The Boy with the Sullen Eyes (A Taehyung Historical Fan Fiction)

Like Snowflakes on Eyelashes

1955

The first time Ethel "Ethie" Washington saw Kim Taehyung, he was a 9-year-old boy with deep set, sullen eyes. He was staring at his patent leather loafers and squirming in an ill-fitting, second-hand Easter suit provided by the church mothers. His mother was heavily pregnant with her black hair slicked back into a tight ponytail. She was holding tightly to the arm of Lt. Jackson, one of the neighborhood's formerly eligible bachelors. The pastor was gesticulating wildly and encouraging the entire congregation to welcome back Lt. Jackson and his Korean, refugee family.

Ethie was barely 8-years-old, but she felt the discomfort rippling through the church-goers. The young, single women of the congregation were burning with jealousy that an outsider had snapped up Lt. Jackson. The older men and women clucked their tongues judgmentally under their applause. There was lots of murmurs that the soldier had married a prostitute out of guilt because bi-racial kids were unwelcome in Korea. Ethie wasn't sure what to feel, but she knew she'd be mad as hell if someone accused her mother of being a hooker. She decided she was going to be this boy's best friend.

Church members crowded into the basement for a post-service gathering. During the fellowship, the older women doted politely over the pregnant Mrs. Jackson. They squawked around her, refilling her coffee cup and plate with small cookies as they played guessing games about the gender of the baby. She nodded and smiled when appropriate, her broken English being deemed as "so cute" by the women. The men were huddled around Lt. Jackson, trying to lure him into tales of war but he was too busy distracting them with his dreams of being a father and buying the local car wash. In the corner, Taehyung sat alone on a stool that was too tall for his short legs. He banged his heels absent-mindedly against the legs of the stool, while occasionally blowing up the fringe of his bowl cut.

"Hi." Ethie tapped the boy on his knee. Taehyung looked over his shoulder and back at Ethie. "Hi. Let's be friends." Ethie cleared her throat and spoke louder. "I'm Ethel Washington. Everyone calls me 'Ethie.'"

"'Ethie?'" Taehyung whispered her name tentatively, the syllables getting jumbled in his mouth.

"Yep." Ethie beamed and bounced on her toes, the patent leather mary jane shoes squeaking on the tiles of the floor. She stuck out her hand. "What's your name?"

"'Name?'" Taehyung smiled sheepishly, seemingly not used to so much direct attention. A red flush colored his cheeks.

"What's your name, silly?" Ethie pointed at herself. "I'm Ethie." She pointed at Taehyung. "Your name?"

"It's Taehyung," a deep voice rumbled behind Ethie. Both she and Taehyung jumped. Ethie squeaked and Taehyung's expression became impassive. "Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you." It was Lt. Lenny Jackson, Taehyung's step-dad.

"It's okay, Lt. Jackson." Ethie gave a polite curtsy. "Was that right?"

Lt. Jackson laughed and gave a playful tug on her pigtail. "No, curtsies, a salute, but you don't have to salute me anymore."

"Oh." Ethie became embarrassed. "Um, I was just trying to talk to your...," Ethie looked at Lt. Jackson with confusion. "Son?"

"Um, yeah, he's my son now." Lt. Jackson squeezed Taehyung's shoulder and the boy shied away. Lt. Jackson's face fell but he tried to hide his disappointment. "He doesn't really speak much English."

"English, a little. I know." Taehyung tapped his chest. "I speak a little."

Ethie twisted her nervously hands while Lt. Jackson seemed to fill with pride. "Well, don't talk his ears off, Ethie, we're leaving soon." Lt. Jackson said before leaving the two children to become acquainted.