❛ Strawberry Fields

@[G] Park Chorong Jieun let out an inaudible sigh and wondered why had her Goddess mother never have any more babies,coughing to interrupt her thoughts just in case she could really read her mind and go off to make more children. It was enough to have demigods all around in the camp and the number was too overwhelming for her after being in a cabin alone for such a long time.

Heading over to the now-empty table, she took her seat and thought of coke as the glass magically appeared and filled itself with what she wanted before she started to eat her meal. She looked left and right, seeing some tables filled with kids and some left untouched. Again, she felt the pangs of loneliness and sadness over being the inhabitant of the cabin and also missing Yongguk so much.

"It can't be helped..", she mumbled as she placed a piece of bacon into , her eyes focusing on the food before her only and not anywhere else.

@[G] Song Jieun Chorong searched for four hours straight. From the Archery Fields back at the strawberries, she found no sign of Jieun. The pout in her lips didn't fade. "Why people kept on hiding at me?" She kicked the loose wheel from the wreck of the vehicle. On cue, her stomach growled. She sighed and walked towards the pavilion.

When she arrived at the pavilion, she quickly went into line to get dinner. After getting one, she walked towards the table of Cabin 5. As usual, the table she's in was noisy. And it gets noisier everyday. She glanced around and find Jieun at her table. The fortune goddess should sire more children, she thought.

Just like Jieun, she thought, she, too is alone. Chorong may have brothers, but she thought about having a sister. Yes, she did want a sister, because she's the only female who's living in Cabin 5. And it's awkward.

She sighed again, and began eating with her brothers. She just had to wait and be patient.

@[G] Park Chorong Jieun hid behind a tree trunk and squatted down, waiting for the passing voice to go away. All those running had caused her breathing difficulties and it was fortunate that she had this chance to get whatever oxygen she lost back. Why was this girl chasing her? What did she wanted from her? Is she going to ask about Yongguk seeing how they were half-siblings?

Sighing, she waited and waited until she felt that she was completely gone before she checked the clearings and headed back to the camp. It was nearly time for the meal and she was totally hungry. Jieun felt a bit fidgety as she headed to the place where everyone would be eating and lined up too to get the dinner. And of course, avoiding the Ares kids.

@[G] Song Jieun "Jieun-ah~" Chorong whined. She had to stop running to catch her breath. Wow, it's been a long time since she ran that long. Once she caught her breath, she looked around, trying to find the female. But she was nowhere to be found. This made her pout. All she wanted was to befriend her, especially she's special to her half-brother.

Sighing, she started walking, continuing her search for the same female once again.

As she walked, she can't help but to think why Jieun ran away from her. And when she find her, she will ask about it. It will be added to the list of questions she will ask at the female.

@[G] Park Chorong Jieun scrambled quickly to the nearest spot she could and nearly tripped over her own feet. Another Ares child, she thought to herself and frowned slightly. Why an Ares child of all kids? What did she do now..?

"Jieun-sshi! Wait! Jieun-sshi! Hold on a sec."

The other female's voice interrupted her thoughts and she remembered why she was running away. Soon her feet picked themselves up and started running to just anywhere which was actually the river nearby. Ridiculous choice but she had nowhere to run to and she don't really want to go back to the lonely cabin again.

@[G] Song Jieun "Erm.. I have to go."

Chorong was confused. Watching her scurry away from her makes her confused. She leaned on her side, and sniffed. Surely, she took a bath twice. But something inside her pulled her up and shushed her to chase the female.

She knew about the female. Song Jieun from the Cabin 19, a sire of Tyche. And she's her half-brother's girlfriend. She badly wanted to meet the female but she seems too distant with everyone else. She can't even ask her brother to let him meet her because they rarely talk.

Before she knew it, she was chasing her. She felt the urge to know her more. She forgot about the child of Hephaestus, which was now being scolded by the satyrs, and ran as fast as she could to reach her.

"Jieun-sshi!" She called out, "Wait! Jieun-sshi! Hold on a sec."

