MEETING

Vvh seemed angry—or at least that's what Sponge thought. She found her the next day at the back of JM's boat, standing there, gazing out at the river, her arms crossed. Initially, Sponge hadn't planned to talk to Vvh right away, but JM had insisted she change her clothes and handed her a bowl of chocolates, urging her to, "Talk to Master Vvh and apologize," before nudging her towards the door to the back.

Now, she found herself behind Vvh, nervously fidgeting, her words stumbling out as she didn't know where to begin. She could only blame her impulsive mouth for not thinking before speaking, unsure if Vvh would punish her or simply give her the silent treatment—there seemed to be no in-between.

"Vvh," Sponge called out, her voice embarrassingly cracking, causing her to cough loudly as she approached the other woman, who stood as motionless as a sturdy tree. Sponge nervously held the bowl in her hands.

Vvh didn't reply, but she glanced at Sponge, acknowledging her presence. "I'm here… to, umm… say sorry. Here, have some chocolates," Sponge offered, extending the bowl towards Vvh, who regarded it in silence. Sponge bit her lip, tapping her foot lightly.

"Sorry, I should have thought more carefully about my words…" Sponge said, looking down at the bowl of chocolates, a frown creasing her brow.

"I am not upset by what you said. Perhaps it is you who needs to come to terms with what happened to Ji-Ho," Vvh finally spoke, prompting Sponge to raise her head.

"That's—" Sponge stammered, shaking her head softly.

"Still… I'm sorry, Vvh," Sponge said, lowering her head in shame. She looked up to see Vvh take a chocolate from the bowl, slipping it beneath her mask. "Tell JM that the chocolate is good," Vvh instructed as Sponge let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, I'll make sure to tell her that… Are we still leaving?" she inquired, her voice faltering slightly towards the end.

She truly didn't want to leave JM, especially in a time when disasters like typhoons or tornadoes could strike. However, if Vvh made the final decision to leave, she had no choice but to comply and leave JM to face this challenge alone.

Vvh hummed, possibly chewing the chocolate. "A few more days at most. If the weather worsens, we will depart," she stated, retrieving something from her pocket—a small note in her hand.

"Here, I want you to attend this Underground bidding event," she said, handing the note to Sponge, who read the details written on it. It appeared to be the location of the bidding event. "What for?" Sponge asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They are familiar with me and wanted to invite me. I have no interest, but you can go in my place if you have any needs. You still have that bag of gold I gave you, don't you?" Vvh inquired, causing Sponge's gaze to flicker towards the pouch tied to her waist, nodding. "I do… So you're basically saying I can go on a shopping spree?" Sponge grinned, a playful glint in her eyes.

"Don't make me reconsider," Vvh warned, taking another chocolate from the bowl. Sponge flashed her a cheeky grin, giggling slightly before tucking the note into her pocket. "You don't have to worry, but… we could both attend," Sponge suggested, shrugging slightly.

Vvh merely waved a disinterested hand.

"Is this another case of 'I hate people'?" Sponge teased, offering more chocolates to the other, who was preoccupied with chewing. "What a delightful woman."

Vvh cast a glance at Sponge, who grinned back.

Later, as Sponge entered the house, she found JM peering out the window, her antennae twitching excitedly, a wide grin on her face. "Are things better between you two now?" JM asked as she noticed Sponge entering through the door. "Were you eavesdropping?" Sponge inquired, arms crossed.

JM bounded over, brimming with excitement.

"Not eavesdropping, but I could sense it from you. You seem happy!" JM exclaimed, her hands clasped together like a nun in prayer.

Sponge blushed, "How—"

"I can sense the vibes," JM wiggled her fingers playfully, as if trying to spook Sponge.

Sponge bit her lip to contain her smile, "Sure."

A loud knock interrupted their conversation, causing both of them to turn towards the sound.

"Joyce Marina? Are you here?" a gruff voice called out as Sponge and JM approached the door, opening it to reveal a stout man, smaller than JM, leaning on a cane. "Elder Bay?" JM said, appearing puzzled.

Bay looked at Sponge, his eyes narrowing as she met his gaze.

"Following the recent disaster, the town will be convening a meeting about it in an hour. I'm here to invite you," Bay explained.

JM let out an 'Oh'.

Sponge turned to her, realizing she already knew why the disasters were occurring, but she was curious to learn what the town knew about it. "Can I attend?" Sponge asked. Bay scrutinized her, his gaze scanning her from head to toe.

Sponge raised an eyebrow.

"Can my friend come?" JM inquired, still oblivious to the unspoken judgment directed at Sponge. "I suppose so," Bay replied, uncertain, running his hand over his beard.

JM cheered, clapping her hands. "Then I'll join later!"

Bay nodded, relieved. "Good. Many people have lost their homes, and we're doing our best to secure more boathouses for them. Your presence at this meeting would be greatly appreciated," he stated, as JM nodded solemnly.

Sponge remained silent as the conversation continued, until Bay eventually departed, his cane tapping on the wooden stairs as he descended.

Sponge closed the door and turned to JM.

"So, we have a meeting later… We could probably learn more about what happened," Sponge says.

JM nodded sadly, a slight pout on her lips.

"I feel sorry for the people who lost their homes," JM sighed.

"At least yours stayed intact, right?" Sponge remarked, a smirk playing on her lips.

"I think it's because of that anchor I added. I should probably thank you," JM mused, rubbing her chin.

Sponge let out a surprised noise, "Oh! What a coincidence. That's great. What would you do without me?" She teased, poking JM's cheek, who huffed playfully.

"I'm still concerned though," JM admitted as they settled onto the couch.

Sponge leaned in, "What exactly are you worried about?"

"This disaster could only have been caused by Saphria. That would mean someone has done something to anger her," JM explained, her expression thoughtful.

Sponge averted her gaze, concealing a wince—something like stealing? She thought, scratching her cheek awkwardly. "Yeah, maybe the meeting will provide some answers."

JM glanced at her, nodding. "Hopefully. I could sense her anger. It was like a hot knife, a rage that could be deadly. That's why I'm so concerned."

Sponge patted her shoulder, "Don't jump to conclusions. We might find out more at the meeting."