rendition of a story in the novel 'Am I Blue?'

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"Uncle..." a young man with short, jet-black hair, bangs cut and thinned -just half an inch above the brows-, with a tall and slim figure, seemed to be in deep thought, fidgeting a little. He was standing up, looking down at his uncle who sat in a velet, single couch chair, reading the newspaper. He noticed his uncle's stature. Tall, 184cm tall to be exact, his dyed-auburn hair combed neatly over the crown to cover his balding spot, wrinkles settling in at the corners of his eyes. Besides the unibrows and eyelashes, the man had no facial hair whatsoever. He was a bit on the overweight side, his beer belly accented by the white turtle neck, with a polo shirt over it.

"Uncle..." Minho repeated, clearing his throat.

"Oh sorry, kiddo." He chuckled, setting down the newspaper lamp table to his side. "What is it?"

He's always been a cheerful guy. Open to anything, to anyone who comes his way. He's not hypocritical or stereotypical at all like my other relatives. He's different. And I love him for that. That's why it's so easy for me to tell him anything. Everything. Well except for one thing. But that's what I'm here to talk about... that one thing.

His uncle patted the arm of a chair next to his, hinting that he sit down. Minho nodded and sat down. Minho looked down, holding his hands tightly together. He sighed and cleared his throat. His voice trembled as he began to speak, "I-I th-think - I mean, I-I...", he sighed trying to calm down.

"Take it easy. Don't rush yourself, I've got all night." Siwon rubbed Minho's back, trying to ease the kid's tension.

"I'm okay now." Minho eased his way from his uncle's arm, his uncle took it as a note to move away.

"What I wanted to say is, Uncle." Minho paused, raising his head, the fear in eyes were no longer there. He looked his uncle dead in the eyes. "I'm in love."

"Well that's great! I mean, you're still a little young to fall in love, 18's a pretty young age to fall in love with your girlfriend in my opinion, but-"

Minho cut him off, shaking his head. "No, Uncle. It's not Yoona I'm in love with it's-"

"Oh... are you cheating on her?" His Uncle interrupted, a look of disappointment appeared upon his face.

"No, no no. I'm not cheating on her, well I hope the way I feel wouldn't count as cheating-"

"Oh, ok, as long as you're not cheating. I didn't raise my nephew that way. So who's the girl?" Siwon chuckled while leaning in closer, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Uncle you're not letting me finish. What I'm trying to say is I'm not in love with any girl." There was tension in the air now. Minho felt like he couldn't go on, but he had to, he had to come out. He wanted to be honest with himself. He looked his Uncle straight in the eyes, once more. Hoping he would see what he was trying to tell him, what he meant.

At first, Siwon didn't understand what he was telling him. Confused at what he was hinting until he remembered his last words, I'm not in love with any girl...

Shock took over him. He gasped, unable to believe his nephew.

"You're not..." Siwon leaned back against the chair, rubbing his eyes. "No you can't be. You're not." He shook his head furiously. Siwon stood up from the couch, turning around, but something was holding him back. Minho.

"Uncle please listen to me. I know, I know it's wrong. But-but I can't help it!" Siwon shook Minho's grip off, looking at him with pain and disgust in his eyes.

"Don't you dare! Do you know what the hell you're trying to say?! What did I do to deserve this?!" Siwon's eyes began to sting. Tears were welding up. "Don't you dare. Don't you dare. I won't let you feel this way." Siwon jabbed his index finger at Minho's chest. What were mere pokes, felt like stabs straight to the heart for Minho.

Minho clasped his hands around Siwon's. "Uncle... please. I need you to be by my side on this. Please, I'm begging you. Please..." Minho pleaded. He rested his forehead against the palm of Siwon's.

Siwon struggled a bit, but loosened the grip. He felt like he couldn't breathe, overwhelmed by so many emotions at once. Anger, sadness, shock, pain. Disgust.

He wouldn't look at Minho, avoiding any eye contact with him.

"Uncle..." Minho, got down on his knees, hanging his head, hands on his knees. "Forgive me. Forgive me. I'm sorry."

