09 | Shooting Stars

 

***

 

The noise, nature, and the snack inside the container made Chanyoung gets more excited about camping. He doesn't need to ask for permission from his parents as he opened it and took one of the choco pie. He however couldn't open it as he try to tear the wrapper.

 

Opening the car door, Seohyun smiled eventually when she finds her son struggling to open his choco pie. 

 

"Got it." She took it from him and easily tore it open, giving the pie to him with a sweet smile. 

 

"Thank you, Omma." Said Chanyoung, flashing a bright smile.

 

"Let's unbuckle now." She leaned into him as she unbuckle his seat belt and hold his free hand as he stepped out of the car. A big smile once again formed on Chanyoung's lips the moment he saw his classmates with their parents.

 

"You guys ready?" ask Yoona as he appeared from the trunk, carrying their stuff, especially the tent.

 

"Yes, Appa!!!" Chanyoung exclaimed, jumping in excitement, and once again took a bite of his pie.

 

"Let's go!" Seohyun announced brightly, taking the rest of the stuff inside the car and leading them to the campsite, walking along with the other families. She looked down at Chanyoung next to her with a bright smile and glanced at Yoona from behind, making her giggle. They're wearing a blue and white t-shirt and shorts, which look them adorable and cute parents.

 

Yoona smiled at his wife as well. He stopped walking and put the other stuff in his right arm so he could take his phone out and capture his wife and son from behind. When they both look into each other, he immediately captured it and returned his phone back to his pocket.

 

"Yah, do you need some help?" Seohyun shouted from the distance.

 

"No, I'm fine!" He shouted back as he hastily took the bags again and then catch up with them.

 

-

 

"Hurry! Appa! Omma!" Jaehyun yelled at his parents as both of them are holding their stuff. He is just like the others, excited to spend the day already and he keeps skipping like a bunny. 

 

Jessica chuckled as she watched her son. "We should've brought our bodyguards, Hon." She told her husband who refused to give their bodyguards a job for the day.

 

"It wouldn't be fun if we let them carry this stuff." Taeyeon reasoned. He wanted to enjoy the three days camping with their son without any help from their guards. 

 

"Well, it's just my first time." Jessica let out a giggle. She's holding their bags while her husband is their snacks, food, tent, and more bags. It's like they're going long camping.

 

"Look at our son, he is really having the best day of his life." Taeyeon smiles warmly as his gazes returned to their bright son. It was like seeing himself too when he was that young. It warms up his heart.

 

Jessica couldn't agree more as she smiles too. But she dropped it immediately when she remembered what she saw in the lab. She looked at her husband's side profile, wondering what was on his mind when he hurt the teenage boy. She has yet to ask him about it and she might keep it until she's ready to know what was his husband up to. 

 

—

 

"Does everyone got their space already?" The principal asked through a microphone.

 

"Yes!" And the parents yelled in response.

 

"Don't open your tents yet. We want to make sure every family is here already. Ms. Choi, kindly check." She asked one of the teachers.

 

"Are they going to make a game?" Yoona wonders. He's ready to set up their tent after getting the space at the campsite. Their space is next to a cherry blossom tree. 

 

"What game, hon?" Seohyun asked as she and Chanyoung approach him.

 

"Yah, where's my popsicle?" 

 

"Here, Appa." Chanyoung flashes a big grin as he showed the plastic bag to his father. Yoona took it and smile goofily at his son.

 

"Tsk, you didn't answer me." Seohyun rolled her eyes.

 

"I think they will make a game about setting up the tent." shared the doe-eyed his guessed, pulling his son closer to him as they sit on their folding chair. Chanyoung sits on his lap.

 

Seohyun took her seat next to them too, enjoying the popsicle with her family.

 

"Look, Jaehyun came with his parents too, Appa." Chanyoung pointed to the last family that just arrived. 

 

"Of course, they would be here too." Yoona smiled. 'And the villain is here.' But couldn't like their presence. 

 

"Wae?" Chanyoung looked up at him.

 

"Hmm?" 

 

He blink and blink until he realized his father said it in his mind. He immediately smile and returned to his popsicle. 

 

"Aigoo." Yoona gently ruffled his son's hair and kissed his cheeks. 

 

Seohyun noticed her husband's popsicle hasn't been touched yet so she secretly took a bite. 

 

"Yah!" The doe-eyed shouted at her.

