"Onew hyung's... depressed?" Taemin voice was hardly above a whisper.

The four boys had recovered from the initial shock and was now seated on the couch, staring at the offending slip of paper on the glass table before them with dull eyes. Jonghyun swore, as he looked on at how the corner of the paper would be slightly lifted off the table whenever the wind picked up, that the paper was almost laying there triumphantly, mocking them, challenging them.

Key sighed for the umpteenth time that day, folded his arms across his chest and opted to stare at the clock instead.

Somehow, deep in his heart, he knew this was coming. He knew his hyung. Jinki wasn't the kind of person who would just say his troubles out loud. He wasn't like Jonghyun, who would complain to anybody and everybody he saw. He wasn't like Minho, who burned his frustrations by playing sports and channeling emotional stress into physical actions. He wasn't like Taemin, who would pout and refuse to talk to anybody and rather cool it by himself in a corner. Jinki was someone who could put on a smile no matter what twisted feelings was occuring in his heart.

Someone who would do anything as long as s was happy. Including sacrificing his own happines, he added bitterly.

He thought back to all those bright smiles, the way Jinki would constantly ask him if he had eaten yet, if he was tired and he would narrow his eyes and retort back, "Hyung, I'm supposed to be the group's umma." and Jinki would laugh, ruffle his hair and go to Taemin instead. Key simply could not understand how someone can be that gentle, so caring towards others without taking care of himself first. He shook his head.

His mind then wandered to the radio show they did not too long ago, where Jonghyun once said that Jinki would rather keep his problems to himself.

Stupid Jonghyun. He knew. Wasn't he supposed to take care of the group together with Jinki? Stupid, stupid Jonghyun. Key repeated that in his mind, convincing himself. It was always somehow easier this way. Stupid Jinki. Always caring for others before himself. Always hurting himself. Stupid, stupid Jinki. 

And him? What had he done? His mind seemed to be challenging his heart now. Key felt a realization hitting him then, hard, almost as if someone had slapped him across the face. Hadn't he contributed somewhat, always picking on Onew, taking advantage of his soft nature so he could get what he wanted? Wasn't he also at fault, too caught up in his own world to see behind those forced smiles? STOP. His heart seemed to be yelling. STOP IT.

Key felt his chest tightening.

Stupid, stupid Key.

Key tore his gaze away from the clock and settled on the members' faces instead. Each one was staring into space, minds consumed by thoughts. This was when Key realized Taemin's question still hung in the air, a question that everybody knew the answer to but no one would confront.

"He musn't know."

Minho's quiet but deep voice sounded throughout the deathly silent living room. "He musn't know that we know." he stated firmly, eyeing everybody around the room with a hardened gaze.

Taemin nodded slowly, unfocused eyes blinking. Jonghyun's unreadable expression flickered for a moment. The SHINee members at least know what they musn't do. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Jinki musn't know that they had found out. Things will only get worse from there and it would just get awkward. And he will just probably cover it up even more, lying to us, lying to himself, Taemin thought bitterly. This wasn't just their leader, this was their friend, their hyung that they loved and cared for.

And what was more worse than a trusted friend lying to you?

Key was about to open his mouth to question what they should do when a sound was heard. A sound that all of them really wished they hadn't heard.  

The front door clicked open.

Key realized that all this while, he doesn't know what time it is.

A/N: hoho, Key's my bias, thus this somewhat key-centric chapter. >.< and omg you guise, i had typed out this chapter but then my mouse clicked something and went back a page and ADSDFGFHJ; WHERE WAS AUTOSAVE WHEN YOU NEEDED IT. T.T so turns out i had to write this chapter again but it's okay, since i added some stuff along the way. :3 was this chapt kinda boring? idk. i read it over many times but something was weird. idk. omg. haha. i finished it at 1 in the morning. x.X

once again, comments are looved. <3 ^^