“Is it that hard to admit that you love me Oppa? No! You know what, don’t even mention love… Do you even like me?” Jihyo asked pointedly, eyes already red and it was glaring at the man sitting beside her in the car.

“Of course I do. Don’t make it harder than it already is!” The man dropped his head lower, knowing that his answer is not enough to calm Jihyo.

“Then what is so hard about it Oppa? Tell me. All you have to do is tell PD Cho about us and the Gary- Song Jihyo couple will cease to exist. You saw how it was like today. My heartbeat didn’t rise when he rapped but it did. It did for you… When you sang, to me.”

“It’s too late, Jihyo. The viewers are all expecting your love lines now. If suddenly, something new comes out, it may confuse the viewers and the ratings may fall. We just started this. Don’t ruin the show just because we have feelings for each other.”

“KIM JONG KOOK! What are you saying? Are you even listening to yourself?”

Jihyo was fuming. She was still glaring hard at Jong Kook who was sitting at the driver’s seat, his head now resting on the head rest and eyes closed. Jihyo shut her eyes tight. She refused to let her tears out for someone who would not fight for their rights. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down and body facing him, she looked at him and let her mind be heard even though he was not looking at her.

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow during shooting. Are you sure that you can drive back?”

Jong kook opened his eyes and looked at Jihyo, surprised at her sudden change in attitude. “Yes, don’t worry about me. But… Jihyo-yah. What do you have in mind?”

He took her hands, interlaced his fingers between hers and held them altogether.  He was afraid of what she would say. No. He was terrified. He held those fingers tighter hoping that Jihyo knows what he was trying to tell her.

“I love you, Jihyo- yah. You know that right?” He brought her hands to his lips. Jong Kook kissed them again and again and again until Jihyo, who had been holding back her tears, pulled them away from him.

“Oppa, you don’t want to ruin the show correct?” Jihyo asked, removing her hand from Jong kook’s grasp and now cupping his face wiping the tears that fell from his eyes.

Jong Kook nodded.

“Are you sure you love me, Oppa?”

“Yes!” Jong kook answered sharply.

“I need you to really mean it when you say you love me oppa… because our journey is going to be tough. I know it is. But I trust you Oppa. I trust that you love me.”

“Do you love me?” Jong kook asked back.

Jihyo’s hands slid from his cheeks to his neck and she pulled him forward so that she could kiss him. It was long and passionate and once they opened their mouth to find air, their tongue met just to fight for dominance. It was as if both were fighting to prove who loved who more. Jihyo pulled back first, panting.

“Of course I do. I, Song Ji Hyo, love you, Kim Jong Kook.”

They stay in the car for a few minutes longer, Jong kook smiling at her and Jihyo looking at the car floor embarrassingly.  “Oppa, stay with me tonight.” Jihyo said softly, loud enough for Jong kook to hear.

And with that, Jong Kook parked his car and both of them, hidden well by their hoodies, made their way to Jihyo’s apartment. Jong Kook threw himself on the couch. He looked like a mess, he knew. Especially after all the crying and kissing and ruffling of hair that he did in the car, he must have looked terrible. Jihyo gave him a towel.

“Oppa, go freshen up first. I’ll make some snacks then we’ll head to bed ok?”

Jong Kook just followed her instruction. It felt good to be lead once in a while. In the public eye, he was always seen as the tough one, the capable one. Only God knows how much he needed someone to tell him what to do at times, to tell him not to worry, to tell him to trust them. Jihyo was all that.

He had met her first in Family Outing back in late 2009. The whole two days they were together, his eyes kept stealing glances towards her. He saw how Jihyo was very different from other actresses or idols.

Since the recording for Family Outing was very taxing, Jaesuk often told the female guests to sleep or rest. Most of them just sat by the side and rest while they wait for further instructions. Jihyo, as Jong Kook recalled, was the first one to just sleep openly and freely. She seemed quiet and reserved at first but bubbly and laid back by the time night came.

Filming ended too soon for Jong Kook that particular day. He felt that they didn’t talk to each other much but just before they left, he had managed to pull her aside. Gathering up his courage he looked at her and asked for her number and asked if they could meet up for dinner one day. And all he knew, he had fallen into cupid’s trap and he couldn’t get out of it.  

Towel wrapped around his waist, Jong Kook got out of the shower and changed into a comfortable t shirt and knee length shorts before heading to the kitchen. Jihyo was nowhere to be seen but he heard the water running in the other bathroom so he assumed that she was bathing. He saw the freshly cut up fruits and popped one in his mouth before making tea for his beloved girlfriend.

Jihyo saw Jong Kook busy with the tea and she approached him. Just as he put a teaspoon of sugar into Jihyo’s cup, Jihyo slid her hands around his waist and hugged him, resting her head against his broad back.

“Urhmmm. Oppa, you smell nice. Is that for me?”

“Yes, there you go. Careful… It’s still hot.”

Jihyo brought the cup to the table with the cut up fruits and drank it slowly. “Are you still on diet? Are you sure you don’t want tea? You don’t need to put sugar.”

“I’d rather have plain water if that’s the case. Don’t worry about me dear. Jihyo yah… Do you remember when we first met in Family Outing?”

“Yes, why…” Jihyo answered slowly, anxious to know where the conversation was heading.

“What did you think of me when I asked for your number?”

“Owh… Hahaha. First impression, eh?” Jihyo pinched Jong Kook’s cheeks just for the fun of it. “Well, Brave, obviously… and shy but cute. And I see you as someone who does all he can to achieve what you want.”

“And… How about now? Do you still feel the same?” Jong Kook was playing with one of the fruits, before looking up at Jihyo once more.

“Why do you ask?”

“You don’t. When I did not want to tell the PD to change the loveline to both of us, you thought that didn’t you? When I refused to go public about us, you thought that.. right? I’m no longer the person you saw when you first saw me.”

“NO! I felt hurt when you did not want to have a loveline with me, yes. And it was both of our decision not to go public about our relationship, BOTH OF US! But I never, ever thought opposite of what I first saw of you. Instead, you impressed me love. With how much care and passion you have for others. I am not even close to your level of care for others.”

Jihyo leaned into him for a hug and Jong kook readily took her, hugging her tight.

“I love you, Oppa. I can say it again and again and I wish we can just stay like this forever.”

“Hahaha! I know you do. I love you too, sweetheart. It’s just that with the Monday couple thing coming up and Haha helping Gary in that act, it’s hard for me to focus on you. And I keep thinking that it should not be hard. We should never be hard.”

“I know. It has been hard from the start. Remember when you were in Family Outing? There were reporters almost everywhere and it was hard for us to meet each other? But we held on till you confessed and courted me a few months back. That, Oppa…”

And jihyo arched her neck and kissed his neck. “…is the beauty of our hardship.”

Jong Kook, held her tighter and made her sit facing him. “And this is why I would never let you go. You always pick me up when I’m at my lowest.”

 He kissed her on the lips shortly. “I, Kim Jong Kook, love you, Song Jihyo, very, very, very much.” And he kissed her again, this time with more passion that Jihyo had to reply back with as much passion as he did.

“Come, on. Let’s sleep.” Jong Kook took the dishes and washed them while Jihyo prepared the bed. Both of them were tucked underneath the blanket soon after and Jong Kook was hugging Jihyo. Both of them were exhausted.

“I love you, Jihyo yah. I’m sorry for today. I should have been the stronger one.” Jong Kook whispered to Jihyo who gripped his hand tight in response, telling him that she understood and they both drifted off to sleep.