“Oppa, are you okay?”

Lu Hee helps him up and he smiles at her sheepishly. “Yeah. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” He looks at the man still sprawled on the ground and offers his hand. When the other takes his hand, he pulls him up. He stares at the other man’s eyes for a long time, without even realizing it. Lu Hee nudges his side and he snaps out of the trance. He bows and says, “Sorry. And thank you for taking my fall.” He bows again before tugging his sister away.

“Okay, what was that?” she asks when they start walking. She spares a glance behind her and stifles a giggle when she sees the man still standing there.

Lu Han squeezes his sister’s hand to make her look in front. “Don’t look back,” he hisses.

“He’s dazed,” she comments, still looking back. “He’s frozen in his spot.”

“Lu Hee,” he warns.

Lu Hee looks at him and laughs. “He is so into you. Just look at him.”

He bites his lip and looks back, but he is startled when he sees the man looking back at him. He looks back in front, his face reddening. “Why didn’t you say he was looking?”

Lu Hee laughs again and says, “Well, he wasn’t. He probably felt that you were going to look at him and so he looked too.”

He glares at her, but adds softly, “I have to admit though. He smells nice.”

She wants to continue teasing his brother, but the small smile on his face stops her. They don’t talk about the man again even when they get back to the shop. Lu Han immediately retreats to his room with his purchases.

She doesn’t tell him that she has figured out who the mystery man is.

He drops the bags on the wooden floor and plops on the single bed. His room is small and he shares it with Yixing. There are two single beds on two sides of the room, a clothes rack that he also shares with his best friend, and a drawer for each of them. The room is part of their wage. Minseok doesn’t ask them for rent.

He feels incredibly lucky that Minseok is a kind soul, who has too much money to spare. His boss is actually the third son of the CEO of a business conglomerate. Unlike his two elder brothers, he gets to do whatever he wants. When he was eighteen, he decided to start his own business. He loves money and is practically married to it, but only if he makes it on his own and if he earns it the right way.

The door opens and he hears footsteps nearing him. He doesn’t need to look to know who it is. He just knows. The bed dips when the person sits.

“Oppa?”

“Hm, dongsaeng?” he says affectionately.

Lu Hee laughs and lies beside him. Only his twin is allowed on his bed. They look like sardines stuck in a can as he pulls Lu Hee towards him to keep her from falling.

“I’ll be famous someday,” Lu Hee says. “And then we’ll have lots of money and we can buy a bigger bed. We’ll find mom and she can live with us. And then you can go back to school.”

He hums. That’s a good dream, he thinks. And it will come true soon. He wants Lu Hee’s dream to come true, except for one part. He doesn’t want to find their mother. Is the woman who abandoned them worthy to be called mother? 

“Oppa, what do you want to do?” she asks, stopping his train of thoughts. With great difficulty, she shifts her position so she can look at him. “Don’t answer whatever I want to do. I’m asking you what you want to do. You always just go along with whatever I want and I don’t think that’s fair.”

He stares at her and thinks. It is true that he always puts Lu Hee first. He barely does anything for himself. So, now that he’s faced with such a question, he doesn’t know how to respond. What does he want? “I—I don’t know,” he answers truthfully. “I’ve never really thought about it.”

The masked man suddenly appears in his mind—surprising him—and he blushes unconsciously. It’s weird, he thinks, Why do I keep thinking of him? I don’t even know who he is… right?

“Oppa, are you there?” Lu Hee waves a hand in front of him, snapping him back to reality.

He blinks and looks at her, confused. “Huh?”

She scoffs and sits up. “Were you thinking about the masked man? You have the same expression as earlier.”

He blushes even more and kicks his sister. She ungracefully lands on the floor with a thud. “Stop talking nonsense,” he tells her.

The door suddenly bursts open and Yixing and Minseok come in. Yixing lies on his bed with an exhausted sigh. Minseok sits on the floor in front of Lu Hee.

“You got kicked again?” Yixing asks, addressing the younger twin.

She rolls her eyes. “I was just asking him about the man he met—“

Lu Han swiftly pulls the pillow from under his head and hits his twin. “Shut it,” he hisses.

She raises her hands in surrender before bursting into a fit of giggles. Lu Han glares at her while Minseok and Yixing stare at him in surprise.

