OMG last full chapter!

I originally included what is not the epilogue into this, but it just didn't work and it ruined the flow so that got moved.  I almost acually cut the epilogue entirely but I really liked the writing - so whether it fits entirely or not, you're getting it...

Chapter 40

It led the evening news and moved like wildfire over the internet.  Headlines like ‘Brokeback SHINee’ were splashed across newspapers.  Pictures form the conference spread rapidly, pasted on magazine covers and topping internet pages.  And the picture that had circulated the fastest, wasn’t the one of Taemin bearing his scars to the world, but the one of Key helping the obviously exhausted young man out of the room, as he had been leaning more on Key than his own feet as the neared the door, shirt still open and scars still visible on the pale flesh.    

Reactions to the group were mixed.  While most celebrities remained mute on the subject some did come out and voice their opinions.  Leeteuk, Eunhyuk, Shindong and Donghae from Super Junior were vocally supportive of the two, and condemned anyone who treated the two poorly.  Amber from f(x) spoke out against discrimination based on uality and supported the two fiercely.  Assorted members of other groups also showed their support.  2AM had showed up to an event recently wearing shirts with a picture of Taemin on the front and Key on the back with the words ‘stronger together’ written on it in various languages. 

SHINee was touched by the actions of these other people.  Their careers could be hurt, just as much as SHINee’s because of their views and stance on this as an issue.  The groups who remained quiet didn’t hurt SHINee, because they understood the risks, but the ones who spoke out on their behalf meant more than they could ever say to them.  Appearing on Star King not long after 2AM had worn the shirt, Key had walked up to Jo Kwon and just hugged him, unable to say anything to express his the amount of gratitude he had for the other man’s support.    

SHINee would find that the music industry, controlled by mostly old-fashioned men with conservative view points wasn’t as supportive of them now.  They would be slighted by award shows much to the anger of the fans that had stuck with them and they learned to not even attempt to get appearances on certain variety shows, knowing that the answer would always be equivocally ‘no’ because of the views of the PD or of the MC of the show. Some didn’t care, thinking that the controversy would bring more viewers, but others were stuck in their ways and refused to allow any member of SHINee to appear on their shows.     

The response from their fans was also mostly a mixed bag.  They received lots of mail saying that they would “pray for the souls of Taemin and Key” and that they “hope that they can return to God’s path.”  But at the same time they received a lot of supportive letters and people encouraging them to stay strong.

One day found Key and Taemin crying over one of the letters that they had received.  It wasn’t a letter of support so much, as one thanking them for coming out and being strong in their love for each other.  It was a heartbreakingly sad and beautiful letter.  The boy writing, a student in his second year of high school, had been planning on killing himself.  He was gay and thought that no one would understand, after all the son of a preacher would never be accepted by his family for being gay.  He was going to do it the day after their press conference, when he knew that he would be alone.  He actually thought his father would prefer him to take his own like than live as a gay man, that would bring shame on their house and his position as a preacher.  But he saw the news about the press conference and watched replays of it online and their coming out and their defense of their relationship had given him hope, and he had felt secure in the knowledge that he wasn’t alone, and he wasn’t some freak of nature, that others felt this way too, and that was enough to stay his hand. 

They shared the letter with Jonghyun, who was also mentioned in the letter, because Jonghyun’s reaction to his friend’s relationship and his going against everything that he had been taught by his parents to stand by his friends had given him the hope that when he finally had the courage to reveal himself to his family and his friends, he had the chance that some of them would still stand by him, even though they had been taught otherwise.  Jonghyun hadn’t thought about his impact outside of their group, but he was glad that his own realization of where he would stand on this issue had helped someone else.  Maybe others would think things through because of what he said, and then it might be worth it to go through the pain of having to turn on his own family.       

They had never thought that they would have this kind of impact when they had called the conference.  That they would be directly responsible for saving the life of another person, all because they had decided that they didn’t want to be afraid anymore and that they didn’t want to have to hide.    

The gay issue wasn’t just something affecting the minority of gay people throughout Korea.  The coming out of two of their idols had brought the Korean public to a realization – that this was an issue that wasn’t going to stay hidden and out of the way anymore.  People that the children of Korea looked up to, were revealing their hidden lives to the world.  It was something that had to be addressed. 

That Korean Wave that had carried Kpop and Kdramas and Korean culture to other countries around the world, also carried this story.  And the international fans also had their say on the issue.  The outpouring of support from around the world for Taemin and Key and the idols who supported them despite the risk to their public imaged was immense and it was amazing how much their international fan base actually grew as the story spread around the world.   

As time has gone on, the issue became more and more prevalent in South Korean politics and entertainment.  And a large part of the movement has been Taemin and Key, still together and enjoying their life years later, defying every newspaper and magazine that suspected that it was nothing more than a teenager’s experiment and not the life-long commitment that it had come to be.  Like many countries around the world, the South Korean government was being forced to address issues like discrimination and equal rights and gay marriage and gays in the military.  That is not to say that Taemin and Key set off this chain of events, just that they were a part of the road map and remained a determined couple who would see it through until the end. 

Their choice in life had thrown many complications in their path, and sometimes every day seemed like a new fight for them to face down, but all they had to do was look at each other and they knew that things were going to be okay because they had each other to face those challenges down with.  They knew that they would keep on fighting every battle shoved at them, because they had every reason to fight and win.  And that reason was what they woke up to everyday, the man lying on the other pillow who made every day great, even when the day was truly awful, solely because of their presence. 

They were prepared to fight for to keep what they have, no matter how long it would take, because they knew that what they had was worth all of the struggles and fighting.  They would continue to stand against the bigotry no matter what.  Until one day when they won’t have to fight anymore.