chasing lights

3 | promises

His father stiffens where he is sitting behind him and for just a second, Minho gets a little scared. He knows how sensitive of a topic his wish to see said lights has always been. Because his father absolutely hates whenever he brings them up. He has always thought of Minho's strange obsession with them as nothing but absolutely ridiculous.

"Minho,", he sighs out exasperatedly, drops his hands and stops working on Minho's hair. The younger turns around slowly, until he is faced with his father's disappointed expression. He knew it. Knew this would be coming. "We talked about this. So, so many times already. The world out there is not safe for you. The people who are after you, are still out there. I promised you I would take you out to see the those lights, see the world if you will, once everything is safe enough to do so. But right now, it's just not possible."

"I-I know, dad, I know... but I am turning twenty five in two weeks and don't you think I am old enough to defend myself? I could hide my hair, wear different clothes, stay hidden, just to see the lights, then return-"

"You might turn twenty five soon, but you don't know what's out there. I know you're a man and I know you're strong, but nothing could ever save you from what's out there. Not even me.", his father interrupts him, puts the hairbrush away after he gets up from his seat. All Minho does is to watch him, his own mood clearly lowered. "I will not risk losing you, my son, my only child, like I have already lost my wife, the love of my life. She was just like you and they took her from us so cruelly. Yet you still want to go on some sort of suicide mission, just to see a whole bunch of absolutely insignificant lights, as you keep calling them when they are really just a bunch of stars."

He huffs out afterwards, as if Minho is being completely unreasonable with his wish to leave the tower, go out into the world, see what it has to offer. He even said he would return to the tower after seeing them. At least he wanted to say it. But of course, his father would not listen far enough to hear.

He remembers all the stories he had told Minho about his mother when he had asked about her as a kid after reading a book about a kid and their mother. He remembers too well, knows she died protecting her son, hid him away so her husband could only find Minho afterwards when he returned home and take him somewhere safe. But Minho never asked for any of this. He has never wanted to have this hair, knows how much he just wishes to be normal, to not have to be so scared about a whole bunch of scary people coming after him as soon as he steps foot out of his tower.

"They're not insignificant.", Minho defends, is quick to get up on his feet and frown at his father, "I just... I don't know what they are, but they only ever appear once a year, on my birthday of all days. Father, how can you not understand that I just want to see them? Just once. I am not asking you for more than that. Just one day, one evening out of the tower."

Once again, his father just scoffs, clearly infuriated by how unreasonable he thinks is son is being right now. Ridiculous. His father thinks Minho is being ridiculous.

"And what? You think that a whole bunch of lights appear on the sky for you, Minho? Huh?", he laughs condescendingly at his own son, as if Minho is just being a little too silly. As if he is dumb, unreasonable. Sadly though, it does not take much more than that to make him feel as small as his father wants him to feel. So what if Minho thought the lights were for him? What is so wrong about dreaming, for once? About wanting to feel special in a good way, even for just a single evening? All Minho wants is to at least think he is somewhat special, in a different way than for being wanted for his hair and the magic it carries. Even if he is being ridiculous, unreasonable. "Don't be stupid, son. I thought I had raised you better, raised you well enough for you not to be as ridiculous as this. You are not leaving this tower anytime soon. You will not go and see those stupid lights. End of discussion."