On the pretext of having a send-off dinner before he left for Cambodia, Gary had invited the Running Man members for dinner. It was also his farewell dinner with Jae Suk and Jong Kook. He had quitted the variety show which he had with them since he was going away for quite a period and he would be busy with his other works upon his return.

The group was surprised with Gary’s selected venue. He usually invited them to his restaurant as their casual hang-out place but this time he had made reservation at another restaurant and even booked a private room for them. They had started eating without Gary since the latter had informed them that he would be late. As Gary had casually mentioned to Jae Suk that he would be bringing someone to the dinner, the group went on to speculate whether he was bringing his girlfriend and they wondered how his girlfriend would be like.

While the group was having their dinner at the restaurant, Gary had driven Ji Hyo to her apartment. He waited patiently for her in his car while she went to pick up some things. She emerged from her apartment with a brown envelope in her hand.

When Gary and Ji Hyo arrived outside the restaurant, he halted her at its entrance. Gary looked at Ji Hyo carefully and asked her, “Are you sure you want to do this? We can still turn back.”

She gave him a tight smile and clasped his hand. Her orbs sought courage and assurance from him. His eyes met hers unflinchingly and he gave her a reassuring smile and nod. “I shall be your boyfriend for next few hours,” he pledged silently. Together, they stepped into the restaurant.

Gary knocked at the private dining room door before sliding it opened. The merry chatter in the room instantly ceased when the group saw Gary walked in hand-in-hand with Ji Hyo. With the exception of Jong Kook, the group stared at the couple and their interlaced hands with their eyes widened and their mouths opened. While the others were still processing the image before them, Haha had drawn his own conclusion. He strode hostilely towards the couple and Gary instinctively stepped forward to shield Ji Hyo. Haha’s fist landed on the left side of Gary’s face. Haha glared fumingly at Gary but Gary only looked at Jong Kook. Haha was about to throw another punch at Gary when Kwang Soo and Jae Suk held him back.

When Jong Kook first saw Ji Hyo next to Gary, he could only register her presence. He noticed the pink glow on her face. He had so much that he wanted to say to her. He tried to catch her eyes but they were focused on Gary. He watched her hand tightened on Gary’s arm when Gary stepped forward to protect her. He saw the fear and worries in her eyes when Haha hit Gary. When her hand reached out to soothe the emergent bruise on Gary’s face, his heart felt bruised too.

Many thoughts ran through Jong Kook’s mind as he finally turned to look at Gary. Gary looked calmly back at him. His faith in Gary’s loyalty had casted shadows of doubt that Gary and Ji Hyo were together for real. Yet, her gentleness towards Gary was crystal clear to him. The couple’s silence, despite the commotion that Haha had created, told him that they wanted to speak to him. As he struggled to control the unsettled emotions in him, he said in a firm voice to the rest, “Please leave us for a while.”

Jae Suk, Suk Jin and Kwang Soo had to literally drag Haha out of the room. They pulled him into one of their cars and kept him there. They could only imagine and speculate the conversation in that room. Kwang Soo felt sad for Jong Kook but happy for Gary and he only wished Ji Hyo would be blissful with her final choice. Both Jae Suk and Suk Jin had doubts that Gary and Ji Hyo were together but they sensed Ji Hyo’s determination to break up with Jong Kook. They hoped that the three of them would come to an amicable conclusion. 

The room fell into cold silence after the rest had left. Jong Kook looked at the couple and they looked back at him. In a slow motion, Gary stepped forth and kneeled before Jong Kook. Bowing his head low, Gary sought his hyung’s forgiveness. “I’m sorry, hyung. I really love Ji Hyo too much. I don’t want her to be hurt anymore.” Every word was from his heart and they were true.

Ji Hyo was speechless when she saw Gary lowering his pride before Jong Kook. Her hand immediately reached out for his shoulder. His gesture had overwhelmed her and her eyes welled.

Jong Kook glanced from Gary to Ji Hyo. His heart tightened as he beheld Gary’s sincerity and Ji Hyo’s tenderness. Could he find in himself the same generosity that Gary had shown him? Could he let the woman he loved go? But was she already gone? His thoughts and emotions were in turbulence.

The silence in the room was deafening to all three of them.

Eventually, Ji Hyo the accomplished actress stepped forward.  Denying her own feelings for Jong Kook, she looked at Gary and fulfilled her role as his girlfriend. She kneeled beside Gary and apologised to Jong Kook. “I’m sorry. You are right that I have more faith in Gary oppa than you.” She made a low bow before him.

Jong Kook held back the tears which were threatening to spill from his eyes. “Are you in love with Gary now?” “Are we really over?” “Can’t we have another chance?” His many questions did not get past his throat.

