Matryoshka Doll - NoRenMin ✔︎

Chapter 11

"Achoo!"

Jaemin rubbed his nose as his eyes rapidly scanned the letters on the pages. The thing was, he had been okay in the library for a while but suddenly, the growing day allowed heat to creep in and the lonely books that had gathered dust became too uncomfortable to be around for too long. That's when he decided to venture up the stairs and was pleasantly surprised to see that they led to the roof. Unfortunately, the dust travelled with him and he sneezed.

"What in the world?" Jaemin whispered, his eyes widening every now and then at some parts of the book.

It was by 'luck' that he had found a perfect book explaining the stigma that Satanists and Wiccans faced. But the more he read, the more he wanted to cry. Not just thousands of individuals but it was also himself that was the cause of such behaviour against them. Others treated them badly mainly for the name of their religion without even learning anything except what the antis wanted them to know. He was guilty of that. His Mother was one of those that only looked at the name and automatically assumed. It made him want to turn and release the floodgates.

The book was detailed, the crimes committed against them, the imprisonment, death sentences from the olden days, the way churches would go through rituals to cleanse them, the modern day tactics of mercilessly belittling and bullying them, and to make it worse, the comments that would lead to things like them committing suicide from the unbearable hate and pressure.

Jaemin felt sick. He felt so sick to know that just that morning he had truly and honestly knocked out someone just because he didn't believe the same as him. He felt like something inside clawed at him, as if it were trying to come out and drag out a new view of the world. Something inside told him that he had to change and become a Na Jaemin that everyone would love. But, the majority of individuals can't unlearn something in an hour. The mentality may have shifted but that didn't mean that something they had believed would leave them immediately. So that meant he'd have to practice being kind or at least not running each time someone got close to him.

He wondered how it felt. By the standards of the majority of the Earthly population, there was absolutely nothing wrong with him being a Christian. Not a single thing to look down upon but with people like Renjun and Jeno, suddenly thousands upon thousands hated them just because their religion was different. They had the support of their family but that didn't mean they had the support of the outside world. He could figure. Not being able to hold onto someone besides immediate family for support could feel like a grape withering away in the sun.

The way they thought would be discarded, stepped on, looked down on, left to air dry and eventually, the confidence they had been given at home wouldn't be reciprocated in public and in no time, they would wither into themselves and like the many before them, they'd pass without anyone having a care.

Jaemin wanted to care.

Who knew that Wiccans didn't believe in war and their goddess was an advocate of peace? Who knew that Satanists believed that no one should ever be harmed unless that person harmed them first?

It was such a different view than what Jaemin had been made to believe. Such a difference that he could almost feel whiplash from the wrong information he had been given circulating and contradicting what he was now learning.

Satanists didn't worship Satan as their lord but simply acknowledged him, Wiccans didn't curse people with evil wishes, Satanists supported everyone as long as they didn't hurt anyone, and Wiccans promoted the growth and wellbeing of nature. Satanists respected everyone once they were the ones that entered someone else's territory and Wiccans were kind hearted by nature.

Then there was Jaemin.

The Jaemin who was repulsed at the idea of other religions, the one who didn't support anyone, the one who would chant verses in his head when he'd be near other students, and the one who didn't know but could feel the tiny attraction he felt for black haired Lee Jeno.