〄 cave

@☵ Hwang Hyunjin Sungkyu chuckles as he heard the man words and the slightly muffled yawn. He was now sure that the merman need some rest.

"It's okay. Go get some sleep or something. You can take the bed in the chamber next to you," he said while starting preparing all ingredients that he will cook. And looking at the amount of it, it will need some time to finish cooking it.

"Well, hopefully he can wait slightly for the food to be done, then," he murmured softly to himself as he started to cook.

Almost one hour later, he finally finished. He sighed and stretched; groaning lowly when he heard the satisfying pop. Looking around, he smiled proudly. A plenty of dishes all ready to be devoured.

One by one he bring all the plates into the initial chamber while looking for Hyunjin. "Food is ready~"

@❖ Kim Sunggyu "Soup is fine with me," Hyunjin shrugged, honestly not really caring about what he got to eat as long as he got some food into his stomach. He was way too hungry and being locked in a goddamn treasure chest was not his favourite.

"You sure?" he asked and a yawn did escape his lips. He huffed slightly and shrugged then. happens, he did rest in the chest but sleep was nothing he had gotten within the last few hours. He stretched a bit, glad he could move a bit.

"I can always get you some fish or seaweed. If that is what you need to cook."

@☵ Hwang Hyunjin "I see... then how about some soup? what do you want to eat? I will see if I have the ingredients here," he said while nodded.

"It's okay. I can manage. You can rest up while I'm cooking. Pretty sure you are tired right now," he added before walking out of the chamber; taking a big bag with him.

Whistling some tune, he then turned to the right where he put all the stock and started to gather the ingredients needed.

@❖ Kim Sunggyu "Oh, that is quite some food," Hyunjin said surprised, not having expected the other to have this much food but definitely not disliking it. After all he was quite hungry and just eating raw fish for the forseeable future and the last few weeks he was really not looking forward to it again. So some other food was very welcoming. "Sounds like a small menu to me." He wanted warm, not raw food, that was all he was looking for.

Surprised he looked when the other handed him a shirt, pants and even a blanket. He blinked and then put the blanket around his fin before he - finally - changed into his human form, two very long, slender legs appearing.
"Thanks, it does," he mumbled and put on the pants, not bothering yet to put on the shirt.

"Please do. Do you know how to cook or do you need help?" He tilted his head curiously.

@☵ Hwang Hyunjin Sungkyu receive the scale and put it carefully on his special pouch again after thanking the merman. He stood there and listen intently to his words as he thinking of the menu for his cooking; a simple, easy to cook but delicious and fulfilling. He was sure the merman has been starving.

"Well, I think I still have some ramyeon, sandwich, salad, and probably will make fried rice too. Do you want more?" He asked Hyunjin with head tilted slightly; thinking more menu he can come up to.

"Ah, yeah, clothes! I forgot! Wait here!" he said and went out to one of the chamber that he usually put his clothes and get back to where the merman be after finished selecting the clothes suitable for the merman.

"Well, I hope this will help." he said while give the shirt, pants, and a blanket to Hyunjin.

"I'm going to cook now, yeah?"

@❖ Kim Sunggyu "Okay," Hyunjin nodded and checked his scales, eventually finding another lose one and handing it to Sungkyu as well. "There you go," he hummed and his lips, looking at the other. He had a lot of scales that would fall loose, especially after such an adventure. Being stuck in a goddamn treasure chest.

"Mhm, sounds nice. Give them food, give them money. I mean whatever they need I guess?" He shrugged slightly and looked at the other. "I am always hungry, sure. What do you have you could cook?" He had by now finished his food and looked at Sungkyu. "Also I dont know how long I was in the chest so yeah, I'm hungry."
He sighed and looked at the other. "Do you have some spare clothes? Or like... a cape or so?"

@☵ Hwang Hyunjin Sungyu looked at the merman and saluted him. "You have my words. I promise to not tell anyone about it." He said and finally put the scale carefully inside his pouch. The special one when he put all that he considered as treasures.

"That's great too. We can buy some food and other necessities and give it to them while also give them some money. I think they will need some money too." He nodded while stand up and brushing his clothes. He look at the merman once again and smiled.

"Talking about food make me hungry. I will cook something for us to eat. So, what do you want?"

@❖ Kim Sunggyu "I am sure I have some more," Hyunjin mumbled and then nodded, letting the other keep the scale. "So do not worry. Just... just do not tell anyone I am the mermaid that gave it to you." Because the more people knew about him being the mermaid the more dangerous it was for him. And he really could not risk that.

"Sounds good," Huynjin hummed and ate somre more of the food, relaxing as well. "Yeah, maybe buy some food instead too. But we will see about it, I guess." He did not really care if he was honest, money, food, clothes, whatever it was the people needed.

@☵ Hwang Hyunjin Sunggyu look back at the merman and tilted his head slightly while raised an eyebrow. He then look at the man stretched hand and the scale in it.

