Luhan felt that he was dumbfounded. He didn't see that coming. He felt like he has been fooled all his life after he heard those words.

“I..You..how--“

“Oh, I’m sorry, but I have to go somewhere now. Since you’re new here, I’ll let you come with me,” the man smiled. Luhan felt relieved.

“Thank you, but may I know your name?” Luhan bravely asked. One thing he could at least know what the man's name.

“My real name’s Minseok. But my friends call me Xiumin. You can call me whatever way you want,” he smiled again. “What’s yours?”

“Luhan. My name’s Luhan. Well, I think.” Luhan felt shy after Xiumin laughed at his words. But he quickly subsided and cleared his throat.

“Don’t worry, you thought right. When I first came here, all I remember is my name. So don’t feel bad about not knowing anything.” They started walking towards their destination. Luhan just followed suit, and he felt really good since the first time he came here.

While walking, Xiumin and Luhan talked about what was happening around, and fortunately, Xiumin answered some of the questions that Luhan had in his head.

“So, Minseok, why am I here?”

Xiumin raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t I tell you already? Or do you want me to repeat the fact that you’re already dead?” He emphasized the last words, seeing how his newly-made friend gets uncomfortable whenever he hears it.

“Hey, stop saying that, I feel shivers down my spine," Luhan retorted back. “Maybe you’re right about me..or us..being dead. But how did I die?” Luhan felt his heart sink as he mentioned the last word. He wouldn't want to believe it, but he had to.

“You’ll eventually find out. Don't worry.” Although Minseok said not to worry, Luhan felt like he had every right to worry because of the situation.

“Uhm..Xiumin..earlier, I saw you holding a gun and I assume that you are firing someone..” Luhan suddenly felt that he was a bit rude, but Xiumin's smile set him at ease.

“Yeah, I was trying to hurt someone, but I've got answers for your questions."

Luhan was about to ask for the 'answers' he wanted, but just then he realized that they've already made their way inside the school building. They stopped by in front of a normal looking door, but he realized it wasn't normal. There's no doorknob...

Just then a hexagon shaped sign that reads 'EXO' illuminated from the place where the doorknob was supposed to be. Luhan wondered why it lit up and he was about to ask Xiumin. But he was stunned when he saw the same sign on his acquaintance's palm, glowing as well. Xiumin calmly pressed his palm against the other logo and it immediately unlocked.

“Hey!" Xiumin casually entered the room and said hello to the people inside. Luhan stayed out. He was hesitating on whether he should enter or not. Yes, he's comfortable with Xiumin, but with all the other boys inside? Definitely not. He's just new here, with nothing in mind but his own name.

He glanced at the boys inside. He felt that the place belonged to them only, and that he should not enter that room. His thoughts were disrupted when Minseok pulled him inside and closed the door.

“Someone might see you,” he whispered. Luhan felt uneasy and doubted on Xiumin. He thought he was hiding something and doing something illegal, but he just shrugged his worries away. 

Luhan inspected the room instead.. It’s like a teacher’s office--the thing is, there’s no teacher. Instead, the room was jampacked with eight other students like him. They seemed to be happily chatting around, until they noticed the new stranger in front of the door. Luhan.

“Xiumin hyung, who’s that guy with you?” Of course, they would be asking who he was since his face is new to their eyes. Luhan felt intimidated by those eight pairs of eyes. They weren't judging him or anything, they just wondered because it's the first time they saw him. Xiumin's voice snapped Luhan's thoughts.

“Oh, this is my new friend, Luhan. He’s just new here. I mean..well..you know that.” Luhan mentally smiled when Xiumin introduced him as his ‘new friend’. At least he had someone on his side.

"Oh, why didn't you say so? Come here, hyung, have a seat." Luhan stood still, but Xiumin pushed him a little, indirectly telling him that it's okay and they won't do anything to him. The other people on the couch adjusted, and he sat down at the space provided for him.

"Welcome to the club! I'm Suho, the leader. All of us here form a group called EXO." Luhan nodded as he remembered the logo on the door. So that's why..."Don't be so stiff, hyung. We won't do anything to you. We'll introduce ourselves." The other members laughed softly, and Luhan smiled shyly and let himself relax. They surrounded him as they started talking. Luhan can't help but smile. I'm just new here, and they're welcoming me like I've been friends with them for a long time already.

"Hello, I'm Kris, and let me tell you that chicken is not my style," the guy with the blonde hair said. The other members laughed, and Luhan laughed as well as he saw Xiumin forming tears in his eyes because of laughter. The others told Luhan that Kris really loves chicken, and even told him that he shouldn't be fooled. Luhan just smiled at them.

The guy with the guitar on his lap introduced next. “Hello, I’m Lay. I hope you like music, Luhan hyung,” the guy with the shiny brown hair said. Luhan noticed his dimple, which he found really cute. He even thought that he was the most angelic among all of them.

“Lay plays for the school band, and he talks about music all the time,” Suho said. The other boys all agreed as well and didn't deny the fact that Lay is really good.

“Hello! I’m Baekhyun! I'm not loud, I just get excited whenever I speak.” Luhan couldn’t agree more on what the boy with the fluffy brown hair said. He wanted to say that what he said was just the same, but he decided not to.

“Oh shut up,” another one spoke. “My name’s Chanyeol. I’m warning you, once you’ve spoken to this shorty here, you’ll get loud as well.” Baekhyun playfully smacked the guy with the cap, which Luhan found funny. A tall one and a short one, how cute.

