JiHyo was well aware she would be seeing Gary Oppa today. She was still so lost in her thoughts about how she should react to him. The kiss was still a fresh memory but she had already resolved in her mind that it couldn't happen again, no matter how much a part of her wished it would. [God, how much I would kill for coffee right now]

All this morning she had been something of a nervous wreck, thoughts everywhere, which wasn't normal for her; when it was time to work she was focused and nothing else mattered but not today. Damn him for making her feel this way; she didn't even get to have her coffee. [Double damn!] 
 

Gary on the other hand was bursting with excitement. Inside he just swelled with how much he liked her; he felt rejuvenated after he kissed her. Before he felt he would explode with all the emotions he held inside for her but that kiss just eased the pressure on his heart and on his mind And after watching the film, he was seeing Song JiHyo rather Seung Im in a whole new light.

The more he learned about this women, the more he was impressed, inspired and in awe. She wasn't perfect but she was so real and she was a conqueror over circumstances, people and of her own weakness. This was the reason she was his muse, everywhere he went, he saw something that reminded him of her and he would instantly be able to connect to his music; the lyrics would flow effortlessly from his mind to paper. 
 

On his way to the studio, something told him to stop and get some coffee to calm himself down; he was too excited to see her and didn't want to overwhelm her with anything too over the top. Today he was in the mood for something sweet so he bought a caramel iced coffee and went ahead and bought her an Americano and some pastries for the rest of the group including a light egg and spinach omelet for the king of healthy eating Kim Jong Kook. This was a great day to treat the whole Running Man family. 
 

Once he arrived he walked straight into the Running Man meeting room with breakfast for his teammates. He scanned the room for Song JiHyo but didn't see her. One of the producers let him know that she hadn't arrived yet. But Gary knew that couldn’t be right because he saw her manager's car in the parking lot and no one had been inside. He thought she might be in the hallway so he left out with the Americano to look for her before it cooled off.

When he found her she was leaning again the balcony looking out the window onto the city street below. Gary called out to her "Ay Song Ji Hyo." 
But she didn't respond, so he assumed she hadn't heard him and walked up to her personally to get her attention. 

 

Song JiHyo was so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn’t heard him call her but she became aware of him physically. As he walked up to her, she felt a slow trickle of electricity move along her skin. It was subtle but she was more aware of it now than ever, and this effect he was having on her scared hell out of her. She hadn’t yet acknowledged him because she needed time to completely prepare herself for seeing him. She needed to steel herself against whatever it was that was going on between her and Gary, for the sake of her and Chang Ju’s relationship. Gary was finding his way back into the heart that she had already promised to another; this could not happen. Before she could even turn around to acknowledge his presence, he was already behind her, close enough for her to feel the heat radiating from him. [Be strong, Song Ji Hyo. Fighting!!] 

“Ei Kang Gary, what are you doing?” 

“Not Kang Gary, I am Cupid today. Delivering coffee love” he said and brought the Americano from behind his back. JiHyo despite all the mental toughness preparation couldn’t help but laugh at how cheesy he could be and the sight of the Americano was just another blow. [He’s good. Ok JiHyo, he won this first battle. The next one is ours.] 

“Gary Oppa, you don’t have to do that. I can drink the coffee in the breakroom.” 

“Song JiHyo, do you think I don’t know you? You’d stop eating meat before you willingly touch that instant coffee they provide us” he laughed. 

“But Ji Hyo, I’m glad I caught you out here for a minute. I had something I wanted to say before we get started with filming. In all the time we’ve been working together I never said this and I should have a long time ago.” He placed the Americano in her hands and said “I just wanted to tell you how incredible I think you are. Truly incredible.” 

Song JiHyo didn’t know where this was going so she tried to play it off. “Of course, Oppa. I am the Ace after all” she laughed. 

Gary chuckled a little as well. “No you're quite right, the Ace is amazing but I’m talking about Cheon Seong-Im.” 

Gary noticed he had her attention now and took her silence as an approval to continue. “I just mean, that past everything else I'm seeing who you are. Your journey from where you came from until this very moment, right now…it hasn’t gone unnoticed; your strength, your honesty, your beauty and your pain. No, Cheon Seong-Im is an incredible woman. You have overcome so many things and have captured the heart of Korea. I’m just saying that you have someone here who knows you, knows those things you keep in the shadows, and is even more captivated and inspired with every step you take.” 

