You're The Answer To A Girl Like Me - Chapter 12

[Chapter 12]

“Today we’ll be filming with two guests, starting from various locations. One guest is a legendary actor and another one is a rising international star. We’ll start the filming with a game first only then they’ll join the filming for rest of the day. So now I’ll let you guys know the team first…”

‘Please let me be with Ji Hyo, please, please, please…’

 “Haha-ssi, Ji Suk-jin-ssi and Lee Kwang-soo-ssi in a team...”

‘Yes! Please let Ji Hyo with me in a team…’

“Kim Jong-kook-ssi and Gary-ssi you will be in a team with our guest. Please lead him well…”

‘Andwaeee (Nooo)…!!’

“And finally Jae Suk-ssi, Song Ji Hyo-ssi and our honorary guest would be in a team…Jae Suk-ssi we’ll depend on you then in leading the guest…He might need a lot of guidance…”

‘Thank you PD-nim….I owe you one…’

The small brief meeting ended and the members are quickly chauffeured to their respective starting locations. Before Gary could approach Ji Hyo for a small chat, she has already left with her VJ.

He was really excited to see her for filming today because he can’t get through her call yesterday. All he received was a short message from her saying that she’s busy filming and cannot be disturbed at the moment. But now his hope is crushed because he’s not in the same team with her; means he can only spent minimum time with her during lunch break.

*

“Sit next to your boyfriend, next to your Monday Boyfriend.” Jae Suk teased the moment Ji Hyo gathered with the other members.

Hearing that, Gary had a hard time containing his happiness. He has always been appreciative at how the other members mention about Monday Couple which not only give him and Ji Hyo some extra airtime, but also a chance for Ji Hyo to look at him and give comments about their Monday Couple jokes.

Seeing that there’s no other place in the other table, Ji Hyo had no choice but to sit at the same table beside Gary.

“Ji Hyo-ah, look at Gary’s cap.”

She turned and saw the word ‘KISS’ on his cap which immediately understood why Jae Suk asked her to see that. She can feel that Jae Suk is trying really hard to match them, not only as Monday Couple in Running Man but also as a real life couple.

“What is that, KISS??” Ji Hyo retorted with a frown.

“Kay-I-A-Seu-A-Seu…”

Ji Hyo watched Gary dumbly spelled out KISS in Kang Gary way, Ji Hyo unknowingly smiled and repeats after him. Sometimes, she can’t deny that sometimes whatever Kang Gary does, makes her smile in some way.

‘Aish, Song Ji Hyo come to your senses!’ Ji Hyo scolded herself mentally.

The honorary guest of the day was international star Jackie Chan (Ep 135) and Choi Siwon. All the members were having a good time during the opening speech when Jae Suk requested everyone to say something to Jackie as a once in a life time chance.

“Phone number…” Haha struggled while trying to get his number from Jackie.

‘My phone number…only for girls...” Jackie Chan turn to Ji Hyo which made everyone on the set laughed.

“Aniyo….this girl no, cannot…” Gary replied back almost immediately.

The ‘protective’ act of the Monday Boyfriend was really quick-witted and it made everyone laughed more. Ji Hyo can only laugh along, but she is getting more and more confused on the inside.

The incident that night in Macau not only made Ji Hyo a little upset but has made her spent her time thinking about the complicated relationship she’s experiencing right now. She is really comfortable around Gary and really enjoys his company almost every time. She loves it when Gary took extra care of her during filming, saying cheesy stuff increase her airtime but also made her laugh, when he came over to eat dinner with her mother and all the miscellaneous stuff that he does for her.

Not forgetting the little things he does sometimes that makes her upset. She still remembers the time when Gary got right arm tattoo. He came to the set with the huge tattoo on his arm which still looks a bit swollen that makes her frowns so much because it looks painful to her.

However thinking back, sometimes you feel annoyed because of what some people do is because you really care for that person.

She can’t deny that she has good impression of him but it makes her wonder again that is it because she has been spending so much time with him, which she feels attached and thinks that she likes him? Or does she treat him like an older brother?

It has been three years they’ve known each other but Gary never said or has mentioned anything about their ambiguous relationship. Of course she has experience love before but with Gary, she’s so unsure about her own feeling because from the start, they got close because of the ‘Monday Couple’ tag on them; the virtual relationship where Korea is very famous of.

Feeling the wrong way can really lead to something disastrous, so she’s giving herself some space to think.

So for the moment, she has decided to test her own feelings by avoiding him, spending least time with him. If her feelings for him start to fade away because of the cooling off period, means she’s not in love with him but just a temporary rush of adrenaline.

*

During lunch break, Gary came with his manager with a dozens of bottles of Glaceau Vitamin Water for all the staff to enjoy. As he helps to distribute the bottles to everyone on set, only Ji Hyo didn’t get the bottle. Instead, she got a special cup of iced Americano from Gary.

Jackie Chan who’s sitting beside Ji Hyo was amused at how Ji Hyo gets the special treatment from Gary. “You two...couple?” He asked curiously.

