[SHINee] For the rest of my life, I’ll sing our song for you
title: For the rest of my life, I'll sing our song for you
pairing: ot5
genre: friendship
summary: We may have our own styles, but I think it's best described when we're together, as one - Jonghyun
a/n: Happy five year anniversary SHINee!
You understood me better than myself
When I was on the verge of breaking down
Seeing you having a harder time than I did
Made me cry like a child
Onew has his condition.
It comes in handy on variety shows, and proves to be a quirky charm around females, but at their dorm is where he values it the most, when Key’s nagging them to clean up the mess in the living room, Jonghyun’s screaming back that it’s not our mess it’s yours!, Taemin’s cranky from lack of dinner, and Minho’s staring at them with those froggy eyes of his, wishing for them to all shut the hell up because they all just had a long day and need sleep for tomorrow’s equally excruciating schedules. Everyone’s cranky, angry and overly pissed at each other. The air is tense, and Onew’s afraid sooner or later someone might throw punches. (He can’t let that happen.)
All of a sudden, Bam! The four would turn from their animosities to see the leader on the floor, apparently tripping over (a book, a shoe, a rock, air). He just lies there, looking up with his squishy face, complete with a dazed look, embarrassed cheeks, and goofy grin. (He hopes it works.)
Jonghyun’s loud laugh echoes through the apartment. Key’s scolding him with a slight smile. Taemin covers his mouth as cute giggles filter through, food completely forgotten, and Minho’s still froggy eyes crinkle with playful delight as he helps Onew to his feet. The previous suffocating atmosphere is gone, replaced with a still tired but slightly happier SHINee family. (Exactly how Lee Jinki intended it to be.)
Onew knows their schedules are tough and overexerting. He knows how exhausted they all are from working so hard. He can tell when each of them have reached close to a breaking point, and notices it’s happening more frequently nowadays. He’s afraid of possible tears, afraid of nervous panic attacks; afraid of hysterical breakdowns, afraid of the unbearable I can’t do this anymore! that could come out of any of their mouths. But most of all, he’s afraid that sooner or later, someone might actually mean it. There’s nothing he fears more then exactly that one small slip up that could possibly break their group apart and lead to the end of their era. And most of all, he’s afraid if it comes, he won’t be able to prevent it.
Sometimes Onew doubts his ability as a leader, when they had the talkative Jonghyun, organized Kibum and charismatic Minho in their team. Even their understanding maknae could have fit the role better. So why was he --the awkward, clumsy, dorky Lee Jinki-- put into this role?
He still tries his best, leading them on variety shows, monitoring every performance for extra criticisms, sacrificing himself at home to accommodate their needs. It’s tiring, hurtful, and at points he feels depressed, but if only for the unity and happiness of their group, Onew would travel to the moon and back.
It’s all worth it though, as he looks at his fellow members and sees the appreciation in their faces, the acknowledging thank you in their eyes. He sees their hidden gratitude for all he does, for leading them, taking care of them, listening to all their problems, running things smoothly for SHINee. He sees their encouraging for him, Lee Jinki, and the fighting spirit it gives him to continue on.
Most importantly, he sees their love, their warm hearts, and their bond that will help them all through even on the toughest of days. Without him, without any of them, SHINee won’t be complete.
And that’s when all of Lee Jinki’s worries go away, and Onew - the leader of SHINee - smiles back up at them.
Time passes by hectically
Will we get so used to our fluttering feelings
That we’ll feel them as a definite thing?
I’m sad over pointless worries
Jonghyun has his lyrics.
He pens them everywhere, jotting little notes here and there, then staying up all night just to string them together into coherent sentences and later beautiful songs. Everyone thinks it’s just a passion of his, and while that is the truth, there is so much more to his fervent writings then the joy of expressing his feelings through music.
SHINee is definitely one of SM’s better vocal groups, something he’s not ashamed to admit. Jonghyun knows Onew and Key are more then capable to have successful solo careers, and someday they may realize it too. He sees as Taemin vocally catches up to him, and is probably someday going to surpass him. He can tell that Minho knows of his potential, that though he isn’t musically on par with the rest of them yet, someday he will find those songs that suit his voice the best.
