Truly Yours, Park Chanyeol

Yoon Ami,

They had asked me where I see myself ten years from now. All the other members told them what they had planned. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun wanted to continue being singers. Suho wanted to be a composer. Sehun and Kai wanted to get into acting. Me? I told them the truth. I told them that ten years from now, I will still be Park Chanyeol.

That was ten years ago. We had all achieved our ambitions. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun are now soloists with a wide range of fans. Suho is now a renowned composer, creating hits after hits. Sehun and Kai became one of the most sought after actors. Me? I remained being Park Chanyeol; that tall male with the goofy smile.

Seriously though, are you curious of what happened to me, Yoon Ami? Well, let me tell you a story of what had happened to me these past 10 years...

Five years ago, SM told us that EXO will now be disbanding and that we were free to go our separate ways. We could either stay or go to a different company. The very first thing in my mind was to stay. I have been with the company for so long that I do not know whether I’ll still be able to be accepted in another company.

The EXO members, both M and K, had a meeting after that. We talked about what we wanted to do. They all had their own plans. Kris, Tao and Lay were going back to China to be singers and actors but will still be in the company. Chen decided to become a producer and Xiumin decided to act. They’re both still under SM, if you’re curious. Luhan decided to pursue a career in acting as well as put up his own entertainment company. He’s currently a subsidiary of SM.

They were all ready for their futures. They had planned it out even before we heard of the disbandment. Personally, I feel jealous of them being able to think and decided on what they wanted to do. This brought me to ask myself; what do I want to do.

What do you think, Ami?

It was only two years ago when I finally decided on what to do. I spent the past three years aimlessly. Though I have created a name for myself in the modelling and acting areas, I know I wasn’t fully satisfied. I wasn’t who I was, if I must say so.

So you must be curious on how I made up my mind. It wasn’t hard at all. Rather, I think it was a fateful event, on a sunny day and just like on that day, I find myself seating here in the 2^nd floor, window seat of a small and quiet cafe in Gangnam, away from the bustling stores. I remember it so clearly, the day my heart finally decided on what I wanted to do; on what I had to do.

I had to return the favour.

I could still remember that person’s face when she had seen me. It was like she had seen a ghost. I almost fell over when she asked me, “You’re still alive?” with such a serious look on her face. That was you, wasn’t it, Yoon Ami. You were that person, two years ago. I could still remember how I had asked you out for coffee and how you had so harshly turned me down.

But I didn’t stop annoying you. Somehow, I managed to get hold of your number and your office area. I could still remember how I went to your office everyday for three months, just to get you to have coffee with me. I could still feel the butterflies in my stomach the moment you had said yes and had accepted my offer. Ah, that was good coffee, wasn’t it?

And here I am, sitting inside the same cafe while writing this letter addressed to you, after two years. It’s funny, isn’t it, how fate works, I mean. Why, well, as far as I remember, this was also the very same cafe where you sent me that first letter, do you remember?

“Toast for Mr. Park Chanyeol,” Chanyeol’s ears perked up at the mention of his name. He raised his arm to get the waiter’s attention. Noticing him, the waiter walked towards his table and placed his order. “Enjoy your food,” the waiter said before bowing and left. Chanyeol returned his attention back to his letter.

Ah, I’m eating toast. You love toast, right, Ami? Not that I remember, you ordered toast on our first date, didn’t you? Ha-ha, that was really priceless, how you argued with me about the greatness of toast. For me, anyway you see it, it’s just toasted bread, but you, you see it like it’s the food for kings. It was really funny.

Anyway, I’m getting off topic, well, not that there was any topic in the first place. Well, what I’m trying to say is thank you, Yoon Ami. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t get to where I am right now. And honestly, I have no regrets. I don’t regret meeting you. I don’t regret reading that letter of yours. I don’t regret reading the ones that followed. I don’t regret annoying you to notice me. And most of all, I don’t regret marrying you and if we see each other in the next life, I’ll gladly do it again.

“Yeobo, what are you doing?” a feminine voice broke off Chanyeol’s trance. He looked up and came face to face with his wife, Yoon Ami. Chanyeol smiled his trademark goofy smile before folding the letter and keeping it to himself. “What’s that?”

“Yeobo, you ask too much questions,” Chanyeol teased as he shoved a piece of toast into Ami’s mouth. Ami pouted and puffed her cheeks while chewing. Chanyeol smiled at the sight. “Do you remember this place, Yeobo?”

Ami tilted her head before a knowing smile appeared on her face. “Let’s see, this is the cafe where I first sent you that letter,” Chanyeol nodded. “This is also the cafe where we had our first coffee together,”

Chanyeol nodded again. “What else?”

Ami smiled lovingly as she held Chanyeol’s hands and looked up so that they were looking at each other eye-to-eye. “This is where you proposed to me. This is where you asked me to marry you,”

Chanyeol nodded as he kissed his wife’s hands.

Truly yours, Park Chanyeol