Pandora's Box

Chapter 8

"Class!" Kim Taehyung clapped his hands together, and laughed when every student jumped. "Come on, guys. It's only the second day of the semester. Wake up. Today, we're starting on still life. So..."

Beomgyu was barely listening. He usually loved art class, but he couldn't stop thinking about the night before. How good Taehyun looked, his fucking outfit. Not only did his t shirt reveal to Beomgyu that they both liked The Fray, but he looked phenomenal in the black leather jacket that was paired with it. .

He looked especially good standing up for Beomgyu.

Beomgyu couldn't help thinking about it all. But more than anything, the fact that he had stalked off afterwards. Had he said something? Done something?

He delayed the question as the class started to draw. He decided to work with what he knew best: music. He started working on a still life of his guitar, and couldn't help but glance over at the table to his right. Because as luck would have it, Taehyun and Beomgyu shared art class.

The other looked up when he presumably felt the stare, and caught his gaze. Beomgyu tried not to be hurt, as Taehyun glanced at his drawing, scowled, and returned to his own work.

"Wow! That's really nice."

Beomgyu looked up at the voice and noticed the instructor standing on his left. "Oh-oh! Thanks. It's not great."

But Taehyung laughed. "Of course it is! I love that you're combining two art forms. Do you play guitar?"

"He's the son of Apollo!" Hyunjin shouted proudly from across the class, and Beomgyu could've killed him at that moment.

Taehyung's eyebrows shot up and he smiled. "Wow. I mean, I have to ask you to play something."

For a reason he couldn't understand, Beomgyu glanced to his right and almost shit himself at the look Taehyun was giving him.

"I, uh...I don't know. I don't really like playing in front of people."

He heard the other boy scoff quietly.

Taehyung frowned. "Well, that's alright I suppose. We'd all love to hear it. Anything, really. It doesn't have to be guitar" he stated, and Beomgyu got an idea.

"Do you have a piano?"

Taehyung beamed, and ran off, only to come back with a keyboard. Close enough.

"It's Professor Yoongi's, but he won't mind. Everyone! Beomgyu's going to play us something."

All but two of the students whispered excitedly. Beomgyu grimaced, and could only hope to impress the only other person who was thinking about how ridiculous this was.

He prayed his idea wouldn't come off as creepier than it felt. He never needed everyone to love him, and he definitely hated being the center of attention. But somehow knowing that there was one person who definitely didn't like him....

He felt an inescapable need to change that.

He took a breath, and started to play The Fray's How to Save a Life, the way his mom had taught him. He still remembered how she marveled at how good he played, and a sting hurt his chest at the thought that it wasn't his real mom.

He started to sing out of habit, like she would do. He glanced around, and noticed everyone smiling.

But something was wrong. They weren't enjoying the performance, they were simply watching it. Everyone was staring at him, glass-eyed. Even Taehyun's scowl had turned into a transfixed gaze, which told Beomgyu that something was really off.

He was so distracted by the realization that he messed up the words. He was silent for a moment, trying to collect them again. But before he could get back on track, he heard noise around him. Nothing huge, just students shifting around. But completely different from the stillness of the room before.

That's when Beomgyu realized.

He remembered Yeonjun talking about his 'powers', as if they were a given. He remembered Seungmin's statements about setting people on fire. He briefly recalled Kwon's face as he was

seemingly electrocuted by Taehyun's bare hand.

He was the son of the music god. Of course his powers were related to music.

It wasn't his guitar playing that was boring his old classmates to sleep, it wasn't even boring them to sleep! He was putting them under.

Under what, he didn't know yet. All he knew, was that he had found his power. It excited him, but pained him at the realization that he would never be able to sing again.

He finished the song on piano, silently. Glancing around the room, he watched everyone clap.

Beomgyu felt as if he had been slammed in the face with a guitar.