Breakfast in the SHINee dorm was usually loud - full of laughter and talk. Jonghyun and Key made most of the noise, to be honest; Taemin, Onew and Minho just added a word here and there because that was all they could edge into the conversation. But the morning of the 18th of August 2014 was going to be different, Onew knew, as he swung his legs out of bed and winced as his bare feet hit the cold floor. He took his time picking out something to wear, lingering in the bathroom as he took his shower. He had successfully wasted thirty minutes by the time he was finally forced to enter the main part of the dorm. 

He wasn't the first up, he saw, noting that Minho was already seated at the table, notebook open in front of him, steadily filling up lines with what Onew could only guess were lyrics. His coffee had gone cold, only a few gulps missing from the mug, and the leader made his way towards the worktop to prepare something to eat.

"Morning, Minho," he greeted, voice slightly hoarse. "Want something to eat?"

The rapper finally looked up from his notebook and smiled at Jinki. "Please, hyung. We may as well get our peace and quiet before those three manage to roll out of their beds,"

The vocalist chuckled as he threw some slices of bread into the toaster, pushing the button down. The kettle was filled and put on to boil as Onew emptied Minho's full mug of cold coffee down the drain at the sink, preparing to make a new pot. The other members were going to need it.

"What time did they manage to stumble in, did you hear?" he asked the younger idol absent-mindedly as he poured out some cereal into a bowl. 

"Key made it back by about half three, but Jjong and Taemin rolled in at five. I know because they woke me up, and they weren't a pretty sight, let me tell you. They're going to be absolutely demolished today." Minho sounded amused at the thought, Onew noted, and smiled slightly. 

"I feel kind of bad that I couldn't stay long, but my voice is already rough from the hour I spent with everyone. But you," he cut off, turning to scrutinise . "You look better than I thought you would. But I guess you came home at about one, right? I heard the door shut."

"Yep," Minho agreed smugly. "Unlike those three, I managed not to get completely off my face. I don't know how we're going to cope with them all day, hyung - Kibum and Jonghyun are bad enough as it is, and now Tae-"

"Ugh!" A loud exclamation came from the doorway to one of the bedrooms. "My head is killing me and I feel like I swallowed sandpaper,"

Minho snorted. "Kibum-ah, you drank half the bar last night. It really doesn't surprise me."

"Stop shouting!" the older SHINee member whispered dramatically, reaching the coffee table and scooping up some sunglasses, which he proceeded to cover half his face with. "I think my head will actually split in two and I will die if you talk at the volume again! "

"It's your own fault, Key," Onew reminded him gently. "Here, have some toast. Once you eat, you'll feel a little better," he added, putting a stack of toast onto the table with butter and other assorted condiments. 

Key sank into a chair at the table and rubbed his forehead, hair sticking up in all directions. This was how you knew that Key had a hangover - usually, he didn't come out of his room unless his hair was at least brushed. He reached for some toast and buttered it, taking a bite and groaning. 

"I notice you two left pretty early," he said to them both. "Lightweights."

"Yah, you know I can't risk my voice!" Onew replied, swatting him around the back of the head. He busied himself with pouring out three cups of coffee, adding the right amount of milk and sugar for each of them, then sat down himself, finally eating.

"Minho has no excuse, though," Key snickered, running his hand through his hair. "But the others were still going strong when I left. Did Jonghyun actually even bother to bring Taemin home, or are we going to find them passed out in a drunken haze on the way to the SM building?"

"Got in about five, Minho says," Onew relayed.

"I think I'm dead. I genuinely think I'm dead. This is what death feels like. It's not as peaceful as I'd imagined."

Jinki and Minho attempted to hide their laughter, but Kibum, being perpetually blunt, didn't bother. 

"You're so dramatic, Taeminnie," he called, apparently forgetting that he himself had also been as theatrical not ten minutes before. 

"Shut up," the maknae advised, sweeping his blonde hair out of his eyes, which looked tired and bloodshot. There were red patches on his cheeks and up his neck - a tell-tale sign that he was mostly still drunk. "Just... Someone please get me some coffee, some pain relief and a darkened room."

"Pot's still hot," Minho smirked at the newly turned solo artist. "Get up and make it yourself."

"I hate you all and I wish I'd never been put into a group with you," Taemin declared without any heat or conviction, shuffling around towards the coffee. 

"You and me both. God, why is it so bright? Why are you being so loud? Why do I feel like I forgot something very important? Actually, while we're on the subject of memory - how did I get home?" Jonghyun called as he flung himself onto the sofa. Onew snorted. 

"Morning, Jjong. Sleep well? Have a good night?" he shouted deliberately, ignoring his sore vocal cords, nudging Minho. All three of the hungover men winced and jumped. 

"Can. You. Not?" Jonghyun ground out. "I'm dying over here."

"Well, would you look at that, Minho-ah," Onew began sarcastically, flashing them his signature smile. "That makes a full house!"

"Full house - what is this nonsense?" Key demanded, sipping his coffee as Taemin settled next to Jinki. 

"All three of you have said that you're dying-"

"Actually," Taemin piped up. "I think you'll find that I told you I'm already dead and in hell."

"You're not in hell, Tae," Minho told him with the air of a man struggling to keep his patience. "You just woke up to a headache the size of China,"

"Why does this feel like hell, then?" the maknae asked quietly, but received no reply; Minho shook his head at the youngest's antics.

"Want some toast, Jjong? Cereal?" Onew offered the singer, deliberately acting bright and sunny to get on his nerves. 

Jonghyun visibly heaved. "If you mention anything to do with f-o-o-d again," he warned, spelling out the word. "I will vomit everywhere and you will have to clean it up. So don't."

Onew was amused. "If you throw up, I'm not touching it. The contents of your stomach are your own to mop up, my good friend."

"Can you all shut up?" Taemin groaned, head falling onto his arms. "It feels like your voices are bouncing around my head and it isn't very nice!"

Minho snorted and they all fell silent, those that could stomach breakfast eating and those that couldn't grimacing. 

Onew shared a grin with Minho as he stood up to get his phone. The celebration party the night before for Taemin's first solo mini album had, apparently, completely wiped out three fifths of SHINee. Today was going to be very entertaining indeed.