The leaves continued to fall as the days got colder and shorter, heralding the onset of winter. It reminded me of the end of a beginning; where in spring, everything comes to life after the winter doldrums. Then summer arrives, and everything grows and thrives. Finally autumn comes and the trees shed their leaves, awaiting the warmth of spring so that they can come back to life. Such was life. For every beginning, there was an end and it left me feeling philosophical. My time in Seoul was quickly coming to an end. I had just gotten my final year results and had scraped a pass. As such, I would probably be heading home or doing something else soon.

Yet strangely, as I watched the falling leaves, I felt young again, something I hadn't felt in a long time. There was a spring in my step and my thoughts constantly drifted to Ji Hyo. Thinking back to the months that had passed and how happy I was just spending time with her. I felt like a lovestruck teenager. Constantly pining for her, missing her when she wasn't around and enjoying all the moments we shared together. Disgusting. Shaking my head, I hurried to catch up with Yan and Erin.

Ji Hyo had arranged to meet us at the Seodaemun Museum of Natural History where a dinosaur exhibition was currently being held. I had recently shared with the actress my love for the now extinct creatures, and that my childhood ambition was to be a palaeontologist. Last night, she had surprised me with tickets to the dinosaur exhibition and my friends were tagging along.

Meeting up with Ji Hyo, we entered the museum. As we walked through the exhibits, I excitedly pointed out the various dinosaur species, sharing little fact files to the group. Ji Hyo watched on fondly as I rattled on. This was something I was good at and I was enjoying the feeling of being able to show off a little. “Did you know? The longest dinosaur, the Amphicoelias fragillimus, a member of the sauropods, was bigger than a blue whale or any other animal known? It got up to lengths of 125 feet.” I informed the group, only to have Erin laugh loudly. “Look! A Nerd-a-saur!” She crowed. Nudging the Korean, Yan chimed in. “I don't know about you, but I spy a Geek-a-saurus-Reg!”

The two high-fived each other and laughed while I turned to Ji Hyo. “Remind me again, why did we invite those bozos?” I groused. Smiling, she shook her head, amused. “Don't look at me. You were the one who asked them along.”

Oh, right.

Erin sidled up to the actress, nudging her. “Only Reg can get excited over a dinosaur exhibition. She's such a geek. It's no wonder she doesn't have any girlfriends.” She concluded. Ji Hyo only shook her head while I rolled my eyes.

After some time, my friends who felt that the exhibit was too boring, headed to the café in the lobby for coffee, leaving me alone with Ji Hyo. We continued strolling along quietly in comfortable silence, not needing to say anything to the other. I noticed that the actress appeared to be in a reflective mood, seemingly deep in thought. So was I.

I was trying to work out the best way to inform her about the ending of my course. I knew I didn't need to tell her this right now, my convocation was only in March, which was still several months away. But I felt compelled to tell her as soon as possible. We had gotten close and I cared too much about what she'd think. I turned to Ji Hyo.

“Hey–” We both started simultaneously.

The actress smiled, “You go ahead.” She urged.

“No, please, you go first. It isn't important.” I insisted.

She brushed back her hair, seemingly nervous. “Sooo... Gary oppa asked me out. As in, on a date.” She disclosed.

Swallowing hard, I pretended to be occupied in reading the information on an exhibit. “Oh? That's good. When did he ask you that?” I asked casually, trying to appear affable.

“Do you remember last Monday when we were filming at Samcheong-dong?” She recounted.

How could I not? It was the day that rattled my heart and the hearts of thousands of Monday Couple worshippers across the globe. The day Gary had held Ji Hyo's hands and made an almost honest confession. Or so I thought.

Initially, I hadn't given it much thought, believing it to be a way to draw in the viewers. But now, I wasn't so sure.

The concept for the day was a cook-off. Ji Hyo was paired with Suk Jin and Gary. As part of the mission, they went to different restaurants in Samcheong-dong, sampling the local delicacies of different countries. At a South American themed restaurant, Ji Hyo and her team mates were tasked with trying to get their heart rates up to over 160 beats per minute. To achieve this, Gary had held Ji Hyo's hands, making a love confession.

He had gone straight to the point, asking Ji Hyo if there was ever a time, even if it were for just a moment, whereby she liked him. Everyone, including the guests, sat up in anticipation. HaHa held Jong Kook's hand, squeezing it at the pure mush that was coming from the Monday Couple, their faces were wrinkled in mock disgust.

Meeting the rapper's gaze, Ji Hyo had answered that there was a time when she thought he was cool. She finally asked Gary if there were ever a time that he looked upon her as a woman and he confessed that he had. I couldn't help but wonder if this was this an admission or merely an act. It certainly didn't seem like the latter. Even HaHa chimed in, telling Ji Hyo that everything Gary had just said was the truth and that the rapper had even once confided in him that he fancied her. From behind the cameras, I watched as Ji Hyo took in what Gary had just told her before asking her next question, “If I had confessed at that time, would you have accepted it?”

Although I was in pain, I stood transfixed. I felt most compelled to hear his answer. Gary appeared to think about his answer for a second before he looked back at the actress. “I would've run to you like the wind.” He affirmed solemnly.

Yeah? So would I.

They then went on to talk about the kiss that Gary had surprised her with when Big Bang had guested. Ji Hyo asked the rapper if he had really planned on kissing her that day. Meeting her eyes, he admitted that something came over him that day and that he had wanted to kiss her since the morning. “You know those days when you wake up wanting to kiss that special person? That was one of those days. It was not something I chose to do. I had no control over it. Because it wasn't me who kissed you. It was my heart. It was my heart that did it.”

Ji Hyo nodded to show that she understood, her expression unreadable. But as their heart rates had yet to reach 160 beats per minute, they thought of achieving it by putting their heads close to each other's before touching noses. In a pose, that made them look like they were going to kiss, especially when Gary ever so slightly, tilted his head to the right. They didn't, of course. Gary was ever the perfect gentleman, never moving in to take advantage of the situation. I hadn't known what to make of it. But it left me feeling cold inside.

The sound of Ji Hyo's voice brought me back to the present. “So anyway, after filming wrapped that day, you left to bring Troubles to the vet, right?” She recounted, and I nodded to show that I remembered. “Well, I was getting ready to head home when Gary came up to me, asking if he could speak with me privately. And that was when he asked me out.” She related. “He told me that since I broke up with Chang Joo, he had been waiting for the right moment to ask me out. And now seemed like the perfect time. He said it was because it seemed as though I had already recovered and was ready to move on.” Ji Hyo recollected, before looking over at me, her eyes seeking mine.

I glanced away, unable to meet her questioning eyes. Afraid she'd see