“Hey… calm down, man..” Gil was trying to calm Gary. He was breathing heavily trying to contain his anger. In the past he would have trashed things and punched walls til his knuckles make marks on the wall with his own blood.

“I am angry too… Somebody must have set this up. People don’t mess with anything to do with Jaesuk hyung… Nobody hates him… this is not normal! They wanted us to react like this. They want us to destroy our own name with our rage.”

Gary thought of someone. He has been nice to everybody he met, he is loved by friends and their extended friends. Nobody except Jihyo’s boyfriend is capable of such thing. He wanted to destroy Gary and he had shown it before. Gary got more angry.

“I think I know who did his. It was meant to attack me.” Gil guessed the sam person too.

“Honestly, I am glad I cancelled the whole thing.. There is no use carrying on with a project that will bring on more controversies. It would be bad on those hyungs as well. They trust me to do good. The best is to cancel this and let me take the blame.”

“So what are you going to do now?” Gil saw his bestfriend calmed down.

“I’ll release a statement tomorrow. And since you left your show. I will too.” He contacted the head PD, he texted the other members to tell of his intention and shut his phone. He tweeted about it and the next day he released a statement taking responsibility for what happened. 

Everybody was trying to reach him to make him change his mind. The other members were sad and upset that it had to happen. When they can’t get him on the phone, HaHa decided to knowck on his door. He wasn’t in. He went to his family’s home but he wasn’t in either. He updated the other members that he could not find Gary. Jihyo was worried.

She called up his mom.

“Hello, Mrs Kang… This is Jihyo…“

“Jihyo! Hi!... Just call me Omma as you used to..” His mom sounded excited to hear her on the phone.

“OK, omma. I’m sorry to be calling you like this but I am really worried for Gary oppa.. Do you know where he is? I need to talk to him” She sounded really desperate and his mother knew right away the woman is still in love with her son.

“Heegun called me 2 days ago before he went missing. He told me not to worry and will be calling soon. He just need some time away from the world. I don’t know where he is but I know he’ll be fine. He had gone thru a lot before. I know this is just another phase and he’ll come back stronger, as usual.”

“Owhh.. I hope he comes back soon. We’re all really worried…”

“You know what I think? Of all the people, I think you’d know where he would go at times like this..”

“erm.. I don’t think I know…” 

“I really don’t know.. he doesn’t really talk much of his life unless it’s in the past. but with you, a mere mention of your name will make him smile. So I know how special you are to him and I think he opened up to you the most. He did tell me about you sometimes. Every time, I can see it in his eyes.. He must have loved you.. until recently, he avoids talking about you.  And from what I heard, you broke up…”

“yes we did..” she sounded sorry.

“Heegun is special. He can be very wild and naughty but when he loves, he gives his all to the woman. I’ve often told him to take care of his heart but that is just how he is. He gets hurt and fights back by being a better man.. for that I am thankful. With you.. He had changed a lot. You must be very special. I have only met you twice but I can see how you love each other.” Jihyo was quiet hearing the truth spoken.

“.. and even on the phone, I can hear that you love him.  I don’t know what went wrong, I hope you can work it out. Even if you can’t be together, please be his friend. He seemed more happy lately and I thought it was too fast for him to get over you. But you’re on the phone with me now… This old woman had lived long enough to know that you and him had been in touch of late?”

“Yes.. we’re friends now.. but please don’t tell anyone. I can’t tell you why now but I will someday. But know that I really care about your son. I am doing this for his own good. But can you please not tell him what I tell you. I don’t want him to act foolish because of me.”

“I think I can trust you to make him happy?”

“I will try.”

“Then, your secret is safe with me.” 

She didn’t expect to talk long with his mother, but it was nice and she felt at ease knowing that Gary will be OK. But she is still worried about him quitting the show. The other members morale were down too. They’re like family and missing him on set would be sad. 

She thought hard of where he would be. Suddenly she grabbed her bag and walked out the door. She drove to a house 3 hours away. The moment she saw his car parked by the small house, it was worth her driving thru the small lane lcovered with high bushes and trees, leading to the house in seclusion. She had been there a few times. She was glad she still remember the way there.

She smiled walking up to the house. Before she could knock, he opened the door after seeing her get out of the car. 

“Why are you here?” He looked emotionless. She went to him and hugged him close. He stood still at first but when she rocked his body with hers, he felt the peace and calm. He put her arms around her and hugged her close, both seeking comfort in each others’ arms.

“Come in..” he whispered and walked her in. “How the hell did you find your way here?? You could get lost around here. You’re such a fool for coming all the way here when you are not even sure I am going to be here. What if I am not here?? It’s getting dark outside.. how will you go back?? How..”

“Stop it!” she cut his words. “You’re here aren’t you? End of discussion.” She acted cool. A wide smile on her face was contagious. She was just happy to see him, she didn’t want to spoil it. She went over to sit on the couch and patted the spot beside her. “Come sit here. Let’s just hangout.. I need to get away too” Gary was confused. He thought she was coming to nag him and make him go back. But she was quite calm and didn’t seem to rush things as she normally would.

“I know you’re tired oppa… Let’s just rest. I’ve had a long drive and need the rest. Let’s just hangout tonight. We’ll talk tomorrow morning if we feel like it. For now let me freshen up and you set up the XBOX. I’m here to beat you!” She sounded so cheerful he can’t help smiling and agreeing to her. He wached her pick up her bag and head towards his bedroom. He lovesseeing that. She belongs there.

He didn’t just set up the game, he prepared a quick meal knowing Jihyo must be hungry af ter hours on the road.  By the time she walked out, she saw him arranging the food on the coffee table. She was touched and felt her heart tugging. “This should have been my normal view everyday.” She thought looking at him, wishing she could do things differently with him.

