~~

"Sunoo."

Sunoo hummed as responded and gazed at the sky while listening to Chaewol who was talking next to him. They were lying on the slide together and laughing with each other as they exchanged jokes. Sunoo kept laughing when he was with her. He didn't expect he would be this happy when she was with him. She was too pure and cute, like every little thing on her, he found it so cute. She was so clingy when he was with her as she couldn't stop playing with his fingers and tucking her head on his embrace, just to keep the guy closer to her.

Chaewol put Sunoo's arm around her shoulder and leaned her body closer to the guy before gazing at the sky too.

"What is the first thing that crosses your mind when you look at the sky, Sunoo?"

Sunoo didn't hesitate and respond,
"You."

"How about you, love?"

Chaewol chuckled, "It's always you."

"I still remember the moment I was alone, lying on the slide without you by my side. I keep gazing at the sky, wishing for you to be here with me."

She tilted her head to look at Sunoo and continued, "But now, you're here with me."

Sunoo poked her nose and they continue staring at the sky.

"Jung Chaewol means bright moon."

"So, if one day."

"If one day, you're missing me."

"You want to see me."

"You feel so down when I'm not around you."

"Just look at the moon."

"I'm always there, watching for you from thousand kilometers away."

"Just if one day, you have a bad day."

"Look at the moon and it will shine brighter just for you."

"Just if one day, you feel so happy."

"Look at the moon and it will shine so so so bright just for you."

Sunoo held the girl's shoulder and put her closer to him, "Where do you want to go? I thought you are always with me."

Chaewol chuckled, "Just in case, I'm not around you anymore."

"Don't say like that." Sunoo scoffed making her laugh.

"Sunoo."

"Yes?"

"What do you want to be in the future?"

"I just want to be yours."

They laughed.

"That's so silly."

"I know, right?"

Sunoo continued, "Why did you ask?"

"For fun." She smiled.

Sunoo spoke up, "Do you have any wish left?"

Chaewol pouted her lips, "Let me think first."

"I have a wish." Chaewol looked at Sunoo and waited for him to continue his words curiously.

Sunoo showed his pinky fingers,
"Promise me that you'll be with me forever and live happily with me."

"Promise me that I will be the first and last love in your life."

"Let's grow old together and tell our beautiful love story to everyone."

Chaewol looked at his finger and hesitated to lock it with him. "Sunoo, what if---"

"Don't ever think that way." Sunoo cupped her face and shook his head, "I don't like it when you bring up that things."

"It's not like that, Sunoo."

Sunoo hugged her, "No."

"Just promise me no matter what happens."

Chaewol finally smiled again and locked her pinky finger with him. "Sunoo."

"Yes?"

"I have a wish too."

Sunoo tucked her hair behind her ear,
"What is it?" He asked while adoring her beauty.

"Promise that you'll protect this playground."

"This playground is my favorite place."

"This playground is the place where I always wait for you."

"The place where I always see you every 2100."

"The place where I spent a lot of hours reading comics and writing my diary."

"And also playing with CaeCae."

"This is the place where you catch me from falling off from the slide."

"This is the place where you always scold me for climbing on the slide in rushing like a monkey."

"Do you remember the moment you saw me sleeping in the slide, Sunoo?"

"There's a lot of butterflies in my stomach after seeing you hugging me while telling me to wake up."

"It is the best memories of ours ever."

"My day became so beautiful when you were with me."

"I love it so much."

"We created a lot of beautiful memories here."

"So, Kim Sunoo."She held his hand tightly.

"Promise me that you'll protect this playground, okay?"

Sunoo cupped her cheeks and stroked them gently,
"Alright, love. Everything for you."

"If one day, we are apart," Chaewol spoke up again.

"Come to the playground."

"I will always be there for you, okay?"

"Let's meet again at the playground every 2100."

Sunoo nodded,

"It's 12 AM."

Chaewol grinned, "Happy Birthday, Kim Sunoo!"

She jumped off the slide and told him to come to her. Sunoo sat on the slide, curious about what she wanted to do.

Chaewol started to sing,
"Happy birthday to you."

"Happy birthday to you."

"Happy birthday to Sunoo."

"Happy birthday to you~~"

Sunoo chuckled, "Again. I forgot to record."

He took out his phone and recorded her again.

"Happy birthday to you."

"Happy birthday to you."

"Happy birthday to Sunoo."

"Happy birthday to you~~"

"Happy birthday my love and sunshine, Kim Sunoo!"

"May this birthday will be the happiest birthday for you!"

"I hope you will live happily!"

"I hope you will be successful in the future!"

"Let's be together until the end of the world!"

"Kim Sunoo, I love you!"

"I love this this this much!" She spun around and they laughed when she almost fell.

Sunoo jumped off from the slide, still recording the girl and approaching her.

"Thank you so much."

"This is indeed the happiest birthday for me."

"I love you too, Jung Chaewol."

"Thank you for waiting for me, moon!"

"Thank you for coming to me, sunshine!"

~~

"Hello, Sunoo." Taeyoung approached Sunoo who was sitting alone at the corner of the cafe with his eyes fixed on the moon, didn't even take a sip of his drink.

Sunoo smiled as his eyes met Taeyoung and allowed him to sit.

"June 24, 2003, where the prince was born."

"Today, June 24, 2023. The prince turned 21 years old!"

