♡ A story about learning to love, learning to hurt, learning to 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘥 ― and most importantly, learning to be human. ♡
𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐃 4x
Marino Hills, California in the mid-2000s is hypersensitive to the idea of change. It clings desperately t...
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THE FALL OF 2006 Holier Than Thou
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October 25th, 2006.
It's Minho Lee's eighteenth birthday. Jisung marked it on his calendar ages ago. Circled in bright red, with miniature hearts dancing all over the cardstock, is the 25th. It's not like Jisung could've forgotten, but he still marked it up as October's most important date, anyway. In a thinner, blue ink, It's also written as the day Minho finally gets his walking boot off after months of healing.
Jisung had so many plans: 1—catching "The Devil Wears Prada" at the theater, 2—blowing his savings on an unnecessarily fancy restaurant; and on the weekend; 3—spending the entire Saturday at Six Flags' Fright Fest, and 4—spending the rest of the weekend making out.
It would've been perfect.
October 25th is by far the most important day of Jisung's life, and he's grounded. Great. The only thing he'll be doing after school is meeting with the local pastor.
"So, tell me Jisung, what made you want to meet with me today?"
It's ironic. They don't even go to church.
Pastor Keyes sits across from Jisung in his father's study, seated comfortably in John's chestnut leather armchair. Jisung hyper focuses on the salt-and-pepper of Pastor Keyes' hair more than the question he's been asked, fidgeting nervously with his fingers.
"Jisung," Pastor Keyes calls, but pronounces it like 'jizzung' in his gravelly voice. Jisung could correct him. He doesn't. "In order for this to work, you have to talk to me."
"I–I'm, uh, I'm not sure what t–to talk about," Jisung gulps. The saliva gets stuck, he chokes. He scolds himself for how pathetic he sounds.
"Well, we could start with what your mother told me," Pastor Keyes says, still surprisingly calm. It's a little unsettling. "She says you're...bisexual?"
Jisung falls silent again, picking his fingers raw. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, acutely aware that anything he says to anyone going forward can be used against him. Like a boomerang, any truth he spills will come back to him—any lie he tells will return when he least expects it. Silence is the safest option.
"Opening up is the first step toward healing, you know," Pastor Keyes adds, folding his hands atop John's desk table. "Remember that God is accepting and non-judging, so long as you're committed to growth."
"I wish I could b–believe that," Jisung responds laconically. He also wishes he could slap the stutter out of his mouth.
Ugh. The tick-ticking of the clock couldn't go by any slower. Tick...tick...tick...