Gary turned and saw her looking through him, unaware of him looking. “Jihyo! You must be hungry.. Come and eat. You need the energy to beat me.”

“It’s just a game! But I’m hungry, thank you, oppa!” She came out of her trance and became her cheerful self and went straight for the food. They had fun that night and didn’t talk about anything serious. They were making fun with one another. He let her sleep in his room while he slept on the couch. 

Gary woke up to the smell of food coming from the kitchen. His stomach was grumbling. She saw him waking up from the kitchen. “Oppa! Go wash up and come have breakfast.”

He walked up to the kitchen counter and looked on her cooking from behind. He was staring at her back taking in the view of the domestic goddess. He wished he can go up to her and kiss her cheek to thank her for being a beautiful sight. He shook his head discarding that thought out of his mind and carried on to his room to wash up.

His bathroom smelled familiar. He loves the smell. Reminds him of happy memories in the comfort of his home. He used to wake up to find her already out of the house but the smell of her perfume lingers in the air in addition to her scent left on the blanket. And when he walked into the bathroom, the smell of perfume mixed with the scent of her shampoo and lotion and shower cream to harmoniously make him smile happily being reminded of her presence in his life.  “At least I have her around now ho we can’t be together. This is enough.” He was talking to comfort himself and be thanful for whatever is left of her.

“Oppa… can we talk about you?” she wanted to do what she intended to but she was unsure if he was OK with it. They were sitting on opposite ends of the 3 seater sofa facing each other. He looked at her to see if he should talk to her about it. He should.

“Jihyo.. first of all, this is hard for me because people get me wrong and I sort of made it bad for my hyungs. I worked so hard on it. Then, suddenly a news broke and everybody attacked me. I have to prove myself and I quit our show because I need to show them I am taking responsibility..”

“But oppa… how about us all. How about the whole production team? We all depend on you too. You’d have us lose our jobs because of this?” She talked softly but his head suddenly snapped up at her words. He didn’t think it was going to effect them. She looked at him waiting for him to digest it and explain himself.

“But it’s just me… the show can still go on. Joongki went away and the show worked out fine after a short while. It would be OK without me. Besides I don’t really do much besides being your boyfriend on the show.. and now, even that is not needed for the show anymore since it’ll obviously look fake and is against the core spirit of the show”

“Oppa.. you really are very humble or don’t realize your impact on others. The show would not have been this successful if you didn’t bring us together. It was you that made us hangout together and work together and become close friends. Joongki missed it because he too thought he had little function the moment you took over the loveline. He chose being an actor over this because he is not used to not being scripted. It’s hard for him. But for you… you hate being scripted. You were born for variety. Even if they don’t show it on TV, behind the scenes, we all know how you kept us together…” she continued her long pitch for getting him back on the team with all his good points and the consquences and effect on the morale of others. She made him feel guilty and responsible for them. That’s the only way to make him soft.

“But I said I’d quit. The whole world knows. I can’t just go back.. they’d say it was childish of me to act on my temper.” His last defense.

“But weren’t you?” she didn’t mock him but was just stating the obvious softly with a smile. And he dropped his chin and looked at his hands in his lap, thinking and embarrassed with himself. She scooched closer and held onto his hands. “It’s OK, oppa.. let them talk. We all make mistakes. People will forget some day.” She was talking from experience.

“But what would I do on the show? The past few months I was the broken hearted guy that got rejected by you… I can’t keep that up anymore. What will I be on the show? They told me to become the playboy but you know I can’t stand girls throwing themselves at me. I can’t fake being annoyed.” She laughed admitting that quality of him. She was never really jealous before because of that.

“Why don’t you try? I’ll guide you through. I’ll teach you some acting just to get you by. Anything at all as long as you agree to come back. Please…”

“Anything?” he was staring into her eyes and she knew she is almost there and nodded.

“OK…” he paused to think. “Since your relationship is not publicised anymore and they have been quiet about it…  Can we continue with the Monday Couple? Just to keep people curious and I can still have a function pursuing you.” She liked what he was proposing and she knows the coverage on her relationship will not be covered anymore since it was just to keep silent and she can’t be in any relationship for the contract term. They can assume she broke up and get back with Gary or otherwise.

“OK.. but… I have to tell you, we’d just make them curious and can’t really show too much. CJ oppa said he didn’t want publicity on our relationship so that it doesn’t effect my career because it would be awkward if everybody is reminded of him and I can’t be linked to actors I’m working with. It’s complicated to explain but I think you know the strategy.” He knows the strategy. “But why do you still want to continue with Monday Couple? Won’t it be hard for you to fake it?” 

“If only you know that is most natural for me.” He said that in his mind. What he ansered her was “I will be most comfortable with you… way better option than faking it with too many other girls.” 

“I am OK with it if you want it that way… but it has to be very subtle…  just so CJ oppa doen’t change his mind and put a new twist to our loveline” she laughed nervously thinking of the consequences if ever Gary gets infatuated with her again.

“Good! So it’s a deal…” He smiled at her liking what they agreed on. “Let’s go back..” now she was surprised. He was holding her hand and pulling her to stand. “Go pack your bags, I’ll start the car. Leave your car here, I’ll ask my brother to come and drive it back to Seoul.”

“But…”

“Don’t worry, he knows. And he doesn’t tell anyone. You can come back with me. Having my car following your car would invite more scandal.” He started to turn around to head out the door when she caught hold of his hand.  He turned his head to look at her.

“Thank you, oppa” he nodded and turned.  She watched his back walking away and felt her heart falling deeper for him