@[G] Park Chorong Jieun smiled at the nearly-ripe strawberries and heard some weird noise from somewhere but paid no attention to it. She only focused on the strawberries and heard some shouting before she finally looked up, seeing some thing coming at her. Out of nowhere and not fully prepared, someone had already pulled her out of the way and all Jieun could was just to watch it go past by. Geez, another work of the Hephaestus's children. Why could they just stop making things? Standing up, she grumbled and dusted the dirt off her clothes and turned to face her savior.

"Thank you for saving me. Now I have-", she looked up to face the other and blinked, seeing that it was Chorong, Yongguk's half-sister. She had been trying to avoid the Ares cabin and also his half-siblings so that she would not been reminded about him. "Erm.. I have to go." She smiled weakly and bowed, before trying to scurry away to somewhere,wherever her feet could take her to.

@[G] Song Jieun The past week has been hell to Chorong. Too much drama, boredom and the like. Her brother is at a quest, and just the thought of it makes her jealous. Why can't she have that kind of experience? Well, she knew her brother was capable of doing it, but can her other siblings see the same way they see her brother. Aigoo, too much drama, indeed. Sighing, she just let her feet take her to places. And it took her to the vast strawberry fields. The scent of the almost ripe strawberries brought her here, too. Chorong smiled as she knew that the satyrs had done well in keeping the fields neat and took cared of.

As she walked, she noticed someone, crouching and touching one. Is she a caretaker of the fields, too? She thought to herself. She started walking towards her, thinking of making a conversation with the female. But something stopped her. A loud cranking noise coming at them. Chorong looked at the source of the sound, and saw smoke. She thought it was a train, but as the object gets nearer, she noticed it was another of the children of Hephaestus' transportation inventions. A mix of train and four-wheeled vehicle in one.

She stepped back, not wanting to get hit by it. But she thought about the female on the bush. She looked closely at the vehicle, and she realized it was going on a straight direction, towards the female. The child of Hephaestus in the vehicle flailed and started shouting that their invention is out of control. Chorong ran towards the female and pulled her out of the way. The child of Hephaestus jumped at one of the bushes, and they witnessed the vehicle crashed at the bushes. She frowned and gazed at the crushed strawberries. The child will be in big trouble once Mr. D knew about this incident.

@[G] Park Chorong Jieun walked softly over to the strawberry fields, wanting to see whether the strawberries had been growing well or not and perhaps getting a strawberry or two as her meal. She had never been eating so well ever since her love had been on a quest and to make things worse, he had not been contacting her ever. Knowing that it was no use to bother him while being on quest, she had chosen to stay in the holdings of her cabin. The female was the only occupant of the cabin and it had been too quiet, too lonely, too eerie to be in there alone. She had envied other cabins who had more than one and wondered if Tyche really never mated so much compared to other gods. With so much thoughts going in and out of her head and sometimes talking to herself, she found herself at the fields and walked to the nearest lane and squatted down to examine the strawberries.

They seemed so plump, red and round that they were almost ready for the harvest, had it not that the leaves had yet to be pointing upwards. That was when it was the sweetest at the point to be eaten. Grinning to herself, she d one and examined another as if they were children of her own. May the gods bless her. From any outsider's perspective, she looked really retarded. [ I didn't meant to be so bad but hey, did she look like that? Save her, somebody! Back to the topic ] Jieun now had wondered about his whereabouts and slowly started to hate how she seemed to be stuck in this camp,letting out a huge sigh.

@[R] Jang Dongwoo Dongwoo didn't seem to mind that Sojin was a little like a statue - quite unresponsive and quiet. It was all right, though. It was Sojin's nature to be so, and it was refreshing to have someone so unconditionally cheerful around her. At least Sojin knew Dongwoo meant genuine friendship.

"I can sense it," he says, and Sojin simply nods. It was one of his powers. Sojin doesn't press further because she didn't understand that much about plants. However, she thinks that if a power related to plants can make a guy so cheerful and innocent, even around the usual apathetic her, then maybe she should make the effort to learn more.

Did anyone ever tell Dongwoo that he had a really nice smile? It was a weird thought, but it does pass Sojin's mind. It was enough to make her smile a little more openly at him. The way he says her name so happily makes Sojin feel more at home, something she felt in Camp Jupiter but not with other Romans. Sojin crosses her legs, still sitting on the ground and facing a very green strawberry plant.

