“So that’s why I never saw you before.”

Lu Han said between his breath. He was streching his arms backwards, talking to a boy in a blue knitted sweater and white shorts reaching his knees who was sitting on a bench in front of him.

Sehun leaned backwards, resting his back on the bench and looked up to the sky, “It was my first time stepping inside the Jamsil Olympic Stadium and I got to experience my first elimination round race with my idol. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Lu Han stopped stretching and slumped his arms down. He cleared his throat before making his way towards the bench and plopped himself beside Sehun. He put his left arm around Sehun’s neck, giving Sehun a light headlock before turning his head to him, “And you finally became your idol’s buddy, you couldn’t be luckier.”

Sehun felt he was strangled so he punched Lu Han in the stomach. It was light but being Lu Han, he exagerrated the pain by letting out an ‘owww’

Sehun smirked in joy, glad he made a little revenge on his newly—and considerably, as impossible as it sounds, his closest friend alive, “And I got the chance to punch my idol in the stomach. I really am the luckiest.”

After the elimination round incident, Lu Han was immediately brought to the nearest hospital and was treated in outpatient care for more than a week. After he was fully recovered from his injury, he was told by one of the championship staff that he passed the elimination round and he could go for the quarter final of the national championship. He asked the staff what was going on after some jaw-dropping time for a good 2 minutes because it seemed truly impossible since he and Sehun was the last ones to finish the lap in the elimination round. The staff said that there is one absent candidate that couldn’t join the last race and there are 2 disqualified candidates who were caught doping after the race when they only have 6 candidates and they need 8 to go to the quarter final. With consideration, the comitee chose Lu Han and his savior to replace the disqualified candidates. Why? First, it was a high appreciation for Sehun and two, it just didn’t feel right when they didn’t make their number one runner to pass the round just because of an injury. Besides, Lu Han and Sehun had both reached the finish line and it was legal for them to continue to the next stage.

Lu Han felt content hearing the explanation and then he remembered his savior, who taught him that nothing is impossible if we tend to reach our dreams with all our might, to not give up in any kind of situation, and to never end the race before reaching the finish line.

He suddenly have the urge to come to his savior, to hug and express his huge gratitude to him. And he did it. Lu Han asked the championship staff where the boy lived and he hurriedly made his way towards Sehun’s home. The first one to open was Sehun’s mother who was thrilled seeing a boy from the huge picture Sehun hung in his room. His mother knew the boy standing before her was the boy her son highly admire so she gave Lu Han a quick hug before telling him to come in. Mrs. Oh wiped some tears from her eyes and she left Lu Han in the living room to call his son to meet him.

Lu Han heard Sehun’s loud gasp from upstairs and the sound of the swift steps Sehun made to the stairs. Sehun ran to the living room and took a moment to catch his breath before finding Lu Han—the Lu Han sitting in his living room inside his humble house. Jaw dropped, Sehun could only stare at the 19 years old runner he had admired for 3 years long gratefully smiling at him.

Lu Han stood up and walked towards the speechless Sehun before yanking him into a manly hug. Lu Han thanked him million times as he patted his back and stopped when Sehun suddenly choked. Lu Han pulled away and told Sehun that they both passed th elimination as impossible as it sounded. Lu Han explained the whole thing while Sehun kept his mouth agape, Did I just passed the national championship’s elimination round? He asked to himself.

Sehun’s mother heard the whole conversation and she blisfully cheered before tightly hugging her one and only son—and family because her husband, Sehun’s father, had divorced with her since Sehun was still 3. Sehun hugged Lu Han again and it’s his turn to say thank you to him.

Also, from that day, they decided to be friends and they promised to meet in the international championship, and be a champion together.

~

“So, see you at the quarter final in two weeks?”

Lu Han stood up from the bench and towered over Sehun. Sehun held out his arms and Lu Han took his hands, helping him to stand.

“Yep. Good luck on your practices. Win the quarterfinals, semifinals, finals, and the international championship so I won’t regret saving you from giving up back in the elimination round.” Sehun joked.

“Why did you put all the expectations on me? You don’t want to win or join me in the championships?” Lu Han raised his eyebrows.

“No.” Sehun made a face. “Of course I want. I’m also grateful that I have this rare opportunity to pass the elimination round without reaching the finish line first. But knowing my abilities and limit, I don’t think I’ll even pass the quarter finals, the runners are tougher than before.” He sighed. “But I’m not going to give up. Who knows miracle comes and I suddenly run faster than you... or who knows there will be disqualified participants again so I can miraculously reach the nationals.” He joked.

Lu Han rolled his eyes, “Very funny.”

Sehun laughed and they resumed their morning practice routine in the park near Sehun’s house before Sehun got tired and decided to go home. Sehun bid goodbye and sent Lu Han his particular fighting sign, earning Lu Han’s laugh in response.

Lu Han watched him from a far, running towards his house.

I’ll win for you, Sehun. I promise.

~

2 weeks later.

Jamsil Olympic Stadium was already packed with audiences from all around Korea who came to watch the quarter finals of the national championship.

Lu Han was in the waiting room, anxiously rubbing his hands together, walking back and forth. He suddenly felt nervous but he didn’t know why. He was usually nervous, yes, but this was different. It felt like something was off, something was... wrong and Lu Han couldn’t put his finger on it.

Lu Han was already wearing his dark red running outfit and a nametag was already hanging on his neck. He was ready to come out but he still felt something was... missing.

Then he suddenly remembered of a certain boy who was supposed to be here at the moment. Strange, he thought. I should have seen him if he was here. Curious, he twisted the waiting room’s doorknob and went out to find one of the championship’s staffs.

He found one and he tapped his shoulder before asking if he saw Sehun, one of the participants had arrived. The staff looked puzzled and Lu Han sighed before repeating his question.

“Oh.” The staff nodded. “The participants should be in their own waiting rooms with their trainers now.”

“And... do you know where’s Oh Sehun’s waiting room is?” Lu Han asked again.

“Oh Sehun?” the staff knitted his eyebrows. “Wait a minute.” The staff went somewhere for a minute and came back, bringing some papers clamped in one. The staff opened each pages and shrugged before looking at Lu Han again, “I... don’t think we have a participant with the name Oh Sehun, sir.”

“What?” Lu Han widened his eyes. “C-can you check the papers once again?”

The staff rolled his eyes before checking the papers all over again. The result was the same, “No sir, I’m positive we have no—“

“But he passed the elimination round! One of your staffs told us himself!” Lu Han couldn’t contain his anger. How could they shove Sehun away from the list when he didn’t do anything wrong?

“Are you sure, sir? That Oh Sehun passed the elimination round? I never heard of his name before. He must be a newbie and a newbie usually didn’t pass—“

The staff immediately shut his mouth after earning a furious glare from Lu Han. So they eliminated Sehun just because they thought he doesn’t deserve to be in the quarter finals?!

Lu Han was about to talk back when he heard a familiar voice from behind calling his name.

“Lu Han hyung.”

The boy softly called. Lu Han immediately recognized the voice and he turned back. Lu Han sighed.

“There you are, Sehun. I thought you were—“

Lu Han stiffened at his sight. His face color drained to white. No, it’s not because the person wasn’t Sehun. It was Sehun. But then, why was Lu Han so surprised that he stopped on his track after he saw him?

It was the same Sehun he knew. The only difference was he wasn’t wearing his running athlete outfit,

And he was sitting... in a wheelchair.

Still stunned, Lu Han let out a shaky voice, “W-what’s going on?”