Luhan stared at the picture he had kept for so long. It was their last picture together. The last reminder that he once held him in his arms and had the right to call him his. He was still the one in his heart, in his mind, the very core of his life. It had been three years since he last saw his face up close. Three painful years. He had craved the warmth of his hands and the feel of his lips on his own. But now, they are miles away from each other with hardly any connection at all.

Feeling depressed once again, he decided to turn on his television and divert his attention. The screen flashed a familiar scene, that was when he realized that today would be the announcement of the couples for We Got Married. Starting this year, they made a few changes about how couples will be casted for the show.

Last month, his company received a call asking if they are willing to include Luhan in the list of possible casts on the show. His case with his former company had been settled last year and ever since then, Luhan had numerous offers for different shows. He also had the chance to come back and forth to Korea, doing small shows and interviews but he never got to meet with his former members, excluding the personal times he had met up with some of them.

He couldn't see the harm of it, so he agreed to let them include his name in the list. It wasn't certain if his name would be drawn or who will be his partner, but whatever happens he had nothing else to lose. He had already lost his most important person three years ago.

There had been a grand announcement for the show. They had publicly announced that We Got Married will be participating in the global support of same marriage so they changed the way the show was run. Instead of just casting heteroual couples, they decided to let the choice come from a chance of fate. There will be no sort of discrimination if the drawn couple will be both males or both females. This was the reason why everyone who had agreed to be included in the list had a signed agreement in the show that they couldn't back out if ever their name was drawn and they had to be paired with the same .

Luhan watched intently as the box with the names of the actors, idols, or famous personalities was presented. The host drew the first name from the box and read it. There was delight in his face as he reached for the mic to announce to the whole world the name of the first person to be casted.

"EXO Xiumin!"

The audience went wild with cheers. EXO remained at the peak of popularity. There was no dating issue about them after Baekhyun and Taeyeon's break up, or maybe they had just gotten better at hiding. But Luhan knew the truth. The truth that Baekhyun and Taeyeon was never a couple at all. Baekhyun loved Chanyeol and Taeyeon loved Jessica. The two of them were just used to cover up for Kris' departure from the team and to disprove the weak evidences captured about the two couples. When Jessica left the team, there was no more reason to keep up the act, so they let the couple issue fade before announcing to the public that they have broken up.

Luhan was shocked to hear Xiumin's name in the show. He didn't expect him, or any of the other members to agree to join. All of them knows how much the fans disliked the fact that they will be paired up with someone. But Xiumin's picture already showed up on the screen, meaning that he heard the announcement right.

His heart sank to know that he will have to see Xiumin get paired up with someone other than him. Xiumin. Xiumin will undoubtedly be paired up with someone. May it be a girl or a guy, he just couldn't bear to think about it. The public will see the spark in his eyes as he looked at the other person. The sweet gestures he never failed to show. The warmness he had always expressed. Everyone will see it, the other person will experience it, it won't be hard to fall for him.

Luhan's heart felt a stabbing pain. He looked back at his phone and touched the screen, tracing the smile on Xiumin's lips as their heads touched to squeeze both their faces in the picture. 

The host grabbed the box once again to draw the second name that will be paired up with the famous idol. Luhan almost reached for the remote to turn the television off. He wasn't ready to know who will get paired up with Xiumin. But the look on the host's face stopped him. He had an amused expression, followed by "So fate decided to give us an interesting couple for our first pair." He took a deep breath before shouting to the mic the name of the second person.

"Lu Han!"

He couldn't believe his ears. From all those names in that box, his was the one chosen to be paired up with Xiumin.

The sound of thousands of people screaming can be heard from the television. They did the show in the dome for more publicity. Screaming fangirls were shown on the screen, almost all of them giggling and squealing, some are crying and there are even a few who fainted.

