Taemin immediately spun around with fear in his eyes and gazed up above the elevator doors where a light flashed. With the sun's rays filling most of the room, Taemin was barely able to see a small circle of light flickering over the doorway.
Oh my god, they must know I'm up here! The curious young male thought as he scanned the room in a frenzied way for a place to hide himself. Turning in almost a full circle, he searched for the most suited place for him to fit. He spotted a reclining chair and boxes in one corner near a table. Without any time to waste the man headed towards the corner of the room.

Through the largest window across the entire back wall white streams filtered down, blinding Taemin as he made his way to the corner. For a split second, he squinted as he bumped his hip on a table that was lined up against the glass wall. The sudden shake sent an object tipping over. Using his hand as a shield against the ruthless beams, Taemin turned back to see that something rectangular had fallen. He would have picked it up if a manly cough hadn't echoed up from the shaft, reminding him that he was still    in a way    a convict. 

Biting his lip in conflict, Taemin decided to leave the item how it was; concealing himself was the most important thing at the moment. Finally he reached the corner and started pushing boxes to the side making a slim space between the wall and cardboard. Another ring from the elevator surprised Taemin as he arranged the boxes to where it looked like nothing had been touched.

Just before the steel doors slid open, Taemin sat still on his rump and hugged his legs close to his chest. One last sound and flicker of the light over the metal doors indicated that it had arrived.

The first step the person took into the room sounded boomed in contrast with the serene aura of the room, causing Taemin to shake ever so slightly startled by it. As a sluggish pace started up, each heel-to-toe movement made the hidden man's heart, bounce against the inside of his ribcage. He breathed in quiet, long intervals through his nose to prevent from making any sounds. In addition, Taemin's held his sleeve to his mouth and bit it once in a while to keep him sane.

His legs began to shake slightly to ease the tension of his bladder which seemed to always make its presence known in situations like these. When playing hide-and-seek with Jongin, back when they were smaller, Taemin remembers finding perfect hiding spots but having to give up the game just so he may use the restroom. This was sort of the same thing.
Damn bladder, can't you wait? He bit harder on his sleeve as the steps got audibly closer and then came to a stop in front of him.

For a moment, Taemin held his breathe. Even a little swish of his tongue could trigger the unknown figure's suspicion right away. Just as Taemin was starting to turn purple in the face, a wave of relief washed over him as the pair of shoes took a step and a half up more, moving past the chair and boxes. All was silent inside the room; the curious butler mustered up all of his bravery to search the cracks between the boxes for the person.

A short time after, the worker managed to find the person's hands    undoubtedly a man's    resting on top of the table that Taemin had hit himself on about 2 minutes ago. Cautiously, Taemin let a single finger rest on the floor and took a chance by shifting most of his weight onto that arm and leaned in to try and get a better look at the other man.

Taemin studied as his long fingers dragged against the wood of the desk as if memories were embedded within the piece of furniture. Next, they traveled up a large piece of paper that was sprawled out over the desk. It seemed to be gathering dust by the way the person brushed his right hand over the surface; a meager amount of specks rose into the air. The slender index finger of that same hand seemed to be tracing lines across the paper. The finger trailed North and suddenly stopped once he reached the item Taemin had knocked down earlier.

Taemin bit the inside of his cheek nervously, a hint of blood making him grimace at the taste. Settling to clench his teeth together he wondered if they would shatter anytime soon as the man picked up what turned out to be a picture frame. From this position, the photo couldn't be made out, but Taemin could create an imagine in his mind when a familiar voice rang out.

"Father." Was what the man said. 

Wait, this is.... Minho? Taemin's already pulsing veins doubled in speed now realizing that he was invading his privacy by being up there. But, if this is his father's room, then where was the bed and drawers? And how come he didn't sleep with his wife?

Drowning out his own thoughts Taemin watched intently, waiting for a moment to catch a glimpse of the man's face. Taemin swears that it was Minho, but he wanted to see his face for confirmation.

