I'LL HIDE IT FROM YOU

It's not every day Sponge wakes up in an unfamiliar place. Disoriented, confused, and in pain, she cracks her eyes open, spotting a small white blur beside her. Her glasses are askew on her face. "W-Who?" she murmurs, her voice hoarse, causing her to cough.

An arm sneaks behind her back, helping her sit up as a glass of water is pressed to her lips. Sponge drinks greedily—almost forgetting to breathe. When the water runs out, she protests, and the arm slowly lowers her back down.

Blinking, she turns to the woman with white hair. "Who are you? And where the hell am I?" she asks, sitting up despite her body feeling like a dog's chew toy. 

She looks around, wary and slightly terrified—her weapons are missing, she has no backup, and she's only in a white turtleneck, no armor whatsoever.

Trying to move her legs, pain shoots through one of them, causing her to groan and freeze. She hovers her hands over the blanket before pulling it off. "What the—" Sponge curses, seeing her leg splinted with two planks tied together by fabric.

She glares at the white-haired woman, almost burning holes into her. It's fine; her leg is broken, but she still has her hands. Surely, she could fight back if needed.

"There's no need to be wary; I am a healer, and I healed you," the woman says. "My name is Sanria, and what I should be getting is a mere thank you," she adds with a teasing smile, brows raised.

Sponge blinked, confused, before giving her an odd look. "I don't remember coming here… or even getting out of the cave… I was with Ji—I mean… I was," she mumbled to herself, placing a hand on her head.

"No need to push yourself; you're still healing. I can call your friend over here; she's just outside," Sanria said, turning to leave the room.

Sponge raised her head quickly, surprised. "Friend? Who?" she asked, leaning forward, eager to stand up. She hated being confined to a bed. 

Sanria gestured for her to stay put. "Don't push yourself; I've worked too hard healing you," she said, glaring as Sponge leaned back, embarrassed.

Sanria walked out of the room, and Sponge looked around once more. She was in some kind of house, the wooden walls surrounding her, with a furnace in the corner where the crackling fire was muffled.

Sponge slowly sat up again, glancing down at her stomach to see a red patch on her clothes. "Ugh, man," she murmured, pulling up her sweater to reveal a thick white bandage over her abdomen.

She winced—so much for almost getting killed by Vvh.

And what about Ji-Ho? Her parents? The memories were terrifying; feeling Ji-Ho and talking to her parents was overwhelming. The dust had clearly affected her, messing with her head.

Sponge stifled a sigh, now wondering where Vvh was—was she…?

"Sponge?" Vvh called, and Sponge raised her head in surprise. Her words died in her throat as Vvh stood in the doorway, her fist clenched. Sponge swallowed thickly, placing a hand over her stomach.

Does Vvh remember what she did? Did she do it on purpose? Or was she seeing somebody else? Is she still under the influence of the dust?

"Sponge," Vvh says, now standing beside her—and somehow, Sponge hadn't even noticed her approach. "I—hey," Sponge's voice cracked as she cleared her throat.

Vvh's hands hovered over her shoulder, but Sponge pretended not to see it and lowered her head.

"I found you in the pit, hurt—someone did this to you. Do you remember?" Vvh asked.

 Sponge froze, slowly raising her head to meet Vvh's gaze. "You—You don't remember?" she whispered, guilt churning in her stomach, knowing that it was Vvh who had tried to slice her up like meat in a butcher shop.

"Do you? I don't think I've seen your attacker. What I remember is leaving the cave; the dust must have bypassed my mask and made my memory hazy," Vvh replied, shaking her head. Sponge let out a shaky sigh, swallowing hard.

"I—uh, shit, I don't think I remember either. It was dark—and—and I was really sick, you know?" Sponge said, looking away, unable to meet Vvh's gaze. "Really? Are you sure?" Vvh asked, placing a hand on Sponge's shoulder. Sponge turned to her, surprised by the sudden touch.

Sponge fell silent—her mouth dry once more. She wished she had asked for more water first. "Why? Are you worried?" she teased, grinning as Vvh leaned back, crossing her arms.

"But yeah—pretty… um, hard to remember. You know how bad I am with the dark," Sponge admitted, lowering her head and wringing her hands together.

Vvh fell quiet, deep in thought. Perhaps she was trying to piece together who had messed with Sponge, unaware that it was her in the first place. 

Sponge winced, refusing to look back at her. Maybe it would be best not to tell Vvh; she clearly wasn't in her right mind.