Actually, it was Luhan who wanted to faint. He didn't know what to say or what to do. He wasn't sure if he should be happy that he's the one chosen instead of another person. He doesn't know what expression he should make. They haven't seen each other in these past three years. Not even a single mail to ask how the other party was doing. But Luhan had always clung on to the photos and videos they had together.

A few more minutes, Luhan received a call from his manager, telling him the changes in his schedule and his flight to Korea for the official announcement of the We Got Married fiances and for the official start of the shoot.

~*~

Luhan's party arrived in the set of WGM. The show respected the wish of both parties to let them use separate waiting rooms. Everyone who knows EXO knows the hardships they went through during the 2014-2015. And the truth is, they don't even know if the members are on good terms with each other. But they are sure that each and every one of them are professional enough to separate their private lives and their jobs.

Luhan did the briefing first because Xiumin with his busy schedule can't make it for the assigned time of the briefing. By the time he had finished, the staff announced that EXO Xiumin came, along with the two remaining EXO-M members, Chen and Lay. He didn't get a glimpse of Xiumin before he returned to his waiting room.

A few minutes after his return, a knock came to his door, then two familiar faces greeted him.

"Lu-ge!"

"Jongdae! Yixing!"

The two of them gave him a tight hug and suddenly it felt like everything was back in the old days.

"Sorry we were late. We had a recording for a radio show before this." Chen explained to him. He looked really happy reuniting with his old co member. Luhan had maintained connection with the rest of the members, including Kris and Tao, but somehow, he had lost contact on the closest person he was with before.

"Minseok-hyung is doing the briefing now." Lay reported. 

The two EXO members exchanged looks before asking the older Chinese.

"Will you be fine, Lu-ge?" Lay asked. Everyone in the team knew about his relationship with Xiumin. And he's guessing they also know by now how they broke up.

"How are you and Minseok-hyung?" Chen asked.

"What do you mean?" Luhan looked at them confused.

"We never actually got to know how you two broke up. Minseok-hyung asked us not to ask him anything about it, so we didn't." Chen replied.

"He also told us not to ask you about it." Lay added.

'So they don't know.' Luhan thought as he stared at Chen and Lay.

"But both of you got involved in this, so we kind of felt that it was the right time to ask." Chen told him.

A couple of knocks came to the door and interrupted their conversation. It was a member of the staff, telling Luhan to be on standby because the recording will start any moment. She also asked the two EXO members to sit in the front row so they can be seen in the camera. With that, the two exited the room with unanswered questions, leaving Luhan to wallow in the past he could never forget.

~*~

The audience was loud with cheers during the countdown for the live broadcast. The show had raked in views with two very popular personalities in the entertainment industry chosen as a couple. Today was just the official announcement of the pair, it's not even the day for the mock wedding, but everyone was already at the peak of excitement. One reason might be because the pair was never spotted together after Luhan's departure from the team. This will literally be the first time they will see the old co members together after that unfortunate year. Everyone was curious to know if the two had been on good terms or not. If they had talked privately. If they had remained the best friends they once were.

The two of them were called at the same time. They came from opposite sides of the stage. For a moment, the stage lights blinded Luhan and the next thing he knows, he was an arm's length away from Xiumin. Xiumin. He had grown a lot prettier and cuter this past three years. They are both 28 years old this year but he didn't look like he had aged at all. In fact, he looked younger than ever. He had changed his hair color to black, probably for the show. The last time Luhan checked his photo, which was yesterday, he still had that blonde hair, but now he had that short black hair, similar to the hairstyle he had during Luhan's last stage.

It had been three years since he last came face to face with him. Luhan didn't know how to react. He tried his best to remember what he did during the briefing, but looking at Xiumin's face made him forget everything. He didn't know how long he was staring at his face before Xiumin approached him with a familiar gesture. Luhan's body naturally responded to the action they did a lot before, even more than the number of times the cameras have captured it.

Screams can be heard from the audience when the two hugged each other on stage. It was like looking at an old EXO picture from years ago, but they're actually witnessing this live.

