~First Chorus~

Dropping onto the wooden bench, Luhan in a much needed breath as his hands fumbled for the hand towel in his bag. Finally finding the darn thing, he pulled it out to tiredly wipe at the sweat that had accumulated on the back of his neck. Others around him were doing the exact same thing, the dance class that they all attended having just finished for the day, and the room was filled with exhausted yet happy chatter.

Life for Luhan was beginning to settle into a routine, which was definitely an improvement over the never ending fear he had lived in for so long. He was able to relax and actually enjoy his life. He could get out, do things, and not live his life as a recluse, terrified of his own shadow. And it was all thanks to Minseok really. The other male had easily and happily slotted into his life, and though they weren't with each other 24/7, whenever one of them wasn't busy they were together, giving Luhan a break from the ghosts that never left him alone.

They were getting easier to ignore. If he was focused on something then he barely noticed their existence. But it was in the quiet moments that they started to nag at him. But thankfully Minseok would always be there to hold his hand, or pull him into a hug, and Luhan wouldn't have to deal with them for a while.

The dance studio was one of the few places that had minimal ghosts. There was an occasional one or two but they were all harmless. Which made it a lot easier for Luhan to take dance classes again. Something that he had always done as a child and as he grew up. He only stopped dancing because of his accident. The repercussions of that taking precedence over everything else in his life. But not now. Now that he was starting to actually live again he could go back to dancing, adding another level of happiness to his life.

Dropping the towel into his lap, Luhan leant back against the wall, letting the cool plaster seep into his over heated skin. The room began to empty around him, his classmates taking their leave one by one with promises to see each other again next session. He didn't really hear them though, too focused on getting his breath back and cooling his body down. It didn't take long though before he was the only one left and the locker room fell silent.

With his eyes closed, he let his body slowly unwind, his head leaning back to lean against the wall also. A small smile danced around the edges of his lips as he took a breath.

"How was class?"

Opening his eyes, Luhan locked gazes with Minseok and the smile on his face widened into a happy grin. He hadn't heard him come in but then when his thoughts and focus turned inwards he barely noticed what was happening around him.

"It was good." He replied, pushing himself forward and grabbing the bottle of water from his bag. "We added a whole new section to what we'd learnt already, and it's coming along nicely."

"Good." Minseok smiled, taking a seat next to him on the bench. "Sounds like you're enjoying it."

Uncapping the bottle, Luhan gave the other male a wide almost dazzling smile, happiness practically radiating off of him. "I am. It's nice to be dancing again." He didn't really need to explain further. They had talked about it many times before, as well as numerous other things since their lives had meshed together. It had only been a few months, but already Luhan knew Minseok, and Minseok knew Luhan. Their lives had slotted together so well it felt like they had always been together.

Luhan had just poured some water into his mouth when another voice spoke up, a little nervously. "Um... Excuse me... Could you help me?"

Looking over Luhan locked his eyes onto another male as he swallowed. He looked as if he was a few years older than what Luhan and Minseok were, the creases around his eyes showing age and maturity. He had short brown hair, warm brown eyes, and there was a small indentation in his cheek which Luhan suspected would turn into a dimple if the guy smiled. Right now he looked nervous, uneasy... wringing in his hands in front of him.

The door hadn't gone though, and Luhan had definitely been paying enough attention to hear if it had. There had been no-one else bar the few instructors in one of the other practice studios in the building, and he knew them all by name and sight. This guy wasn't one of them. His suspicions were confirmed when Minseok tactfully linked their fingers together and the unknown guy disappeared from Luhan's sight.

He was a ghost.

Minseok squeezed his hand reassuringly before he removed his touch, allowing the spectre to fade back into view. "What's the problem?" Minseok asked, speaking up before Luhan could even decide what to do.

The ghost gave a small sheepish smile, lifting a small hand to scratch at the back of his head. "Um, well..." He started, his eyes flicking between the two sitting men. "I... I've been stuck here for a few months, and I don't really know why. You're alive right?" He suddenly asked, his eyes locked onto Luhan who could only nod in response. "Then can you help me?"

Luhan remained silent as he gazed up at the pleading ghost. He didn't know what to do. He had just been asked to help him, and though he seemed harmless... Luhan was still afraid. Why couldn't the ghost just leave him alone? He had been having such a good day and now this was happening.

He felt the reassuring presence of Minseok leaning close, and sure enough the other began to whisper into his ear. "Lu... I think we should help him."

"What?" He whispered back, his eyes widening at the other's suggestion.

"We should help him. I know that you're afraid right now, but... we can't keep running from them forever." Minseok said. Luhan didn't want to believe him but he knew that he was right. No matter where he went there were ghosts, and as much as he wanted to keep hold of Minseok... it wasn't fair for him to force him to stick with him for the rest of his life... "And you never know, helping him could help you learn not to be so afraid of them."

Narrowing his eyes, Luhan gave his friend a look of annoyance. He didn't like to be reminded of his fears, his weaknesses being picked apart like this. And he hated it even more that Minseok was right. He really didn't want to but he found himself turning back to face the ghost with a sigh. "What's your name?"

"That's the problem..." The ghost started, flushing a soft red in front of their eyes. "I don't know..."

Luhan blinked in confusion, staring up at the still unnamed ghost. "You don't know?"

