Minho was eating his lunch reluctantly (who the hell on earth like the tasteless Hospital’s meals?) -thanks to Key’s constant nagging- when suddenly the door burst open, revealing the panting Taemin and Jonghyun on the doorway.

“Hyung!” Taemin cried and rushed to hug Minho, almost knocked down the food tray on Minho’s lap.

“Taemin... can’t breathe.” Minho gasped when Taemin’s arm circled tightly on his neck. Taemin quickly removed his hands from Minho’s neck. He mumbled soft apology and Minho couldn’t help but to smile upon seeing his dongsaeng’s action. He ruffled Taemin’s hair and said that it was okay. He lifted his eyes and he saw Jonghyun, standing still with his arms crossed on his chest.

“Hi?” Minho greeted him

“Hi. Mind to tell me what happened?” Jonghyun asked.

“Mind to tell me why are you here?” Minho asked back.

“You’re not answering my question, Minho.” Jonghyun said.

“Neither you are.” Minho replied childishly. Taemin couldn’t stand his childish hyungs any longer.

“Hyung! Tell me what happened. Why are you getting so sick so suddenly?” Taemin demanded.

“He knocked his head on the shower’s wall and fainted under the running shower. That’s why he almost got hypothermia.” Key answered from the doorway. He was out for awhile to get a cup of coffee after he threatened Minho to finish his lunch before he came back.

Jonghyun’s jaw dropped. “Really?” He asked in disbelieve, turning his head to look at Minho.

Minho just grinned and scratched his neck. Taemin burst into a loud laughter.

“Hyung... You surely... infected by Onew hyung’s sangtae. Ahahaha....” Taemin said in the middle of laughter.

“Yah! Why do you always picking up my sangtae as if it’s an infectious virus?” Onew emerged from the bathroom, his lips forming a slight pout.

The maknae doubled in laughter while Minho smiled apologetically at the leader.

“Well Minho, looks like you haven’t finished your meal. Didn’t I ask you to finish it before I come back?” Key’s mother side kicked in when he saw the remaining food on Minho’s tray. Minho whined, he really doesn’t want to eat those tasteless foods.

“Try to eat them by yourself! I don’t want to!” Minho retorted, he crossed his arm and turned his face to the side, slightly pouting. Taemin sighed, how could he became the maknae when his hyungs acted more childishly than him.

“If you don’t eat them up, how could you take your meds?” Key started nagging.

“But it’s tasteless~” Minho whined.  “Besides, I’ve eaten more than a half of it.” Minho grumbled.

“He’s right Key, I think Minho can take his medicine now.” Onew said, approaching Minho with his medicines in his hand. Minho smiled triumphantly to Key and happily gulped down his medicines.

Jonghyun shook his head. If only the fans knew that Minho is actually a spoiled kid when it comes to Onew, he was sure the SHINee World would flip upside down.

***

“I’m surely gaining some weight now.” Minho complained when he stepped into their dorm. He was discharged from the hospital this morning since he insisted that his fever had absolutely died down and they had a schedule that afternoon.

“Oh, come on Minho. You’ve just been hospitalized for less than two days.  It won’t make you gain even a single kilogram.” Jonghyun rolled his eyes and dropped Miho’s duffel bag on his bed. “Take a rest as much as you want, you don’t have to worry about today’s schedule because manager hyung said that we will perform without you today since you need rest.” Jonghyun said while walking out of the room.

                Minho just nodded and lay on his bed. He couldn’t help but let his mind drifted trough the website he just saw two days ago.

“...He can’t even reach the high notes.”

               “...Key surely raps a lot better than him.”

Those words kept haunting him. He’s unwillingly agreed to them. He couldn’t sing that well. Hell, Taemin even sings better than him nowadays. His dancing was awkward, thanks to his long and stiff limbs. He couldn’t move as gracefully as Taemin or Key. All he could be proud of was only his height and his athletic ability. But what’re those for? Those give nothing to SHINee. He sighed, his head started throbbing. “I should rest. That way, at least I’ll get better and I don’t need to burden them any further by worrying over me.”

