[L e t t e r s | to | Y o o n a]

T W O

Dear Yoona,

Today, I found that friendship bracelet we made in second grade. The one you made for me, with the orange and green thread.

Do you remember that? I wonder if you still have yours. I made you one, too, remember? The one with the pink and purple thread, with the little bead tied on the end.

I wonder if you've noticed that I wear mine every day.

I remember when I had to help you cut the thread because you were too scared to use the scissors. "Mommy says they're dangerous," you said. That was cute.

It was spring then, when we made those bracelets, and I remember because the cherry blossom trees were blooming and their petals always fell onto your hair. You tried to brush them away, but I told you to leave them, because it made you look like a fairy princess.

You looked like a princess, anyway. I added the 'fairy' part because fairies aren't real and when those cherry blossoms were in your hair, I think I started believing that you weren't real, either. You couldn't be; no one could be that beautiful.

And then you caught me staring at you and you shoved me under the tree, and soon my hair was littered with petals, too. Then, sticking your tongue out at me, you ran away and dared me to catch you, so I ran after you.

I don't remember if I caught you.

Thinking about that time reminds me of when we first met. I think we were five. You've got to remember that, right? You crept up behind me while I was on the swing and you pushed me so hard that I screamed and almost let go.

You laughed at me and then you did that thing where you tilt your head with a little smile. To this day, I notice you still do that.

And you said, "I'm Yoona."

By then, I noticed just how beautiful you were. I thought nothing of it, though. Nothing special, just that you looked like a doll.

You pushed me again when I didn't answer, and it only made me more shocked. With wide eyes and a humiliating stutter, I said, "M-my name is Lu-Luhan."

You laughed then, and started calling me Lulu and followed me around for the rest of the day. And when your mother came looking for you, she met my mother, and then everything was all sunshine and rainbows because they found out that we were neighbours.

Not that we knew what they were talking about.

I spent 7 years as your Lulu before I asked you to stop, but now that we don't talk anymore, I kind of miss it.

Well, if I'm honest, I miss it a lot. More than I should.

We're 18 now. Probably long past the age of friendship bracelets, pushing each other on swings and chasing each other under cherry blossom trees. It's a little childish of me to wish that we were 5 again, isn't it?

But I do. I wish we were 5 again, and still friends.

Oh, and tomorrow is my 19th birthday. You haven't forgotten, have you?

Well, I suppose it doesn't matter if you have. You don't talk to me anymore. We haven't been friends in a while, and I suppose remembering birthdays are out of the question.

I don't know why we aren't friends anymore and I won't ask. You probably wouldn't tell me, anyway.

But tomorrow, I know what I'll wish for. I'll wish that we can go back to 13 years ago, when we were friends.

Just you and me.

Eternally yours,

Luhan.