“Hello, I’m Tao. I’m training for martial arts, and my eyes are always like this. Please don’t laugh at me,” the guy with the short blonde hair said cutely. He looks tough on the outside but he’s actually soft.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Luhan didn't even judge him, but he smiled as he spoke, just to reassure Tao. 

The guy with the black hair and big eyes started awkwardly. “Hello, I’m D.O. I’m not much of a social person, but I’m improving,” he proudly showed a book to Luhan. “Suho hyung gave me this book last Christmas. Nice to meet you, Luhan hyung.”

“Nice to meet you, too, D.O.” Luhan found it funny that D.O actually showed him the book, but he just shook it off and felt that he should just need to get to know them more.

The last boy with the black hair spoke. “Hello, I’m Kai. I’m a little shy at first, but I’m happy with actually being friends with everyone here.” he smiled shyly. Even with the tough look on his eyes, indeed, he is shy, Luhan thought. 

“Oooohh, our maknae’s getting shy again~” his hyungs . Luhan can’t help but laugh at the boys’ playfulness. Kai hid himself behind a big pillow, on which they all laughed so hard.

**

Luhan got to know each and every one of them. So he asked the question he’s been meaning to ask since he came here.

“Xiumin,” he whispered. “Can you give me your explanations about..earlier?”

“Oh!” Xiumin said a little loudly, which caused the other eight to look at both of them. Luhan felt uncomfortable again.

“Guys, can someone explain to our new member what EXO does? He seems interested,” Luhan looked at Xiumin with question marks on his head. What…?

“Okay. I’ll do it,” Suho volunteered. He’s the leader after all.

“First of all, Luhan hyung. This is a secret society, so you’re not allowed to tell anyone about this. Got it?” Luhan nodded silently. So that was the feeling that has been bugging him since he entered the doorknob-less door...

“This secret society is formed because we’re all against one person--Cheonsa.” Cheonsa? Is there someone named Cheonsa here?

Suho showed Luhan a picture of the person they’re talking about. He doesn’t look like an angel at all! (Cheonsa = angel). Luhan thought that he actually looked grumpy and moody, and that he doesn't want to be friends with anyone.

“We’re targeting Cheonsa because we're against his way of running the school system. He's leading us to the wrong path."

“How did you know? I mean, about the wrong path? What’s the wrong and the right one?”

“You'll see for yourself as you continue to live here. We've attacked him several times, but we always fail." Luhan just kept quiet and continued listening.

“He was my target earlier,” Xiumin whispered to him. So that explains it.

“For tomorrow, we already have plans for Cheonsa..” Suho explained the plan to him.

**

Luhan went up to the rooftop to chill himself. Today’s a long day, and he’s still absorbing the facts. Luckily, he met new friends. It wouldn’t be that hard to accept today’s happenings. He felt at ease as he viewed the setting sun, on which he found calm.

Luhan admired the view when he heard someone open the door. Lay entered the rooftop as well.

“Hey,” he casually said to Lay.

“Hyung, I have a new composition  for tomorrow’s plan. Can you critique it?” Lay sat down and positioned himself to play. He really likes music, huh.

Lay played the guitar. It’s a ballad and a slow song, perfectly nice for the ears. He finished the song with the final strum, and Luhan instinctively clapped at Lay’s mini performance.

“It’s nice. It’s perfect,” Luhan said happily. Lay got the reaction he wanted, so he smiled as well.

“I can’t wait to show this to Suho. I hope he’ll like it.”

“How long have you been friends with everyone?”

“I don’t know. I just like being with them..especially with Suho.” Lay whispered the last part, but it did not escape Luhan’s ears. So he likes him..

“Lay, can I ask you something?”

“Anything hyung.”

“How did you die?” Lay seemed hurt since the topic is sensitive to him. Luhan was about to say that he doesn't have to tell him if he doesn't want to, but Lay started to tell his life story.

“When I was alive, my parents always fight. That's why I always go home late. They didn't really mind, since I'm a boy. One night it was raining. I decided to shelter myself first in a nearby store, and I saw this precious thing lying on the ground." He caressed his guitar as he showed his dimple while smiling. Luhan smiled at the sight.

"I picked it up since it looks dirty and unused. I learned to play it by ear. My parents were both musicians, so I think that's where I got it. I started to perform on the streets. A bar manager found me and offered me a better job. I started to save money, wanting to make a living out of this." He held his guitar tighter. "I...I wanted to just go away from home and never come back once I have enough cash. After almost a year, I saved up a really big amount. That night I decided to do it." His brows creased. Luhan wondered what might have happened to Lay.

"As I was sneaking down the stairs in the middle of the night, the lights and I saw my parents in front of the door. They found out what I was doing. I didn't know how...but they just did. They beat me up, told me that I was insolent, and they even told me that I was a useless child..." Luhan held his breath. He saw Lay slowly breaking down, so he motioned closer to him and rubbed his back. Lay started to cry softly.

"With all those beating up...I died..." He said in between sobs. Luhan hugged him like how a friend should do. He thought as he looked up at the sky...

If this is Lay’s life..how about the others?

Did they die happily? Or like Lay, they died with pain?

**

Finally, I finished editing it! :) Can you please comment on how it turned out? >< Thank youuuu! :) I missed this story so much <3 And of course all of you! Saranghaeyoo <3