The bar was shaking furiously, reminiscent of a jackhammer, bobbing up and down barely held up by his tired, sweat-ridden arms. Nevertheless, Gary was determined to complete this one last rep.

“Come on!!! One more, one more!!!” he thought, teeth clenched to the point of shattering.

With a menacing roar, he summoned his remaining energy and pushed with all his might. The bar raised up slowly, inch by inch, until finally, his strength giving way, dropping to his face. As it fell down, almost in slow-motion, Gary reached the point of surrender. “Why bother?” he thought and closed his eyes. A pair of muscle packed arms reached out and caught the rust covered steel before it crushed Gary’s head.

“YAH!!! Gary-ah, WAE???” Jong Kook screamed, looking as much concerned as he was upset. “I told you that it was too heavy for you on your last set. Are you honestly that stupid or are you trying to kill yourself? Luckily, I was spotting you otherwise you would have gotten seriously hurt.”

“Hyung…..” Gary barely got out, between pants and puffs. He was about to say something but caught himself. He knew Jong Kook was like a true blood brother to him, and that he cared for him deeply, yet that wouldn’t have stopped him from giving Gary a beating for saying pitiful and self-loathing things. “Seriously hurt? I think I’ve gone beyond that eons ago,” he thought to himself.

“Joesonghabnida hyung. I thought I could push through it and get one more rep. I’ll be more careful next time.” Gary got up and walked to the water cooler for a drink.

As disappointed as Jong Kook was, he knew what Gary was going through. He was no stranger to the pains of love and heartbreak. He knew what plagued Gary’s heart. Song Jihyo was indeed an amazing woman. Bright, beautiful, talented and hard-working, she encompassed qualities that anyone would dream about in a woman. To say that Jong Kook had never been attracted to Jihyo would have been a lie. Even before they interacted in Family Outing, Jihyo made her presence felt in the acting community through sheer, honest hard work. She wasn’t pretentious nor was she fake, and her caring nature at heart wasn’t an unknown fact. After joining Runningman, Jong Kook couldn’t help but notice the many similarities between her and another woman he was privileged enough to cross roads with. Like her, she was strong, competitive and talented. Like her, she was involved in a variety show love-line. Like her, she was beautiful. And like her, she was both the joy and the despair of the other person.

Jong Kook watched Gary as he stretched down and cooled off. He remembered the joy and happiness that the love of his life brought him. He remembered the smiles, the laughs, the touch and the smell. Yet where there is light, there is also darkness. Jong Kook had experienced first hand what the darkness felt like. The loneliness, the desolation and the anguish that was brought upon him in the name of love. Perhaps this is the reason he chose not to get too close to Jihyo, for he never wanted to experience that darkness again.

“Gary-ah, you alright? You didn’t pull a muscle did you?” Jong Kook asked, trying to take his mind off other things.

“Kenchanahaeyo. I guess I just tried a bit too hard that time. I’ll make sure I won’t be as ambitious next time. Gamsahabnida hyungnim, for your concern and for your fast hands. It may be hard for this face to get worse, but I think that bar would have succeeded in making me uglier.” Gary and Jong Kook both chuckled.

Jong Kook picked up his towel and walked towards Gary. Sitting down next to him, he looked him right in the eye and asked, “So, how are things? Talk to me. You haven’t said much of anything to anyone outside of shooting since we came back from Macau. Did something happen?”

Gary stared back at him silently for a moment, his facial expressions speaking untold words to Jong Kook. He was in pain, yet trying his best to mask it.

“Aniyo hyung, everything is fine. Nothing has changed,” he replied after the awkward silence, avoiding his glance.

Jong Kook continued staring at him, eyes unflinching. “Gary-ah, you know that hyung is here for you. There’s no need to lie about matters of the heart. You know that out of all the people close to you, hyung understands the most about how you feel.”

