Blue Tomorrow Side Story #1: Cherry blossoms shaped icicle

2110 M – Autumn

Jack-Frost, Seleas

It was almost at the end of autumn, as almost all the trees had lost its leaves which has turned its color into scarlet brown, lied on the ground also got blown by the chilly wind of autumn. Since early in the morning, she got locked in her room. The reason? It because since that early morning too, her mother kept mix-matching her with dresses and accessories but none of it into her mother’s taste.

”Eomma, just let me wear that dress.” She begged her mother as her finger pointed at the simple white colored knee-length dress with laces on its sleeves.

”No, Chaerin-ie! This meeting will be your official meeting with the main family. This is an important meeting, dear.” Her mother bent down on to her level as the older one caressed her shoulder like usual. ”You should looked presentable in front of Lord Lee Shin’s family.”

She – Lee Chaerin, puffed her cheek as she heard her mother’s reply. Then, she saw her mother’s eyes gleamed as she saw a dress which placed at the end of the line inside her daughter’s wardrobe. Yellow frilly dress and pink jacket with orange flower brooch to complete it. That pair got matched with white tight-high frilly socks with two pieces dark pink ribbons.

”You will looked beautiful in it, dear.” Her mother gave that attire to her daughter, and asked her to go change in it. Her mother’s smile got wider when she saw her daughter already changed her outfit and looked beyond her imagination. To make her daughter’s appearance more appealing, the lady named Lee Harin tied two white ribbons at the back of her daughter’s waist-length black hair. Chaerin’s full bangs above her eyes got combed neatly. A pair of simple brown flat shoes completed it. ”As expected of my beautiful daughter.”

===

Along the way from her house to the Lee main family’s mansion felt so long in Chaerin’s calculation. It was her first time visiting the said main family. She has heard from her parents that her family was one of so many Lee branch family which should serve the main family. That tradition has been inherited for years. Each head family of that main family got served by different Lee branch family, as for the current Lee main family’s head was served by her father, Lee Byunghoon. Instead staying with his own family, her father spent almost his time in the main family’s mansion. That was the reason why Chaerin always questioned her mother if the man named Lee Byunghoon was really her real father.

”We’re almost there.”

Her father’s announcement brought Chaerin got back to the reality. She looked at her father for a while then got back her attention to the scenery outside the car window. Beautiful. It was the only word could describe the scenery she saw there. She felt like has travelled to another world. At the left and right side of the road, she only could saw countless trees lined in rows. Even its foliage has scaled off to the ground, it still looked artistic in her eyes. It was so far different with the scenery she always seen where only countless concrete buildings with its giant glass windows stood highly surrounded her small city which located just next to the capital city of Seleas. As their journey got closer to their aimed place, another scenery filled Chaerin’s sight. Large and strangely beautiful forest outspread in the middle of leaves covered field. It was looked mysterious as that forest still showed its evergreen look in the middle of scarlet – brown colored autumn around it. Just then, the car which brought Lee Byunghoon’s family stopped right after they passed that beautiful forest. That family stopped in front of the huge house with Lee main family name tag on its gate. As Chaerin followed her parents got out from the vehicle, soon got greeted by the autumn breeze which felt a bit chilly. All she can smell from that place was the scent of fresh air which is smoother than the polluted air she used to inhale back in her hometown. Chaerin can’t hide her surprised look as soon as she and her parents got into that mansion. She saw a beautiful garden which is her first time saw it.

As if her mother knew about her surprised look, she came closer to her daughter. ”That beautiful garden is an oriental type of garden which managed by Mrs. Lee Hyesun’s magic, the mistress of this house.”

”Welcome back, Lee Harin-ssi. It has been long since your last visit.”

A lady’s voice welcomed the Lee branch family. There – in front of the main house’s terrace, a lady stood with her beautiful smile. She dressed in simple navy blue dress with yellow belt and grey coat with sunflower brooch. She has long blonde, wavy hair with two braids in the back that reaches down to her waist with a laurel wreath of grapes and vines around the left and right side of her head. Chaerin felt like she has seen an alive goddess in front of her eyes.

”She must be Lee Chaerin, right? She is really beautiful.” Chaerin heard that melodious voice again. ”Come in. I will told my husband about your arrival.”

That branch family entered the main house inside that huge mansion. Chaerin couldn’t say a thing, too much things to be admired in that house. That place was really opposite with her small house. Even it was far larger than hers, but almost all of the parts in that house still designed in traditional model. Chaerin could feel it too, the magic flow around that house was really calm. She and her parents kept walking through the long corridor, then stopped when they reached a large hall. A set of tea table with eight soft cushions placed in the middle of that hall. Two large windows got opened, showed the other side of that mansion. Four calligraphy rolls got hung on the wall.

