It was dinner time at the Shinee dorm. All five members could be found sitting around the round dining table, just sitting there looking at each other uncomfortably. Well four of them where. Key’s eyes were just glaring at the slight form of the youngest of the group.

The table in front of them was perfectly set with plates filled with yummy delicacies and sparkling utensils, but no one dared to touch anything. Not without the self-appointed dorm umma’s permission. They could all feel the stifling tension that hovered over them. It was the calm before the storm, for what they didn’t know.

Taemin did have a small suspicion about the origin of this tension. But no, Key can’t possibly know about his maths test result, right? No, that can’t be it. He made sure that the test paper never made it inside the dorm; he had torn it into pieces before burning it. So, he was safe.

‘Umm…Key shouldn’t we eat the dinner before it gets cold?’ The leader chirped in, with a light voice. He was the leader but he wasn’t dumb. He wouldn’t cross the almighty diva. So he shut up as Key turned his glare at him. ‘No, it’s fine. We can wait. We can surely wait; right guys?’  He stuttered as he looked at the others expectantly. Everyone nodded.

Silence enveloped them once again as all of them sat around the table. Key was the first one to break the awkward silence,

‘So I got a call from the school today. Care to guess who it was about?’ His calm voice sent chills through the rest. The school? What did they do this time? Minho and Jonghyun tried to remember all the mischievous things they have done this week while Onew just sat there confused. He was the goody two-shoes, the teacher’s pet, surely it wasn’t about him! Taemin on the other hand started sweating slightly. What if that dumb maths teacher called Key? He peeked at Key’s stoic face through his eyelashes. Oh God, key was looking straight at him.

‘U..u.. umma, let m.. m.. me explain..’ he stuttered.

Minho and Jonghyun relaxed, they were safe. But they did feel bad for the kid in front of them. He was in trouble now. Onew was shocked that it was Taemin, Key’s baby, who was in trouble. Key doted on the kid, he never told off his Minnie for anything. Not even that time when Taemin accidentally spilled hot chocolate over Key’s favourite t-shirt.

‘I..I didn’t k..know that w..w..we had a tes…test.’ He carried on.

Key just sat there with his expressionless face. This was worse than if he was actually screaming, his silence scared the members more than his diva-like nagging every day.

‘I didn’t do that bad umma..I..’ he was cut off by Key’s voice.

‘Not bad? You call 10 out of 100 not bad?’ his voice was full of malice. ‘You know how embarrassing it was for me to listen to your teacher questioning the ‘parenting’ you are getting? Apparently, my parenting isn’t good enough and you need a real adult to look after you! Me! The almighty Key has failed to fulfil his responsibility..’ Key’s voice trailed off. He looked at the maknae’s guilty face. He felt sorry for the kid, he really did but he could not let this slide by. It was for this kid’s sake that he took the decision he did.

‘I have decided to not be the dorm umma anymore.’

Loud gasps filled the room.

‘You can’t be serious Bummie! What do you mean you won’t be the umma anymore?’ Onew said.

‘Key! You don’t mean it. You can’t stop being the umma…that’s like saying the sun won’t rise from the east anymore…’ Jonghyun exclaimed and Minho nodded vigorously, agreeing with his hyung.

‘No I have decided. I am not the person for this job. I can’t take care of you guys any more. It’s for your own good.’ Key said sadly as he looked at the maknae and sighed. ‘Taeminnie’s life is at stake here, he needs a good umma who would take better care of him. We should probably get an adult to come and live with us.’

‘This is not happening’ Onew said disbelievingly, ‘you are the best umma figure we could’ve asked for….Bummie, we won’t function properly without you being the umma. Who’s gonna wake us up? Who’s gonna cook for us/ who’s gonna nag us to clean the dorm and not play around all the time? We need you!’

‘No you don’t. Anyone can do those jobs. I can’t even take care of our baby tae? So see I’m not suitable for this. We’ll ask manager hyung to get us someone who’ll take the dorm umma’s role, ne?’ key slowly said as he got up from the table. ‘Now eat your dinner guys, I have no appetite so I’ll go lie down.’

‘Umma..please don’t be like this.’ Taemin cried out. ‘I’m sorry..okay? I’m really sorry…It’s my fault. I should’ve studied hard for the test.’ He ran to hug Key. I promise I’ll work harder from now on. And you are the best umma ever.’ He tightened his embrace.

‘Yeah I’ll tutor him from now on. Every night…okay Minnie?’ Onew joined them, hugging both and smiled as Taemin nodded his head.

‘Yeah umma, I’ll study with Onew hyung and will get the top mark next time, okay?’ he snuggled to both Key and Onew.

Key still didn’t say anything, but the ends of his lips were twitching upwards. Jonghyun and Minho could not help but noticed the triumphant expression on key’s eyes. They gaped at the diva as he winked at them. Oh so that’s what he was trying to do? Make Taemin guilty so that he would promise to study hard! Key was definitely the most cunning person they have ever met, perfect for the role of the dorm umma.

‘You promise?’ he asked Taemin with a quivering voice as he hugged him back. ‘you better keep your promise, you too Jinki’ he nudged the elder with his elbow and smirked at the other two, still frozen on their seat, looking at the trio disbelievingly.

Both Taemin and Onew nodded and smiled at Jonghyun and Minho victoriously, thinking they won. The other two just shook their head and decided to not say anything. They wouldn’t dare to make the almighty diva angry.

‘Okay, let’s eat out dinner together before they get cold, ne?’ Key said sweetly before sitting down at his seat.

They all ate their dinner happily, Onew and Taemin thinking that they saved the day, Key because his plan worked and the other two chuckled at the other two’s obliviousness. Everything was well in the Shinee dorm.