The next day, Gary drove to Ji Hyo's apartment.

"Get up, sleepyhead! I'm waiting for you. Come down now!" he bellowed once she picked her phone.

She tried to orientate herself in her sleepiness and mumbled a "What?" into the phone. This earned her another string of words from Gary.

"Come down now! And I mean NOW! Don't you go back to sleep. Wear your sport gear. No skirt. Bring along an overnight bag."

His booming voice had fully woken her up. "What's the hell is going on?! Who is he to command me?!" She was so furious that she disconnected the phone call. She thought of going back to sleep just to spite him. But she was too angry to sleep and she wanted to find out what that fellow was up to. She quickly washed up, changed her clothes, packed her bag and dashed out of her house.

She got into his car panting from her hurry and anger. She gave him a deadly glare with an unspoken threat "You better have a good explanation, Kang Gary!"

If he wasn't so embroiled in his own infuriation, he would have been struck by the terror from her glare. Instead, he simply reached for her safety belt and buckled her. He then started his engine and drove off without a single word. He didn’t even greet her.  

She could not hold back her anger and lashed out at him, "Hey, you better tell me where you bringing me to and what’s happening!" She was about to cry. She was in a foul mood since her fight with Jong Kook two days ago and he had not called or texted her yet. Moreover, her pride was stopping her from calling him first. The last thing she needed now was to be bullied by another male creature. "I still have filming this afternoon! I'm not as free as you think!" she shouted.

"Don't bull me! Kwang Soo already told me that you have no filming for today and tomorrow. Someone screwed up the location booking and that prima donna of a is making hell for everyone by insisting that her parts must be filmed within these two days. Kwang Soo will be stuck with her while you will have nothing to do since your parts with her are already filmed."

Ji Hyo gasped at Gary in amazement. Not only that he knew her schedule like the back of his hand, it was his choice of words that amazed her. He might use some crude words with the guys but he always minded his language when he was alone with her. And, the Kang Gary that she knew would never call a woman (no matter how nasty she is) names. "Bull. Prima donna of a ," she repeated the words to herself in a softer tone.

He heard her and reddened. "I apologise for my language." He reached for the paper bag holding a bagel with cream cheese from his dashboard and passed it to her. Once she took the bag from him, he pointed to the cup of Americano coffee in the cup holder and said more gently, "Have your breakfast first."

Ji Hyo was taken aback by his sudden change in temperament. She almost wanted to ask him whether he was having PMS but thought it was better to deal with the current Gary than the earlier one. She wondered what had gotten into him as she had never seen such anger emitting from him before.

Gary was feeling apologetic. He should not take it out on her. He was angry with himself and the situation but never at her. He had let her go so that she could be freed; he didn't expect her to be caged up in her place for the past months. How could she be happy when she can't go out freely with the one she loved?

They drove in silence until Ji Hyo started singing their love song from his concert. He unconsciously joined her singing and took over the rap parts of the song for her. When he became aware that they were singing the song “The Woman Who Can’t Break Up, The Man Who Can’t Leave”, he said silently to her, “This song was not meant for you. You never break up with me because we are never together. You are a woman who can’t love me and I’m a man who can’t stop loving you.”

They finally arrived at their destination. Ji Hyo got all excited when she saw the signboard of the bungee jump park. Once they got out of their car, she grabbed on his shoulders and jumped up and down. "Are we really going to do this today?" she asked excitedly.

Seeing her excitement brought a grin out of him and he nodded affirmatively. "I must be doing something right since she is happy,” he thought to himself.

They were first in the queue and the place wasn't open for business yet. But their wait was short because Gary had already made a prior reservation. When it was their turn to take the lift to the bungee jump platform, Gary apologised to Ji Hyo, "I'm sorry. I'm still not brave enough to jump with you. I'll wait for you at the ground level." Ji Hyo nodded her understanding and went on her own.

As he watched her ascended to the jumping platform, he took out his mobile phone and gave a call to Jong Kook, “Hyung, Ji Hyo is with me.” He proceeded to arrange to meet Jong Kook in a fishing village outside of Seoul.

The moment Ji Hyo leaped off the platform, she felt the adrenaline rush. She felt the wind against her. She felt free like a bird. She was not Song Ji Hyo the actress. She was not Kim Jong Kook’s girlfriend. She was just herself for that few minutes. No more pretence. No more worry of judgement. She wasn’t afraid but she screamed her lungs out. She let out the frustrations and burdens that she had been carrying all these while.

Once she landed, she skipped to Gary and embraced him. “Thank you, Gary Oppa!”

Gary beamed widely at her. Her smile made it all worthwhile for him.

He then took her to an outdoor cafe to have more food. She filled him in with the gossips about how the “prima donna of ” had terrorised almost everyone at the filming set and that she seemed to have a fondness for Kwang Soo. He just sat there listening to her and smiling.

In the midst of her many words, she desperately wanted to share with someone the pressure she had been feeling for the past three months. She had been trying so hard to be the perfect girlfriend for Jong Kook but she never felt adequate enough. The nicer Jong Kook was to her, the guiltier she felt. She was feeling the happiness that she didn’t think she deserved. She was terrified that this happiness would be taken from her any time. She never tried so hard before to please someone. It was as if she was trying to gain brownie points to make up for her greatest fault. A fault that she had been desperately keeping under wraps for. As a cover up for this desperateness, she filled her conversation with senseless gossip and conjured laughter. 