After staring at the frame, Minho set it down on the edge of the desk, and then took a few steps backwards. The next part Taemin saw confused him; He watched as the man kneeled on the ground and paid a respectful bow to the picture. As the older came back up, he remained seated formally sitting atop his shins. Taemin could hear the voice mumble among the boxes, but no matter how many times he adjusted, Taemin couldn't find the right slit to see the man's mouth move and hear him clearly. Where there was a mouth, there was a face that Taemin could possibly recognize.

A little while passed by and, Taemin, fed up, gave in to his frustration and attempted to wait it out patiently. I'll just catch a glance when he steps into the elevator again or something. He thought, burrowing his face into his bitten sleeves.

Taemin jumped when the other person began to speak out loud.

"Father, how are you doing?" Minho asked in a honey coated tone; one that Taemin had never heard before. "I hope you've been watching over me all of these years, and I hope that I haven't disappointed you in any way, especially recently. Well, if you have, then you probably already know what I'm going to say to you." He chuckled nervously, took a deep breath, and then continued.
"There's this new worker here that Key- I mean Kibum hired. If you didn't know, he likes to be called Key as a nickname. Remember Jinki? His nickname is Onew." Minho informed the inanimate object and sighed right after. "Sorry for not visiting as often as I should be." He said apologetically.

"Anyways    He came into our mansion disrespecting me on the spot for being a 'rude .' Kibum won't let me fire him, and I swear, I tried giving him hell. Tried. He's such a headstrong character and he wouldn't leave no matter how many duties I assigned to him. Honestly, looking back now, it's quite admirable." Minho looked down at the floor with an embarrassed, half smile. "He was the first person to ever stand up to me not including Kibum. For the first time ever, his words really hit me. I don't know how, but I think it's because he honestly meant it. And- I understand why."

"I'm sure his hatred towards me became overwhelming when I insulted mom. Father, I'm sorry. I deserved every insult he spat at me, but I didn't understand why he was so fired up about it at first, so I followed him." A frown was made itself present on Minho's lips, "I'm really not proud of saying this, but I snooped through his things and found out his secrets. I felt    no, I still feel horrible about it but at the same time, I'm glad that I know. If I didn't there's no telling what kind of unnecessary torture I would be adding into his life. I hope that you've met Taemin's mother; please become good friends and take good care of her for Taemin."

"I feel like I've failed him as a person, though. No, I know. I was- I was," He stuttered; a lump forming in Minho's throat, making it hard for him to speak without his voice wavering like a fool. Despite his pitiful tone, he went on, "I was pretending to be somebody that I really wasn't just to fit the 'idol image.'" A single tear escaped from the man's tear ducts and his nose began to sniffle, "I was his role model through his rough times in life. He was also one of the millions of people supporting me through my own hardships. I was partly the reason for his living, and why he's here today." Between sentences it was quiet enough to hear each of his tears plop onto the surface of the hardwood floor.

"He's changing me, dad. I don't know if this is intentional on his part, but I'm glad he's helping me whether or not he knows it. I know that the staff talks about my behavior and I agree with what they say- I've heard their true feelings more than once and only recently have I started to care about their comments." Minho admitted with his head bent down like a wilting flower.

The crying man looked back up towards the picture, the sun rays illuminating his glistening cheeks. "I'm so glad that my music touched him and that I was able to help him even indirectly. My heart broke when I read the age that he wanted to kill himself at: fourteen. Can you believe that? And the 'super star, charismatic Minho' saved him." The sobbing man looked up at the photo with a broken smile.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," He paused and twiddled his thumbs on his lap, "and I want the real, changing, Minho to be his savior." Minho used the back of his hands in substitute for tissues to wipe away the wetness of his cheeks. "Lately, I've been feeling a bit different about him and last night I realized that he's important to me like I was to him. I gave him hope and then stabbed him in the back; I want to change my ways, just for him. I want to live up to my stage image and become his lifeline. I want to make sure that he's always loved and cared for after the hell he's been through all of his life."

"I hope you approve of me loving Taemin."

With one last bow of respect, Minho used the sleeve of his suit to soak up the remaining wet spots on his cheeks as he stood from his position and patted down his pant legs. It took a couple minutes of waiting around, observing the glass cases and the trinkets inside, but eventually his composure returned and his pink face faded considerably.