"No." The ghost admitted, shaking his head with a sheepish expression still spread across his face.

How could they help this guy if he didn't even know his own name? It was starting to sound like a bit of a waste of their time, and Luhan gave the spectre an unsure look as Minseok spoke up next to him.

"Well do you remember anything about how you died?"

They received another shake of the head in reply, and Luhan could feel his frustration level beginning to rise. The ghost though looked incredibly apologetic as he spoke once more. "No. I don't remember anything, I don't know anything about myself. And I think that's why I'm stuck here. If I could somehow learn who I am, how I died, that sort of thing... maybe then I could move on."

Luhan had to admit, the ghost's theory did sound plausible. Of course he couldn't speak from experience, still being very much alive himself. But he knew that all the ghosts around were there for a reason, being unable to move on for some explanation or other. It only made sense that if they could work out what the problem was and rectify it that then they would be able to move on in their afterlife.

"So you want us to help you find out?" Luhan asked, looking up at the ghost once again. He could tell that Minseok was practically grinning from where he was sat next to him. He only would have continued the conversation this far if he was going to help, so his friend knew that he had won.

The spectre nodded, a hopeful glimmer shining in his large eyes. "Yes please."

He knew that there was a strong chance he was going to regret this. He knew that his reasoning behind agreeing to this was purely selfish. He didn't overly care about this ghost at all. He was only going to do this to help himself. It might help him to get over his fear, and if not... it was just one less ghost to terrify him on a daily basis. He didn't want to help... but he was going to.

"Okay." Luhan said, finally nodding his agreement. He chose to ignore the beaming smile on Minseok's face and the knowing look in his eyes. He chose to ignore the blissfully relieved expression that had passed over the unnamed ghost's face. He chose to ignore everything bar the twisting in his gut. "I'll help."

---

The sound of fingers tapping on a computer keyboard filled the room followed by an exasperated sigh. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for. I mean we don't even know his name!" Luhan said, sighing in frustration again as he ran his fingers through his hair.

He was sat on the couch in the living room of his apartment, Minseok pressed up against his arm as he leaned over to view the laptop screen. After agreeing to help the unnamed ghost they had decided that an internet search might be beneficial, but Luhan was pulling a blank in his mind of what to actually search for.

"Well, he seems to be around the dance studio a lot. We'll start there and see if anything comes up." Minseok offered, and Luhan hummed as he pushed his lips forward into a thoughtful pout, his fingers already flying across the keys to type in the name of the studio.

The screen was filled with an endless list of results, varying from the dance studio's actual website, which was no help at all in their quest, to competition pages stating the studio as one of the seasoned winners. None of it was helpful, but Luhan kept on clicking through the pages, hoping that eventually they might find a result that would link to their mystery ghost friend.

Five pages in and Luhan was feeling frustrated again. "This is pointless. None of this relates to him at all. We're never going to be able to do this, Minnie." He said, the nickname slipping through his lips naturally.

A small hand landed on his thigh, giving a reassuring and soothing squeeze before Luhan heard the gentle tones of Minseok's voice speaking quietly into his ear. "We'll get there. Don't give up hope already, Luhan."

The taller of the two merely sighed again before clicking into the search box once more and amending the words. "The name alone isn't gonna do it. I'm gonna try adding the address in too, see what comes up then."

This proved to be a better idea as a lot of the completely useless results disappeared, leaving more informative ones behind for them to hunt through. There was a lot of adverts for various classes including the very one that Luhan took. There was also more competition results pages. But on the second page of the search engine results, their eyes locked on to one specific headline.

'Professional Dancer Victim of Hit and Run Outside Dance Studio'

The hand on Luhan's thigh tightened slightly and he didn't need any more persuasion to click on the link. They both waited with almost baited breath for the page to load completely. It was an article for the local newspaper dated from shortly after Luhan had moved to South Korea. That explained why he didn't remember reading about it.

Scrolling down past a photo of the front of the dance studio cordoned off with police tape, Luhan began to chew on his bottom lip as he began to read. The article started off explaining the details of the accident, stating that the driver had been speeding under the influence of alcohol, and after turning onto the road outside of the studio, had failed to see the gentleman crossing the road.

It then went on to describe the driver some more as well as more specific details into the timing of the accident, the exact location and other such information. They were only interested in facts about the victim though. Could this mystery person be their unnamed ghost? There was a high possibility. But to find out they needed more information first.

Luhan continued to scroll through the article, his eyes scanning the text at an impressive speed. Finally they reached the section about the victim, and without even realising what they were doing, both Luhan and Minseok had leant forward closer to the screen as they read.

'The unfortunate victim, Zhang Yixing, 29, had just finished attending a practice session at the studio and was crossing the road to return home when he tragically lost his life. Zhang was part of the award winning trio, EXO, alongside team-mates Oh Sehun, 26, and Kim Jongin, 27.

"He was one of the kindest people I have ever met," Kim said when asked to comment on his team-mate's passing. "I'm going to miss him a lot."

"Dancing will never be the same again for me. We're not EXO without him." Oh added.'

"I've heard of them... They were the talk of the town when I first got here." Luhan said, his eyes still glued onto the screen as he scrolled down a little more. "I always wondered what happened to them but I never expected this..."