Someday. The inevitable someday. The someday that sometimes seems too soon.
He sees disappointment in Taemin’s eyes as his improved singing only gets him an extra two lines. He sees frustration when Onew notices his parts getting smaller and smaller, as if Onew wasn’t one of the two main vocals. He sees anger when Key is told to rap instead of sing, and when Minho is told to rap less and sing (not so much) more. And then he worries that someday has turned into today.
His lyrics are more then just beautiful melodies for them to sing. They are specially made for SHINee, created to fit their group and accommodate each of the member’s vocal capabilities. He works long and hard to produce lyrics that truly show off each and every one of their distinct personalities. Each of the members have strong and weak points musically, and Jonghyun plays that to his advantage. Onew’s soft honey voice is perfect for openings; while Key’s unique one is a great lead up to chorus. The bridge is the best place for Minho’s falsettos, while his and Key’s raps end their songs on a good note. And Taemin - now meeting Jonghyun vocally - the main singer always smiles fondly as Taemin records parts that match his own. Jonghyun strives for equality, for perfection, for music that utilizes all their voices to their upmost potential.
He wonders if it’s worth it. There are pages of lyrical verses scribbled in his notebook, dozens of composed tunes sitting on his laptop. Yet the company choses to ignore his attempts, opting more often for machine-produced songs and store bought lyrics, only allowing Jonghyun’s work to be showcased once or twice an album for “artistic show”. Their days are packed with schedules from morning to night, and the whole losing two extra hours of sleep with no guarantee of recognition is losing merit in his books.
But those thoughts are thrown aside when he sees Taemin brighten up at the whole stanza given to him, as Key and Onew tease him for his cheesy-as-hell lyrics, Minho already writing an accompanying rap in the space Jonghyun’s left for him. His past doubts are cast away as he hears the five of them singing together in the complete piece. It’s a harmonic melody consisting of their individually beautiful voices, coming together for perfection.
And Jonghyun hopes to hear it forevermore.
Rewind the film of our memories
To the day we first met
My heart pounded, I couldn’t hide my tears
They overflowed as much as I was grateful
Key is a nagging diva.
It’s a trait Key’s always had, which has gotten him into more trouble then he’ll admit, yet he’s always been proud of it. It was a characteristic that shaped his identity, gave him a personality, and made him who he is today. Being an over-reactive, highly sarcastic, and extremely blunt -for lack of better words- diva, was what allowed him to freely express all that made him Kim Kibum.
Until he became an idol, forcing him to shed Kim Kibum for a quiet, obedient, all smiles-and-grins noona killer named Key. Someone that is overly friendly, obnoxiously kind, and extremely placid. It goes against everything he has spent his life believing, but to pursue his dream of being an artist, they tell him sacrifices must be made.
He knows all five members are doing the same. He knows each and every one of them was given the same talk, told to fit this model personality assigned to them by the company. Told to be someone they’re not.
The first episode of Yunhanam comes and goes, and Key cringes at how awkward it is. They act so sickeningly perfect, the five of them transforming into perfect little robots with perfect little smiles and perfect little angelic personalities that will perfectly make a noona fall perfectly for these perfect little flower boys. It’s so perfect that it makes Key want to be sick.
But what actually hurts is afterward, when Key sees Onew becoming despondent, as Jonghyun puts a metaphorical guzzle to his mouth, while Minho blinks away angry tears and Taemin is sitting silently in the corner.
What hurts even more is that their stage personas are taking over their real personalities, changing Jinki’s dorky smile, Jonghyun’s chatterbox voice, Minho’s competitive spirit and Taemin’s bubbly charm.
What hurts the most is that Key sees this starting to happen off camera, in a place where the idol world’s criticizing glare has no eyes on them, yet at the same time, SM’s strict words seep into every inch of their lives. Where the previously unique and versatile five boys use to be, are now five empty shells filled with what the public are suppose to see.
