The Right Window «Minbin»

3

"Keep safe!" Changbin called to Felix as he opened the door to his house later that day. Felix nodded and waved at him as he continued his journey home.

Changbin quickly shuffled up the stairs, tossed his backpack on the floor, and flopped onto his bed. He loved talking to his friends and Chan, but highschool was exhausting. He took out his diary and began to write.

I was talking to Chan again today. I think we count as at least friends. Hyunjin thinks he likes me back, but Felix doesn't seem so sure. He suggested that I wait a bit before I tell him how I feel. I think this would be a good idea.

He looked over at his bag with his homework in it.

"I'll do it later," he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

—(TW! homophobia and slight abuse)—
(summary: Changbin's dad finds his diary, and is homophobic)

"SEO CHANGBIN!"

He woke up to the sound of his dad yelling. He carefully opened his eyes just in time to see his diary flying at his face.

He sat up and screamed narrowly dodging the book.

He knew it would be thrown harder next time and there was no way his dad would miss again.

"WHAT. IS. THIS?" he yelled smacking him with the book in between each word. Changbin grabbed his cheek holding back tears.

"It's just my journal," he mumbled.

"SPEAK UP, SON," his father reprimanded.

"I said it's my journal," Changbin repeated louder, silently begging himself not to cry.

"WHY ARE YOU WRITING ABOUT BOYS IN IT?" his father asked, preparing to swing again, causing Changbin to flinch.

"DO YOU LIKE BOYS?" his dad questioned further, "NO SON OF MINE WILL LIKE BOYS. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

Changbin nodded. They'd had this conversation before, but Changbin felt in his gut that this time it was more than just empty threats and warnings, this time it felt real. Changbin was scared.

"USE YOUR WORDS," he screamed.

"Yes sir, I understand," Changbin responded reflexively.

"I'LL BEAT THE GAY OUT OF YOU IF I HAVE TO," he said as he ripped the book in half and took the pages out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

-

Changbin couldn't hold it in anymore. He let out a scream, tears running down his face uncontrollably. He unplugged his desk lamp and launched it at his closet door as hard as he could.

That night, he gathered his things and shoved them into a sleeping bag, grabbed his backpack, and headed for the door. He opened and closed it as quietly as he could and left.

He ran down the street, nothing on his mind but running away. He didn't know where to, he just ran.

He couldn't go to any of his friends' houses; their parents would call his parents.

He started looking through windows. Eventually, he came across one that contained the dark silhouette of a boy who seemed to be about his age. He gently knocked on the window to wake him up. The boy opened his eyes. He saw Changbin at the window and walked over to open it. Changbin was taken aback by the fact that the boy didn't seem confused at all by a random person knocking on his window in the middle of the night.

"What do you want?" he asked rather coldly.

"Um, hi. My name's Changbin. I was wondering if I could stay here for a couple days? It's just that—"

"Sure," the boy said as he rolled his eyes and
pulled him through the window, "I'm Minho, by the way."

"Uh, okay. Hi, Minho, are your parents home?" Changbin asked still puzzled at how unfazed the boy seemed by all of this.

"Rarely," Minho replied, "Tragic, I know. Partying every night gets boring after a while."

"Okay, well, the reason I'm here—"

but Minho cut him off again.
"I'm tired, go to sleep, we can talk about it later."

Changbin slowly nodded, hesitantly laying down on the boy's floor.