"Do you even remember where we went for our second date?" Ji Hyo asked skeptically turning to Gary.

Gary smiled, he wasn't usually sentimental nor did he have good memory, but with Ji Hyo, Gary could still remember what she wore the first time he laid eyes on her. Despite popular belief, Gary had seen Ji Hyo before the filming of the second episode of Running Man, ironically it wasn't at an Awards show or industry event. The first time Gary laid eyes on Ji Hyo it was during dinner at a hole in wall restaurant that had the best Yukgaejang and was a popular eating spot for celebrities. Gary remembered sitting a few tables away from Ji Hyo who was donning an over sized jersey, he remembered how happy and carefree she looked as she laughed with friends. He instantly felt a tug in his stomach, he couldn't help but watch her from afar wondering if he would ever had the priviledge to meet her. As fate would have it, Gary would soon have the privilege of meeting and working with Ji Hyo.

"Of course I remember! It was...401!" Gary replied cheekily. 

"Yah! Are you drunk?! Why would we go to Haha's restaurant for a date!" Ji Hyo with mock anger as she thumped Gary with a pillow.

Gary broke out laughing.

"Did I say 401? I meant Buamdong!" Gary snickered and planted a small kiss on the tip of Ji Hyo's nose.

The duo's first date was hardly even counted as a date, the duo met for supper at a small Seolleongtang restaurant a few miles from Ji Hyo's apartment. It was an impromptu meeting and the duo were exhausted from their own busy schedules that the supper was mostly filled with a comfortable silence. Suppers would soon become a ritual the duo shared.Nothing else changed, they were friends that largely only spent time together in front of the camera. But a few nights a week if their schedules permitted they would grab supper together. Both were careful to avoid popular haunts and had suppers in the wee hours of the morning when the streets were empty.

Both thought nothing of their ritual suppers, they deemed them as simply two friends going out for a simple meal. Until Gary decided to ask Ji Hyo out for coffee one evening. It didn't dawn on Gary they were even 'dating' until Gil his friend and musical half snapped him back to reality.   

The duo had finally finished laying down the track for their new single when Gil remembered that Gary had cancelled on drinks with Gil and Tiger JK.

"Gary, Why didn't you come for drinks last night? JK was asking for you.." Gil asked Gary as his eyes remained glued to his cellphone.

"Yah sorry Gil, I went out for supper with Ji Hyo "

"Really? Was last night your first time having supper with her? " Gil replied with little interest, Gil knew that Gary was friendly with castmates, it won't be strange to grab dinner or coffee with any of them

"We've had supper a few times.." Gary replied as casually as possible.

"You've never mentioned going out with Ji Hyo.." Gil answered surprised

"I..I didn't think it was anything worth mentioning..I don't know.." Gary said hesitantly

Gil looked up from his phone, his interest peaked by the subject.Gary was always confident when it came to girls, Gil had almost never seen Gary so flustered by a girl before.

"Yah Gary, if you didn't think it was worth mentioning you won't be so shy about it" Gil watched Gary closely, the duo had been working together for so long they knew each other inside and out.

"Yah...I'm not shy, I just.." Gary looked up from his phone. Gary had mentioned offhandedly before that Ji Hyo was pretty and funny, and how he admired her ambition. Even a blind man could see how much Gary liked Ji Hyo.

"Gary! I've never seen you so smitten before!" Gil thumped Gary on his back. Gary broke out in a grin.

"You think I should ask her out?"

"Ask her out?! Gary! You've gone on so many supper dates you might as well just call her your girlfriend!" Gil replied with a chuckle

"Yah! Gil! I'm serious! Should I ask her out for a real date?"

"Gary yah..You might think it's just a friendly meal between two good friends. But I know you, this isn't a friendly thing between the two of you. I saw the way your lights lit up the first time you saw her, and for as long as I've known you..You've never talked about a girl the way you talk about Ji Hyo. Ask her out, before she ends up with someone else...again" Gil replied matter of factly before turning his attention back to his phone 

Later that night, Gary sat in his home studio, contemplating if he should ask Ji Hyo out. He took a sip of soju, twirling his phone in his hand. His mind wandered to the endless posibilities and the horrible consequences if Ji Hyo said no. Gary chuckled, Ji Hyo won't simply say no, she wasn't the kind to simply reject a suitor outrightly. She would come up with an excuse after excuse until the suitor would simply give up. Gary swigged the rest of the soju in a single glup before calling a familiar number. The familiar bubbly voice filled his ear.

