Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction. All events mentioned in this story are either fake or based on real experiences. When I say based on, I MEAN based on. Thanks, and don't sue me.

The thunder booms ominously in the background as the rain starts to fall. The soft pitter-patter of the gentle rain against closed windows quickly escalates into strong pelting against now-rattling windows. The wind howls fiercely, causing trees to sway violently in the strong wind. No moon is visible as dark, gloomy clouds invade the sky, casting dim shadows on the poorly lit and flooded street. The downpour refuses to let up, dampening the soft grass and making the concrete pavement slippery. The only sound audible is that of the heavy rain. All else is eerily silent in the heart of the sleeping city.

The scent of loneliness at this ungodly hour is overpowering, even if not overwhelming. It was, after all, a very large city filled with, in contrast, very small people. In the city, people bustled past every day, focusing on their own activities and assignments for that day, not caring about their surroundings. People’s eyes were trained on their laptops and iPhones even in the subway, music usually blaring away in their ears as they carried on in blissful oblivion.

Oblivion, the key to simplicity. The ever-so innocent and precious simplicity of life present in the not-so busy parts of Korea, yet severely lacking in the main cities and towns like Seoul. Everything revolved around technology or money, fun and games shoved aside without a second thought. Whether Super Junior performed or not, it didn’t depend on the members’ wellbeing, no. Even if they had caught a cold or were running high fevers, makeup was still hastily applied to cover up any signs of illness and they were pushed onto stage anyway. It was a brutal world, the entertainment industry, one day you’re in, the next day, into a corner, unwanted. A single day of underperformance makes its mark in people’s minds, never to be erased every again. All that was cared about was the performance of the members, it didn’t matter if they were ill or tired, as long as they performed well, the company was satisfied. It didn’t matter if they were outside singing in freezing temperatures with barely any layers on, it didn’t matter if they were doing a strenuous dance sequence with a high fever, as long as they covered their flaw up, it was okay. Life of a celebrity was, perhaps, only perfect in the sense that all the flaws were professionally covered up. It was like a temporary fill, even if the flaw was concealed for that performance, all the disguises fall away, and the true identities revealed.

Looking back now, he regrets ever joining the company. It is pure torture, every day is, and the only things that keep him going are his band mates and fans. Back then, his life had been simple. There was no need to worry about whether his songs would sell well, or whether he would be caught by paparazzi when going out. It was just days and days of seemingly never-ending freedom. All his troubles back then, like whether somebody liked him or he would pass his test, seem so trivial as compared to now. The life of a celebrity wasn’t as picture-perfect as he thought, definitely not. Sighing, he looks down at the surrounding buildings from his seat by the window sill. The rain is still ongoing, refusing to stop. He knows that he should be sleeping and resting now, he has a fully-packed schedule tomorrow, but he doesn’t care. An incident from the previous year suddenly presents itself in his mind.

“Yah, Kyuhyun, why are you shivering like that? How was today’s performance?” Heechul asked from his spot on the sofa as the maknae of the group stepped into the apartment, locking the door behind him. All the other members in the room looked visibly concerned as well.

“Nothing, it was fine.” The usually snarky boy said weakly, shivering a little as he spoke.

“Kyu-ah, what’s wrong? Are you sick?” Leeteuk, the ever-caring umma questioned his dongsaeng, heavy concern apparent in his tone and eyes. As if on cue, Kyuhyun let out a soft sneeze, before coughing a few times. Leeteuk got up from his chair next to the sofa, feeling the younger’s forehead.

“Oh, it’s burning hot! Heechul, help me get some cold compresses from the kitchen, Siwon, get me a few blankets.” Leeteuk’s leader complex in him took charge. Kyuhyun winced, subconsciously wrapping his jacket even tighter around himself. Noticing the maknae’s attire, the leader gasped.

“Kyuhyun-ah, are you crazy? How can you be wearing only a jacket and a thin shirt on such a cold day? Don’t you know that the temperature outside is sub-zero?” Leeteuk chided, still worried. Kyuhyun bit his lip.

“But, it’s what the stylist forced me to wear…” He muttered almost inaudibly. All the other members in the room’s mouths dropped open wide in shock.

He growled softly, recalling the previous incident.  It broke his heart, seeing one of the members being treated like that. It wasn’t just him; it was some others as well. Most recently, he had caught a cold but had to perform anyway. Catching a cold was not such a major thing, come to think of it now.  He coughed once, turning away from the dreary scene outside. Loneliness at these times was overpowering, and he wanted nothing more than to go home, to go back to his simple life, to go home to his family.

But he couldn’t, he was bound by the contract, and even though it was breaking him to continue, he would go on, stay strong, just for the millions of fans and his hyungs and dongsaengs. He didn’t have the heart to abandon them at times like these, times when Super Junior was falling apart. He wouldn’t.

He couldn’t.

Oh, oh, I thought of something fun! You can guess who the 'he' is in the story, I'll give you a hint: He's part of Super Junior (: A pretty obvious hint, but a hint nonetheless. For the first person to guess correctly, I may consider doing something special for you (: Or first few. I MAY. No promises though, depends on whether I'm free or in the mood to :D Oh, and it's the 'he' in the narrative, flashback not counted since all the characters are explicitly stated. It shouldn't be too hard, I think..? Even though I'm not very good at characterisation T__T~

-Kelsey out ;D