Suddenly Minseok gasped next to him and Luhan stilled his fingers, the screen freezing on a photo of the three dancers. The tallest was pale with a somewhat stoic expression, his hair was a mish-mash of various colours, looking almost like a rainbow. On the opposite side was a tanned youth, an almost sinful smirk on his lips as his eyes gazed seductively into the camera.

It was the third male that caught their attention though. There, stood right in between the other two was their amnesiac ghost friend, smiling happily, dimple on display and his eyes sparkling with life.

They finally had a name.

"Zhang Yixing." Luhan said, breathing out the words as a wave of relief ran through him. "Oldest member of the EXO trio, died in a hit and run accident. We finally know who he is."

"Yeah." Minseok exhaled next to him, leaning into the taller's side. "Hopefully this will help him to move on now."

The laptop gave a quiet click as Luhan shut it, leaning back into the couch cushions as he sighed. "We can only hope."

---

They had been naive to think that just discovering his name would allow Yixing to pass on to the next stage of his afterlife. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. But that didn't stop both Luhan and Minseok of being hopeful of a positive result. However when they informed the ghost of what they knew, nothing happened. He remained stood there in front of them, chewing on his bottom lip anxiously with confusion swimming in his eyes.

Simply knowing the information wasn't going to be enough. He was going to have to actually remember for himself.

That was why the three of them were currently making their way through a quiet graveyard, on a warm sunny afternoon. Luhan and Minseok were leading, walking side by side with the backs of their hands occasionally brushing, while Yixing brought up the rear.

Even though Yixing was born in China, his family had moved to South Korea when the dancer had only been a few years old, and they were all considered residents of the country now. So when the unfortunate accident had happened, his body had ended up being buried at the local graveyard, close to his family home.

Luhan had hoped that them visiting Yixing's grave might help to trigger something within the ghost's memory. And Minseok had agreed, stating it to be a good idea at least. Even if they didn't get the results they wanted, this was still a good attempt at helping.

"So... Stage one was a bust." Luhan sighed, his words quiet enough so only Minseok next to him could hear them. "Let's hope stage two goes better. But... it's not going to, is it?"

"Luhan..." Minseok said, soft amusement echoing in his words as he linked their fingertips together for a moment. The gesture was soothing, and it brought a tiny smile to appear along the edges of Luhan's lips. "Even if stage two fails as well, we would have made progress at least. And any progress is good progress."

The taller of the two fell silent for a moment, his smile growing slightly as his affection for the other grew, before he playfully bumped shoulders with Minseok. "You always see the good in everything. I don't know how you do it."

"Habit." He answered easily, his usual wide smile spreading across his lips. "I grew up in a broken household. My mother left us when I was a baby, so it was just me and my Dad. We struggled for a long time, but my Dad always told me to look at the bright side of things, and I always try to do just that."

"Well it's definitely a good quality. Your father brought you up well." Luhan smiled, gently gripping onto the other's fingers a little tighter.

"I'll make sure to tell him that the next time I see him." Minseok said, smiling warmly as he gently squeezed Luhan's hand before dropping the hold so Yixing could fade back into view.

Luhan loved to hear about Minseok's past. It allowed him to gradually learn more about the guy who had so easily slipped into his life, bringing them closer. Because sometimes Luhan talked so much that he felt like the other knew everything about him, but Luhan knew next to nothing about Minseok. So on the times that his friend would reveal something about himself, be it about his past, or some mention of a hobby, or anything, Luhan listened attentively, storing the information away in his head in a little blue file labelled 'Baozi'.

They continued to make their way through the graves, keeping their eyes peeled for one labelled with Yixing's name. It didn't take them long, though, before they found it. It was nestled in between two rather large garish headstones towards the back of the quarter they were searching through. But there was no mistaking that it was his. 'Zhang Yixing' was carved into the stone, along with the usual years of birth and death.

His steps coming to a stop, Luhan hung back, letting Yixing step forward and up to the grave stone. He wasn't sure why, but a chill ran through him, almost as if there was eyes watching him. But when he turned to scan the area there was nobody else around bar the three of them. No other living person, no other ghost, no-one. Yet the feeling was still there. It was creepy.

"Anything?" He heard Minseok's voice from next to him, and turning back to face the other two his gaze returned to them just in time to see Yixing shaking his head, a down-trodden expression on his face.

"No." The ghost sighed, frustration clear in the tense line of his shoulders, and the slight whine in his voice. "Nothing. I could be looking at anybody's grave right now, for all the good this is doing me."

Luhan watched as Minseok stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Hey, we'll get you your memories back okay? We just have to try harder." There he went again, being their own personal cheerleader. He really didn't know what they would do without him. What he would do without him.

"Minseok's right, Yixing. We'll just try something else, okay? We'll get there." Luhan chirped up, giving the ghost a smile of his own. He wasn't quite as confident as Minseok, but he couldn't let Yixing know that. He had agreed to help him, and it was too late for him to take his words back now. Plus the ghost wasn't really all that bad. From the small bits he had learned, the spectre was a really nice guy who was just taken from the world way too early. If he had still been alive, Luhan suspected that they could have been great friends.

"Okay. But... What should we try now?" The spectre asked, anxiety flooding his form.

