It was the manager.

How dare he ask if he were alright! Especcialy when it was him that made him this way?!

Onew grit his teeth, his body shaking again, but this time from anger instead of sadness.

He lifted his head and glared long and hard at their manager, hating the concern in the man's eyes that looked so sincere. It was a fake. A cover-up. He didn't care...he didn't care about any of them anymore.

" you.  you! How can you ask me if I'm alright?!"

He took pleasure in the look of shock on the manager's face. That look, and the surprised silence behind him, fueled his resolve and he continued pouring out his heart, screaming it to the world in his rage.

"You don't even care about us! How can you even look at yourself in the mirror?! You're a monster..." Onew's bottom lip quivered. He knew he was being disrespectful, being rude, and over reacting, but he couldn't help it. He was feeling the same way he knew Jonghyun was feeling. He loved the manager, he had been their for him since their debut, had been Onew's rock, and had been like a second father to them...until recently. Once Jonghyun had started dating Se Kyung and lots of fans had stopped supporting SHINee, he had been much harder on them than before. He had also come to work either drunk or hangover on several occasions. There was obviously something going on inside the company that Jinki knew nothing about, probably something between Lee SooMan and their manager.

But he just couldn't take the stress anymore.

He felt cruel satisfaction upon seeing the hurt look on his manager's face but didn't get much time to savor it.

Onew felt Jonghyun's hand's slip under his armpits, and powerful arms tugged the reluctant leader gently to his feet.

Jonghyun wrapped his arms around Onew's shoulders and started to walk him back to the dorm, telling him that it was okay, but the manager snatched Jinki away from him, fury that none of SHINee had ever seen before in his eyes.

Onew didn't attempt to free himself from the iron grip, and merely accepted the fate he knew he was going to face sooner or later.

Besides, he would rather be in the cruel hands of his manager right now rather than the gentle, loving, but calloused, hands of Kim Jonghyun.
 

Jonghyun, Minho, Key and Taemin watched with sorrowful eyes as Onew was dragged off to the rooftop, most likely to be beaten for the disrespect he had shown.

The younger members of SHINee, Taemin and Minho, were astonished at Onew's behavior, Onew had never spoken that way, atleast not in front of them. Key and Jonghyun were shocked too, but not as badly because the two of them had heard him argue with their manager at least once, and that was when Minho had injured his leg a couple weeks ago and the company had wanted to suspend his pay.

Onew had demanded either that not happen, or suspend his own instead of Minho's because he knew their rapper was saving money for university.
 

Jonghyun was sprawled across the couch, Taemin dozing off with his head on his leg, watching TV when their manager walked in the door, Onew behind him, holding his head high even though it was obvious he had been crying and he was in pain.

Minho had been in his room, watching a drama on his laptop, and Key had only just gotten out of the shower.

Jonghyun couldn't explain how happy he was to see his hyung walk in the door. He was starting to get really worried. His heart had been racing so much that he was sure Taemin could hear it, because he absolutely hated the fact the rest of the members were going to be punished for his own stupid actions.

He offered Onew a weak, tired smile when they shared eye contact.

"Hey, hyung." he croaked, trying not to wake up the sleeping Taeminnie on his lap.

Onew said nothing in reply, his face a mask of stone. The usual playful light that was in his eyes went with his tears.