.•° ✿ °•.
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I carefully lead Gumball down the steps of the baseball stadium, the two of us sporting matching caps while I carry the snacks and he innocently rattles his giant finger glove.
"You know what this is, right?" We take our seats. He doesn't reply, only staring into the field and tilting his head.
"It's a baseball game. The batter has to hit the ball as far as they can, then run around four bases before they're tapped out. I love these things but the members hate it, they're pretty lame. Shh, it's starting."
My back sinks into the chair comfortably once the game begins and the crowd is cheering after every round. I peer over at Gumball with a giddy smile that fades when I notice him just watching the game blankly, not really reacting or understanding what's going on.
"...I guess baseball's not for everyone." I remove my cap and sigh, staring into the pit for a while before shrugging, "So what do you wanna do?"
Gumball blinks at me, then silently looks around before pointing to the family sitting in front of us which makes my brows entangle.
"I don't understand what I'm looking at."
I follow the jab of his finger closer to realize he's pointing at a little boy's backpack that says Legoland...
"...You want to go to Legoland?"
Gumball beams delightfully.
"Kid, Legoland is like... Three hours away. Do you know how much hassle it's going to be getting tickets and making it there unrecognized?"
His unintentional puppy eyes make me stare back blankly... But I eventually sigh and check my watch.
"I guess it's still early... Alright fine, let's go."
∘₊✧ ° 🤹♂️ ° ✧₊∘
~Play audio if you want~
"All aboarddd! Passengers heading to Legoland, exit this way!" A conductor in colorful bellhop clothes holds an arrow sign.
I grab Gumball's wrist to keep him from getting lost in the crowd as we exit the coach and approach the entrance, lowering our bucket hats to better disguise ourselves.
Everything's Lego. The signs, the statues, even the flags. Everything's made purely out of lego blocks to create an impressive castle-like forefront. Fun music plays while kids skip around happily and families use their selfie sticks to take group photos.
Yeesh, I'm already regretting this.
"Hiya fellas!"
"Ah!" I jump when a mascot dressed as a Lego man appears behind us. Gumball gasps happily as he spreads his arms, "Welcome to Legoland! The biggest most funnest adventure resort in Daegu!"
"Gosh, don't do that." I dust off my sleeve. My scowl migrates towards the largely populated space beyond the gates...
"How are we supposed to navigate around this place anyway? It looks huge."
"Well that's what these maps are for partner!" The mascot pulls out two maps from God knows where. "One map for Mr. Grump, and one map for his cute little son!"
Gumball smiles innocently despite the creeped out glare I send. I grab Gumball's wrist and lead him towards the ticket booth while the mascot waves us goodbye.
After getting in, Gumball and I stand in the center of the footpath where I open our map...
"Whoa, a lot of things here. Uh, let's see... What do you wanna go on first?"
I lower the map from my eyes to see Gumball already running away.
"Wh— Kid! Come back here!" I chase after him.
He continues to skip his little legs, all the way to the queue of a baby ride. I catch up with short breath before reading the sign that says "Bubble Tunnel!"
"Kid, seriously, don't run off like that. You could get lost." I huff, joining the obnoxious queue. A solid 15 minutes go by before I toss my arms over the barricade in boredom.
Now I remember why I don't come to amusement parks. The damn queues.
A worker walks past until I catch his arm, "Hey, I'm rich. Can I just cut in line?"
"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that sir."
"Ugh." I huff. After another 10 minutes, we finally make it indoors to the front of the line.
"All aboarddd the bubble tunnel! Hello sir, would you and your son like a raincoat? It'll keep you from getting wet!"
"Uh... Sure. How much is it?"
"$20 each."
"$20?? For this ugly coat??" I point, still opening my wallet. "Why do amusement parks make everything so damn expensive..."
"Have a splashy ride!"
After zipping our yellow coats, Gumball and I step into the round carriage and sit opposite each other with the safety bar locked on our laps. Happy circus music plays through the speakers when our carriage slowly drifts off with the water stream, swaying and rocking slightly from the tide beneath us.
The further we sail, the more the tunnel gains a misty blue hue as the windows at our sides now reveal that we're actually underwater. Bubbles shoot up the glass like volcanos while fishes swim around the sculpture of Titan that's built out of Lego, giving the ride an Atlantis feel. Gumball watches the sea life in astonishment with water ripples reflecting on his face...
To seal the adventure, sprinklers shoot over us to cast a roof that's illuminated by blue and purple lights. Gumball reaches up to touch the water, giggling silently at the ticklish splashes against his fingertips while bubbles rain over us. His eyes cross when a bubble lands and pops on his nose. For some reason, I can't take my eyes off of him... The sight making me flicker a grin myself.
