Blue Summer

Chapter 17: Smile!

Misao could not fall asleep that night. She curled up in bed, her hand on her chest, feeling her frantically beating heart. She looked up at the ceiling. A vivid image of Ibuki's father hanging as a lifeless body from there came in front of her eyes. She jerked up from the bed. She was sweating and gasping. She drank water and lay back again. She forcibly closed her eyes, but as she was about to fall asleep, she woke with a jerk again after having a horrid dream. She eventually struggled to fall asleep and remained awake the rest of the night, staring out the window. She felt like crying. She recalled that her brother hadn't been home since his argument with their father. She could not hold her tears, letting them seep through her sleepy, woken eyes. Until morning, she cried. In the morning, Youra arrived at her room and knocked on the door.

"Misao?" she asked.

Misao got up, wiped her face and opened the door. Youra looked at her awful condition and asked, "Are you alright?"

Misao let her in and closed the door. She hugged Youra and said, "I am not feeling well."

"Want to rest?"

"Yes. I could not sleep all night."

"Oh, my bad. Come, rest." Youra pulled Misao to the bed and helped her lay down.

Youra asked her to remain in bed while she would get her something to eat. Youra went down to get Misao breakfast, and while she was away, Uno came to meet Misao.

She was sitting in her quilt when Uno came in.

"Hey, Misao. Are you okay?" Uno asked.

"Uh, not so fine. I could not sleep all night," Misao replied.

"Actually, I wanted to ask something?" Uno said, sitting on the bed.

"Go ahead."

"Your friend Ibuki, he, um, he likes you?"

Misao did not respond. Uno did not force her to speak and sat silently, waiting for her response. Youra came at that moment.

"Oh, hi, Uno. How are you?" she asked

"Oh, I am fine. How are you?"

"Same here."

Youra placed the breakfast plate on the side table and forwarded the cup to Misao. Uno was still waiting for an answer, but Misao did not respond. So, he got up to leave and said, "I will leave. I will see you at the beach."

Misao sipped the tea as Uno left the room. She was filled with many thoughts. Youra saw her friend deeply musing about something and asked, "Why could you not sleep last night?"

Misao wanted to answer but stopped for a moment. What to say and what not to say? She wasn't used to hiding things from her dear friend, so she gave in and revealed what had happened last night at the party. She told Youra all of Ibuki's story in brief.

"He warned you. But you did not listen to him. Don't blame him now," Youra crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow.

"I am not blaming him at all. I just feel so bad, but it seems I cannot get what he is going through even then. You know what, after breakfast, I will meet him."

And so, after having a rushed half-hearted breakfast, Misao took a bath and changed her clothes, all while Youra went out looking for Joon-Woo. After freshening up, Misao left to meet Ibuki. Youra let her do what she wanted, although she wanted her to rest.

Misao first went to Ibuki's room, but he was not there. She then went to the beach, and luckily he was there. He was playing with Eun Yun and her sisters. He was wearing black shorts and a bright lemon-yellow sleeveless t-shirt. The group was playing some sort of a ball game. Ibuki seemed to have fun.