It was raining heavily that day. An old man sat on his rocking chair quietly while he looked solemnly tow­ards the window. His hands fondled slightly with the warm blanket which covered his bottom half. He had lost his ability to walk. His old age had made such drastic change to his once athletic body. He was once a main dancer of one of most popular group in Korea. But time kept ticking away and his youth had long gone away. He sighed and shifted his attention to the rain which was pouring heavily.

He suddenly recalled something from his younger days, a beautiful reminiscence of his beautiful memories. Those precious memories he treasured dearly as he went through his interesting life. Some were able to make him smile as he remembered them, while some others made him learnt what life was all about.
He shakily stood up and slowly walked to the dusty table. His wrinkled hand swatted some old papers, trying to allocate something. His gaze fell upon an old brown box. He smiled as he found the thing he had been looking for. He took that box while he struggled to carry it back to his rocking chair because of the slightly heavy weight of the box.

He sat back and put the box on his lap. He opened the box and his eyes soon clouded with sudden emotional tears. He took the photo album out of the box as his wrinkled fingers shakily dusted the photo book before him. His eyes skimmed on the cover of the book and his lips automatically went upward as he let out a soft smile. There, pasted on the cover was the proof of his friendship with his once group member. Twelve of them stood beside each other and they laughed happily on that old photo. Eleven of them had their fingers pointing at one of the member who stood in the middle. He was covered with icing as his hands held the cake with chocolate and vanilla icing. He grinned widely to the camera, showing his pearly white teeth.

The old man smiled as he remembered that day clearly. It was his 19th birthday, the same day as today. An unforgettable birthday of his life.
 That day he went home from his schedule sulkily. All day he had tiringly moved from one place to another as he finished his supposed schedule. On top of that, none of s congratulated him on his birthday. They seemed to forget about it because of the busy schedules. He then dragged his exhausted body to the dorm and he opened the door quickly.

‘SURPRISE’

All of s stood there before him, wearing colorful party hats as they grinned widely at him. One of s held up a cake with candles on top of it. The maknae quickly put a pink party hat on his head as he pushed him forward. They urged him to quickly make a wish and blew the candles. Some of them complained that he got back so late. Apparently they had to delay eating the dinner they had prepared to wait for his return. He laughed heartily and decided to tease them by prolonging the time he took to make his birthday wish. A couple of s tried to his head and eagerly told him to quickly blow the candles. He dodged their attacks and blew all of the candles.

They erupted in cheers and he suddenly found his face attacked by eleven pair of hands. He stood dumbfounded as his face covered with vanilla icing from the cake. s laughed on his funny face while some hungry ones decided to treat themselves with the food laid on the dining table. Some of the oldest members ruffled his hair and said their blessings. The chef of the group said he cooked some of his favorite food, just for this important day. He thanked him and they together walked to the dining table to eat the feast.

 As they ravished on the food, their manager came in and held up a camera. He said this precious moment should be recorded so he ordered them to stand in line with the birthday boy in the middle. They still wore their party hats and the birthday boy held the cake. They all had bright smiles as they looked to the camera.

SNAP!

He jolted a bit from his return of the memory lane. He looked back to those time they were together. He once thought they would always be together, no one could break their friendship bond. But he soon realized life wasn’t always about happiness. One of s walked away suddenly from the group and he felt so lost that time. The trust he held started breaking when one by one, his trusted friends walked away leaving him and s. He built up a wall in his heart and the once kindhearted and happy kid has turned to a cold and stone-faced kid.

Some years after the group disbanded and they walked their own life paths. He decided to leave the entertainment world and built up a business with his best friend. It turned out to be a successful move and he lived contently. On one point of his life, he suddenly got a call from his once member in China. He told him that his Canadian member was dying because of brain cancer and he wanted to meet them, all of his supposed group mates.

He pondered a lot whether to come or not but his inner feeling made him go to China either way. He remembered the day they met each other again. Eleven of them stood in a hospital room with his handsome member laid weakly on his bed. He looked around and found s looked at each other awkwardly, not knowing what to do. A sudden cough made them looked to their pale friends. His once handsome face had turned so thin and pale but he still managed to look handsome. His eyes had lost its sparkle and his bony body laid weakly on the bed.