“Lu Han, the boy who only flirts and never commits, has fallen in love?” Minseok asks slowly.

“I thought you’d be alone forever,” Yixing says honestly, without a hint of mockery. “Does this mean we won’t have to worry about you growing old alone?”

“Who’s the guy who managed to make our Lu Han fall in love?” Minseok adds.

Lu Hee just blinks, at a loss on what to do. Romance is a sensitive topic when it comes to his brother. She doesn’t know how a simple joke turned into something so serious.

The older twin has had enough and he stands on his bed. He points at his best friend. “You,” he says and then points to his boss, “and you. My life is not like those dramas you watch. Go ship Lee Seung Go and Shin Man Ah or whatever you guys do and whoever they are. Just leave me out of this.” He sticks his tongue out at them and leaves the room in a huff.

He walks to their small kitchen, separate from the shop’s kitchen, and opens the fridge. He grabs a bottle of orange juice and angrily gulps everything up until the last drop. He slams in on the counter and wipes his mouth.

He doesn’t like talking about romance. As far as he’s concerned, there are only three kinds of love. The first one is platonic love, which he has with Minseok. The next one is familial love, which exists between him and Lu Hee and him and Yixing. Last, but definitely not the least, is the love that subsists in him and God.

He likes watching happy couples. Seeing them makes him happy and giddy, as if he’s the one experiencing it. But that’s all there is to it. There is no such thing as romantic love for him. Sure, he’s had some crushes and some flings here and there, but nothing too serious. Nothing that will make him settle down. He scoffs. He’s seen enough failed marriages that resulted in broken homes and orphaned children. He doesn’t want to risk hurting his future children, if he decides to have them. He doesn’t want to hurt himself.

He will never ever fall in love.

He feels someone sneak behind him and a pair of arms wrap around his waist. “Oppa, are you angry?”

He smiles and holds his sister’s arms. “Nope. I know you guys mean well. But I won’t be alone for the rest of my life. I have you.”

Another pair of arms wrap around him. “You have me too, hyung,” Yixing adds.

Minseok, the smallest among the four of them, squeezes in between Yixing and Lu Hee to hug him. “Me too!”

His heart soars as his family shower him with warmth, sincerity, and love.

“So, what exactly are you going to do in Exo?” Lu Han asks his sister as they eat their breakfast. He eats a spoonful of rice and looks at her pointedly while chewing his food.

Yixing drinks a glass of water and says honestly, “You’re not exactly the best singer, you know.”

Lu Han and Minseok bite their lips as they try to hold in their laughter. Yixing is too honest, but he is saying the truth. Lu Hee, although musically-inclined, cannot hold a tone.

Lu Hee blushes, embarrassed, but she doesn’t have the heart to glare at Yixing. The boy is too oblivious and innocent. “I’m going to play the drums,” she tells them.

Yixing raises his eyebrows. “But doesn’t Jongin play the drums?” he asks.

She chews the food in , swallows it, and answers, “Jongin wants to play the guitar, actually. But he has no choice but to play the drums instead since neither Sehun nor Kris can.”

Yixing shrugs, content with the explanation, and goes back to eating. Minseok, on the other hand, narrows his eyes at her. “Okay, wait up. Are you saying the entertainment is willing to shuffle the roles of the members just to put you in?”

She nods.

“Won’t that make the fans angry?” the boss continues. “You know how rabid their fans are. What if they end up hating you?”

“I’m not going to let them hurt my sister!” Lu Han proclaims. He shoves a piece of bacon inside his mouth and says, “Maybe I can be your personal bodyguard?”

Lu Hee baulks in disgust. “Oppa, chew your food first. You’re disgusting.”

The older twin shrugs his shoulders and continues eating his food. He likes Korean food, but bacon is heaven. “Bacon is good. Bacon is yum—“

“Lu Hee,” Minseok says, voice rising a few decibels and effectively cutting off Lu Han’s nonsensical rant, “you still haven’t answered my question.”

She sighs. “I actually don’t know what will happen. But I guess change will be good. I think the fans will want to see Jongin play a different instrument,” she says uncertainly.

“This is troublesome,” Minseok mutters.

“Sorry,” she mumbles and starts playing with her food.

“Don’t worry,” he reassures her immediately. “I’ll ask my father for a team of the best bodyguards in Korea. I’ll have them guard you in case something happens.”

