“You guys just had to go and get me admitted to the hospital again.” Taemin was trying to act serious as he glared at his hyungs, but they all knew he was joking. And the oxygen mask would have ruined it had he not been. “Thanks for caring.”

And even though it was probably one of the worst times, Key stood there with the camera on a filming as Taemin gave a sickly smile to it. “So you’re going to be spending some time back here again…”

“You say that like I’m at a vacation house.” There was a knock on the door and they all looked to Jin tapping his wrist, telling them their time was short. “You guys have a schedule to go to. Just have fun for me!”

“We’ll be back before visiting hours are over!” The camera was closed and placed back by Taemin’s bag where Key got it from as they all said their goodbyes, shuffling out after their manager.  Left alone in the room, he pulled the camera back over and turned the screen so it was facing him but held an arm’s length away.

After pressing record, he gave a bright smile to it through the mask. “So… I’m in the hospital again. From a cold too… Isn’t this fun?” There was a small chuckle from him before he stopped to such in a deep breath. “What is today? The fifteenth of June… So it is June fifteenth, my first day in the hospital. How many is it going to be before I can go home now? I’m going to guess three… Shall we see if I’m right or not?” A yawn escaped him and he gave the camera a tired blink. “I’m supposed to be resting and I’m really tired so I’m going to leave this here for tomorrow. Good night!” After clicking the camera off and putting it back with the rest of his things, he shifted the pillows and tried to sleep while sitting like the doctor said would help.

For at least an hour, he sat there just trying to fall asleep. It might have been that he was alone or back in the hospital, but it didn’t seem possible.
Or maybe it was just the oxygen mask.

That could have been it too.

“It’s June eighteenth and I’m still here and still sick, so I guess my guess was wrong.” Taemin smiled at the camera, face finally not covered with the air pump machine. “I’m getting better apparently, so I should be out in a few days. And I guess I can’t complain about being here for only a little while compared to some of the kids here…” As soon as he said that, a real grin came on his face. “Oh yeah! And I’m allowed to go see the kids whenever I come for chemo now. So that’s something to do so the hyungs don’t have to stay here every time. As much as I like having them come, it’s starting to get really tiring having four other people around for the whole time… And there isn’t much we really do. It would be better if only one or two of them came now. And if your guys watch this, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be mean—it just makes me really tired with everyone now and I feel like it makes you all upset seeing me like that. So it is for all of us…” Something outside the door caught his attention and the camera shifted without him making sure it was steady. “I’m going to go now. I think you guys are here, so bye bye…”

The camera was shut off and he barely got it back by his bag before the four walked in, wearing masks like everyone around Taemin had been doing. “So you really are getting better?”

He raised a non-existent eyebrow at Key but nodded, eyes asking questions. And it was Jinki that answered them. “We just spoke with your doctor and he said you should be out by the end of the week.”

“Oh…” Taemin didn’t seem too excited about it, but that was simply because he was tired. “That’s good, I guess…”

A yawn escaped him before he could say anything and Jonghyun looked around at the others before turning to Taemin. “You should sleep. We’ll come back another time…”

“No!” He stopped them before any could fully stand from their chairs, reaching out with his hand like he could grab someone. “I’m fine. Stay…” If you leave now, I feel like you are leaving forever…

“How would you feel about talking to a reporter?” Taemin merely looked at Jin, wanting a little more of an explanation before he said anything. And it came. “There have been a lot of rumors, so Soo Man was wondering about how you would feel about talking to a reporter tomorrow, after you are released.”

There was a few seconds of staring before Taemin nodded slightly. “Sure. I’ll do it. Are the others going to be there as well?”

“They are going to ask a bunch of people in the company some questions on it…” He watched Taemin for any reaction, but it seemed the boy was incapable of that as he sat emotionless, listening. “But mainly you. One-on-one with the reporter.”

Taemin nodded again. “Sounds fun. Compared to sitting here at least.” A small smile grew on his lips, the first emotion Jin had seen on him in the time they were together in the room. “So I’m getting released tomorrow you said?”

Taemin couldn’t help but let out a little sigh as he watched the camera crew and reporter setting up in one of the many offices in the building. Sitting in a chair waiting for them, he wished he could have been sleeping or resting or something, but he’d had the bright idea of accepting the interview for right after he was released. The others hadn’t even seen him yet.