All of them shifted their attention fully to him as he opened his dry lips to utter his sorry. He apologized over and over until a single tear drop fell to his cheek. His voice was thick of emotion and he bowed down his head as he cried quietly. The maknae of the group approached the bed quietly as he pulled the once leader to a warm hug. His own eyes had filled with emotional tears. The hug had made the older man cried loudly as he allowed his hand to return the hug. The maknae poured all of his pained emotion as he cried loudly. He continuously murmured “It’s okay” trying to comfort the older one but more to comfort himself.  All of the members hesitantly took a step forward, approaching them. The oldest first reached out and pulled both of them to a warm hug. One after another they linked their hands to hug each other. Their first hug after 10 years. That day, they cried loudly on each other shoulders. They apologized to each other of our old mistakes and all of those painful memories were forgotten as the tears washed all of them away.

They stayed together that day and we told each other about our life after the separation. Sometimes they laughed as they recalled some funny memories, but some tears also shed of some painful memories. He had never imagined they were able to sit around together again after all that happened in the past. But they decided to leave the past as it was and decided to move forward. That day was definitely one of the best days in his life.

They decided to stay together in China for a week to catch up with each other and accompanied their sick friend. He had regained some color on his cheek and he was happy with them around. They tried to keep him happy because his doctor had said that he didn’t have much time left. The beagle lines were still funny as the old time. They always told funny jokes that successfully made the others laughed. But those excitements didn’t linger long enough for them to savor those sweet moments. The last day of the week, they gathered around the bed as they looked hollowly at the bed in front of them. There laid in front of them was their close friend. His face looked white as the snow who poured down gracefully outside the window. His eyes were closed as his lips curved up into a soft smile. His mother stood beside him as she let out quite sobs. One of his friends had lost his battle to the disease.

After that day, eleven of them always kept in touch with each other. They always met up with each other at least once in three months. They went to many trips together, encouraged each other when one of them fell into despair, attended each other weddings, and so on. They had created many new happy memories that replaced those old painful ones. The once broken bond was once again recreated, even stronger than before.

Time flowed gracefully and none of human could fight against it. They grew older and older but their friendship was as beautiful as ever. Then fate decided to play with them once again. They once again stood in front of the tomb, wearing their black suits. The maknae left them earlier because of an unfortunate car accident. That day, he silently stood there while gripping tightly to the white rose he brought. He cried again that day, tears for his closest friend for a life time.

 Destiny decided to knock on each of their doors. One by one his beloved members left the world while the rest of them still kept their precious friendship with each other. And now he was left alone. He spent his old age in the mansion together with his oldest sons and family. Although sometimes he felt lonely, his grandsons always managed to brighten his remaining days with their antics.

He closed his eyes as a single tear fell down to his wrinkled pale cheek. Those memories were so beautiful yet painful in the same time. He missed his friends dearly. He listened to the slow rhythm of the raindrops and finally succumbed to the sleepiness.

*****

He woke up and looked around of him. The rocking chair he was sitting on was gone, replaced by the strange cold white endless floor. Although the floor was cold, he still felt a kind of warmness beneath it which was strange. He tried to get up and once again he was surprised. His aching body could move freely on his accord. Although the wrinkles were still there, but strangely he felt sudden surge of energy filled his body. He looked at his clothes and he wore a pure white gown similar to the hospital gown. His feet stumbled upon something. He gazed down and saw a stack of photographs of him and s. He took them and gripped them tightly. This situation was really weird. He scratched his non itchy head and decided to look around.

He stood in the middle of nothing. He was engulfed in silence. The surrounding was filled with endless white with some of spurge of green, supposedly from the fresh grass. But that’s it. No people or houses around him that made him wonder whether this was a dream or afterlife. He jolted because a sudden pat on his shoulder.
He looked behind him and found a beautiful lady looked at him with her beautiful white gown. Her head was decorated with a beautiful flower crown made with white roses. She smiled brightly and she took his arm, urging him to walk forward.

