The tall one, the leader, spoke, "Thank you... thank you." The words he said, about doing more, doing better, in the future, echoed the words Luhan had heard by his ear countless times. 

 

It was bittersweet, seeing the group he had left reflected in these five boys. 

 

The one on the far right reminded him of Chanyeol, with his bright, perpetual grin and barely contained energy. Luhan saw the glance the boy with the bandana gave him and thought of the unashamedly shy looks that had Jongin always cast Kyungsoo. The leader of them stood confident and firm-spoken; not unlike Joonmyeon. Luhan saw Tao's facade in the blond with the serious expression, and Yixing in the serene-faced Korean.

 

His smile faded. Would Yifan think the same, if he was here? Would he see his former groupmates in these hopeful young rookies?

 

Not that it mattered. No amount of comparison would make things the same again.