Driving Me Crazy

Chapter 4

TW: DEC. 18 // If you are uncomfortable with this topic, I advise you to skip this chapter. Also, remember that Jonghyun is way more than his death. Please show respect!

The members of SHINee piled into the van. Taemin sat in front beside Magdalena. He had taken to riding shotgun after that day he had sat in the front to help her navigate through Seoul traffic. Taemin had to do a double take when he sat down. Magdalena's hair was wet and hanging around her fact in tight ringlets.

"I didn't know you had curly hair," he marveled. "So, all this time you've been straightening your hair?" he asked.

Magdalena nodded. "I got used to straightening it. My mom would straighten it every day so that she could get it into smooth pigtails," she explained. "It was an embarrassment to the family to have a kid with their hair all wild and curly. The school required that all students look neat and tidy. And to them, that meant hair plastered down with ungodly amounts of gel, with no little curls escaping. So, from there on out, I just got used to straightening it every day," she said.

"Honestly, I think that story is really sad," Taemin replied. "I love your curls. I wish I had known about them a long time ago. It's just the natural you. Like I feel like you don't really need to straighten it and to do your make-up, and all that," he commented.

Magdalena shook her head vigorously. "You're never going to convince me on that point," she replied. "The way I grew up was that a woman had to put on make-up even to just sit in her house all day. And if you were going into town, it would be a sacrilege to go without your face on," she added.

"But who is it for?" Taemin asked. "If you're just sitting at home, why do you have to put on full make-up?"

Without addressing his question, Magdalena said, "You just don't get it. Not having your make-up on is like answering the door naked. It's unseemly," she argued.

"You're right. I don't get it," Taemin replied. "So, changing the subject, who is taking care of Mateo tonight?"

"Oh, he's going home with a school friend," Magdalena replied. "They didn't tell me that we were staying over until last night. So, I had to come up with a plan pretty quickly. I guess he would be old enough to stay alone, but I just didn't feel good about it."

They drove on in silence for quite some time until they reached the hotel. The other members slowly awakened from their car-ride nap and crawled out of the van. The carried their bags up to their rooms. Taemin made a mental note of Magdalena's room number as he watched her disappear behind the door.

The members ordered room service and began what was sure to be a long night of drinking and games. "We should invite Magdalena," Taemin suggested.

"Nah, man, she would feel uncomfortable with all of us guys here," Key protested. "Let her get some rest. Old people need their rest," he added.

Taemin glared at him. "She's not that old. She's just exhausted. It's what happens when you have real problems to take care of," he defended. Key shrugged and the matter passed.

Several hours into the revelry, when all the members were several miles south of tipsy, the mood became somber with alcohol-induced melancholy. Onew leaned back against the headboard of the bed. "It's at times like this that I miss Jonghyun," he said. They all bowed their heads as they sat with that familiar sadness.

"I mean, honest to God, did any of you guys sense that he was that bad off?" Minho asked. "Because I didn't see it until it was too late. You know, looking back, I can see things differently, but at the time, it took me by surprise," he admitted.