Chapter Text
It was busy inside the sacristy room where the sacristans were gathered before the mass, who’s currently doing their own thing— or what they were tasked to do. There’s only three hours left before the mass and everyone was busy getting ready.
The sacristans were talking about stuff that they did during the day, some were talking about playing games together after the mass, and some were talking about school stuff (in which Intak didn’t bother to eavesdrop).
Intak has been serving in the church since he was 13, and now he’s 19, turning 20, and still doing the same thing almost every day.
There might have been some days when he wanted to quit, but his faith and devotion to Him are above anything else.
He is actually Seminarian-in-Training, he’s always wanted to be a Priest.
He wanted to serve Him.
The Church has an all-boys convent school, and there are dormitories where the students could stay while they study. The school has very strict policies, considering it is a religious school, and one of them is praying three times a day. Once the bell rings, everyone must stop what they’re doing, and follow the angelus.
Though Intak already graduated in High School, and supposedly he should be in college now, he chose to join the convent and train to be a seminarian. It’s not that different because he still had to study, read, and write.
“Intak, Mother Karina was looking for you earlier. Have you seen her already?” One of the sacristans talked to him while he was wiping the golden Chalice that will be used in drinking the sacred wine later.
He looked up, then shook his head. “No. Do you know where she is?” He asked.
The sacristan shrugged, “The last time I saw her was at the Chapel, she’s probably just there praying.
Intak nodded before putting down the cup, as well as the clean towel that he used to wipe it. And then he excused himself to go out of the room to look for Mother Karina.
He immediately went to the Chapel and he did find her kneeling at a prie-dieu in front of the altar whilst praying. He sat on the wooden bench to wait until she’s done with her litany.
Not long after, maybe 5 minutes later, she finally raised her head and did one last sign of the cross before she slowly sat up on the bench. And that’s when Intak decided to walk to her.
“Mother Karina,” he called. “I heard you were looking for me?”
The senior nun looked at him and nodded, “Oh, Intak,” she smiled. “Yes, I was looking for you.”
“Why is it, Mother Karina?”
“Sit down first,” she quietly tapped the bench, Intak followed her and sat beside her, still maintaining a distance. “I have a favor to ask you. Will you allow it?”
Intak didn’t expect that. “What is it?”
She sighed deeply before she continued, “There will be a boy I would like you to look after. He’ll be arriving soon. He will be staying with us for a few months.”
“May I ask why he was sent here? Is he going to be a sacristan?”
She shook her head, “No. But he will be helping us here.”
“But why is he sent here?”
“I shouldn’t be telling you this..” she stopped, “But since you’re going to look after him, I believe you have the right to know. He was sent here by his parents because they want him to learn his lessons and be disciplined.”
“But.. this isn’t a place for that.”
Mother Karina smiled before gently patting Intak’s shoulder, “He is here to repent. I was the one who agreed to let him stay here. I believe he will change after staying here. So I need you to guide him.”
“But—”
Before he could speak, he heard footsteps.
Loud footsteps. Too loud. And too careless. The sound of shoes scraping stone instead of gliding over it.
Intak turned just in time to see whoever made that noise. He examined the boy who had just entered the chapel, he noticed the dangling silver earrings in both of his ears, and there was another piecing on his left ear, unbuttoned uniform— wearing a black shirt inside like he could care less about the dress code, he is not even wearing a neck tie, sleeves rolled up, his shirt untucked, though his uniform looked neat and properly ironed. His bag was thrown over one shoulder.
Not to be judgmental but he looks like trouble you could see coming from the hall. Every inch of him screamed carelessness, but with a confidence that made it dangerous.
The boy paused at the entrance as if he could even feel the weight of the place pressing down on him.
“Oh, there he is,” Mother Karina spoke beside him.
But for some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off the boy. He squinted his eyes to get a better look. He has dyed hair— blond long hair. That alone is prohibited based on the policy.
The boy kept walking, he was walking as if he did not care about his surroundings. His shoes were still making a noise and he didn’t even care.
When he’s already walking closer to them, their eyes met for a second before the boy adverted his gaze to Mother Karina.
One thing Intak noticed was that his eyes were sharp and unreadable. Something uncommon for Intak— something that he has not seen before.
“Taeyang,” Mother Karina greeted. “I’m glad you arrived in time, I was just talking to Intak about you.”