That... was a good question, and one that Luhan wasn't sure how to answer. He turned his own questioning eyes onto Minseok, hoping that his friend would have an idea about what their next move was. And, true to form, he didn't disappoint.

"How about we try speaking to your old team-mates? Kim Jongin and Oh Sehun? Maybe that will help you to remember."

"I... I don't know." Yixing said, doubt echoing in his voice and eyes.

Luhan quickly nodded his agreement though, stepping closer to the other two as he smiled warmly trying to cheer Yixing up. The dejected look on the ghost's face was almost heartbreaking and it didn't belong there at all. "It doesn't hurt to try right?"

He still didn't look too sure, but Luhan was relieved when the ghost slowly nodded his head in agreement. "I guess..."

Catching Minseok's eye, he gave a small smile. "Stage three?"

"Stage three."

---

Finding Kim Jongin was a relatively easy task. In fact they didn't have to look any further than at the dance studio. Since the trio was disbanded, due to Yixing's untimely death, Jongin had remained on at the studio as a dance teacher, teaching the kids classes. Luhan had seen him walking around the building a few times but had never really put his name to his face before. But now that they needed to find him to talk to him, that knowledge was incredibly helpful.

Only two of them were sat waiting for the kids and teenager dance classes to finish, Minseok having something else that he needed to do. And Luhan was missing the older's presence a lot. It wasn't that he didn't like Yixing. But he was a ghost, and even though Luhan wasn't necessarily afraid of him, he still felt uneasy around him.

"So..." Yixing's voice echoed in the corridor where they were waiting, breaking the somewhat awkward silence between them. "How did you meet Minseok?"

Glancing over at the ghost, Luhan absent-mindedly scuffed the toe of his sneaker against the floor. "I, um... I ran into him, quite literally."

"Oh." The other said, nodding gently before clearing his throat. "You guys are very... close."

Narrowing his eyes Luhan scrutinised the ghost who was sat next to him on the hard chairs of the waiting area in the hall. What was he trying to do with this line of questioning? It was one thing to try and make conversation, but there was something in the other's eyes and stance that made it seem as if Yixing was trying to make a deliberate point.

"We are." Luhan said, his eyes locked onto the ghost with his eyebrows furrowed. "He helps me out a lot."

"Hmm..." Yixing hummed a little uncommitted before he looked away from the piercing gaze that Luhan was directing at him. "It's strange."

"What's strange?" Luhan asked, the pitch of his voice raising so he was almost squeaking. Yixing was definitely trying to make a point now, he was sure of that. But what was he trying to get at? Was his and Minseok's friendship wrong or something?

The ghost didn't have time to reply though before the hallway was filled with sudden noise as hordes of children with their parents appeared, streaming towards the entrance of the studio. The younger classes had finished meaning there would be an hour or two before the evening adult classes would begin. Plenty of time for them to find Jongin and talk to him.

"Time to move?" Yixing asked, his attention seemingly distracted from their previous conversation.

Luhan just sighed mentally to himself before nodding. "Yeah, come on. We better grab him now before he leaves. I don't want us to have sat here waiting for nothing." He felt a little irritated after that inappropriate questioning, and he couldn't stop it from seeping into his tone as he stood up, brushing his jeans off and beginning to stalk down the hall.

He glanced through the window of every door that he passed, hoping to see a familiar figure. But it wasn't until he reached the last room did he spot the man they were looking for.

There at the side of the room, fiddling with the music player was Kim Jongin. He didn't look overly different from the picture in the paper. He still had the same dark hair, the same aura of confidence. The only difference that Luhan could see was that the older dancer lacked the sparkle he had once had in his eyes. And there were two very prominent gaps by his sides where his team-mates once stood.

It was horrible how much death could change someone. Kim Jongin had once been a charismatic dancer who oozed appeal with a single glance. And though Luhan knew that the other still danced and loved to do so, Yixing's death had changed him. The passion to actually perform on stage had vanished, leaving Jongin behind to become nothing more than a teacher. And who knew what had happened to Oh Sehun, who had just disappeared completely.

Lifting his hand, Luhan rapped his knuckles against the wooden door, watching as the man within looked up and beckoned him in. He quickly opened the door, and slid into the room, giving Jongin a small somewhat awkward smile. At least he didn't have to worry about holding the door open for Yixing. Ghosts could just walk through the walls if they wanted to go somewhere.

"Kim Jongin?" Luhan asked, unsure of where to even start with talking to this man. He knew so much about him already, and he was almost positive that this was going to be strange for Jongin. Having a random stranger approach you and ask you about your friend who had passed away in a tragic accident... Yeah, that definitely wasn't something that happened every day. And Luhan had no idea how to make this whole encounter run smoothly.

"Yeah." The taller male answered, giving Luhan a once over with his eyes. That... was a little uncomfortable, but wasn't something that he was unused to. It was just rather intimidating coming from someone who was looking at him so intensely. "You're Luhan right? From the adult class?"

Maybe he wasn't so unknown to him after all then. "Yeah, that's me." Luhan said, quickly nodding in confirmation.

"You're a good dancer, I've sat in on some of your classes. But you're next session isn't until tomorrow right?"

Luhan found himself nodding again but this time a little more sheepishly. "Right. I, um... I actually wanted to talk to you."

