" Wooyoung oppa!"

I turned around to see who had called my name. To my surprise, it was Ji-eun. She was flailing her arms running towards me. With full force, she grabbed me into a hug, knocking me off my feet for a bit. " Oppa, oppa I haven't seen you in such a long time! Where have you been? How are you? Why are you here alone?! Where’s Taeyeon unnie? Isn't she here with you? I MISS YOU GUYS! I'm mad at you, oppa. You should've visited more. Look, look, I have-"

" Whoa, slow down there Ji-eun." I laughed ruffling her hair.

" YAH, LEE JI-EUN! WAIT FOR ME!" a boy ran yelling. When he reached us, he doubled over, his hand on his knees. " I... don't even... know how you... run so fast." he replied in between breaths.

" Changmin oppa, you're such a slow poke. I don't even know how you're in the track team." she replied, patting him on the back.

" Changmin is in track?" I asked. The boy looked up, his eyes opened wide in realization.

" Hyung!"

Ji-eun was a little girl Taeyeon and I had met back when we were dating. At the time, she was barely 5-years-old. So was a very playful Changmin Shim. Now, they were both almost 19. The years sure seemed to pass by quickly...

Taeyeon and I were walking around the park, when we saw a little girl standing at the edge of the playground wailing and crying, her mother talking to her. Taeyeon, being the girl she was, felt bad for her. " Wooyoung, we should go comfort her."

"But, her mom's already there!" I protested.

" Come on," she began, yanking on my arm, " don't be such a scrooge."

We walked over to where the little girl was with her mother. " We can buy another one next time." the mother was saying.

"NO! I want mine back!" she yelled sadly.

" May I try?" Taeyeon intruded. The mother looked up at us, and smiled. " Ji-eun ah, look it's unnie." The little girl turned around and puffed out her cheeks. Taeyeon bent down to her level. " So your name is Ji-eun?"

She responded with a small nod. She had already stopped crying, but looked somewhat scared. "Mommy said I can't talk to strangers." she said quietly. I saw Taeyeon look at Ji-eun's mother and smiled brightly.

" Your mommy's right. So, I'm Taeyeon unnie. This," she said pointing at me, “is Wooyoung oppa. Now, were not strangers anymore, right?"

 She nodded again. “ What happened?" Taeyeon asked the little girl. Quietly, she pointed at an upturned ice cream cone that was lying in the sandbox. A puddle had begun to form around it. " You dropped your ice-cream?"

" No, he knocked it down!! " she replied pointing at a little boy who stood behind the mom, hiding. " I didn't mean to. It  was an accident!" the boy replied trembling. “ Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble. Now, what’s your name?”

“ Shim C-Changmin.” 

“Okay then, Changmin. Come here.” Taeyeon held her arms out. Quietly, Changmin ran into her arms, his face burrowed into Taeyeon’s shirt. “ Now, say sorry, okay?” He looked up at Taeyeon, and she nodded to Ji-eun. He turned around to face the little girl. “ I’m, sorry.”

She pouted. “ I still want my ice-cream… but, it’s okay! I forgive you.” she answered smiling. Changmin smiled, satisfied that he was forgiven. “ Now that that’s done, who wants ice cream?”

“ I DO!” they both replied.

After that day, we would go to visit them at the park every few weeks or so. They would both be there playing with each other, and soon, they became the best of friends. We would occasionally go to buy them ice-cream as well. We all became very close, but after Taeyeon left, I stopped going. It was surprising that I ended up finding them there yet again.

“ Haven’t been getting in trouble have you, Changmin?”

“ Of course not! I’ve been studying lots.” Ji-eun elbowed Changmin quickly on the arm. Changmin looked down at her, and rolled his eyes. “We've been studying lots. Happy now?”

" Much better!" she replied satisfied. " Oh, Wooyoung oppa," she began, " where have you been?"

" A lot happened, and I couldn't really come anymore."

" Really? I wanted to ask you to go to our graduation, but I didn't know where you were..." she replied pouting.

" Haha, you graduated?"

" Yep! We're both going to the same college too! Right, Changmin?"

" Yeah. I have to deal with this troublemaker for another few years." 

" Hey!" she replied, shocked. He laughed, " You know I'm only kidding."

They're still the same as before, I thought to myself happily. Then, I remembered what I had went there for; the Walkman was still in my hands. " Hey, do you guys mind helping me look for something?"

" Course not! What are you looking for?"

" A yellow envelope. It should be near the swings somewhere."

" Okay, let's get started before the sun sets!"

All three of us spent hours looking around the park for the yellow envelope. We searched every nook and cranny, but to no avail, until...

" I FOUND IT!" they both yelled.

" No, I saw it first." Changmin began.

