8
"It happened three years ago."
Rin seriously stated as she withdrew a file from her drawer. The papers inside the folder were clean and no hint of dust could be seen. It could be concluded that it never left the folder.
"Case of Yu Family," Chun read.
He flipped through the pages.
The Yu Family was composed of three family clans; two side-branch families and the main family. Yu Lee In was the head patriarch of the household, he had one daughter who was Yu In Na and his wife died already after giving birth.
The household was prosperous on those times but as a patriarchal family, the elders of the three clans did not agree with Yu In Na as the heir of her father so they wanted Yu Lee In to once again marry and have a son. They arranged Yu Songyan from the side-branch family who was also widowed and has a good status at the household.
The marriage was successful and Yu In Na got a new sister who was Yu Ali Na. Her stepsister was sweet and caring to her father and her, and as well as her stepmother, she was kind to them. At that time when her stepmother successfully got pregnant to a son, the household celebrated for their luck.
Yet things did not go well for luck, after two weeks of the celebration, Yu Lee In got sick and fell bedridden. He was poisoned, it was an active poison that could kill you in a day. The household was alarmed at knowing this so they called many medicine experts and invited them. Fortunately, the head patriarch was saved but they did not know that this was just the beginning.
Yu Lee In was healed yet he was unable to be the former smart, collective and kind head patriarch. He got easily irritated, sometimes not understanding reasons and would burst out in a sudden.
The elders was unsatisfied towards his performance that they wanted to replace him. Slowly, Yu Chuyun who was second to the former Yu Lee In, assimilated approval from many clan members as he was good at decision-making and giving first priority to their household and making the current head patriarch felt threatened.
In a sudden, Yu In Na went with her grandfather from Lily City and she cut ties with the Yu family. Her father went missing and, her stepsister and stepmother sided with Yu Chuyun.
That was the end of the information. Chun creased her eyebrows and turned to the young woman who was a bit familiar.
"You must be the bestfriend of Yu Ali Na?" The silver haired youth asked.
Rin looked up from her files and replied, "Your memory is good. Yes, I am."
"Do you perhaps have any opinion about Yu In Na going with her grandfather?"
"As I've known from Alina when she was alive, she said that her older sister was angry with them and cut ties with the family due to some unfair treatment," The young woman indifferently stated as if what she was saying had no connection to her.
"That Rye in the simulation and the Rye from my class, are they the same?"
The young woman did not answered but just grinned. Chun nodded in understanding and pondered with it.
"By the way, this case would be related to your class first mission," Rin suddenly opened.
"First mission?"
"Here it is."
The silver haired youth was strolling on the commericial street of Willow City. There were many merchants with their stalls set upon the side. She was accompanied by her butler Art, looking for the flower shop by this street.
"Young lord, it's near," Art said as he steadied his golden rimmed glasses.
Many merchants would catch their attention that sometimes it would delay Chun from heading straight to her destination.
"Art! Look at this! It had four colors," the youth displayed a hexagonal shaped ball, with joy on her voice.
"This one is called Lucrist Stone!"
"This is a ancient looking watch!"
"Oh oh!, cute, it's a cat doll!"
They would stop here and there, slowing them down as several products would attract the youth. Chun stopped her butler while raising her index finger, "Let me buy one."
"Young lord, this is the 12th time you said it and---"
The young man pouted.
"Tsk. Okay. I'll wait here," Art sighed while carrying five bags on both of his arms.
Chun then bought the things he wanted and now proceeded to her original appointed place.
The bell rang as they went in the small flowershop, the smell has a refreshing feel of flowers. By instincts, her butler hidden himself.
"Old Nana! I'm here, your Chun!" She yelled as she joyfully walked around the shop.
"Chun? The great young master?!" A melodic voice replied from the back of the displayed flowers. A mid-fifties woman with her short stature walked out. She was plump and short, wearing her apron and gloves with scissors on her hands.
Old Nana was the former caretaker of the Chun family household garden. She resigned because she wanted to be with her granddaughter who was in Willow City, studying at Harconia Institute.
She smiled as she greeted Chun, putting down the scissors and gloves, she opened her arms and hugged the young man.
"I miss you, old Nana," Chun sentimentally whispered at her.
"I miss you, too, Chun," she unclasped her arms with teary eyes and smiled.
"How's your father?"
"He's 'busy' as usual," Chun simply stated.
Old Nana laughed and grinned with a hint of mischievousness on her eyes. They bonded for hours until the sun got down and a ring from the bell got their attention.
"Grandma, I have brought you your fertilizer and I bought from the near merchant stall a new dis---" the young girl who was about the same age of Chun suddenly stopped from what she was talking as she stared starry-eyed at the handsome young man that got her attention.
The display pot that she was talking of, dropped on the floor, creating a breaking noise.
"Serine! What are you doing?!" Old Nana exclaimed as she helped her off the broken pot.
"Don't step on it! Chun, can you get a broom and a dustpan from the back?" Chun obliged while Serine was still dumbstrucked, her eyes were following the every movements of the youth.
They cleaned the broken pot and Old Nana put it away.
Serine smiled at the youth, absentmindedly while treating her like a customer.
"Young master, what flower would you like to see?" She cordially asked.
Chun was surprised to her treatment but played along with it, "Hmm. I like sunflowers."
"Sunflowers are good, they bloom like sunshines. Are these for your lover?" She was smiling yet frowning at her last statement.
"No. They're more suited with you," the young man winked, making the heart of the innocent girl flatter.
"Hey! Great young master, stop fooling around!" Old Nana cutted off the game of the youth and scolded her for messing young women's heart.
Chun cheekily smiled at the older woman and nodded at Serine.
"By the way, my granddaughter, Serine. And Serine, this is Chun, my former master's third son."
Old Nana introduced them. Serine chatted at the young man with joy as she interviewed the youth about her love life. The young man enjoyed her time on the flower shop as she bid goodbye.
"Art, I want to eat a big full meal of braised chicken and noodles," Chun talked to her butler in her mind as she walked through the crowded commerce street.
"Yes, young lord. I'll prepare it when we get back," the butler replied.
The day passed away and morning came. A new day for the seventeen-year old instructor.
The silver haired youth first went to the headmaster's office for formality and discussion about handling the investigation class which was also called the Minds, the name of their group. Chun also met the indiffirent Master Quin there who was the vice headmaster of the institute.
After she finished the formalities, she went out with Quin. They talked about the Minds on the way because Quin was their temporary instructor for half a year so the youth exchanged pointers with him.
Inside the class hall.
They waited for their instructor in tense state. They're all prepared for any attacks from the young man.
The double doors opened and Chun greeted them.
"So serious. What's up with the mood?"
All of them just stared at the youth, not responding.
"Alright then. I have our first mission here," while hearing this, they perked up from their sitting position and listened carefully to what their instructor would say.
The lights went dimmed and the open-projection litted up. It displayed a face that was familiar to all.
"Yu Ali Na," Rye whispered with a blank face.
"All of you know her. Let's proceed, this mission will be entitled Who is who," Chun started.
"Teacher, what do you mean by Who is who?" Li Li asked while holding her doll.
"Who is who? Yes. The title of the case is related to what we are solving."
"We'll be finding out the culprit?" Terra inquired.
"That maybe the case," the youth said while nodding, "But first, we will do a profiling for the suspect," she continued.
They nodded as they listened intensely.