Bows & Beauty

Chapter 17

A singing voice boomed over the crowd, strident timbre of the voice, cacophony of applause and cheering, whooping, hollering, clapping, stamping of feet, palpable excitement buzzed through the charged air, infectious grins, strangers shaking hands, patting one another on the back, spontaneous outpouring of emotion. Even the girls were eager and excited especially Joy who just spotted her high school crush amidst the crowd. But Seulgi on the other had been uncommunicatively quiet, as her mind was still occupy with what she just heard and witness.

"You shall navigate through the island of sea women,

"You shall find and seek the torch and the gilt,

"But spare your heart for once you know,

"Who is your friend, and who is your foe."

Seulgi mumbles on the words of the prophecy and nothing could stop the constant uncomfortable thoughts upon the last two lines. Irene and Wendy noticed how Seulgi was in deep thought on her own as the two steal knowing glances from time to time. Wendy then lightly nudges Seulgi, waking her up from her trance, "You okay there?" Wendy asks, as she puts one arm over Seulgi's shoulder.

Seulgi manage to offer a smile and brush off the worry expression of the child of Athena before asking, "Wendy, are you good at Geography?" Irene who overheard the question intercepts and answer, "She is. Not just Geography but Gods knows what more is brewing in that brain of hers."

Wendy fakes a hurt expression as she clutches her chest, "Are you shading me right in front of me?" Seulgi, who was completely oblivious on Irene's teasing, tried to cover up, "No, Irene was actually complimenting you. It means that you're a very intellectual person." Both Irene and Wendy stop in their steps making Seulgi abruptly halted and crashing to Yeri ahead.

"I wonder, are you really that pure and innocent?" Wendy draws her face near, which Seulgi took one step backwards, "W-What do you mean?" Seulgi's searches for Irene, trying to telepath some sort of help from Wendy who is invading a small amount of her personal space. "Apollo is known for being wise, cheerful, energetic, an overachiever...uh, what more—"

"—always truthful," Joy blurted, as she look behind towards the three. "They can't lie – like at all. And if they do, we can pretty much see right through them." Wendy's eyes rounded and she vigorously nods in agreement. "But anyways, why are you curious if Wendy is good in Geography or not?"

The peace in Wendy's living room is shattered when both Joy and Yeri squealed and yelled in delight when all the five of them crack a solution on where their next destination will be. And asking the two to stay quiet is like trying to tell a fire not to burn. Yeri, whom Seulgi rekindled how she first met, the kid was a tad bit shy but maybe as she spends more time with Joy, her inner shyness seems to be blown away as her words and actions became more bolder at times.

"Are we really going to Jeju?" Yeri asks for nth time, and Joy on the other is holding out her fingers while murmuring, "Shades... Hat... Bathing suit— unnie, can we stop by at my place at Suwon so I can grab all the stuff I need."

"No!" Irene bellows, her eyes igniting dangerously but dampens down when Seulgi place a hand over her arm. "We're here on a mission, remember that. Things could really go wrong if we're not alerted well." Wendy agrees, "It's true. There was a tragedy back then in the camp. A chimera was involved and things didn't end well."

"Why? What happened?" Seulgi asks, her eyes spark in curiosity. Wendy glances a few times at Irene before proceeding, "He was on a daze. And he didn't realize the pet beside him was actually a little goofball creature from hell. That chimera bit him on the neck."