And besides, Sponge didn't blame her. She had already had a pep talk with the figment of Ji-Ho. She was never one to dwell on the past; it was best to drop this… Yeah, Vvh didn't really have to know. It was just the dust, after all…

"Don't mind it, it was you who saved me, right? Thank you," Sponge said, letting out a sigh of relief. "I—I really thought I was going to die there."

Vvh only lowered her head. "Perhaps you were close to it," she murmured, her voice low and her tone hard to decipher. Sponge bit her lip.

—

Moments later, Sponge was back to lying down, and Vvh remained seated at her side when Sanria returned with a tray. A bowl of tomato soup and some bread sat on top. 

"Here, eat breakfast. Your friend here has already eaten," she said, waiting for Sponge to sit up. Sponge let out a small groan as Sanria carefully placed the tray over her lap.

"Thank you, uhhh, Miss Sanria," Sponge said, taking the bread, dipping it into the soup, and biting it whole.

Sanria chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Just Sanria. You make me sound so old," she joked. Sponge's eyes crinkled in amusement. "Are you not?" she teased, earning a scoff from Sanria, who then shot her a stink eye before walking out of the room.

Vvh tilted her head. "It's best if you don't make the only person giving us food mad," she said, and Sponge giggled, nodding in agreement.

Sponge wasted no time devouring her food, finishing in just minutes and letting out a happy sigh as she licked her lips. Vvh placed the tray and bowl on the nightstand as Sponge leaned back against the pillows, wincing slightly when she felt a tug on the wound in her stomach.

"Oh man, that hurts," Sponge groaned, dropping onto her back. Her hand hovered over her stomach while her left hand clutched the sheets, trying to ride out the pain.

Vvh's hands twitched as Sponge let out a small curse. "Do painkillers not exist anymore?" Sponge asked, yawning as she turned her head toward Vvh.

"No one uses those here," Vvh replied, and Sponge chuckled.

"I know," she said, her eyes crinkling.

"Mmm," Vvh hummed.

They fell silent for a moment. "I saw Ji-Ho… then my parents," Sponge murmured quietly, her hands clenching the blanket. She let out a shaky breath before laughing slowly. "It's so funny, you know? I knew it wasn't real, but I still went with it…"

Vvh watched her intently. "How about you? Are you okay?" Sponge asked, her eyes scanning Vvh as if trying to understand something unspoken.

"As far as I know, I'm the one unscathed here," Vvh replied, and Sponge bit her lip, nodding shakily. "That's good… we, uh… should forget whoever attacked me," she said, and Vvh cocked her head in response.

"Why so? You were on the brink of death. Is it not better for us to find them—" Vvh began, but Sponge interjected, sitting up with a pained groan.

"No!" she snapped, her face flushing furiously as she realized her outburst.

Sponge opened her mouth to apologize, but Vvh raised a hand to stop her. "Enough. I don't understand why you are so adamant about not wanting to find who attacked you, but I will not pry any longer," Vvh said, and Sponge let out a shaky sigh, nodding hastily.

"Thank you," she murmured, blinking furiously.

—

That night, Sponge couldn't find it in herself to sleep—not after waking up from two days of unconsciousness. On top of that, Vvh didn't remember hurting her. It was absolutely heartbreaking, and at the same time, Sponge struggled to find the words to tell her.

Would Vvh feel guilty? Would she apologize? Or would she not care at all?

Sponge bit her lip, glancing at the open door—wondering where Vvh was resting. She sat up slowly, mindful of her wound, and swung her legs off the bed. Her splinted leg ached as she pushed herself to her feet.

Suddenly, Sponge looked at her knee. "There's no wound… from the bone poking out? Was that… a hallucination too?" she murmured, touching her knee. Her skin looked perfectly fine, except for some bruises that marred it, giving it a weird beef jerky appearance that made Sponge shiver in disgust. She lowered her pants and hobbled out of the room like an idiot.

Peering around the door frame, her eyes adjusted to the dark. She saw Vvh seated on the couch, facing the fireplace. Sponge grinned and hobbled toward her.

Vvh's head snapped in her direction, tilting slightly. "Aren't you supposed to be resting?" she asked as Sponge sat beside her, their thighs brushing against each other. Vvh glanced at their proximity, shook her head, and looked away.

