I don't understand
why people think that
having a Gay child
means they failed as a parent. Disowning your child
means you failed
as a parent.

_________________________

"Okay."

Baekhyun calmly replied to Chanyeol.

"So we would like, always stay together. From school to college, we always stayed together."

"Okay."

"We were like best friends. We would go out to movies, have lunch together. But then i realized that we were really different."

Chanyeol paused.

"How?"

"No him. Just me. I.. I am diff-different."

Baekhyun placed his own hand on Chanyeol's reassuringly and said,

"Different isn't bad, Yeol."

"So.. like, I have diff-different choices than normal people. I- I don't like wo-women."

"You're gay?"

Chanyeol nodded without saying anything. He was eagerly waiting for Baekhyun to respond, to say something or just do anything.

"But that's not a problem."

Baekhyun said.

And Chanyeol's heart exploded into a million different emotions. Emotions speaking of joy, excitement, gratitude, acceptance, surprise and what not. Some emotions which were loud and clear, and some which were softer and veiled. Some emotions that he couldn't interpret. Some emotions that felt like butterflies in his stomach and some that felt like shivers running down his spine. He was mesmerized in an anonymous manner.

"Thanks for saying that."

Chanyeol felt more confident in himself and started proceeding with more connection and bonding with the man in front of him.

"So I fell for Kyungsoo. But I could never bring myself to confess."

Baekhyun kept listening but something felt like an annoyance. The idea of Chanyeol falling for someone just didn't sound right. But he did not let his disapproval surface to his features. He didn't want Chanyeol to get uncomfortable in any sense.

The happiness radiation from Chanyeol's features was blinding to Baekhyun's eyes. Even though Chanyeol wasn't laughing or smiling widely, he seemed different. His lips were slightly curled in an invisible smile which only Baekhyun could sense and his eyes were smiling brightly like the stars shining on a moonless night.

Baekhyun was captivated. He couldn't tear his eyes apart from Chanyeol's glowing face. His face calm and his expressions content, just like a child on seeing his mother after the first day at school. Like he wants nothing more from life.

"When I finally prepared myself to confess to Kyungsoo, that is last month, I was practicing in front of the mirror but my mom heard me and she.."

Chanyeol paused before taking a deep breath and continuing,

"So she was really shocked when she heard my saying 'I really like you Kyungsoo-ah' and she confronted me about it. And i told her that I am gay and she started crying. She felt I am possessed by some evil spirit and told my dad, and they couldn't take it when I argued with them that I've always been this way. That I've never liked girls. And they disowned me. They told me that they'll think that they never had a son. And told me to leave the house and never come back..."

Chanyeol got emotional and couldn't help the rivers flowing from his eyes. He placed his head in his own hands and tried to stop crying. Baekhyun crossed his own arms around the younger and kept silent. He didn't know what to say to this.

He was disgusted by Chanyeol's parents for doing this to the poor boy. Chanyeol slowly got up and continued,

"So then I decided to move out. I took all my stuff and instantly left the house. I didn't know where I would go or what I would do but one thing was crystal clear to me. There was only one thing, that I could think of at that time and that was Kyungsoo.

All I knew was that I had to convey my feelings to him. Like it was the only aim I had. I wasn't worried about my future or anything. I just wanted to prove to my parents, who just reje ted me as their son, that somebody could love me too. Unlike them, someone could accept me for who I am. So I thought I'd call him and meet him. But then before I could, he called me. And he told me that he wanted to meet."

Chanyeol paused.

Baekhyun felt bad, really bad. Being disowned by your parents is one of the worst things that can happen to a person. But it also made him angry. Chanyeol had to go through all that just because he had a different ual preference?

It's pathetic how people hate people just for having a different ual preference. It never made sense to Baekhyun.

'Why can't people accept people for who they are?'

He thought to himself.

"Then?"

Baekhyun asked.

There's no denying the fact that Baekhyun was curious, more like dead curious. But also sad and his heartfelt miserable on knowing that Chanyeol had to go through something so pathetic.

Chanyeol continued,

"I was so excited. I was so happy. I thought finally I can step out of the closet. I felt that maybe Kyungsoo is also in love with me. Maybe, maybe he too wanted to confess to me! I was on the ninth cloud when I went to his place. And he was there. And he looked so happy to see me. And for the first time in my life, I was glad to be alive."

"Hmm."

"He hugged me and said that he that he's in love. And he's never been happier. And he wants nothing but to live his life with his love."

Baekhyun gulped. He had a bitter taste in his mouth on thinking about Chanyeol being with someone else. Somehow the whole concept of Chanyeol being with another man was irritating Baekhyun. For some unknown reason, the fact that Chanyeol was in love with some guy called Kyungsoo was making Baekhyun cringe. Even though he managed not to let his emotions control him, but now it was getting tougher!

"So I hugged him back. He was much shorter than me and only reached my neck, and somehow it felt so adorable. His small arms around me felt better than any luxury would be."

Baekhyun's mind kept getting cloudy and his bitterness for Kyungsoo kept on increasing. He didn't want Chanyeol to be with Kyungsoo. He didn't know why but he hated the idea.

"And then he pulled out of the hug and dragged me inside his house. And there was a girl standing there an-and, Kyun-Kyungsoo said th-that she was his.. his girl-girlfriend and he's absolutely in.. in love with.. her. And he wanted me to be the first one to know about this."

And Chanyeol couldn't help his cracking voice anymore. Narrating this incident was like experiencing it all over again. His glassy eyes started leaking just like his wounded heart.

"He was in love with her."

Baekhyun repeated in a complete state of shock.