“No one ever warns us about the cost to do what we love. We’re never completely prepared and ready for the judgment we receive constantly and no one knows of the tears we shed or the pain we mask behind a smiling face for the public. It comes to a point where you get good at hiding your private life and the comments don’t hurt as much as they used to, but you never forget the pain you just learn bury it.” 

"I just want to say I'm..." 

Gary was about to finish when he was momentarily interrupted by an associate producer letting them know that they would be starting the meeting in the next few minutes. He nodded to the Producer to let him know he understood. 

He turned back "so what was I saying again? Oh, it's been my immense pleasure knowing you these last few years and I look forward to many more years with you. I had more to say but it seems like they miss us so...," he smiled at JiHyo and walked back towards the studio. 
 

Gary

Gary thought that the talk he had with JiHyo would draw them closer but it actually seemed to do the opposite. Over the last couple weeks it felt like she was purposefully avoiding him. She wasn’t answering his texts, or his calls and whenever they finished taping she was out of the studio before he could even say goodbye. He really didn’t understand. It didn't sit well with him and he had no idea how to change it. 
 

On screen everything felt and seemed much warmer than it was in reality. There were hints of Monday Couple returning, when he would be cheesy with her, JiHyo would return it as if on cue...just flashes of how things used to be and according to the fan base everyone was noticing but once the cameras stopped rolling and the lights were dimmed in the studio, the fantasy ended.
 

Gary really couldn't think about it all too much right now, he was supposed to be meeting his manager for lunch. Something about a new project he would be interested in. Gary checked the clock on the wall and saw he had about 45min before he needed to leave, at least enough time for a good shower and a shave. 

JiHyo

JiHyo was sitting in Paris Baguette with and Americano and croissant waiting on her manager. They were supposed to be having an early meeting to discuss some of her upcoming projects. These last few weeks she had been trying to stay as busy as possible, if anyone asked she was just putting more effort into her career, but if she was feeling particularly honest with herself it was to do as much as she possibly could not to see Gary. 

The things he said the last time they spoke she had to admit shook her and that was the most worrying part. It was like he was looking into her fears, into her most vulnerable places and speaking right to them. When he spoke to her like that, she felt stirrings in her heart that weren't supposed to be there. It was all too much in such a short period of time, she needed to get away from that especially since she promised herself that she would put more of herself into her relationship with Chang Ju. Her nerves were shot and the Americano was doing nothing to calm them. 
At that moment Kyung Ah walked into the cafe and found Song JiHyo at one of the corner tables. 
 

“Sorry I'm a little late. Have you been here long?” she asked JiHyo. 
 

“No not too long, so what's this new project you are so excited about?”
 

“Well there is this new commercial for Samsung that you have been specifically invited to participate in. It is actually for their brand new line of appliances they will debuting in January” answered Kyung Ah.
 

“Are you serious, that's awesome! Of course I would love to do it.”
 

“From what I've heard it will be you and one other celebrity. They aren't revealing who the other person is because they want the interactions to be as natural as possible” said Kyung Ah 
 

“So you don't even know who the person is” asked JiHyo. 
 

“No they haven't revealed anything to me either but even if they don't, I know you well enough to know that you are able to interact and work with anyone on a professional level. I have no worries. So do you want to do it? Here is the contract right here, I already had it looked over at the company.”
 

“Yeah it sounds like a lot of fun. I'm actually intrigued by the fact that I don't know who I am working with; it will keep me on my A game.” 
 

She and KH spent the next thirty minutes finishing off their pastries and trading ideas about who the other mystery celebrity would be, even throwing in names such as Rain or Joo Jin Mo, among others. 

Gary

Gary arrived with a couple minutes to spare at the Mexican restaurant near his studio that he and his manager frequented for their business.

“Hyung you have not been here to long have you?” asked Gary 
 

“No not too long. Sorry about being kind of cryptic with my message. It was not purposeful, I really have no extra information about the contract, other than the fact that you have been personally invited to work on this Samsung Project.”
 

“Really Hyung? But why me? I'm just Kang Gary. This is Samsung, we're talking about.”
 