Sponge pouted. "What a tsundere. Do you know what that is? That's you," she pointed, but Vvh refused to meet her gaze. Sponge's pout turned into a worried frown as she leaned closer and tilted her head. "You okay?" she asked.

Vvh turns back to her as Sponge leans back. "You're the one who is injured, yet you ask me if I am okay," she says, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "I—uh… am I not allowed to care for you anymore?" Sponge asks, a hint of offense in her voice.

"And I'm not? Have I not told you to rest? Isn't this why you're wounded now? Because you refuse to back down even when you're sick?" Vvh replies, causing Sponge to close her mouth in surprise. "Woah… uh, wow," Sponge mumbles, scratching the back of her head.

"S-Sorry, I gu—" she begins, but Vvh interrupts her. "Stop saying sorry," she snaps, making Sponge flinch.

"Jeez… alright, damn…" Sponge murmurs, annoyed, and pouts like a petulant child. "And stop pouting," Vvh adds, prompting Sponge to give her an irritated look.

"Sheesh," Sponge grumbles.

They both fall into a deep silence. 

"So… when are we going to leave? I don't really want to intrude here; Sanria looks pissed at me every time I talk to her," Sponge giggles, scratching the back of her neck.

"Because you called her old," Vvh retorts.

"Honesty is the best policy," Sponge replies, raising a hand with a wild grin.

"We can set out tomorrow," Vvh says, and Sponge claps excitedly. "To where exactly?" she asks, tilting her head.

"Aquithis," Vvh replies, tilting her head as Sponge's eyes widen.

"Back to Aquithis? Why?" Sponge asks, unable to hide her excitement.

"Do you not miss your… friend?" Vvh says, a teasing tone in her voice. Sponge's face turns red. "What—What the hell?! Why are you saying that now?" she bursts out, her cheeks flushing as Vvh looks away, a small chuckle escaping her lips while Sponge grumbles.

"She's a friend, a friend! If you know what that means, then things would be easier," Sponge defended, but Vvh responded with a nonchalant "I don't care" gesture.

"Rude?!" Sponge whined.

"Who's a tsundere now?" Vvh teased, earning an abashed look from Sponge.

"What the fuck, are you learning the art of teasing now? Why am I your victim? I literally just woke up after getting beaten up!" Sponge exclaimed, feeling as if Vvh rolled her eyes beneath her mask.

Sponge grits her teeth as Vvh leaned back on the couch, smug.

—

The next day, Mun finally saw that Sponge was wide awake and still alive. "You're awake!" he exclaimed, and Sponge turned to him, recognition dawning on her face. "You're that kid! I didn't think you'd be here as well," she said, grinning.

"He was the one who led me to you," Vvh chimed in, entering the room with a black hoodie and her turtleneck, now free from blood and tearings.

"Oh? Thank you… uh, kid," Sponge said, her grin widening as Vvh handed her the clothes. She easily slipped the sweater over her shirt and then put on the hoodie. Mun smiled happily, but then turned to Vvh with a small glare.

Sponge watched their silent exchange. "Sorry, am I missing something between you two? I thought you just said you helped each other?" she asked. Mun turned to her, his expression guilty. "I didn't mean to…" he mumbled, just as Vvh pulled out Sponge's journal and handed it to her.

Sponge brightened. "You have my journal! Oh man… Thank you, Vvh," she said, tucking it inside her hoodie.

"He read your journal," Vvh remarked, and Mun squawked, turning red. "I-I S-Swear! I didn't m-mean to!" he protested, while Sponge only laughed.

"It's—whatever, it's fine. Don't worry too much," she said, tousling Mun's hair. He pouted, sniffing and giving Vvh a mean glare. 

Just then, Sanria entered the room, carrying a bag. "Here you go. Since you two are so eager to leave early, I've packed food and other things," she said, handing the bag to Vvh, who nodded in thanks.

Sponge grinned with excitement.

It didn't take them long to say their goodbyes, and soon they were riding Cecil, Vvh in front and Sponge in the back to rest her leg. "Are you comfortable?" Vvh asked, glancing back at Sponge, who was letting out soft, pained noises.

Sponge exhaled, white puffs escaping her mouth as she leaned against Vvh's back, a smirk playing on her lips. "Is that worry I hear?" she teased.

Vvh paused for a moment before snapping the reins, causing Cecil to run faster. Sponge let out a surprised yell, grabbing Vvh's shoulder to keep from falling backward.

"Crazy asshole!" Sponge laughed, while Vvh could only chuckle.