"It's really okay?" he asked to make sure while scooting closer toward the man and then extended his hand to take it and inspect it carefully. "Wow, this is cool~"

He was so into the scale that he almost missed the merman words. "Huh? Oh..." He nodded his head as he pick another strawberry and pop it into his mouth.

"The jewelry will be, but we can always sell it first before give them the money." He added while back to inspecting the scale again.

@❖ Kim Sunggyu A huff left Hyunjin's lips. "I will not die this easily," he complained though the grumble his stomach was making clearly told otherwise. He hurriedly started to eat, clearly not having eaten for hours. He could easily catch them some fish and eat it raw but that would mean using his powers and he was not sure if he could so easily do that then. He listened to the other and nodded then. "That is why I said 'loose'," Hyunjin reminded him and checked his scales. He noticed one that was not really attached to him anymore, a new one already shimmering faintly under it so he carefully took it from his fin, handing it over. "There, you can have it."

Tilting his head he listened to the other, a huff leaving his lips. "To the poor, mh?" he mumbled and shook his head. "I think they would need food and homes more than the jewelry inside the chest." He had seen how the people had begged for it and it was not a surprise to him.

@☵ Hwang Hyunjin "Yes, you can of course. I have another kind, but we have to cook and it's certainly not the time since you may keel over and die from hunger." He said while giving the merman the bread and the strawberry and then back to where he was seated.

"Merman scales is indeed unique thing and quite pricey actually. I'll be happy to receive it for free. But, if it's still attached to your body, then no. I will receive it if it has fallen down tho." He commented while taking out another pack of strawberries from his pouch.

He munched on it while looking at the chest, tracing the pattern and found it have unique pattern to it.

"Well, if we both don't need the money, we can always give it to the poor. But I think I'll take the chest itself, since it has the pattern on it." He said while nodding to himself.

@❖ Kim Sunggyu "Yeah, scale me alive. Collect my tears maybe too," Hyunjin said and looked at the other, shrugging. It would not be the first time people did that to merpeople and it was scary. He hated how greedy people were.

Shaking his head Hyunjin looked at the other. Was he a demon? A human? He wasn't too sure about it. "No, I don't need it," he said softly and looked at the chest. "I have enough money don't worry. I can give you one of my lose scales, if you see such things as unique?" Now he was curious. He didn't mind when his scales were lose, he sometimes sold them himself after all, but never the ones that were really tight to his body. It hurt like .

Surprise Hyunjin looked at the other and blinked, his lips. "Can I really have that?" he asked and looked at the food. He was hungry as heck and hearing his stomach grumble. His cheeks blushed and he looked away shyly. "Both is fine. I like both." He just was really damn hungry.

@☵ Hwang Hyunjin Sungkyu stared at the merman with a mouth agape; slightly shocked hearing Hyunjin's answer.

"What? scale you? alive?" he asked bewildered; the opened strawberry pack lay forgotten. Why people get so greedy and so readily murder people just for money?

"That's really crazy." he mumbled. "Nah, my aim is to collect unique things anyway. So, if you want you can keep it." He said while shrugging. He pick the chest just because he was intrigued and to check whether it has something that he can keep and add to his collections.

The sound of rumbling stomach make Sungkyu aware that the merman was hungry. He then rummaged his pocket once again and pulling out a loaf of bread. Nothing much but well, it can quench the merman hunger.

"Well, it seems, the food is priority." He said while scooted closer to the merman and offer him the bread. "It's nothing much, but it's edible. Or do you want strawberry?" He add while picking up the opened pack.

@❖ Kim Sunggyu "It's normal for people to try and scale me, it gives almost as much money as the gold you have in this chest," Hyunjin said as he glanced at the gold. "You can keep it, by the way." He hummed softly and looked at Sungkyu.

"Honestly... I am not sure," Hyunjin admitted and looked around. His stomach started rumbling and he blushed. Well, clearly he was hungry. How embarrassing.

@☵ Hwang Hyunjin Sungkyu shrugged. It was a normal thing to do to take a precaution against stranger. And he was indeed a stranger.

"No problem. It's a normal reaction." He answered and take a seat a bit faraway from the merman.

"So, Hyunjin?" He paused and take out a pack of strawberries from his pouch then start munching on it. "Now that you know that you're stranded here, what will you do?" He asked while tilting his head.

@❖ Kim Sunggyu Carefully Hyunjin touched the water, relaxing some more as it made him feel a lot better. He had been in the chest for quite a while already so he was quite dehydrated. He tilted his head and looked at the other. "I don't know," he admitted and frowned. "Probably. Otherwise I would not be here." Neither would the chest be, but Sungkyu was right. He surely was not any harm.

"Nice... to meet you, I guess?" he said, not sure if it was really nice as it meant he was so far away from wherever he really belonged. He frowned. "I did not expect to end somewhere here. Sorry, I thought you wanted to harm me," he then said. It was not a rarity, after all he was a merman.

@☵ Hwang Hyunjin Sungkyu winced a bit when the merman answered; the man near shouting voice is a bit too much for his sensitive ear. Moreover, the voice became a bit enhanced since they are inside the cave; making his ear ringing for a minute.