 

"You are not eating it." She reasoned while munching.

 

"Aish, I was just paying attention to our son, I didn't forget it."

 

"Still." She playfully stuck her tongue out which made Chanyoung giggle. "And our son agrees with me."

 

"Whatever." Mumbled Yoona as he finally took a bite of his chocolate popsicle. 

 

-

 

"Alright, since everyone is here now, so here's a little game for every family." The principal returned to her mic to announce something. She put the bell on the table near her and continued, "The fastest family that can set up their tent will win a gift from the faculty. The kids should be the ones running to the bell and ringing it indicating they're done. The 3 fastest families will receive a small gift from the school. Am I understood?"

 

"Yes, Ms. Chan!" The parents chorused. Everyone got excited especially the kids.

 

Yoona and Seohyun look into each other eyes and then smirk. Jessica and Taeyeon on the other hand felt troubled. Both don't know how to even set it up. They're just going to rely on a tutorial video.

 

"At the count of three!" The principal shouted to begin the countdown.

 

"Three!" Some kids mimic her.

 

"Two! And One! Go!"

 

As soon as the countdown ended, every parent hastily grabs the bags of their tent and started setting up the tent. Yoona and Seohyun are both experts since their trainee days as police students.

 

Chanyoung is just on the side, watching his parents working. He's amazed. And he can't help but compare to the others, they're slow, especially Jaehyun's parents.

 

"Yah, connect the poles!"

 

"Spread it out!"

 

"This is a big tent! You freaking bought a big tent not knowing how to set this up!"

 

"I thought you know how to set this up so I wasn't thinking." Jessica groaned in frustration.

 

He can hear Mr. Kim's complaints from the opposite side of the campsite. "Appa, they need help." He pointed at the Kims.

 

"Hmm?" Yoona stopped and looked at his son just as he tied the right side of their tent. "Just let them." He replied. 

 

"Yah, tie the other side, Yoong!" Seohyun reminded him.

 

"Got it." The doe-eyed proceed to the last part of the rope and he tied it expertly tie it.

 

Chanyoung's attention returned to their tent and he realized it was the last part of the tent. 

 

"Go ring the bell!" Seohyun and Yoona shouted in unison. 

 

Got startled, Chanyoung almost immediately runs to the table and rang it. 

 

"Woohoo! The Ims got the first prize." The principal announced. She handed him the gift box.

 

"Thank you, Ms. Chan." Chanyoung smiled so brightly as he bowed and quickly runs back to his parents. Yoona picks his son up and throws him a little in the air a few times and gives him kisses Seohyun. Some of the parents are amazed and congratulate them.

 

Jeahyun frowns while crossing his arms near his chest, watching the happy Im Family. He's upset that he has parents that don't know how to set up the tent.

 

"The game hasn't ended. We're looking for two more families." The Principal re-announced and everyone is resuming.

 

—

 

The night is peaceful and a bit cold. But with everyone having quality time with their family, the couple Seohyun and Yoona are arguing over the ramyeon they're going to cook. 

 

"Yoong, you're not going to put more eggs, just a few is enough." Seohyun had enough. She knows her husband loves to add more eggs to simple noodles but she finds it disgusting if there is a lot of it.

 

"Why don't you just cook another ramyeon eh?" Yoona however suggested. "Chanyoung already has his. Why don't you cook for yourself?"

 

"Seriously?" Seohyun hit his arm.

 

"Ah! It's just eggs for God's sake!" 

 

"But I don't like it."

 

"Then cook your own. Problem solve."

 

"We have three left. We are here for three days." She reminded firmly. "If you only bought a dozen of it!

 

"As if there aren't stores nearby. Ah! Stop it!" Yoona exclaimed once again after receiving a pull on his hair this time. He was about to complain when Seohyun suddenly walk away. "Where are you going?"

 

"Getting more ramyeon. Aish!"

 

"Come back quick! It's dark out there!" 

 

Seohyun stopped in her tracks and sent him a stuck of the tongue then resumed her walk.

 

"Is she on PMS? Why does she sound moody." Yoona mumbled and a big grin plastered his face as he adds two more eggs to the boiling ramyeon in the pot.

 

"What is PMS, Appa?" Chanyoung who is sitting across from him asked innocently.

 

"Oh, it's for women only, Chanyoung-ah. You know, boys don't have it." He explained. "Finish your meal, we're going sightseeing later."

 

"Where?" 

