It Ends With a Text (Sequal to It Began With a Text)

Whole New World

Felt kinda bad so I figured I should grace you all with some precious crumbs, enjoy :D

     Three years in and this place still felt outwardly.

     Kim Seungmin would never get used to how bright California was. He was constantly going half blind from the sun's rays and his skin was always an oven of hot spots that eventually became comforting. His parents still freaked out over his tanned skin every summer and Seungmin didn't always recognize himself either.

     All around him, students chatted animatedly, caught in a half-jog into the familiar golden-bricked buildings in the background, shadowed by palm trees and bruised grass. Seungmin, on the other hand, lazed out of the building, ready to succumb to the ever-so-tempting evening nap after classes.

     His room at his modest rented apartment was small and it was his. The ceiling formed an arch over his head and strung along the walls with tape and flimsy wire were his best attempt at memories, having given in to the Polaroid craze during second year. These photos were branded into his mind by now and yet, Seungmin still felt a firework in his heart when looking at them.

     This was his life now. It was so... different. It wasn't supposed to be possible.

     "SEUNGMINN!"

     The voice immediately pounded him with a headache and Seungmin groaned as he rolled over to face the door. "What!?"

     His friend and roommate, Marcus, threw the door open without knocking and Seungmin did not have the strength to berate him for it. "Yejun found some of the old apartment stuff. Your stuff included."

     Seungmin sat up instantly. "Show."

     Yejun barged in right after in an instant, holding a small wooden box. "Just a ton of old photos. Why did you pack them away? I have have found them muchh sooner if you remembered you had them."

     Marcus peered into the box, taking some of the photos and shifting them through his fingers. He snickered. "Damn, you look young. Are these high school photos? Cute glasses."

     "Cute bowl cut," Yejun chimed in.

     Seungmin sprung off the bed, snatching the photos from Marcus ("Hey!") He took a quick swig of water as he looked through them, the drink sliding down his throat like lead. "Yeah- yeah, this is high school."

     "Dude, put them up! Why print so many photos just to let them gather dust?" Marcus said.

     "I almost forgot about these..." Seungmin said, half out of breath as he took the rest of the photos from the box.

     "You guys look really close," Yeonjun said. "Tell you what, I'll help you string them up tonight. I also have photos from Korea in my room, you'll find it nice too." A trail of reminiscence left Yejun's voice and on any other day, Seungmin would have agreed with anything he said.

     Seungmin gathered the photos into a neat square and placed them back into the box. His mouth was dried out. He was significantly better in English after living here but there were certain things he still didn't know how to say, wasn't sure there would ever be a way to say them.

     "Nah, it's okay. We're... not close anymore."

     No, it still wasn't right.

     Marcus shrugged. "It be like that sometimes. Wanna get a bite to eat?"

     The box in his hands weighed a tonne. Seungmin placed it onto the shelf and rubbed his hands together to get rid of the dust. "Sure, you're paying."