And Key is determined to change all that.
The second episode comes, and the character Key has a complete 180° personality change. Out comes his diva persona, but this time, he uses it to force out his member’s real personalities as well. He acts like a mother to Taemin to show off the younger’s innocence. He scolds Onew to get that confused but dorky smile out of him. He flails around with Jonghyun so the other has a reason jabber on (and never stop) and talks back to Minho to rouse his competitive flare.
Kibum can’t hide who he is, and there is no reason for him too. But most of all, he doesn’t want to hide who his members are. Why should they feel insecurity based on a few stupid company comments? There shouldn’t be the need to change how they act when the five of them are together. He doesn't want them to feel their lives being dictated by what the public says when it’s their real lives that Kibum would rather see.
There is nothing more in the world that Key wants, then to share exactly who they all are, the person they are not ashamed to be. Because it’s not the blinding flower boys, or the shining noona killers, or even the SM-produced perfect idols that Key wants SHINee to be known as.
Instead, it’s the off-camera dorky, crazy, humble and fun members that Key would rather everyone see.
There’s a connection in our relationship
A huge one that I can’t explain in words
Our conversations, piled with memories
Continue on today
Minho is a shoulder to lean on.
SHINee was barely a step into the industry when the TVXQ controversy happens, and suddenly, SM is looking at them to fulfill that giant hole in the company. The expectations increase, and it’s clear how SHINee is being bred to follow in their sunbae’s footsteps, to show the high quality that SM is known for.
Everyone feels the pressure, but Minho considers it a blessing to be part of such an anticipated group. He’s been called a black hole more times then necessary, and is determined to prove his use in SHINee. He thinks of the criticisms as motivation instead, a competition for him to work harder and become better.
But not everyone in his group feels the same.
Comparisons to TVXQ were bound to happen, and in almost every aspect, it seems that SHINee falls short. The practice time increases. The training becomes harsher. The expectations become higher.
His members lose hope.
It hits him, when he walks into their dorm, and sees Onew watching TV, a broadcast of TVXQ’s last concert on, while Jonghyun at the computer with a netizens forum online, Key flipping through a gossip magazine and Taemin peeking over his shoulder.
It really hits him when he sees tears rolling down Jinki’s cheek and the dried marks on Taemin’s. When he hears the anger is Jonghyun’s every click and the frustration in Kibum’s every page turn.
A shock goes through his body. In the next second, the magazine’s ripped out of Key’s grasp, as Minho closes the computer on Jonghyun, and starts a Mario Kart tournament instead, boasting all the while that he’s absolutely sure to win at (but doesn’t because Jonghyun’s fast and Jinki uses power ups well and he’s not even sure what Kibum and Taemin do but somehow he ends up last but oh well at least they’re laughing wait its at him oh no Choi Minho does not condone this-)
Minho realizes that while he sees the netizen’s stinging words as stimuli to do better, not everyone feels the same. He’s not exactly strong, as being called useless does hurt, but he imagines it must be ten times worst for the rest of his members, who have been constantly told they have talent; yet in the face of the Korean world, they’re nothing.
That night, as the five of them are asleep in the living room, Minho watches the sleeping faces of all his brothers, the tired looks and weary eyes. It’s hard to have a standard to match, to have an expectation to fill. Everyone in the company, in the music industry, in South Korea even, they all insists on so much from them, making it even worse to face the reality that sometimes, it’s hard to achieve their ambitions. It’s hard to be an idol, when the idealized model is always out of reach.
And at that moment, Minho vows to help ease the burden away, to remind them they are valuable to the music industry, to steer his members away from the “need to be” mindset into an “I will be”. Minho vows to show them that it’s not hard at all.
He’s there when Jinki is feeling depressed over his role in the industry. It’s his shoulder Jonghyun cries on when SM once again turns down his musical input. He takes in Kibum’s rants whenever something is bothering his friend, and offers advice to the still growing maknae.
He’s their pillar, their strong boulder to rely on. He encourages them, reminds them of their strengths and pushes away fake weaknesses. He motivates them to keep going forward, motivates them to practice, motivates them to sing and dance and enjoy what they do.
