CHIAROSCURO; TAEKOOK

2 - HIM.

It was hard to describe Kim Taehyung. I'd say tall, dark and handsome, but he seemed like so much more than that. He strode in exuding calmness, dark locks framing his face, posture much better than the rest of us. Piercing, alluring eyes, impeccable sense of style... I could go on for days. He reminded me of da Vinci's Vitruvian Man - perfectly carved, hand-shaped by God.

Popularity found Taehyung quickly. He was so different from the other boys; undoubtedly more mature and knowledgeable and not particularly interested in the childish games the boys played, yet he was able to win favour with all of them. When I looked at him - although briefly, for I shied away from eye contact - I saw an old soul trapped within this teenager's body. It was fascinating to me how his aura alone seemed like that of a weary scholar, burdened by the weight of the world, yet he was simultaneously youthful and full of vitality.

Though he made no effort to impress - he bore himself and behaved in every way like a prince moving about among peasants incognito and taking great pains to look like them.⁺

There was an air of mystery that surrounded him, and inevitably I found myself drawn in. Maybe this is how the other boys felt, hence his immediate popularity among them. I wanted to know more about him. Unfortunately, unlike the other boys, I did not dare to. I settled for silently admiring from afar.

Taehyung sat at the back of the class. Unlike the other boys who sat at the back, he was never rowdy or unattentive. He often asked the teacher questions which I found incredibly intriguing. He phrased his questions in a respectful, mature manner, and his tone was always composed. There was never a hint of defiance in his voice, although the questions he asked tended to border on controversial.

One day we were learning about the Tower of Babel.

The people had settled in Shinar, and said to one another, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

"The people were prideful," the teacher declared. "They were boastful, wanting to flaunt their skills, thinking that they could reach God himself."

"If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."

"God did this to put an end to the people's arrogance," the teacher added. "To teach them not to think of themselves higher than their creator."

I nodded, understanding the moral of the story. How proud and arrogant those people were! To think that they as mere mortals could reach the heavens! Just then, Taehyung raised his hand.

"Did God fear them?"

I looked up, interest immediately piqued. I could tell our teacher was taken aback as well, seeing how he blinked a couple of times in confusion.

"Why should God fear them?"

"Would the people of Babel been able to reach the heavens, had God not confused their languages?"

What a daring question, I thought. I turned around in my seat to look at Taehyung. Taehyung's line of sight slowly shifted from the teacher to me when he noticed this. No one else in the class seemed to be paying attention, it was just the two of us, silently watching each other as we waited for the teacher's response. It felt like forever, and I realised that this was the first time I had not looked away from his piercing gaze.

"Taehyung, the main lesson of the story that God intended to teach us was one in humility. The people of Babel were too arrogant and self-sufficient," the teacher said.

"I see," Taehyung merely nodded. It was hard to decode his expression; I couldn't tell if he approved of the teacher's response or if he had more he wanted to say. He raised an eyebrow at me, and I immediately cut my eyes away and turned back around.

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a little intro to tae's character!