Blue Summer

Chapter 33: The setting of the future

Ibuki and Misao arrived at Sungmin's house. Ibuki was feeling nervous and excited. They arrived at a two-storeyed well-furnished house. It had a spacious garden with three oak trees and small flowers and plants all across it. The house was painted white. The windows were painted in the shade of jade green. A window was on the second floor towards the front face of the house. The other windows were to either side. Ibuki knocked on the door, and it was his sister who opened it.

"Oppa!" Maki hugged her brother, and hearing the commotion, Sungmin came down from his room to see.

Misao greeted him, and he smiled. Then he went to Ibuki and hugged him, "Welcome to your new home, Ibuki."

The house inside was spacious. From the front door, a small corridor led to the lounge. The lounge was connected to the kitchen and the dining. The dining room emerged from the kitchen into a glass room. To the left area of the lounge, a curved staircase leads to the second floor.

Misao and Ibuki sat in the lounge while Sungmin asked his house helper to prepare the room for Ibuki. Maki described her room and how she had been staying with Sungmin. She said she had had fun being with her newfound father. Ibuki was happy for his sister.

After Ibuki's room was set up, Sungmin led him there. On the second floor, right after ending the stairs, was a small space with a fountain, oval in design. In the curved walls, four bedrooms were carved with arch-top doors. One of the rooms right next to the stirs belonged to Sungmin. After that, Ibuki was given a room, and Maki's room was next to Ibuki's room. The last room was left as it was for guests. From the oval fountain space, a curved corridor led to a reading room, the window Ibuki had seen from the outside.

Ibuki entered his room. He really liked it and compared it with his old room, he found it more open and lovely. Upon entering the room, Ibuki saw the large window and arch top. In the corner of the room was his bed, opposite his wardrobe. It was a space emerging from the rest of the room. The wall behind the wardrobe was shared with the washroom. A desk for Ibuki was kept near the window. In the right area of the room, a couch was placed with a TV on the wall.

Sungmin placed Ibuki's stuff on his bed and asked, "So you like it?"

Ibuki nodded, "Yes, I do."

Sungmin said, "Well, then, freshen up and come down for dinner."

"Sure."

Sungmin left Ibuki to freshen up and went down to set up the dinner.

After an hour, Ibuki came down for dinner. He sat next to Misao.

"Father cooks good, you know," Maki said. She had begun calling Sungmin 'father' without hesitation, and that made Ibuki feel comfortable calling him the same.

Sungmin brought savoury dishes to the table. Vegetable soup, fish cutlets, salad, noodles and rice dishes. Ibuki was feeling hungry and ate to his heart's content. Sungmin's food made him feel the same as he felt when his mom used to cook food for him.

Following the dinner, Misao decided to head back home. She was to leave back for Germany the day after tomorrow. Ibuki insisted on accompanying her, but she suggested he take a rest. Ibuki couldn't argue and let her go home.

Later in the night, Sungmin went to Ibuki's room to talk to him. Ibuki was in his bed and reading.

"Not asleep yet?" Sungmin sat on the bed.

"No, just reading and nothing else," Ibuki placed the book face down on the bedside table.

"Something bothering you, or are you fine?"

"Fine." Ibuki dragged the quilt up and snuggled in it.

"How does it feel to live normally?"

"Great. Thank you."

"You would have no problem calling me 'father', will you?"

"No. Seeing Maki do it makes me feel less uncomfortable, Father."

Sungmin kissed Ibuki's head and said good night. After he was gone, Ibuki lay down and slowly went to sleep.

The next morning, Ibuki, following breakfast, went to meet the Park family. The family was done with breakfast when Ibuki arrived. It was Misao who greeted him upfront.

"How are you?" she asked.

"I am good. How is your family?"

"Good, good. Come in and meet them."

Ibuki followed Misao into the house, and inside, sitting around the dining table were Rui, Lisa and Heechul. Seo-Yun was cleaning the dishes.

Lisa got up to greet Ibuki and hugged him. "How have you been?"

"Good."

Then Rui hugged him, and then Heechul. He sat down on the couch next to Misao.

Everyone else eventually sat down, too, and Rui asked Ibuki, "What are your plans now?"

"I want to pursue fashion design in Japan. I have an offer letter for there. I don't know if it still stands, but I will still go ahead and apply there," Ibuki replied.

Rui nodded and said, "That is a great idea. If you need any help, then ask me. Mr Choi can help out, too, right?"

"Yes, yes he can and thank you for offering help."

Heechul added, "How long will the study go?"

"I checked. About five years or so," Ibuki responded.

"Great," Seo-Yun added.

"Now, if you will excuse us, me and Ibuki are going out. I have to go back tomorrow, and so I want to spend time with him," Misao said, holding Ibuki's arm, ready to drag him out of there.

Rui chuckled and nodded, "Alright, little sister. Go ahead."

So Misao and Ibuki went out. They drove to the park that had been set up in place of the rusty old building where Ibuki had tried to end his life. The park was crowded and full of joy. Misao led Ibuki to a nearby oak tree and sat down under its shade.

She stretched her legs out and put her head on Ibuki's chest, "Best of luck for the study."

"Thanks. Best of luck to you too."

"Will you come and meet me there as I came here to meet you?" Misao asked.

"Hm, yes, I will."

Misao closed her eyes, feeling the cold breeze of winter under the tree. It was sunny that day, the weather was warm, but the wind was cold.

"Misao?" Ibuki said.

"Yes?"

"I feel happy today. It's been so long since I have felt happiness."

"I feel happy too."

Ibuki kissed Misao's head and then leaned his head on hers. It began snowing, but the two remained there.

In the days following Misao's departure to Germany, Ibuki used them to reach out to Myong-Ok for the fashion study offer. Ibuki finally managed to reach her, and she was more than happy to take him in. He applied for a fashion university in Japan, one where Myong-Ok taught and got in by the end of the year. The following year, he planned his departure to Japan. In the summer of that year, Ibuki finally left for Japan, and Rui and Lisa were accompanying him.

For the first time in his life Ibuki was travelling in a plane. It was an odd yet fascinating experience for him. When he reached Japan, he spent the first few weeks navigating the city of Tokyo. After that, Rui and Lisa dropped him off at his university. They stayed for about a week to get Ibuki used to the university and then headed back home.

Ibuki now began a new chapter in his life. A chapter of his dreams.