”Please, take your seat, Lee Byunghoon-ssi.”

A grown up male voice greeted the branch family, he is Lee Shin, the current head of Lee main family. Chaerin looked at the man from head to toe. He was younger than Chaerin’s prediction. Then, someone caught her attention from that grown up man.

”Uncle Hoon, welcome back!” A boy around her age shouted out cheerfully. He stood next to Lee Shin, grabbed that man’s left hand.

”Yes, Young master Lee.” Lee Byunghoon, Chaerin’s father replied with his fatherly smile towards the boy.

Young master Lee? So, he’s the next head family of the main family? Those questions popped inside Chaerin’s brain. That boy, inherited his father’s handsomeness as well as those brown eyes which looked strangely beautiful in Chaerin’s eyes. Chaerin found that boy a bit different than ordinary boy out there. He has long black hair which is tied into a ponytail and bangs that are split at the right. A selective few strands of his hair are bleached silver. But it wasn’t the thing which caught her attention. It was the ribbon tying his hair. When Chaerin took a better look on it, even from far, she was sure that it matched with her twin white ribbons.

”Who are you?” That boy asked as his brown eyes hovered over hers. ”You must saw me weird, right? You keep looking at me.”

Out of sudden, Chaerin hid herself behind her mother as she heard that comment came from that boy. She felt her face got warmer, she’s embarrassed for being caught looking at that boy. She never thought that boy looked weird with his appearance, she just thought... he’s different.

”Ah... she is my daughter, Young master Lee. Her name is Chaerin. Lee Chaerin.” Lee Byunghoon answered that question instead of his daughter.

”Chaerin... as clear as the sky and the ice.” That boy mumbled, his eyes still unwilling to leave hers. Then, that boy looked up at his father. ”Abeoji, can I bring her to play out there?”

All the people in that hall got shocked by that question, especially Chaerin. Earlier, he looked like he hated her because she kept looking at him. But why? A soft laugh rang all around that hall, made that boy gave his father a questioned look. He demanded for an answer not a laugh.

”Shouldn’t you ask your Uncle Hoon than me, Hyun-ah?” Lee Shin replied with his fatherly smile on his handsome face. That reply made the boy bowed his head, hid his redden face because of embarrassment. A small nod made by him, then he looked at Lee Byunghoon.

”Uncle...”

”It’s an honor for my daughter to be your company, Young master Lee.” Lee Byunghoon spoke before that boy uttered his request. The boy smiled awkwardly towards the older man, then shifted his look to the girl whom still hid behind her mother. He walked closer to her, offered his right hand. Chaerin looked at his hand for a while, then looked up at her mother. She asked her mother through her look, which got replied by a simple nod. Chaerin changed her position, stood beside her mother with her head still bowed. Without asking for her agreement, the boy took her left hand then asked her to follow him leaving that hall.

”Both of them looked good together.” Lee Hyesun spoke as the pair already out of their sight. She then put down the tray full of the teapot with its cups and the snacks. ”Also, this is the first time he asked something like that.” She added as she poured the tea to the cups one by one.

”Even it’s the first time he’s willing to meet the branch family. When the other branch family visited, he chose to lock himself up inside his room.” Lee Shin added as he invited his guest to have a seat and enjoy the tea brought by his wife. ”As both of them have their own quality time, how if we have our own quality time too?”

===

Chaerin kept looking at their clasped hands as they walked through the long corridor, headed for somewhere she still don’t know. She felt something strange inside her when the boy held her hand. She shifted her attention from their hands to him. She still didn’t know his name, even earlier she has heard his father called him ‘Hyun’. Is that his name? Since both of them left that hall, none of them said a word.

”As clear as the sky and the ice, you must born in cold weather when the sky looked bright and clear, when the flower was ready to bloom beautifully. It’s... near the end of winter, right?”

”Huh?” Chaerin responded, felt stupid to herself. Reluctantly she nodded, even the one who asked her didn’t see it. ”How... did you know it... Young master Lee?”

The boy stopped which made Chaerin stopped too. The boy turned around to face her, showed his boyish smile. ”It’s all written clearly in your name. Chaerin.” Chaerin couldn’t blink her eyes when she saw his smile. Then he asked her to follow him, walking again. Both of them had passed the long corridor inside the main house, switched by the long stone steps which covered by countless scarlet scaled off maple leaves. She felt like walked on the red carpet. After the short conversation about her name, both of them didn’t change words each other. Chaerin looked at hi