"Seong Im ah, I saw the latest Running Man episode. Aren't you going to let Omma meet him properly? Call me, ok?"

"Noona! Did you really think you could get away with this? By the way, call appa and omma, they want to know the details too!"

"Unnie, I knew you'd get together with Gary oppa! I need to know everything, call me ok? Oh and call appa and omma, they seem to be pestering me as if I know anything!"

"Jihyo, don't forget the awards show is next week, you've still got the fittings to do, and maybe we should discuss some Monday Couple moments. Check your email!"

Sighing, Jihyo deleted all of her voicemails, slightly guilty at ignoring her family. It had been a week since the Running Man episode aired after that dating news came out, and now they had the holidays to look forward to. She couldn't go on ignoring her family, and Running Man filming started after the SBS awards, when the cycle repeats all over again. 

"Jihyo, it's Gary oppa... You know, from Running Man. But um, you definitely knew that already. Anyway, you'll probably know about the SBS awards. Just go with the flow, ok? I'll see you soon."

It's awkward and clumsy, everything that Gary is. She replays his voicemail again, frowning. What was with that award show everyone keeps going on about? She scans through her emails, settling on the one addressed to her regarding the awards show. 

It's a schedule, nothing out of the ordinary. There are performances labeled out, red carpet times, and award nominees. At the bottom though, there's an additional text. 

"Jihyo - you may not like this, but Dispatch, Osen and other news outlets are willing to put Running Man in good light if you give them worthy photos. They want moments of you and Gary, no more awkward conservative ones. You know what I mean."

She nearly cried at her manager's words. Yes, she did know what she meant. She feared that they would come to a point when they had to push the Monday Couple act beyond the show. They couldn't keep throwing around cheesy lines, flirting outside the boundaries. They had to show the public, the viewers, the fans that they were real. 

But what could she do? A peck on the cheek? A kiss on the lips? 

How far was she willing to go to play for the cameras? 

Gary ends up in her apartment later that day, showing up with takeout boxes. It's his second visit over, but they are awkward and cautious, and he reminds himself that he's in a house with Jihyo. Alone. 

They go back to ignoring everything around them, the comments, the ratings, and the thing he was here for: the awards show. It's better this way, a comfortable conversation between the two, just like old times. When the weight of the Monday Couple didn't drag them down, nor did the persistent dropping ratings. 

He tells her about his plans to develop a business outside music, with caps and clothing, just like what the other Kpop stars did these days. He's worried about not getting enough support, but she's quick to reassure him, because his fans would never disappoint. 

Somehow, they end up talking about their families. "My mother keeps calling and I end up ignoring them." Jihyo admitted, her phone suddenly heavy in her pocket. 

"Mine too." He replied, guilty. "I wasn't going to bring it up so fast, but how long can we ignore it?"

"I'm scared my siblings won't be able to keep it a secret." Her words, light and innocent, bring a heavy meaning. If word gets out that it wasn't real, they've let down everyone: the fans, the crew, and their cast members. 

He nodded in understanding. "I don't want to tell them the truth, but lying is worse."  

"Oppa, how long more do we have to pretend? I've seen the email my manager sent me, and I know what she's implying." She took a sudden interest in her takeaway box, playing around with the her chopsticks. 

He badly wants to tell her an answer, but he can't. Instead, he closes his finished meal and does the same with hers. "Let's take a walk. Han river?"

Before she can nod, he takes her hand, gently leading her away from the table, and hopefully away from the conversation, delaying it for at least a few more hours. 

It's the most he can do, before they both lose their sanity and call it quits.

-

Meanwhile, somewhere else in Seoul, Kwangsoo sat in Dong Hoon's restaurant, anxiously looking at his phone. Upon spotting his hyungs entering, he immediately started blurting out strings of words, hardly forming coherent sentences. "Hyung! Ratings! It's worked! But in the wrong way!" 

"Yah, calm down, I take it you know about the awards?" Jaesuk asked as he settled down.

"I've spoken to my manager and he did mention it. Do you think they know?" 

"You know, I was pretty surprised with the way they acted during our last filming. Do you think they..." Dong Hoon trailed off, nudging Jong Kook excitedly.

