The dishes are put away. The countertop is free of streaks. The garbage can no longer reaks of that week-old trash that we forgot to take out before we left for promotions. I can't help but smirk a little at my work. The kitchen is spotless. Everyone will be pleased.

I put my wash rag away and slip on my shoes by the front door. I pull the keys from the hook, shaking them just loud enough to gain recognition that I'm leaving.

"Where are you going, Jinki?" Key asks from the couch in the next room, more out of politeness than curiosity or sincere concern.

"Just out," I answer plainly, as usual. "I won't be out too late."

I know he doesn't care. If he did, he would wonder why I am disappearing every night. He would wonder why I don't come back until the wee hours of the morning. He would realize how exhausted I am during schedules. But he doesn't care. None of them really care. That's why I want out.

Okay, I'm being a little harsh. They do care. But they have to. We're a group, after all. We have to care about each other enough to tolerate each other. I care about my members; I really do. They're the closest things I've ever had to friends. And they can't even imagine how much I care about them. But Key cares about Jonghyun. Jonghyun cares about Key. Taemin cares about Minho. And surprise, surprise. Minho cares about Taemin.

No one cares about me.

I shake my head as I continue driving. Past shops. Past houses. Past everything. Searching for answers to questions that I don't even know why I have. These drives have just become a near-routine thing. It started a couple weeks ago, and now it just happens. I finish up my nightly chores and then take a drive, letting my mind fill up with these thoughts that have been sitting in my subconscious since about a year after our debut.

I want out. Sure, I love our fans. I love performing. I love being a part of SHINee. But I hate the fame. I hate not being to do everything that normal people can do. I can't really...be free. I want to be free.

Walking into the small cafe, I order a coffee while watching a couple sitting at a table. They're laughing and joking as they share coffee-stained kisses full of warmth and love. They guy holds the girl's hands tightly as her hair caresses his face. I stand there and watch as my heart twists with jealousy. I want that. I want to be like that. But I can't have it. Not in the SM Town. Not under my contract.

"Here's your coffee, sir," the man behind the counter calls. He's a little up in his years and doesn't seem to recognize me, which I'm thankful for. I turn from the counter and start looking for a table. The couple I had been watching suddenly looks up at me with wide eyes.

"Oh, Oppa! Isn't that SHINee's leader Onew?" the girl calls out excitedly as she stands up. "Onew! Leader Onew! Can I get an autograph, please?"

Damniting. I start cursing under my breath as I turn my face away. Maybe if I ignore them, they'll go away. But then the guy pipes up.

"Are you really SHINee's Onew? Wow. Won't you give my girlfriend an autograph? I think I have a camera in my bag somewhere..."

I don't hesitate while the guy digs around for his camera and the girl works up the courage to approach me. I start looking for an escape route. The front doors really aren't that far away.

"Wow. A celebrity in my cafe?" now the man behind the counter is talking. The people coming in the door throw surprised glances at me. And now there's people lining the windows and cameras flashing and girls screaming as they call their friends on their phones.

And then I run for it. I succeed in jumping over the counter and rush through the back rooms of the cafe before I find a door that leads out to the deserted parking lot where I parked my car. I jump in and quickly drive off down the back roads. I don't even know what happened to my coffee.

That's right. I can't even drink a cup of coffee like a normal person.

I keep driving around until 4:30 AM. The sun is due up in about an hour, and so are we for schedules. I tip-toe up the stairs and to my bed, hoping to get at least some sleep.

~

"Yah! Lee Jinki, if you don't get your lazy out of bed..."

I groan and roll over to face the clock on my nightstand. 6:30 AM.

"That's no way to wake up your leader," I mutter as I sit up and rub my eyes. When I remove my hands from my face, Minho walks in, pulling a shirt on over his wet, bare torso. My breath catches as he meets my gaze and smiles.

"Good morning, hyung. The shower's open if you want it," Minho runs a towel through his damp hair as he walks to his bed. I find myself watching him as I get up to find clothes and such. "I heard Key ing at you, so you should probably head straight down to breakfast afterwards."

I nod dumbly before staggering into the bathroom and locking the door. I spend my entire shower trying to figure out what these crazy feelings are that I have.

