Never to ever make such an unthinking remark ever again when filming. Sighing, Ji Hyo forced herself to pin up the mental note to her permanent storage in her brain. She regretted making such a comment. A voice inside of her had reminded her that she should stay in her cave, but she didn’t. Who would have expected that the innocent suggestion of her advice would backfire her initial thoughtful intentions? Well, Ji Hyo didn’t.

It started as a typical Running Man filming day, where the team gathered to film in SBS Broadcasting Centre, located in Mok Dong for episode 490. One of the missions was designed to take turns, shortly after Kwang Soo left the studio for his mission, the studio became awkwardly quiet again.

Ji Hyo returned to her circular platform after completing her turn for the mission. Shortly after, it was inevitable but to feel quite restless herself, being constricted on the circular platform. Embedded in her DNA, Ji Hyo wanted to sleep but, it was an unwritten rule that she couldn’t sleep openly when she was filming Running Man episodes. As such, she wrestled against herself to defeat sleep.

As always, it was Jae Suk who started the conversation, “I might be thinking too far ahead, but let’s say the two of you get married. Then Seok Jin will officiate your wedding.”

Ji Hyo unstoppable thoughts wandered on to what conversation they had when she was attempting her mission moments earlier. Her interest, in the topic about getting others together, defeated the urge to sleep as she listened in to the conversation.

“We’re not getting married. How could I marry Se Chan?” So Min casually denied.

Ji Hyo wondered what’s So Min’s reasoning for her strong protest with the idea of marrying Se Chan, but she knew that she had no reason to speak regarding that issue, so she continued to listen in the conversation.

Out of the blue, Suk Jin commented, “I hate people like So Min.”

Ji Hyo couldn’t comprehend the relation between Suk Jin’s comment and So Min’s remark. Ji Hyo was glad that Jae Suk swift remark, intervened Suk Jin’s comment by asking, “What’s with him?”

“Hyung, someone must have hurt him,” Jong Kook roughly deduced.

“I hate it when people play with someone’s feelings,” Suk Jin attempted to explain himself.

"I want to have bingsu with him, but he turned me down," So Min pouted, defending herself from Suk Jin’s claim that she was playing with Se Chan’s feelings.

Unable to conceal her interest between the two of them, she was urged to nudge on the more dormant of the two, Se Chan. After all, it had been a while and all she saw were instead the maknaes playing a game of emotional tug-of-war.

Sincerely advising Se Chan, she brought her hands to her chest to emphasise her advice to Se Chan, "Don't push her away. Go along with her."

Little did she know that such a piece of sincere advice backfired her when Jae Suk instantaneously raised, "Why didn't you do that then?"

No doubt, curiosity does kill a cat. That very moment, Ji Hyo found herself fallen into a pit, no, a grave that she had made for herself. But she was relieved that it was Jae Suk who was the one asking the question. She trusted Jae Suk’s emcee skills and that he would understand her situation and the conversation would be changed to another focus in a few moments.

What she didn’t expect was that the Commander, who sat beside Jae Suk, chimed in instantly to the National emcee’s question, “Right!"

At that instant, Ji Hyo was certain that she was trapped with the conversation as she was forced into a dead-end by the most competent duo out of the bunch, Jae Suk and Jong Kook. There she knew that the moment when they were placed together and sing the same tune, they would be invincible. There wasn’t any way for Ji Hyo to be able to escape out of this pit so easily.

Disappointed to be ganged against by the competent duo, Ji Hyo scanned around to be greeted with questioning eyes of the others who were situated in the studio. When was the studio floor so mesmerising? Now, her eyes were fixated on the studio’s flooring as if it was the most interesting surface to look at. She wanted to be alone that that instant but the reality presented her the total opposite of what she wished. Distressed at the situation, she pursed her lips into a pout slightly.

Remembering the camera was still rolling, she quickly composed herself. I can do it! Ji Hyo forced herself to respond accordingly. Feeling slightly more prepared to respond, she looked up towards the camera again. And, she was wrong to think that all the shots had already been fired.

An arrow sharpened with a malicious comment of truth was plunged into her heart and Ji Hyo was miserably wounded by the comment made by the Commander, “Then you'll be on the 'Return of the Superman' now."

It’s been almost ten years together on the show and, immediately she knew that the mellifluous voice belonged to the vocalist of the bunch. The closest member that she was with amongst the bunch after Kwang Soo started dating his girlfriend. And she couldn’t comprehend why he would say such a statement.

