FINALLY school is out and I am able to update again...the last week of school had been hectic. I was worrying about finals a LOT, but I managed to pass them (thank goodness!) and, therefore, pass all my classes with As and Bs. Whooohoo! I was seriously sweating it for my science class. Science has been my main weakness this year and I had to pass it with at least a B, and I did! WHOOP! But yeah, I was so stressed out over finals that I got really sick and I'm just now feeling really good today (knock on wood!), so I was decided to update again. I'm really sorry for the long weight. I promise I'll try to be a better author. Okay, well...I went through all the chapters and edited a bunch of stuff. It's all the same, really, I didn't delete anything major nor did I add anything that would require you guys to read through it again to get the point...I just went through and corrected grammer and spelling mistakes really. Anyway, enjoy and THANK YOU SO MUCH for sticking with me! :D

Jonghyun woke himself up early in the morning, setting his phone to wake him up at four. 

He forced himself to drag his body from the warm bed and cross the hallway from his room to the bathroom to take a shower, being as quiet as he humanly could because he didn't want to wake his parents up.

It reminded him a lot of the morning before, doing the same thing, except he had been trying not to wake up Minho, Key, or Taemin. He had known that there was no possible way to wake Onew up at such an early hour.

The reasons for trying not to wake up anyone were the same. He knew that if he did manage to wake them up that they'd persuade him not to leave. He didn't think he'd be able to say no to his mother.

After a short shower, Jonghyun paused in front of the foggy mirror and, after wiping away the condensation, stared at his reflection in the mirror.

I'm a free man now...no more lies, no more rules, no more Bling Bling Kim Jonghyun from SHINee, no more anything. 

He decided that he liked the sound of all of that.

I'm going to miss them though...stop it. Don't think about them and move on already. This is what you wanted, right?

Jonghyun nodded to himself and glanced at his mother's makeup in the cabinet above the toilet.

His first instinct was to put it on, after so many years of doing so, but he stopped his hand mid-reach.

No.

No more of that. 

Jonghyun hummed to himself and ran a hand through his fluffy hair, pondering what he should do now after he had showered and brushed his teeth. 

He couldn't remember if there were any extra duffle bags or bookbags in his old room, but if there were, he could take a bunch of his old clothes with him - along with any thing else he may need.

I should have taken more with me before I left from the dorm...

When he left the apartment building that he shared with his band members, he had only brought the clothes on his back, an extra pair of socks, a towel, tooth brush and hair brush. He had also taken whatever money he had with him along with his cell phone, though he wasn't sure why.

I should call Se Kyung...and maybe Key at least, just to let him know that I'm okay. He'll be more worried than the others I think,; he used to worried about me even when I'm just going jogging with Minho in the mornings.

I can't do that now though. I have to leave before my parents wake up.

Taking a deep breathe, Jonghyun pushed himself away from the counter and quietly tip-toed his way out of the bathroom and back into his room, going straight for the closet. 

He was greatly relieved when he found an old duffle bag shoved way in the back and pulled it out with a tiny smile.

Good...this is exactley what I needed.

Key sighed and stared out the window of the van, scowling darkly to himself. 

Why did he have to get stuck with Onew and the manager? It normally wouldn't have been a problem, but he was still a little irritated with the both of them...and neither one of them were talking, or even attempting to start a conversation. That's what bugged him the most. 

He was stuck in the backseat bored out of his mind. Taemin and Minho didn't have schedules till twelve, which meant that they got to stay home for a couple extra hours while he and Onew, and Jonghyun if he would have still been here, were stepping into the snake pit called SM entertainment to work on a photoshoot.

He wished that Jonghyun were still here...his heart ached without him and he felt physically empty. Jonghyun had been his best friend long before they even debuted, so it felt so weird knowing that he had left them without really a goodbye.

He sighed again and beat his head against the window. He saw Onew glance back at him from the rearview mirror and flash a tired and slightly hesitant smile, but he ignored it and rolled his eyes.

He was still pissed at him. 

Onew felt his heart sink when Key scowled and batted away his attempt at trying to get on good ground with him again. 

He hated the silence, just as much as Key did, and was bored out of his mind as well but the manager was in no mood to listen to music on the radio or to talk to them.

He was also blaming himself, just as much as Key was blaming him, for what happened with Jonghyun. Maybe if he wouldn't have lost control and stopped before the beatings drew blood, Jonghyun wouldn't have left. Maybe, if he would have checked up on him before he went to bed and justed talked to him, Jonghyun wouldn't have thought to leave. Maybe if...no, there were too many what ifs and it would do him no good to think that way.

Key jumped when he felt his phone vibrate for a split second in his pocket before his ring tone, Ring Ding Dong, played. He frowned. He had his ring tone as Ring Ding Dong only for the members of his band. Who could be calling?

He took a second to calm his racing heart before digging the electronic from his pocket and holding it up to his ear.

"Yoboseyo?" He asked, slighty confused as to who would be calling this early in the day and who would be calling at all. 

"Kibum-ah~ do you remember me?" A very familiar voice asked cheerfully and Key felt his heart race and a smile light up his face.