Gary was silent once again, pondering on how to handle the situation. He was grateful to Jong Kook, yet didn’t want to come across as a sad sympathy seeker, always feeling sorry for himself. However, he knew that once Jong Kook got a whiff of something suspicious, he wasn’t easy to stop. He was like a dog with a bone. Jong Kook waited patiently for his dongsaeng to say something, observing his actions with a keen eye.

“Hyung,” Gary finally said. “I think it is time I finally let go. I can’t continue like this.” Gary paused, as though to calm his torrential emotions. “She really loves him and already wishes to settle down with him.”

“Tell me what happened, Gary-ah,” Jong Kook said after a moment of silence.

“She called me late at night and asked me to go to see her,” Gary told him. Jong Kook’s eyes widened, anticipating something big. “Hyung, don’t misunderstand the situation. It is far more anticlimactic than you think.”

Jong Kook half grinned but nodded and waited patiently for an explanation.

“She called me to her room which honestly baffled me. I didn’t know what she wanted so late at night, but when I got there, she was crying,” Gary explained. Jong Kook cocked his eyebrows in curiosity. “She had her first big misunderstanding with Chang-joo hyung. She was emotional and hurt and didn’t know what to do. I offered some advise and just comforted her until she could fall back asleep. It was the least I could do. She was tired and in pain, but she had another full day of shooting ahead and I didn’t want her to wake up with puffy goldfish eyes.”

Jong Kook smiled and nodded. He knew about Gary’s feelings for Jihyo, yet he truly cherished the thoughtfulness and care that his dongsaeng showed to those he was close to. Gary was a simple man, even as a celebrity. He cherished the more simple things in life. Little did he care for fancy accessories and flashy cars. All he really wanted was to make music, do his fans proud, and to enjoy the company of his cherished friends. Those closest to him would count themselves lucky, as there was no hurdle that Gary wouldn’t surmount when coming to the aid of his loved ones.

“We used to think that it was due to her ‘mong-ness’ that she was oblivious to emotions, but this time I think it is different. It’s not because she’s mong… it’s because she is blinded by true love. And that is something I’m not willing to destroy.” Gary hesitated, visibly hurt by his own words. “Hyung, she doesn’t see me as anything more than a close oppa, and I think that maybe that’s for the best. I rather have her in my life as a close friend than not at all. At the very least, this way I can see her smile everyday. It is definitely what she deserves after working so hard to set a name for herself.”

There was a moment of dead silence. Jong Kook understood what Gary was going through, yet he had no words that could comfort his raw emotions at that point. Speeches of ‘don’t worry’ or ‘everything happens for a reason’ would be the last things Gary would want to hear, for Jong Kook knew of that first-hand. He sat quietly listening to Gary spill his heart, knowing that it was the best way to show his support for his dongsaeng. Gary turned to his hyung, looking him at him face to face, tears beginning to coat his eyes. “Hyung, help me let her go. Tell me what to do,” he finally whimpered.

Jong Kook nodded and embraced him, offering his support and care. He knew how difficult it was for Gary to speak those words, and was impressed by his strength and resolve. It almost took Jong Kook twice as long to express those words himself.

“Arrasso, Gary-ah… Arrasso,” Jong Kook said, comforting Gary.

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

Gary walked towards his car, barely able to move each foot in front of the other. Though he initially wanted to torture his body at the gym to mask the pain in his heart, perhaps he pushed himself too hard. “Thank god for Jong Kook hyung,” he thought to himself as he staggered to his car. He opened the door and winced as his muscles screamed at him while trying to get inside. He shut the door and threw his head back against the backrest, eyes closed. He tried to gather himself and overcome both the pain in his limbs and the pain in his heart. “Get yourself together Kang Gary. After everything you have been through growing up, you can get through this too.” A beeping sound dragged Gary out of his mini stupor. He groaned as he reached for his cellphone. A message came in:

From: Mong Jihyo

Gaelly Gaelly, where are you?

