Chapter 3

“You’re here,” Ji Hyo looked up from her seat upon seeing Jong Kook enter the salon in a white shirt that fit his muscular physique perfectly. Eyeing him from head to toe, she smirked admirably at his overall get-up, “You look dashing. Are you wearing a coat with that?”

“It’s in the car— and you’re not yet ready,” Jong Kook muttered, failing to hide his annoyance seeing her state. Ji Hyo was still in a robe and her hair was far from being curled and her make-up wasn’t good-to-go. He glanced at the clock and reminded her, “You do realize that traffic could get pretty bad if we don’t leave in 20 minutes.”

“Aigoo, he’s starting to nag again and we haven’t even arrived at the venue,” she clicked her tongue, “Don’t worry oppa, I’m almost done.”

“Thank you.”

Jong Kook sat on the couch behind Ji Hyo as he silently watched the make-up artist do the work in finishing the final touches on her face.

Has it only been a month since he agreed to this? He suddenly recalled what a field day it had been the moment they stepped inside the private room to meet their friends.

While the morose mood that had accompanied them was evident, Se Chan and So Min were too scared to ask what happened and avoided his gaze, turning to Kwangsoo and Ji Hyo to talk about So Min’s new found pottery hobby.

As the others were busy fussing over So Min’s pottery videos and photos, Dong Hoon bravely nudged his side and addressed the elephant in the room. This doesn’t come out as a surprise to Jong Kook as he has known him the longest.

“Hyung, what’s wrong?” Dong Hoon asked.

“Nothing,” Jong Kook ate a spoonful of rice and ignored the puzzled look on Dong Hoon’s face.

“Want to head out of here after you finish your dinner?” Dong Hoon offered.

“It’s fine,” he shrugged, “I can’t keep you away from your family too long. It’s getting late.”

“Go Eun would understand. We could go to the 24-hour cafe near your place—”

“Don’t worry about it, Dong Hoon-ah,” Jong Kook assured him and took another bite.

Dong Hoon placed an elbow on the table and rested his cheek on his knuckles to catch his hyung’s attention and darted his eyes over Ji Hyo and Kwangsoo, “If you’re not going to speak up, I’m gonna end up asking those two.”

Something was bugging his hyung. Jong Kook’s not the type to shut down in an instant and Dong Hoon refused to let him off easily.

“Don’t bother. There’s nothing to be concerned about.” When he said this, the maknaes had shut their mouths and could no longer continue their pottery talk. Se Chan and So Min’s prying eyes stole glances at him, Ji Hyo and Kwangsoo.

Ji Hyo seemed unaffected by the sudden attention on her and maintained her blank demeanor as she kept herself busy with her food. Kwangsoo, on the other hand, had taken out the menu to check out the variation of alcoholic beverages.

“Kwangsoo-ah, I thought we weren’t planning on drinking,” Dong Hoon raised his brow at him.

“I could use one right now,” Kwangsoo flipped the menu to the next page and turned to Ji Hyo to ask if she’d like one as well.

“Yah, what’s wrong with you all? You can’t just disappear for a long time and return looking all tense,” Dong Hoon complained, “What are you guys hiding?”

Kwangsoo shook his head and chuckled, “Hyung, you should’ve gone outside instead.”

Jong Kook glared at Kwangsoo who had been itching to spill the news ever since they entered the room.

“Wae?” Dong Hoon won’t let anything slide by now. What were they hiding? Kwangsoo definitely knows something up his sleeve.

Kwangsoo put a sly smile and ignored Jong Kook’s scowl as he faced Dong Hoon, “Min Jung.”

“Min Jung?” Dong Hoon repeated, blinking his eyes several times, “She’s here?”

“Min Jung? Isn’t she…,” Se Chan glanced at Kwangsoo to confirm.

“Jong Kook oppa’s ex... omo,” So Min covered .

“Oh that’s not just it,” Kwangsoo pressed on, “She’s getting married—”

“I thought she’d married by now,” Dong Hoon interjected, “I would’ve expected she’d have a family of her own with kids. Hyung, you should’ve known this a long time ago. She’s been wanting to settle down ever since, so what’s the surprise?”

Jong Kook avoided his gaze and was rushing to finish what’s left in his bowl. When will his dongsaengs know when to mind their own business?

“She’s getting married and he’s invited to the wedding—”

“Aww hyung, don’t tell me you‘re going,” Dong Hoon grumbled.

“He’s going to the wedding—,” Kwangsoo confirmed but was cut by Dong Hoon once again.

“Oh no, who are you bringing with? Gap Jin?”

Frustrated by the constant interruption, Kwangsoo released a huge huff and yelled, “DONG HOON-AH, I SWEAR IF YOU WON’T LET ME FINISH IT’S YOUR LOSS!”

Dong Hoon immediately apologized, “I’m sorry. Please continue.”

