Wu Fan was able to find his intended destination with ease. He simply walked straight passed the lady at the desk in the lobby – who didn’t question him for he was so handsome - and entered the elevator. There was no one in sight in the hallways on the 3^rd floor. Wu Fan approached the apartment door, and rapped the wood surface lightly.

          The apartment’s inhabitant must’ve not looked through the peephole, for it opened up the door without thinking that the person behind the door might have bee the last person he wanted to see. With the door gone, Wu Fan was revealed, feet away from Luhan. Luhan tightened his hold on the door handle and cast his gaze downwards.

         “What’re you doing here?” Luhan asked after a moment’s silence.

         “I came to talk,” Wu Fan said plainly, without any anger, hostility, nor implications in his voice. It was said so nonchalantly that it caused Luhan face him with a weary eye. Wu Fan continued to stand there, level headed, and was granted entrance into Luhan’s apartment.

         “Nice place,” Wu Fan began with harmless small talk. Luhan closed the door behind Wu Fan, and studied the man as he scanned the room from left to right.

         “Thanks,” Luhan uttered. He walked over to Wu Fan, but kept his distance. They stared at one another for a second, in the middle of the room.

         “So,” Wu Fan began, “I turned 24 this past month.”

         Luhan nodded. He was there at the birthday party that the gang had hosted. It was held at a nice restaurant, with exquisite tasting food and wine. Where was Wu Fan going with this?

         “The morning of my birthday, I woke up and thought back to my final year of high school, the same day I turned 18,” Wu Fan’s story continued, and Luhan had an inkling of where this was going, “At that age, I honestly had no idea what was going to happen with my life. My parents were pressuring me to go to China and find a good job, get a pretty wife, and settle down quickly. I had not idea what I was going to do, but I knew that I wasn’t going to do what my parents wanted. It was too safe, too predictable.

         And then I woke up, the morning of my 24^th birthday and laughed to myself because I was doing the complete opposite of what my parents intended for me. I mean, I’m still unmarried, I work in South Korea, and I’m gay,” Wu Fan chuckled, “Even though who I am now may kill my parents, I don’t regret it because who I am brought Tao into my life.”

         Luhan crossed his arms on his chest and turned away from Wu Fan, his back facing his guest. He couldn’t look at the other. Wu Fan ignored this and proceeded onward.

        “The first day I saw Tao, was the first day of school, this year, his third and final year of high school. I thought he was cute and approachable, despite the fact that he was thicker than most high schoolers, and taller nonetheless. Tao locked eyes with me the first class I had with him, and I could plainly tell that he was head over heels. It was really flattering, but at the same time I remembered my place – I was his teacher, and seven years older.

        Even though I couldn’t speak freely to him, I did keep a close eye. It was curious to me because Tao always hung around this kid, Oh Sehun, a third year as well, who I thought was very plain. But after I while, I realized why Tao hung around him. Sehun was sweet, and very sensitive to Tao’s constantly changing moods. Sehun gave off an air of maturity, despite that Sehun often whined and complained. Actually,” Wu Fan ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment, “I was often jealous of Sehun because Tao often clung on to him intimately and made him laugh. Tao told me later on that it was just to make me jealous, but we all know that Tao is naturally like that.

        The fact that Tao is a man makes this whole situation very tense, but it was more or less my current situation at the time, as his teacher, that halted our relationship from continuing any further. While this was painful, I was also grateful for it, for it gave me the space to think about us, and about myself. When I realized that I did love Tao, and this wasn’t just a temporary thing, I then decided to quit my job. Nothing really special happened to me that made me recognize my love for him, but it just felt right….” Wu Fan trailed off.

        There were still no signs from Luhan from what Wu Fan could see. Luhan, on the other hand, could feel this weight pressing down on his chest. The younger wanted to clutch at his head, for only images of Sehun were bombarding his vision. It hurt too much.

        “The night I gave in to Tao, he told me what you said to him,” Luhan’s shoulders then twitched, and Wu Fan nodded:

        “What you did brought us together. I was too much of a coward to pursue Tao because I thought that his love was simply an infatuation. Your words helped us. And because of you, I am forever grateful,” Wu Fan’s voice thickened, “because you led me to him when I couldn’t. And I know that someday, maybe in the near future, maybe not,” Wu Fan paused before unveiling his plans, which he had never shared to anyone, “I’m going to take Tao to Canada, so we can marry.”

        Luhan’s heart skipped a beat. He whirled around – was Wu Fan joking with him? Wu Fan held his ground and trained his eyes on the other. Yes, what he was saying wasn’t something one could joke about, but at this point in life, at the age he was at, Wu Fan knew Tao was the one. Luhan fidgeted uncomfortably. He could tell that Wu Fan wasn’t kidding around at all.

        “So I’m here, now advising you, the same way to advised Tao, to not give up on Sehun. The kid’s hopelessly in love with you. I can tell because he looked at me with the same dead eyes that Tao once looked at me with.”

        Luhan breathed out and blinked his eyes rapidly to get rid of the tears. Wu Fan stepped forward and placed a hand on Luhan’s shoulder, to which Luhan focused on.

        “True love only happens once in a lifetime. Don’t let it pass you by, or it’ll your biggest regret.”

        With a sigh, Wu Fan released Luhan’s shoulder. He his heel, going straight for the door, when Luhan finally spoke:

        “I’m leaving for China.”

