Four years later

            “On my count, we are going to take two steps left then back one and right three okay?”

            The class of young eager dancers answered proudly as each student took their stance. I smiled back at them and took my stance along with them. From the reflection in the mirror, I kept an eye on each child.

            “One, two…three, four…five, six…seven, eight, “A few stumbled while others proudly smiled at their understanding of the simple footwork, one in particular wasn’t very of his work and kicked the ground with his lips jutted out. I weaved my way through the tiny bodies, patting those that did well on the back when I reached the back of the group and found Daesung.

            “I can’t do it.” He mumbled to himself while spinning in circles, continuously kicking the floor with distaste. I crouched beside him and grasped his shoulders, he jumped and fear struck his eyes as he looked away from me, “Seonsaengnim, I’m sorry, I- I just can’t do it.”

            His head lowered in defeat. I, too, looked down at his tattered dance shoes. Daesung was one of the students in my class I admired most, he put himself down when in fact he was one of my best students. He constantly strode for a perfection he already had. I patted his shoulder causing him to look up at me intently, “You are already doing it. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

            I headed back to the front of the class, eyeing Daesung closely as he practiced the moves by himself, “Alright class, that was the last lesson for today! Be ready for next class!”

            Students rushed to grab their bags, their six year old selves excited to leave. I grinned at their excitement as some even rushed to give me a hug before leaving, “Bye bye, Jong In seonsaengnim!”

            I ruffled their hair and wished them goodbye waving as they exited the doors of my dance studio. I my feet, only to find Daesung still in the studio, “Daesung ah, what are you still doing here?”

            “My omma told me something about you today,” I approached him slowly and knelt down to his eye level. “

            “What did your omma tell you?”

            “She said you were an idol before I was born. That you danced on TV. Is that true?”

            In the four years, since I opened up my dance studio, never had any of my students mentioned of my past life. I sunk to the ground, Daesung’s eyes following my every move. I smiled at him and patted his hair, “It is.”

            His face lit up with excitement at his new discovery when he reached in his bag for something and pulled out a picture, “This is you.”

            He handed it to me, eagerly. I turned the picture over to see that it was a picture of me on stage performing. My expression lost in the dance while my body contorted to a move that was still familiar to me. At the bottom I could see my signature still preserved with a small note, Keep on dancing.

            “My omma, said I dance so well because I have a famous teacher. I didn’t believe her so she gave me that.”

            I returned the picture to him, staring back at the time I still considered the ‘glory days’. The time when performing was still something I loved. Daesung stuck the picture in his bag and hugged me. I was surprised, but returned the favor when he pulled away, “I won’t tell anyone.”

            Before I could say anything, he scurried out of the door where I could see through the window that he reunited with his mother who looked at me knowingly. I smiled at her when she slightly bowed her head and turned to her son who spoke animatedly to her.

            I sat in thought for awhile on the ground of the dance studio. Reminiscing back when I bought this place from EunNeul’s old instructor who told her it was up for sale. Remembering, the faces of the young dancers whose dreams were yet to come true, I couldn’t help the urge of taking the deal. I bought it for the sake of keeping what they loved, what I loved, alive.

            With that being the final class of the evening, I locked up the dance studio and headed to the second floor.

~*~*~*~

            “JongMin can you grab the blanket from the closet. It’s a pink one.” I shut the door to the apartment when I found JongMin running in my direction, “Where is So Eun’s blanket?”

            His face panic stricken knowing that if he didn’t return with the blanket he would get an earful from his sister-in-law. I beckoned him to the bedroom just beside where we were standing and pointed to the crib that rested in the corner where a pink blanket was draped over the side. I raised a brow at him when he chuckled, “Oh, there it is.”

            “JongMin! Did you find it?” EunNeul’s voice had my brother jump when he ran out of the room and into my bedroom where my wife was waiting.

            I followed after him to find her standing over our shared bed with SoEun lay sprawled in front of her as she was getting her diaper changed. JongMin stood beside her when EunNeul patted her shoulder, “Place it right here.”

            He draped it over her shoulder as she lifted up our daughter and gently patted her back, “All better, Soeunnie.”

            I chuckled at her nickname when EunNeul turned to me, “What are laughing at?”