"Wow, easy, man," he mumbled as he avoided the swing of the merman fin while rubbing his ear after he put down the pail and then step back.

"Ah, is that so? I found the chest on the shore though. Did you get in before it get drifted to the shore?" He asked while tilted his head. "Oh, and I'm Sungkyu, by the way. Kim Sungkyu."

@❖ Kim Sunggyu "I am ing where?" Near the mountains? Where the was that? Last time he had checked he had been in the ocean so why was he here? He frowned and looked at the other. That was a ing disaster, why had this happened?

"Who cares who asked first!" Hyunjin growled, his fin swiffing close to the other in a way to keep him away. But then he saw that the other was getting some vessel with water and it surprised him. He had to admit he felt weak from the lack of water. He knew he could stay in this form on land for a while but he was a lot weaker than he usually was.

"I'm Hyunjin," he then said and carefully got closer towards the water. It wasn't too much but at least it was something. age carefully touched the water, relaxing a bit as even just the touch made him feel less dehydrated. "Hwang Hyunjin." He huffed slightly and there was a small pout, the tension disappearing from his body. "I was hiding in the chest from a monster. Son of a , always tried to get me. But the chest locked itself and I uh... I kinda took a nap?" Because he had been too exhausted after trying to get it open for hours.

@☵ Hwang Hyunjin "You are in a cave near the mountain." Sungkyu answered as he righted himself. He squinted his eyes more and frowned when he saw the creature. A merman? What a merman doing inside the chest?

"You answer me. I'm the one who asked you first." He muttered. After all, it was rare to find water creature roaming on the land. He then stand up and sauntered toward the corner of the cave; taking a big pail with water inside it then put it near the chest. He didn't know how long the man was inside the chest and probably dying from the lack of water.

"So, who are you and what the are you doing there?"

@❖ Kim Sunggyu The suddenly loud voice made Hyunjin hide back in the chest, curling into the gold. His eyes were wide and there was clear fear in his eyes - he had only shortly seen his surroundings and holy , where the was he? Taking a shaky breath he glanced out of the chest and saw the creature in front of him.

"Where the am I?" Hyunjin asked and grimaced - his body felt awkwardly dry and he could feel his fin craving some water. He huffed and sat up properly, his chest still a slight bit wet from before but slowly drying too. "Who the hecka re you?"

@☵ Hwang Hyunjin Sungkyu was looking into the chest intently for the key before the lid suddenly opened and a pair of eyes was seen between the gap; surprising him that he almost throw a stone toward it. Luckily, he refrained himself and managed to catch the stone back as he moved backward.

"OMG! !" He shouted as he backed away slightly; hand on his chest trying to calm his erratic heart. And as he slowly calmed down, he leaned and squinted trying to distinguish the figure.

"What the are you doing there?!"

Jongin’s wounded leg finally recovered after a few days of resting in an abandoned cottage— but he couldn’t stay there for too long, it was too unsafe- he had almost encountered another hunter around the area. He’d fight them only if he were strong enough, but now he’s still too weak. So he left and moved to a more secluded area where he hoped no one would disturb him.

His instinct led him to a cave, empty, spacious, and seemingly hunter-proof, seated high above tall rocky walls, overlooking the whole forest. Jongin didn’t waste any more time, and in his panther form (thankfully), climbed down the cave to collect sticks and branches and brought them back inside the cave. He then began moving large rocks, pushing them with his paws and head to stack them up and cover the entrance of the cave, only making enough space for him to slip inside and peek outside to see surroundings in case of dangers or preys. It’s a simple den for now, but Jongin could not wait to morph back into his human form to make fire and make the place look just a little bit like home.

@❖ Kim Sunggyu Hyunjin had been one unlucky guy. He had just wanted to explore the ship for a bit and now here he was, caught in this goddamn chest and unable to get out. The pirate ship had been beautiful and full of things he had wanted to explore - and then he had seen this goddamn sea monster that had been after him for a while now so all Hyunjin had done had been hiding in the chest - and just in typical Hyunjin manner, he had fallen asleep.

Only when the chest had started to move he had woken up, trying to get the chest open - but it seemed to be locked. Locked or maybe just unable to open. Hissing he tried to open it, the chest stuck as it seemed. Sleeping on top of golden coins had not been his smartest idea, however it had kept his safe from that disgusting creature.

A growl left his lips before he tried to open the chest again - and finally the top lifted, not entirely but a bit. He glanced through the open spot and huffed. Where the heck was he?

@☵ Hwang Hyunjin Sungkyu entered the cave while hauling a treasure chest and whistling happily. Today seems to be a good and lucky day for him. He put down the chest carefully as a big grin adorned his face.

"Today seems to be a big catch, eh," mumbled to himself as he sit down; examinating the chest and tracing its intricate patterns with his forefinger. It was the pattern that intrigued him to steal the box in the first place, the treasure inside is just a bonus.

"Okay, now, how about we open the box?" He said to himself as he lift his hand, intending to open the chest before realizing that something was amiss.

"Huh? Where's the key?"