Unknowingly, a smile crept up on Gary’s face, reinvigorated by the mere letterings of her name on his cellphone. He caught himself a moment later and shook off those feelings. “Pabo!” he cursed at himself. As much as he tried to not reply her, he couldn’t be rude.

To: Mong Jihyo

At the gym, Mongji. What’s up?

He hovered over the send button for a minute then finally pressed it. “I am a er for punishment,” Gary thought. A beep came through a second later.

From: Mong Jihyo

Are you free later? Let’s go for soju and tteokbokki.

To: Mong Jihyo

Anything the matter?

From: Mong Jihyo

Wae oppa? You don’t want to come out with me?

To: Mong Jihyo

Ani ani. That’s not it. Just wondering if you are ok, that’s all.

From: Mong Jihyo

Nothing is wrong, I just miss hanging out with you. And I owe you for helping me in Macau, so I thought I would treat you to supper. If you are busy we can do it another night. Up to you.

To: Mong Jihyo

No no, tonight is fine. Where do you want me to pick you up from and what time?

From: Mong Jihyo

I’ll be in Apgujeong for an appointment later. Can you pick me up from the park there around 8:30?

To: Mong Jihyo

Arrasso, Mongji. See you then.

From: Mong Jihyo

See you tonight. Can’t wait ^_^

Gary put down the phone and sighed. “Yup, a real er for punishment.”

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

The night was cold, the breeze rushing through the city like a wave of ice, chilling anything within its grasp. Traffic was heavier than usual, citizens taking to taxis and cars to avoid the briskly cold of winter’s touch. One man was a mess of conflicting emotions, sitting in the car waiting for the traffic to clear. Gary wasn’t sure of what to feel. Excitement. Joy. Regret. Annoyance.

He had just made a promise to not remain hung up over the love of his life, his Monday Girlfriend, yet when she messaged him, sensations buzzed up and down his body like electricity. As much as he wanted to stay away from her, he couldn’t help but to agree to meet. It was really a catch twenty two. “Kang Gary, you truly are a masochist.”

His phone rang all of a sudden and he glanced at the time; 8:15pm. “She’s early for once.” He answered in a cheery tone, “Ohh, are you that eager to see me that you are so early?”

“Nae. I’m always eager to see you,” came the voice from the speaker.

Gary looked puzzled. It wasn’t the voice that he recognized as his Monday Girlfriend. He checked the called ID on the screen and instantly became embarrassed.

“Omo! Eomma, mianhaeyo. I am on the way to meet a friend and thought it was her,” Gary replied sheepishly. “Are you well, Eomma?”

“I’m worried Hee Gun. Worried about you. You are not young anymore and don’t have a wife to take care of you,” she replied woefully. “This friend of yours.. is she the one you told me about?”

Gary paused for a second then softly replied, “Nae eomma.”

“And I presume that the situation hasn’t changed from last time, right?”

“Nae,” Gary replied dejectedly. He hated talking about the topic of women to his mother as he felt really bad for her not yet having a daughter-in-law or grandchild, but yet he trusted his mother with everything and naturally talked to her about anything that troubled him.

“Hee Gun-ah, listen to eomma. You are not getting any younger. If you really care about this woman, I have a proposal for you,” his mother began.

Gary sat there quietly listening to the advice from the woman he trusted most. He didn’t say much, but there was a glimpse of understanding in his sad eyes.

“Arrasso Eomma," Gary said after his mother had finished. "I'll do it."

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Hey everyone,

Finally had the chance to update. Been busy at work and with the family. Hope I havent kept you guys waiting too long. I think I have almost completed the build up to the story, so really big thanks to those who have stayed with me so far. Hoping you guys will enjoy the juicer bits that will follow.

Again, thank you guys so much for subscribing, commenting and upvoting my story. it makes it a pleasure writing every chapter knowing you guys are enjoying the read. please continue doing so and hope you guys like this chapter. Stay tuned for more =)

~C