“What’s this?” Taehyung picks up the envelope in curiosity, turning it around and around in his hands. “Appa?”

Chanyeol glances up from the newspaper. It’s not like he’s reading anything important, just the comic section- he makes sure to keep up with it every week.

Noticing the envelope in his son’s hands, Chanyeol smiles, almost nostalgically. “It’s from your umma. It’s for you and Bam and Sungoh.”

“I heard my name.” Bambam pokes his head into the room, seeing the envelope and his name scrawled on the front. “Oh hey! What’s that?”

“It’s for us. From umma,” explains Taehyung, starting to carefully tear it open.

“I want to open it!”

Rolling his eyes, Taehyung hands it to his younger brother who excitedly rips it open, making sure not to hurt the paper inside.

He pokes Bambam’s cheek. “Honestly, did you ever learn how to open a letter?”

“Did you ever teach me?”

“It shouldn’t be something I have to teach!”

Bambam sticks his tongue out before looking down at the paper in his hands. “What is it, appa?”

“You should read it together,” Chanyeol tells them gently and although they think it’s strange, his children don’t question him.

“Sungoh hyung! We have to show you something!” Bambam yells, dragging his elder brother to Sungoh’s room. Watching them leave with a smile, Chanyeol merely shakes his head in affection.

“What is it?” asks Sungoh, looking up from his book. Bambam collapses on the bed next to him, laying on his stomach, and Taehyung plucks the book from his hyung’s hands.

“It’s from umma,” explains Bambam, giving Sungoh the letter, who looks at interestedly, turning it around and around in his hands.

“For all of us?”

“Just read it hyung!” Taehyung almost whines, leaning against Sungoh and the other nudges him back with his shoulder.

Once comfortable, Sungoh starts to read it aloud.

“Sungoh, Taehyung and Bambam,

‘Dear’ is too formal, yeah? And definitely not something I’d use. Then again, this whole thing is stuff I could never say out loud. So I wrote them instead. Things sound better in writing, I’ve learned.

These things though...they’re things you have to learn. You have to know. I wish I had known them when I was your age, so I made it my duty to tell you so you won’t be like me.

1. It doesn’t matter what people think of you. You’re going to be a lot happier without worrying.

2. You’re wrong sometimes. Admit it and move on with grace.

3. Don’t waste time thinking ‘what if’. What’s done is done and you’re troubling yourself even more by doing this to yourself.

4. Anything’s possible if you have enough nerve.

5. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel bad for what you love or who you are. You are you, not them. Don’t worry about it.

6. “Sorry” can’t fix everything. Keep it in mind.

7. People deceive all the time. It’s what they’re good at. Some may not mean it but in the end, the face they show is all that’s there.

8. Nothing is like anything else and that’s why it’s all incredible. Cherish it while you can.

9. School is nice but it’s not all there is to life. Bad grades are okay once in awhile. They don’t define you.

10. Human beings’ hearts change. That’s okay.

11. If you think you’re not good enough at anything, take another look.

12. Along the way, some people forget how to cry. But not you. It’s okay to cry.

13. Manners will go a long way.

14. Some promises are meant to be broken. Let them go.

15. Don’t lose the wonder you had when looking at a sunset or the moon or anything at all. Keep it with you when you start to lose yourself.

16. It’s okay to be lost. It’s not okay to stay lost.

17. Find what you love to do and run with it.

18. Everyone lives only once, so you should fight hard to leave something of yours behind. Be proud of it.

19. Tomorrow, today will be yesterday. Let it go.

20. Love passionately. When there’s no love, no story can have a happy ending.

21. Things that go wrong in this world never happen because of one person’s fault.

22. As you live life, some things displease you from time to time. It’s normal.

23. Things don’t go how you think they would. That’s okay.

24. Instead of doing something bad for yourself, it’s better to try harder for someone else’s sake. Being a good person never goes out of style.

25. Being weak at something and being bad at it are different things. Being weak is that you think it on your own, being bad is looking at it objectively and realizing it.

26. We want the things that are bad for us. It’s okay, as long as they don’t destroy you from the inside.

27. Sleep when you can but don’t sleep your life away.

28. Human beings that are alive are the most difficult to understand. Don’t try too hard that it makes you sick.

29. Don’t get caught up in your head but don’t forget to dream either. Clouds look nice from above and below.

30. Speak your mind but make it respectful.

31. No one is better off gone. The world would be different if you were not here.

32. You’re strong in your own way.

33. I am proud of you.

34. You will never disappoint me.

35. I will always love you.”

Sungoh stops speaking, flipping the letter over to make sure there’s nothing more written on the back. There isn’t.

He looks over at Bambam who is biting his lip hard and rubbing at his eyes with tiny fists. Taehyung pokes the youngest’s cheek. “Are you crying?”

“No!” protests Bambam but his voice is shakey. “It’s just…umma…”

Sungoh slings an arm around Bambam, passing him the letter so he can see the words himself, trace them, drink them in. Taehyung patiently waits his turn to see it, knowing his younger brother needs it more now.

"I know."

Hey everyone! I promise I haven't forgotten about this story, it's still on my mind! Just life has gotten in the way, is all.

I feel like this chapter is good for New Year's. It's just a collection of things I've picked up over the years, pieces of advice I've recieved and give in turn. They're things your parents can tell you or friends or things you've figured out on your own. I just thought it's a nice touch for me to try and give back to everyone who's supported this story.

Happy holidays! <3