The other's eyes blinked at him in slight confusion, making him look almost like a puppy, and Luhan was taken aback for a moment. Jongin had gone from intense dancer to clueless puppy in the space of a few seconds. How was that even possible? It was only when the other's deep voice echoed in the room again did Luhan snap out of his bemusement.

"Sure. What about?"

Here it was. If there was going to be any problem with talking to Jongin it was going to be this. How he reacted to what Luhan was about to say was going to be the make or break of the conversation. And he really hoped it was the more positive of the two options.

"Zhang Yixing." Luhan answered his eyes glued onto the dancer's frame. Immediately he saw how Jongin tensed up, and panic started to flutter within him. He wasn't going to talk was he? He was going to wave Luhan off and say that he didn't want to talk about him. They would have come here for nothing. And Yixing would still be stuck waiting around for the time when his memory would return and he could move on.

Eventually though, after his lips, Jongin replied a little warily. "What about him?"

Luhan hadn't thought this far. Yes he wanted, and needed, for them to talk about Yixing but he hadn't thought of what to say if he was asked why. He had to think fast. "W-Well... I've been told by a few people that I dance like him." He started, his brain moving fast to come up with something that sounded plausible. "I've seen quite a few videos of him performing and I really look up to him and respect him as a dancer. But... I don't know what he was like as a person. I was wondering if you could help me with that?"

Jongin remained silent for a moment, his body continuing to move as he shut the music player off completely and grabbed a bottle of water. He flopped himself down against the mirror, leaning against it before he finally spoke up. "Sure. I mean it's hard to talk about but... I find it helps."

Well that was definitely a relief. At least with the dancer's agreement to talk, Luhan was actually getting somewhere. He didn't want his first task alone without Minseok to fail already. But so far so good.

He gave the other man a grateful smile as he curled his legs underneath him and took a seat on the floor opposite him. "Thank you. I appreciate this a lot."

"It's no problem." Jongin replied, lifting a hand to almost wave off Luhan's words. "Where to start though, that's the hard part."

Luhan felt when Yixing sat down next to him, their knees brushing slightly. Why the ghost had to sit so close to him he didn't know. But a quick glance out of his peripheral vision granted him with the sight of the ghost sat leaning forward eagerly with excitement shining in his eyes. He definitely didn't look the twenty nine years that he was in that moment.

Looking back to Jongin, Luhan knew not to press him too hard into talking. This was bound to be hard for him, so it was best to allow him to just take his time. It wasn't like they really had a time limit to speak by. He didn't have anything else to do that day, and he already knew that the dancer didn't have any other classes to teach either.

Sure enough, after the other male had moistened his mouth with some water, he began to talk. "Yixing was... well... one of the best friends I have ever had. He was warm, funny... almost too kind to a fault. He always put others before himself. Not that he was a saint or anything; being friends with me and Sehun rubbed off on him on more than a few occasions. But all you had to do was just look at him and you knew that he was a great guy."

"From what I've heard that seems to be the general consensus." Luhan chuckled, unable to stop the warm smile from appearing on his lips. Even in the short time he had known the ghost, he had to admit that that description fitted him perfectly.

The dancer nodded his agreement, a chuckle of his own echoing throughout the room. "Everybody loved him, he was just that kind of guy. He didn't really have a bad bone in his body. Only bad influences that brought out his mischievous side."

"You and Sehun?" Luhan asked. Another glance out of his peripheral vision showed a bright grin on Yixing's face. He was clearly enjoying this, which was good really. Hopefully it would all be of some help to him.

Jongin let out a bark of laughter, his whole face crinkling up. "Yeah. There was this one time when we weren't quite of legal age, but we wanted to go clubbing..."

---

Finding Oh Sehun was a more difficult task, and they only managed it with Jongin's help.

After the dancer had finished regaling Luhan, and unknowingly Yixing as well, with tales about some of the escapades the three of them had gotten up to, they had ended up talking about the youngest of the trio. According to Jongin, Sehun never visited the studio any more. He had stopped dancing completely and just faded away into everybody's memory.

Jongin was still in contact with him though, if but rarely sharing a text or phone call, but he was still in contact with him. And after agreeing that it would do Sehun some good to talk to Luhan about Yixing too, he had quickly passed over the other's number.

They had left it a day or so, just to regroup with Minseok and come up with a plan of action before speaking to the last member of the team. They had decided to just stick with the story that Luhan had quickly come up with. It was believable, not too complicated, and so far had given positive results. Even if Yixing was still with them.

Once they felt ready though, Luhan had rang the number he was given, speaking to the softly spoken Sehun for a time before the latter eventually agreed to meet up.

That was how Luhan found himself sat in one of his favourite bubble tea places, Yixing at his side, while they waited for the other dancer to turn up. Minseok was missing yet again, having made his apologies, mentioning something about his father... Either way, he wasn't there, meaning that once again Luhan was left with the ghost on his own.

At least the other ghosts in the area were leaving him alone. He had caught sight of Jongdae earlier but the trickster spectre had merely waved at him before proceeding to try and trip up a businessman who was speed-walking down the street and talking angrily into his phone. As long as it wasn't himself that he was picking on, Luhan didn't really care.