~

"So, the lazy finally shows his face," Kibum calls out as I descend the stairs. Behind him, Jonghyun snickers. "Your breakfast is probably dreadfully cold by now. You should stop sleeping in. Then maybe you could have a hot meal every now and then."

I ignore the rest of Kibum's excessive nagging as Minho glances over at me. I nod to him and then begin to eat.

You know how in every group of people, there's always that one person that everyone should take extra special care of? Everyone thinks it's Taemin. But really, in all honesty, it's Minho. Minho is very self-conscious. If you think about it, all the members have something going for them: Taemin's got the cuteness factor, Jonghyun has his voice, Key has dancing and his divaness, and even I have that crazy sangtae thing. Minho, though, is the rapper. He has the least amount of parts in our songs. He's quiet and keeps to himself during interviews and fanmeets. Several times have I heard a fan tell him that they think he's creepy and doesn't have a soul. I saw this all from day one, which is why I asked to share a room with him.

Minho, to me, is the most handsome person on this entire earth. Absolutely gorgeous. His singing voice is deep, rich, and beautiful. He doesn't talk much because he's shy, and I absolutely love that about him. And through all these high-praising feelings I have for him, I'm nothing more to him than a source for moral support.

"Lee Jinki, are you even listening to me?" Kibum is still yacking.

"No," I answer in a snap, hating how much of an I'm being. But honestly, I think he deserves it. "No one ever listens to you, Key."

Kibum turns a bright red, shaking with anger as I walk past him to put my bowl away. I then leave up the stairs, hearing Jonghyun chuckle out an "Ooooh ."

"Hyung!" I look up when I reach the top of the stairs and meet a too-cute-for-his-own-good Taemin, smiling as he rushes towards me.

"Hey, Tae-"

And then past me. He hurries down the stairs and jumps into Minho's lap, who smiles brightly at the younger boy. They start chattering excitedly back and forth while I feel my heart crumble. I hurry to my room to finish getting ready and attempt to clear my mind.

~

For several weeks, I continue to have my late night adventures. A couple times, Minho would catch me putting on my shoes after nightly chores.

"Oh, hyung, are you going out?"

I nod. "Yeah. Just getting some fresh air."

"Oh...well, be careful. Don't stay out too late!"

And then when I come in at 4 AM, he'd be fast asleep in his bed.

One night after a long schedule and plenty of Kibum's nagging, I leave earlier than usual, right after dinner. Taemin had volunteered to do the chores since he never did them. Kibum continues to nag at me as I slip on my shoes and grab my keys.

"Hyung!" Minho appears next to me and I can barely hear him over Key's whines. "Are you going out again?"

I sigh loudly, wanting to rip my hair out over all the noise: Kibum's nagging, Taemin's dishwashing, Jonghyun's laughing. And now Minho is talking. Too. Much. Noise. "Yes."

"Take me with you."

For a brief moment, a wave of crushing emotion hits me. Minho wants to come with me. He wants to run away with me. Start a better life with me. And I want him to come with me.

But does he really want to come? Is he really interested in going away somewhere with me? Or does he just think I am going to the store or something and then we will come back and he can be with his precious Taemin? Does he even really care?

"No. You can't come with me," I don't even realize how rude I am being until I have slammed the door, run out through the pouring rain, pulled out of the driveway, and flown down the street, way over the speed limit.

I want to run so badly. The conditions are perfect: everyone is upset with me and I am upset with myself. I can just keep driving until I am forgotten. Take a plane. Change my name. Make new friends. Get rid of 'Onew' completely. Become truly free.

But one thing stops me: the look on Minho's face when I snapped at him. He looked confused. Hurt, even. I have to go back. I have to make things right.

When I arrive back at the dorm at my usual 4 AM time, I creep upstarts to see Minho wide awake, laying in his bed. I nod to him when he sees me, but his eyes tell me he's not up for conversation. I hurriedly change, hidden from his glare, and then go to sleep.