***

“How’s he?”  The leader’s question startled him. He was in a deep thought when he stepped into the kitchen to get some water when Onew asked him from the dining table.

“Better, I guess. I saw him approaching his bed when I got out from his room. Trying to get some rest, I think.” Jonghyun said, trying to act nonchalant and grab a glass to get some water. But Onew sense something bothering his dongsaeng’s mind.

“What is it Jjong?”Onew asked. “Huh? What?” Jjong responded.

“I know something’s bothering you. Tell me.” Onew said while motioning him to sit in front of him.

“I never know you’re this sharp, hyung.” Jonghyun chuckled on his way to sit in front of Onew.

“Oh, come on. I won’t be the second in the whole school for no reason.” Onew grinned. “So, what is it?” Onew’s tone turned into more serious one. Jonghyun inhaled a deep breath before answering the question.

“I just... I don’t know hyung. I couldn’t accept Minho’s excuse for his sudden illness. I mean, I know he’s so sloppy and highly uncoordinated the moment he just woke up.” Jonghyun paused and look at the leader. “But, back to think of his reason and he said that he fainted under the running shower just... impossible. Won’t he be awake once the water splashed to his face? It’s the normal reaction of someone who fainted, right hyung? Then how come he stayed unconscious under the running shower?” Jonghyun finished it with a confused look on his face. Onew was no better, how could he didn’t realize the simple oddness of Minho’s story.

“I have no idea, Jjong. Unless...”

“He let himself frozen under the running shower. Whether he realize it or not.” Both of them jolted from their trance only to see a worried sick Key in the kitchen entrance. “Why would he do that?” Key’s question hung in the air, nobody seem to have the answer for that.

***

“He’s sleeping. I think we shouldn’t bother him. Let’s just leave a note for him to eat and take his medicine.” Key said once he stepped out from Minho’s room. Onew nodded and proceed to write the note and attach it on the fridge.”I hope he’s fine by himself.” Key said a while after when they headed to the entrance door to attend their next schedule.

“You sound like his mother, Key. He’s a grown up man now. I’m sure he will be able to handle himself.” Onew answered him calmly.

“But I can’t help it hyung, not after our discussion a while ago.” Key hung his head.

“Come on Key. He’ll be fine. And about our discussion a while ago, let’s just wait him to come to us, okay? Don’t press him. I’m sure he had a reason for any of his foolish action.” Onew tried to assured his dongsaeng even though he’s also worried about Minho.

From: Taeminnie
To: Mino-Hyungie

Hyung! Watch our performance, okay. It’ll be aired live 15 minutes from now. That’s... if you’re awake already.

From: Mino-hyungie
To: Taeminnie

I’m awake already. I’ll watch it, Tae. Don’t worry, I'm not going to miss it.

From: Taeminnie
To: Mino-Hyungie

I wish you were here, hyungie. I’m bored to death. Onew hyung is sitting with LeeJoon hyung. Key hyung was dragged by his friends. And Jonghyun hyung, well I don’t know where he is but I’m sure HE’S FLIRTING WITH ANY NOONAS HE MET.

Minho laughed out loud while reading his dongsaeng’s message. He’s sure he could see Taemin pouting over there.

From: Mino-hyungie
To: Taeminnie

Okay, I’ll accompany you till you’re ready to perform

They kept texting each other for the next ten minutes with Taemin telling him the events happened onstage and offstage. By the time Taemin bid him good-bye, Minho the TV, waiting for his bandmates to perform. Their performance was dazzling. Key covered Minho’s part flawlessly. They performed as if they were naturally a group with four members. “So I really am insignificant, aren’t I?”  Minho thought bitterly.

A/N.

Finally an update. I'm so sorry to keep you waiting.

Cr. Image: http://fybottomho.tumblr.com