"Not within your abilities?" Sojin muses more than asks. She had her fair share of weaknesses. It was natural not to be perfect. She laughs quietly along with Dongwoo, shaking her head after. "Aren't you cute. I guess I'm okay, but there are tons of demigods better than me," she half-smiles.

Sojin could see that Dongwoo was a bit uncomfortable with the topic. However, she did want to try something. Would it really harm to try? "Hmm," she hums, "what would you do if something happens to these plants?"

@[R] Jang Dongwoo Sojin had successfully grabbed the other's attention. She felt a bit sorry to disturb him, since he looked so reverent in his silence, but she had already done what she had done. He looked quite - scared? - of her though, judging by the way he bows his head. Did she really give off that unapproachable vibe?

However, the intimidation doesn't seem to bother the boy as he moves towards her quickly, visibly excited. Sojin still wasn't used to human interaction, so she slightly moves back, surprised.

"Do you like plants as well?" and "You like nature, don't you?", he says, and the look of pure innocence and happiness on his face makes Sojin want to say yes. She never really thought about nature. When she was a kid and couldn't control her powers that well, she burned flowers. She was sure that little fact about her would cause the other to hate her, judging by his love of plants, so she settles for a nod.

The boy's attention goes back to the plants. Sojin looks at him, and then at the flowers, but obviously, she couldn't see what he could. There was a desolate expression on his face. Sojin couldn't understand why; all she saw were just strawberries.

The little outburst from him causes Sojin to chuckle. He didn't have to be embarrassed about his thoughts. It was quite cute actually, how he phrased his last statement. "How do you know that they're sad?" she tilts her head. She knew children of Ceres had special affinity to nature, but she didn't quite know what they did with nature.

"Park Sojin, daughter of Vulcan. It's nice to meet you, Dongwoo," Sojin tries to match the smile on Dongwoo's face. It was a lovely smile, she must admit, but she still had a hard time being friendly with others. "So, Dongwoo, why can't you make the plants happy?" she asks, her blunt nature peeping through.

@[G] Kim Dani “You sound as if you don’t like being a daughter of your mother,” he murmurs to himself, although not sure if it was loud enough for the other to hear. He was somehow right—she looked pretty basic to be happy with her parentage. Noticing how she had said ‘unfortunately’, maybe she really is not happy to be a child of Aphrodite. It’s sort of fascinating for Myungsoo, since he thinks all of her demigods had always liked having all the beauty and fabulousness and all that stuff.

“And, yes, I am.” He says and shrugs.

He’s not going to proceed and ask how she found out about it, because let’s face it, his aura and approach on people just always seemed to do the work of introducing his godly parent.

@[R] Jang Dongwoo For Sojin, the Greek camp wasn't all that bad, after a few days of adjustment, but it was nowhere close to home. There was always this air of danger, as if the Greeks could be right there, behind the bushes or the trees, waiting to attack on their home base. Sojin doesn't particularly like sleeping in the cabins - sure, it was roomy, but it was almost like she was making herself vulnerable in another's territory.

Deciding that she needed to stop seeing so much negativity in the camp, she opts to go to one of the more refreshing places in Camp Half-Blood. Strawberries, though she wasn't too fond of eating them, are always a pretty sight. Also, since there were very few Romans, she could have enough alone time to appreciate them.

Upon arriving though, Sojin realizes that another Roman had beat her to it. Curious, she sees that it is one of the newcomers in their camp. She wasn't quite able to catch his name. She finds herself approaching him, noticing how he seemed to be talking to himself - or the plants.

Definitely talking to the plants. Sojin wonders why he seemed so sad though. Did he not have powers to care for the plants? Normally, Sojin would mind her own business and leave him be, but something about his gentle nature draws her in.

Sojin sits a few meters away from him, facing one of the plants. She takes one of the leaves carefully in her hand, stowing away her power of heat. She turns her head towards him and calls out.

"Hey."