"Of course not. After filming, they just left!" Sukjin shook his head. 

"What if it was to meet each other secretly?" Kwangsoo grinned.

"Something seemed off with those two. Something happened to them, I know it." Jongkook agreed, ignoring the giraffe's excited smirks. 

"So operation MC 012 is back on?" 

"Yah that sounds tacky!"

"If I recall, your name was worse!" 

"Well ok, more soju?" Sukjin broke in before the argument worsened and they bickered until everything was forgotten. 

"It technically didn't even work the last time." Jongkook pointed out, frowning at the unhealthy obsession. "How about during the awards? Since they have to fake it already, why can't it just become real?" 

"They probably don't even have to fake it now." Dong Hoon grinned, as he and Kwangsoo bumped fists. 

"At every chance we get." Sukjin nodded, answering Jongkook.

"Those two are meant to be together can't they open their eyes?" Jaesuk sighed, as the five out of seven Running Man members agreed. 

"But anyhow, they will see it eventually. Here's what we can do. We'll ask them to babysit our children!"

He explained his plan patiently, ignoring their looks of disbelief and covering the maknae's mouth every time he opened it to protest or interrupt him in anyway. Once he was done, the group stared at him, half with shocked faces, the other half with looks of approval.

"Hyung." Kwangsoo spoke up nervously. "Noona's not stupid, she'll know."

"I love it." Sukjin grinned. "I'll finally get some peace in the house." 

It was split between the married men, and the single ones. Jongkook and Kwangsoo looked at each other apprehensively, whereas Sukjin and Dong Hoon were full on supportive of the plan. 

"Kids are amazing. You unattached losers won't ever get it." HaHa smirked, patting the commander on his back. 

"They'll do it, who doesn't love children? And if it's any consolation, Hyunwoo would be old enough to care for the others." Jaesuk confirmed. 

"Dong Hoon, your kid is barely a year and a half!" Jongkook yelled in disbelief. "Go Eun's going to agree with me on this one."

"Well um, we might or might not have put them up to the challenge once." The shorter man reminded. "And it worked brilliantly! We caught them almost kissing in the dinning room, it was intense."

"Hyung they didn't talk for weeks after that." Kwangsoo reminded, still not feeling it.

With both the mat-hyungs supporting the idea though, their dongsaengs knew that they were outnumbered. 

"I hope you know what you're doing, hyung." Kwangsoo muttered as he and Jongkook agreed reluctantly, wondering why married men would ever approve of such a crazy plan. 

Weren't they whipped enough already? 

It always amazed her how the Han River could stretch out for miles and seem to go on forever. At night, in the midst of Winter, the usually crowded walkways were empty, and even the popular parts were devoid of tourists. Gary knew exactly where to take her, away from possible crowds, but still able to view the stunning sight in the dim moonlight.  

"Before I made it, I used to come here almost every night. It was as if all my troubles would disappear." He admitted, as they looked on into the night. "I hardly come by now."

"Why not?"

"Life got busy. As Running Man picked up, I didn't think I would come back again." He smiled wistfully, admiring the view. "But I did miss the scenery."

Jihyo nodded, watching the water ripple as the breeze blew harshly across. Running Man, with their fair share of woes, did bring them the recognition and fame they never could have imagined. She appreciated his honesty, and something inside pushed her to do the same. This little dance they had with each other, pushing away and coming back closer, it had to stop.

"Oppa, remember when we did that interview? You said we were in a some relationship." She looked down at her hands anxiously, tensing at her next question. "Well, what are we now? 

For the second time that night, he had no answer for her. They've been going on with the push and pull for weeks now. They even kissed, for crying out loud. But he knew that they are nowhere near official, even if he confessed all his crazy plans to woo her and literally given her his heart. 

"I did promise to take it slow." He finally replied.

"Oppa, I'm sorry I ran away." She blurted out, unable to avoid it anymore. 

Gary looked back at her in surprise. He had put the kiss behind him, assuming that she wouldn't want to talk about it anymore, and it was just a spur of the moment. "Don't talk about it, it was my fault anyway."