When Ji Hyo lifted up her head to face Jong Kook, she extended the envelope in her hands to him. He stared at the envelope with dread. He felt as if his reception of the envelope would signify his acceptance of their breakup. He kneeled before Ji Hyo too. He beseeched her with his eyes to take back the envelope.

Keeping her emotions in check, Ji Hyo pushed forth the envelope with both her hands. Seeing the determination in her, Jong Kook reluctantly took the envelope from her. “Open it,” she said.

Jong Kook opened the flap of the envelope and peered into it. He saw a bank account book and he knew it was his. He found the keys of their new house in it too. But the last thing he ever wanted to see was the proposal ring which he had given her. She had returned all valuables from him in that envelope. “Are you returning my love too?”He wanted to ask her so much. The pain in Jong Kook’s heart was indescribable. He closed his eyes and breathed in bleakly to draw back his tears.     

As she witnessed the pain and distress on Jong Kook’s face, Ji Hyo lost control of her tightly reined emotions and gave a sob. Hearing Ji Hyo’s sob, Gary instinctively wrapped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her close to him so that she could lean against him for support. He waited for Jong Kook to open his eyes. And when Jong Kook finally did, Gary begged him serenely, “Please let her go.”

Upon hearing Gary’s words, Jong Kook let out a mirthless laugh. “She is the one who let go of me.” He looked from Ji Hyo to Gary and back to Ji Hyo. He could not cling on to someone who was determined to leave him. Calling upon the last ounce of strength in him, he pulled himself up and extended his hands to both of them. When Ji Hyo and Gary took his hands and stood up, he embraced both of them. He had previously asked Gary to remain as a friend with him and Ji Hyo regardless of her choice, and so it was now his time to return the same goodwill.  

When the three of them walked out of the restaurant together, their friends rushed out from their car and ran towards them. Jong Kook went for Haha and grabbed hold of him. He looked at Haha and shook his head. Haha understood wordlessly that Jong Kook had forgiven Gary and Ji Hyo. Although Haha still had residual unhappiness towards the couple, he let his grudges against Gary go because deep inside him he still treasured their friendship. He extended his hand to Gary as a form of apology. Gary took Haha’s hand readily and pulled him into a bear hug. They clapped each other’s backs.

Haha turned to Ji Hyo and wagged his right index finger before her face. He shook his head and said jestingly to her, “So I still have to call you sister-in-laws after all.” She gave him a punch on his shoulder and smiled appreciatively at him.

Jae Suk, Suk Jin and Kwang Soo were glad to see Ji Hyo after such a long time. Each of them embraced her warmly to let her know that nothing had changed between them. “I wish you happiness, noona,” Kwang Soo said wholeheartedly to Ji Hyo.

Jae Suk and Suk Jin clapped Gary’s back and wished him bon voyage for his impending trip. Kwang Soo congratulated Gary and gave his well wishes to him and Ji Hyo once again.

The group finally parted their ways.

Jong Kook watched as Ji Hyo left with Gary. He saw Gary opening the car door for her. He observed that Gary had positioned himself protectively in front of the door opening with a hand on the door while he waited for her to buckle herself. He also noticed that Gary had checked on her door after he closed it. He wondered if he was ever as attentive towards Ji Hyo. He let out a smile.

Jong Kook knew that he would never be able to find an opponent more worthy than Gary. Like the good sportsman that he always had been, he admitted his defeat graciously and wished them the best.

In the running of the game, he had forgotten that the ultimate goal was never to have her but for her to be happy. Gary had never lost sight of that aim. Even when Gary wasn't the main player, he had vigilantly protected her from the side-lines.

He held her in a tight embrace. He was ready to share her pains and sadness. She buried her face into his sturdy chest. No tears came to her. He her back gently and said softly to her, “Don’t cry when you are all alone. I’m here with you.”

She swallowed hard. She reminded herself of Jong Kook’s painful and distressful look. She felt a pang of pain in her heart but no tears came forth. This was indeed the parting that she wanted with Jong Kook. She wished with all her heart that Jong Kook would find someone else soon to fulfil his dream with him.

She took a deep breath and the familiar scent of Gary’s wafted into her nostrils. She looked up at the man holding her and their eyes met. His concern and desire for her was evident in his orbs. But she wasn’t sure of her own heart.

He saw the uncertainty in her eyes and it hurt. He broke their eye connection. “Are you sure you will be all right?” he asked in her direction without looking at her eyes. He could not trust his heart any further. When he heard her firm “yes”, he told himself it was time to relinquish his pretence as her boyfriend.

He pulled an air-ticket out from his jacket and passed it to her. “I’m not asking you to be my girlfriend. But would you like to go with me to Cambodia as my companion?” She could hear the quaver in his voice. She took a step towards him but he took a step back.

Fearing her rejection, he hung his head low and raised his two arms in front of himself with his opened palms facing her. “You don’t have to answer me immediately. If you consider me worthy to be your companion, please meet me at airport.”