"Happy birthday, Kim Sunoo!" Taeyoung cheered his drink with Sunoo and waited for his reaction but that guy was just wearing a plain face and drinking his ice-cold caramel latte.

Taeyoung lowered his head, "Is today the 2nd anniversary?"

Sunoo nodded, "The moon is so bright tonight. It feels like the moon is smiling at me."

"Is it her, Taeyoung?"

"I can feel that it is her."

"Smiling and shining."

"It's just like her."

"She is so beautiful."

Sunoo took down the cup and smiled.

Taeyoung smiled back,
"Are you okay?"

Sunoo confidently nodded, "Of course. She is here with me. I'm always good."

"I have great news."

"What is it?"

"Lee Saebyeol already cured of her disease. She will come home happy."

Sunoo chuckled, "That's great. Cherish every moment with her, Taeyoung."

"Don't be like me."

Taeyoung shook his head, "Don't say that."

"Both of you ended up together at the end."

"Both of you were happy with each other."

"She got to feel loved by you. She was happy because of you."

Sunoo fake a smile, "It's not even a week."

"Sunoo--"

"It's an hour before 9 pm. I need to go." Sunoo stood up and rushed out from the cafe, leaving his friend behind, and drove his car to the playground, his favorite place.

~~

After a few minutes of driving, he finally arrived at the playground. He parked the car, and immediately got off the car when he saw some people were gathering outside the playground. Sunoo widened his eyes as he was confused when the place was labeled as closed.

"What is going on here?" Sunoo asked nervously and a contractor approached him.

"This playground will be taken down."

Sunoo shook his head,
"No. It will never happen. It can't be happening."

"The government planned to build a home health aide here--"

Sunoo shook his head again and suddenly grabbed the contractor's collar causing everyone to rush toward them and stop him from picking a fight.

"I will never let that happen!" He shouted with tears rolled on his cheeks.

"Among all of the places, why is it must be here?!"

"Why do you need to take down this playground?!"

Everyone pulled him away but he still fought,

"No!"

"I'm promised her to protect this place!"

"No one can take this down!"

"None of you can touch this place!"

Sunoo shouted until his throat got hurt and keep pushing everyone away from him.

He immediately ran to the contractor and pushed him away,
"Stop this!"

"Stop this construction!"

"No matter what the fucking government said!"

"Don't ever take this place down!"

One of the contractors spoke up and pushed Sunoo back as an act of revenge.

"What's wrong with you? You're a fucking adult! This playground is for kids!"

Sunoo stood up and fought back.

"This is her favorite place!"

"We created a lot of memories here!"

"The slide... the swing!"

"Everything here!"

"Don't ever take this down!"

"Don't fucking take this down!"

Sunoo rushed to the playground but the contractor quickly stopped him by pulling him away as it will danger him because the construction was still ongoing.

Sunoo fought back,
"Stop this please..."

He cried louder.

"Don't take this down please."

He fell on his knee,

"Please."

"I'm begging you."

"Please stop this."

He cried and still fell on his knee, ignoring others who told him to stand up.

"Please..."

"This is our favorite place."

"You had no idea how matter this place to me."

"This place is the only memories that I have with her."

"This place is the only thing that will make me remember her."

"Please... I'm promised her to protect this place."

The contractor sighed and approached Sunoo as he tried to talk with the guy.

"Why is this place so matter to you, kids?"

Sunoo sobbed in his tears,
"My love passed away here."

"She passed away at her favorite place! next to me!"

"She promised me to protect this playground!"

"She was always waiting for me at the playground every 9 pm!"

"She was calling for me from the playground every time she saw me walking past this place."

"She was always jumping off from the slide whenever she met me!"

"She sold her cookies here, wore a mascot, and entertained me here."

"You have no idea how much I'm missing her."

"Just like every day, every time I woke up in the morning."

"I wish everything is a dream."

"So, I could meet her again here!"

"So, I could appreciate her and spend my life with her longer at the playground!"

"You have no idea how much I love her."

"This is the only memories I have with her."

"Please..." Sunoo sobbed more.

He bowed respectfully, begging for the contractor to stop.

"Please... I'm begging you, please..."

"My love, Jung Chaewol loves this playground."

"This is the place where she always waits for me."

"Please..."

Sunoo shut his eyes as he was tired of crying. He tucked his lips, still on his knee.

"Please..."

"I'm sorry for your loss, kids. We can't do anything since it is the government's decision." The contractor patted Sunoo on the back and continue doing his works.

Other contractors came towards Sunoo, giving him comfort.

But Sunoo didn't listen,

just crying and crying.

"I'm sorry, Jung Chaewol..."

"I'm sorry for not keeping my promise."

"To protect this playground."

"I'm sorry, Jung Chaewol."

"I wish you were here with me, my love."

"I feel so down."

"I feel so low."

"I feel nothing without you."

"I need you."

"I need to see you again."

"At the playground."

"At every 2100."

"I love you, Jung Chaewol."

"Can you come to me?"

"And give me a warm hug?"

"My hand is so cold."

"You don't like seeing my hand got cold, right?"

"Who will protect my hand other than you, Chaewol?"

"This is killing me."

"Can you come to me, Chaewol?"

"I want to be with you."

"Please."

~~

thank you for reading

PLAYGROUND 2100

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