while his mind raced as to what Jihyo’s intentions were, asking him to see her this late.

“Did she realize how I felt about her? Was the song too obvious? Maybe I shouldn’t have said those things back at the jewelry shop.” He shook his head and walked out the door, taking the keycard out of the slot with a click. Jihyo’s room was at the end of the hallway. He slowly walked down the corridor, still entranced in deep thought. “Maybe she’s not feeling well. She did just jump off the tallest building in Macau earlier today. Maybe she’s ill and needs some medication. But wouldn’t she call her manager for that?”

Since it was already well past the normal bedtime for most people, the hotel corridor was dimly lit, ambient lighting providing a soft glow as he walked, each passing doorway seeming miles apart. The walk down seemed like a marathon, yet the closer he got to her door, the more anxious he became.

“What happens if she confronts me about my feelings? Would it ruin everything? Would it become awkward? What will happen to the Monday Couple? If we screw everything up, our fans would never forgive us. Would we damage Runningman’s reputation? Oh god, what if we had to cancel the show altogether… That would mean I would barely get to see her. Ahh!!! Stress!!!”

His heart was racing and his mind was flooded with different scenarios and thoughts. He cringed at the idea of her finding out his true emotions and became alarmed at the thought of it ruining everything. He paused for a moment, two doors away from her room. Taking a deep breathe and exhaling slowly, he closed his eyes and calmed his nerves, trying to empty his mind.

“Yah Kang Gary. Wake up!! Why are you anxious? It’s just one friend calling another for a favor. There’s nothing weird about this. Calm down!! Nothing has happened, nothing is wrong. Mongji is fine, she probably just needs something for tomorrow’s shoot. Don’t get yourself worked up,” he told himself.

Mustering all the nerves his weary body had left, he opened his eyes and walked towards her room. A half smile of anticipation slowly crept up is lips, partly excited she called him, but more so petrified of what was going to happen. He raised his hand towards the doorbell but paused for a second, as though he was in two minds whether or not to go through with it. His head was battling his heart. On one side, he was scared stiff of the possible outcome of this late night call, yet his heart needed to cater for her every desire.

He sighed and shook his head. Finally, he pressed down on the button, hearing a ‘ding-dong’ as he did. “Well here goes nothing!!” he thought as he composed himself. The handle shifted downwards and the door slid open slightly. Instead of opening all the way, it just sat there ajar.

“Mongji?” he asked as he slowly pushed open the door. He saw her walking back towards her bed as the door crept open. He smiled as he saw her, a loose fitting pair of pajamas not doing justice to her shapely body. He figured her opening the door was a sign of her invitation into the room and followed her in. As he closed the door he cheerfully said, “Ahh, what does my Mongji want from her Monday Boyfriend at this time of the night. You do realize that it is officially Tuesday now right?” He managed a grin in an attempt to hide his anxiety. Sitting on the bed, she slowly turned towards him, his cheesy grin visibly wide on his peaceful face.

“Oppa!” she whimpered.

Any preconceptions about what could possibly happen, went flying out the window as Gary realized her eyes were swollen and red, her cheeks were glistening from the trail of tears. She had been crying, and for quite some time it seems.

“Oppa, am I undesirable as a person?” she looked at him as she asked the question.

Kang Gary froze.

                                                ************************

“Jihyo, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Gary’s words barely able to leave his mouth as he rushed towards her. “Are you hurt? What’s with your question?”

“Oppa, please answer my question. Am I undesirable as a person?” Jihyo cried out, a muffled voice through sniffs and sobs.

“Jihyo-ah, what are you talking about. Don’t be crazy. Why are you crying? Tell oppa what is wrong? There isn’t a soul on this planet who could not like you, Jihyo-ah. Talk to me,” Gary replied. His mind was a buzz, uncertain of what to do as he knelt down on the floor in front of her.

“But there is!!” she screamed, covering her face as she bawled out loud.

Gary sat there, bewildered beyond reasoning. His heart ached as he saw the woman he loves crying in front of him. His mind raced to find any reasoning behind her sudden outpour of emotion. As he searched for something to say, he saw the tissue box lying on the pillow and reached to grab a few tissue for Jihyo. Handing them to her, he said in a soothing voice, “Jihyo-ah, it’s ok. Oppa is here, tell me what’s bothering you and I will fix it for you.”

Taking the tissues he handed her, she dabbed her eyes with them. She was silent for what seemed like an eternity to Gary as she tried to compose herself.

“I’m so sorry Oppa, for dragging you into this, especially this late in the night. But  I was going mad and I needed to talk to someone I trust,” she finally said.

Gary’s heart skipped a beat, happy that she trusted him, but he still needed to console her and find out what was bothering her. “Talk to me. Tell oppa your worries. What is making my Mongji cry till the middle of the night.”

She looked at him directly in the eyes. They were all puffed up from the sheer volume of crying she endured, yet there was a glint of gratitude and appreciation in them. She remained silent again for a moment, pondering if she was going to reveal her troubles or not.