~

This continues for three weeks. I leave at night and come back in the early morning to find Minho waiting up for me. We don't speak, haven't spoken since the night I went off on him. But he'd always be awake, his wide frog-like eyes that I love so much watching me as I step into the dark room. I find myself looking forward to coming home and finding him waiting for me. It's comforting.

However, I have a date set now. A date for when I will leave. The night when I will just run and not come back.

On that night, I wait patiently until everyone was asleep. Minho had announced at dinner that he would be sleeping in Taemin's room for the night, since the latter had been having nightmares lately. So I have the room to myself to pack my necessities in a bag and get ready to leave. But when I get to the driveway, there's Minho, leaning up against his car.

"Hey, hyung," he greets, as he spins his keys around on his finger. I swallow hard as I take in his tall, lean figure brought out by his tight clothes. He looks so incredibly y that I think I might faint. "Going out again?"

I nod, and he smirks. "Here. Take my car," he tosses me the keys. I hesitate for a moment. Minho's car is much nicer than my beat-up hand-me-down from my father. I climb in on the driver's side, and Minho into the seat next to me. This time there is no question. And I say nothing at all. There is just the unspoken agreement that Minho is coming with me.

We drive for a while in peaceful silence. I keep driving further and further out of the city, but Minho never protests.

"So what's first on the agenda?" he asks, finally breaking the silence. 

I glance over at him briefly. "Coffee. I need to find a place where I won't be discovered."

Minho sits back in his seat with a smirk, seeming hesitant. Then he rolls his head to face me. "Keep driving for about four miles. Then turn left, round the curve, and it will be your first building on the right." 

I'm not at all skeptic. I follow his directions until I reach a quaint little shop. Minho gets out first, leading me into the dimly-lit cafe. The girl behind the counter smiles and nods to us both.

"Hello," she has a foreigner's accent. Her cropped blonde hair is tucked behind her ears and freckles line the bridge of her nose. "What can I get you."

"Two coffees. One with extra cream," Minho turns and looks at me for confirmation, and I nod. "And I'll take mine black, please."

The girl nods and her smile grows brighter. "Yes sir. Just a minute."

When we have our coffee, Minho and I sit at one of the small tables, sipping at our cups. I watch as the girl at the counter wipes down the coffee machines with a wet rag.

"The coffee's good here, isn't it?" Minho asks. I turn back to him.

"It's fantastic," I answer, taking another sip. And honestly, it is. It might be the best cup of coffee I've ever had.

Minho smiles. "Elizabeth makes it herself, fresh from coffee beans she has imported from France," I turn and watch Elizabeth again. "Her parents own a great cafe in Paris, which is where she's from."

I nod and continue watching Elizabeth. After a while, Minho elbows me, and I turn to meet his smirk.

"Hyung, she's a very pretty girl. You should go talk to her, rather than just stare." 

I feel a blush creep up my face; not because he was right, but just of what he suggested. "No, no. It's not like that. I have eyes for someone else."

Minho's eyes trace over my face, his smirk never faltering. "Is that so?" He then turns back to the window and finishes his coffee. We don't speak for the rest of the time.

~

"Thank you for the coffee, Elizabeth," Minho says as we get up to leave. "It was wonderful, as expected."

Elizabeth beamed. "Always a pleasure to see you, Minho-ssi. Please return whenever you please."

Minho smiles too, taking the girl's hand and kissing it. She blushes deeply as we walk out.

"Wow, MInho," I sneer as I open my car door. "Maybe you should talk to her."

Minho laughs as he gets in the car. "Nah, hyung. You see, I have eyes for someone else as well."

I bite my lip as we pull out onto the road. Yeah, I know. I have a flashback of Minho sitting on the couch with Taemin straddled in his lap. Both of them are laughing while Taemin whispers into his hyung's ear with twinkling eyes. Minho whispers back to him, smiling brighter than the sun. And I'm left on the stairs with a broken heart.

"Hyung?"

I look over at Minho, who seems somewhat concerned. "Where are we going now?"

I think for a minute before realization hits me. "I have no idea."

He thinks about this too and then nods. "Alright then."

For an hour or so, I drive on, feeling the coffee really surge through me. Minho sits quietly, listening to the radio I have softly playing. Sometimes he bobs his head to the beat and mouth the words. I smile to myself as I secretly watch him from the corner of my eyes.

