She was hooked, she knew it now, as itched. He.. Kim Jong Kook had invited her during his constant trips and now she was addicted. She knew she needed her fix, her weekly dose and he .. how dare he chose today to be overseas and made her missed her session today again.

“Oppa, when are you coming back?” she messaged him.

“Soon, why?” he asked.

“Oppa, when?” she insisted.

“Monday” he answered, he was in LA attending the events. She remembered with Sejong, a slightly bitter taste hang in .

“So how Sejong?” she asked casually, her heart beating uncharacteristically fast.

“No idea,” she could felt him shrugged his shoulder. “She was with her group, we only managed to meet in the backstage and we are both busy.” She felt herself relaxed. “So what’s the matter?” he asked again.

“Oppa, you do remember our usual session right?” she typed in timidly.

“Oh.. you meant that?”

“Since we had missed two sessions, how about a makeup session when you are back.” she asked, actually she was practically pleading but hoped she didn’t sound so desperate.

“Ok, if you insist. We had recording on Tuesday, how about Wednesday?” he suggested.

“On! I cleared my schedule now.” She was happy to see that, her heart leapt in joy.

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They met on Tuesday, they were having their running man for recording.  She greeted everyone warmly especially Jong Kook, she practically gave him a hug and whispered,”Remember tomorrow, same time same place” her heart leaping wildly from the closeness, she could smell his aftershave.

He chuckled, “Ok, see you tomorrow, don't be late” his heart running everywhere from her hug, her hair smell so sweet. He went to look for the makeup artist.

JaeSuk immediately teased Ji Hyo at the differentiate treatment. “Mm, is Jong Kook different from all of us? Why he got a hug while we all just get a warm smile?”

Ji Hyo blinked, looking totally lost, then she blinked again. “Jong Kook Oppa?” she blinked again.

Jae Suk looked at the mong woman and gave up, “It’s Ok, I didn’t expect an answer.” he quickly moved to look for Haha, who was snickering at him.

Ji Hyo turned round and ask Gary, “What did Jae Suk Oppa mean?’ Gary looked at the woman, then immediately used his signature movement “Stress!!” he shouted and scooted off in Jae Suk and Haha direction.

Jong Kook chose the right moment to come back and rescue everyone else. “Ji Hyo, over here,” he called out to Ji Hyo and she immediately walked towards him, apparently he had something to discussed with her. “Let’s play a trick on Haha for his birthday.”

Ji Hyo’s eye lighted up, she liked to do something like this with him, she giggled. “Ok ok, Haha oppa deserved it.” The two of them exchanged some ideas till  the staff asked them to start the recording, both of them gave each other a knowing smile and joined the rest.

During  the break, they started to edge Haha, until finally, he exploded, both of them laughed out loud, its was then Haha realised he been tricked by both of them and others had a great laugh. Both Ji Hyo and Jong Kook enjoyed it a lot, they had always such good chemistry and often good read each other’s mind. They hi-five each other, grinning ear to ear. Haha looked at both of them exasperatingly, those two kids, although he was the kid in the show, they were the real kids outside the show, they needed to get marry and be more serious, he thought while shaking his head at the giggling couple. They managed to make his birthday a special one.

The long and tiring recording finally ended, both of them were still as tight as thieves, “Oppa, I see you tomorrow ok?”

Jong Kook nodded, “See you.” with that, they parted.  

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Ji Hyo woke up, her whole body tingled, she sprinted to the washroom and quickly freshen up before sitting down on the dining table, her mum looked surprised. Her super busy daughter had not slept in on her off day, that was a first. “Mum, can I have some warm honey lemon?” Ji Hyo asked.

That could only mean one thing, her mum eyes narrowed, ‘Are you going out with Jong Kook?”

Ji Hyo nodded her head as she stuffed with the breakfast her mum had prepared. “So I take it, two portions then.” Ji Hyo smiled sweetly at her mom, that was the intent. “Will he be dropping by for dinner then?”

Ji Hyo shook her head, “I didn’t ask, let me check whether his parents are in this week.” she skipped to get her phone and messaged Jong Kook. She had once managed to sprain her leg during one of their regular session and he had insisted on sending her home. Her mum on learning that Jong Kook was without a home made dinner that day, asked him to join them for theirs, it had becoming a routine, for Jong Kook to eat at Ji Hyo’s when his parents are not in town. Her family loved the well-mannered man, and she especially loved when they get to dine as a family.

Jong Kook was exercising when he received Ji Hyo message, his mum had told him he would need to take care of dinner himself tonight, she and his dad were eating at his brother. His heart twirled in delight, he loved to eat at Ji Hyo, her mum’s cooking was great and he got to sit and enjoyed his food beside the pretty woman. He quickly replied, “My mum cooking for my brother, I would love to join you.”

