It’s been three weeks since Lu Han woke up in the hospital when all of his groupmates pay him a visit. He knows everyone very well of course after silently watching them for the past five years, but it’s not something he can reveal. The visit is a bit awkward, because no one outside Junmyeon (and Minseok of course) even remembers him, and being stuck in the hospital bed doesn’t exactly help. They avoid looking straight at him, treating him like someone who’s deadly ill, even if Lu Han doesn’t look that bad anymore. He’s been given a haircut and is eating solid foods again, gaining weight bit by bit. His body still looks weak though. His arms and legs especially.

However, he’s heard the nurses talking about how it's a miracle his shape is that good after being in a coma for five years. Apparently, he should basically be a skeleton at this point, but it seems his legs aren’t in the worst possible shape. How that is possible, he isn’t exactly sure. He thinks maybe all the training he did while he was a ghost or spirit (or whatever he had actually been) somehow helped to keep some strength in his legs. It’s a stupid theory but it’s not like someone has offered him a better one.

Besides, it’s not like his body strength is that much important to him really. No, all he cares about nowadays is being able to touch Minseok for real. In his mind he’s still recalling the feeling of Minseok hugging him for the first time after his arrival at the hospital. The moment he had woken up from his coma he had wanted to get in touch with him, but everyone had been fussing over him nonstop that he simply didn’t have time to convey a message to an SM trainee. And soon he realised he wouldn’t need to. Not when Sooman himself had visited Lu Han, telling him that he was going to debut. If he wanted to.

And Lu Han had wanted to. Of course he had. He had only cried a little in front of the big boss, when Sooman confirmed he would be joining EXO-M. Together with Minseok. He isn’t completely sure if it was all thanks to his constant ghostly whispers into Sooman’s ear, but it didn’t really matter. All he cared about was the fact that he was debuting in the same group with Minseok. He was so happy he could die (okay, maybe not that happy; he’d like to be alive at least for a few years first).

Being too used to only talking to Minseok in recent months, Lu Han keeps accidentally ignoring the rest of his new group mates, chatting with Minseok only. He knows he’s being rude since everyone’s made an effort to come see him, but it’s not like he is anything else for them than a complete stranger at this point.

Finally, after having chatted with Minseok enough, he humors the rest of the group and acts like he wants to get to know them better. This means he has to pretend he doesn’t already know their deepest secrets, like how Chanyeol picks his nose in secret from the others or that Kyungsoo likes to look up pictures of pink teddy bears on his phone when he thinks no one is looking. Too bad for them, he was always looking.

Perhaps for his sake the awkward first meeting with the others only lasts for an hour before everyone bids him farewell and leaves him alone again — but he knows he won’t be alone for long. That’s why he’s not sad when Minseok waves him goodbye. Because he knows he’ll come back again in the evening.

He’s proven right when some hours later, the door to his hospital room slides open and Minseok peeks inside. 

“I’m here!” He greets him with a gummy smile.

Lu Han smiles back. It’s been like this ever since he was allowed visitors. Minseok keeps coming to see him every evening, or whenever he can without others. Sometimes Minseok lays next to him on a hospital bed and they watch football clips on Lu Han’s brand new phone. Although, during those times he’s less interested in football and more into the way Minseok’s body brushes against his. It feels great to be able to touch the other for real, to feel his weight against him.

Maybe Minseok feels the same way, because to his delight, the other has his hands on him all the time. Whether it is to brush hair away from his eyes, or touching his arms to see if he’s gained any weight or just pushing him more to the side so he can fit on the bed with him. Lu Han doesn’t really care about the reason as long as Minseok keeps touching him. His hands feel so warm that they make his face feel pretty warm too.

It doesn’t help that the nurses who keep an eye on him have started to give him quick glances or even not very well hidden smirks whenever they catch Minseok being touchy-feely with him. Lu Han tries not to be bothered by those, but it’s hard not to blush when the nurse gives him a suggestive look after catching Minseok whining about his fingers being too bony while holding his hand. They have even started to call Minseok his “special friend”, although luckily not in front of Minseok. That’d be the last thing he wants him to hear.

Not because he would mind Minseok being his “special friend”, but because he’s afraid that it will make Minseok uncomfortable and remember all about the kiss. So far Minseok hasn’t mentioned it, or asked him whether it was an accident or not, but he doesn’t like to risk it. Not when Minseok finally seems comfortable enough to keep constantly touching him. 

Besides, Lu Han’s worried that if they start to talk about kisses it will be made very obvious how much he wants to kiss Minseok again.

As much as he enjoys Minseok’s touches they also drive him crazy. Now that he’s alive, now that he could actually feel Minseok’s lips against his…he wants to kiss him so badly. More than badly. That’s basically all he ever thinks about when Minseok visits him. His thoughts must show clearly on his face, and that’s why the nurses act the way they do whenever they spot him and Minseok together. He wants nothing more than to capture Minseok’s lips again, but he knows he’ll never again have the chance to do so. Not only because Minseok probably only sees him as a friend, but because they are both gonna be idols soon. He wouldn’t dare to ruin it by trying something funny. Especially when he would ruin things for both of them, not just for himself.

So, he forces his gaze to move up from Minseok’s lips and to meet his gaze again. He looks like he’s waiting for an answer, and it’s only then that he realises Minseok must have asked something.

He blinks. “Sorry, what?”

Minseok rolls his eyes. “Dead or alive, you’re always lost in your thoughts.”

He tries to play it cool. “I have a lot of deep thoughts.” He’s rewarded with another eye roll, so he stops trying to impress Minseok. “So, what were you saying anyway?”

Minseok sits up more properly on his bed. “Because it’s been so hectic lately, you know with EXO and you being alive, I didn’t remember it at first but…”

“But?” He prompts Minseok to continue. 

“But, I’ve been here before. In this hospital I mean.” Minseok reveals. 

“You have? To see me…?” He says, and earns a light punch from Minseok. He enjoys the way it actually hurts a bit instead of going through his arm.

“Of course not! It was before I had even met you! Well, the ghost-you, anyway. I was here to donate blood a little before we...uh, met.” Minseok explains.

It makes Lu Han remember a tiny detail Minseok had shared ages ago with him. “We have the same blood type, right?” He asks. 

Minseok nods. Then they both fall silent. A thought pops into his head. Minseok said he had donated blood a little before he started seeing his ghostly version. What if…? No. That’s absurd. But then again they do have the same blood type. If, if he had needed extra blood, there’s a chance he had been given Minseok’s. His thoughts run wild and when he takes a sneak peek at Minseok’s face, his friend seems to be deep in thought too. Perhaps they are wondering about the same thing.

He wants to share his crazy theory about why, among all the trainees, only Minseok was able to see him, but he can’t possibly say it without using the word “destiny” at least once. It sounds cheesy even to his own ears let alone to Minseok’s, so he chooses to keep quiet instead.

Whatever the reason is, whether it’s destiny or not, he doesn’t really care. Not when Minseok shakes his head and pulls out his Chinese workbooks, looking at him with his pretty cat eyes, asking for help. 

Lu Han smiles eagerly and takes the book in his hands, ready to teach Minseok the wonders of Chinese grammar in chapter 43. He’s going to repay Minseok’s efforts during these past months in any way he can and feel really happy about it.

They are going to debut in the same group after all.