@[G] Kim Dani There was something that this girl had—something strange enough to tick Myungsoo’s interest box on. If she isn’t that special, then he doesn’t really know why that’s the case. But maybe it was mainly because he didn’t loathe her the first time he’s seen her, knowing that she’s an Aphrodite kid. The male has the tendency to get pissed off by the goddess’ kids just by even… existing.

Myungsoo looks to his side as he walks to her direction, seemingly admiring the field. He didn’t want to look like he was aiming for her, of course. Maybe a little interaction wouldn’t hurt, the male thinks, stepping on cracking leaves beneath his feet. If, she doesn’t run away from him in intimidation and fright, that is. He just tends to scare off people, like it was a stupid innate talent.

Finally, he stops walking when he reaches her side. Myungsoo swallows a bit before speaking, hoping his tone wouldn’t come out awkwardly. “Hey,” he starts smoothly. “You’re an Aphrodite kid, right?” the half-blood says calmly as he puts on a pleasant, if not bright expression on his face. At least it would help distract her from his aura…

@[G] Kim Dani Kicking stones nonchalantly in his walkway, Myungsoo looks ahead only to astound himself once more seeing the vast expanse of plump strawberries laid out in front of him. Beautiful day to be out, he concludes. It is not expected of him to freely take a stroll out but he surprisingly did, since sometimes, the blank and dark walls of his room in the cabin and the steamy and the overly somber setting of the underworld make him stupidly even more lifeless than he already is.

Myungsoo decides to walk through a narrow path, looking down at the glistening berries with the vivid rays of sunlight shining on them. The demigod doesn’t know if his aura had something to do with the death of crops, but just to be sure, he doesn’t touch them. As much as Myungsoo wants to secretly pick one out, he needs to avoid making such offenses. Taking a few more light steps ahead, the ground feels ironically foreign to his feet. He’s been in the camp for more than a year, but it was stupid to realize that he has only been there a few times. Myungsoo shakes his head to himself, looking at the widely stretched landscape.

He looks up, then around, thinking that he’s almost close to the middle of the field. Turning back, he spots a thin female camper taking a walk as well. The sunlight deems him almost unable to see, making him cover his eyes and squint. Myungsoo walks back, and when he’s close enough, he recognizes her as one of the Aphrodite’s children—the one he’s oddly neutral to. Myungsoo admittedly resents the goddess’ offsprings (and probably the goddess as well) for their lavish lifestyle and unnecessary sass. But this one, with a vaguely-known persona, is seemingly different from the others…

@[G] Lee Yejin --- end of scene, continues to cabin 16 ---

@[G] Kim Sunggyu Ailee pulled her head back when Sunggyu spoke, though her arms were still wrapped around his frame. She saw the track his tear made, and this one, she wiped with one of her hands - momentarily disconnecting one from his waist while her other arm refused to let go.

"Yah... stop crying already. I am back just as you are."

She continued to look at the demigod's face while being in the embrace - tight and unlike the way it began just a few moments ago.

It can easily be misconstrued or misunderstood, but what else is there to misconstrue? They were two people who treasured each other, friends who ultimately depended on each other.

Tears no longer fell from Ailee's eyes, but the sentiment is there. They were back. They were together. They were on each others' side again. That was what mattered.

What is there to misunderstand?

@[G] Lee Yejin She still fall into his arms, just like that. She still tightened the embrace herself when he wasn't brave enough to do so just because he liked herㅡloved her, even.

And she still call him that way.

Ailee was a beautiful young woman now, her now-longer locks more defined, her voice smoother, and her eyes now able to /really/ drew him in; but with the way the pet name she gave him just slipped like that past her lips, Sunggyu just knew that little girl was there.

Because his heart just skipped a beat or two, and it was now ramming inside his chest, and he was /again/ smiling shyly, and and and... gah.

"I'm here." was all he could say as he tightened the embrace himself, and he really was.

"I'm back."

And another tear rolled down his cheek.

@[G] Kim Sunggyu A soft smile crossed Ailee's features as she felt Sunggyu's skin brush away her tears, and looking at his face, the female saw a younger version of him - one that's chubbier, boyish, but one whose eyes never changed. Aside from it being small as it always was when they were just kids, those were the eyes that always looked at her with concern - those eyes who would gaze at her softly whenever they were together.