Ji Hyo quickly informed her mum of the news. Looking through her wardrobe of rainbow colour clothes, she finally settled for a black blouse and white shorts, something she knew he would like.

Jong Kook finished with his routine and stared hard at his wardrobe, it consists of mainly t-shirts,both sleeveless and with short sleeves, and shorts of various lengths, thanks to running man and the various variety show he was on. He had a sudden attack of disliking what his wardrobe contains, but finally, settle for a white t-shirt of his design and black shorts.

He drove to Ji Hyo’s house and picked up the pretty woman, they both smiled as they saw each other, “We looked like a chess board!” Ji Hyo exclaimed.

“Yeah,  sort of couple wear too” Jong Kook chuckled. Ji Hyo nodded excitedly.

“How about we start now? With your songs to warm up?” Ji Hyo asked, eyeing the CDs in front of her.

“Is it too early?” his eyes smiling.

“No, come on, just a few before we reached?” she pleaded.

“Ok.. ok.. “ he agreed. She chose her favourite song and placed into the cd drive.

Soon, “You are the one” filled the whole car, and the two of them sang along with the CD. She repeated the song another time, and this time she request Jong Kook to sing it alone, he sang it as perfect as the CD and with even more emotions, she could feel the happiness he felt finding the perfect girl. Secretly, she hoped she was the one, she loved the song even more now. “Oppa, I really love this song.” she sighed. Jong Kook’s heart thumped, he had sung the song with more feelings today with her by his side, but she did not get the message, he sighed inwardly. Maybe … he shook his head, no, he should at least find out the truth before deciding his fate.

Both of them sang some more songs of his album before arriving at their destination. “We are already warm up, that’s hit it!”, she said as she followed the waitress into the room, Jong Kook smiled in agreement.

“Yeah, now to sing to our, nope, your heart’s content.” he took control of the song list and retrieve their top 10 songs and start playing. The first two songs were his, he started singing, while Ji Hyo keyed in hers new selection. The next two songs were Ji Hyo, and he keyed in his others selection. From the fifth song, both of them would either sing together or listened to one of them sing.

Ji Hyo looked at the muscle man, his voice was filled with warmth and love, his eyes looked at her as if he understood what she was thinking. When he sang, she felt the need to stop everything and just listened to him and get into his world. Sometime, he caught her eyes and they would hold their glances until one of them needed to look away. Usually, it was her, after discovering that she was staring, but she didn’t see the hurt in his eyes when she did that.

Jong Kook stared at the lovely woman, she still could not sing to the pitch perfectly but she could bring out the emotions of the song, no wonder she was an actress and one of the best. He would get absorbed into her world, lost in the whirls of powerful feeling she expressed. Sometimes, he felt his tears welling up when she sang a sad song, sometimes, he grinned stupidly when she sang a love song. When she was caught up in her own mood, she would reach for him for consolidation. He hadn’t been able to console her, like he could with his other dong daseng, instead, he would sit still, feeling her curled up beside him. Often he would sit till her emotion rode out, but he could not see the sadness as she felt that he rejected her.

Often, they would choose songs to sing together, both of them had avoided songs that expressed love of each other. They felt it might express their true feelings.

They had sung for six hours today and this was the last 5 minute, both of them could not believe how time flew. “Oppa, this is such a good session,” as Ji Hyo stretched herself, feeling totally exhausted. “The technique you taught was good, my throat didn’t fetch sketchy.”

“Your pitch needed more work, though,” chuckled Jong Kook.

“Oppa!” Ji Hyo pouted, how could he say that she was getting so much better now. “I think I could even be a guest at your concert.”

“You should,” agreed ong Kook.

“Really!!” Ji Hyo could not believe, he agreed with her.

“Yeah, then people could really appreciate my singing after hearing you. You should come and warm up my concert.” Jong Kook teased.

“Yah!! Kim Jong Kook!” Ji Hyo shouted, feeling hurt that he felt this way. She turned her back towards him, feeling her tears forming, she did not know why she was sensitive today, usually she would turn into Bad Ji Hyo and hit her oppa, but maybe today after 6 hours of together and yet she felt they were thousands of miles apart, that it had hit her nerves.

He was alarmed, he had expected “Bad Ji Hyo” to attack him and not this. “Ji Hyo, Oppa was just teasing you.” he was at a lost, he didn’t know he would hurt her with such a simple statement, “You are really singing well, I would love to have you in my concert” he pulled her into his embrace, hugging her back, “I am sorry,” he whispered, “Please don’t feel bad.”  he felt her stiffen against him and a drop of tear fell onto his arms, it sizzled him. “I am terribly sorry” he let go quickly, feeling he had done something bad to her, ‘I am so sorry,” the feeling of been dejected now hit him like a huge wave, she really treated him like an oppa and not anything more. His one-sided love just had been confirmed, stamped and chopped, his heart was slowly breaking up to pieces.

