Of course, Taemin immediately obeyed. He didn't say anything to object; how could he? As he trailed behind his hyungs up the elevator, sunken and afraid, his mind was running the gamut of scenarios: what had happened between Minho and Onew just now? Where had they gone, and what could Jinki possibly have to say to him as a result? He tried again to catch Minho's eye, but he seemed bent on avoiding him. As if he felt bad or ashamed... was that it?

            No, that's not it. Something else... 

            Minho-hyung... he almost uttered in the interim silence, though he had no idea what to say next, so he decided to say nothing at all. He stared a moment at Minho's olive-colored hands, which he had crossed in front of him in a polite, submissive manner. And though all previous irritation had left him, the fire in his charismatic eyes doused by some unspoken waters, Minho still seemed uncomfortable, so unlike himself, and Taemin had to resist the urge to take his hand in his, to reach up and his soft cheek while offering a reassuring, gentle smile--those things didn't seem problematic before. But now... now that he was "dating" Jinki, Taemin wasn't sure what to do. How to treat him. How to be treated. But all he really wanted to do was press the "fire" button to stop the elevator from moving--to stop the world from turning--and collide in his hyung's arms. To hear the elder's heart beating as he pressed his ear into his chest, to smell that signature sweet musky smell that Taemin could identify anywhere, the scent of Choi Minho that he'd become so accustomed to. Become so envious of. Yes, all he wanted in that moment was to both reassure and be reassured that everything would be all right...

            But the moment passed as quickly as it came. The elevator dinged and the doors parted. The three SHINee members filtered out, awkwardly, and entered the dorm in a wordless procession. The air was thick with unspoken things, tense, uncomfortable feelings and opinions, questions and concerns. Immediately, Minho went to the isolation of his room, though he managed a brief greeting to Kibum and Jonghyun along the way.

            "Oh, so you found them," Kibum started, but Taemin hadn't the time to properly reply, for Onew then took his hand in his and led him into his room before the other two members could interject.

            "Hey!" Jonghyun called after them. "Lover's spat, or something...?" 

            But no one answered him. Key waved his hand, gesturing Jonghyun to drop it. They were all out of earshot anyway. 

            Once in the leader’s room, Onew closed the door behind them and gently eased his mock-boyfriend on the bed.

            “Hyung—I don’t want to do anything with you,” Taemin said matter-of-factly. He was much too stressed to pretend now, to explore misplaced kisses with his farcical lover.

            “What? Oh, no—that’s not what I meant,” Jinki swiftly replied. He seemed kind of embarrassed. “I just want you to ready yourself. Are you?”

            “Am I what?”

            “Ready?”

            “Ready for what?”

            “For what I’m about to tell you.”

            “How would I know unless you told me?”

            He sighed. “Do you know what just happened?"

            He shook his head.

            "Minho and I had a long talk. A nice talk, actually, for the most part...”

            Taemin didn’t understand. "That sounds nice. I would have liked to have gone also."

            “Hang on. Just listen. He asked me if he could talk to me, you see.”

            He nodded, even though he really didn’t.

            “At first I was a little nervous; I didn't know what he was going to say. If he was still really upset with me or not. But I could tell by his expression that he wasn’t. Not really. So we took a long walk by the Han River and talked a bunch of things out, man to man.”

            Again he nodded, still oblivious to where this was all going.

            “Taemin—don’t you get it?"

            “Er—no, hyung.”

            “He’s sorry. He apologized to me."

            Indeed, it came as a surprise.

            "He said he’d been feeling things against me he shouldn’t have, things he felt terrible for acknowledging and needed to repent for. It was eating him up inside, he said. Honestly, I was shocked. Now, why would he do that...?”

            The maknae shrugged. He didn’t know, but the news was rather relieving. “Minho-hyung...” he managed. “That was awfully brave of him. Did he... he mention being angry at me also?” Secretly, he was afraid of the answer.

            "Angry at you? Taemin, I think it's impossible for Minho-shii to be angry with you.  Do you know what else?”

            “Ne?”

            “He asked me to take especial care of you. It was like—it was like he was giving me his blessing or something. It was strange, Taemin;