"Excuse me?" Came a voice from his side, causing Luhan to jump a little, startled, before he looked up at the stranger who had addressed him. Immediately he knew that it was Sehun, even if the rainbow hair had been replaced with a soft chocolate brown colour. The way he held himself was so reminiscent of a dancer that Luhan couldn't help but think that even though Sehun had given up dancing... that didn't stop him from being a dancer. "Are you Luhan?"

"Yes. Oh Sehun, right? It's nice to finally meet you." Luhan beamed back, pushing himself to his feet to gently take the other's hand in a welcoming handshake.

"Likewise." The dancer replied, his voice just as soft in person as it was on the phone. He cleared his throat, their grips on each other's hands dropping before Luhan indicated the seat opposite him. He had noticed with some amusement that Sehun had apparently gone for a Strawberry flavoured bubble tea, the light pink of the drink giving the flavour choice away.

They settled into a companionable silence as they both rested back into their seats, relaxing into the atmosphere for the moment. Sehun cleared his throat again though before he turned his eyes onto Luhan. "So... Jongin told me that you wanted to learn more about Yixing-hyung?"

"That's right. I know a lot about his career but not much about him as a person." Luhan explained, his hands gently wrapped around his own bubble tea cup. "Jongin told me some things but I wanted to hear your opinion about him too."

The taller male let out a gentle chuckle, his eyes dropping to the table. "My opinion on Yixing-hyung probably isn't all that different from Jongin's. But sure, I guess I can tell you a few things about him."

"Thank you." Luhan smiled, bowing his head a little in gratitude. He had expected Sehun to put up more of a fight in regards to talking about Yixing. From what he had heard it was a very tough subject for him. But Luhan had a suspicion that Jongin had been in contact with his old team-mate which was why the taller was being so agreeable to the situation.

"It's no problem." Sehun smiled, before he leant back in his seat and began to talk. "Yixing-hyung to me was the epitome of dance. But not only that, he was also like the older brother that I never had. He was always there for me, ever since we met. He was the whole reason why I even started dancing. He spotted my potential and got me into the class that he and Jongin were a part of. Ever since that point we were a team."

The pain in Sehun's eyes was heartbreaking for Luhan to witness. It was clear just how much the older dancer meant to Sehun. And he was starting to understand just why the other had stopped dancing with the death of one of his closest friends.

"Losing Yixing... was like a losing a limb. I felt so off-balanced... I still do." Sehun continued, drawing absent-minded patterns in the condensation of his drink cup. "I'm not like Jongin or Yixing. They were born to dance, to perform. Me? I can't do it without the both of them."

"You were a team. You never trained as a solo dancer." Luhan said, understanding dawning in his eyes.

"Exactly. Though not only that... The two of them, our team? They were my inspiration for dancing." Sehun explained, lifting his shoulders into a gentle shrug. "You can't dance without inspiration."

He looked so lost, Luhan thought. The look in his eyes was so distant and sad. Still, after all this time he was missing his friend and mourning his death. He couldn't blame him for making the decisions that he did. He had a feeling that had he been in Sehun's shoes, he would have made the exact same choices.

Glancing sideways to check on Yixing, he spotted the ghost anxiously chewing on his bottom lip. He looked like something was bothering him, his eyebrows furrowed and his body language turned inwards. Had Sehun's words unlocked something in the ghost's mind?

---

"So... How did it go?" Minseok asked from his place next to Luhan on the younger's couch. They were back in his apartment, regrouping again so they could plan the next course of action. Both Minseok and Luhan were curled up together on the piece of furniture while Yixing paced the floor in front of them, his eyebrows furrowed.

Luhan hadn't really wanted to invite the ghost into his home but it was the best place for the three of them to talk without risking other people walking in on them. He didn't particularly enjoy being stared at like he was crazy or insane, which was a common occurrence when they caught him supposedly talking to himself. So to save a lot of hassle, and after gentle persuasion from Minseok, Luhan had reluctantly welcomed Yixing into his home.

"They both really miss him, that much is clear." Luhan answered, snuggling back into the cushions slightly. "They spoke a lot about things they had all done together and such. Did it help?" He asked, turning his eyes onto the pacing ghost.

Yixing looked a little distracted, his eyes distant as he practically wore a path into the floor. "It all sounds so familiar." He said, his voice quiet and faraway. "But, not like a memory... more like deja vu?"

"That's better than nothing, though, right?" Minseok offered, his smile pulling Luhan's eyes and automatically making him mirror the gesture. He was like a ball of sunshine, always able to fill him with happiness and making him relax. He had that affect on everyone though, from what Luhan had seen.

"I guess..." Yixing acquiesced before a deep sigh left his lips and he ran his hand almost viciously through his hair. "That's not what's frustrating me though."

Luhan almost unwillingly pulled his gaze from Minseok's face only to look up quizzically at the ghost. "What's wrong then?"

The room was silent for a moment or two before the spectre sighed again, his shoulders slumping. "It's Sehun. He stopped dancing because of me. I don't like that. I don't like that at all." He confided, falling silent again as he continued to pace the floor. He froze though before turning to face the two on the couch. Luhan had a bad feeling about this, especially when he saw the almost pleading twinkle in the ghost's eyes. "We have to get him dancing again. Please?"

