“I have no son like you,” a voice boomed across the room.

“And I have no father like you,” a voice spat back.

“Min-ah,” a middle-aged woman clutched both her hands on Sungmin’s shoulder, “Please don’t talk back to your abeoji. Please apologise to him.”

The woman then shot the angry middle-aged man standing a pleading look. “Yeobo, please don’t be so harsh. He’s our son.”

“I don’t have a gay for a son! He’s a disgrace to our family and ancestors!” Sungmin’s father declared harshly.

“Umma, did you just hear what he said? He doesn’t acknowledge me as his child,” Sungmin pointed out.

“Yeobo, you don’t mean that, do you? Please tell Min that you don’t mean a word you say,” the woman begged in between sobs.

But the older man remained stoic and unmoved.

The woman turned to the younger man, “Min-ah, umma is begging you, please apologise to your dad immediately.”

Sungmin interrupted his mother, “Umma, what do you want me to apologise for? For being gay? But that’s who I am. I was born this way.”

Sungmin’s father fumed as he heard those words. But Sungmin’s remained oblivious to her song’s comments as she continued to plead, “Tell your abeoji that you’ll change. Tell him that you’ll agree to the matchmaking. Tell him that you’ll get married.”

“Umma, get a hold over yourself. I can’t change.”

“But you had many girlfriends in school.”

“I don’t have any special feelings towards them. No love or ual desires at all. Umma, I’m sorry. I’m like this.”

Sungmin’s mother wailed and her arms started to flail about.

All of a sudden, Sungmin’s felt his cheek smarting.

He looked up with a hurt, bruised, anguished look at the man in front of him. His father’s nostrils were flaring, his teeth were seething, and the body was trembling with rage.

“You ingrate!” the older man lashed out. “What do you mean born gay? What do you mean by ‘I’m like this’? Are you saying that we caused you to be born a gay?”

At those words, Sungmin’s mother began to wail even louder.

“That’s not what I meant,” Sungmin struck a soft conciliatory tone.

But the older Lee did not care. With a hardened look, he ordered, “You un-filial son. Your actions are unbecoming of a son. You’re causing your parents heartache and grief. Pack your things and get out of this house. You’re no longer our son.”

“Yeobo! What are you talking about? He’s our son. I held him in my womb for nine months and went through so much pain to bring him into the world.”

“I’ll rather not have a son than a gay son that brings disgrace to the family!”

“How will I bring disgrace to the family?” Sungmin shouted. “If this is what you really think, just take it as though you don’t have me as a son.”

Sungmin marched off to his room and after a few minutes emerged with a duffel bag. Sungmin’s mother was still wailing while his father remained reticent and indifferent.   

Sungmin’s mother grabbed Sungmin’s shoulder. “Min-ah, what will happen to umma if you leave?”

“I’m sorry umma, I have to leave.”

“Where can you go? You’re only nineteen.”

“I’ll find my own way.”

“Min-ah…”

She was interrupted by her husband’s steely and cold tone. “If he is so determined to leave, let him be.”

Sungmin muttered a silent apology to his mother. Composing himself, he pushed his mother’s grasp of him, swung the door open and ran as fast as his legs could take him to wherever.

He could hear his mother calling out his name but his father only coolly said, “We’ve done our best for him. He’s already nineteen years old. He can fend for himself. Whether he lives or die, or whatever he does is none of our business any longer.”

Without a thought, and acting as though they possessed a life of their own, Sungmin’s legs carried him to the train station. On impulse, Sungmin bought himself a ticket to Seoul.

As the train zipped by the countryside, for the first hour or so into the ride, Sungmin dozed off sporadically as the day’s events took its toll on him.

It was when Sungmin was fully awake did he become aware of his surroundings did he become aware of what he had just done.

He trembled in his seat as tears rolled down his eyes as his face began to scrunch in pain.

“Umma, I’m sorry, please forgive me. Abeoji, I’m sorry, please forgive me. Umma, abeoji, please take good care of yourselves. I’m sorry that I can’t take care of both of you anymore,” Sungmin whimpered.

It was after a while that Sungmin managed to calm his sobs. He wiped the tears off his eyes and reached for his duffel bag. He took out two small booklets – one of which was his bank savings book the other was a small notebook. He opened the former and flipped a few pages.

Sungmin sighed as he began to plan mentally.

I only have enough money to probably rent a place for three months maximum that is if the rental isn’t too expensive and if I survive on ramen for two meals a day.

I need to get a job fast. But what can I do? I’m only a high school graduate with lousy results. I only have waiting experience. My budget doesn’t allow me to stay in a hotel or guesthouse for too long. What do I do?

What possessed me to even take a train to Seoul?

He took the other small booklet and flipped the pages as he tried to recollect which of his friends would are in Seoul.

Dongwan? Don’t think he’s in Seoul. Pil Kyo did tell me he’s in Seoul. But I’ve lost touch with him. Mi Yeon is in Seoul but we’re not that close.

I’m left with Sunny and Ryeowook. They did leave me their addresses. But Sunny is a girl after all. It might not be too nice to impose on her. I’ll try Ryeowook first. But he’s younger than me. I don’t know if he would be able to help me out. Ah! I’ll go look for Ryeowook first. If he can put me up for a night or two, that’ll be great.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And now I break the modern day ark for a look back at KyuMin's past. So welcome to the KyuMin ark of the story.

Sorry for the short update. The original chapter had 6000 words so I am breaking into 3 smaller chapters. To be honest, this fiction is really a difficult and one my most ambitious to date especially with the myriad of characters in place. I just feel like slacking off of giving up.

Anyway I hope you folks enjoy this little chapter. As you can see it's Sungmin's experience that well will play a role in him wanting to start Heaven.

Remember to leave your comments. And if you're new here and yet to subscribe, please do me a favour and subscribe to this.

Cheers.

Do check out  and comment on my other fan fics if you have not already done so.

My other fan fics

KyuMin: Almost a love story

KyuMin: 60 Days 

It's You (너라고) Neorago (a YeWook fan-fic)