        “What?” Baekhyun whispered in outrage. Wu Fan had the crew, excluding Tao and Sehun, who were at school, in the café the next day.

        “Did he decide to because…” Yixing trailed off.

        “No,” Wu Fan shook his head, “not because of Sehun. Well, probably partly, but he wasn’t the initial reason.”

        “Then why?”

        The café door opened. Minseok and Jongdae were the first to look over, to see if it was a customer, even though they had put up the ‘closed’ sign on the door. However, it was Tao and Sehun who walked in. Tao had his hand locked on the crease of Sehun’s elbow, pulling him alongside him to match his pace. Sehun let himself be drug along.

        The school day was difficult. Sehun still wasn’t himself. He did walk, but at a snail’s pace, and that’s just about the only movement he did. In class, he didn’t even work. The most he did was open his book up and stare down at it, pretending to be following along so the teachers wouldn’t reprimand him. Since Sehun wasn’t up to talk, Tao told the teacher’s that Sehun had lost his voice, so Sehun wouldn’t be called on. The worst part was, was that Sehun wouldn’t touch his lunch. Baekhyun even had to force down spoonfuls of rice into Sehun’s mouth before school. Tao, at first, thought at least Sehun wasn’t crying, but at this point he was wishing for some sort of emotional reaction.

        Tao brought themselves over to the table, a little nervous as to why they were all congregated together. Sehun sat down in a chair in between Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. Baekhyun grabbed Sehun’s hand, while Kyungsoo wrapped an arm protectively around the back of his chair. Sehun felt grateful for his hyungs, and how they so readily protected the maknae. But he couldn’t manage to thank them, at least not now.

       “Sehun,” Wu Fan called. Sehun looked at Wu Fan, and waited.

       “I spoke with Luhan yesterday,” Wu Fan expected to see a reaction from Sehun, but the boy sat there, still with a blank face, “He’s leaving for China tomorrow.”

       Sehun breathed out and folded over unexpectedly. Those near him immediately flashed to his side, tending to him. Sehun felt hands all over him, but wouldn’t budge. He stared down at the floor to hide his face, which was convulsing uncontrollably.

       “The only flight out of Incheon to any Chinese province tomorrow is at 5,” Wu Fan went on, “I looked it up earlier.”

       “Why is he leaving?” Yixing asked again.

       Wu Fan now answered, with everyone here, “He explained to me that he got a phone call last night from the head coach of the Chinese National Team. They want him to go back for a training camp. He accepted the offer early yesterday morning.”

       “So Luhan hadn’t said yes when he had come over the other night?” Chanyeol deducted.

       “Seems that way,” Wu Fan agreed.

       “That’s why he wanted to forget,” Sehun mumbled out pitifully.

       “What?” Kyungsoo asked on behalf of everyone else, who couldn’t hear Sehun because he was facing the floor. Sehun sat up in his seat. He felt fingers tending to the tears on his cheeks.

       “He said he wanted to forget, that night he came to me,” Sehun’s hollowed self droned on, “it looked like he would tell me afterwards. So, that means I…” His lips shook and he bit back a sob, “caused him to leave…”

       Everyone at the table wanted to adamantly reject this, but in light of the situation, Sehun wasn’t wrong.

       “He’s not gone yet,” Jong In butted in. Sehun looked towards his hyung, who had his lips pursed determinedly, “Go see him tonight.”

       “I don’t think I can,” Sehun deflated like a balloon. His weak voice was so heart wrenching, “He won’t answer the door, I know he won’t. The moment he sees me,” Kyungsoo Sehun’s hair soothingly. Sehun hiccupped once, and the sobs subsided.

      “Why did Luhan need to forget anyways? The Chinese National Team…?” Joonmyun inquired.

      “It’s a long story,” Sehun answered.

      “Guys, can we have some space?” Wu Fan asked politely. The ten of them rose from their seats and shuffled away from the table. Once they were far enough away, Wu Fan got up, and sat in a chair next to Sehun.

      “What’s he going to tell him?” Minseok wondered, standing from behind the counter.

     “What if Sehun starts to break down again?” Kyungsoo asked worriedly. Jong In placed an arm around Kyungsoo for comfort, to which Kyungsoo responded by grabbing his hand.

     They watched Wu Fan pat Sehun’s knee, “My babe’s got this under control,” Tao assured them, “he’s very wise.”

     “I don’t know,” Jongdae joked, “I mean, he’s dating you after all…”

      Tao smiled at hit him on the arm, “Stupid.” It was nice to relieve some of the tension.

     “We’re going to see Luhan,” Wu Fan told Sehun, and looked him in the eye. Sehun was about to protest, but Wu Fan cut him off, “He will see you.”

     “How do you know?”

    “Trust me, he will,” Wu Fan sincerely hoped that his words had gotten through to Luhan.

    “But-”

    “No buts,” Wu Fan said sharply, “Now, do you love him or not?”

    Sehun nodded slowly. He couldn’t fool his heart into believing he didn’t, even if Luhan might not love him anymore.

    “Then we’re going,” Wu Fan said firmly, “I’ll pick you up later tonight.”

    Sehun covered his mouth with his hand. His heart was beating wildly, pounding even in his ears. His eyes screwed shut tightly as he saw black spots in his vision. Wu Fan reached forward and embraced him. Even though he wasn’t usually a touchy kind of person, this action was called for.

    “It will be ok.”