Xiumin broke off the hug and smiled sweetly at Luhan. They both seated themselves to the chairs that are next to each other. Xiumin didn't let go of Luhan's hand and the feeling felt so right. Luhan had remembered all those times they held hands during shows. He loved holding those small hands in his.

The host asked them the questions everyone was raring to ask.

"Did any of you maintain contact with each other after Luhan-shi left?" the host asked. There was no use to try and coat the questions because everybody knows that these are the things the people wanted to hear.

Luhan looked at Xiumin, unsure of how to answer the question. Should he tell the truth that they didn't have contact? Or for the sake of the camera, tell everyone that they kept in touch?

Xiumin beat him to it and answered "We didn't really talk. After he left, we kind of missed the chance to talk and somehow it lead to loss of communication."

Luhan found Xiumin's eyes as he talked, and even without exchanging words, he understood what Xiumin wanted to say. 'Just tell them the truth.' 

"Oh. But did you monitor each other's activities?" the host asked again.

"I did. I even streamed the concerts online." Luhan answered. It was less difficult to answer truthfully than trying to make up lies.

The interview went on like that. It felt natural to be sitting there next to Xiumin with their shoulders touching, just like before. For a while, those three years they were apart melted in Luhan's memories. He felt like they can start over again and probably this show will be the way to do that.

The broadcast finished and the photographers from different television stations swarmed at the two to take as many photos as possible. They both smiled sweetly at the camera, even doing the EXO sign together just like before. 

When they got to the backstage, away from all the people and all the cameras, Xiumin took a step away from him and walked the other direction. Luhan called out his name, something he couldn't do for a long time.

"Minseok!"

Xiumin turned with a sad expression on his face. "It's Xiumin, Luhan."

Luhan froze. It wasn't the look he had while they were on stage. None of the sweet warm smiles. None of the longing he had expressed in front of the camera. It wasn't Xiumin's face anymore, it was Minseok's. And Xiumin specifically called him Luhan, not the Lu he had always used before.

He wasn't sure how to face Minseok as Lu. And it looked like Minseok doesn't want anything to do with Lu. But Xiumin... Xiumin and Luhan...

"Are we okay?" he asked in a hesitant tone.

"Yes, Luhan. We're okay. Xiumin and Luhan are okay." That was all he said before he walked away.

Luhan stood there, remembering how it became Xiumin and Luhan for the two of them.

It was Luhan's last stage. All of the members knew. He had told them beforehand. He wanted them to be the first to know so they can prepare themselves. Of course, he told his plans to Minseok first, his lover.

 

They made his last stage memorable. They made him feel special. They all did their best to give him the best stage they can and it really was the best stage for him.

 

After the concert, the members left the two of them to talk. Minseok stayed by his side all this while, knowing full well about his weak state and the fact that he'll be leaving the team soon, which also means he'll be leaving Minseok's side.

 

Luhan wanted to keep Minseok with him, but the situation wouldn't allow it. If they stay together, it would only hurt them both. The long distance and the unknown length of time that they would be separated will bring nothing but pain. He didn't want to give Minseok that kind of suffering for long. He knows that they'll both be hurt by trying to stay together, so it might be best if they separate.

 

After the long silence, Luhan finally spoke, "Let's break up?" He had intended it to be a statement but his heart wouldn't allow it, so it came out as a question. How cruel must he be to give the weight to Minseok. But deep inside he was hoping Minseok to turn down the question and tell him that they will be okay. They will both bear the distance and the time until they can be within each other's arms again.

 

But...

 

"Okay." was all he heard before Minseok's arms slipped away from his back and he took a step away from Luhan.

 

"Minseok..."

 

"It's Xiumin, Luhan." he said with pain in his voice he couldn't quite hide.

 

That was their last time together. The last time he was able to call out to him. They separated just like that. As Xiumin and Luhan.