“Who are you and where am I?” His voice laced with curiosity instead of fear. Even though it was the first time he met this woman, he felt a strange comfortable feeling with her. The woman let out a graceful laugh and faced him.

“You are in between of life and afterlife,” she answered. Her voice melodiously resonated in the silence. He blinked at her answer.

“I am no one. I am only merely a keeper of this dimension and accompany the souls to reach the afterlife,” she continued.

“So I died?” He said slowly as he let the realization sank in. The woman let out another amused laugh.

“May be,” she answered mysteriously while smiled softly. They walked forward slowly, still in the same pace as before.

“But how do I go to the afterlife or whatever it is?” the man asked again. Her vague answer didn’t satisfy his curiosity.

“You must go through a door which let you leave this dimension,” she answered. The old man just nodded his head hearing the answer. The woman then looked down and found him gripping the photo tightly yet gently.

“What’s that?” she asked as she scanned the photo. “They looked so happy,” she added. His tensed mouth slowly curved into a warm smile. He brought the photo up as he looked proudly at that photo.

“These are my precious treasures,” he started as his eyes glistened with tears. He started to feel sad again reminiscing those memories.

“Please tell me about it,” the woman urged him to say more.

“This one is my photo with my best friends. Brothers of mine, twelve of us together,” he said. He still looked at the photo, scanning at each members face. They all smiled towards the camera and although they looked mature in that photo, they still looked handsome just as handsome as their early age.

“That day was the day before one of my best friends left me for forever. I still clearly remembered that day. I even could almost smell the antiseptic in his room.” He chuckled before continued. “We gathered around in his room, like we always do for the past days.  Some of us were goofing around just like those old days when we were still in a group together,” he gazed sadly.

“My friend who was always responsible for cooking cooked a feast to celebrate our reunion. We lay the food on the table and we decorated the room with colorful balloon and wore silly party hats. There were decorations everywhere and the room was in such a mess,” he chuckled again while his eyes gazed up, recalling those feelings.

“I felt so happy that we were together again as one. The beagle line of my group was fooling around and we just laughed with their antics. Even my sick friend chuckled loudly when one of the beagles fell down because of the prank the dinosaur made. We ate the food my friend prepared and I realized how much I missed the food.”

“We went our own way after separating from the group and we had never been brave enough to meet with each other again. But that day I felt so warm, knowing all of my best friends were there together with me to enjoy that simple yet memorable moment. The oldest member suddenly went out the room and came back bringing the cake, just like the old day when one of us celebrated our birthday,”

“The chocolate cake was decorated with white icing and stood on it was a logo we all knew dearly. The official logo of our group. Also there were twelve mini characters of us acting our supposed power which resembled us a lot. He put it on the table and we surrounded the cake instantly. I pushed the wheel chair my sick brother sat on to approach the table and we sat around it. My oldest brother proudly said it was his own-made cake. One of the playful members said he wouldn’t eat it because he knew it was going to taste awful. The second oldest one knocked him on his head while he pouted with the sudden attack. We cut the cake evenly so each of us got a piece of it. On each of the cake stood our own characters that brought a lot of feelings. The soft hearted panda started tearing and soon all of us cried again for umpteenth time that week. I was a really stone hearted before but that week really made me cried a lot,” he stopped to take a deep breath before continue.

“I never guessed that day was the last day we would be together as twelve. The next day was one of the saddest day but I’d learnt to accept after living through this long life. Kris hyung had gone. I lost one my brothers but I knew I still had the other beside me,” he then pulled out the second photo and there were eleven of them.

“This was taken when Kyungsoo hyung had his wedding. I’d never imagined my midget hyung managed to wed first than me,” he chuckled lightly. “We stood together and posed our famous pose with our thumb stretch forward. It was such a happy day,” he then took another two pieces of photos. His eyes soon clouded with tears.

“Fate was cruel you know. My dear best friend left me because of the car accident. He left us so early that I couldn’t even grasped the situation properly that day. That day, I let out my tear once again. Ten of us took this photo a few months later after his death when we visited his grave together. Oh how I missed his lisp, my best friend, Se Hun. Few years later, a sudden fire in his house had took Luhan hyung’s life. I lost yet another brother.” He gazed softly at the photo of 9. They walked forward, still in the same pace as before.

