Absinthe

"Stop!" I said, devastated to hear that Jiwoo had to experience all that in the hands of a gay teacher at a young age.

"Sorry," Jiwoo replied.

"No, I'm sorry." I said. "You should have reported him."

"My mom told me I should have said yes and asked for more money. My stepdad was furious that I said no."

I didn't know how to react, so I just kept quiet. The whole thing was too depressing.

"So I let him do it. I couldn't afford to be a high school dropout," Jiwoo said, and my world fell apart.

It has always been difficult living as a gay guy. I mean, I did get fired for being gay, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. Then there's the notion that we're always thirsty for sex, that we're willing to open our mouths wide and spread our legs apart as soon as a dick comes our way.

And no one takes us seriously in almost every industry, except maybe for fashion and entertainment. It's a never-ending struggle for us to prove to everyone that there's so much more to us than our sexual preference.

That's why it infuriates me whenever I hear about gays tarnishing the image the rest of us have worked hard to build, abusing their authorities, and forcing themselves on the straight populace.

Unforgivable.

"Although in hindsight, I guess it would have been better to just drop out," said Jiwoo. "I wasn't able to finish college anyway." He fiddled with his fork before continuing. "I met that bastard Jesus again four years later, I think, in one of the bars I worked at." I was seriously dreading the words he was going to say next. "He bragged to everyone around that I couldn't get enough of him. Then, he slid a few hundred-peso bills into my pocket before copping a feel."

"Fuck," I said. "On behalf of the gay federation, I would like to apologize."

"Hahahaha!" Fortunately, it was the genuine sort of laughter. "That's what I realized. I thought he acted that way because he was gay, and I thought all of you were one and the same."

"That's why you did what you did..."

"But I know now that my math teacher did that not

nodded, thankful for reasons I couldn't

talking to me," Jiwoo began. "I visited him in my

"..."

stalked him for a bit. Followed him around until

"Jiwoo—"

I just wanted to beat him. It felt like he was the reason why I made you angry, like he was the reason why I lost

please tell me you

I couldn't do it.

in relief. Jiwoo wasn't looking at me; he was staring at

Jiwoo said, finally. "I needed

"Okay," I said.

Jiwoo asked. "You

your apology. But I don't think I'm ready to be friends with you

take it. But

I teased. "And please stop asking cringeworthy

They were donut-shaped pendants, flat and silvery against the moonlight. I recognized them to be the ones we had

said. "The vendor said our relationship

laughed my heart out. "Are you being serious right now?" It was difficult to talk because I couldn't

lost three months of

harder. "There's no way I'm wearing

why not wear it?"

ugly?" I replied,

have to be visible. C'mon, wear

and walked behind me. He then proceeded to tie the necklace around my neck. The cold of the metal pendant felt strange against my skin. He sat back