And the upheavals...
The Chanxing Letters
10 Years Ago (25 Years Old)
*tap tap* *drumroll* *clack clack*
To: Chanyeol
Guitarman04@yahoo .com
Dear Chanyeol, this is the beginning of a new era. I can feel it in my fingers. Writing letters to you is now a noisy business. What is this keyboard. I feel like an old grandpa trying out technology for the first time, which is dumb because I've had a computer for a while now, and this is not the first e-mail I've typed. It is to you though. Do you miss my beautiful handwriting already? I know I won't miss yours! (Just kidding)
Well, the good thing is that I can save time by writing you faster. Also, you're required to respond sooner because I have it on good authority that this takes barely a second to send across the world, and now the only way you can get out of a return e-mail is if you use the excuse 'Sorry I didn't check it!' and either way I'll know you are lying.
How do you sign off on e-mails anyways?
Your internet-pal(?)
Yixing
To: Yixing
Layxingwriter12@aol. com
Dear Yixing,
Oh well who's the loser this time!? I'm responding within hours! Hours! (Is that how long it's been? Yes, I think it has). You're right though. E-mail is strange, but at least you'll never mistake my words now that they're neatly typed out and perfect and insightful and wise and...
I sent you a CD last week with my recordings. Yes, a CD. Hope you've decided to join the 21st century and know how use the things. ;)
Is that how you make a winky smile?? I think that's how it's supposed to look...
So now that I'm typing, I can't really think of anything else to say. I wrote you a nice long letter just a few weeks ago with every little detail of my life (which is really exciting now, like reallyyyy not) but now I don't have anything to add. Is this what our relationship will become like? Soon we'll talk so much that we won't have anything to say?
I should quit before I get sad..
I'm not sad. Yet. But... bye for now
Chanyeol
Dear Chanyeol,
Since you were so bummed out, I decided to write you a real letter again. Why mess with tradition? Also, I have so much stationary and what else am I going to use it for? Sending sweet notes to my bill collectors?
I suppose I should tell you that I'm officially graduating in a month. Hooray for bumming through the first part of grad school. I think a Masters is good enough. I also could have finished it sooner, but I preferred taking my time. So soon I'll be a graduated student with a Masters in English, and joining the workforce. Should be exciting right? But I think I'll probably finish up my internship and work full time at the same company writing instruction manuals for electric appliances like I've just spent the last eight years of my life learning how to do. Shakespeare never came in more handy than now! This is just temporary until I figure out what else I can do. Not everyone can join a publishing company as an editor right off the bat ;) Or write songs for a living.. Or get on a magazine.. I will update you when life has decided whatever to do with me.
In the meantime, a month to go and things with Joon are getting... rockier. He's depressed and I think he's going to have to go home, and his family still aren't speaking to him officially. I don't know what exactly to do. I really don't want this to be the end, and I want him to stay here and get a job here, but that's difficult for foreigners sometimes and... I guess we'll see. Right now I'm living my life more through him and it seems crazy to think that may be over soon. I'm dreading it.
Tell me something cheery instead, okay?
How many years has it been?
Yixing
Dear Yixing,
Here I was happy that I wouldn't have to write in pen anymore, but just for you (and for me) I'll continue. Look how fast I'm responding! Even with paper and pen! Now just watch this letter take a month to travel across the world. That would be my luck anyways.
You wanted something cheery, well here it goes: I think I'm about to be dumped. Yes, you read that right. Dumped. It hasn't happened yet, but Yoonsuh has been pulling away for the past few months (maybe even a year) and I think maybe she's just not interested in me anymore. Can you believe it? I don't even know what the problem is. I'm good-looking, good mannered, funny and intelligent. Or at least really funny. Sometimes. I can microwave at least three types of ramen now and I do my own laundry. What's not to love? I'm waiting for the final sentence now. If I was any braver I'd end it before she does and saunter away, but if there's even the slightest chance I'm reading the signs wrong I don't want to be the who breaks up after five long years. I'll let her do the work if that's what she wants, and then it won't be my fault.
