[Opening] at café in Illsandong-gu

Sunday 07/23/2011 6:40pm

Song Ji Hyo

Song Ji Hyo looks through the window at the many college students and foreigners walking the street outside the café. It has been a pretty wet day, raining on and off with a slight chill in the air. She notices the sprinkling of couples among the crowds hugging underneath umbrellas, walking cozily in the rain. She turns and scans the interior of the café from her spot in the corner.  With her large sunglasses and sports cap she looks every bit of the “Ace” she portrays on Running Man. On a regular day, someone may have recognized her but this evening was different. Chilly wet evenings like this are made for couples. The restaurant is filled couples staring lovingly at each other across the table, sharing cappuccinos and holding hands. The air inside the café is warm and she could hear a ballad being played lowly over the speakers.

[*Sigh*]

Ji Hyo couldn’t remember the last time she shared a couple drink with a guy. Well, other than Kang Gary last Monday. But that didn’t count. Kang Gary, her Monday boyfriend of the last 8 months has been her most committed relationship in the last 3 years. Every Monday he is the perfect boyfriend, but just on Mondays; she had come to the realization that that is was no longer enough. It’s actually been somewhat of a burden lately. It’s not that she didn’t appreciate the friendship that they’ve cultivated. This was her favorite oppa and the amount of natural chemistry they have with each other was daebak. So much so that sometimes it was almost scary how much they clicked. Months ago she found herself really being affected by Gary, she started almost started believing in the fantasy she and Gary portrayed for the fans. His cheesy lines, greasy attitude and the amount of care and concern he showed for her did began to play with her mind. He had this air about him where he could be so goofy but charming at the same time. He didn’t have the classic handsome look that was prized in South Korea but as time went on he became to her more handsome the guest idols. Nothing ever progressed past Mondays and she came to believe that it never would and she was reading too much into his actions. They were like a family on Running Man and she couldn’t risk ruining the relationship with the cast with her foolish thoughts. The Monday Couple, the nation’s favorite couple. The popularity of the couple had reached tremendous heights as of late; during every interview or any appearance she made at some point a question about Kang Gary would come up. Fans would chant “Monday Couple” anywhere she went and if at any point they were spotted together, the fans boards would be in uproar. Fantasy had completely blurred into reality for many of the fans and in order to keep the fans of Running Man happy they needed to maintain this fantasy; it’s what the fans want. Her time spent filming “Gyebaek” allowed her some freedom from the smothering pressure of being the Monday Girlfriend all the time. When things in her private life got to be too much as a method of release she would throw herself into her work. The demands of both filming Running Man and Gyebaek allowed her no time to stress about other problems going on in her life. She would work until she collapsed and then would wake up and do it again, that’s how she coped with things. She pushed herself to the brink of exhaustion filming Gyebaek though. But after a small stay in the hospital for rest, she was able to successfully complete filming. The producers noticed how much work she put into her role. She was nominated and won the Producer’s Award at the MBC Drama Awards for her role as Eun-go in Gyebaek. But now that filming had finished and work was no longer there to fill the many hours of the day, she realized than she had been missing something. She had her friends from Running Man and co-workers from Gyebaek whom she would spend nights and evenings with and there was also her manager/unnie best friend Soo Kyeong-ah but she had started noticing how lonely she felt once she returned home and how empty her house felt when she was there alone. Being at the café surrounded by all these couples didn’t help matters either. It was times like these that she realized it was time to find someone to spend more than just Mondays with.

[*buzz buzz*]

Ji Hyo checks here phone and sees that it is her manager Soo Kyeong-ah calling.

Ji Hyo: “Ne unnie?”

Kyeong-ah: “Ji Hyo where are you?”

Ji Hyo: “I’m at the café near the house, where are you?”

Kyeong-ah: “I’m just leaving the office and I have something for you. Can I stop by tonight?”

Ji Hyo: “Of course. I’m actually just finishing up right now; can you pick me up on the way?”

Kyeong-ah: “Sure. I should be there in about twenty minutes.”

Ji Hyo: “Ok, see you soon unnie.”

Kyeong-ah: “Ne, see you soon.”

[20 minutes later: Seated in Kyeong-ah’s Hyundai Equus]

Kyeong-ah: “Ji Hyo, remember what we spoke about a couple of nights ago?”

Ji Hyo: “What unnie? About you thinking I was eating too much and might need to lose a couple kilos again.” (laughing)

Kyeong-ah: “Not that, but that’s still true. No, but about the guy I said was interested in meeting you.”

Ji Hyo: “Unnie, you know the popularity of Monday Couple tends to scare off many of the guys and you know my schedule has been so hectic lately. What man would take that chance or could handle how much fans want Monday Couple to be real?”

Kyeong-ah: “Ji Hyo I’m just saying to give it a chance. You have been saying how much you’ve missed dating and I can see how sad you get when the dinner parties end and you have to go home. Also I know that is one of the main reasons you have been asking me to stay over more and more.”

Ji Hyo: “Fine, fine unnie. I know you won’t leave me alone about it. What is it that you have for me?”

Kyeong-ah: “It’s behind you on the back seat. Go ahead and grab it.”

Ji Hyo reached around behind the seat and picked up what turned out to be a small bouquet of roses with a card attached with the words printed.

Nuribi Restaurant

Wednesday 7:30 pm

At 7:30pm cover your eyes

Ji Hyo: “I know this place, it’s a few blocks from our management company. Kyeong-ah, who gave this to you?”

Kyeong ah: “He asked me not to say, only to give you the roses. Are you going to go?”

Ji Hyo: “I’ll think about it unnie. Well since we’re here, I’ll get off first. See you in the morning. Goodnight.”

Kyeong-ah: “Goodnight, Ji Hyo.”

Laying in bed Ji Hyo kept thinking about the note. She is not one to like surprises and the fact that she didn’t know this guy’s identity would normally bother her but her manager knew who this person was and she trusted her manager the most. I’ve been saying it is time for a change she thought to herself. She wasn’t called the “Ace” for nothing; fearless in competition and adventure but when it came to matters of the heart she was not always as courageous.

Ji Hyo: “It’s time for a change.”

[dialing Manager Kyeong-ah]

Ji Hyo: “Unnie, tell him ’I will be there’. Ne, goodnight Unnie.”

[07/26/2011] 7:28pm

Ji Hyo nervously twisted the ring on her middle finger. She had been looking forward to this blind date with a sense of both excitement and dread. She really had no idea who it was and her manager wouldn’t give her the tiniest hint. This last episode of Running Man with Choi Minsoo as hunter at the waterpark was so tiring. So she spent much of Tuesday resting and pampering herself to get ready for this date. She hoped he noticed how much work she put in; she was even wearing a dress, personally she preferred comfortable wear but she would dress up for award ceremonies and such but she knew she needed to show her best self at the first meeting. Ji Hyo glanced at her watch and saw that it was almost 7:30p. She took in a deep breath and covered her eyes as the note asked. She heard the chair across from her slide back and felt a person sit down. With her heart beating faster because someone was actually here, she tried to keep herself from peeking.

???: Open your eyes.

Song Ji Hyo slowly let her hands fall from her eyes and looked up. At seeing the face of the man in front of her, she in a quick breathe due to her complete surprise.

Ji Hyo: President Baek?

Ji Hyo was in complete surprise as she stared at the smiling face of the CEO of her management company C-Jes Entertainment, Baek Chang Ju.