"Get up." Suddenly all he felt was anger and the disgust taking over. "I SAID, GET UP!!!" Siwon's voice boomed all over the living room. He yanked Minho's arm so hard, that Minho heard a crack. He held in the pain. "Who is it? Huh?! Who is the son of a that did this to you?!!" Siwon didn't care anymore if the neighbors heard them. He was yelling at the top of his lungs.

Minho's faced was covered by the stream of tears that overflowed. He was scared. He had never been so scared of anyone, let alone his uncle. I can't quit, I can't give up... I'm not gonna lie to you anymore Uncle. I won't lie.

"You don't need to know." He whispered softly.

"The hell I do! Don't tell me what I do and don't need to know! You're in my house, and you'll tell me what i want to hear." Siwon began to shake him wildly.

Minho tried to take control over his emotions, but failed miserably. He yelled with so much grief in his voice. "Uncle just accept me as I am now! Let me love the way I want to love!"

Pain. Immense pain knocked him against the side of his face. He hit me? Minho began to gasp, looking at Siwon, shock taking over. "Uncle..."

"Shut. Up. Just be quiet. I'm giving you a chance, to turn around and go back to before. Alright?" Siwon began to nod to himself vigorously. He was so close to Minho, Minho could feel his breath against his face. "Tomorrow, we'll go to the church. And you'll beg God for forgiveness for your sin. You'll pretend none of this - this ridiculous, stupid, sick wrong doing of yours ever, and I mean ever," his voice became barely audible,"ever happened." His Uncle seemed so vulnerable, so weak now.

Not now, don't give up. It's not over.

"Why would I believe in someone, in some religion that goes against the love of my life? That prevents me from being true to myself-" Siwon took another punch to his face. Harder than before.

Minho was cut just beneath his lower right eyelid. A crimson liquid began to drip ooze out of the cut. But Minho didn't falter, he wasn't afraid anymore. "I love him. I won't say who he is, in fear of what you may do to him. But I love him, and I know it. And i will no longer deny the real me, I won't lock my feelings in a closet deep in my heart anymore." Minho pounded his fist against the left side of his chest. "Because... I know what I am. I know who I am!" Even though his lips trembled, his fear had long disappeared.

"And what's that?" His Uncle was provoking him on purpose. He knew what he was going to say, but he was hoping he wouldn't. Siwon held his breath.

"I am Choi Minho." Minho's eye became darker, his gaze stronger.

"And I am, whether you like it or not, gay."

The last blow to his face was all it took to knock Minho unconscious. Siwon held him up by one arm. His voice became menacing as he spoke to the limp body, "Since we're no longer family," he let go of his hand, letting the body drop against the floor, "you should run upstairs and pack your bags. Trash doesn't belong here."

Siwon walked off, leaving the motionless body alone in the living room.

*

Minho woke up with a massive headache. He sat up, wincing at the pain in his head. He noticed a needle in a tube inserted into his right arm. An IV? He blinked to adjust his vision. He felt his head, feeling little bumbs on both his cheeks and above his right brow.

He sighed, thinking to himself, was it worth it?

He heard his cellphone ringing. Manyage, naega kandamyeon...

It's him. A smile crept upon his face.

"Hello?" he answered in monotone.

"YAH! CHOI MINHO!" A young man yelled on the other side of the line. "Why haven't you answered my calls?! Do you know how worried I was?!"

"No, I don't. Why don't you tell me how worried you were?" He teased.

"Yah, this isn't time for games! Where are you?! I was worried, I thought you moved on. I thought you gave up on us." The young man's voice became a soft whisper. "I missed you."

"I missed you too... Taemin-ah." Minho heard a sniff and some on the other line.

"Yah... are you crying?!" Minho began to laugh uncontrollably.

"NO!" Minho knew he was.

"So you're... you know, thinking of me while you're touching-" Minho's tone became seductive

"NOOO!!! Minho-yah!!! Stop it! I'm trying to have a serious talk with you?! Why can't you stop playing around for once and..." Minho began to laugh again while Taemin kept on ranting.

Their voices faded out. The sunlight was shoning through the window, two blue birds were tweeting on a tree bench, tweeting a sweet tune.

Yeah, he's worth it.

  a young man witB