Jae Suk almost burst out laughing seeing how sharp Jackie’s eyes can be. “Ah yes Jackie hyung…they are the famous Monday Couple…” He said while standing up and pats Gary’s on the back. “He’s a good Monday Boyfriend…”

“Am I right, Song Ji Hyo?”

Ji Hyo just nodded her head blankly, going with the flow. Her mind is as mong as ever, just feeling appreciative of the cup of iced Americano in front of her at the moment.

Seeing how Ji Hyo just briefly smiled at him and a soft ‘thank you’, it makes Gary upset again. Usually she’ll be really excited over the cup of Americano. That’s how simple Song Ji Hyo is, sometimes.

 As he walk away to distribute the rest of the drinks, he took the last peek of her and saw her chatting away happily with Jae Suk and Jackie Chan. He hasn’t been able to engage in a decent conversation with her since the filming in Macau and now seeing her coldness, his heart sunk from there.

‘Maybe I’m heading the wrong way’

*

‘Maybe I should just stay where I am, because it felt like the more forward I go, you’ll go further back. So just stay where you are and I’ll be really grateful. Although I might not be able to hold your hands and walk, at least I’ll be able to stay by your side and be there for you always…’

Gary came back from the filming that day that kind of decision. He felt that there’s no point in confessing seeing Ji Hyo’s reaction when he got closer and closer. He does not want that. He wants her to be comfortable around her and he too can sometimes jokes around and be there for always not as a boyfriend but as an oppa.

*

It has been a week after the special episode with Jackie Chan. Neither calls nor message came in from him. Weird enough, Ji Hyo has been checking out her phone a few times a day just to see whether he called or not. Never once CEO Baek made her feel this way.

At some point she felt really selfish, because she’s the one who kept a distance between herself and Gary, at the same time, she hope that he’ll step forward and be more initiative and be more daring.

Ji Hyo just finished the advertisement photo-shoot. The makeup artist helps Ji Hyo to remove her makeup with her manager sitting beside her. Ji Hyo just stare blankly into the space, making her manager a little worried.

“Ji Hyo-ah, I’ve seen that you’re always in your own world…worrying about anything?”

“Eh?”

“You see, you don’t even hear my talking to you.”

“N-Nothing…I’m just thinking about stuff….”

“Stuff…?” Manager unnie raised her eyebrow.

“Unnie, let me ask you…it’s a problem of me— my relative’s friends…She think that this guy likes her…but he doesn’t show any actions, so the girl kept a distance to test herself and also the guy. And the guy really stayed away! But now the girl miss him…So what do you think the girl should do next?”

“Such a complicated problem your friend has there…” Manager unnie said with a frown. “Are you sure your friend consult you this? Or is it your own problem…?”

“It’s my relative’s friend. Someone that I know…”

“Oh okay…I would say…in this generation there’s nothing wrong for girls to be initiative sometimes…Maybe the girl should ask the guy out.”

“Ask the guy out?!” Ji Hyo asked in a shock.

“Why not? The girl has to give some hint to the poor guy so that he knows that his confession is gonna be something fruitful…”

“Isn’t this similar to confession?”

“Well, I don’t see that as a confession….It’s a just a gentle reminder I’ll say.”

“Really? Is this the best solution?”

“Well I think if the girl doesn’t do anything, the guy would continue to keep a distance and eventually the two will become strangers…”

“No! That’s can’t be happening!”

Ji Hyo’s manager unnie almost jumped out of her seat seeing Ji Hyo’s great reaction. “Calm down…it’s not even your problem…Why should you—”

“Because the girl really likes him—!”

Ji Hyo paused for a moment.

..

….

Did she just admit to herself that she likes Kang Hee Geun?

“Oh…I see…” Manager unnie tried to maintain her expression while observing Ji Hyo’s reaction. Seeing that, her manager is kind of 99.99% sure that Ji Hyo is talking on behalf of herself. “Well, then don’t hesitate anymore. Just ask him out.”

*

Sitting at his house balcony, Gary lit up one cigarette and take in one deep puff of smoke. His mind is far away, lost in the bustling busy night of Seoul City.

His mind hasn’t been right these days. He hasn’t been himself. His facial hair has not been taken care of and his house is in a mess; cans of beer and unwashed clothes are everywhere. It’s as messy as you can imagine. He hasn’t produced any music for some time too because his mind is all about Ji Hyo only.

At some point he’s surprised at how Ji Hyo really influenced his life.

As he was about to take in the second puff of his third cigarette of the day, his phone rang loudly from the living room. Thinking it was Gil, he slowly took his time to get the phone.

[Time: 12.22am “Ji Hyo calling…”]

Seeing the caller’s ID name, he quickly extinguishes the cigarette in his hand and quickly picks up his phone.

“Oh Ji Hyo-yah…”

“Oppa…”

“Yes…?”

“Can I meet you now…?”

***