"What? Why?" Luhan asked, trying his hardest not to groan and bury his face in his hands. Helping Yixing was one thing, but helping Yixing's friends too? If he had known that assisting the ghost would prove so difficult and with so many added clauses, he never would have agreed.

"Because, you are already doing so much to help me and you're already talking to him so it wouldn't seem strange coming from you. You're the only one that can do it, Luhan."

No. He didn't want to. This seemed like an even bigger waste of time than helping Yixing to begin with. And he did not want to be spending his whole life helping out everyone that Yixing asked him to. No matter if Minseok was sat giving him a purposeful look. No, he wasn't going to.

"But, why? What would be the point?" Luhan argued, his arms moving to cross over his chest as an almost petulant pout appeared on his lips.

"Sehun would be dancing again which he needs to be. And... it could help me, Luhan. This might be what I need to finally move on. This could be the trigger."

Now that was unfair. Pulling that move on him meant that Luhan had no choice but to agree. And he really didn't want to. He didn't care if he was coming across fairly childish, he just wanted this whole thing to be over. He just wanted to be left alone, though Minseok could stay. Minseok could always stay. He could stay forever if he wanted to, Luhan certainly wouldn't complain about that.

Minseok, though, had other ideas. He had cuddled up close to Luhan's side and had cupped his chin to turn his head so their gazes were locked on to each other's. "Lu..." He started, the tone of his voice so incredibly gentle as the nickname sent Luhan's heart fluttering. "Yixing has a point... This could be it."

All the fight in Luhan drained away. They were both right. This could be the event that would allow Yixing to finally pass on. Which meant that they had to try. And with the two of them teaming up against him, he really had no choice. Especially not when Minseok pulled moves such as calling him 'Lu' and cupping his face like that. How was he supposed to resist that? It was impossible. "How?" He asked, his voice no louder than a whisper. "How are we going to do this?"

The smile he received in reply was almost blinding to his eyes, but it filled him with hope and he felt his strength beginning to return. "I've got an idea."

---

Minseok's idea had resulted in a lot of discussion between Luhan, Jongin and Sehun, the passing of a few months and a lot of energy being used up. Frequently Luhan would shuffle home back to his apartment, his body completely spent, where he would collapse onto his bed and snuggle up against Minseok's side, who was always there waiting for him.

Okay, so that wasn't so bad. Minseok was like a giant teddy bear and it felt strangely right for Luhan to bury his face in his neck and wrap his arms around his chest. Yet another example of how they slotted together nicely. And though Luhan worried that he was becoming a little clingy, Minseok never complained.

Yixing hadn't minded having to wait either. Actually he took great pleasure in lurking around the dance studio and watching the progress that the three dancers were making. It sometimes made Luhan feel somewhat awkward. He had to do this right after all, there was a lot at stake... Yixing's chance to move on, the other two's careers... his own dignity. But the ghost reassured him time and time again that he was doing it right and that he had nothing to worry about.

Finally, though, the evening of the event was upon them and Luhan peeked out from behind the curtain to see the seats being filled. It was a full house, and he felt his nerves beginning to sky rocket. It had been a long time since he had last put himself out there in front of a crowd that large. And despite everybody's reassurances he was still terrified that he was going to do a bad job. He had to do this though... for Yixing.

"Hey... are you okay?"

Looking behind him, Luhan's eyes immediately met the excitedly twinkling ones of Jongin. There was that spark that had been missing before. Sehun was right... Jongin really was born to dance and to perform.

"There are so many people out there." He answered, his nerves seeping into his voice.

"Yeah." Jongin chuckled. "Yixing-hyung was well loved by everyone. I don't think any of them would have missed this for the world."

Luhan remained quiet, merely nodding in reply as he looked back out towards the growing crowd. He was looking for two specific people, one in particular, and it took him a few sweeps with his eyes before he spotted them. There, fairly near the front but towards the side was Minseok and Yixing. The ghost looked to be practically bouncing in excitement and even Minseok's eyes were bright with the promise of seeing a darn good show.

Yeah... no pressure then.

A warm hand came to land on Luhan's shoulder and he jumped slightly before looking back up at Jongin. "This was a good idea, you know, putting on a dance recital in Yixing's memory. He would have loved it."

"I'm sure he would have." Luhan replied, his voice gentle as he returned the warm smile. Jongin's hand squeezed his shoulder and they both turned to look out at the audience again. The doors had been shut and the crowd of people were settling into their seats, a quiet buzz of their chatter echoing around the hall.

"What are you guys doing?" Came another voice from behind them. Both Luhan and Jongin turned to face the playfully scowling Sehun who was staring at them a little in impatience with his hands on his hips. "The show's about to start, come on!"

Jongin let out a loud bark of laughter before sauntering over to the still scowling Sehun, and Luhan watched as he all but jumped on the other dancer, pulling him into a tight hug. "Come on then, Sehunnie. Let's dance."

They weren't going to be the first act performing. They weren't even in the middle of the show. No, their act was labelled as the highlight of the show so naturally they were billed to be last. With two thirds of the famous EXO trio putting on a dance recital in their team member's memory, of course they were going to be the highlight.

Luhan had put so much effort, time and energy into learning the routines. Thankfully, true to everybody's words, Yixing's style was very similar to his own so learning the ghost's moves proved to be an easier task than he had originally feared. Plus having Yixing there to help correct him when he was working on his own was a great help too.