“He’s not going to the wedding alone. Fortunately for him, someone volunteered to go to the wedding as his fake girlfriend,” Kwangsoo smugly announced and raised his brow at Ji Hyo.

“Don’t tell me…,” Dong Hoon gasped as everyone’s attention turned to Ji Hyo who seemed uninterested with their commotion.

“Anyone else want a drink with me?” Kwangsoo asked.

So Min exclaimed, “Unnie, you didn’t!!

“Waaah noona— are you serious?” Se Chan was as speechless as everyone else.

“Ji Hyo-ah,” Dong Hoon gaped at her before turning to Jong Kook, “What’s going on? What are you both up to?”

“I could use a beer,” Jong Kook muttered under his breath as he wiped his mouth after finishing his food.

“Oh my gosh, oppa’s drinking tonight,” So Min said, “I can’t let this pass. I want a drink too.”

“That’s the spirit— Dong Hoon hyung, Se Chan… what are you guys getting?”

“Bill’s on you, though,” Jong Kook crossed his arms and leaned back on his seat.

“Hyung!” Kwangsoo protested.

Ji Hyo snorted when she heard this, “That’s cheap.”

“Then would you rather pay since you got yourself involved in this?” Jong Kook fired back at her.

“I thought we already settled this matter on mutual terms,” Ji Hyo eyed on him, “Why are you still sulking?”

“Cheon Seong Im, don’t keep me out of the loop!” Dong Hoon cried out, “What were you thinking?”

“Oppa, I just did what I think was best. You can’t blame me if you saw the look on his face. He was not just invited but he was also asked to sing the song he wrote for her at her wedding with her new beau,” Ji Hyo snapped, “Would you let him attend the happiest day of her life all by himself appearing beaten when he shouldn’t?”

“Wah, hyung… you’ve gotta give her some credit,” Se Chan persuaded his hyung. Ji Hyo wasn’t exactly wrong. What would Jong Kook do if he ended up going alone?

Dong Hoon stood up from his seat, removed his cap, and gave Ji Hyo a bow, “Sister-in-law, you’ve done it again. You’re amazing.”

Jong Kook threw a table napkin at him for his dramatic act causing the rest of their friends to snicker.

“I don’t think it’s that bad, oppa. Unnie’s a very good actress and even if she’s not acting, you’re already too close with her. You won’t have to find out each other’s likes and dislikes— you’ve known each other for a decade that people won’t question why she’s with you at the wedding,” So Min said.

“Except for their fans,” Kwangsoo joked.

“Aish,” Jong Kook grumbled.

“People will talk. Have you considered that? But So Min makes a good point— just act naturally and they won’t even question if you’re together or not,” Se Chan added.

Dong Hoon suddenly laughed, “Isn’t it funny that she’s going as your date when your ex didn’t like her then.”

“What?” This caught Ji Hyo’s attention as she dropped her bowl and chopsticks. “Does Min Jung hate me?” She asked, trying to process what she just heard. No wonder something was off with the way Min Jung treated her earlier— as if it was a longstanding cold war that she never noticed in the past. She didn’t realize that Min Jung’s detachment to the group had something to do with her.

“She doesn’t hate you. She just felt awkward with you. You were both reserved,” Jong Kook clarified.

“No, she got jealous of you,” Kwangsoo corrected him, “Hyung, why do you always do that?”

Jong Kook has always been protective towards Min Jung and Ji Hyo. When Min Jung began feeling intimidated by Ji Hyo’s closeness with Jong Kook, he explained that Ji Hyo was like a sister he never had and they had just gotten close to one another cause of Running Man. However, this became a point of their arguments that he lessened the time he brought Min Jung to their hangouts or he wouldn’t go at all. The cast had noticed this except for Ji Hyo. No one dared to bring this up. She was having her own problems with her agency then while dating her ex who also happened to be the CEO and the pressures of being the only woman in the show. He couldn’t cause her more stress than that.

“Wait— you knew?” Ji Hyo swatted Kwangsoo’s arm.

“Of course. Everyone knew.”

“Everyone?” Ji Hyo gaped at him.

“Jae Suk hyung, Suk Jin hyung— even Gary hyung knew.”

“Daebak, you really kept noona in the dark for so long,” Se Chan chuckled.

“How could you keep this from me?” Ji Hyo knitted her eyebrows together.

“Noona, it was the only way I could get back at her! Jokes were off limits against her and she took offense easily. Why do you think I didn’t stop you from drinking and encouraged you to do all those stupid things when we hung out together? You clung to me and Jong Kook hyung the most when you wanted to sing at the top of your lungs or dance Hot Issue for show and that messed her up!” Kwangsoo defended himself.

“Aish— gosh, what did I do?!” Ji Hyo slapped her cheeks with her hands.

“Don’t tell me you’re backing out?” Jong Kook raised his brow at her teasingly.

“Ayeeee!!!” So Min beamed, “He’s finally coming around!”

“Pow!! Kim Jong