Monday Couple Stories

Chapter Twenty One: Separate Lives

Work helped keep Gary and Ji Hyo busy enough to temporarily forget their troubles.  It helped to fill their day long enough to not think about each other.  Both were deeply hurting inside but they kept true to their commitment that they would never let their personal feelings for each other interfere with their professional life.  

The nights were the hardest to fill.  To help him to forget Ji Hyo. Gary would continue his nightlife of clubbing, drinking, dancing and meeting up with friends and women. He would drink in excess to ease the pain and loneliness he was feeling inside.  His life felt completely empty without Ji Hyo by his side.  No matter how much he tried to forget, her image continued to haunt him nightly.  He had difficulty sleeping and on several occasions he would suddenly wake up, calling her name.  Reality would sink in that she is no longer part of her life, when he looked to his side and noticed that the other half of his bed was empty and cold.  He was struggling with the separation but he knew Ji Hyo needed this time to think things through.  He made a promise to himself to give her that time and hopefully one day, she might open the door to begin their relationship again. 

Like Gary, Ji Hyo was struggling filling her nights.  No matter what she did to occupy her time, her mind always drifted back to Gary.  It's true she loved him but the trust was broken.  Ji Hyo felt a good relationship is based on Trust and if you cannot stay true to it then what kind of relationship do you have?  She was going to stand with her decision and move on with her life without him in it..

After several days of not seeing each other on a personal level, they both received an invitation, along with the other cast members of running man to have dinner with Ha Ha and Byul at their home.  Ji Hyo decided she was going to take a taxi to Ha Ha's in case she decides to drink and get a little bit tipsy afterwards.  Since the dinner invitation was given by a cast member and friend, she knew it was going to be laid back and informal.  However, she did want to dress up a bit since she rarely dresses like a woman when she is filming running man.  Since being on running man, she showed the cast members that she was not someone to mess around with.  She could handle herself with the best of them.  Because of this, they treat her more like a little brother than a woman.  So she felt whenever she had the chance to dress up like a woman in front of them, they would remember her as being feminine rather than masculine.

JI Hyo wore a skin tight, white, pencil mini skirt with a small slit in the front.  She also wore a black, off the shoulder, long sleeve chiffon blouse.  She completed her look by wearing a 5 inch, black leather,slingback stiletto shoes.  She didin't do much with her hair but let it just hang naturally off her shoulders.  For her make up she kept it light and natural only applying her signature red color lipstick as a highlight to her look. Her final accessory was a small black leather purse to put her wallet and lipstick in.

Gary on the other hand, just wore jeans, t-shirt and a coat.  He drove to Ha Ha's home thinking he might want to go out afterwards and meet up with friends. When he arrived at Ha Ha's place,  he parked his truck and was stepping out, when he happened to see a taxi pull in front of the apartment building.  The keys Gary was holding suddenly slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground.  He was in awe at who he saw coming out of the taxi cab. 

Ji Hyo had just paid the taxi driver and was heading towards the front door of the building when who should suddenly appear out of the blue but Kang Gary. 

"Let me get that for you," he said.

"Oh, oppa you scared me...did you just arrive?"

"Yes." he said.

He then opened the door for her and they both headed towards the elevator.  It was a very awkward moment for them.  They had not spoken to each other since the breakup.