And now was the day that all their hard work would come to fruition with hopefully the best results possible.

The show began with the MC of the event, the studio's head instructor and, incidentally, the trio's choreographer, welcoming everybody to the recital and giving a little history about just why they were all there. Originally Luhan had asked Minseok if he wanted to MC the show but he had turned it down saying he hadn't known Yixing when he was alive so it would have been awkward. So, after some more failing in persuading him, Luhan had switched ideas and asked the choreographer instead.

Various acts performed their pieces, all with minimal mistakes, and Luhan watched them all from his place in the wings. He could just about see Yixing from where he was stood, hidden behind the curtains and he could tell even from this distance that he was enjoying every single routine. He had a wide happy smile on his face and he could not tear his eyes away from the stage where everybody was dancing for him. Even Minseok was watching the proceedings with what looked like a proud smile on his lips.

Soon enough the end of the recital arrived, and Luhan took a deep breath, gripping Jongin's and Sehun's hands for a moment before they walked out onto the stage and took their positions.

Everyone was silent. Luhan couldn't hear anything bar his own breathing and the thudding in his chest. This was it.

The first few beats echoed in the room, and thus the dance began. It was a familiar tune and routine to Yixing, and everybody else there to watch. It was the dance the trio had performed that had achieved them their biggest score and their biggest win. It was the one they were most proud of.

The first part of the routine was very dubsteppy and the three of them moved fluidly through the moves, hitting it hard at all the right points. Unknown to Yixing though, they had modified the music to add in some new sections. And about half way through the original routine, the song changed, slowing down to a ballad as Luhan and Sehun melted off of the stage, leaving Jongin in the spotlight.

The other two took a moment to catch their breaths watching as the remaining dancer on stage continued to perform. Jongin's solo section was more ballet and lyrical than it was hip-hop, but it still slotted in seamlessly with the rest of their performance. Every move that he made was just so elegant and emotional, and Luhan was starting to feel a little choked up himself from where he was watching in the wings.

It was different watching Jongin dance during an actual performance rather than during a rehearsal. The same went for any dancer that he worked with really. There was just something about the night of a performance that gave everyone that little bit more energy and gave them all a sparkle that just added to their dance.

The music changed again, picking up a little more speed as Sehun replaced Jongin on the stage. Luhan risked a glance out to the audience then, his eyes immediately picking out Yixing. His mouth was open, a little in shock, but Luhan could tell that his eyes were shining with unshed tears. He couldn't really blame him. If he had been in Yixing's position... he likely would be the same.

Sehun's solo was a lyrical piece too, though without the finesse of Jongin's more balletic approach. The piece of music he had chosen was still a ballad but was a little more upbeat, giving him more opportunities to show off his differing style.

He was definitely wrong to think that he wasn't born to dance and perform. At least in Luhan's opinion. Because watching him out there, giving the dance routine his all... he looked like he belonged. This really was what he was meant to do. And he just hoped that performing tonight with Jongin by his side was going to be enough to keep Sehun dancing. They may have lost Yixing, but they still had each other after all.

The song picked up again and Jongin slid back out onto the stage, beginning a duet with Sehun who had moved over to make room for the other. Luhan didn't pay too much attention to this part of the routine, having to focus instead on preparing himself for the next section. He shook out his limbs, keeping his joints and muscles pumped ready to dance once again. He counted down the beats in his head, waiting for the tell-tale change in the music before he finally joined the other two on the stage.

The song they were dancing to would definitely be one that Yixing would recognise. It was a piece he had edited himself; he had changed the tempo on it and re-recorded the song with his own vocals. They had randomly found the disc with it on when searching for one of the others that they had wanted to sample. And immediately the three of them had agreed to use it.

So as Yixing's voice echoed out across the hall, Luhan, Jongin and Sehun danced their hardest, moving as if they were a single unit to the stunned silence of the crowd.

The song and routine gradually slowed down until the last note of the song rang out and the three of them were stood in a line looking upwards, one of their hands reaching up to the sky before lowering to land over their hearts.

There was a moment of complete silence before the entire hall erupted into loud cheering and applause, as well as quite a few sniffles from those who had been overcome with emotion. They had done it. It couldn't have gone better if they had tried. It was just perfect. And after taking a bow Luhan's eyes immediately met those of the ghost.

Yixing was gazing at them in such gratitude with happy tears sliding down his cheeks. A touched smile was on his lips and he was applauding enthusiastically along with the rest of the crowd. His eyes met Luhan's though and he lifted a hand to wave, his lips moving though no sound coming out as his form began to fade.

They had done it. Yixing had remembered. They had gotten Sehun to dance again. Yixing was finally able to move on... They had done it.

"Thank you." Had been what the ghost had mouthed, and tears had sprung to Luhan's own eyes as he bid goodbye to Yixing. It had definitely been worth it to help him. And Luhan was going to miss him, but he deserved to move on in his afterlife and finally be at peace.

As the last faint outline of Yixing's form faded away, Luhan had to swallow down a sob as his eyes finally met Minseok's. The other was looking at him with such affection that it was a little overwhelming after everything that had just happened. And to see the pride in Minseok's eyes...

It was definitely worth it.