Blasphemy - Minchan

7// Tell me your confessions baby, what's the worst?

Minho's fourth Youth Club session rolled around. A month of being stuck in the church had already gone by. An entire month without a normal school, his friends or even a phone. Instead, it had been a month of eating the same food every day, wearing the same couple of robes to bible sessions and being stuck with the same roommate. Minho didn't mind that last part so much though. He actually quite liked that part. Chan was his silver-lining.

He stood against a pillar, staring at all the kids who ran into the building, jumping around, full of excitement. They were so unlike anyone who lived in the church. Minho's eyes flickered to the door they entered through, guarded by the security guard as usual.

"If that man moves from that door, we could escape through there," he whispered as Chan appeared at his side, arms preoccupied with a stack of bibles.

Chan's head shot up, checking nobody had heard what he said. They didn't but he shook his head regardless. "He never moves from there. He's there to keep us in."

"What if we ask one of the kids to tell their mothers about this place then?"

Chan scoffed, "what, you're going to tell a kid all of the horrible things that happen here? They're like seven years old!"

"What horrible things happen here that a seven-year-old couldn't hear about?"

Chan fell silent as Minho stared at him, awaiting an answer. Instead of answering, Chan placed the bibles on top of the closest bookshelf and shrugged. "Nothing, just... I don't know," he muttered.

"Well, anything is better than being trapped here."

Chan shook his head, "it's not worth it. They'll probably just tell a monk and we'll get in trouble." When the youth club leader walked past them, Chan muttered "stop talking about it here, ok?"

"Whatever," Minho sighed, pushing himself away from the pillar. He sat down in one of the pews at the back of the church before any of the kids could preoccupy it. None of the kids tended to gravitate towards Minho as they did to Seungmin. Maybe it was because Seungmin was the only one of the boarding school kids who could still manage to put on a happy front. The pew remained empty beside Minho when the monk started the session. Chan soon occupied the space though, silent the entire time and messing with his hands in his lap.

The space was left empty again when Chan was called to the front of the chapel to give a bible reading to the children. Minho's eyes fixed on him as he walked down the aisle, hands unsteady at his sides. It was the same every week, Chan always nervous and uncomfortable. Minho put it down to a dislike of speaking in front of people but he didn't know the real reason for his fear.

When Chan reached the front of the chapel, his hands gripped the stand, fingers shaking as he turned the bible to the page he needed. When he started to read from the page, his voice was laced with anxiety. The story of Abraham and Isaac became more and more uncertain with every word Chan spoke. Despite his nerves, he tried his best to be clear though. Once he was halfway through, his voice became as soothing as an angel's.

Chan rushed back down the aisle as soon as he finished his reading. His head hung low as he sat beside Minho. Mark moved to the front of the church and took his place. "Next time I would like more confidence, Chan," he said, voice almost a warning.

Chan nodded, eyes still on his lap. Minho scooted closer to him and whispered in his ear, "don't listen to him, I thought you were great."

Chan forced a smile onto his face but didn't look back up, "thanks."

-

"What have I said about keeping your eyes off the ground?"

Minho paused in the hallway he was walking down. Mark's bellowing voice came from within an office room with an open door. Curious, Minho hid beside the closest wall, in the shadows, pausing his trip back to his and Chan's bedroom. Chan had already gone back there while Minho had the duty of tidying up the bibles. Or so Minho thought, but a second voice made him freeze.