"You should call Luhan now," Yixing says.

Jongdae nods in agreement. "Call him and tell him about the press conference. Maybe he can attend. It'll be a nice surprise."

Kris doubts the last part, but he knows that now would be the best time to call Luhan, and invite him to their press conference. He'd refrained from calling Luhan when they'd left the hotel, in case he said something rash, but now, after hours spent discussing and explaining recent events with their manager and boss, he's ready. He nods. "I will. Soon."

The five of them are coming out of the company building, for what may just be the very last time. Kris stops just outside the doors and looks back, eyes angling up towards the sign on the front of the building. He remembers the very first time he ever saw those  words. SMTOWN.

The land of dreams, he had thought back then. But dreams change; he knows for sure that his own dreams have changed.

Tao slings an arm around him and Minseok does the same on Kris' other side. Yixing and Jongdae join them, attaching themselves to the ends of the line. Together, the five of them stare at the sign and the building, savouring this final moment.

After this day, there will be no more late night practice sessions. No more sweat soaked shirts and hours spent in the recording studio, perfecting their vocals. No more interviews and painfully fake smiles. No more fan meets, autographs, and screaming fans.

After this day, they'll start new lives.

"If I had a champagne glass or something," Kris murmurs, "I would make a toast. But let's just pretend that I do." He raises his arm towards the sign, fingers encircling an invisible glass. "To us."

The others raise their own arms, and a mostly synchronised response ripples along the line. "To us."

Kris looks down their little line and sees that Yixing is crying, wiping away tears with the heel of his hand, and Tao seems to be trying very hard not to let his own tears escape. Beside him, Jongdae is nodding incessantly, the way he always does when he doesn't want to let any other emotions show, and Minseok has a teary smile on his face.

This a chapter, sixteen years long, of their lives, ending right now. But new doors will open, Kris knows. New doors are opening.

This is the start of a new chapter.

Kris nods because he doesn't really know what else he can do, rubbing their shoulders comfortingly. His lip quirks up at the corner, and he begins, "We are one..."

Almost immediately, despite the circumstances, comes the response, "We are EXO-M!"

In that moment, nothing else exists except the five of them. Kris finally breaks a little, tears sliding down his face as he pulls them all in for a hug.

We are one.

***

Luhan picks up on the third ring, after around five agonisingly long seconds during which Kris spent waiting with bated breath, wondering if he would pick up.

"Hello?"

"Luhan." His name floods out of Kris' mouth like a river of relief. "It's me."

"Oh." A pause. "Kris?"

Kris grimaces. "Would it really kill you to, you know...try calling me 'Dad'?"

There's another, longer pause, and Kris imagines Luhan clenching his jaw. "Maybe it would," he finally replies; the words stab Kris a little, like a knife whose blade is made of brutal honesty. "Is there something wrong? Because I'm pretty sure I only told you to call me if there was an emergency."

"Well, there is something..."

"Are you dying?"

"No," Kris says. "But−"

"But what?"

Kris sighs, the beginnings of frustration carving itself into his brow. "Just let me talk first, okay? There's something I want you to come to."

"What is it?"

"A press conference, at the Renaissance Hotel. It'll be held tomorrow−"

Luhan cuts him off immediately. "I can't go."

"Can't or won't?" Kris asks.

"Can't," Luhan says. "I have a school dance showcase tomorrow. And even if I didn't... I'm not so sure I would come, anyway. I don't think what you have to announce would concern me."

"It does," Kris says. "It does concern you."

Luhan snorts. "What, the announcement of your new album or something? You really think that concerns me?"

"No, that's not it−"

"Look, don't bother, okay?" Luhan says, and Kris hears a twinge of hurt in his voice. "I can't come tomorrow. Ask your fans to come and hear your announcement. I'm sure they'll care."

Before Kris can say anything in reply, the line goes dead.

Kris looks at his phone in disbelief. Luhan's words had stung him like a slap to the face; the aftermath is still there, like a red handprint on his cheek.

Don't let it get to you too much, he tells himself. What's important is that he said that he couldn't go before he said that he wouldn't. And even then, the only reason he won't go is because he doesn't think the conference has anything to do with him. But it does.

Maybe if he can't come...

Kris severs his train of thought, having already unconsciously reached a solution.

How many schools near the coast have a dance showcase tomorrow?

***

The next day

"Kris!" Minseok hollers, holding the front door open and yelling in the direction of Kris' closed door. "Are you coming or what? We're gonna be late!"

Inside his room, Kris fixes his tie with shaky hands, giving a little start when he hears Minseok shouting at him to hurry up. After a few deep breaths, he pokes his head outside, eyes landing on an irritated Minseok. "Sorry," he calls apologetically. "There's just something I have to do first. I already called the other driver and told him to come. Go on ahead."

Minseok stares at him, anger and disbelief warring on his face. "Kris, really? You can't do whatever it is you're doing later?"

Kris shakes his head 'no', and Minseok heaves a sigh, rolling his eyes. "Don't be late," he warns, stabbing a finger sternly in Kris' direction before hurrying out the door to join the others.

When the door shuts behind Minseok, leaving the apartment in silence, Kris steps out of his room and wanders around for five minutes. In that time, he gathers his things, and double checks that he has spare batteries for his camera.

During the fifth minute, Kris brings out the bouquet he'd managed to hide from his brothers, and exits the apartment, meeting his driver outside the apartment block.

Kris hops into the car and pulls out his phone as the vehicle starts moving, fingers flying over the touch screen as he types, I'm sorry, to Minseok.

He reads over it twice, despite the fact that there are only two words to read. It's impersonal, Kris knows, and he should really have told them yesterday that after what Luhan said, he had no intention of attending the press conference.

Kris is sure that they would have made him go if they had known. Go and see Luhan later, they would have said.  

But as far as he knows, they're not fathers, and though they can try to understand, they can never really know what it's like until they're in his shoes.

Kris hopes his brothers will understand as he presses the 'send' button.

***

It's 2:30, 15 minutes after the announced commencement time of the press conference, and Kris has still not shown up.

"Where the hell is he, Minseok?" Jongdae demands, nerves starting to escalate as the reporters and fans present get more antsy. Where is Kris? they all seem to be screaming. "You saw him last, didn't you? God, you should have dragged him out the door."

"I didn't know he would do this to us again!" Minseok shoots back. "He said he called another driver."

"And did he say where that other driver was taking him?" Tao asks.

Minseok thinks back to what Kris had said, but he can't remember anything about a destination being mentioned. "No, but I assumed−"

"Assumptions aren't very reliable when it comes to Kris," Yixing says.

Minseok exhales heavily. "I know, I know. I'm sorry." He slides a hand down his face, racking his brains. "You know, maybe something came up."

"How can something just 'come up'?" Jongdae throws his hands into the air. "We were there with him the whole day yesterday."

"Maybe something with Luhan?" Yixing suggests.

Minseok squeezes his eyes shut, realising the very real possibility that Yixing might just be right.

"Check your phones," Tao says immediately, after making the same realisation.

They'd all turned their phones off on the way to the hotel, following one of the last requests their manager had made of them, but now the four of them whip their phones out, switching them on and cursing whatever god is responsible for slow phone start-ups.

Finally, all of their phones are on, and Minseok lets out a little yell, causing the others to flock around him. "'Sorry'," Yixing reads out, leaning over Minseok's shoulder. He frowns. "Is that it? Not even a 'from Kris' or whatever?"

Jongdae shakes his head. "He doesn't need to say anything else." He sighs. "Come on. Let's get on with this. We've kept them waiting long enough, and Kris isn't the only one with an announcement."