            She walked over to me, as I opened my arms for my one year old little girl. She handed her to me as I cradled her in my arms, I pecked EunNeul’s temple. We walked out of our bedroom and into the living room of the apartment. After much renovation the one room apartment she lived in was turned into a four bedroom home that all of us called home.

            I sat down on the couch with SoEun fast asleep in my arms. I her cheek with my fingertips when JongMin came in waving a phone, “JoonMyun called, they are coming over soon.”

            I nodded absentmindedly, when EunNeul came behind me and kissed my ear, “You should put her in her crib. Let her sleep.”

            Carefully, I held SoEun’s small frame in my arms and gently laid her down in her crib. She was surrounded by soft plush toys that were twice her size with a little mobile above her head. I turned it a couple times, letting the lullaby play as I went back out to the living room.

            “There he is!” EunNeul was by my side in a few seconds as she squeezed my arm, “You have some surprised guests.”

            I looked down at her as she smiled forcefully. Before I could answer, I noticed that five familiar bodies stood in front of me. JoonMyun walked over to me and patted my shoulder while whispering discreetly, “Surprise.”

            “Long time no see, Jong In shi.”

            There before me stood, four people I had not seen or talked to in four years. Their expressions just as awkward as mine we stood around the coffee table not knowing what to do. Time certainly did not change any of them. They still looked like they did when they left for China. Luhan was the first to step forward, his eyes on me, “Is it,” he took a quick glance behind him at the other members, “too late to say we missed you? And that…we’re sorry?”

            My throat was choked up and the words I needed or wanted to say couldn’t find their way out. I gulped, and stared at the man’s face in front of me. Luhan’s doe like eyes grew older, wiser. I shook my head finding the courage to cough out, “No, I’m the one that should be saying sorry.”

            With that, Luhan let out a relieved chuckle and pulled me in for a hug while the other three, Wu Fan, Tao, and Yixing joined in.

*~*~*~*~*

            Dinner was lively. Laughter filled the room while bodies leaned into each other from doubling over at the old and new memories that we shared of our lives. Things seemed to be going good for everyone. All still seemed to be centered around the stage as Luhan and Wu Fan were MCs for famous music shows in China, Yixing worked as a dance instructor like I did, while Tao worked with movies coordinating stunts. JoonMyun, on the other hand, found work as MC for shows here in Korea but also helped write lyrics for different groups.

            “So? Aren’t you curious as to why we’re here?”  Wu Fan asked as the night’s fun turned somber.

            I looked to him, but Yixing answered, “Tomorrow is our ten year anniversary and Sehun’s discharge from the army.”

            Ten years. My finger ran over the rim of my glass when JoonMyun broke the pregnant silence, “We were planning to go for support. What do you say?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The area around the entrance of the base was crowded with people, women in particular. Banners, signs, pictures, and glowsticks filled the crowd mimicking the image one would see at a concert. Through the car window, I could see the signs they held.

Dancing Machine Kai.

We are one.

Hunhan!

Exo Planet!

Happy Virus!

Sehun hwaiting!

Welcome back!

Happy Ten Year  Anniversary!

            I turned my head to JoonMyun who smiled at me, “You ready?”

            As the six of us exited the car, screams erupted from all around. It was deafening to say the least as the faces of the women were close to breaking down at the sight that hasn’t been seen in so long. As we passed the large group waiting, a steady chant grew from the crowd, “Exo! Exo! Exo!”

            The feelings that ran through me consumed me, filling my chest with an uncomfortable pressure. These were our fans. These were women now well into the twenties and early thirties cheering for us like they did when we were teenagers. These were people that stuck with us long after we were gone. I looked to their faces, remembering the mockery I used to make up them and regretting how much I took them for granted.

            An arm draped itself over my shoulder and outcries could be heard as Luhan and I passed the crowd, “I haven’t seen him in for so long, Jong In. I haven’t talked to my best friend in almost five years.”

            I turned to Luhan to see the nervous expression that adorned his face. His relationship with Sehun had been severed since the break up, all of our relationships had, “If they,” my eyes scanned the crowd of fans as a grin spread across my face, “can still stand with us all these years. He will forgive us, like we did.”

            Luhan hugged my side as we neared the front near the small building that was located at the entrance. There, already waiting were another group of people I had not seen in a very long time.