"No, you don't understand." Jihyo whispered, her hair flying in the breeze. She had let it down, and his heart fluttered at her beauty. 

"Oppa, I felt it." She continued softly. He searched her face questioningly, holding her gaze, before she looked down sheepishly. "Like I was ready to love again."

Gary's fully stunned now, and it must show on his face because her lips pull up into a smile. "Jihyo, you're saying..."

"I'm saying I'm going to let you date me. It's a privilege you know! I'm aware of my many suitors!" She joked, but the blush on her cheeks told him otherwise. She was adorable, and he didn't want to deny her anymore, so he pulled her in for a huge hug. That kiss he longed for had to wait, he didn't want to risk scaring her away again.  

"Oppa, it's taken us so long to get here, but I'm ready. Remember when we were scared to meet outside filming because we were convinced we would be caught? And when we finally did, it would always be at your restaurant? There's no reason for us to hide anymore, and maybe, being caught was actually a blessing in disguise." Her words were flowing out now, and she was sure she was ranting as she lay her cheek on his shoulder whilst in his embrace. 

"I can't believe it, I should have brought you to the Han River from the start." Gary laughed, releasing her, but still keeping her close to him. "And I'd say we're beyond that stupid some relationship now."

"Really?" 

"Yup. And we're going to bring down that award show next week." 

Jihyo laughed, her first relaxed one of the week. It's funny how things progress so weirdly, how reality was far from the fantasy of dramas and books. She nearly burst a gut pushing her feelings away, and with Gary, it always felt right. 

"My manager's going to brief me about it tomorrow. We don't have to do anything too intimate, do we?" She asked nervously, the pressure of behaving in front of the public getting to her again. 

"Not an issue for us anyway." He teased, getting her to smile again. "Besides, don't force it, go with the-"

"Flow. I got it." She beamed cutely, like a student who got a question right. "And if we feel like it?"

Gary's certain she's definitely teasing him now, her beauty mesmerizing and pulling him in closer. They've done a lot today, from confessions to conversations about work and random things, he feels more attracted to her, as if that was even possible. He had dreamt about her acceptance for years, and tried pushing her out of his mind. Now that they were so close, like two magnets about to attract, why can't he just let it go? 

"Then we'll show them this." He said simply, and leans in to close up the gap between them. His lips touches hers softly, the second time in his life. She literally melts in his arms, and like the first time, she's drawn to his lips, the taste of him, the feeling of his arms around her. The magnets attract, and for a good few moments, they don't pull apart. There's a pull in his heart, like a desire burning, he can't get enough of her. 

When they run out of oxygen, he pulls away, her chest rising and falling and they recover. She's blushing again, her cheeks red as she swipes her thumb lovingly across his cheek. 

"Wow." He finally speaks, and she lets out a soft giggle, feminine and pulling at his heart again. 

Unlike the first time, she doesn't run away, and they close in for another kiss, the Han River right beside them under the beautiful moonlight, as beautiful as the newfound love they shared.

"Noona, you'll be fine right?" 

Kwangsoo had been hovering by her side since the gang met, asking her all sorts of questions and leading her through the crowd of managers, stylists and organizers. It didn't help that her other oppas were also anxiously looking after her, making her feel self-conscious. 

"I'm good." Jihyo reassured the giraffe, for the umpteenth time of that hour alone. He still followed her as she went to find her manager, his tall figure right behind her. She swallowed back a sigh, letting him linger close by, even as her manager briefed her about some last minute red carpet layouts. 

"Don't forget, they might ask you about your relationship with Gary. Mention everything we've discussed, and don't reveal too much, we need to keep their interest up." Her manager concluded, but her words had added more pressure into her already bursting mind. Kwangsoo was still beside her, his jittery presence doing nothing to calm her down, but contrastingly pushing her nerves. 

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to guide her." A voice behind her made her look back in surprise, and she almost crashed into Kwangsoo. It was Gary, looking dashing in his grey tuxedo. It was getting harder for her to control her emotions around him, especially after that spectacular night by the Han River. The thought of it made her blush the same shade as her dress, and she quickly looked down at her own pink dress, smoothing it down and paying close attention to the nonexistent wrinkles on it. 

