Misao had been involved in stressful affairs since her last meeting with Ibuki at the restaurant, which had ended on a bitter note. It had been two weeks since then, and Misao had mainly forgotten about Ibuki. Her school was bracing up for its annual festival, and the three lazy members of the art club had now become the ex-members of the club. Now, only she and Yunho had to cooperate with the history club and put up a historical play for the festival. With the event inching closer, the pressure on Misao had mounted, finally reaching its peak as she yelled at the arguing club members.
"Enough!" her voice echoed through the room, and the history club members went silent. They were a bunch of bureaucrats and loved debating unnecessary things.
"The festival is coming soon, and we haven't developed a substantial idea. I will call it for today, but you all better come up with something by tomorrow! Okay?!" Misao growled.
The 'bureaucrats' nodded and left the room silently. After they left, Youra came in and saw Misao still raging with anger.
"Woah! Chill, relax. Everything will fall into place," Youra tried to calm Misao. "My science club hasn't come with anything yet. I don't know what their obsession is with aliens."
"Youra, you are not helping. Being the class president, I need to make sure how my class is doing for the event," Misao sat down to relax. She was drained by the work and needed a break. But she could not afford to have one at this point.
To refresh Misao's mind, Youra took her for a walk at a nearby park. When the school ended, the two went for a stroll. As they were walking, Misao caught sight of Ibuki. He was being beaten up by some boys. He was on the ground while the boys were aggressively kicking him. She froze to confirm her doubts, and when she was sure she had seen Ibuki, she ran to help him. She demanded the boys leave him, but they refused, saying that he had borrowed money from them and hadn't returned it yet.
Misao paused to think. She looked down at Ibuki, who was aching in pain. She looked at him pitifully. She asked the boys to leave again, but they were adamant about taking the money. They insisted that they would beat Ibuki until he returned their money.
To make the boys stop assaulting Ibuki, Misao reached out to her pockets for whatever money she had and asked the boys how much Ibuki owed them. They told her the amount, and she paid, asking them to leave him alone. The boys took the money and left.
Once the boys were gone, Misao turned to Ibuki with disappointment. She looked at him as he lay on the ground with rage-filled her eyes. Her lips pulled tight, and she glanced over Ibuki before returning to Youra, who was witnessing all this without any clue.
"Do you know him?" she asked, confused.
"I wish I didn't," Misao turned to leave, grabbing Youra's arm.
Ibuki lay on the ground, too weak to get up, but somehow managed to help himself. As the girls walked away, he called from behind, "Wait!"
Misao turned around sharply, "What do you want?!"
Ibuki panted, "Why? Why did you?"
Misao responded furiously, "I don't know! Maybe I shouldn't have! Because you don't deserve it. You didn't even deserve to be rescued by me."
Ibuki stood as if torpid as Misao continued shouting at him, "You are worth nothing. I thought, but never mind what I thought. Just leave and don't think of paying me back."
Ibuki tried saying something but had nothing on his mind. He was feeling blank.
"Your father and mother work so hard to keep you up financially. But you are here borrowing money from other people. What a shame?!" Misao was infuriated by Ibuki's action.
Ibuki finally broke from his idle state only to utter, "I don't have a Father."
There was silence. Only chirping birds, distant gossip and vehicles could be heard. Youra didn't know what exactly had happened that led to such a reaction from Misao. She stood utterly clueless.
Tears came down Ibuki's cheeks as he spoke, "My sister wanted to go on a trip with her friends, but we didn't have the money to afford it. So, I borrowed money only for her to enjoy. But I am a fool! A fool, Misao! All I wanted to be was her loving brother! I am a fool!!"
Ibuki burst into tears. He covered his face with his arms and ran away, startling Misao and Youra.
Youra turned to Misao and gave her a judging look, "Oh, look. Didn't you overreact?"
Misao remained silent as she had become dismayed after what she had said to Ibuki. Maybe she should have thought before she spoke. How could she assume things? She should have at least asked him why he did that. But now she was drowned in guilt and didn't dare to apologise. She left the stroll halfway and dragged herself back home.
When she arrived home, she called out to her mother, crying. She came to her quickly and embraced her, inquiring what had happened. Misao couldn't speak a single word, and all she did was cry her heart out in her mother's arms.