"J-" Key cut himself short when the speaker interupted him.

"Shh~please don't say my name!"

Onew had looked back as Key had started saying Jonghyun's name and was looking at him curiously.

"Jessica-noona! Yah! How come you never talk to me anymore?" Key adlibbed, glancing back at Onew warily. Their leader had found interest in something out side and wasn't really paying attention to the conversation. Key could hardly contain his joy and excitement at hearing Jonghyun's voice again even though they had only been without him for a couple hours.

"...Jessica-noona? What? I'm not a girl, Key! ...Oh...are you around someone who knows I'm gone?" Jonghyun asked.

"Ne, I'm riding to work with Onew-hyung." He said. 

"Mmm. Well...I just wanted to apologize for everything." Sadness coated Jonghyun's words and Key could hear all the emotion in them. "I'm sorry that I didn't get to tell you goodbye face to face, but I knew that you guys would stop me, like I said in the letters..." 

Key remained silent, taking in every word and trying not to cry. 

"I love you guys, really I do, but I needed to go my own way. I hope you understand."

"...Of course I understand." Key murmered. "I just wish you would have taken me -" he looked up at Onew and the manager again, realizing that they were both still listening in to the conversation between him and "Jessica". " - because that party sounded like it was a lot of fun."

He sighed. 

See what I do for you, Jjong?

"Who had a party? Oh...sorry, your making stuff up again." Jonghyun chuckled to himself. "You know I love you right?"

Key could hear the smile in his voice and he had to smile too.

"Ya! You'd better love me lots!"

Jonghyun laughed.

"I do, don't worry. I do!"

There was a comfortable silence for a long couple of seconds.

"...So...what are you planning on doing?" Key asked quietly.

"I'm not sure yet, really. I know for sure that I need to find a place to stay and then after that, a place to work...but the future after that remains a mystery."

"Look at you, sounding all smart." Key grinned. "Where you quoting something?"

"Yah! Who said I can't sound smart?! And...actually, yes, I was quoting something. There's an advertisment on one of the buildings in front of me."

Key laughed but then turned serious again.

"I miss you so much..." He whispered as quietly as he could and still have Jonghyun hear.

"I know...I miss you too..." Jonghyun whispered back. "God." he chuckled. "We sound like a married couple."

"That's cause we are! Haven't you heard our fans?" Key smiled.

"...Your fans." Jonghyun murmered.

"Our fans. Apparently they think we would be perfect a boyfriend/girfriend."

"Mmm, that's true. They did think that. It was extremley weird at first, remember? Now we're just used to it."

Key agreed.

"Well, hey. I probably should hang up first. Onew-hyung will probably get suspicious after awhile. You and Jessica-noona don't talk a lot..."

Key suddenly felt cold again, knowing that Jonghyun would be leaving him again.

"Don't go yet...please? Can we talk just a little longer?" His tone was pleading and he figured that by now, Onew was on to them. Not much escaped him - but Key didn't really care. He just wanted Jonghyun back.

Jonghyun sighed.

"I don't want to go either, Kibummie...but you have to get to work soon and I need to start looking for a place to stay." 

Key felt his eyes tear up slightly.

"Alright...will you call later?"

There was a long pause on the other line.

"I'll see. I want to...but SM could track your calls and find out where I am. Besides, I probably won't have enough money to pay the phone bill."

"Oh..."

"But I'll try. I love you, Kibummie~!" He cooed and Key smiled.

"I love you too~"

"Take care of yourself and the others. Be healthy, work hard, and be strong...arasso?"

"Arasso." He didn't want to be the first to hang up.

"Goodbye, Bummie. Please don't tell anyone I called."

"I won't. Anyeong~"

"Anyeong!"

With that the phone line went dead and Kibum held the phone to his ears for a couple seconds longer, wishing to call his best friend back. He forced himself to lower the phone and put it in his pocket, feeling more depressed than before.

Onew glanced at him from the rearview mirror again, a serious look on his face.

"Does Jessica have a cold? Her voice sounded awfully deep."

Key tensed and slowly turned to their leader.

"Ne. She caught whatever Tiffany had got." He managed to answer calmly despite the racing in his heart. He knew Onew would try to get Jonghyun back if he knew for sure that's who called.

"What did she call you for?"

"...Just to say hey. And what's with all the questions?" He huffed in a very Key-like manner and returned his gaze to the window, placing his head on his hand. "Stop interogatting me like I'm some sort of prisoner, Jinki. It's my business what she called me for."

Onew didn't respond, and after looking at him quizically for a couple more seconds, he also returned his gaze to the window and dreadfully awaited the arival of the SM entertainment building. 

Neither boy believed they could smile in such a situation.

Okay...I just wanted to say to you all that I'm (again) really sorry for not updating sooner. I haven't gotten much inspiration for this story and I've got multiple plausibale plot lines for this - but I'm not sure which one to choose. The weird thing is, I only know for sure what I want the ending to be. So, I've requested this before but, I would REALLY appreciate any help with what YOU would like to see happen in the story or what you think is going to happen. It would help lots. Also, please review :) It helps a lot and it gives me inspiration to continue...thanks :3