’Taeyang?’ Intak thought to himself.
“Sit anywhere,” Intak said gently when he realized that Taeyang had just been standing there.
The boy snorted under his breath, almost unaudible, but did as told.
“Since you’re already here, Taeyang, let Intak take you inside and watch what the other sacristans are doing.” Mother Karina said as she stood up. She gave them a gentle smile, “If you need anything, Taeyang, you can tell me or Intak.”
Taeyang just nodded his head absentmindedly.
The two of them were left in front of the altar. Intak took a deep breath while looking straight at the sacred figures. ‘Please make this easy for me,’ he prayed.
He took a deep breath before looking at the boy sitting quietly beside him, he saw him looking down at his clasped hands. “Shall we?”
Taeyang looked at him with, yet again, unreadable eyes. Though his brows furrowed, “Okay.” He answered before he stood up.
Intak nods and stood up, and then he started walking out the chapel to go back to where he was earlier with the other sacristans. Taeyang was just silently following him from behind. He didn’t dare to look.
When they arrived in front of the tall, old wooden door, Intak stopped and faced Taeyang. “First of all, shouldn’t you introduce yourself to me first?” He asked.
He saw a faint smirk on Taeyang’s lips, “I’m not here to make friends.”
“I never said I would like to be one.”
“You don’t have to know me.”
Intak scoffed, “Oh, please, it’s not like I wanted to. I have to do this because I was told to. Don’t make this hard for me.”
Taeyang brushed his fingers through his hair, a smirk not leaving on his face, “I didn’t know you guys could still be this rude.”
“You could’ve just said your name.”
“Taeyang,” he finally answered seriously. “Choi Taeyang.”
Intak turned his back and slowly opened the door, “See? You can answer without being sarcastic.” He whispered, the people inside might hear it.
When Intak entered, none of them turned to look at him but when another figure entered the room— especially when they heard his shoes scraped against the chapel tiles, and the sound echoing inside the sacristy room.
Their eyes were filled with questions and confusion when they saw him, all of them turned to Intak after that but he just shrugged it off before sitting on a chair to work on the hymnals.
Taeyang sat on the chair beside him. He crossed his legs and boredly looked around, he rested hand under his chin, fingers lightly touching his cheek.
Before Intak could look away, he noticed something on Taeyang’s hand that stopped him from stacking the hymnals— to make it easy to distribute.
Bruised knuckles. Faded purples and angry reds. The kind of wound that didn’t come from accidents.
Taeyang felt him looking.
“What?” he asked, defensive, chin lifting.
Intak shook his head. “Nothing.”
Taeyang leaned back, arms crossed, eyes wandering around the room, looking at the busy sacristans who went back to preparing for the mass. “They said they’ll send me somewhere,,” he muttered to himself, but Intak managed to hear it. “Didn’t know it was a church.”
“This is a convent,” Intak replied.
Taeyang made a face. “I obviously know that.”
As Intak worked, silence stretched between them.
The sacristans started lighting up the incense.
Incense curled lazily upward, blurring the sharp edges of the space.
While Taeyang was boredly sitting beside Intak, he accidentally hit his obviously fresh wound on his knuckles when he was looking for something in his bag. He winced.
“Why don’t you treat that first at the clinic?” Intak said without looking at him.
Taeyang looked at him. “Were you looking at my hand?”
“I tried not to,” Intak answered.
“Yeah,” Taeyang said. “Well, don't.”
Intak finally looked at him then.
“It’s very hard not to notice,” he said quietly.
Taeyang laughed once, sharp and disbelieving, but it didn’t sound amused.
The door opened, “Get ready. We only have a few minutes. Change into your robes now.” The nun said before leaving.
All of them followed immediately and went into the changing room to get their robes. Taeyang was left alone in the sacristy room, Intak didn’t even bother to say something to him before leaving.
Then after a while, they all came back. Intak was already wearing his white robe. His robe was falling just above his ankles, the gold trim along the collar and cuffs reflecting the light like faint sparks.
“Are you going to stay here?” Intak asked him without looking. He went to where the sacred vessels were stored at and carefully took what he needed to hold while walking at the altar later during the mass.
“Probably,” Taeyang answered.
“Do as you please,” Intak just said before he went out of the room and left Taeyang sitting there as everyone also left the room.