Not daring to see her expression, he turned around and left her house.

She stared at the air-ticket in front of her. She finally decided to seek advice from her two most trusted seniors. She called to ask Jae Suk and Suk Jin if they could meet her at a café.

When she put down her phone after her calls, a dull understanding suddenly dawned on her. She finally realised why Gary had chosen to put up the show in front of all their friends and why he could step back from her yesterday. He had wanted to her to come out from her hiding. He had made sure that she had her support network when he was not with her. “What am I supposed to do without you?” “What am I to do with you, Kang Gary?”

When Ji Hyo arrived at the café, the two older men were already there. They greeted her with smiles that warmed her heart.

Their casual chatter stopped when her drink was served.

“What is it that you want to talk to us about?” Suk Jin asked.

“Gary had asked me to go to Cambodia with him. I don’t know if I should go with him.”

“What is stopping you from going with him?” Jae Suk questioned.

Ji Hyo did not reply. She looked into her cup of coffee and stirred a whirlpool in it.

“Ji Hyo?” Suk Jin prompted.

Ji Hyo answered sombrely without looking up, “He asked me to go with him as his companion. I wanted to go with him but I don’t know if I would ever love him like he loves me. I don’t want to give him false hope.”

“So, both of you are not together like what he claimed?” Jae Suk asked with a hidden grin. Both Suk Jin and Jae Suk had seen through their act. Jae Suk never believed that Gary would snatch Jong Kook’s fiancée from him on the sly.

Ji Hyo shook her head silently.

“And you have been with Gary all these while?” Jae Suk probed.

She nodded her head.

“Didn’t I tell you so?” Suk Jin said to Jae Suk smugly. Ji Hyo raised her head and looked at the two older men in confusion.

Suk Jin looked kindly at Ji Hyo and explained, “Jae Suk and I have already guessed that you were with Gary when they could not locate you. Jong Kook, Dong Hoon and Kwang Soo were so busy looking for you that they didn’t notice that Gary had also slipped away during this period of time.”

Jae Suk continued, “I would have alerted Jong Kook to approach Gary to look for you if Suk Jin hyung didn’t stop me.”

Ji Hyo looked blankly at Suk Jin and he clarified, “As I have told you before, I care for Jong Kook as much as I care about Gary. What I didn’t tell you is that out of three of you, I care about you most. Why would I help one and not the other when you have not made your stand clear to me?”

She smiled appreciatively at Suk Jin. “Did Jong Kook tell you why we break up?” she asked. Both men could see her uneasiness as her tongue scooted in and out to wet her lips when she wasn’t biting them.

“Whatever the reason is, it must have really mattered to you. We don’t know the reason and we don’t want to know. The conclusion is that you and Jong Kook have already broken up. Both of you have to move on.” Suk Jin said hearteningly to her, emphasizing the words “move on”. 

He saw a smaller luggage bag along the wall and her backpack and cap was on it. “Going somewhere?” he queried in the most casual tone that he could master.

“Going to him” was her reply. He took a deep breath and nodded understandingly while his heart constricted.

“So this is it?” He said it more as statement than a question while he took in the woman before him; the woman who was his life and almost his wife. On an impulse, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her close to him. How could he ever bear to let her go?

His embrace caught her by surprise but it was something she wanted to do too. With her eyes closed, she leaned against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his back and breathed in his scent. Time was ticking away but they would never know how long they were in this position. Their hearts didn’t want to let go. But her mind finally did. She pulled herself slowly away from his embrace and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Letting go of her, he placed his fingers on where her lips had touched.

As the announcement for passengers to buckle their seat belt came on, someone sat next to him. Not wanting to let anyone know that he was crying, he shifted himself aside and stared harder through that little window. A hand landed softly and warmly over his. Without turning his head, he glanced sideways and recognised the hand immediately. A grin crept over his face while his tears continued sliding.

She leaned forward to share the window view with him. Seeing the impending storm before her, she asked softly, “Will we be safe?”

He turned his hand and clasped hers securely in his. “I’m here.”

She smiled.

 

 

(09.11.2013)

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Dear readers, I have finally completed my mondaycouple ending. This is not the original ending that I intended. But I decided to do the MC ending first to show my appreciation to the MC fans who have struck with me when this is a spartace story.

MC fans, will you stay for the SA ending?

SA fans, I’m not sure if you are still with my story. I hope you have not abandoned me. I will start working on my original SA ending soon. But I can’t promise that there will be no heartbreak along the way and that Gary would disappear.

For readers who are neutral, I thank you for your neutrality and for reading the story as it is. I hope you can give me a fair review on which ending is better after I finished the SA ending. I don't mind knowing your view on the current ending now too. ^.^

bloomingwater – thanks so much for your earlier comment. I hope this ending did not disappoint you. I had to admit this ending may not fulfil the meaning of the story title as much as the intended one.