Ch 2: Taegeuk

Bowing with a deep respect as he always had in his entire lifetime, Han-Saem entered Master Baek's den.

"Yes, sabumnim?" Holding his unwavering mask of discipline, Han-Saem felt sorrow wash over him. Master Baek, 45 years of age, looked as if he were thirty years older… and dying as he lay on the traditional Korean floor bed.

Master Baek turned his head to look at Han-Saem. Wisdom, experience and sadness filled his eyes. For a moment, neither spoke.

"The Taegeuk…" Master Baek motioned weakly with a frail hand to the red and blue intertwined energies at the center of the Korean flag hanging on the master's wall. Han-Saem looked for but a moment before responding.

"The symbiotic essences which represent the necessary eternal struggle between heaven and earth, light and darkness, positive and negative, sabumnim," they were words Han-Saem had recited hundreds of times under his uncle's tutelage.

"Yes. But do you understand how the taegeuk correlates in your own life?"

"… I don't understand what you mean sabumnim…" Han-Saem's mask of emotionless discipline broke for but a single moment.

"When you do understand… you will truly master not only the art of tae kwon do, but you will begin your tenure of mastering life itself." Master Baek's weak eyes turned to stone as he bestowed the lesson to his apprentice. "This is my last lesson for you."

"Sabumnim…" Han-Saem became visually upset at his master's mystic and seemingly departing words. "If this is your legacy in which you request to leave behind I understand… but yet there is much you still have not taught me." Han-Saem realized the urgency in his own voice.

"Nonsense."

"Sabumnim, I…"

"Your spiritual strength is beyond capable of mastering any technique. You are far past any wisdom and way of life lessons I can give. The only thing left for you and Hwoarang is to realize and become what the taegeuk represents." Master Baek continued to lecture, using his deep strength to speak like the master he was.

"Just look at yourself and Hwoarang. Hwoarang represents the heaven: Wild, uncontrollable, free. You represent the Earth: Disciplined, rooted, immovable. This is not my legacy, my student… this is merely my final lesson to you and Hwoarang. If I am to have a last request…" Baek suddenly stirred in pain.

"Yes, sabumnim?" Han-Saem held back from showing weakness as his master's failing health silently killed him inside.

"Live your eternal energy. Find your symbiote. Find Hwoarang. Bring him home." A tear dropped from master Baek's face. The first Han-Saem had ever seen.

Han-Saem bowed as deep as he ever had.

"Yes, sabumnim!"