It took a long time for Jonghyun and the manager to leave the building, so long, in fact, that the three of them in the van had the windows fogged up and were nearly asleep by time the door opened.

Jonghyun's eyes were red and puffy, just like Onew's, if anybody bothered to look, and he was sniffing and blinking rapidly to hold back the tears.

They climbed inside, Jonghyun crawling to the back seat and the manager to the front seat, Onew in the passanger seat, and everyone avoiding eachother's eyes.

The manager started the van with a frustrated sigh and drive towards the dorms.

As usual, as least for the past half hour usual, the ride was quiet, except for an occasional hiccup or sniffle from the back.
 

It was almost midnight when they got back to the dorm.

Taemin was the only one still awake, besides the manager of course, when the van was put into park outside SHINee's dorm. He sat in his seat for several seconds, sighing and listening to the clunking sounds the engine made as it cooled, before he rose from his seat and first shook Minho awake, since the rapper was closest to him.

"Can you help me wake the others?" Taemin asked the yawning and stretching boy beside him. 

Minho nodded tiredly and offered the maknae a weak smile. He got up and quickly woke up Key and Jonghyun, while Taemin hesitated waking up Onew.

Onew had looked tired, and old, so much older than his age, and he didn't want to wake him up. Not yet at least, not when he needed to sleep the most out of all of them.

He glanced over at Minho, who had succedd in waking up Jonghyun and Key, who were talking quietly to one another in the back, and was making his way over to his side.

Minho and Taemin looked at one another, both of them hesitating on waking their leader.

But Taemin took a deep breath and gently shook his hyung, softly calling his name.

Surprisingly, Onew woke up as soon as his name left Taemin's lips. Normally it took a long time to get Onew up - maybe he was only in a half-sleep.

Onew groaned and his eyes softly fluttered open. He smiled a little when he saw Taemin come into focus.

"Taemin." He sighed, still half asleep. He had just had this awful dream -

Taemin smiled brightly at Onew, glad that the hour rest Onew had gotten had improved his mood greatly and he was willing to talk to him.

"Good err..." Taemin glanced out the van window, confused. "Morning? I guess?"

Minho threw his head back and laughed, pulling Taemin in for a one-armed hug.

Onew chuckled, still blinking back sleep and yawned, smiling his famous toothy smile.

Taemin grinned down at him, proud of himself for getting Minho to laugh and Onew to smile in such a serious situation. That was the power of being the youngest.

"Isn't that uncomfortable, hyung?" the maknae asked, noticing the position Onew was in. His head had been resting on the hard armrest on the door, while the rest of his body was confined to the small foot space between the seats.

Onew nodded tiredly and sat up from the seat, rubbing his neck with a grimace.

He glanced over at Jonghyun and Key, who were now standing by Minho. Key was smiling down at him and Jonghyun looked slightly hopeful.

Why was that?

"What's taking you five so long? Get out!" Onew heard the manager yell, making him wake up all the way and remember -

It wasn't a dream...

He really did have to beat his dongsaengs...starting with that innocent face that had woken him up.

When they got in trouble, the manager always lined them up by age. He wasn't sure why, but he did.

He made a strangled sound in his throat, his heart breaking, and shot up from his seat. He suddenly had to get out of the van. He felt he was suffocating, and would too, if he didn't step outside fast.

He ignored Taemin's questions and barreled out the door, panic showing in his eyes.

But the unavoidable happened. His shoe got snagged in the manager's seat belt and, as he jumped from the van, he ended up not landing on the ground on his feet but landing on his face.