"That's all folks! 'POP' in again soon!"
The outdoor sunlight stings our eyes momentarily once we get off the ride.
"Well? Did you have fun?"
Gumball just stares at me before abruptly running off towards another water ride. I throw my head back and groan, "Yah, I said to stop running off!"
∘₊✧ ° 🌤 ° ✧₊∘
"Only tennnnn seconds left! You can do it buddies!"
My face scrunches up when pulling the plastic trigger rapidly, the two of us squirting water guns at the pop-up target duckies before the timer goes off, "Ding ding ding! Times up!"
"Aish, my finger hurts." I grumpily drop the gun and lead Gumball away. Before I can even ask what's next, he excitedly runs towards a basketball machine that's crowned with numerous giant plushies.
"You wanna win one of these? I don't know... These games are usually scams."
"Hey there sir! You look like you'd be good at basketball! Wanna play and win a prize?"
"Uh..." I look down at Gumball and ultimately shrug, "Alright."
"Super! The goal is to score 30 hoops in under a minute. $10 please!"
Fucking scam.
After handing over the cash, I balance the orange ball on my palm before launching it successfully into the net. Every hoop I shoot makes the digital tally increase, causing the worker to gape while Gumball hops happily and other kids gather around.
"Whoaaa, Mommy look at that man!"
With ten seconds left on the clock and a score of 29, I grab the final ball before looking at Gumball whose chin barely makes it over the counter.
"You wanna shoot this last one?"
He grins. I place him in front of me and lift him by the underarms before he cutely shoots the final hoop.
"Congratulations guys! You get to pick a prize!"
"Which one do you want?" I look up. Gumball fiddles his finger into his lip before hopping with raised arms under an admittedly cute whale plushy.
Exactly how are we getting that home?
"He'll take that one," I point.
"A fine choice! Have an adventurous day!"
Gumball doesn't hesitate to hug the plushie as soon as it's lowered, his little face snuggled up into it. After that, we grab some churros before Gumball spots a photo booth and suddenly runs towards it.
"I swear to Go— Kid!" I run behind.
He runs through the red curtain before sitting in front of the camera excitedly. I crouch into the booth with a less enthusiastic expression.
"Ugh... One photo, that's it."
I slip in a bill before the monitor counts down. We both remain blank-faced for the first photo, our giant whale plushie sitting between us to deliver the only smile. I copy Gumball and pull a gummy smile for the second photo, leaning into the plushie when Gumball accidentally backs it into my eye after the flash goes off. His little giggle makes me chuckle which gets caught in the final shot.
We step out of the booth to collect the yellow photo strips. Huh, they're actually not as cringe as I thought.
"...We should probably grab something to eat. You like pizza?"
Gumball looks at his whale plushie as if asking for its input, before returning me a bright beam.
∘₊✧ ° 🌥 ° ✧₊∘
After an adventurous afternoon of rides, games and photo-taking, Gumball and I sit in the colorful Lego-themed pizza parlor booth awaiting our food, our whale plushie sitting at the head of the round table between us.
"Here you go guys! One large pepperoni pizza with curly fries and two milkshakes!"
I tug a brief smile to send the waitress off. We both eat in silence, too immersed in the food to really socialize.
*...Burp!*
Gumball lets out an innocent belch after slurping some milkshake. I chuckle slightly before hiccuping my own, *Burpp.*
After our meal, we exit the diner before a girl suddenly points at me with a sharp gasp.
"Oh my Gosh! You're Suga of BTS!"
The one fricking time...
"No no, that's not me—"
"WHOA, SUGA FROM BTS IS HERE!!"
"Yoongi-Oppa!!!"
Before I know it, a mob of fangirls are swarming around me like bees to nectar. Gumball frowns fearfully before looking around with shallow breaths as he fades into the grey crowd of silhouettes and flashing cameras. The more his little hand claws for me, the further back he's whisked away, hi breath only growing shallower...
"Will you record a message for my mom??"
"Can I have a selca?! AHH I love you Yoongi!"
"Yoongi? I thought this was Hobi..."
The crowd shoves and tugs at my clothes until I'm practically trapped in a tornado. Luckily, park security intervenes and starts pushing through the girls. "Back! Everyone back!"
They manage to separate me from the girls and create a barrier. I catch my breath and fix my bucket hat before freezing and looking around...
"...Where's Gumball?"
