One Letter Two Words

Chapter 1

Reunion

You woke up gasping for air, you looked around and saw you where back in your room. It was just the same nightmare. Your body was covered in sweat soaking the mattress. Your heartbeat was rapid, your chest felt tight. You placed your fingers on your neck to feel your pulse and tried to remember your breathing technique. Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. Deep breath in hold for 5 seconds, deep breath out. Release for 5 seconds. He can't hurt you anymore, he's gone. Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

It was just the same stupid nightmare, the same one you've had for 10 years. Ever since that day at the airport, lying on the cold floor abandoned and all alone, it was the only thing you could dream of. It's the main thing that lingers on your mind. It's taken awhile but over the years they've became less frequent. It went from living the same ordeal every night, to only twice a week, to once a month, now it's only thrice a year, your getting there slowly but surly.

However, today. Today was the day, the day you had to go to the airport, you hadn't been back since that day. You hadn't looked at yourself the same, you developed a few eating disorders and where severely underweight. You could never look yourself in the mirror scared of what you would see. Your anxiety would build until it exploded causing a series of panic attacks.

It took you a few years to see yourself for who you are and start eating right again, trying to become the person you once where and you did it and that was an achievement no one could take away from you. Even though your anxiety never went away it was easier to control.

After that you only ever made one friend. Chris. You were walking down the street after coming back from the convenience store with some snacks when you bumped into him. He constantly apologised and wondered why you were so sad blaming himself for the trouble he caused you. After all you did drop your snacks. He just kept asking questions and wanted to talk to you apologizing over and over offering to replace them and buy you dinner. No matter how much you ignored him he just wouldn't leave you alone.

You eventually gave into antics and accepted his offer thinking he would leave you alone. He started talking to you and refused to leave unless you exchanged numbers, he would always text you asking if you were ok and if you'd eaten. If you didn't he always brought over food or took you out to eat, he was one of the most sincere guys you had ever met.

Ever since that day you have been inseparable. He was the only person you felt like you could let your guard down around, no matter how many walls you put up he always magically smashed them down. He was only in Australia for a few weeks when you met and the thought of him abandoning you constantly crossed your mind. However, he continued to prove you wrong. You expected never to hear from him again but he messaged you as soon as he got back to Korea.

You couldn't help but feel that a part of you started to heal. Chris is your one and only best friend and you wouldn't give up your friendship for anything. Its been 8 years since that fateful day and you finally get to fly to Korea to stay with him for three months. Well him and his seven roommates.

The idea of people doesn't scare you as much as it used to thanks to his help, you even have a few acquaintances but no one you could really call a friend. It's a scar that you're not sure will ever heal, but you were willing to try. You can't let the past hold you back anymore and this trip was a chance to prove it.

You tried to get out of your comfort zone and learn his roommates names and become friends but you only managed to talk to two of them before freaking out. You still have some trust issues when it comes to meeting new people and trying to make new friends. He didn't want to push you too much as he knows how difficult it is for you. He was more than happy you made an effort and could now call his friends yours. You ended up learning about Jisung and Seungmin, he said it was best to learn those two first because they were the most 'normal' and crazy at the same time, whatever that meant. His other roommates, you call numbers 4 to 8, its just easier for you that way.