She grins. Although there’s really no reason for that since the entertainment can provide the security, she’s still grateful. “Thanks, oppa.”

Minseok grabs his phone and starts making some calls.

“I told you I can be your personal bodyguard,” Lu Han intervenes. “I can learn kung fu and taichi and protect you from delusional fans—“

“Sehun is part of the band,” Yixing says. “If you want to see him everyday, then go be Lu Hee’s bodyguard.”

Lu Han shuts up and shudders. He shakes his head vehemently. “No, thanks. He’s an evil soul pretending to be Adonis.”

Lu Hee looks at him weirdly. “You know Sehun? I thought you have no interest in idols?”

“I don’t,” he deadpans. Before he can explain any further, Lu Hee’s phone rings. She checks the caller ID and her eyes widen. She hurriedly takes the call and says, “Hello?”

They don’t hear what the person on the other line says, but Lu Hee says, “Alright. Bye!”

“Who’s that?” Lu Han asks.

“Chanyeol oppa,” Lu Hee answers. She stands from her seat. “He’s waiting outside the shop. I’ll be back in a bit.”

She leaves the dining room and after a few minutes, she comes back with a tall, gangly boy with large ears and a mischievous-looking face. At the same time, Minseok hangs up.

They all stand and bow at the visitor. The tall visitor bows back and introduces himself. “Hello. I am Chanyeol, Lu Hee’s ma—oh! Lu Hee two point oh!” He points at Lu Han, eyes wide and mouth agape. He turns to Lu Hee and tells her, “He does look exactly like you. I can’t believe it!”

The three men look at Chanyeol in surprise. The man’s voice has taken them by surprise. His childlike face is the exact opposite of his voice. 

Chanyeol claps his hands excitedly and says, “That is so cool!” But Chanyeol’s excitement soon fades and he sighs.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Hee, Minseok, and Lu Han ask. Yixing looks at the three of them and then at the manager in confusion.

Chanyeol rubs the back of his neck and says, “You see, the president changed his mind about making you a drummer.”

Lu Hee gasps. “Does that mean I’m out of the group?”

“Maybe you can play the keyboard instead?” Lu Han suggests.

Chanyeol shakes his head. “The president wants you to sing.”

Lu Hee’s knees wobble and she almost falls to ground, but Yixing fortunately catches her before she falls. “Sing?!”

The manager nods gravely. “He thought that since you could play just about any instrument, you’d be a good singer too. But I know for a fact that you cannot sing even a single note—“

“Thanks,” Lu Hee says wryly.

“—so I made some plans to send you to America,” he finishes.

“You’re going to send Lu Hee to America? Why?” Lu Han demands, his brotherly instincts kicking in.

“Isn’t that illegal?” Minseok asks.

Chanyeol gulps, obviously not used to situations like that. “It will just be for two months!” he says. “I’ve contacted a good vocal trainer in America. I’m pretty sure that in two months, you’d be able to sing like a pro.”

They all sigh in relief.

“But there’s a catch,” Chanyeol continues. “The president wants you to kickoff your career by giving you solo activities. He wants you to debut as a solo artist first.”

Lu Hee pales. “But I can’t—I can’t sing.”

“Not yet,” the manager reminds her. “But the problem is, he wants you to debut next month.”

The younger twin closes her eyes and leans on Yixing. “I’m going to die.”

They all fall silent and only the chirping of the birds outside can be heard. Lu Han feels his heart breaking for his sister. He knows how long his sister has waited for his moment. He knows how much his sister wants to become an idol. He knows how much she wants to see their mother, even if she abandoned them.

“Oppa,” Lu Hee says silently.

He looks at her and asks softly, “Yes?”

“Will you stand in my place while I train?”

He blinks. Minseok stares. Yixing furrows his eyebrows. Chanyeol guffaws.

She exhales deeply. “Oppa, unlike me, you can sing. You have a beautiful voice.” When Lu Han doesn’t answer, she continues, “You and I look exactly alike. We have the same voice and the same face. We even have the same lithe body! You’re flat-chested, obviously, but that’s not such a big problem. Oh, and just pretend that you cut your hair. Oppa, no one will notice. Please, just for two months?” She blinks her eyes and bites her lower lip.

He stares at her, still in shock. “What?”