"Who?" The guard asks.
I shove him aside and without thought, start searching the entire area. It's as if my feet are moving ahead of my brain, building momentum along with my heart that beats faster by the second...
"Gumball?? ...Gumball!"
The second call comes out more like a growl. Bodies begin to blur out of focus the more I rotate and stumble around...
Where the hell is he... What the fuck...
"Gumball!!"
As if God himself heard my panic, I later spot Gumball sitting behind the photo booth with his arms around his knobby knees and teary eyes glued to the ground. A heavy breath of relief sinks from my chest.
"Thank fuck." My eyes shut.
I slowly approach him, footsteps growing softer the closer I get. He doesn't look up at me but keeps his arms wrapped around his knees while he continues to sniffle...
He thought I lost him.
No, thought he lost me.
"...You okay?"
He only shifts his eyes and sniffles again. I crouch on one knee, letting my eyes wander the floor in thought before sighing.
"I know that was probably traumatic... But you don't need to panic. You're not gonna be a lost kid again. Because I'm here, and I'm not going to leave you. Okay?"
Gumball stays still before subtly glancing at my hand that's left held out. Ultimately, he wipes his eyes dry and takes it, allowing me to pull him up from the ground.
"Let's go home. There's no mob of fangirls there."
Gumball lightly smiles at my statement as the two of us walk out. For the first time, I don't harshly grab his wrist but instead, hold his hand protectively...
∘₊✧ ° 💫 ° ✧₊∘
The rumbles of the train are soft and therapeutic. Our bodies sway simultaneously with each hump as we stare into our own reflection of the tinted window opposite, the train being mostly empty and quiet.
Gumball's mouth stretches when he airs a silent yawn. I jump when he falls onto my lap like a weeping flower, his eyes closed and cheek squished against my knee where he snores gently.
...I guess it has been a long day.
Slowly lowering my elbows, I lick my lips and lower my hand but retract it hesitantly. Eventually though, I rest my hand on his hair and awkwardly pat it.
The nightly rumbles soon take over me and before I know it, my lids are shutting too...
∘₊✧ ° 🌙 ° ✧₊∘
"Hello? Sir?"
"Hmm..." I rub one eye open.
"This is the end of the line. I'm afraid you'll need to get off."
I squint at the man before glancing down at Gumball who's still sound asleep on my lap. Readjusting our bucket hats with a sleepy grumble, I hook my hands around his underarms and place him onto my hip while getting off, his face cocooned in my neck.
There aren't many buses or taxi drivers out, so I take it upon myself to carry Gumball the rest of the journey home. Crickets, windchimes and nightly owls sing us home until I arrive at our door and fish for my housekeys.
*Click!*
I head straight for my room before carefully lowering Gumball onto my bed and removing his shoes. The tranquil silence makes me get distracted by his sleepy, pouty face after tucking him in...
"...Maybe having you here isn't so bad after all."
*Knock knock!*
My forehead creases. I look back at my alarm clock... It's 1:45 am.
Who could be knocking at this time?
I cautiously go to peep through the spy hole before answering the door. Suran urgently steps inside, dressed in cute teddy pyjamas and fluffy slippers.
"Suran? W-what are you doing here?"
She waves her phone, then holds my hands with an untameable grin.
"Good news! My sister's neighbor has a friend from Japan who believes she knows Gumball's mother! Apparently she wants to see him, but her train leaves tomorrow morning before she's out of Korea for good. I managed to contact her and she agreed to meet up at 8:45! Isn't this great?! We finally found her!"
The wider Suran's smile grows, the more mine fades with sullen. My eyes slump to the floor with frowned brows as I slowly retract my hands.
"...What's wrong? You're not smiling."
"...We spent the day together today, and I actually had... I don't know, fun. It really made me realize, maybe this was possible. Maybe I'm finally ready to take him in... Now all of a sudden he's getting taken away in the morning?" I look back at Gumball sleeping peacefully in my room.
He doesn't even have any idea. How am I supposed to tell him on such short notice?
Suran follows my gaze before sadly smiling and rubbing my arm.
"I get it... Goodbyes can be hard. But at the same time, this is potentially his mom. If she leaves on that 9 am train, he may never get to see her again. He may never get that closure..."
I let my focus linger on Gumball before looking at my feet once more.
This woman might not even exist. What if she's evil? What if this is all false information? But then again... What if it's not? What if his mother really is leaving in the morning and wants her son back?
...I don't know what to believe anymore. I don't know what to do.
. . .
The next chapter is the finale. 🥺🤍💧 Theories?