You're the Answer to a Girl Like Me - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

To Oppa<3: “Oppa are you okay? Are you mad at me? 잉잉~ ㅠㅠ”

Ji Hyo put down her phone aside and massaged her tired legs. She peered at her phone to check if there’s any reply. No, there isn’t any.

“Ahh this oppa is making me nervous...” Ji Hyo whined.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Ji Hyo’s manager asked with concern.

“It’s nothing…it’s just….ahhh ottoke! I feel bad…” Ji Hyo whined more while stomping her leg in the car. She just finished Running Man filming for episode 153 where Park Ji Sung and Koo Ja Cheol appeared as guest.

[Flashback]

“Come here…” She softly called out. “Will you take me out now?”

“If you ask me like that, I can’t say I will…”

“How come it’s just the two of us…?” Ji Hyo voiced out in a frail voice. Although it’s just a game, but how much she wished that it was someone else then she wouldn’t have the conflict now.

“Don’t look at me like that….I get soft-hearted.” Gary honestly pleaded. That’s one of Ji Hyo’s charm and also his weakness for her; her sad looking eyes that makes Gary say yes to everything she says. The ambience of the room was dim which sets the atmosphere. Gary was flustered because he promised his members that he will take out Ji Hyo when he sees her. But now when he really does, he didn’t know what to do.

Gary heaves a sigh because he just can’t get out of her charms. She looks too pitiful to tear her nametag. He wanted to break his promise against teammates and he’s going to pretend that he never found her when suddenly Koo Ja Cheol appeared and ambushed him from the back.

“Ahhh! Ja Cheol-ah! Wait!!”

Ji Hyo just stood there watching her teammates taking out Gary’s nametag.

“Yahh! Song Ji Hyo! You—doing this—Wait, wait!!”

Within minutes of Koo Ja Cheol’s intereference of their ‘romantic’ talk, Gary was ousted as he was too shock to retaliate.  After tearing his nametag, Ja Cheol left the scene, leaving the two with their VJ’s.

Ji Hyo can only laugh, watching Gary’s dumbfounded look when he just realised the reason why Ji Hyo asked him to stay; so that Ja Cheol can come in time to tear his nametag.

Feeling sorry and guilty, Ji Hyo approached Gary and reached out her hand to pat his back. “I’m going, Kang Gary.”

“Forget it, I’m pouting.” Gary said softly.

“Don’t pout…” She patted him once more, feeling guiltier. She reached out her hand to ask for reconcilement. “Let’s make up.”

“It’s fine, not today.”

At last, because for the game, she left Gary after singing the main chorus of Leessang’s song; ‘The Girl who can’t break up, the Guy who can’t leave’, hopefully would improve Gary’s mood a little.

[End of Flashback]

Worried that Gary is really hurt, she picks up her phone again and was about to type another message when a message comes in.

From Chang Jo oppa: ‘Hey Ji Hyo, how are you? Do you have some time? Can we meet?’

“Chang Jo oppa…?” Ji Hyo mumbled to herself. “How should I reply him?” Ji Hyo hesitated. Not because she doesn’t want to, but she’s more anxious about Gary.

“Sa-jang-nim? I think it’s wiser to meet him now…since he’s in the office now too…maybe he has some new project to discuss with you perhaps?” Manager unnie suggested.

“But if it’s something about work, he wouldn’t have messaged me privately; and it’s too late for a work-related meeting.” Ji Hyo said while looking at her car’s clock; it was already 9.

“But still…”

“Arasso I will meet him.”

To Chang Jo oppa: ‘Oppa I’m going back to the office now. I’ll see you at your office?’

From Chang Jo oppa: ‘I’ll see you at your waiting room.’

It’s not the first time she’s meeting him after their breakup, they met a lot of times through general meeting of the company. Usually she just greets him, just like how other colleagues like JYJ do. She tries her best to avoid meeting him alone, because she’s not sure what he will talk about.

“Ahh this Kang Gary has yet to reply me…What am I supposed to do about him?”

“Since you’ve already message him, just wait for his reply…maybe he’s caught up with something that he hasn’t seen the message?”

“Most probably…” She said while checking her phone for his message for the last time. “I’ll meet Chang Jo oppa first and I’ll see what he says.”

*

The two was dead silence in the room. In the L-shaped sofa, Ji Hyo sat one end while CEO Baek sat the other.

“How are you recently?” CEO Baek asked breaking the silence.

“Yes, oppa. I’m fine.”

“Please don’t be so formal with me.”

“A-Arasso.”

CEO Baek heaves a sigh as he sat upright from his relax position. “We once used to so close but now we’re talking like strangers. Can’t we even be friends?”

