Blue Summer

Chapter 15: A Twisted Fate

"They are calling me. My demons. They say it will be alright on the other side. I want to believe them. Leave me, let me follow them. Let me, please!"

All was hue and cry. Police were searching for Ibuki everywhere. Misao and Joon-Woo were trying to look for him. Eun Yun and her family were concerned. In the blink of an eye, overnight, Ibuki had disappeared. The frantic search was disrupted when an aged fisherman told the police that he and his accomplice had found the body of a young boy offshore, kilometres away from the hotel.

A week ago................

Ibuki lay on his bed, wondering if he had seen a dream. Misao could not possibly be here, but then she spoke to him, and the words were clear. It had to be real. Ibuki was feeling cold. He turned to his side and crouched. He could feel his heart beat violently, thumping on his chest as if wanting to come out. This feeling he could never get rid of. When the uneasiness did not leave him, he pulled out the packet of drugs yet again. He hadn't realised, but his consumption of drugs had increased. The time between two consecutive consumptions decreased day after day. His uneasiness when not having drugs was also increasing.

In his excitement to go on the trip, he had forgotten to get more packets and realised he was short on them. He decided to reduce his consumption, but it would not be easy.

The morning on the island felt different. More than birds, Ibuki could hear distant sounds of ships in the vast Yellow Sea. Ibuki got out with his body feeling stiff from the long journey. He dragged his body to take a bath. He was overwhelmed by thoughts as he stood near the bathtub while it filled with water. He wanted to sit in the bathtub and put his head underwater until his breath gave way. No one was there to stop him, so why could he not try it? The tub was full, and Ibuki took off his clothes. He got into the tub and slowly moved his head towards the water. As soon as the tip of his nose made contact with the warm water, there was a knock on his door.

"Ibuki, it is me, Eun Yun. Take a bath and come down for breakfast. Then we are going down to the beach." Eun Yun said aloud, and Ibuki answered back in agreement.

He quickly took his bath as the thought to drown himself left him. He wore fresh new clothes: a blue T-shirt, trousers, and sneakers. He went down to have breakfast and found Misao with her friends, who were also present there. When Joon-Woo saw him, he waved at him and called, "Ibuki, hi!"

Ibuki approached him and greeted him.

"Looking good. How are you here?" Joon-Woo hugged him.

"I came here with a family I work for." Ibuki could have chosen to say he was with a friend, but something in him made him say otherwise.

"Oh, okay. Want to join us for breakfast?" Joon-Woo asked.

Ibuki denied the offer and said he was to eat with the family. Then he went and sat beside Eun Yun.

After the breakfast, which was a short one, Ibuki followed Eun Yun and her sisters to the beach. The girls took off their shoes and walked barefoot on the sand, which was slightly warm from the sun. The younger sister rolled in the sand. Eun Yun went near the sea as the waves stumbled upon and touched her feet.

"Ibuki! Come here! The waves are nice!" Eun Yun called out to Ibuki.

Ibuki took off his shoes and hesitantly went near the sea. As the water tickled his feet, he stood still, drowning helplessly in his thoughts. "Jump in the water! Jump in the water!"

The more he stood still, the more his thoughts engulfed him, blinding him and deafening him. He paid no heed to Eun Yun's call. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and a voice that broke his paralysis, "Ibuki."