17 Years Ago (Age 18)

Dear Chanyeol,

Here's a picture for you. Sorry I'm not it, but this is my dorm room. It's a little messy at the moment but as long as nothing smells that's fine. This is week two of college life, and it's just as lame and boring as I thought it probably would be. My roommate's name is Brian. He's alright, I suppose, except that he has a girlfriend, and she was over once and I didn't know beforehand... We now have a chalkboard on the outside of our door. I'm supposed to write down a mysterious symbol on it if I ever need it... But I think he'll get more use out of it than me.

I've got nothing else to say. Same old me, new environment and still nothing to tell. There's going to be a dorm party this weekend though. If you want to participate you open your door, and if you don't, then you close it. I would keep it closed but then there's Brian and I think he's the party type. I can't wait. But maybe that means I'll have actually have something to write next time! 

Look forward to it.

I'm not.

Yixing

Dear Yixing,

I think my parents are still upset that I don't want to be a doctor. A doctor, seriously. Don't they know me? You've seen what I look like. Can you imagine what patients would say when they discovered I was their doctor? No one would take me seriously. Not even me. And still they complain. They should be happy I agreed to do Business. I could be studying music! Hah! I should have worked hard in my youth and become an entertainer. And then I could be auditionining at music agencies! Don't laugh. Jongin says I'm a good rapper! I could have joined SM or something. And worn skinny pants for the rest of my life. 

So, Brian sounds great. No plans to use that chalkboard anytime soon? You're in college! You're young! I don't have a chalkboard either. Not that it would be helpful, because my family definitely wouldn't care what I wrote on it. They come barging in whenever they feel like it. Also, still no girlfriend. I'm swearing off girls for the time being. Too much work.

I want to hear all about your first block party! Details! Want details!

For once, more boring than you,

Chanyeol

Dear Chanyeol,

I don't know what you want to hear. A party is a party. There were drunk people, drunk underage people, half people, one person who was drunk, and at some point after wandering around the hallway trying to 'experience life' as you always call it, I came back to find my door closed and a symbol on the board. Locked out of my own room. Well, I could have gone in, but that wouldn't have been fun. So I sat in the hallway for a while, apparently fell asleep, and I woke up in some my suite mates' room (the neighbors, we share a bathroom). Not even a hangover! To their surprise. I guess it's unusual for people to pass out when they're not drunk? I was tired. That's my excuse. I can't remember the guys' names though who took me in, except that I think one of them was Korean like you. I figured this out later though. I found a Korean book left in the bathroom. Otherwise I haven't seen them again. I don't go out much. 

Is that exciting enough for you?

Is it weird that people in this state love being outdoors all the time, and the weather is nice enough for it, I guess, and yet I'd rather not? I think something must be wrong with me. I like indoor activities too much. I should join a club. Isn't that was college students do? They randomly join a fraternity (not going to happen) or a club for something random like a film lovers club, or a Chinese-American association. What should I do? What sounds more out there? Treasure hunting or ballroom dancing? I hear there's even a Disney lovers club. 

How about scuba diving?

Yixing.... 

Dear Yixing,

Where to start! Where to start! I'm so proud of you. You passed out at your first college party! Who cares if you just fell happily asleep, that's got to be a milestone or something! You have a Korean suite mate though? Now that's awesome. You should find him and get him to teach you Korean. Maybe he'll succeed where I failed. Not that I tried very much, or very hard. Hey it's hard to teach a language through letters. I learned English for you. Isn't that enough?

Maybe I should join a club too. Let's both do scuba diving and then we can meet up for some wild vacation in Australia or something! Or not. At this rate I'll never have time for a vacation, let alone one to Australia. I'll think of some other kind of club. There must be something I can spare a little time for. Should I keep it music related? Someone somewhere surely needs an acoustic guitar. Or should I just join a rock band? Learn drums? You tell me.

Or I'll tell you next time I write, which could be months from now. Ahhh I'm so exhausted already! When will school be done!

Chanyeol

Dear Chanyeol,

Still taking up your suggestions to meet and make friends. And apparently I've gotten myself into something crazy. A planned roadtrip even! I won't say I purposefully went looking for my suite mates but some guys cornered me in the common room one day and introduced themselves, and I suddenly recognized them again. The Korean guy is named Joonmyeon and he's pretty cool. I guess we'll be friends. His roommate is a guy named Henry. I think they've known each other for a while since Henry is actually Chinese-Canadian and lived in Korea for a while where he met Joonmyeon. Anyways now I have someone else to practice my almost non-existent Mandarin, and two people to teach me Korean. Are you happy now?

They invited me on a roadtrip over Christmas holidays. To Texas. What on earth is in Texas to make it worth driving there and back? I don't want to go. I want to stay home all winter and sleep in, but it's only two weeks... If I have a horrible time, I'm blaming you, just so you know.

Soon to be roadster,

Yixing

Dear Chanyeol,

Greetings from Texas, in case you haven't figured that out from the card. Driving's okay. A little boring. At least the guys are fun to hang out with. Henry does most of the driving. Acts like he's just been freed from a dungeon or something.

FYI, I haven't seen a single thing depicted on this postcard. Oh, except for some cows. 

Happy New Years!

Yixing

And there we have some new characters. :)

I was going to wait to write this chapter for a little while, but then my fingers got to itching, and hey - two updates in two days. Who's complaining?

Rosie