Each and everyone one of them has a place in the team, has value in the industry, is perfect for exactly who they are. And Minho makes sure that each and every one of them knows exactly that.
Because you’ve always been there to protect me
Because you’ve taken the criticism that I should receive
You won’t be forgotten in my heart, right?
Taemin just smiles.
He sees Onew’s worries hidden behind those gummy smiles. He hears Jonghyun’s frustration late in the night when the melody doesn’t come together. He feels Key’s fears within his scolding nature, and notices Minho’s clinginess during times of stress and tensions.
He just shakes his head in disbelief and smiles.
He wonders why his hyungs allow such feelings to consummate their thoughts, to control their actions. He wonders how come no one see how much each of them is such an important part of SHINee, that there’s no need to do so much extra to hold the group together. Why use glue on an item not even broken?
He just sighs in exasperation and smiles.
What he says on the shows is true. He’s watched his hyungs grow old, as much as they watched him grow up. It’s been years, and he’s seen their relationship change from coworkers to friends to brothers to family. It might have been fate that brought SHINee together, but it’s definitely each and every one of them that’s keeping them as one.
Taemin just smiles.
Because there’s nothing else he can do. There’s nothing else he needs to do, but just smile and sing, smile and dance, smile and have fun with the best hyungs he can ever ask for.
Taemin smiles
because he knows for the rest of his life…
…I’ll sing our song with you.
Gomawo
WORD COUNT 2785
[end a/n: Gomawo is...]
*‘Gomawo’ is an informal ‘thank you’ in Korean. I used that there to sort of show that Taemin is close enough to his hyungs to use informal language.
Honesty (written by Jonghyun and Minho) is the most beautiful song off their Sherlock album, plus one of my favorite shinee songs overall. I know it’s about their fans, but in a way, I thought they were also talking about the bond they share within themselves, as OT5. The lyrics are the translated version of it. I tried to keep true to what they all actually sing. Don’t some of the parts actually seem to relate to them? The title is also taken from the song.
pairing: ot5
genre: friendship
summary: We may have our own styles, but I think it's best described when we're together, as one - Jonghyun
a/n: Happy five year anniversary SHINee!
You understood me better than myself
When I was on the verge of breaking down
Seeing you having a harder time than I did
Made me cry like a child
Onew has his condition.
It comes in handy on variety shows, and proves to be a quirky charm around females, but at their dorm is where he values it the most, when Key’s nagging them to clean up the mess in the living room, Jonghyun’s screaming back that it’s not our mess it’s yours!, Taemin’s cranky from lack of dinner, and Minho’s staring at them with those froggy eyes of his, wishing for them to all shut the hell up because they all just had a long day and need sleep for tomorrow’s equally excruciating schedules. Everyone’s cranky, angry and overly pissed at each other. The air is tense, and Onew’s afraid sooner or later someone might throw punches. (He can’t let that happen.)
All of a sudden, Bam! The four would turn from their animosities to see the leader on the floor, apparently tripping over (a book, a shoe, a rock, air). He just lies there, looking up with his squishy face, complete with a dazed look, embarrassed cheeks, and goofy grin. (He hopes it works.)
Jonghyun’s loud laugh echoes through the apartment. Key’s scolding him with a slight smile. Taemin covers his mouth as cute giggles filter through, food completely forgotten, and Minho’s still froggy eyes crinkle with playful delight as he helps Onew to his feet. The previous suffocating atmosphere is gone, replaced with a still tired but slightly happier SHINee family. (Exactly how Lee Jinki intended it to be.)
Onew knows their schedules are tough and overexerting. He knows how exhausted they all are from working so hard. He can tell when each of them have reached close to a breaking point, and notices it’s happening more frequently nowadays. He’s afraid of possible tears, afraid of nervous panic attacks; afraid of hysterical breakdowns, afraid of the unbearable I can’t do this anymore! that could come out of any of their mouths. But most of all, he’s afraid that sooner or later, someone might actually mean it. There’s nothing he fears more then exactly that one small slip up that could possibly break their group apart and lead to the end of their era. And most of all, he’s afraid if it comes, he won’t be able to prevent it.