To her credit, her manager smiled and left with a word of thanks, telling them to enjoy the show. Like an excited puppy, Kwangsoo ran up to his hyung, bursting with worry. "Hyung! Tell me you're alright too!" 

"We're fine, Kwangsoo ah. You're the one that looks nervous though." Gary chuckled, his eyes twinkling as they made eye contact. 

She laughed, patting her dongsaeng on the back. "Yah Lee Kwangsoo! You look like you might have a nervous breakdown. Stop following me around and go find Jongkook or Sukjin to fuss about!"

The tall man nodded, but made no attempt to wipe that anxious expression of his face. After promising to come back, he rushed off to find his hyungs. 

Now alone with Gary, Jihyo opened to speak, but he quickly interrupted, "We're being watched."

Casually, she took a moment to sweep her ponytail off her shoulder, whipping her hair behind her back. At that instant, she could clearly see Dong Hoon and Jongkook facing them. She frowned, wondering why they were so closely scrutinized by their cast mates. 

"Probably worried we would kill each other." He guessed as she turned back to face him. He boldly lifted her ponytail back onto her shoulder, and she blushed. 

"Expecting to win anything tonight?" She asked cautiously, feeling weird with the scrutinizing looks of her oppas (and Kwangsoo).

"Yeah, that Grand Daesung. Jaesuk hyung doesn't need another of those right?" He grinned, the thought of himself winning over the nation's MC slightly impossible to think of. "Ok, now laugh like I said something funny."

Jihyo laughed convincingly, whereas Gary let out a forced, outburst that sounded like a wheezing dog, and she genuinely laughed even harder. 

"Oppa, that was terrible." She grinned, but she knew that their audience would be satisfied. 

"I'm just a rapper!" He protested, smiling anyway. "They've stopped staring at us like we're prisoners though."

"We should let them know soon." She sighed, watching as Kwangsoo made his way to the duo, distracting them for a little while. They had decided to wait a little longer before announcing their... status. They've kissed, but she didn't dare call him hers yet. 

"Know what?" He teased, and she pouted. 

"I missed you." She admitted, her heart pounding. She felt like a high school girl, lost in the fantasy of fairytale love, waiting for happy endings and acting all girly. Of all the sides she had shown to her Running Man family, this side seldom made an appearance. They hadn't met since that day, as he got caught up in the studio and she at dress fittings and last minute shoots for the new year promotions.

"You're way more needy than me!" He joked, but the pure joy on his face was apparent, and it made her feel all fuzzy inside. 

"I liked it better when you let your hair down." Gary admitted, pulling on her ponytail again. "Although pink does suit you."

"And you look good in the suit." If he could compliment the hell out of her in front of everyone pretending to be busy around them, she could too. He smirked, and she returned it playfully without missing a beat. 

"Did you think of me when you were choosing this dress?" He continued sweetly, and she responded by inspecting his tie closely. 

"I definitely thought of you when my stylist dolled me up though." Jihyo whispered, in a manner that made him shudder. Seductive Jihyo was one side he had only imagined about, and her tone almost made him forget about the rush of managers, organizers and stylists surrounding them. From a passerby's perspective, they looked like they were engaged in an intimate conversation, and he wondered what the other members thought of it. 

"Oh yeah and did yo-"

"RUNNING MAN MEMBERS! We're due any moment; head to the limo please!"

They jumped apart at one of the runner's voice, and he realized belatedly just how close they really were. Quickly, he led her over to the waiting car as instructed, before any of the members reacted.

"Did you guys see that?" Dong Hoon grinned, nudging Kwangsoo excitedly. 

"Who didn't?" Jongkook asked as the gang made their way to the car, leaving for the red carpet.

@RunningManBang: 

If you don't already know, watch the livestream of #SBSEntertainmentAwards NOW to spot our Running Man members on the red carpet! - via Twitter

@MondayCoupleRM: 

Our #MondayCouple looking absolutely stunning (and cute) together with the #RunningMan members  - via Instagram

Ever since they stepped onto the red carpet, the fans had been screaming nonstop for them, and the cast bowed grateful