“Well Gary-ah you are the most popular rapper right now, there is no longer 'a just Kang Gary anymore'. Plus they wanted you specifically, so I see no reason that you turn this down.” 
 

“No Hyung, I won't be turning anything down, I'm just surprised is all. But is there anyone else who will be working with me?”
 

“That's the thing, I'm not sure who else will be on this project. They really haven't given me any other information but like I told you, with any project it doesn't matter. People are naturally drawn to you because of your heart, so there is no reason for you to worry. You have come out of your shell so much since the first time we worked together, so just go out there and be yourself. That natural light you have inside of you will shine no matter what, no matter the person or the circumstance.” 
 

“I really appreciate that Hyung, it means a lot for you to say that." 
 

Gary had known his manager going on almost ten years now and he had stuck with him through the tough times and now into the highlight of his career. He stuck by Gary and Gil when they could get no shows and were struggling to get their music out there and every time there was a failure his manager was there with kind, inspirational words that kept Gary going. Listening to his manager had never steered him wrong.  Hyuk Gan Mu was more than his manager, he was more like an older brother to he and Gil. 
 

“Alright Hyung. Where do I sign?” 
 

“RIght here, and filming will start next week” 
 

“Hyung truthfully I am still a bit nervous with the fact that I don't know whom I will be working with, I mean I'm still surprised that they want me. They aren't even asking me to do music...I mean why me? Why Kang Gary?”
 

“That is something I can't answer Gary-shi. But since they wanted you, there is nothing more you can do other than to step up to the plate and deliver. I know this is very uncomfortable for you, but we can't only do what makes us comfortable and expect to continue to grow. So prepare yourself.” 

[One week later] 

Gary was finishing up editing some of his lyrics. It was getting pretty late. Gil had already left for the night. The Samsung shoot was tomorrow and he knew he needed to rest, but sleep eluded him at this moment. Ever since he signed the contract he had been dying to tell someone and the first person who came to mind was JiHyo but they weren't talking right now and he was really starting to feel her absence. 

He looked at his phone at his side, tempted to call her. He knew she was up right now. He picked up the phone ready to tap his favorites to bring up her number when he stopped himself. If he called her and she didn't pick up, he really would get no sleep. He would go back to driving himself crazy, wondering what happened between them. 

But now that she was on his mind, there was no way he couldn't not say anything. A text message would be the best thing, that way he wouldn't feel as much reject if she didn't respond. 

Today was rather warm; the cold just wasn't as bad as other days this week. You could say it was a beautiful winter day and the night was equally as gorgeous but as it got later it would become much colder. He remembered her telling him that these were the days that most reminded her of her home by the sea; took her back to being a child; walking and discovering things along the beach. Kang Gary knew exactly what JiHyo would be doing right now. He smiled to himself as he sent the text message. 

JiHyo was sitting in the window of her bedroom when she heard the familiar beep of her phone signifying a text message. She saw that it was from Gary and for a second was tempted not to read it. She had been doing her best these last couple of weeks to avoid him. She was able to completely put in out of her mind when she and Chang Ju spent the weekend together at a resort in GwangJu. She purposefully left her phone locked in her suitcase the whole time. If her manager needed to get in touch with her for something important she had Chang Ju’s business number. It was some much needed time away to clear her head and really invest in her relationship. She knew she should ignore the text but in the end curiosity got the best of her. 

Gary: It's getting late now. Don't fall asleep with the window open, it will be pretty chilly in a little while. 

And just with that small seemingly harmless text message, he managed to once again strike a chord with JiHyo. How did he know her so well? How could he have known that she had been sitting in the window sill with the window open as she enjoyed the fresh nighttime air and watched the moon dancing on the ripples of the lake behind her house. It reminded her of home. As a girl she would watch the moon shine on the surface of the sea from her window. 

Good God he unnerved her so much. She really felt like she was becoming more secure in herself these last few weeks but just this one text message showed her nothing had really changed. 

'Damn him', she said as she threw the cell phone on the bed and closed the window as she got ready to turn in. It would be an early and long day tomorrow.

****Author's Note****

Hey guys, I finally got around to writing another chapter. I really can't say how sorry I am for being so late. Despite best intentions, life has a way of messing up the best layed plans. Hopefully you guys enjoy and I should have another one out soon. Monday Couple Forever!!!