Well, Kim Jong Kook had just mentioned the variety show that ex-Running Man member, Kang Gary, together with his son, Kang Ha Oh, had recently joined. In that show, Kang Gary is supposed to take care of his son alone for forty-eight hours. During the time, they will be doing various tasks or exploring new activities together. It is a very different approach from Running Man and that would enable viewers to see the other side of Kang Gary.

Right, Jong Kook can be annoying at times. She reminded herself. But he hadn’t been this annoying till this date.

Being very close friends, Jong Kook and Ji Hyo knew to always keep their private lives to themselves and not share to the public. And the careless, nearly factual, statement which he blurted out had awakened the dormant rage that was in her. If it wasn’t for the sake of the cameras, she would have exploded right there, right now.

Since 2010 until when Gary left in 2016, Gary and Ji Hyo were Running Man’s love-line, dubbed as ‘Monday Couple’. Throughout the many episodes of filming, Gary had been extremely caring and cheesy with Ji Hyo to boost the viewership based on their love-lines. They could be lovey-dovey in one moment before the rolling cameras and be just friends the second the cameras stopped. However, there were often when they were fooling around with each other that they honestly don’t know what’s their relationship with each other anymore.

Were they colleagues? Yes.

Were they friends? Yes.

Were they a couple? No.

Do they behave like a couple? Yes.

Is there an underlying reason for them to behave like a couple? Yes.

As such, they often just concluded themselves as working partners. The feelings may be real for reel purposes, but they didn’t want to risk anything else. Running Man is a popular variety show, with many people’s job on the lifeline, Monday Couple had given up the idea of succeeding it in reality for the best of everyone’s interests.

Yet, there she was seating helplessly on her circular platform in front of many huge cameras all recording every movement and everything that they were saying. Furthermore, she couldn’t afford to waste any time by leaving her circle just to confront him. Obviating gazes with anyone, she let out a string of helpless stifled laughter.

Her mind wandered to the memories that she had shared with Kang Gary. And the possibility of them being almost together. She scoffed at the thought. But being almost together left a scar on Ji Hyo’s heart. How ironic ‘all’ and ‘most’ created the most painful word in the whole universe – almost. All they could do is do most couple things together without being a couple themselves but stayed as working partner on-screen.

-

“Ji Hyo-ah, may I have a word with you?” Gary questioned.

Ji Hyo looked at Gary, confused, flashing her trademark expressionless face. Minutes ago, Running Man filming just ended but right now, Gary wanted to speak to her. She couldn’t comprehend but nodded her head afterwards. She saw an evident heart-warming smile enveloped from Gary’s face.

She wondered why but she didn’t ask as she followed Gary who ushered her to an empty corridor which was leading to the washrooms. She felt that the conversation might be an important one. Did Gary find himself a girlfriend? Would ‘Monday Couple’ come to an indefinite end?

Well, it was suspended for some time because of her relationship with her CEO had gone public. It was only in the recent weeks, when ‘Monday Couple’ moments returned. So, if Gary felt that love-line was taking a toll on his relationship, she would understand. But she didn’t want that to end. Her mind wandered to how much Gary had suffered when the news of her dating her CEO surfaced on the news, he must have suffered so deeply.

“Ji Hyo-ah, I know you’re attached but I’ve been holding onto you for way too long. So, before I finally can move on…” Gary trailed, his voice coated with sincerity.

If she was confused earlier, she’s stunned at the present moment. If she was expressionless earlier on, her face was beyond comprehendible now. Her fingers wandered to her parted lips in surprise. She had no idea how to react.

Maybe it was because of her blank face was always a part of her, Gary continued, “I like you, Ji Hyo-ah.”

Those very words tugged Ji Hyo’s heartstrings, but she was at a lost, not knowing how to react, what she should do. Her heart was vigorously churning the turmoil that was inside – she didn’t know exactly what she was feeling.

Elated. Distressed. Confounded. Elated. She couldn’t believe that a guy such as Kang Gary like her. She had always thought that he’s just good with words and probably, a great actor. A great actor in playing the love line with her on Running Man for quite some time.

Distressed. Her heart was still trying to heal and move on from her breakup with her CEO Baek Chan Joo from a month ago. She felt that she wasn’t ready for yet another relationship. She didn’t want to use her next relationship, especially Kang Gary, as a rebound for the previous one that broke her.