" Well, I grabbed it first." retorted Ji-Eun.

" TOO BAD! I saw it before you."

" It's the person who grabs it first gets first dibs!"

" Nu-uh."

" Yeah huh!"

" NO!"

" YEAH!"

" Okay you two, calm down." I walked in between them spreading my arms out. " No need to be starting a couple arguement."

"WE'RE NOT DATING!" they both replied.

I sat on the bench, Changmin and Ji-Eun sitting at my sides. " What is this?"

I flipped the package in my hands. It looked brand new, so she must've been here to bury it a few days ago. I opened it up to see another labeled tape sealed inside. I reached inside to grab it out. " A tape?"

" Yeah, Taeyeon has been leaving it around for me to find."

" Um..." Ji-eun mumbled, " What happened to Taeyeon unnie?"

I laughed a little sadly. " I don't really know. We broke up a few years back and lost contact."

" That must be why you stopped coming here." said Changmin. I nodded my head. " Do you think we can listen to it too?"

" Sure, it's not a problem with me." 

I popped the tape into the player, and with a loud click, the tape started to play.

I miss coming here.

It's been years. I wish maybe I can come in the day next time. Who knows, I might run into Changmin and Ji-Eun...

Those little troublemakers, I wonder how they've been after all these years.

I loved those little kids. They were adorable. I still remember their favorite ice cream flavors; Ji-Eun liked rocky-road ice cream with sprinkles, Changmin liked chocolate.

"Wow! She remembers us, Changmin." I saw Changmin bring his finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet. Through the corner of my eye, I saw her nod understanding the situation.

I wanted to bring you here so that maybe you could meet them again. It's ironic that I'm bringing you here, yet, I can't bring myself to go there to see them myself.

It's too much for me to bear...

I feel in debt to everyone. Ji-eun and Changmin always brought my spirits up when I was down. They never failed to make me smile. They made me feel happy.

However, the person I feel most in debt to is you, Wooyoung. I don't know if you have known this, but everything I did, I did it because I didn't want to be your burden. You would've said that it was your duty to be faithful, your job to protect me and always be there, but I knew your life would be a waste if I had stayed.

Don't you understand? I couldn't live without you. When you left... my world crumbled around me. I lost contact with my friends... I was too depressed... Taeyeon, you were my life.

So, I decided to leave without a word. It was the easiest way to leave. Nobody would hold me back, and I would be able to leave with my own free will. It didn't go as planned though.

I missed everyone...

I missed you.

So did I...

But I couldn't go back. You have to do this, for Wooyoung I told myself. I fought everyday, holding out on my feelings to come back and return to you.

The life I had before, it left me the moment I walked out that door. From that point on, everything I knew changed. I still don't know if it was for the better or for worse. All I can really said for sure was that it was... difficult. It was difficult for you too, I'm guessing.

I'm sorry for making your life miserable... and I'm sorry that you fell in love with a lost cause...

This is my way of paying you back... even though the ride may be long... I hope you will pull through for me.

The sun rise here is beautiful, you would like it. Maybe one of these days, you should take Ji-Eun and Changmin here to go watch it as a gift from me. Bring some ice-cream along too.

And Wooyoung...

... I truly am sorry.

Sorry for everything.

...........

...........

...........

Go to Illsan Road, Building C, Apartment E#145.

The tape stopped. By then, the sun had set and the park was deserted except for us and a few others.

" Oppa... do you think you'll be okay?" Ji- Eun asked curiously.

I nodded, though I knew I was lying to her and to myself. " I'll be fine."

Changmin became serious. " I never knew you had been through so much." I shrugged quietly, " You just have to get used to the fact that life had its twists and turns."

" Still, I wish it didn't."

" Then, life would be boring wouldn't it?"

Changmin and Ji-Eun laughed. " That's true." Ji-eun replied smiling.

I looked at my watch. It was now around 7 P.M. "You kids better be going home now. I don't want your moms to get worried."

" Okay, oppa." Ji-Eun replied happily, grabbing for Changmin's hand. " You better take us for ice cream and that sunrise!"

I laughed at her playfulness. " Sure thing."

" Promise?" she held her pinky out. " Aren't you a little too old to be having pinky promises?" Changmin replied jokingly. She sent a death glare at him and immediately, he became quiet.

I entwined my pinky with hers. " Promise. I'll visit here more often."

" YOU BETTER!" she began running of with Changmin in tow. " Hey! Stop! SLOW DOWN, DAMN IT!"

" Bye, Wooyoung oppa!!~" she yelled while running backwards. Changmin awkwardly turned around when he could and waved. " Bye, hyung! Come back soon!"

I waved back at the duo, laughing to myself.

I sure missed those troublemakers.