Chanyeol claps his hands in delight. “That’s a great idea!”

“It’s not a great idea,” Lu Han hisses.

“Actually, it will work,” Yixing says slowly. He looks at his best friend and his best friend’s younger sister. “Remember when we were fifteen? Lu Hee got the same hairstyle as you and everyone in the convent kept mistaking you for her.”

He glares at his best friend. “Aren’t you supposed to be forgetful? Why are you suddenly remembering things now?”

“I couldn’t forget that because it was so funny!”

He huffs and turns to Minseok. “Well, aren’t you going to say anything?”

Minseok guiltily looks at his slipper-clad feet. “Do you really want to get in the way of Lu Hee’s dream?” he asks softly.

He gapes. He looks at his best friend, at his sister, and then at his boss. He can usually trust Minseok to be level-headed. He knows the smaller man can make good decisions. But why is he pushing him further down the hole? “Are you serious? Are you ganging up on me?”

He slams his hand on the table, making the plates rattle. “Have you ever even thought about what I want?” He closes his eyes and grits his teeth. “I’m not going to do it. It’s not because I don’t love you, Hee. But please think about what I want too. Maybe the idol life isn’t for you.” He turns his back and starts walking towards his room.

“Hi,” Kris says as he walks inside the room. “I’m Wu Yifan, but you can call me—“

“Kris.” A tall figure, but shorter than Kris, turns around to face the leader of Exo. He has bags under his eyes and he has a stern look on his face. “Everyone knows who you are.” The hard look in his eyes softens and he smiles. “I know who you are.”

Kris feels his heart racing. His mind goes black and he mutters a string of incoherent words. “You—me—fairy—pretty—panda—“

The man’s smile widens and he giggles softly. “You don’t have to be so nervous, Kris ge.”

The taller man swoons and he feels his knees go weak. He clears his throat and tries to regain his composure. “A—Actually, I’m a huge fan,” he stutters. He mentally curses himself for being such a weakling. If Sehun and Jongin can see him now, they’ll probably laugh at him. Ungrateful twerps, he thinks.

The man giggles yet again. His personality is totally off with his look. But maybe it’s just his way of luring his opponents into his trap. He’ll laugh and act all cute and cuddly and then brandish his sword and strike when it’s too late for them to leave. Kris gulps. He’s in danger, but he thinks, Isn’t love dangerous?

“I don’t really know why you’re here for,” the shorter man says, “but I’m glad. You make me feel rejuvenated.” He walks over to Kris and squeezes his shoulder. “If I win against my opponent today, feel free to visit me again next time.” He leaves the room, but not before beaming at the leader.

When he is gone, Kris allows himself to fall on the ground. He feels like there’s an earthquake inside his stomach. He feels queasy, but the good kind and not the bad. He looks at the door and although he can’t see the man anymore, he whispers, “Tao.”

Kyungsoo sighs and slams his head on the table. “Jongin-ah,” he whimpers.  He’s been tutoring Jongin even before he debuted with the others, but he still can’t speak Mandarin properly. “You’ve been saying this phrase since you debuted three years ago. How come you still can’t say it properly?”

Jongin pouts. He likes his tutor. He really does. But sometimes, he finds him annoying. But he’s still cute, he thinks. He sighs. Why does he need to learn a different language again? Aside from Mandarin, he also has to learn English and Japanese.

Kyungsoo raises his head and looks at the younger boy emotionlessly. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering why you have to learn different languages.”

His face lights up and he smiles. “Hyung, you know me so—“

“Learning different languages is a necessity,” the tutor lectures him, “if you plan on touring around the world. You have to know how to communicate with your international fans if you want to let them know how much you appreciate them.

“But Kris hyung can do that for us!” he whines.

Kyungsoo sighs and grabs his face gently. “Look, we’re going to practice, okay? You can do it.”

Jongin can’t control the blush spreading on his cheeks nor the smile threatening to rip out his face. The different languages hate him, but at least his tutor doesn’t. He knows Kyungsoo doesn’t. And as long as his tutor is there, he’ll do his best to learn the language.

He likes Kyungsoo. He really does.

A/N: I said I was rewriting this, but I'm mostly just polishing it and correcting mistakes. There are some scenes that I've changed because I realized that there were some plotholes. Thanks for reading!

With love,

themaskedgirl