"Kang Gary!" Ji Hyo exclaimed happily when she answered the phone

"Mong Ji..." Gary replied, a smile playing on his lips. 

"Oppa.. I still remember how you asked me out for coffee, you sounded so casual but i could hear you tapping your fingers on the table." Ji Hyo smiled knowingly a mischevious twinkle in her eye. Ji Hyo could read Gary like a book, after years of being castmates on Running Man she knew when he was lying, when he was nervous and when he was in pain.

"Tap my fingers? No.." Gary shook his head as his ears started feeling hot. 

"Yah Oppa! I bet if it wasn't so dark I could see your ears turning bright red.." Ji Hyo replied smugly as she reached over to the bed side table lamp, the light bathing the spacious room in a soft yellow glow.

She reached over to Gary tugging softly on his ears, satisfied to see a slight redness. As she pulled her hand away, Gary managed to grab it intertwining his fingers between hers,

"Ji Hyo yah.." He brushed his lips against the back of her palm.

"Thank you for giving me a chance.." He whispered, his lips pressed against the back of hand.

"2 Ice Americanos please" 

Gary placed the order at the counter of a small coffeeshop at the corner of Buamdong, a quaint and quiet part of Seoul. Gary glanced at his watch, it was 7.25 on a spring Monday morning. Ji Hyo and Gary agreed to meet at a quiet cafe before the duo had to report to work for the weekly filming of Running Man. Since Ji Hyo was busy the rest of week and filming that day would be starting abit later the duo decided that Monday would be the best option. 

"Kang Gary! I'm on the way!" Kang Gary quickly read the text message before grabbing a table that overlooked the city of Seoul. Kang Gary couldn't stop fidgeting, looking up at the entrace every time he saw movement at the corner of his eye, his fingers tapping erratically.  In a bid to calm himself, Kang Gary drew his attention to the incredible view, Buamdong, due to its location in between the Inwang and Bugak mountain it boasted a peaceful and beutiful enviroment with amazing views of the city center of Seoul. Gary was transfixed by how  the lush greenery of the tall trees of nature could co-exist with the tall concrete buildings of the city.

"Kang Gary!" Ji Hyo seemingly popped out of thin air as she plopped herself in the seat across from him

"Yah! Ahh..Ji Hyo, you gave me a fright!" Gary watched Ji Hyo as she too marvelled at the gorgeous scenary, Gary was always amazed by how beautiful Ji Hyo looked both on and off screen. 

"Gary! The view here is amazing! I didn't even know this cafe existed!" Ji Hyo exclaimed as the waitress served their Americanos.

"Wah..Gary, you bought coffee for me, is today a special occasion?" Ji Hyo said cheekily as she took a sip of a coffee

"Kang Gary, this coffee is amazing! How did you find out about this place?" Ji Hyo asked as she continued to sip her ice Americano

"Yah..I come here to write sometimes, the scenary and atmosphere helps me  when I get stuck. Ji Hyo, look you can here SBS from here!" Gary pointed at a random building among the thousands of tall structures in the horizon

"Yah! Don't try to lie to me! You can't possibly see the SBS tower from here!" Ji Hyo replied in mock outrage

"Yah! Kang Gary! What happened to your hand?!!" Ji Hyo reached out for Gary's bandaged fingers,

"Ahh it's nothing Ji Hyo, I cut my finger while picking up broken glass this morning." Gary brushed aside Ji Hyo's concern, as he watched Ji Hyo examine his fingers closely

"Broken glass!? Why is there broken glass in your house in the first place!?"  

"I broke a bottle soju while cleaning my fridge..Yah you don't have to worry Mong Ji, it's just a small wound" Gary assured Ji Hyo. Ji Hyo was still closely examining Gary's finger, her eyebrows furrowed deep in concentration. She may go all out during the filming of Running Man to accomplish a mission but in reality Ji Hyo cared deeply for her castmates. 

"Honey! I forgot to buy the special coffee that your sister likes, do you mind going to get it?" Ryu Su Jung, Suk Jin's wife asked Suk Jin as she passed him the keys to his car.

"Special coffee? Where from?" Suk Jin replied looking up from reading his cellphone

"Club Espresso, in Buamdong. Your sister really likes the beans from Sumatra...this one." Su Jung handed the empty bag of coffee beans to Suk Jin

"Mand..he..ling..Yah..Why do coffee beans have such weird names.."

"How long will it take? Ahh...Okay I'll come back later then. Thank you very much!" 

