PLAY

Kyori was waiting patiently in the swing at the park. As she was slowly swinging herself with the tip of her feet, she clasped and rubbed her hands so they wouldn’t freeze at the cold air and sometimes she would even blow in between her hands. But she could only blame herself for not wearing winter gloves.

It was the first week of December and the cold air was caressing her skin.

Kyori shivered and with both her hands, she fixed her beanie so it could cover better her ears.

As she was waiting, she unintentionally recalled the events over the year. And she couldn’t help but to think, Time flies.

She looked up to the sky and she could notice the sunlight bright the day but they were too weak to warm her up. She glanced beside her and saw a kid approaching the swings.

Hesitant, the child asked her in his sweetest voice, “C-can I join you?”

Kyori looked behind him and saw his parents sitting in a bench and glancing from time to time at their son but continued to stay still as they noticed Kyori and thought there was no need to worry.

Kyori looked at the kid once again and nodded, smiling. “Yeah. Want me to push your swing?”

Instead, the little boy walked by himself to the swing beside the one where Kyori was sitting and tried to adjust himself on it.

“I can do it.” he told her, trying to be brave.

Kyori just let him do whatever he wanted but after a few minutes, she chuckled at him as she noticed his feet could barely reach the ground so he could at least push himself.

“You seem to be in trouble.” She told him, glancing at her side once again.

The child just looked at her and he was trying to glare at her, but Kyori could only see a cute pout forming in his lips, making him look even cuter. She then stood up and went behind his swing.

“J-just.. Don’t push the swing too much, noona.” He said, looking up behind him where Kyori was, who just nodded at him smiling.

“Don’t worry.” She reassured him. “Hold the chains tight okay?”

He nodded and did what he was told to do.

“Is it okay?” Kyori asked and received a shy nod in response. “What’s your name anyway?”

“Jung Yoo Geun.”

Kyori hummed so he could understand she heard him and continued to gently swing him.

“And how old are you?” Kyori asked, curious.

“5 years old.”

Kyori smiled as he was answering her in a still shy tone.

Then she asked herself how it could be having a youngest sibling. She would probably take care of him or her just like Chanyeol always did with her.

“Do you have siblings?”

This time, Yoo Geun just shook his head and asked her a question instead.

“And you? Do you, noona?”

She expected that question from him so she just replied, “Yes.”

“Why are you alone then, noona?”

“I’m just waiting for someone.”

Yoo Geun nodded. “I see.”

Then Kyori heard some footsteps from behind and they both turned their head. They saw his parents approaching the two.

“Hello.” They greeted her and Kyori bowed in respect, smiling. Then his parents talked to their son. “Yoo Geunnie, I think it’s time to go home now.”

Kyori looked at the child and saw he looked at his parents in a pleading way as if he didn’t want to go yet.

“But I want to play more with noona.”

“Yoo Geun, the young lady here might have something else to do than play with you.” Her mother slightly scolded him in her loving voice. “Come here now.”

“But—“

“Yoo Geun.” His father called him in a firm voice.

Yoo Geun pouted once again and Kyori hid a chuckle as he saw the boy lazily getting off the swing. Kyori helped him by holding his hand and when he finally got off from it, she let him go.

Kyori was about to wave them goodbye when his mother looked at her in a suspicious way, like she was trying to read Kyori.

Then after a minute or so, she looked at her in a straight way and asked her, “Can you please tell me what’s your name?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” she apologized as she realized it and bowed a little. “I’m Park Kyori.”

“Well, Kyori, mind if you could baby-sitter our child?” she asked straightly.

And Kyori was taken aback for a moment at what she heard. She just widened her eyes and muttered, “W-what?”

But not in a rude way. She just never thought about that, about a part-time job. She always thought she could get a job after graduating. There were only few months left after all.

Not like she or even her family needed money as they were wealthy but she was going to experience having a job anyway, so why not?

Yoo Geun’s mother chuckled at Kyori’s reaction. “Sorry for asking you in this way. But, you know, we only have an only child and Yoo Geun seems to like you. What do you think about it, Kyori?”

Kyori was speechless for a bit but then cleared . “Oh I think it’s.. fine?” she said as she didn’t know what to reply then saw a grin forming on Yoo Geun’s lips, happy to hear he might get the chance to spend some time with Kyori once again.

Mrs. Jung just nodded while Mr. Jung was just listening at the two then carried his son. “Are you happy now, Yoo Geun?”

Yoo Geun nodded in an exaggerating way as he continued to grin, making his parents and Kyori laugh.

“Well then, it’s settled.” Her mother spoke up and gave Kyori a smile then began to rummage in her bag. When she finally found what she was looking for, she took out her phone. “Can you give me your number, Kyori? We’ll call you at least one day before you can come over our place, alright?”

“Everything it’s fine, Mrs. Jung.” Kyori said, still shocked by what was happening.

About twenty minutes ago she was all by herself on the swing while waiting then now she got the chance to experience on baby-sitting, on having a child to take care about.

Kyori then gave Mrs. Jung her number and, after it, they bid goodbye each other. As long as they were leaving, Kyori could still see Yoo Geun grinning and smiling in happiness. And seeing that, Kyori felt her heart being swelled with happiness too.

“Hey.” Kyori suddenly heard and she turned around just to see the one who was waiting for.

“Hi.” Kyori shyly waved at the person and quickly asked, “Did you just arrive?”

“No, but don’t worry, I didn’t wait so long.” The person quietly explained. “I just didn’t want to interrupt. You know, I heard. But not in a bad intention.”

“I wasn’t thinking of it anyway.” Kyori reassured the other, who was now right in front of her.

The person nodded and asked, “Uhm.. So why did you want us to meet? Is there something wrong?”

Kyori noticed that the person was worried so she shook her head right away. “It’s not that.”

The person waited for her to speak patiently and meantime walked to the swings, taking a seat in one of it.

Kyori just followed the person with her eyes then decided to take a seat too. And after inhaling a deep breath, she finally spoke up.

“Look, Ju Hyun,” she started, “I just—uh. Wanted to apologize to you.”

Ju Hyun turned her face to Kyori and gave her a questioning look. “Why are you apologizing? As far as I know, you didn’t do anything wrong to me.”