Minho pressed the 'down' button and looked over his shoulder once more to view his father's picture. A lazy smile crossed his lips; disappearing as he stepped into the box and the silver colored doors transferred him down one level.

By the time Minho left, Taemin's back was propped up against the backside of the recliner chair, holding back whimpers and the urge to run after him. Both hands that covered the younger's mouth dropped into his lap now allowing him to breathe freely or at least gather as much air as he wanted at a single time, for his hitched breathing was limited. 

Taemin never expected to hear those words, ever, from the man. At least not directed towards him, but possibly in a drama or movie. At first, he was just the slightest bit mad and embarrassed about being found out, but those feelings were immediately overridden with great appreciation for Minho. Taemin would have never    not in a million years    have guessed that he, himself was the reason for Minho's progressing behavior. That he was the reason for Minho's heart to break, and drive him crazy. And to have him want to stay by Taemin's side made him feel loved and cherished. It was the first time in a long time since he had felt that way. 

Patting away his tears of joy, the young man struggled to get to his feet with his knees stiff and locked from being in the same bend for a while. Using the big objects in his surrounding area, Taemin managed to awkwardly stand and shake out his legs. Gaining back feeling he stomped around a bit just to make sure and started squeezing himself between the chair and boxes to get through. After almost causing the cardboard tower to collapse, Taemin rearranged them once more, and started towards the elevator.

Knowing that he was forgetting something, he turned back to find a candid picture of a laughing man pointed his way, and he immediately remembered what he needed to do. Following Minho's ways, Taemin sunk down to his knees and touched his forehead to the floor; It was a relatively familiar move since he constantly paid respects to his own late parent. He said a short prayer for the man, and then bowed his head bashfully.
"Please, take care of my mother. I'll be looking after your son; I believe he's in good hands. Thank you." He thanked, and ended with one more bow. 

As he placed the frame back in its original place, away from the edge of the table, Taemin reached for his cell, which he thought was in his pocket.
Damn, I can't check the time. He thought, leisurely walking down the middle of the room while scanning the walls he hadn't checked out yet. Taemin was in the process of reaching for a healthy, green leaf extending a hand out to him when a car door slammed from outside. His head snapped to the window as he thought,

, Jongin is probably here and I look like crap since I've been crying.

With a light jog, he reached the double doors quickly. As his index finger pushed at the button the thought of being caught as he was getting out of the elevator entered his mind. "Aish, sneaking around is too much work. I swear I'll never do this again." He told himself as the dinging from overhead let Taemin know that his transportation was on its way up. "I'll just run out." With that, he slapped his face a couple of times, blinked his eyes repeatedly, stepped inside of the box, and was on his way down.

Once he hit the lower level, he was a bit reluctant to leave for fear of being found out. It would have been especially bad if Minho was the one catching him. Well it turns out, nobody was anywhere near Taemin; he didn't even hear the voices of his co-workers from the living room.

Sticking his head out between the metal doors, he looked down the hallway to his left, and then to his right a couple times before deciding that it was fine for him to come out. To his relief, once he stepped out, the door shut immediately after.
Nice, now nobody has a suspicion. He thought to himself as he started down the staircase. Almost reaching the bottom, Kibum ran out into the foyer nearly bumping Taemin's and immediately began to yell at him.

"Yah! What are you wearing?! What are you doing?! I called your phone so many times, where were you?!" He demanded multiple answers to something he hasd't made a lie up for.

"I was- doing-" Taemin stuttered before Key cut him off and dragged him down their hall to Taemin's room. 

"No time for excuses, change. Go, go! Hurry!" He urged Taemin and shoved him inside of his room. Before he could grab the handle and shut the door, the butler swiftly stopped the door with his hand saying,

"Wait, where's the fire?! What's happening?!"

"Mrs. Choi is here!"

A/N: I'm sorry that I rushed at the end, I'm losing so much sleep due to writing ;~; I'm verrry tireddd. I don't even have the energy to edit this right now OTL Well, I don't have much to say about this! But I almost cried when I was writing Minho's feelings out T^T Until next chapter!
       Annyeonghigaseyo!~ Queen S