“Oppa, please don’t say things like this.” Ji Hyo said softly, in a worried tone. Ji Hyo knew she was partly to blame because she did not attempt to reconnect even as friends, worried that he might get the wrong idea of reconciliation.

“Oppa, I-I’m sorry…”

“I’m not trying to get a sorry out of you. I-It’s just that I want to—”

“No, oppa. I need to say that.”

“No, Ji Hyo don’t you ever blame yourself. It’s my fault that things turn out like this. I have neglected you many times due to work at times you needed me the most. I did not pay enough attention on you when I had the opportunity.”

“I regretted so much until now…” He said as clutched his fist tightly. “But I know you’ve already moved on...”  

Of course it’s a pity that their relationship did not work out, but Ji Hyo did not want to see him sad. Instead, she wants him to move on from her. “Oppa, are you okay?”

It has been almost five months they have broken up, but it had never occurred to her that he’s still suffering. Seeing his emotionally tired face, she can’t help but to feel sorry and guilty at the same time because she has been enjoying her days with Kang Gary, feeling so loved all the time.  

“Today I’ve plucked my courage to talk to you, to tell you that I really want to move on from you, so that I can live on. I want you to be my friend, a friend that I can sometimes call out to chill and talk, a friend that I can consult and ask advice from. I don’t want to lose you even as a friend.”

Ji Hyo was surprised and touched at the same time at CEO Baek’s long words. It never occurred to her that he would ever say those. Remembering that week that he pestered her over their breakup, he was much more mature this time.

“Oppa…”

“Don’t you ever feel sad because love is like this; there’s no right or wrong. Sometimes we just have to accept fact that love is something that can’t be forced upon.”

“Oppa, I’m so happy to hear this from you honestly. I’ve been nervous around you all these while. But now, I no longer will be. From now onwards I’ll be more comfortable around just like how we are last time.”

Smiles spread among both of them; they’ve finally broken the cold ice between them.

They continue catching up on each other’s live although she was supposed to go home and rest early because of her 5am filming schedule the day after.

Suddenly her phone beeped with incoming message and she quickly pick up to see who it was.

From Oppa<3: “Oppa’s heart is really hurt right now. ㅠㅠ”

“Was it from your boyfriend?” CEO Baek asked politely.

“Ah ye…No—I mean it’s manager unnie. She just messaged me about my schedule tomorrow morning…”

‘Should I go and find Kang Gary now and leave oppa here? It would be impolite for me if I leave now although we just started talking not long ago…But Gary oppa is more important now….’

“Ji Hyo? Are you okay…? Did you hear my question just now?”

“Eh?”

“I asked whether you remember that there’s a stall nearby that we used to go for snack?”

“Ah…that stall…yes I remember…”

“I was thinking maybe we can go grab a bite…since I haven’t eaten anything for dinner yet…”

Ji Hyo was about to reject his idea but when she heard that he hasn’t taken his dinner, she finally agreed.

*

As they walked to the stall that sells ddeokbokki, CEO Baek was chatting happily but Ji Hyo’s mind was elsewhere. She kept thinking about Gary who is being ‘sad’ at home right now, ‘recuperating’ his wound.

They were not foreign to the place. The friendly ajumma that serves them recognize them easily.

“Oh sajang-nim! Having a date with Song Ji Hyo-ssi again?” The ajumma smiled warmly.

“Ahh—y-yes….” CEO Baek answered awkwardly. Ji Hyo too smiled and played along.

They ordered their food and settled down at their seats. Soon their food is served and they started eating.

“The food is getting cold…Are you okay Ji Hyo-ah? Why do you look so uneasy?”

Her mind is all about Kang Gary and she had no appetite to eat. She felt torn in between CEO Baek and Gary. How she wished that she’s currently on the way to see him now but she felt bad at leaving CEO Baek eating alone.  

“Oh? Ah yes, I’m fine…” She gives a weak smile. “Maybe I’m tired…”

“What time is your schedule tomorrow?”

“I need to be at filming set at 5am tomorrow…”

Shocked, he looks at his own watch. It was almost 11pm. “Then you should quickly go back and rest! You should have told me earlier!”

“I was afraid that you’re going to skip your dinner if I haven’t agreed.”

“You shouldn’t have…although I really appreciate your thoughts a lot. It’s okay, aren’t I eating now? You should go back and rest.”

“Oppa we will meet up one day to have a lunch together.” She said with a smile while packing her stuff. “Then I’ll go back and rest early…And sorry again…”

“Do you need me to fetch you?”

“Ahh oppa, it’s okay. I’m alright. I’ll call manager unnie to fetch me home.”

“Oh okay, then. You better get going. I’ll see you soon.”

Ji Hyo was about to leave when suddenly he called her out.

“Ji Hyo-ah!”

*

Too much of sugar will give you diabetes. xP

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