Blue Summer

Part 2: A Summer Dance

Ibuki looked at Misao, who was staring at his arm. He flinched and said, "What's wrong?"

Misao looked at him suspiciously and replied, "Why did you hide your arm?"

Ibuki slid his arm behind his back and leaned towards Misao. He looked her in the eyes and spoke, "Do you think I am hiding something?"

"I hope you are not."

Ibuki leaned back and remained silent. He knew he was lying and hiding. He did not want to say anything more, for he feared that he would end up revealing everything.

Misao felt something was off, but she did not say anything more. She took the sketch and left for her house. On the way, she stopped by an infirmary. She went in and spoke to the women attending the counter.

"I have a question. Can I ask?" Misao said sharply.

"Yes, what is it?"

"If I see a needle mark on someone's arms, what can I figure out about it?"

"Are they on some sort of medications that may involve needles?"

"No, not that I know of."

"Well, then, are you sure it is an injection that they are using?"

"Yes, I come from a family of doctors. I can tell injection from a simple needle."

"Well, then, at the top of my mind, I can think that the person is having drugs. Until they are one medication you may not know of."

Misao thanked the women and left in silence.

"Drugs?! Ibuki, I hope you are not on drugs?!" she thought. She realised that when Ibuki had admitted to having drugs, he was speaking the truth.

Ibuki had followed Misao and overheard her conversation with the woman. After she arrived home, he went to the park and sat there for a long while.

"I know what I am doing is wrong, but then...." Ibuki thought. He clenched the edge of the bench till his palm went red. He scratched it and held the edge again. He felt his left arm was weak. Maybe he had injected too much on that arm. But injecting with the left hand was tough, so he had to inject his left arm with his right hand. He had given up on the powdered drugs. They were not that effective, it seemed to him. But the injections gave him instant euphoria that lasted longer. Yet these days, his sense of euphoria has been decreasing, and he has to take in more and buy more. The drug test that he had agreed to be a part of was proving helpful. Those drugs would help him calm down, but he also realised that he had been having hallucinations more frequently. He would see weird faces and hear weird sounds. He even thought that the panic attack he had had was due to that drug. Ibuki wanted to tell this to Chang but did not know if this was a side effect or if the drug intended to do it on purpose.

Ibuki took a deep breath and relaxed his grip on the bench. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. After sitting like that for a while, he got up and returned home. Mrs Cho was busy preparing orders and did not notice him leave and return.

Ibuki went to his room and suddenly realised that there was a letter, half open, on his desk. He took it and read it. After reading it, he ran down and called out his mother.

"Mom, is this letter real? Like who gave it?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Ms Mok Myong-ok."

Mrs Cho sat down to explain her meeting with Ms Mok and what she had said. Ibuki listened intently. Ibuki was filled with joy, thinking someone was interested in his work. He felt valued and important. He returned to his room and let Ms Mok know he was interested in the offer.

The next day, Ibuki went to meet Chang to let him know that a fashion academy had offered him a scholarship. He needed Chang's permission to leave.

Chang was in the research facility where Ibuki would come for the weekly test dose under the agreement. Ibuki came to him and greeted him.

"Chang-shi, how are you? I have something to ask?" Ibuki said.

"Yes." Chang flipped the pages of a magazine. He sat on a chair, legs crossed, leaning on the armrest.

"Well, I have an offer from a fashion academy. I want to go there. Can I?"

"Where is it?" asked Chang, still flipping the pages.

"It is in Ja-Japan," Ibuki responded.

Chang shut the magazine and threw it on the table in front of him.

"No, you cannot go. You are a test subject. You cannot leave Incheon!"

"Bu-But!"

"Enough!"

Ibuki froze that instant. He could not think of anything. What had he gotten himself into?

He lowered his head and thought of leaving. He planned that he would leave for Japan and break all contact with Chang so that he wouldn't have to worry.

Ibuki nodded and turned to leave. Suddenly, he felt something prick his neck, and then he felt his body descend. Moments later, he lost consciousness.

"Off to Seoul are we, Ibuki Kaoru."