MCFF 25

“Oh my God… Do I have to wear all this and make a fool of myself?” He sighed when he saw the clothes and accessories being prepared for them in the covered tent. The girls got a room to change in. They got a tent. Which is fine. They don’t demand much, they are ok with whatever is available. 
“As I briefed, the theme is princess and ondal.. You’re suppose to be very foolish during the intro. You’ll be placed in three separate locations around here. Three princesses will come searching for you. They’ll choose whoever they want to be with. Get ready, they are filming their scenes right now.”
“Who are they? Besides jihyo” Jaesuk wanted to be prepared for guests appearing in advance. “We’re not telling.. But definitely famous.. It’s better to film your candid reaction then have you prepared. Impress them to choose you. That’s your first mission.” PD ended the brief and walked out to let them change.
Gary turned to his clothes hanging on his clothes rail while mumbling to himself. “What a start to my mission in pursuing Jihyo. Be a fool??” He looked up the top of the tent and continued “you’re gonna make me work hard for it aren’t you?” He was talking to God. But his motivation just got renewed. He was determined to do his best despite the curveballs thrown at him.
HaHa hear him mumbling but could not make out what he was saying. “Hyung, I know you don’t quite like dressing up like this.. But it’ll be fun. Let’s just enjoy it and hope we get some good scenes today.”
Gary wasn’t even thinking about not liking to dress up as a fool. He was more concerned about something else. But he nodded his head to HaHa because he was not in the situation to explain his true worries.

…
“OK, princesses.. You’re done here. You’ll go off to find your ondals now. Two to each of you. Choose whoever you like..” The PD briefed them while the VJs set up for the next scene. 
“We’re not suppose to choose Gary are we?” Uee blurted out what was on her mind to Jihyo’s surprise. Sayeon laughed at both their reaction. Both looked blank. “OK, we’re not gonna choose Gary.” She looked at Jihyo and she was caught. “Aniya… No.. You can have him if you want.” PD decided to let the girls talk among themselves while he checked the VJs. 
“But he’s back is not so good right? If he has to carry me, that would be awful.” Sayeon justified why she is not choosing to not make it awkward for Jihyo. She is older and she knows just by looking at Jihyo that she has some affection for Gary and filming is probably their only chance to see each other. She’s been hearing about Jihyo’s boyfriend and right away concluded that it must be made-up as she had seen that happen a lot through out her years in the industry. But Uee was clueless about it. She just thought that Gary should be with Jihyo for their on-screen loveline. But she has to make an excuse for declining Gary.
“It’d be better for me with people without loveline.. I’d have Kwangsoo. He’s very flexible with guests so I think I’m better with him”
And Jihyo was a little offended that they rejected Gary. “I wish you know how great he is” she was talking in her mind but noticed that they may have read her mind when Uee replied “it’s not that I don’t like him.. I really think he is cool. In fact, he’s too cool that I may be shy around him” she was admitting the truth. 
“And I think everybody would be very happy if Jongkook has to carry me today!” Sayeon was also voicing her thought and they both agreed instantly and high fived!

…

Filming carried on into the night and they were tired. Looking at the outdoor pool made them all shiver in anticipation of the chilly air blowing on them. The women got into the shallow pool, the water warm for them but the men had to sit on the platforms above the hot water subjected to the high pressure water spray that will definitely make them cold being wet and blown by the winter wind.

Jihyo looked back a few times at her ondals. They were really tired and she pitied them. But she also noticed how good looking Gary was when he is wet. She loves that view but can’t risk looking at him to many times. She was on thinking of him when she heard him whining for her to finish it off and she blurted out “you’re handsome there” to his surprise. He felt warm all over. He didn’t have anything else to say. But HaHa was confused by the random compliment. He discarded his question when he saw Jihyo being cool about it. He assumed she was making a scene for Monday Couple. 

…

“Hi Mongji… free to talk?” He started off the phone conversation. Jihyo was smiling on her bed. She loves hearing his voice over the phone. He calls her up every other night when they’re not busy. He was quite forward with his approach to pursue her. “You know my intention, why should I hide it? I can talk about it. I am a man. I am no longer your ex boyfriend.. I am a new man trying to win your love.” He told her that when she didn’t want him to be so direct. She loves the attention and his efforts but she didn’t want him to get carried away when she can’t be sure if she can make him happy.

“Hi oppa.. I just got in bed. It’s exhausting.”
“It’s ok, we can talk tomorrow..”
“No, it’s ok.. We can talk for a while while I relax. Help me relax.”

They chatted as usual and they both felt calm and relaxed talking to each other about the day. Reviewing their filming and talking about things they could not talk about in front of the others.

