Leaves rustling could be heard from the back of the duo, interrupting the peace and quiet of the gleaming night sky.
They did not have to speak a word to the other - they knew it was time. The man caressed Dodak's hair one last time before he got up and walked towards the greenhouses, disappearing without a trace.
Dodak let out a heavy sigh as he got back up, his face twitching slightly as he advanced towards the waking Song Jiwoo.
"You're up."
"No thanks to you, you sly, little bitch."
Dodak extended his hand out towards the woman and she grasped it firmly, getting back on her feet.
"You know what I did was for the best. The two of you would have torn each other apart."
She began patting off the dust on her dance suit, her hands extended to push her hair back into its usual shape. When she felt the air that was in place of her usual hair, he watched as her eyes widened and the reality of the situation hit her hard.
"My hair..."
Dodak could only watch silently as Song Jiwoo cried out in despair, her sobs drowned out by the crunching of grass.
A hand wrapped around her, pulling her into their chest as she wept.
Dodak met eyes with Jisung, and the two came to an unspoken agreement. He stood back as Jisung ushered the sobbing maiden away, their figures slowly being drowned out by the darkness of the night.
Once the coast was clear, Dodak closed his eyes and sighed.
"You knew what it meant to her, didn't you?"
"I did."
The green figure slowly emerged from the ruins of the greenhouse. Dodak turned to her and noticed that her wounds had fully healed, but were now contaminated with patches of green.
She made her way back into the greenhouse, and Dodak took it as a sign to follow her.
Advancing towards the kneeling Cha Haeul, who was caressing a burnt pomegranate shrub, she picked up the broken twigs and shredded leaves off the ground. Out of respect, Dodak remained silent and stood in the corner.
"I loved them."
"I know."
Soft sobs echoed throughout the ruined greenhouse. The winds blew through the holes of the structure, causing small leaves to land next to the grieving figure.
"I knew she was broken. But she always acts so strong. I wanted to shatter that facade. I wanted to break her. But now..."
She picked up the fallen leaves and smiled gently at them. With a soft blow, the leaves flew off into the wind, carried away by the timely breeze.
"Let's go. You can't grow back what's broken. But you can always sprout something new."
Cha Haeul turned to face Dodak, who was gleaming due to the rising sun. Picking up a pomegranate that had fallen to the ground, she rose and got back up on her feet.
"It's time for a new beginning."
~~~
The library never felt so welcoming till now.
Cha Haeul took a moment to appreciate the beauty of the place. The plants that hung from the side of the building had become overgrown, the vines hanging down onto the windows of the place. Small, red flowers bloomed from the vines, encasing the white library in a crimson hue.
In the library, the residents slumped across the different regions and the vibrant art pieces that hung on the grey-painted walls had been torn down.
He made his way to the medical area and before he knew it, a small figure rushed forward and slammed right into his chest.
"You're back!"
The girl looked up at him, her eyes crinkled as she grinned. Dodak wrapped her in his arms and chuckled.
"I am. How have you been?"
Park Yerin's smile dissipated as she let go of Dodak and pulled him to a corner, pointing at the unfolding scene.
Two people were on their knees, their palms stretched out as their faces strained into desperate expressions. They cried and cried, pleading at a man who had a bag of biscuits in his hand. The man merely stood unwavering, his face full of disdain.
In yet another corner, an old lady was shivering and clutching her stomach, using a blanket to wrap herself up. Her eyes gave it all away - her vitality was seeping.
"What happened to the food reserves?"
"They're gone."
A grumble could be heard from Park Yerin's own stomach.
"Have this."
Pulling out a granola bar from his pockets, he placed it within her palms.
Park Yerin smiled at Dodak and placed her hands at the edge of the wrapper. She tugged before faltering, falling silent before her stomach rumbled yet again. She swallowed her saliva before she sighed, changing her grip on the granola bar.
"These people need you. Imagine what would happen if you starved to death."
Park Yerin's beady eyes looked back up at him, her lips sagging into a pout as she clutched the granola bar.
She hesitated before she finally opened the granola bar and satiated her hunger, munching on it.
Dodak could only flash her a small smile as she ate.
~~~
"This place is pathetic. I should have stayed at my greenhouses."
Cha Haeul had made herself comfortable beside a potted plant, her fingers tingling with the soil.
"This is how the masses are. They cling to whatever support they can find, and when that support is cut off, they all come crumbling down."
Dodak leaned against the wall when a yellow glow distracted him from the green figure beneath him.
The duo had finally made their way back from the greenhouses. Song Jiwoo seemed to glow ever so slightly dimmer. Her hair was now styled into a cunty bob, but regardless, she still pulled it off. Even though her sultry eyes were puffed and swollen, she still maintained her poised posture.
Dodak averted his gaze to Jisung, who was walking behind her, his eyes covered by her hair. Before he could get his attention and direct Jisung to himself, the former had already walked off to a different side of the library.
Song Jiwoo stopped herself at the side of the potted plant, her hawk-like eyes gazing downwards at the laying Cha Haeul.
"I've come to apologise. Things are different now. We should just let whatever happened in the past stay in the past."
The room echoed with silence. The two women maintained eye contact with each other. Dodak was sure something would happen.
"Here. For you."
The green figure had magically pulled out a small box of strawberries from who knew where. She averted Song Jiwoo's gaze as she extended her hand out, positioning the box in front of the glowing woman. Song Jiwoo's puffy eyes crinkled slightly as she took the box from the woman's hands.
"How sweet. But I believe you aren't welcome here."
Before Dodak could turn his head, the sweet, inviting scent gave away the owner of the voice.
Just like he remembered, the vibrant purple highlights snaked around his wolf cut. He was elegantly poised as he projected his voice in his annoying, high-pitched voice. Dodak could feel the same spark on his skin as the man walked over.
"How have you been sweety?"
Dodak's lips twitched as the purple nails came in contact with the side of his face, tracing along his jawline to his chin. The man looked up at him as he batted his eyelashes, flaunting his purple eyeliner.
"You're a coward, aren't you? What about all that big talk about leaving? Now you come crawling back, and this time, we won't welcome you."
"Who's we?"
As if there was an instantaneous answer, a group of residents started gathering behind Park Baesu, each either clenching their fists or unsheathing their knives and bats. They were unimpressive individually, but there was strength in numbers, and together, they would pose a challenge.
They closed in on the trio, surrounding them from all sides. Faint green and yellow glows started illuminating from the women's hands as they readied themselves.
"Come on now, there's no need to fight. I propose something that will benefit you greatly, something I can tell that you're in desperate need of.
"Aren't all of you hungry, famished? Aren't all of you craving for some delicious strawberries, or boiled potatoes? Aren't you tired of the packet biscuits and instant noodles?"
Dodak smirked as he watched the crowd start to doubt Park Baesu and look at each other with hopeful looks. The advance stopped and their eyes were now filled with desperation instead of malice.
"May I present to you our savior, Cha Haeul. With her control over nature, she can easily manipulate plants to grow crops. That means a steady flow of food until we can leave this horrid place. What do you all think?"
Dodak's ploy had worked. The residents were now starting to turn on their leader, all for the prospect of getting more food. Even magic couldn't cause people to pick hunger over loyalty.
Park Baesu's eyes narrowed into a leer as the residents started cheering for Cha Haeul, celebrating that they were finally going to get fresh food.
Cha Haeul muttered under her breath, trying her best to keep up her gentle smile.
"You're a sly one."