"I won't sign it! It so unfair to the second party." the paper slammed down at his desk. Camellia rushed into his preparing room just adjacent to the main kitchen. Camellia was dumbstruck at his sight. Her husband that she only married yesterday is now in all white chef-like attire just stood there leaning on the table while sipping his tea with his other hand flipping the foreign newspaper.
All of a sudden, she can smell the fragrant of a rose tea excited her. Though he didn't lift his head to look at her, she can see some remnant of the flour on his right cheek.
"Good morning." Shuu didn't even take a glance at the piece of paper. He continues to sip his tea. When he finished, he moves away to check on the lined up doh on the tray. "Care to tell what's wrong, or I'll let my assistant prepare you a new one." and take the paper back to her.
"I'm not your assistant's wife!" Camellia hissing at his disinterest. Camellia didn't seem aware everyone was there when she burst into his husband working place. "I didn't know you're busy." her voice becomes low and softens before left the preparation room in a bad mood. Shuu was about to call out to her but stopped. He didn't even know how to call her for the first time.
"Continues with your works. I'll be back before the times up." Shuu removed his stained apron and went to look for his 'wife'.
The memory of last night resurfaced.
"Master, your lady is laughing and crying at the same time. Might you say that to her like that?" the shadow appeared beside him. Shuu knew that very well as he is standing behind the closed door behind him. She was so unladylike sobbing did scare him, but he grips tighten to hold his own resolve.
Ignoring his shadow's concern over his wife's matter, "Have you checked on miss Hana for me?"
"Yes, master. Please do." The shadow disappeared, and Shuu's right eye rolled to white. This new power to overseeing what the shadow saw when it had done his job as commanded to overlook any situation without him being there might be a curse from other's point of view. Still, for Shuu, it was the only memento of his grandmama. Before it first came to seek him, his grandmama Park Che appeared in his dream smiling at him and sadly turn away from him.
It continued for 49 days straight. He tried to catch up to her, but she disappears beyond the thick mist before he awake sweating heavily. He knew his grandmama is trying to communicate with him through his dream again. He was just finished taking his exam the day before. He has planned to go and look for her afterwards, but unfortunately, he had a high fever and had been bedridden for three days. His plan only had been to after graduation day. But it was too late.
The sudden appearing of a shadow beside him only confirmed his thought. His beloved grandma has left him. Gone, really gone. Since then on, the shadow never left his side. Like a ninja hiding behind the darkness.
He remembers using it once while his grandmama still alive just to peek at the little girl at the orphanage home because he missed her so and she hasn't come out to play with him but ended scaring the nuns. He was grounded for that. Now, he was able to use again, feels like his grandmama is still around and will scold him any time soon if he misused the shadow.
Even that day, he forced shadow to let him see what his grandmama's memories sight was for a few months before her death. All he saw was hazy views as his grandmama have an untreated cataract on her right eye, making it difficult for him to identify a young woman that seemed had stayed with his grandmama during her bedridden state. The only clear thing to him was the voices of his grandma and the young woman interaction.
Questions that had been bugging him for quite some times were who was that young woman? Was it the same little girl that he once saved? But the director of the old orphanage home didn't even have anyone by that girl's descriptions. Truth be told he doesn't even know her name. He always heard her peers called her Lillia. Or he called her his little buns because of her chubby cheeks like a pair of buns. Plus, all of the children were already sent for adoption or other orphanage homes scattered all over South Korea before the old orphanage home permanently closed. That makes him even more frustrated. He needs to find her.
Maybe not now. Not ever.
He sighs heavily every time he recalls the other girl words when he asked where she got it from.
His last momento- The medalion that he gave to that little girl. 'Did she really throw it away as the girl claimed?' Or 'Maybe she just misplaced it and others might found it and throw it away.' Shuu closed his eyes pain. He tiredly trying to justify her reasons for throwing the medalion that he gave to her.
Now, he found the girl again after these years only bring pain to him. And yet, his only hope now rests on Hana Kwang or Hanami Kitagawa. All he remembers, the young girl already quite troublesome and meeting her again only adding more to his already overflow plate. This woman now even hard to deal with.
"She'll be fine for now." Shuu released shadow and went to look for his wife. Hana was just throwing some tantrums over his arranged marriage. She will be fine after a few days. But, Hana was right for once. Why her as his bride? Why not Hana? Hana should know the answer to that, but she deliberately asked to annoy him.
As for that woman, he did feel sorry for her. Getting her into his family's mess is uncalled for. Kang Man Suk that idiot big mouth even dare to suggest her to his family as one of the potential brides for Shuu to escape a loveless marriage.
His cellphone rang.
"Mushi-Mushi. Onee chan."
"Where are you?" Sumire worried voice cut off. "Shouldn't you be coming home? The elders. They've been expecting you two. Don't delay." The call ends as quick as she finished talking. A signal that she doesn't want any more delays or excuses.
"Where's the hell is my wife?" Shuu waved the nearby servant.
"She's in the rear garden, master."
"Get her ready. Don't delay. We're to pay a visit to the main house."
"Yes, master."
Half an hour later, Camellia got into the car and saw Shuu already inside waiting for her. Shuu didn't say anything to her as the car headed to the main road.
"I'm apologies about this morning incident. I shouldn't rush into the room with your staff and say it like that." the silence broke with Camellia timidly spoke. Shuu glance at her and just nodded, accepting her goodwill. "I'll do my best to serve you as your wife."
"Miss Song, you're Tachibana now. Forget the formalities." Camellia realised Shuu is actually comforting her in this still foreign situation. "I can't guarantee what ahead of us in the future but... please, bare with me. For now." Shuu bowed to his wife, and it only makes it awkward for Camellia to understand.
"I understand."
"Now that you understand. Please sign this paper." Shuu shoved the paper to her.
"But, I don't agree...!" Camellia about to argue with him but she aware the content of contract had been rectified & signed for. She was speechless and melancholic at the new agreement. She thought she had gained a new family in this marriage. She was overthinking.
"Don't worry; it'll be just for a year. If you have someone in mind, I hope you can let him know this is just a temporary. Just make sure not to have any contact with him within this period."