The waitress had informed Suk Jin that the coffee beans would take 10 to 15 minutes to be grinded and be re-packed. Suk Jin glanced at his watch it was almost 8am, Suk Jin was mesmerized by the quiet neighbourhood of Buamdong. Buamdong used to be be filled with writers and authors, who left their own creative imprint. While Buamdong was now filled with modern galleries and restaurants, it retained its beautiful and charming surroundings. Suk Jin stepped out of the cafe taking in the beautiful surroundings around him, the weather was perfect for a bit of exploring. 

Suk Jin had purchased a vintage model airplane that caught his eye in the windowfront of a small vintage shop. His son had shown interest in airplanes and Suk Jin decided on a whim to purchase the minature wodden aircraft. As he walked the narrow streets of Buamdong, he stumbled upon what seemed like a cobbled stone house from the 12th Century with creeping vines and square windows. Suk Jin found the house too beautiful to be unexplored, he stepped inside to be pleasantly surprised by the smell of coffee and the amazing view of Seoul. He was so amazed by the view  he almost missed the sight of Ji Hyo and Gary having coffee alone.

"Is that..Yah.. that's Ji Hyo and Gary..Yah..What are they doing here..alone..YAH! Are they...YAHHH! They're holding hands!!YAH!YAH!"

Suk Jin nearly exclaimed, the duo was so immersed in conversation they didn't even notice Suk Jin standing across the cafe gaping at them in shock. Suk Jin slowly slipped out of the cafe not wanting to be spotted by either of them, as soon as he was outside the cafe he knelt down infront of the strorefront peering in he could just see the young couple. 

"Yah..no one would belive me if I didn't have any evidence.." Suk Jin pulled out his cellphone before snapping a picture of the duo. Out of excitment, he sent the photo to the group chat that Jae Suk had set up so that all the Running Man cast memebers could communicate when it came to last meeting changes to the schedule.

"Monday Couple Spotted"

Suk Jin grinned to himself before making his way back to Club Espresso.

"Yah Suk Jin..Next time you send a message, check who you sending it too" Suk Jin read the message sent by his colleuague, Jae Suk. He immediatly checked the message he sent out to the rest of the cast.

"Ssibal.." Suk Jin muttered to himself. He did send the message to the intended people, but it completely slipped his mind that sending it to the Running Man group chat meant that both Gary and Ji Hyo would receive the message as well.

A series of messages came flowing in from the rest of cast.

"The photo's too blurry..."

"Impossible."

"Yah Suk Jin..Is this what you do in your spare time, stalk all of us?"

"Suk Jin, how can that girl be me? I'm on the way to get my hair cut." Ji Hyo had uploaded a picture along with her statement. The picture was her sitting behind the wheel of her car with a big smile on her face. Ji Hyo wasn't lying, the duo had left the coffee shop a few minutes after Suk Jin uploaded the incriminating photo.

"Kang Gary! Look look! It's us! Yah! Suk Jin must have seen us from outside!" Ji Hyo handed Gary her cellphone.

"Yah Gary! What should we do!?" Ji Hyo was practically hysterical, while they could have easily stated it was just two friends catching up over coffee. The picture clearly showed Ji Hyo was holding Gary's hand. 

"I Know! Ji Hyo, take off your sweater and take a picture of yourself in your car and send the photo. Once the rest of them see you wearing a diferent coloured shirt, they won't think it's us"

Gary started chuckling to himself as he read the incoming messages

"Yah Ji Hyo..Don't worry, they don't believe its us, they said the picture's too blurry."

"Don't worry Ji Hyo..No one is going to believe its us." Kang Gary assured Ji Hyo as they stepped out of the cafe bading each other farewell. Ji Hyo would be going to the haridresses to get her hair done before recording later that morning while Kang Gary needed to go to the studio to hear a mix that Gil had came up with early that morning. 

"Don't drive too fast Mong Ji!" Gary hollered from his car with a grin.

"I really can't believe that happened a year ago.." Gary said as he planted a soft kiss on top of Ji Hyo's head.

Ji Hyo smiled to herself as she turned to Gary. The young couple were snuggled together under a mountain of blankets. Gary's arm was encircled around Ji Hyo's waist while she ran her fingers through his short hair. Ji Hyo thumbed the outline of Gary's face, his jawline, his eyes and his temples. She felt his soft skin under the tips of her fingers. Ji Hyo felt incredibly thankful to have Gary by her side,  Gary took care of her, supported her every decision and was constantly encouraging her to be become better person. 

"Me neither Oppa..But I'm glad it did" Ji Hyo whispered with a soft smile.

Author's Note: A few discrepencies here and there, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless :) Leave a comment if you enjoyed the story!

xx