Jong Kook can stay locked up in the house for months if he wants to (he has a gym at home so it’s okay). Right after Christmas, he moved out of his Mapo-gu home and went back to Hannam-dong.

Kim Jong Kook practically didn’t go out. He didn’t work for the meantime and postponed all activities. His food and necessities were taken care of by his mom. Jong Kook isolated himself from the outside world and had cut communication from his friends. He only had Kookie (his dog) and the non-existent cat as his companion.

His own parents got scared.

And this went on for months.

Poor Jong Kook was so broken-hearted that all he could think of was Ji Hyo. But he couldn’t pursue her anymore because he finally realized he was causing her enough pain. He saw how happy she was with Ji Hoon, and as much as he doesn’t want to admit it, her feelings for him are long gone.

No matter how much he pleads, no matter how many tears he sheds, Ji Hyo will not be coming back to him. He must be man enough to let go. It’s difficult, it’s painful, but he must let her go.

And Jong Kook is letting his Ace go.

After months of locking himself up in his villa in Hannam-dong, Jong Kook travelled to Europe. He particularly stayed for a few months in Italy, where he always wanted to go ever since. With a much clearer mind, he tried to look for a diversion to get over Ji Hyo. He went to places where he was unfamiliar but had always dreamed of reaching.

When he came back to Seoul, he slowly met up with friends; started to mingle and re-joined his social circle. He finally went back to work which made his family and friends happy, most especially Gap Jin.

Jong Kook started to go out on dates again.

Oh yes, he did.

That handsome face and awesome body must not go to waste.

But it starts and ends with the first date.

Always.

His heart still belongs to one of those actresses who dance and sing ‘Hot Issue’. That girl who’s famous for her blank expression. That girl whom he woke up married to.

Until finally, ‘she’ came into his life.

Until ‘Hot Issue’ was just another hit song to Kim Jong Kook. It no longer has an effect on him. Everything went back to normal. He was back to his old self.

Mr. Capable is back.

Café Dior

Gangnam-gu, Seoul

8:30 pm

“You, Kim Jong Kook owe me a lot.” Cha Tae Hyun laughed as he sipped his Caramel Macchiato. “Not just your career as an actor, but also that lovely woman right next to you.”

Soo Ae.

Jong Kook and Soo Ae laughed.

They laughed while they held hands.

“I know…” Jong Kook kissed Soo Ae’s hand. “I will be forever grateful, more than a thousand days.”

A thousand days’ promise.

Starring Soo Ae.

Corny, JK!

Jong Kook had finally moved on. He is in a relationship now; all the people close to him are very glad on his improvement because he is back in his old self. As if he was reborn. And he’s very much inspired too.

Who would have thought he’d found his new life with actress Soo Ae? She’s a year older than Ji Hyo and she’s cheerful and lovely person. She didn’t mind a guy who likes the gym most of the time. They shared the same passion: workout. And Soo Ae is one of the iest actresses out there, not to mention, one of the most beautiful.

They started hanging out after an introduction by Cha Tae Hyun. Their conversation of course centred on healthy lifestyle and exercise, then little by little, they talked about their personal lives and they slowly began to open up about each other. And well, the rest is history.

The best thing about their relationship perhaps is that, they knew about each other’s past. All about their past. All of it.

Miss Soo Ae knew about Miss Song Ji Hyo aka Kim Soo Yeon.

Yes, she does.

Oh, maybe the ‘bestest’ of it all, Soo Ae made Kim Jong Kook forget, if there is still that tiniest memory or feeling left for Ji Hyo. She made him totally forget and move on.

So when he and ex-wife Ji Hyo crossed paths in MNET Music Awards few weeks back, Jong Kook didn’t flinch; he didn’t feel nervous, his heartbeat didn’t go faster. The ex-husband didn’t even feel slightly guilty now.

Kim Jong Kook didn’t feel a thing anymore.

He finally felt indifferent towards her all this time. She was already part of his past. And he doesn’t want to look back anymore.

Now, she’s back to just being ‘The Witch’s Diner’ actress Song Ji Hyo to him.

And he’s back to being ‘Running Man’s’ Kim Jong Kook to her.

They’re back to being strangers.

Back to square one.

Like how they wanted it to be.

No longer Mr. and Mrs. Kim Jong Kook.

It’s over for both of them.

Back to square one.

Judge’s Office

Korean Family Court

Gangnam-gu, Seoul

10 am

Ji Hyo just came straight from the airport after visiting a family member in Los Angeles and was experiencing a terrible jetlag that’s why it hasn’t hit her yet.

Jong Kook was filming until wee hours of the morning and has two hours of sleep and wasn’t really thinking straight.

That familiar, stern looking lady was smiling meaningfully at them.

“Long time, no see, kids.” The woman in robes spoke. “You look like you’ve gained weight, Mrs. Kim. Are you pregnant? Goodness! I’ve told you kids to keep your hands to yourselves… I’ve told you not to complicate things.”