Meanwhile, Ibuki didn't return home but went to the rusty building where he had attempted to take his life. He was still crying, and he dragged his body up the building. He was determined to end his life then and here. He had had enough of his life and wanted to end his misery forever. He inched near the edge and closed his eyes, prepared to take his last breath. But before he could jump, he felt something pull him back. A feeling he never had before. A feeling of care and love. He stopped and thought for a moment. Then, he immediately rushed out of the building and headed towards Misao's home. He was tired, and his knees could give in at any moment, but he managed to reach there. Somehow, his memory did him well in navigating Misao's house. He reached there with the sky almost dark.
Panting heavily, he rang the doorbell, and Seo-Yun opened the door. Looking at the miserable state of the young boy, she brought him in and gave him water. She asked him who he was, and he said he was Misao's friend. Seo-Yun smiled at him pityingly. She called out to her daughter, but Misao refused to come down. So, Seo-Yun let Ibuki go up to her room.
Ibuki knocked at the door, and Misao responded with a muffled voice, "Come in. It's open."
He entered slowly and saw her on the bed, lying on her stomach with her head buried in her arms. Her room was beautiful and had a large window and balcony. A few inches from the window was her bed, and opposite the bed was a table. The wardrobe lay to the right of the bed. Her room was filled with an unusual scent. She had various flowers next to her window, and a small couch was near it. Ibuki could never imagine having such a room but was happy for Misao.
He softly called out to her, and she jumped in surprise at the sight of him.
"It is okay. I came here to apologise," Ibuki explained.
"Ibuki, you don't have to apologise. It's not your fault. I should be the one apologising." Misao brought him near the window and made him sit on the couch. Ibuki smiled at her.
"I might not be a good guy."
Misao giggled, "No one is perfect. And I think you are a really nice guy. How is your family, by the way?"
Ibuki grinned, "Everyone is fine. I have a cute sister and a lovely mother."
"If so, then why do you want to end your life?"
"Just because I am happy on the surface doesn't mean I am happy inside. Misao, honestly, I am completely dead from the inside." Ibuki turned to look out of the window at the evening sky.
"Why?" That was all Misao could ask.
"See, my family is, to say the least, not financially well off. We can barely manage our daily costs plus the cost of my and my sister's education. My mother alone isn't able to produce much profit. And I am a talentless, useless, shy fool who can't help my mother. It wasn't like this when my father was alive. At least not this worse."
Misao took a deep breath before hesitantly asking, "How did your father die?"
Ibuki looked into her eyes, and light glared in them, "Suicide."
The light disappeared from Misao's eyes as the clouds shadowed the moon. She remained mum for a moment, unsure what to say next. She felt that Ibuki's father was insensitive. How could he take his life and leave his family in misery? Misao was about to ask why he chose to take his life when Ibuki said, "I don't want to talk about it. It's a horrifying memory for me, and it hurts a lot when I am talking about it."
Misao nodded, "I am sorry for you. I shouldn't question further."
Ibuki nodded in response and gazed outside the window. The clouds had dispersed, and Misao's eyes glared with the moonlight again after the momentary darkness. Through Misao's eyes, though, Ibuki's eyes blazed with the moonlight.
Ibuki turned to her and smiled, "I should go now. My mom will be worried."
"You don't want to have dinner with me?"
"I'd love to, but I cannot keep my mom and sister waiting. See you around." Ibuki got off the couch and left the room, and Misao followed.
Misao accompanied him outside, and then he waved her goodbye. As he walked under the moonlight, Misao looked at him. He walked as if he carried a burden, and Misao wanted to lessen that burden of his. After a while, when he had disappeared into the dark turn, she entered back.
Misao woke up feeling refreshed in the morning as if a huge burden had come from her heart. She got ready, had a tasty breakfast and went to school. Today was the day she would finalise the idea for the festival.
She stood before the history club members, staring at them sternly. Stomping her foot, she said, "Listen, I have finalised the idea. We shall be doing a historical play on an ancient kingdom. Any questions?"
"Is it the popular one? The one starring popular actors?" one asked.
"Starring? Who said it is based on a TV show? I am talking about real-life kingdoms."
Another one raised a question, "There is one character I like, and I am a big fan of the actor. Can I play that?"