Just a blink of her eyes changed her whole perspective. Just one look at Sunggyu the next moment showed every change he carried. His features were a bit sharper, his smile a bit more prominent even when it was faint, his hair changing color... for a second, Ailee felt like she couldn't be able to catch up to the changes in the demigod.

But it seems that no matter how much time passed, he was still that boy in the rooftop because when he pulled her into a loose hug, she found herself falling into his arms and closing her eyes.

Her heartbeats picked up pace, a small blush tinted her cheeks, and her arms instinctively tightened the embrace.

"Gyu-yah..." she called him by the pet name she did back when they were still kids, after so long.

She missed this.

And as she tightened her embrace even more, her heart nudged her with the way her heartbeats quickened.

You love him. You still do. You never stopped, even if you forgot.

But she couldn't say those words yet, not when someone like Myungjae was about to enter her life again.

One day, she'll manage to tell him.

She definitely will.

Just not now.

@[G] Lee Yejin If it isn't too late, then another chance was the best he could get, right?

Sunggyu was still weak, but he pushed himself to stand upㅡand the first thing he did after that was to reach up to Ailee's cheek and wiped her tears.

"I told you once that you can cry in front of me..."

And with a faint smile, he just pull her into a loose hugㅡhe was just being careful because they're grown-ups now, and a hug could seriously be misinterpreted, but honestly, he himself felt the same.

He was back, too.

@[G] Kim Sunggyu Unfortunately, time never stopped being a vital part of Ailee. Especially not with the things she experienced in life. It was only her memory that fell asleep, but not the rest of her mind, not her body, not her soul.

Holding Sunggyu's hand that moment felt doubly sentimental for the female, because somehow, it felt as if the kids were holding hands again, the schoolmates were back on the rooftop, and... the young her was back.

Pulling the demigod back to his feet again, another tear fell from her cheek, but she didn't make a move to wipe it. That tear was no longer because she was hurt or sad.

She cried because after such a long time... /finally/... it felt as if she was back.

@[G] Lee Yejin Weirdly, the reason why Sunggyu, particularly, could say that... was because time was nothing for him. He was already frozen in sleep for years, and so he stays unchanged withinㅡeven if time passed.

He knew it was not possible to go back to being children anymore, which was why he just smiled sadly the moment Ailee said no. But what he /really/ meant was... it seemed that she had answered it herself.

Slowly, he reached towards her hand and held it gently, his eyes not leaving hers.

And he nodded once, a similarly weak - or if shy was a better way to term it - smile on his features.

"Just what I ask for."

@[G] Kim Sunggyu Ailee looked down sadly and shook her head. "We can't, sadly."

Time was something that one could never catch, that nobody can ever go back to because it was already gone. The only thing constant in this world is change, so people say, and things will never be exactly the way it was with every second passing.

"But..."

Walking just two steps to stand where Sunggyu sat, Ailee held out her hand - no longer the hand of the child that the male ate with on the rooftop, no longer the kid herself.

But deep within that hand of a woman, still there in the depths of her heart, is the soul of the girl who learned to love him even back in the days of childhood.

"... we can always relive the memories of the past... here in the present."

And somehow, a weak smile still crossed her features as she glued her eyes to the demigod's.

@[G] Lee Yejin And another down his.

Sunggyu doubted he could trust... but then again, if he couldn't trust her, he could never trust anyone else.

Because last time /he/ checked, his heart was already bound to a certain girl with lovely long locks, who gave him chocolate notes for Valentine.

Because he felt nothing like how he was with her, when he was with anyone else.

And slowly, he met her eyes with his glazed ones... and just looked at her.

"Can we go back in time?"

@[G] Kim Sunggyu She didn't tell him. But the events that unfolded told everything. Of course, she remembered him first. The time her head first hurt in her cabin... he was everything she remembered.

But then again, things are different now.

So, with her eyes trained on Sunggyu as she stood up and looked down at him, she let her hand go to her chest - right where her heart is - and spoke.

"Because the young me give this one heart I have to people I know who will take care of it, one who I could call friend."

