Ren Edelstein

Ren Edelstein, who looked much more mature than you remembered, was your best friend since kindergarten. You grew up together, spending afternoons in this playground, running barefoot on the sand that now looked murkier than before. He was always by your side, a silent protector, though he often hid his concern behind sarcastic words and an inscrutable smile. Ren wasn’t one to talk much about his feelings, but from the way he remained in the same spot after all these years, it was clear that he had never truly forgotten what you had shared.

Back then, before you left, you had made a promise—a simple one, but one that meant something to both of you. You promised to return to this park someday, no matter how much time passed. It may have been an innocent child’s promise at the time, but to Ren, it seemed like more than just words. He remained here, waiting, though perhaps he himself didn’t realize that he was still waiting for something that might not return. And now, after all these years and you were in high school, you had finally returned, albeit belatedly. But seeing the way he grinned, tapped your head like he used to, and invited you to play on the rusty slide, you knew that even though time had changed many things, one thing remained the same—Ren was still here.