"Listen, it is not based on that TV show you have watched. For God's sake, it is different!" As Misao cleared the confusion that she didn't mean them to play the roles based on characters from a particular popular TV show, Youra came in to see the chaos. She chuckled at the sight.
A squabble stirred up between a few members about who was the best actor in Korea despite knowing that it was a subjective matter and everyone had a personal opinion. Misao stood staring at their debate, and when she had enough, she squealed, "Will you stop!"
But none of the members paid heed and went on with their debate. Frustrated, Misao left the room and took half her day off for extracurricular work. Later in the evening, an hour after school was over, Misao decided to meet Ibuki. She recalled where she had dropped him off after their first meeting and retraced the steps. She arrived at an opening of a street. The street was the hub of the food market. It was an ally overflowing with profuse shops and restaurants. Besides these prominent food hubs, it also housed various other small things and bargains. It thronged with numerous people buying and selling. It was hard to find your way in and out if stuck. Pushing and squeezing, Misao stopped by an old shopkeeper. He was bulky with a thick moustache and bushy eyebrows.
"Excuse me, Mister, do you know where Ibuki Kaoru lives?" Misao asked the man.
"Oh, dear, yes. He lives there, that young lad," the man pointed at a wooden two-storeyed house shadowed under two stores. It was wedged between them. The aroma of the cuisines from the food outlets next to the house filled the air. Misao thanked the shopkeeper and went to the house.
She knocked on the wooden door, which was pale brown, mostly eaten up by years and years of steam of cooked food around it. A weak-looking lady somewhere in her mid-40s opened the door. She had the same chubby cheeks as Ibuki. Misao greeted her and inquired about Ibuki.
"Come in, dear. I will call him," the lady went to bring Ibuki while Misao insisted upon staying at the door. While the lady was gone, Misao observed the house from where she stood. After Ibuki's grievances, she had thought he lived in a very condensed old house or apartment but didn't expect his house to be reasonably habitable. It had a small corridor, barely enough to accommodate two healthy people. To Misao's left was the kitchen, also very compact, hardly spacious enough for a dining table, a couch and the cooking space. On her right were two rooms Misao didn't get to see from the inside. Through the corridor was a narrow staircase leading to the second floor. The slant of the roof mostly narrowed it. It had three rooms, and Ibuki appeared out of one of them. The rest of the house was wooden and straightforward. It had a few damaged corners, and the colour was dull due to years of inhabitancy. Misao thought that the house was beautiful. She was even surprised that given the way Ibuki put his financial conditions, he had a better house than many poor people in the country. In actuality, Ibuki's house was an inheritance and any payments relating to the house were jointly made by the street's collective, a group of people working for the welfare of the underprivileged.
As she looked around, Ibuki came downstairs. He was dressed in a sky-blue T-shirt and black trousers. It had been so that he had had a haircut. A freshness had befallen him, and he looked energetic.
"Hi, Misao. What brings you here today?" he asked, gleaming.
"I just came to chat. Are you free enough for that?'
"Yeah, sure. Come up; I will show you my room." As Ibuki was about to take Misao to his room, a little girl, just twelve, appeared from the kitchen.
Misao looked at her. She looked cute and had the same eyes as Ibuki. She was his sister.
"Misao, this is my sister, Maki. Maki, this is my friend, Misao."
Maki greeted Misao, "Hello. You are cute!"
Misao smiled, "You too."
"Now move along. You have work to do. Go and study," Ibuki asked Maki to go, and Maki grumpily left to study.
Ibuki took Misao to his room, and after a while, they came down. Ibuki's mother, Mrs Cho, asked Misao to join them for dinner. But Misao had to turn the offer down as she said she had gotten a call from her mother and had to leave early. Ibuki offered to drop her, but she said that it was fine. He could walk her outside.
As they came out, Misao asked Ibuki if he was working somewhere. Ibuki nodded and said he was working for an old tailor, and the pay was fine for Ibuki. They arrived at the end of the street, and Misao bid him goodbye.
On the way, Misao stopped by a shop to buy stuff her mother had asked her to and then headed home. When she reached home, she saw a car, a black CUV, parked right outside. She knew exactly who had come over. She entered slowly and stealthily made her way into the kitchen. There he was, sitting next to her father, her loving and caring brother!