No forgiveness for the damned

Final

The ringing of bells could be heard throughout the whole church, signifying that mass was almost over. In a few more minutes, the priest, Chanyeol’s father, would distribute the bread and whine and call for dismissal. Chanyeol’s favorite part of mass had always been the ending, not because he couldn’t bear the sermon, but because he got to sing. Chanyeol loved to sing in the church choir, it was his passion, his calling, the best way he could serve God, and so he patiently waited for his father to finish.

 “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’ Now, let us all rise and praise our lord,” Chanyeol’s father said as the choir stood up, walking to the center of the stage.

 Chanyeol directed the choir, as usual, and they had begun to sing their hearts out. Holding the bible tightly in his hands, Chanyeol displayed a proud smile as he looked towards the people down the aisles. His eyes made contact with his best friend, Kyungsoo, and as if he weren’t already beaming, Chanyeol’s eyes brighten as Kyungsoo smiled back at him. He suddenly felt even more confident.

 ‘Great is your fame beyond the earth’ they sang the last parts of the verse. It wasn’t too long before the service had now come to an end, the perish walking over to the dinning hall, ready to feast together as the choir made their way to the changing rooms, eager to get out of their surplices.

 “I think we did better than last time, well my voice was certainly better,” a fellow choir member, Baekhyun, had said once they had begun to change.

 Chanyeol snorted. “We sing to praise God, and here you are praising yourself.” The changing room was bombarded with laughter and they continued their chatter, it wasn’t long before everyone had gone out to join their parish. Chanyeol, who was usually just as eager to finish changing and leave, wasn’t in much of a hurry. Unlike the other times, today he had a chance to snag a quick meal instead of waiting after the service, like he usually would have.

 “Not going to eat?”

 Chanyeol would have jumped in freight, but he was used to that familiar voice sneaking up on him.

 “I’m not hungry, I ate earlier,” Chanyeol replied as he turned to face Kyungsoo.

 “You can go on ahead if you want to eat.” Kyungsoo shook his head, walking further into the room.

 “I’m not hungry either,” the smaller responded.

 Chanyeol raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re never hungry. I swear Kyungsoo you rarely even eat,” Chanyeol said in worry. Kyungsoo was already small as is, he didn’t want him getting any more skinnier then he already was.

 Kyungsoo shrugged. “I guess I don’t have much of an appetite,” Kyungsoo spoke. He picked up the hangers carelessly tossed on the floor, handing them to Chanyeol as the taller inserted them back into the closet. Since Chanyeol’s father was the priest of this church, Chanyeol was tasked with many duties, one being to make sure the changing room was neat after service. It wasn’t a bother to Chanyeol, he had Kyungsoo to help him after all, even though he never asked for the younger’s help, Kyungsoo had volunteered anyway.

 Their friendship was quite odd, An altar boy and an atheist, a peculiar friendship, but they made it work.

 “Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo called out as he put a hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder. This time Chanyeol jumped.

 “Yeah?” he answered, closing the closet and ready to leave the changing room.

 “Got something on your mind?” the smaller asked as he looked up to Chanyeol with a curious gaze.