And then suddenly, the car starts slowing down. I let go of the wheel momentarily and look down at my feet. Nope. Definitely still on the pedal. I look back up and see my gasoline gauge. Empty. I turn on the hazard lights and slowly ease the car over to the side of the road. Once the car is at a complete stop, I look over at Minho.

"It's out of gas," I say, as if he didn't know. "Maybe we can flag somebody down for help."

Minho looks out the window and shakes his head. "We're out in the countryside somewhere. There's no one around for miles. Probably no gas stations for a while either."

"Great," I sigh, undoing my seatbelt and getting out of the car. I walk out into the field a little and just sit, feeling suddenly exhausted. 

"It's okay, hyung! I'll try to call someone!" Minho calls out to me as he gets out of the car and starts pacing about, picking through his contact list.

I shiver in the chilly air and put my head in my hands. This has to be a sign that I shouldn't have left. Why did I leave anyway? Because Key was actually concerned about my health and well-being and constantly nagged me? Because Jonghyun laughed at everything that wasn't even funny? Because Taemin spent more time with Minho than with the rest of us? Because I wanted, more than anything, to have Minho all to myself? Because I was just trying to be free?

A blanket is draped around me, and I'm momentarily startled. I look up and Minho smiles at me. "Figured you were cold. I always keep a blanket in my trunk, just in case."

Minho sits down beside me, rubbing his arms for warmth. I roll my eyes and laugh under my breath. "Come here, Minho." I open the blanket and he scoots closer to me until we're both in the blanket. I blush slightly at the close proximity of our bodies. 

"Kyuhyun says he's not too far out from here," Minho says. "He's coming with some gas."

I nod and look up at the stars. They're so bright and beautiful. Like Minho's smile.

"Tell me, hyung," he suddenly prods. "Why do you go out like this? Why do you always leave at night?"

I sigh, my breath visible in the dark atmosphere. I pray silently that I can find words to say and turn to Minho. "I feel so under-appreciated, really."

Minho seems to not be bothered by this. "You're planning to leave for good tonight, aren't you? All because you feel under-appreciated? You can easily fix that. Put your foot down. You're the leader, after all."

I shake my head. "The reason why I wanted to leave tonight...was mainly because I want a better life."

"A better life? Better than being in SHINee?"

"You know I love it. Our fans. Our music. Our members. But I just...I don't get to experience what it's like on the other side. What it's like to just go out in public and no one cares who you are. You can get a coffee without being bombarded for an autograph. You can walk down the street without being blinded by camera flashes and having to be escorted by security. It's so aggravating. I've been in this since I was 17. I didn't even get to finish high school normally. I just want to live normally."

Minho looks at me, his eyes soft and fragile. "You never once thought about maybe talking to us about this?"

"I didn't think you guys would listen," I admit. "I thought you guys might laugh at me."

"So, you were just going to leave us? Leave me?"

I look at him, and he smiles sheepishly. "Hyung, you probably don't realize it, but you're such a role model for me. For the rest of the group too. And I'm sure you are for the fans. If you left...I don't know what the rest of us would do. We'd probably fall apart and be out of SM in no time."

I blink. I have always imagined them continuing on without me. But now, with Minho telling me how much I mean to them...

"You're so strong, hyung. You really are," Minho's head finds my shoulder, and I blush. "You've had all of this going through your head, and you didn't even let it show! You just let everyone think you're okay. But inside, you're yearning for something greater. I love that about you."

"Keeping up with appearances," I breathe. "Keeping the effigy."

We sit there for a few minutes, gazing at the stars, breathing in each other's warmth. But honestly, we're still cold, as the temperature is dropping. Then Minho has the greatest idea ever.

"Let's go sit in the car."

Minho and I snuggle in the backseat, his head nestled in my shoulder, our arms tangled for more warmth. It's dark, but soothing.

"Do you hear that? Silence. Have you ever just heard pure silence before, hyung?"

I close my eyes and listen. No sound. Just silence. The loudest sound I've ever heard. "It's actually quite nice," I remark as I breathe in the scent of his hair.