Sometimes Onew doubts his ability as a leader, when they had the talkative Jonghyun, organized Kibum and charismatic Minho in their team. Even their understanding maknae could have fit the role better. So why was he --the awkward, clumsy, dorky Lee Jinki-- put into this role?
He still tries his best, leading them on variety shows, monitoring every performance for extra criticisms, sacrificing himself at home to accommodate their needs. It’s tiring, hurtful, and at points he feels depressed, but if only for the unity and happiness of their group, Onew would travel to the moon and back.
It’s all worth it though, as he looks at his fellow members and sees the appreciation in their faces, the acknowledging thank you in their eyes. He sees their hidden gratitude for all he does, for leading them, taking care of them, listening to all their problems, running things smoothly for SHINee. He sees their encouraging for him, Lee Jinki, and the fighting spirit it gives him to continue on.
Most importantly, he sees their love, their warm hearts, and their bond that will help them all through even on the toughest of days. Without him, without any of them, SHINee won’t be complete.
And that’s when all of Lee Jinki’s worries go away, and Onew - the leader of SHINee - smiles back up at them.
Time passes by hectically
Will we get so used to our fluttering feelings
That we’ll feel them as a definite thing?
I’m sad over pointless worries
Jonghyun has his lyrics.
He pens them everywhere, jotting little notes here and there, then staying up all night just to string them together into coherent sentences and later beautiful songs. Everyone thinks it’s just a passion of his, and while that is the truth, there is so much more to his fervent writings then the joy of expressing his feelings through music.
SHINee is definitely one of SM’s better vocal groups, something he’s not ashamed to admit. Jonghyun knows Onew and Key are more then capable to have successful solo careers, and someday they may realize it too. He sees as Taemin vocally catches up to him, and is probably someday going to surpass him. He can tell that Minho knows of his potential, that though he isn’t musically on par with the rest of them yet, someday he will find those songs that suit his voice the best.
Someday. The inevitable someday. The someday that sometimes seems too soon.
He sees disappointment in Taemin’s eyes as his improved singing only gets him an extra two lines. He sees frustration when Onew notices his parts getting smaller and smaller, as if Onew wasn’t one of the two main vocals. He sees anger when Key is told to rap instead of sing, and when Minho is told to rap less and sing (not so much) more. And then he worries that someday has turned into today.
His lyrics are more then just beautiful melodies for them to sing. They are specially made for SHINee, created to fit their group and accommodate each of the member’s vocal capabilities. He works long and hard to produce lyrics that truly show off each and every one of their distinct personalities. Each of the members have strong and weak points musically, and Jonghyun plays that to his advantage. Onew’s soft honey voice is perfect for openings; while Key’s unique one is a great lead up to chorus. The bridge is the best place for Minho’s falsettos, while his and Key’s raps end their songs on a good note. And Taemin - now meeting Jonghyun vocally - the main singer always smiles fondly as Taemin records parts that match his own. Jonghyun strives for equality, for perfection, for music that utilizes all their voices to their upmost potential.
He wonders if it’s worth it. There are pages of lyrical verses scribbled in his notebook, dozens of composed tunes sitting on his laptop. Yet the company choses to ignore his attempts, opting more often for machine-produced songs and store bought lyrics, only allowing Jonghyun’s work to be showcased once or twice an album for “artistic show”. Their days are packed with schedules from morning to night, and the whole losing two extra hours of sleep with no guarantee of recognition is losing merit in his books.
But those thoughts are thrown aside when he sees Taemin brighten up at the whole stanza given to him, as Key and Onew tease him for his cheesy-as-hell lyrics, Minho already writing an accompanying rap in the space Jonghyun’s left for him. His past doubts are cast away as he hears the five of them singing together in the complete piece. It’s a harmonic melody consisting of their individually beautiful voices, coming together for perfection.