“I met Chang-joo oppa’s parents,” she finally said.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment as Gary heard her words. He felt as if his heart stopped completely, but he was determined to comfort her. He suppressed his own emotions and patiently listened as she revealed her predicament.

“Chang-joo oppa wanted me to meet them. He assured me that they would like me and that I would fit in well with his family. We went to dinner at their place and I was really excited to meet them. But it was a disaster oppa. I don’t think they approve of me. They see me as a sub-par actor who is only with their son for personal and material gains,” she said, occasionally interrupted by unintentional sobs. She continued describing her taxing experience to him, all the while, Gary never looked away, concern and worry written all over his face.

“Oppa, what am I to do?” She looked at him, tears b her eyes. “If they don’t like me, how am I expected to become a part of their family?” Gary almost faltered, as he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his chest but choked it back. She started to weep again, emotions getting the better of her.

He reached out to get more tissues, noticing that the ones in her hands were already soaked through. He sat next to her and handed them to her. Looking directly in her eyes, he asked her softly, “You really love him, right?”

Jihyo stopped crying briefly and looked at him. His face was telling of how much he cared for her and how worried he was, but it remained otherwise emotionless, not exposing his true desires. “I do,” she replied.

Gary held back his pain and asked, “And he loves you right?” She only nodded in reply. “Does he support you and stand up for you to his parents?” he continued.

“He doesn’t see it to be a problem. He says that his parents have always been difficult to whomever he brought home, and that this will pass. But I saw the look in his mother’s eyes. She looks down on me, and I don’t know if I can endure those eyes for the rest of my life,” she cried. “Oh oppa, why is this so hard?” she leant into him and cried on his shoulder.

Gary heart bled for her. He put his arms around her for a consoling hug. Though he wished the circumstances were different and he was hugging her for a different reason, he had to pull himself together. He shared her pain, and struggled at the knot in his throat. Not wanting for her to see his emotions, he fought back tears and tried to remain strong.

“Jihyo-ah, I really don’t understand why Chang-joo hyung’s parents don’t like you, but I do understand where hyung is coming from,” he said. Jihyo's weeping halted momentarily as she looked up at him, clearly confused. “Mongji, love isn’t always hearts, flowers, kisses and smooth sailing. To love means to share a life together with someone, to share an experience, a journey and most of all, to share emotions. This also includes hardships and pains. A love without challenges will lead a love without emotions. Each time there is a hurdle in life, you grow and learn as you overcome them. This applies to love as well. Chang-joo hyung loves you and believes in you. You also have to believe and trust in him. You have to be strong and endure the hardships head on with him. If he says that this isn’t a problem, trust him and move forward. There is no point in beating yourself up about a problem that by yourself, you have no control over. You need to work at this issue with him, and prove to his parents that you guys are determined to fight through every possible hurdle there is out there in life together. To back out now, means that you aren’t prepared to share and overcome the hardships that may come in the future. To like someone is easy, it comes and goes everyday. But to love someone means so much more than that, it goes beyond words and petty crushes. To love means the willingness to rejoice in the good times and to rise up over the adversities. Love is like a rollercoaster: you laugh during the happy times, cry during the sad times, scream during the exciting times and endure through the scary times. Are you willing to do this together with him?”

Jihyo sat there quietly, listening to his words from within his embrace. She never knew he was so philosophical and wise. Each word imparted wisdom so true and precise. She sat motionless, digesting what he said. It dawned upon her that he was right, and that perhaps she didn’t give Chang-joo the trust and support that was needed to overcome this obstacle.

She couldn’t control her emotions anymore and broke down in tears again, but this time, it was due to the everlasting support she got from her Monday Boyfriend. “Thank you Oppa,” she finally managed to choke out.

They sat there motionless, with Jihyo in Gary’s arms, softly weeping.

“Kenchana, Jihyo-ah. Be strong. You will be ok. Cry all you want today and get it out of your system. Oppa is here, let it all out now. Then from tomorrow onwards, don’t cry about this anymore,” Gary said in a soft soothing voice. Jihyo tightened her hold on Gary and let her emotions go, tears soaking into his t-shirt as she cried.

                                                ************************

The night deepened and soon the darkness was slowly pierced by the coming dawn. Jihyo fell asleep in Gary’s arms. He carefully lifted her up and placed her on the pillow. Gently, he tucked her in under the blanket and disposed of the avalanche of tear-soaked tissues. As he stood up and walked to the door, he stole one last glance at the sleeping beauty before making his way back to his room, teardrops marking his trail like breadcrumbs.

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Hey everyone,

I'm not sure if this is how some of the readers were expecting but it's all part of the plan i assure you :) 

thank you guys so much for all the support so far, it has made the experience of creating this fanfiction all the more enjoyable. hoping you guys have had as much fun reading this so far as i have writing it. stay tuned for more to come.

~C