Mrs. Kim?

Did that woman just call her Mrs. Kim?

Ji Hyo bolted from her seat.

Oh, include Jong Kook. He did the same thing.

He had the same thought as Ji Hyo.

Ji Hyo and Jong Kook looked at each other with equally surprised and nervous expressions. Suddenly they were alive and alert.

Dugeun. Dugeun.

Oh !

“What?” The woman smiled evilly this time, seeing their alarmed expressions. “Don’t tell me you really made your wife pregnant, Mr. Kim? Do you just want to cancel this divorce then?”

Ji Hyo, baffled, had to seek help from her lawyer who was right beside her. Only for her to find him sweating in that cold room and looking very nervous.

“Attorney Park.” Ji Hyo whispered, her voice shaking. “What’s going on?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Her lawyer replied, but he didn’t look at her.

Oh dear.

Ji Hyo’s heart skipped a beat.

No way.

No damn way.

It can’t be.

Meanwhile on the other part of the room, which is just an aisle away, a every tensed Kim Jong Kook was asking his equally tensed lawyer the reason why they’re all present in the family court once again. And more obviously, why is the old lady, (now, he remembered she is the Judge who handled their divorce) suddenly appeared to be talking as if he and Ji Hyo haven’t divorced.

They haven’t divorced yet…

Oh !

Words that Jong Kook’s mind was fast rejecting. It came fast, and then he rejected it just as fast.

“It’s not what I think it is, right?” Jong Kook was in denial. “Please say it isn’t so.”

His lawyer, unlike Ji Hyo’s attorney looked at him. But his eyes were pitiful and were about to cry. Jong Kook was shooting daggers at him.

“I am sorry, Jong Kook-sshi.” The lawyer apologized. “That was negligence on my part.”

Upon hearing those words Jong Kook covered his face with his hands for a long time. Ji Hyo saw him do it, and she knew she need not press her own lawyer for more answers.

They’re still married.

I woke up married still exists for Song Ji Hyo and Kim Jong Kook.

How on earth did that happen?

Oh dear…

Now the scolding begins.

The old lady looks pissed.

“I have been very lenient with you, kids.” The Judge spoke. “I have made myself clear from the very start that you were supposed to stay under one roof at all times… But what have you done? You were doing well at first, but what went wrong?”

Nobody answered.

Jong Kook didn’t answer.

Ji Hyo didn’t even open .

“News even reached me that you were… rather… intimate.” The old lady went on. “So, I was a bit surprised of the sudden change. Well, you were staying at Hannam-dong, then moved in to Mapo-gu. Then news broke out that you, Kim Jong Kook-sshi were getting married to another lady. We probed on that and after we cleared that it’s just a cover-up, we kept silent… also because you moved in after awhile next to Ji Hyo-sshi’s home in Mapo-gu. But now, you’ve obviously gone separate ways for good. What’s going on?”

Jong Kook and Ji Hyo were still silent. They are in denial that they are still husband and wife.

“I…we.. thought… we’ve already… di..di..divorced.” Ji Hyo stammered.

The Judge laughed. “Says who?”

“We received a paper… the manila envelope.” Ji Hyo couldn’t look at the old lady, but she continued to answer. “We thought it’s divorce papers.”

“What did those papers say, Mrs. Kim?” The old lady smiled meaningfully. “Mr. Kim?”

Ji Hyo and Jong Kook looked at each other for help. Ji Hyo’s copy was in one of those boxes piled up in her house. She didn’t bother looking at it. Back then, it had hurt her so much, she didn’t want to even see it.

Jong Kook’s was in the trunk of his car. He, too, didn’t bother even reading it. Same reason with Ji Hyo. As the days went along, he didn’t even have the reason to even take a quick glance at it.

Both their copies of the supposedly divorce papers are still unopened and unread. But apparently, those are not divorce papers.

“I haven’t read it…” They both said at the same time, with their voices both sad.

“You kids both knew why you ended up married, right?” The Judge told Jong Kook and Ji Hyo who aren’t just speaking the same words but were acting similarly now. Their faces were both about to cry, eyes were downcast. Disappointment, fear, frustration and desperation are etched in their beautiful faces. “You never cared about important matters… You never did. Those aren’t divorce papers, for your information. Those were just summoning you to set the final hearing date for your divorce proceedings. But you never came. I thought you weren’t interested to separate anymore.”

Ji Hyo began to cry now.

“I thought I made sense when I said you weren’t interested…” The Judge’s voice turned soft. “I had means to check you, remember? I thought the two of you went real for good. But now that you have your own relationships, that divorce is still going to happen, isn’t it?”

The two nodded.

“I am sorry, but my condition has not changed. May it be in Hannam-dong or Mapo-gu, you kids choose where you want