He smiled at her. Listening to her every word but he was still unable to hear her unspoken words. He could sense that there was something else she wasn’t saying. “Perhaps I’m not one with the privilege to hear her truest words,” he thought regrettably while keeping his smile on his face.

When they returned to the car, she asked him again where they were heading. In response, he asked her to trust him. He then proceeded to lower the back of her seat and asked her to take a nap instead. With a full stomach, humming of the car engine and the gentle bobbing of the car, Ji Hyo soon fell asleep. Gary glanced at her from time to time, reminiscing the times that they had done the same in the Running Man. “I will always take care of you, Ji Hyo.” He silently made the promise to her. He continued the long drive to the fishing village.

When they reached the village, Gary parked the car and gently woke Ji Hyo up. He carried her overnight bag for her and they walked side by side to a small single storey village house which was near the sea. It had a low raised stone wall surrounding its compound. In its compound were two buildings – one building was the main living area and the other standalone building was a bedroom. Gary walked in through the gate and shouted, “Granny, I’m here!”

An old lady shuffled slowly towards them and squint her eyes to see her visitors.

“It’s me. Hee Gun.” Gary said loudly and reached out to support the old lady.

“Oh, you are here!” the old lady beamed instantly and held his arms tightly.

Gary led her carefully into the main house. And Ji Hyo followed them into the house. She wondered who this lady was. On her way into the house, she noticed that there were some empty jars and a broken stool in the yard.

Once they were in the house, Gary helped the granny sat down comfortably and then introduced Ji Hyo to her. Upon the introduction, the old lady immediately asked Gary with her toothless grin “Is she your girlfriend?”

Ji Hyo was slightly embarrassed and Gary was quick to clarify. “No, she isn’t my girlfriend, Granny.”

The old lady nodded in understanding but her disappointment was apparent.

“She will be staying overnight with another friend of mine. I hope you don’t mind them imposing on you.” Gary added. The old lady nodded her approval.

“Another friend? Don’t tell me you’ve invited Jong Kook here.” Ji Hyo stared at Gary accusingly.

Gary caught her stare and quickly excused themselves from the old lady. “Granny, I will show Ji Hyo to her room and then come back to you.”

He brought her into the standalone building. It was a bedroom. Gary proceeded to show Ji Hyo where the mattresses, pillows and blankets were kept. As he closed the cupboard, Ji Hyo grabbed his arm and questioned, “Is Jong Kook coming?”

“Yes.” He answered truthfully.

“Why did you set me up?” She looked at him accusingly again.

He could not stand her look of reproach and he closed his eyes momentarily. “I didn't betray you. I'm doing this for you!” he screamed internally. “Since you have chosen Jong Kook hyung, don’t give up so easily okay?”

She stared at him crossly. However, her anger dissipated with each passing minute. She appreciated that Gary was just trying to help her and Jong Kook. “When is he coming?” she finally asked.

“He is actually waiting outside.” Gary said.

“What?!”

“He is actually waiting outside. I won’t let him in if you really refuse to see him.”

“Oppa, …” She was touched by Gary’s thoughtfulness and fidelity towards her.

“Can I bring him in?” Gary asked. And, she nodded her head.

“I’m sorry.” Ji Hyo apologised first, looking down on her shoes.

“Me too,” he said. He took both her hands into his and kissed them. She still didn’t look up. He noticed that her hands were cold and trembling slightly. 

“Will you please hug me again?” she asked shakily.

“Oh, Ji Hyo!” He quickly pulled her into his tight embrace. “I’m sorry that I’ve scared you.” It almost broke his heart to hear the shakiness in her voice. He knew that he was miserable for the past two days but he did not imagine that she would be just as afraid as he did. 

“I’ll turn down that filming offer if you are really against it.” She offered as a truce.

“No, I didn’t mean it. You don’t have to turn it down. Just promise me that you will take care of yourself and not over exhaust yourself again.” He her back gently. She nodded her head against his chest.

“I love you, Ji Hyo.” This was the first time he said these three words to her. He had said that he liked her before but not these three words.

Upon hearing these three words, her heart swelled and she whispered back, “I love you too.”

He slowly lifted her chin and kissed her.

They sat down on the sandy beach, watching the sun turned from orange to red at the horizon, listening to the soothing sound of the waves landing on the shore before they were being pulled away again. She rested her head against his broad shoulder. He wrapped one arm over her shoulder protectively, and held her two hands in his other hand. She took a glance at how his hand had covered both of hers. His one big hand was big enough to protect her two hands. His broad and strong shoulder was hers to lean upon. He was her Atlas, the one who held up her world for her. She closed her eyes and made a wish silently, “I’m afraid that my flaws will taint your hands, but if only your big hands could erase my fault.” He always made her felt secure but she was scared that she would lose his security one day. She leaned closer to him for his warmth and he tightened his hold. Giving up on her earlier wish, she whispered to him in her fearful heart, “Thank you for giving me today, Oppa.”

When the sun finally set, they stood up and brushed off the sand for each other. Jong Kook then removed his windbreaker and draped it over Ji Hyo. With his arm still over her shoulder, they made their way back to the little house.

When they reached the house, the lights in the main building were already dimmed off. However, the lights in their bedroom building were switched on. As they entered their room, they found their dinner laid out for them.

 

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dear readers, thanks for reading and your comments. i hope you enjoy this chapter as much as i had in writing it. (16.08.2013)