“Min Seok hyung soon left us when he died because of unknown illness, soon followed by Chen Hyung. Fate decided to separate us apart but I knew they still treasured our friendship dearly in their hearts, just like me. One after another they left me. And there were me and Chanyeol Hyung left. 6 months ago, both of us sat together at the lawn in front of his house. He showed me his goofy grin as he said those words. I remembered those words until this day. He said, ’I wish we can meet the other again after this life’. I smiled at his sudden saying but deep in my heart I also hoped for the same thing. Then a month after, he left me alone in the world,” he said as he looked at the picture with two old men smiled toothless grins at the camera. They sat on the bench at the beautiful garden with warm sun ray shone at them.  And finally he looked sadly at his own photo. In that photo, he was sitting solemnly on his rocking chair while smiling softly.

“Do you miss your friends?” the woman asked him. He looked up and looked straight at the woman. He then let a smile, a heartwarming smile nonetheless.

“Yes, dearly,” he answered. He realized they had stopped in front of the big rimless door in front of him. The door shone brightly with white light.

“So here I am,” he said solemnly. His eyes shows wisdom as he through his life wisely. “So is this goodbye?” he asked the lady before him.

“Yes, but I have a little something for you,” she smiled. “Please look at behind of you,” the confused man just turned around. And he suddenly overwhelmed by emotion. In front of him, his group members stood handsomely as they smiled to him.

‘All of them refused to leave this dimension before they meet you. They had waited all these years to wait for you to come joining them,” the woman smiles as the old man looked at s stunned.

The members opened their hands as they welcomed him to the group. He straightly ran to them and hugged the first member he stumbled upon. He tearfully hugged each of them and cried loudly. The other member hugged him and patted his shoulders in comfort. They all looked the same as the appearance when they left the world.  A sudden click made him realize of the woman behind him. He turned around and found the woman magically held a camera in her hands.

“C’mon, please stand in line,” she ordered cheekily. The other started to stand in line noisily. He stood in the middle and smiled widely to the camera.

“Okay, all set! Look at here please!” she said and she successfully got their attention. Slowly but sure their appearances shifted into those times when they were still in EXO. They stood in straight line and looked to the camera. They looked at the camera and smiled their usual smiles.

“One, two, three!”

“WE ARE ONE!”

*****

The man quietly went in the room after no one answers his several knocks on the door. He looked at his father who had his eyes closed, still sitting solemnly on the rocking chair. He patted his father shoulder slightly to wake him up. After all he had prepared a surprise for his father 80th birthday. But even after several attempts, his father still didn’t show any reaction.

He suddenly engulfed in fear and he decided to check his father’s pulse. Shakily he put his two fingers to his father’s hand, trying to feel his pulse. But he felt nothing. His tears dripped upon realization his father has died. He tearfully looked at his father face as he found his father was smiling as single tear fell on his father cheek.
He bent down a little to kiss his father forehead and quietly whispered the final farewell.

“Good bye father and sleep tight. Until we meet again.”

He went out the room and closed the door softly. The wind from the outside blew a single photograph to the floor. In that photo, stood handsomely twelve of EXO members smiled happily to the camera. They had their hands on each other’s shoulders and smiled widely. At the below of the photograph, written with a neat handwriting was a single phrase all of EXO-L dearly knew by heart.

We are One. Forever and Always.

*****

Hey there! Hopefully you all like my one shot. This is my first attempt to write an one shot and truthfully I was crying while writing this. I just feel overwhelmed with many emotions just now. This fanfic is inspired by a story in web toon “About Life”. I highly recommended you guys to read it because It is really super good.

And thanks a lot for reading. Please leave your comments so I will know what you guys think about this fanfic ^^ And of course upvotes also highly appreciated :p. 

I also have an outgoing fanfic called Ten, please check it too. http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/964582/ten-angst-romance-you-exo-exom-lay-ot12

And pretty please leave comments and tell me how do you feel about this story or your feeling after reading this story. Thanks again and till next time!