And Jonghyun hopes to hear it forevermore.
Rewind the film of our memories
To the day we first met
My heart pounded, I couldn’t hide my tears
They overflowed as much as I was grateful
Key is a nagging diva.
It’s a trait Key’s always had, which has gotten him into more trouble then he’ll admit, yet he’s always been proud of it. It was a characteristic that shaped his identity, gave him a personality, and made him who he is today. Being an over-reactive, highly sarcastic, and extremely blunt -for lack of better words- diva, was what allowed him to freely express all that made him Kim Kibum.
Until he became an idol, forcing him to shed Kim Kibum for a quiet, obedient, all smiles-and-grins noona killer named Key. Someone that is overly friendly, obnoxiously kind, and extremely placid. It goes against everything he has spent his life believing, but to pursue his dream of being an artist, they tell him sacrifices must be made.
He knows all five members are doing the same. He knows each and every one of them was given the same talk, told to fit this model personality assigned to them by the company. Told to be someone they’re not.
The first episode of Yunhanam comes and goes, and Key cringes at how awkward it is. They act so sickeningly perfect, the five of them transforming into perfect little robots with perfect little smiles and perfect little angelic personalities that will perfectly make a noona fall perfectly for these perfect little flower boys. It’s so perfect that it makes Key want to be sick.
But what actually hurts is afterward, when Key sees Onew becoming despondent, as Jonghyun puts a metaphorical guzzle to his mouth, while Minho blinks away angry tears and Taemin is sitting silently in the corner.
What hurts even more is that their stage personas are taking over their real personalities, changing Jinki’s dorky smile, Jonghyun’s chatterbox voice, Minho’s competitive spirit and Taemin’s bubbly charm.
What hurts the most is that Key sees this starting to happen off camera, in a place where the idol world’s criticizing glare has no eyes on them, yet at the same time, SM’s strict words seep into every inch of their lives. Where the previously unique and versatile five boys use to be, are now five empty shells filled with what the public are suppose to see.
And Key is determined to change all that.
The second episode comes, and the character Key has a complete 180° personality change. Out comes his diva persona, but this time, he uses it to force out his member’s real personalities as well. He acts like a mother to Taemin to show off the younger’s innocence. He scolds Onew to get that confused but dorky smile out of him. He flails around with Jonghyun so the other has a reason jabber on (and never stop) and talks back to Minho to rouse his competitive flare.
Kibum can’t hide who he is, and there is no reason for him too. But most of all, he doesn’t want to hide who his members are. Why should they feel insecurity based on a few stupid company comments? There shouldn’t be the need to change how they act when the five of them are together. He doesn't want them to feel their lives being dictated by what the public says when it’s their real lives that Kibum would rather see.
There is nothing more in the world that Key wants, then to share exactly who they all are, the person they are not ashamed to be. Because it’s not the blinding flower boys, or the shining noona killers, or even the SM-produced perfect idols that Key wants SHINee to be known as.
Instead, it’s the off-camera dorky, crazy, humble and fun members that Key would rather everyone see.
There’s a connection in our relationship
A huge one that I can’t explain in words
Our conversations, piled with memories
Continue on today
Minho is a shoulder to lean on.
SHINee was barely a step into the industry when the TVXQ controversy happens, and suddenly, SM is looking at them to fulfill that giant hole in the company. The expectations increase, and it’s clear how SHINee is being bred to follow in their sunbae’s footsteps, to show the high quality that SM is known for.
Everyone feels the pressure, but Minho considers it a blessing to be part of such an anticipated group. He’s been called a black hole more times then necessary, and is determined to prove his use in SHINee. He thinks of the criticisms as motivation instead, a competition for him to work harder and become better.
But not everyone in his group feels the same.
Comparisons to TVXQ were bound to happen, and in almost every aspect, it seems that SHINee falls short. The practice time increases. The training becomes harsher. The expectations become higher.
His members lose hope.
It hits him, when he walks into their dorm, and sees Onew watching TV, a broadcast of TVXQ’s last concert on, while Jonghyun at the computer with a netizens forum online, Key flipping through a gossip magazine and Taemin peeking over his shoulder.