Minutes pass. Several. Possibly an hour of just pure silence. Minho and I, in a warm bliss.

"Hyung," I jump as Minho speaks, the first sound I've heard in a while. "You're not planning on still leaving forever, are you?"

I sigh and then shake my head. "No. I realize now that I really can't have a better life than what I have. And with my under-appreciation...I should just voice my concerns to the others and maybe they'll understand." 

"Good," Minho's voice seems to catch in his throat. "Because if you left, I wouldn't be able to do this."

And then suddenly his lips are on mine and nothing in the world makes any sense. The car disappears as well as the blanket, and to be honest, it's just me and Minho, floating off somewhere into the middle of the universe where nothing can touch us. I cup his face and deepen the kiss. But then he pulls away, too quickly for me, and reality crashes down on me.

"Wait. We can't. We can't do this," I mutter, scooting away from him slightly.

Minho stares at me, dumbfounded. "Why can't we? Don't try to tell me that you're straight, hyung. I know the OnJoon stories weren't all rumors."

"It's not that," my breathing is heavy. "Taemin. You like Taemin. I know because I can see it in your eyes when you talk to him. And he likes you too. This wouldn't be fair to him. It's not fair to-"

"Whoa, slow down," Minho chuckles. "First of all, I don't like Taemin as anything more than a dongsaeng and a great friend."

"...Jinja?"

"Yeah," Minho nods. "The reason I always look like that is probably because I talk about you. A lot. Because I like you, hyung. Taemin is actually the one that talked me into coming with you tonight. He found your calendar with today's date circled, and told me I needed to find out why today was so big to you."

I blink again and shake my head, trying to comprehend all of this. "But Taemin likes you..."

Minho laughs again. "No, he doesn't. He likes Yoona. Him and I have been working on building his confidence so that he can talk to her."

My eyes widen. "So...you mean...Taemin's..."

"Totally straight. Yes," Minho smirks. "And he would totally support our relationship."

"Then come here," I pull Minho over to me and lock our lips again. I feel Minho's laughter in our kiss as I wrap my arms around his neck. He falls back to where I'm laying on top of him, the blanket still draped over us. Kiss after kiss, I feel my heart swell bigger. As we make out, I can't help but feel that this is where I always need to be: surrounded by the beauty of Minho's love.

There's a tap on the window. "Hey, guys? Sorry if I'm interrupting something...but I have the gas."

Minho and I both snap our heads up to see a shocked Kyuhyun and nearly die of laughter.

~

"I'm sorry I've been so naggy," Kibum says with a sigh. "I really don't try to be a . I was just really concerned about you and wanted you to stay healthy and safe. And I give you a hard time because you're the oldest and you're supposed to know these things. So I'm really sorry."

Jonghyun rubbed his boyfriend's shoulders and looked at me. "Yeah, and I'm sorry for anything I've done to make you feel under-appreciated. You're really important, Jinki hyung! I don't know what we would all do without you."

"Die," Key offers, and I stiffen.

"Thanks for understanding," I nod as Minho squeezes my hand.

"Hyung," I look up at Taemin, but he's looking at Minho. "You and Onew hyung..."

"Yes," Minho smiles and leans his head on my arm. "We are."

Taemin claps his hands and turns to me. "He's been waiting for this for a long time. He's been in love with you for, like, ever."

I smile as Minho blushes slightly. "Me too. I've been in love with him for, like, ever too."

"Pabo," Minho scoffs under his breath as I lean over and kiss him softly.

I hold Minho close and feel that sense of belonging that I felt in the car. This is where I need to be. With my members. With my boyfriend. With SHINee. We're a family, and nothing can come between us. I wanted to be free, but being free would mean leaving all of this behind. And I wouldn't trade it for the world.

~~~~~

"I love my car. And I love Jinki hyung more than I love my car."

Dedicated to my lovely Oppa and Sunbae. My real OnHo couple that I just can't get enough of. <3

OnHo is out of my element (2min), so this is a little different. Sorry if it's not good.

Please leave me really nice comments because they help me sleep at night! And I'm about to go to bed~ ^^