02 February 2013 11:25 AM

“How long has he been out there?” Song Il Woo asked his wife as he returned from the village at the bottom of the mountain that bordered his cabin.

“He got here just after you left this morning.”  His wife, Park Eun Hye replied.  “It must be really, really serious this time.  You should talk to him about it.”

With a sigh, the elderly man put on his skates and went out to join his grandson.  The same grandson whom he had taught to skate on this very pond all those years ago.  The grandson who was an up and coming actor.  The grandson who had been borrowing this mountain cabin from time to time to skate…and not always to skate alone.  Both grandparents had seen this coming for over a year now, ever since they first met the nice young actress whom Joong Ki had introduced as a friend of a friend. 

Il Woo smiled as he remembered that day.  He and his wife had returned from the US early, intent on spending a nice quiet Christmas in the mountain.  They had thoroughly enjoyed the time visiting their younger son and his family in the US, but they wanted some time alone and not to be a bother to any of their children during the holidays.  Besides, the mountain cabin had always been their hideaway and they preferred to spend more and more time here as they grew older. 

So imagine their surprise when they opened the door that morning and found their grandson snoring by the fireplace and a young woman in the kitchen making breakfast.  Both grandparents recognized her instantly.  Even without any makeup, her beauty was simply breathtaking to behold.  And the poor girl was mortified, looking like she just wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole.  Joong Ki was equally panicked when he jolted awake at the sound of his grandparents’ voices, and it took some time before they could calm both youngsters down.  The four ended up having a pleasant breakfast together before Joong Ki and Hye Kyo excused themselves to go back to Seoul.  As they watched the car disappear around the bend in the road, Il Woo wrapped his arms around his wife, giving her a small kiss on the head, and thinking to himself, ‘I give them two years…if my grandson has any courage.’

That initial meeting slowly evolved into a warm friendship between the elderly couple their grandson’s friend of a friend.  She began coming to the pond on a regular basis, at times with Joong Ki and at times on her own.  She always asked their permission first, and Il Woo and Eun Hye always gave it to her.  And she never failed to help pitch in around the cabin every time she visited.  Whether it was cleaning the brush in the spring, or cutting away the vines in the summer, or just cooking a nice dinner in the fall, Hye Kyo always did something for them when she visited.  Both Il Woo and his wife had grown quite fond of her, but definitely not quite as fond as their grandson was of her.

Il Woo was shaken out of his reverie by the sound of Joong Ki crashing to the ice as he turned the corner a little bit too fast.  Silently, Il Woo skated across the pond and put his hand out to help the younger man regain his footing.  For a while, they simply skated in large laps around the pond in silence.  He could see that Joong Ki was troubled, but Il Woo knew better than to push.  They finally began to make their way back to the house when they saw Eun Hye call to them that lunch was ready.

“If you want something, you have to go after it.” Il Woo said quietly as they trekked through the field between the pond and the house.  “Just look at your grandmother and me.  Her father didn’t approve of me at first, saying I was too much of a hothead.  But I pushed and pushed for five years.  If I hadn’t been so stubborn and just given up, we never would have gotten married.”

“Grandfather….” Joong Ki smiled.  His grandparents always could read him like an open book.  He didn’t quite know how it happened, but they had somehow become his biggest supporters where Hye Kyo was concerned.  No one else in his family knew what had been happening over the past 14 months.  He wasn’t quite sure he knew either, he couldn’t define the relationship at this point, but that didn’t matter to his grandparents.  They had always welcomed him, the both of them, with open arms whenever they asked to use the cabin.  “It’s…it’s difficult…she’s…she’s the Goddess.  All of Korea loves her as their own daughter, not to mention the rest of Asia.  Me?  I’m a nobody…and besides…she’s got In Sung hyung.  I mean…have you seen them together?”

“Nonsense.  He’s her bigger brother, from what I see.  She has no interest in that boy.  If she did, don’t you think they wouldn’t have gotten together by now?” Il Woo replied.  “I’ve seen how she looks at you…and how you look at her.  You’ve let this go on for long enough.  You will absolutely fail if you don’t even try.”

Joong Ki was about to reply when his grandmother walked up to them and cut him off.  “Listen to your grandfather.  It’s because of his stubbornness that you even exist today.  Now…let’s eat.”

SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK |

14 February 2013 6:35 PM

Hye Kyo brought her car to a stop in front of the cabin, which was lit on the inside as it usually is when the elderly Songs were home.  The call she had gotten that morning from Joong Ki’s grandmother was a bit cryptic.  She asked Hye Kyo to come out for dinner, saying that the elderly couple wanted to speak to her about a few matters related to the cabin.  Hye Kyo agreed without hesitation.  It would be a good distraction for her to get out of Seoul, even for just an evening.  This was the second night of her new drama with Jo In Sung, That Winter, The Wind Blows, and she knew that her phone would be ringing off the hook once this episode aired.  The director had been right…she and In Sung had explosive chemistry on-screen, and this episode was going to be the first to show just exactly how smoldering they were with each other.  It was also a good distraction for her to forget that today was Valentine’s Day.  She wanted to forget that, for the second year in a row, she had no one to give chocolates to on this day.  Spending a nice, quiet evening with the Songs was just what she needed

It was still bitterly cold as winter still held the country in its firm grip, and Hye Kyo rushed as she grabbed the dessert cake out of the car and made her way to the front door.  She was greeted warmly by Eun Hye, who opened the door even before Hye Kyo had a chance to knock.  Only once she was safely ensconced in the cabin did Hye Kyo notice that the elderly couple were dressed as if they were going out themselves.  After bowing deeply to greet Il Woo and Eun Hye properly, Hye Kyo finally looked around the cabin, which was decorated with soft candles, dimmed lights, roses of all different colors, and a roaring fire.  The dining table was set for only two, and the wine chilling next to it. 

“What…what is all this?” Hye Kyo asked the couple, who were grinning like Cheshire cats. 

“Dinner is almost done.  Just follow these instructions to get it ready,” Eun Hye said as she put on her coat. “I made a variety of yours and his favorite dishes.  Oh, and don’t worry about cleaning up.  I can do it tomorrow.”

“Joong Ki will be here in about half an hour.  That gives you just enough time to get settled.” Il Woo added.  “Enjoy yourselves tonight and don’t worry, we won’t come back until tomorrow afternoon.”

Hye Kyo looked at them blankly, as if she couldn’t process everything that they were saying.  “What…what is all this?!” 

“You and my grandson are too stubborn for your own good.”  Il Woo said.  Pointing to himself and Eun Hye, he continued, “So we thought we would help you out a bit.  This gives you two a chance to talk…to really talk. 

“Besides, we are not getting any younger…and I want great grandchildren!” Eun Hye declared as she and Il Woo rushed out the door, leaving a dumbfounded Hye Kyo in the middle of the cabin, agape as she stared at the closed front door.

“Oh my G-D!!” Hye Kyo said out loud.  “His grandparents just set us up!”