She tightened her hold on her chest, letting a tear fall down her cheek unbrushed.

"And the last time I checked, there was only one. Even if we were far apart, and I forgot about him."

She swallowed.

"Because that moment when I first remembered him back at my cabin, after all these years, what I felt for that person as kid... came back. Just like that. And I knew I treasured him more than anyone else."

It didn't matter anymore that she forgot, because as long as she remembered him again, it was enough. Because she knew who stayed with her when she needed someone to.

Another tear rolled down her cheek.

@[G] Lee Yejin "How do you expect me to know the answer?"

Because he didn't.

"I cannot read your mind. How can I even know who you remembered first? When I never really knew you forget things as well?"

She never told him that, after all.

And his voice, which had begun to tremble, shook even more.

"And when it's him who found you, why would he not replace me?"

For all he knew, Ailee could've cried for anything. He wouldn't know exactly why.

He was still not looking at her, but the pain, the bitterness, seeped in his tone.

"When I'm never there /all the years/... when could he not?"

He didn't know why he was this... bitter. Maybe he was just angry with the circumstance, maybe he was just angry at... himself. Honestly, he didn't know. Maybe he was just pushing the blame to Myungjae because he had always been jealous of that oh-so-perfect boy.

Maybe.

@[G] Kim Sunggyu "In the first place..." Ailee began, looking down at the ground. "... when I didn't remember you, I didn't remember him."

It was true, though. The whole time that she didn't remember Sunggyu, she didn't remember anybody else either. Everything being revealed that evening was the only reason why somehow, everything made sense. She had met a lot of other kids in the past, but none of them she remembered - at least not consciously - especially with the shutdown of the mind that her young her experienced.

Especially not when things so traumatic clouded and blocked her sense of remembrance.

Tears built up in her eyes again. "Why would he replace you?"

Not even the loss of memory could deter what she really feels for the demigod. If he was not more than what he is supposed to be, then her heart would not have reacted the way it did. Her memory wouldn't be triggered this way. She wouldn't have those tears building up in her eyes.

If he wasn't more than Myungjae... would she cry like that if she couldn't remember the things they did way back when?

"When could he /ever/ replace you?"

She tried to stand up after saying those words, not wiping away the tear that fell down Sunggyu's face, but wiping her own, which fell down the moment she felt her heart shattering into pieces... again.

@[G] Lee Yejin [SH] It sent a clenching to his heart, the way it was just /so/ different to how it was years ago... but Sunggyu really couldn't expect otherwise. They were still friends, but time had distanced them... and with what he had just heard from Ailee herself, he was /not/ her only friend.

Not anymore. No longer.

"No." Shaking his head, he let himself sat on the ground just beside the strawberry. "I need to get used to healing."

With that and a deep breath, he sighed, still not meeting her eyes.

And he smiled sadly.

"There are a lot of reasons behind what I did. But first of all... it was because he found you. I did not."

A drop of tear rolled down his cheek, which he didn't try to wipe because then she'd notice it even more.

"It's just hard... finding out that my position got... /replaced/ by him," he continued, already struggling to get the words out of his mouth, "even if it's my own fault to begin with."

@[G] Kim Sunggyu Despite the silent barring she had set on herself when it comes to touching Sunggyu, Ailee still could not stop herself from worrying. "But you really do not seem well." She began, getting a bit farther from the demigod to give him room to breathe. "Are you really sure you don't need to head on to the infirmary or something?"

She just shook her head. "No, you were overcome with emotion. I think I would understand that... much as I cannot remember or fathom the emotions behind... what you did."

@[G] Lee Yejin [SH] "Okay... good." Sunggyu breathed, staying still as Ailee reached up to his face. It /almost/ felt like those times again, when he used to just smile shyly whenever she did that. But he had grown out of actually being touched that way; it somehow felt distant, a part of his life that was left behind long ago.

"Eh... I am?" He was tired, but he didn't think it was actually /that/ draining... though he only shrugged it off with a slightly guilty smile. "I'll be fine," he said, sighing softly and turning his eyes down.

"It's me who should say sorry... I shouldn't have been that... rash."