What if it is my fault though? Why do girls always break up with me? Maybe she never wanted to get married? I mean I know I wasn't (and still am not) ready for it, but her as well? I think there's something wrong with me. I just can't figure out what it is yet.
Hope things work out with Joon and his family. Oh, and congrats for getting a job even more boring than mine!
It's been 15 years by the way since we started writing. Is this our anniversary special? Hahaha.
Surely I'm your longest friend now,
Chanyeol
To: Yixing
Layxingwriter12@aol. com
It's official. I'm single. Wooooooooo! I'm going out to celebrate now. I found a similarly depressed co-worker named Kris and we're going drinking. Drowning my sorrows away. If you want to call and congratulate me tomorrow, please be mindful of the time zones and my impending hangover.
Love you. Chanyeol
;)
*phone dial*
*rings*
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*rings*
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Hello?
*chuckling*
Wow you sound groggy today.
I'm drunk. Who is this?
You're not drunk. You probably have a splitting hangover though.
This is Yixing. You know. Your best friend.
Oh.
I thought it might be the other Yixing I know. Do you realize it's early??
I did the math and it's 10 o'clock your time.
Wake up and go drink some water. Then take an aspirin and drink more water.
What are you, a nurse or something?
Nope. Just a friend.
*laughing*
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I hate you right now.
No you don't. You love me remember?
*grunt*
*laughing*
Don't tell Joon about that, huh?
Oh, I won't. Don't worry. Now wake up and tell me about your celebratory night?
Fine fine. I'll tell you all about it...
Ugh
Just, wait and let me figure out which is the floor and which is the ceiling, k?
I can do that.
To: Chanyeol
Guitarman04@yahoo .com
Chanyeol! Great talking with you the other day. Hope you're officially recovered by now, and just for the record - that Kris guy sounds like a complete mama's boy, and I wouldn't trust his advice on women either. He probably doesn't even do his own laundry, so you're definitely cooler there.
By the way, I finally got the CDs you sent. What kind of shipping package did you select? Slow boat by way of China? Wow this stuff is good though. Wish I could hear you in person. Someday whenever we meet we're going to have to play together. Alright? Deal? Make that a deal. I won't accept any other option from you.
Take care,
Yixing
To: Yixing
Layxingwriter12@aol. com
It's a deal, I promise. Glad you liked my stuff. I worked super hard on that, and it was before the days when I was single so I was happier then. Who knows though? Maybe I should write something new and see if heartbreak does anything for my style?
You're right about Kris by the way. He can't even microwave ramen, so I'm feeling pretty superior right now.
How's the job market? How's Joon?
Chanyeol
*phone dial*
*rings*
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Hello. Hey, what's up?
Hey...
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Yixing? What's the matter?
Huh? Uhm.Oh, well nothing with me actually.
Yeah?
Yeah.
So what's up?
Does something have to be up in order for me to call?
*chuckles*
Well no, but usually we only talk on the phone when there's something going on.
True...
So?
So what?
Is there?
Kinda.
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What's 'kinda' mean?
*heavy sigh*
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Means, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor? A really big favor.
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You can ask...
It would probably only be temporary, but...
You still have your big apartment, right?
Yeah.
And an extra room?
Two extra rooms, but yeah. Why?
I have a friend who... may need to a place to crash, just temporarily, in Seoul.
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*exhale*
Okay? I'm sure I could live with that. Who's the friend?
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Yixing?
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*sighs*
Joon.
Joon's going back in two weeks and he needs a place to stay.
Ta da! Fast update, no? I was impatient to get to this plot twist already. How many of you saw this coming, huh? I warned a few of you that something different was on the horizon, and now you see this. Chanyeol's finally going to meet someone, but instead of it being Yixing, it's Yixing boyfriend!
Stay tuned for a new way of looking at life. And some new forms of three-way communication. Yes, I'm about to actually introduce Joon as a speaking character. :)
<3 Rosie
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