And at the rate they were going, it was going to be a long day. It was almost an hour after they were supposed to start that the reporter—who he hadn’t even bothered to learn the name of—sat down and started the introduction to it. Taemin had just done a simple greeting when it was needed, not in the mood to go overboard.

Now he just wanted to sink into the chair and sleep, but that wasn’t possible at all. “Taemin-ssi? How are you feeling?”

Horrible. But it was time to play the loveable maknae so he slapped a smile on his face before he spoke. “I’m better than before I was admitted. And glad to be out.” There was a twinkle in his eyes that told the reporter the last part was supposed to be a joke and there was a smile in return, but nothing else.

“It was quite a scare to fans and fellow stars when the news that you were in the hospital again. Your band and company insisted it was just a cold, but fans were saying you wouldn’t have to be hospitalized for that…” There wasn’t an actual question, but Taemin knew what the general point was and nodded to the man.

“It was just a cold. But since I’m on chemo… I got really sick from it. I would have agreed with the fans at first saying that I didn’t need to go to a hospital for something like that, but I learned that I did…” By almost dying from it… “My hyungs wouldn’t lie about anything like that—even if they were told to. We all swore to be completely open about what I am sick with and going through, and they would never go against that. I won’t either.”

“Minnie… Minnie, get up. We have to go to the rehearsal and you have to come…” Key was trying to wake Taemin from where he was sleeping on the couch as gently as possible.

He was failing at it.

“If he’s still sleeping, I’ll just carry him.” Jonghyun walked out of the kitchen with an apple in hand, looking at the diva. “He’s only like 42 kilos or something now. That’s easy.”

“Which shouldn’t be a good thing.” His snap at the singer was half-hearted as he turned away from Taemin, finally nodding and looking defeated. “Okay. He should rest anyways.”

“Exactly.” Taking one last bite from the apple, he threw the core out and walked over to the younger man on the floor, sitting down next to him. “So we are really doing it tonight?”

“Why does everyone keep asking me?! I’m not even the one who organized it.” Key let out a sigh before nodding, smiling at the dino in good-humor. “Yeah. We are.”

“We are ready!” Jonghyun hadn’t gotten to respond before Jinki came sliding out from the hallway, forgetting his was wearing socks and not able to stop on the slippery floors. Minho simply came from behind him and grabbed the leader’s shoulders to steady him before smiling at the others. “Are you ready?!”

“Did he have caffeine?” Jonghyun didn’t even seem surprised with the excited leader, just looking to Minho for an answer.

“He found the wonder called energy drinks…” They all turned to look at Jinki as he started towards the door, slipping every step. Minho ended up following right behind and Key looked at Jonghyun before hesitantly going after.

The singer only looked at the somehow-still-sleeping Taemin and lifted the boy effortlessly, taking the blanket around the boy with him. “You ready for this Taemin?”

The first thing Taemin noticed when he woke up was that he wasn’t on the couch in the dorm anymore. The second thing was that he was still wearing his pajamas.

And the third was that there were people around. In seconds, he was sitting straight up and looking around with wide eyes while clutching the blanket over him to his chin so no one could possible see what he was wearing. The frightened expression left after a minute when he realized he was in the group’s dressing room and there weren’t many people in there, but he still looked confused as could be. “Oh, you’re awake now?”

Amber sat next to him on the couch and Taemin only became more confused looking at her. “No offense, but why are you here?”

There was only a slight smile. “It’s a big concert and I was asked to watch you while your members were performing. But now that you are awake… Key laid out some clothes for you to change into. Something about you still being in your pajamas.” When she saw him blush, she gave a little laugh but pointed to a bag by the couch he was sleeping on. “They should all be in there. I’ll wait here for you.”

“…Can you close your eyes?” There’s no way noona is seeing what I’m wearing.

“If you’re trying to hide the teddy bear shirt, Key made sure to post a picture of you sleeping here with it showing on his Instagram. I’m not the only one who has seen it.” His blush got so many shades darker but he nodded and wrapped the blanket a little tighter. Taemin stood, grabbing the bag and running barefoot across the room to the curtained-off area in seconds.

And a few minutes later, he came out not as bright-red and wearing skinny jeans and an SMTown t-shirt, both in the smallest sizes there and still too big on him. “Why do I have this? I’m not going on stage or anything…”

“Ask Key; I don’t know.” Yes I do. Be ready to be surprised, Taemin.