 

"To the lake, heard there are a lot of fireflies out there."

 

Chanyoung's eyes sparkled. "Am I going to see shooting stars, finally?" 

 

"Shooting stars? They're not shooting stars, they're like insects but have lights on their backs." Yoona explained, amused with his son.

 

"Auntie told me they're like shooting stars." 

 

"Oh, Auntie told you that." 

 

Chanyoung nodded slowly. "I can wish with that, right?"

 

"Well, that depends." 

 

"Chanyoung-ah!" Woojin called her friend as he approach them with a container in her hands. 

 

"Omo. Mrs. Kwon." Yoona got up when he saw her mother. "Anyeongsayo." He bowed to greet them. The young mother smiled as she bowed her head too.

 

"What you got there, Woojin-ah?" Chanyoung asked as he stood on his feet.

 

Woojin handed him their food. "I told you right? Omma help me cook dumplings. I'm sharing it with you."

 

"Thank you, Mrs. Kwon." Said Chanyoung smiling brightly as he took it.

 

"Thanks." Yoona awkwardly smiles. "I'm sorry, I couldn't give something back." and felt shy.

 

"No, it's fine, Mr. Im. It's good to see you finally." Mrs. Kwon smiled genuinely. "I'm Kwon Gyu-young by the way." she stretched her hand out.

 

"Yeah, my son mentioned you to us." Yoona accepted her hand. "Im Yoona. Too bad my wife left to buy something." 

 

"It's okay, we're going to see later either way." 

 

"Yeah."

 

"Enjoy your dumplings, Chanyoung-ah." Gyu-young waves her hand while smiling brightly at the young boy.

 

"Good night, Chanyoungie." Woojin does the same as she took her mother's hand before they leave them.

 

Yoona sighs, taking his seat back. "So that's her mother, eh? She's younger than I have imagined." he turned off the stove so he can finally eat his ramyeon. 

 

"And she's pretty too, right, Appa?" Chanyoung giggles, enjoying his dumplings.

 

"Yeah, she is. Prettier than your Omma." 

 

Seohyun returned just in time. "Who's prettier than me?" She sent glares to the doe-eyed.

 

Yoona awkwardly laughs. "No one. So did you-"

 

"I just left for a while and you guys are talking to another person already?" She cut him off, giving suspicious stares also to her son who grinned at her.

 

"We're just having fun. Where are your noodles?" Yoona tried to change the topic. 

 

"Yah, Im Chanyoung, it's a sin if you don't tell, Omma." Seohyun insisted, giving him a warning at the same time.

 

"It's Woojin's mother, Omma." Chanyoung didn't even think it twice.

 

"Oh, her mother came?"

 

"They gave him dumplings." Said Yoona, slurping his noodles in the process.

 

"Now that explains. But how could you say she's prettier than me when I'm not around?" Seohyun didn't resist it and hit her husband's arm which dropped his chopsticks.

 

"Yah! I'm eating!"

 

"That's for betraying me!"

 

"Are you on PMS? You've been like that since the sun sets."

 

Chanyoung laughs out loud. He finds it adorable to see his parents fight over small things. The two looked at him quizzically. He stopped when he realized they were staring at him. "Omma, you're the prettiest girl for Appa so don't hit him. And Appa, stop playing around." he scolded.

 

"You really know when I'm just playing, eh?" Yoona proudly says, giving his son a pinch on his cheek. They both giggle. 

 

Seohyun scoffed in disbelief. "Like father like son." She got up and took a seat near the stove and boil some new water. 

 

Yoona smiled sweetly at her while Chanyoung give her a dumpling as a peace offering. 

 

"Omma, I love you." Said Chanyoung, hugging her.

 

"I love you too, honey." She finally softened, kissing her son's forehead in the process as she hug him back.

 

"I love you too, Seohyun-ah~" Yoona says only to receive a glare. He just giggles knowing those glares mean she feels the same way. They won't last 4 years of marriage if she doesn't. In fact, their 6 years of dating is enough to tell him she loves him for the rest of her life.

 

—

 

"So cozy our little cub." Seohyun commented as soon as Chanyoung stepped out of the tent, wearing his costume again but with a jacket to keep him warm. "Let's go." She grabs his hand and the latter smiles brightly as they walk hand in hand.

 

Yoona jogs toward them, breathlessly. "Looks like it's not only us going to the lake." He told them.

 

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