Wooyoung pulled off his leather sandals and wiggled his toes, enjoying the feel of the hot white sand under his bare feet. He gathered his sandals together in his left hand and reached for Yeosang's hand with the other.
Perfect day for a picnic," Yeosang remarked as they walked along the shore together, shifting his picnic basket to take his hand in his.
"Mmm," Wooyoung agreed, preoccupied with thoughts of the Choi situation.
Yeosang looked at Wooyoung's troubled face and leaned over to kiss him tenderly on the cheek. "Something on your mind?" he asked.
"Oh…" Wooyoung hesitated, not wanting to burden Yeosang with his troubles with San. This was practically their first time together all week, and he didn't want to spoil it. "No, no," he said, smiling up at him.
"C'mon, now," Yeosang said, lightly chucking him under the chin.
"No, really, Yeo," Wooyoung said, making an effort to look cheerful. He smiled brightly at him and said, "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"
"Uh-oh! He's withholding information!" Yeosang yelled, tackling him to the ground. "False representation! And they're fighting," he said in a Howard Cosell voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, they're fighting. And he's down! One, two, three... ten! He's out! Ladies and gentlemen, he's out! Out for withholding information!"
Wooyoung laughing, he gently pinned him down, smothering his lips in a passionate kiss. For a few moments they kissed deeply, lost to the world around them. Then Yeosang pulled back. "Really, Woo," he said, his voice turning serious. He took his chin and turned his face toward him. "What's on your mind? I'm here for you, you know."
"Oh, Yeo," Wooyoung said, relieved. "It's just that everything is going wrong. I'm starting to believe all that baloney about the planets that Wonyoung's been spouting. Everything we've tried has ended in disaster, and I don't even know if we're doing the right thing. I think my mom was right-butting into the Choi's lives is only destroying them. It's all our fault."
"Now, c'mon, Woo," Yeosang soothed him. "Your intentions were good."
"Our intentions, yes." But the outcome, Wooyoung's eyes blurred with tears of frustration.
"Hey, hey, c'mere," Yeosang said softly, cradling Wooyoung's head in his arms. He caressed his cheek gently, brushing back loose strands of purple hair from his face. Wooyoung closed his eyes, feeling himself relax as he lay in Yeosang's arms.
"So what's going on now?" he asked when he finally pulled himself up to a sitting position.
"Well, Wonyoung's latest and greatest plan is to capture all of Mom's thoughts about Mr. Siwon on tape," Wooyoung explained, sitting cross-legged in the sand.
"That sounds like a good idea," said Yeosang. "I mean, Mrs. Jessie may not trust her husband, but she'll certainly believe your mom. If she hears your mom saying that she's not having an affair, well, then, there are no two ways about it."
"I guess you're right," Wooyoung said. "But Yeosang, what if this doesn't work? I mean, what if the tape unravels, or if Mr. Siwon intercepts it, or if Mrs. Jessie has some unknown medical reaction to cassettes?"
Todd smiled at Elizabeth's active imagination. "Well, then, you'll just come up with another plan,"
"But, Yeosang, we're running out of time," Wooyoung said.
"You know, Woo…" Yeosang said thoughtfully, "I think there's only so much you can do to help people. At some point they've got to help themselves. So, if the Choi's still don't get back together after all your efforts, then maybe they weren't meant to be together. I mean, it's their life-not San's, not yours."
Wooyoung sat back in Yeosang's arms, thinking about what he'd said. Yeosang was right. Just because she wanted things to work out a certain way didn't mean they should. It wasn't her right to force Choi's destiny.
"You're right, Yeosang," Wooyoung said, finally at peace with himself. "We can only do our best, and if that doesn't work, then I guess it wasn't meant to be."
"Exactly," Yeosang said.
"Now, would you please tell me what's in that basket?" Wooyoung asked, eyeing the picnic basket that Yeosang had been carrying all morning.
"Oh, this little thing?" Yeosang asked, turning back the cover of the oversize wicker basket. "Just a little lunch for my grounded baby."
Later Saturday afternoon Wooyoung bounced into the kitchen with a composition book in hand. "Hi, Mom!"
Shinhye jumped and turned from the salad she was preparing. "Wooyoung, you scared me! What makes you look so cheerful?" she asked, taking in her son's rosy cheeks.
"Oh, I don't know. Just my walk with Yeosang, I guess. We barely got to see each other all week because of his basketball camp and my being grounded," said Wooyoung, his eyes twinkling.
"Well, I'm glad to see you looking so happy," said Shinhye, smiling.
"Hey, Mom?" asked Wooyoung hesitatingly.
"Yes, dear?"
"How would you like to give me an exclusive interview about you and Mr. Siwon? I'm thinking of expanding my English biography project," Wooyoung explained, feeling a pang of guilt as he spoke. He could feel Wonyoung's mini-recorder pressing against his pocket.
"Sure, honey. If you're interested," Shinhye said agreeably.
"You would?" asked Wooyoung, relieved. "Like now?"
"No time like the present," said Shinhye with a smile. "But do you think you could help me with the salad?"
"Of course," said Wooyoung. "We'll talk and chop."
"We'll talk chop," Shinhye quipped.
"Mom!" Wooyoung groaned, grabbing a handful of fresh vegetables out of the refrigerator. He set them down on the kitchen table and began to sort them. Shinhye joined him with a wooden salad bowl, a cutting board, and two sharp knives.