It really hits him when he sees tears rolling down Jinki’s cheek and the dried marks on Taemin’s. When he hears the anger is Jonghyun’s every click and the frustration in Kibum’s every page turn.
A shock goes through his body. In the next second, the magazine’s ripped out of Key’s grasp, as Minho closes the computer on Jonghyun, and starts a Mario Kart tournament instead, boasting all the while that he’s absolutely sure to win at (but doesn’t because Jonghyun’s fast and Jinki uses power ups well and he’s not even sure what Kibum and Taemin do but somehow he ends up last but oh well at least they’re laughing wait its at him oh no Choi Minho does not condone this-)
Minho realizes that while he sees the netizen’s stinging words as stimuli to do better, not everyone feels the same. He’s not exactly strong, as being called useless does hurt, but he imagines it must be ten times worst for the rest of his members, who have been constantly told they have talent; yet in the face of the Korean world, they’re nothing.
That night, as the five of them are asleep in the living room, Minho watches the sleeping faces of all his brothers, the tired looks and weary eyes. It’s hard to have a standard to match, to have an expectation to fill. Everyone in the company, in the music industry, in South Korea even, they all insists on so much from them, making it even worse to face the reality that sometimes, it’s hard to achieve their ambitions. It’s hard to be an idol, when the idealized model is always out of reach.
And at that moment, Minho vows to help ease the burden away, to remind them they are valuable to the music industry, to steer his members away from the “need to be” mindset into an “I will be”. Minho vows to show them that it’s not hard at all.
He’s there when Jinki is feeling depressed over his role in the industry. It’s his shoulder Jonghyun cries on when SM once again turns down his musical input. He takes in Kibum’s rants whenever something is bothering his friend, and offers advice to the still growing maknae.
He’s their pillar, their strong boulder to rely on. He encourages them, reminds them of their strengths and pushes away fake weaknesses. He motivates them to keep going forward, motivates them to practice, motivates them to sing and dance and enjoy what they do.
Each and everyone one of them has a place in the team, has value in the industry, is perfect for exactly who they are. And Minho makes sure that each and every one of them knows exactly that.
Because you’ve always been there to protect me
Because you’ve taken the criticism that I should receive
You won’t be forgotten in my heart, right?
Taemin just smiles.
He sees Onew’s worries hidden behind those gummy smiles. He hears Jonghyun’s frustration late in the night when the melody doesn’t come together. He feels Key’s fears within his scolding nature, and notices Minho’s clinginess during times of stress and tensions.
He just shakes his head in disbelief and smiles.
He wonders why his hyungs allow such feelings to consummate their thoughts, to control their actions. He wonders how come no one see how much each of them is such an important part of SHINee, that there’s no need to do so much extra to hold the group together. Why use glue on an item not even broken?
He just sighs in exasperation and smiles.
What he says on the shows is true. He’s watched his hyungs grow old, as much as they watched him grow up. It’s been years, and he’s seen their relationship change from coworkers to friends to brothers to family. It might have been fate that brought SHINee together, but it’s definitely each and every one of them that’s keeping them as one.
Taemin just smiles.
Because there’s nothing else he can do. There’s nothing else he needs to do, but just smile and sing, smile and dance, smile and have fun with the best hyungs he can ever ask for.
Taemin smiles
because he knows for the rest of his life…
…I’ll sing our song with you.
Gomawo
WORD COUNT 2785
[end a/n: Gomawo is...]
*‘Gomawo’ is an informal ‘thank you’ in Korean. I used that there to sort of show that Taemin is close enough to his hyungs to use informal language.
Honesty (written by Jonghyun and Minho) is the most beautiful song off their Sherlock album, plus one of my favorite shinee songs overall. I know it’s about their fans, but in a way, I thought they were also talking about the bond they share within themselves, as OT5. The lyrics are the translated version of it. I tried to keep true to what they all actually sing. Don’t some of the parts actually seem to relate to them? The title is also taken from the song.