To Be Loved... (BOOK 1)

Brainwashed

Art by Hwang Hyunjin :)
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Minho's POV:

Hyunjin's parents wanted to talk to me alone. They seem to trust me a little too much, but then again I've given them no reason not to.

"How was he with everyone there?" His mother asked me.

"It went well." I confirmed.

"Felix and Wooyoung weren't there, there they?" Disgust was written all over his father's face once the names were mentioned by Mrs. Hwang.

"No, ma'am." I shook my head. "Everyone was there except for them, Jisung and Jeongin." I had absolutely no idea where his parents stood with them, but I knew they were familiar names so I figured I'd throw them out there.

"Jisung." She started to think. "Wait a second." Shit. "Are you the ex boyfriend or am I making that up? Wouldn't that make you Felix's brother?"

"No." I denied. "Jisung's ex boyfriend is also named Minho. He's our friend, Jongho's cousin, Choi Minho. I'm an only child though. Felix is from Australia." I was grateful for my quick response. I thought I was in the clear all this time.

"Okay." She took a sigh of relief. "I just got mixed up." She smiled, "I was going to say; you don't strike me as a homosexual." Jeez, these people really are old fashioned if that's the term they're going with. I just laughed it off and shook my head. "That's part of the reason we kept Hyunjin in the facility for as long as we did. We had the money so we felt it was necessary. You seem to understand where we're coming from. He's a sick boy."

Wait a second...

His parents kept him in the mental facility because he's gay? Or am I completely reading into this wrong.

"We know all of Hyunjin's issues are because he's gay." His father sighed with utmost disappointment. "Of course he finds that Felix kid and moves in with Wooyoung, then this happens."

I need to use my words carefully if I want answers. His parents must think I pity him and that's why I'm here. These people really do hate their son.

"We requested that he was taken somewhere rather than coming home after 72 hours." His mother said very quietly. I didn't realize he had an option. I just knew they signed the papers right there in the waiting room.

"Oh, so do you think he tried to commit suicide because he's gay?" I sounded as if I was trying to solve a mystery right alongside them.

"That's the only explanation. It's a disease. He was around too much of it at once and it consumed him." A disease. That's really how they look at it.

I don't usually get upset when it comes to this topic because I know it can be hard for some people to understand. I'm also very comfortable and happy with who I am. But this was unsettling to me. My parents have been very supportive since the beginning so I never had to experience something like this with them. I've seen how unsupportive, abusive parents can affect someone's life; Jisung being the first person that comes to mind. Hyunjin was the one to get him out of there. Maybe he took matters into his own hands because he subconsciously wanted someone to do that for him? Someone to take him away from his parents permanently and rid him of all their toxicity. It's something to think about.

"Did you ever think of conversion therapy?"

"We did, but we had assumed it was too obvious of an approach." Mrs. Hwang confessed. "Mr. Hwang works with a very nice man who has a beautiful daughter and we planned on introducing the two of them until this occurred."

They were going to set him up with a woman? That's just vile.

"You don't hate Hyunjin, do you?" I felt like that was an easier way of asking if they loved him or not. I know he never let go of what he overheard Jisung's mom say about him.