He felt a soft hand landed on his arms and this time, she hugged him, her face buried in his chest. “Oppa, don’t go,” she cried, her tears wetting his shirt. “I didn’t know what get into me.” His two arms circled the woman against his better judgement, but his heart was never as important as the woman in his arm.

“I .. Ji Hyo ya, Oppa is sorry for hurting you, please don’t cry,” he whispered into her eat, his hands gently her soft hair, trying very hard to console her. Even if she did not love him, he could not love her less, she would always be his love, he knew now. On instinct, he kissed her forehead, she froze, what did the kiss mean? She wondered. He froze, he could not and did not want to explain his kiss.

“Oppa .. “ she uttered softly, “Oppa” he hugged her closer as if this was their last hug. “Oppa … I fell in love with someone,” she did not know why she suddenly wanted to confess but his warmth gave her courage. She needed his warmth around her forever. “He always took care of me, and I found myself falling for his charm, his warmth, his care, his smile.” she felt the man froze in her arms, she was secretly pleased. “He knew me so well, I felt he knew me more than him, but the only thing he could not tell is I love him. I had loved him so long but yet he never knows. Oppa… is this too sudden?” she asked.

Jong Kook felt his world crumbling slowly, but this should not affect her, he searched for his normal voice, trying to hide as much as possible, “That’s why you are sensitive, this man is stupid.” he wanted to go and shake the man so that he could see Ji Hyo’s love. “You want me to teach that man a lesson?”

Ji Hyo could hear his voice was filled with jealousy and sadness, with a tint of hopelessness. “Yes, Oppa, please help me teach that man a lesson.”

Jong Kook closed his eyes, he felt with her in his arms, she at least could not see the whirls of feeling going through him. She would give him a name for him to teach the ungrateful person a lesson, a name that would scatter his dreams with her, a name that would give him a reason to get drunk…. And foolishly, he would ask for that name, that name that would give her happiness. “Who is that man? Oppa will help you drop hints.”

“Really Oppa,” she bit her lower lips, she hoped she was right. “Oppa, he went by a few names such as Commander, Tiger, Mr Capable, Coach Kook, Sparta Kook, kookie, and most people called him Kim Jong Kook.”

When she started starting his nicknames in running man, he was so afraid he had heard wrongly. When she uttered his name, he felt his legs grew wobbily. Was she really in love with him? He wanted to ask her.

“I .. I also fell in love with someone ya, Ji Hyo. I had thought she would never love me back because I was not good enough, not perfect enough for my perfect girl. The girl was brave, clever, smart, strong and so much more.” Ji Hyo did not know what to think, so she listened patiently, hoping for the best  “I wanted to bury my love forever, but yet, without her, my life would not be whole. Ji Hyo ya, I never never thought the girl would love me, she was brave and strong to confess her love for me today, in fact, less than 5 minutes ago,” Ji Hyo relaxed, smiling. “Should I tell her, I love her too?”

“Of course, and you also promise me to teach my man a lesson.” the way she said my man made Jong Kook smiled, yes he was hers.

“How? Beat him senseless?” he asked.

“No.. tell him to kiss me till I said so.” she pouted.

“Ok,” he pulled her slightly apart, one of his hand slowly lifted out his chin, his eyes glanced into hers, both could see the love in each other eyes. He slowly bent his head, and she closed her eyes in anticipation. When their lips met, he too closed his eyes to savour her lips, they were soft and sweet.

His lips were soft and firm at the same time, he started to lightly her lips and she felt her soul was by him too, she was getting drowned in his kiss. He broke the kiss to give them some air, “Ji Hyo, I love you. I never thought you would love me too. Ji Hyo ya, you made me the happiest man on earth.”

“Oppa, you made me the happiest woman on earth too.” Ji Hyo said

Jong Kook started to sing “Letter”, he had kept the song in his drawer, because he could not find in his heart the right person to sing too, but today, he had found her.

Ji Hyo listened to the song, her heart thumping as Jong Kook sang his promise to her. She knew she would love that song and remember Jong Kook’s love every time she listened to the songs. She totally melted into him, “Oppa me too”  she made her promise too. Karaoke would never be the same for her again.

"Oppa, let's go back home for dinner." she said, holding his hand firming in her as he held her hands in his.

Had been too busy and tired to write the story. Hope you like it.