…

Gary was confident that he is making a great progress with Jihyo. He detected some push and pull by her so he knows that there is a chance for him. It may not be cool to take a woman from her man but Baek started it. He just wanted his woman back. He also knows it is hard for Jihyo.. She must have feelings for her boyfriend and he was depending on her old feelings, hopoing for it to bloom once again. He was giving her space too despite being direct about it. He didn’t want her to feel too much pressure. He used to push her before but this time he decided he will not do that. He will let her make her choice whether he has done good enough. Less than 3 months to go and Jihyo has started her drama filming on set. Period drama takes longer time and filmed away from the city. He wished he had asked her for more than 3 months. But he was desperate, he didn’t think about her busy schedule. Even the Running Man filming is being scheduled 2 weeks apart to accommodate her schedule. He only gets to see her every 2 weeks.

Jihyo was glad that that she is busy. Although she wants so much to have time with Gary, the drama production is a good excuse for her to have little communication with him. Delayed texting is his only option. He is know to not have the patience but he was trying hard to be patient. He didn’t text her when he felt upset or frustrated in his efforts.. To avoid any arguments with her. He learned from the past that he should avoid it as much as possible.

…

It’s been one week and he misses her terribly. He decided to drive to the town she was filming in.  It’s a small town but he has friends there for cover if he has to. A friend of his runs a guesthouse there so it was safe for him to get there unnoticed. Gary told him he needed some quite time to get his writing done so he gave him the best room on the top floor so he won’t be disturbed by other guests.

“Jihyo… I’m in town.” Jihyo saw the text from 5 hours before together with a location sent to her. 
“What are you doing here??”
“I wanted to be near you.. If you can get out, I’ll pick you up and hangout by the river…”
Jihyo was not ready for this. She cannot risk being seen with him. Especially not there where he has no business to be doing there except for her.
“You should have asked me before coming… I am really busy, I can’t get out.” She had to lie. She was going to have the day off tomorrow because her scenes were canceled.
“I’ll be here for 2 nights. If you’re free let me know.. I’ll be around. But if you’re not, it’s ok.. I’ll just hangout in the room.”
“I won’t be free.. You should go back.” She was scared that somebody might see him there and report to Baek.
“I needed time off so it’s ok. I’ll stay out of sight. I’ll go back in 2 days.”
Luckily they were texting. She may have given of she was lying if he had heard her awkward tone.
Gary went back on the third day without seeing Jihyo. Jihyo pretended to be busy when all she does was hangout on set and exploring the nature trail near it. She needed to think of how to handle Gary. She can’t have him appearing out of a sudden like that. She took a few of her crews with her on her walks just to ensure that she has cover if Baek ever found out.

But to her surprise, Baek was on set when she came back that evening, greeting her with pretend hugs in front of the production crews. She played along. He had a photographer with him, taking pictures of behind the scene footage for publicity. And soon news got out among the showbiz people that Baek and her is still a couple in love. Happily spending the evening together.
Gary saw it in one of the group chats and got upset. He didn’t text her but went home as planned. He wasn’t upset that Baek is with her because he is after all her boyfriend. He was upset that Jihyo lied to him. He got to know that it was her off day. His silence whould talk to her for now.

Jihyo didn’t get his silent message. She thought he was busy and was thankful that she didn’t have to make up excuses. She didn’t know until she felt some weird vibes from him during filming. She texted him to ask about it when she was on her way to her filming set. He convinced her he is busy with work and under pressure from the lawsuit filed against him by his tenant. 
The next filming, she finally felt that it was not just work pressure. Something about her is bothering him. She knows him well to tell if he is upset. He provoked her to get upset. He was getting rather close with the female guest that she got really jealous. He seem to not care of her reaction and she got more upset. When the others were asking her if she was ok she dismissed it by saying she was tired from the drama filming. Gary noticed her change but he wanted her to feel how he felt. He wasn’t sure it was going to hurt her because he wasn’t sure if there is any feelings left but he was so upset he wanted to do that. 

Jihyo got back to her filming set right after the RM filming ended. She was not settled. She was raging with jealousy. “I don’t know what you’re trying to prove… But when you’re ready to talk, let me know.” Gary smirked looking at the text she sent. “About what?” He pretended not to know and she got really upset but didn’t react to him. “My bad… I thought you want to talk to me. It’s ok. Goodnight” that ended the conversation. She thinks Gary, despite showing a lot of changes, he still has this bad habit of his. He walks away when he’s hurt. The best she can do is to wait for him to calm down and talk it out later as she used to do.

2 days later, an interview made the news. He was on a TV show and recorded a message to her. That broke her heart. She finally understood his silence. He said he was going to stop pursuing her and they cannot be together. “So much for 3 months! You can’t even last a month!” She cried herself to sleep that night. She doesn’t know what she wants anymore. 

Probably, it’s a sign to end it although she prays it isn’t. She needs him.

…