            MinSeok, Jong Dae, Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol stood together awkwardly when they met eyes with us.

            To the crowd it was a long awaited reunion of a group they missed, but to us it was an awkward and tense situation that should have been left behind closed doors. How were we to act with all these hopeful eyes watching us? As much as we wished for a reunion like this, the last place we wanted to do it was here.

            I met eyes with Kyungsoo who stood off to the side alone. Luhan patted my back, giving me a light push when I stumbled forward. The other members were doing the same, slowly approaching each other as if for the first time. When I reached a good enough distance from him, I stretched a hand out, “It’s been awhile…hyung.”

            He eyed me closely before closing his hand around mine. We shook it slowly, our eyes on each other when we pulled each other for an embrace. Both of our arms wrapped around the other, when tears spilt onto my shoulder, “You bastard.”

            I shook my head as my face was buried in my best friend’s shoulder, “I’m sorry hyung. I’m so sorry.”

            The embrace was broken though before he could say anything when Baekhyun and Chanyeol pulled me into another hug, mumbling apologies and other words I couldn’t make out as we all cried. As the three of us held tight to each other more arms wrapped around us and before we knew it all eleven of us were in a circle around each other in front of hundreds of screaming fans that chanted, “We are one! We are one!”

            We all looked at each other, the youth in our eyes returning for a brief moment when the sound of gates opening and the sudden eruption of more screams had us all turn to the entrance of the base were the last member of the group stood.

            Sehun was dressed in the same camouflage attire we all had to wear. His hair and eyes hidden under the brim of his hat, he slowly slipped it off and eyes the crowd of in front of him, bowing deeply before turning to us.

            The bag in his hand dropped and even the crowd went silent. Luhan pushed to the front of the group when he saw Sehun. Slowly, the man took a step forward to his awaiting group members. In that moment, though, all of us ran. We ran to him and surrounded him in the most comical yet bittersweet reunion. Arms wrapped around him as others ruffled his hair.

            “Welcome back!” we yelled as the crowd behind us did the same. Cameras clicked to capture the one in a million shot as we moved to center stage. JoonMyun gathered us around him when he put his hand in the middle, just like old times, “What do you say? For old times sake?”

            One by one the other twelve hands joined in with Sehun’s on top, “Saranghaja!”

*~*~*~*~*

            All eyes were on us, with eleven other bodies beside me the attention was equally divided and I was free to look out into the crowd for anything interesting. In the front, I spotted something that caught my eye, a familiar face appearing and disappearing as she jumped to get a view of us. I chuckled when I saw EunNeul holding up a sign, OT12.

            The twelve of us lined the front in the correct order without even being reminded where we stood: Kris, Chanyeol, Sehun, Kyungsoo, Yixing, Luhan, myself, JoonMyun, JongDae, MinSeok, Baekhyun and Tao.

            JoonMyun looked to all of us as we smiled out to the crowd our hands linked as we bowed a deep ninety degrees. When we looked up the uproar in cheers felt numbing like just like our first showcase together ten years ago on March 31^st, 2012. With thumbs up we yelled out, “Annyeonghaseyo! We are one! EXO imnida!”

            The crowd of screaming fans before us said the greeting just as we did but continued to chant, “We are EXO! EXO history! We are EXO! EXO history!”

            EunNeul cheered along with them and as we met eyes, I thought back five years ago when we met.

            I was a troubled and confused young man with no grasp as to what purpose my life held. Too consumed with the pressure of fame, I had forgotten what I loved so much; Dancing, performing, these eleven other guys beside me, and most of all people like her. Standing with the other members years later with the same feelings running through me just like the first time we debuted, I didn’t have to question if doing this was worth it anymore. With kids like Daesung and fans like his mother and EunNeul I knew that the life I lived as Kai was worth it because they were a reminder to me that my life had meaning, if not to me, to the fans. I gave them a sense of freedom, to dream big and pursue what they loved, even if I, myself, wasn’t free. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

That's it! I finally finished it after so long. 

Thank you for reading this story and sticking with it for so long. 

Apoligies for any grammar mistakes and such. 

I don't wish for this kind of thing to happen to EXO, I want them to be happy together! 

I drew inspiration from DBSK and Super Junior.

Once again thank you for taking the time to read this mess of a story

and I hope to hear from you.