Chapter 10: The Puppy Prince and Frog Princess
Law of the Jungle: IZ*ONE Edition
Yujin dropped her spear and swam to Minjoo, scaring all the fish that she originally planned to catch.
Yena helped Minjoo up and brought her to dry land, taking special care that she doesn't stretch any body part that had injuries on them. Eunbi had rushed to the frog girl's side immediately after she fell and began checking her wounds.
Even though her shoulder had softened the impact of her fall, she still received cuts that, fortunately, we're pretty shallow on her leg. The injury on her foot wasn't bleeding and would only scab, but the wound on her shin was deep enough that it cut through the outer layer of skin and barely lacerate the next layer. This meant that there was minimal bleeding on the cut.
Minjoo now stood up straight. Well, as straight as she could with all her weight on one leg. Instructor M walked up to her with the red snapper occupying both of her hands. “You caught this so you should be the one who gets to show it off.”
“Is it dead?” Minjoo asked, out of fear that it may move and cause harm again. The older woman nodded, taking the knife out of the fish, and carefully handed the snapper to the younger girl who received the animal with two hands.
The members who were spread out and catching fish in different ways and different parts of the giant pool swiftly made their way to the commotion after hearing Yujin’s outburst. Chaeyeon, Wonyoung, and Chaewon (she traded in her fishing line for a spear) came out of the water and went to them. Hyewon, Sakura, Yuri, and Hitomi were spread out, either out in the shallow waters or on the shore, handline fishing before they rushed to the scene.
“Nako-chan, what happened?” Chaeyeon shouted from one side of the pool.
“Jinsoul unnie’s red snapper cousin got Minjoo hurt,” she pointed at the fish in the girl's arms.
Minjoo shifted her arms to even out the weight distribution of the fish, “This thing is really heavy. Can we just get the commemoration photo already?”
“Minjoo unnie!”
The girl turned her head to the voice but accidentally slapped herself with her wet hair. Yujin was the first one to arrive out of everyone since she had swum to her way before anyone else, and she fixed the hair out of the older girl’s face. Minjoo locked eyes with the taller girl just as she had tucked the last strand of hair away. The concern present in her eyes was clear as day.
“Ahem.”
Yujin let go of Minjoo’s shoulders, unaware of when she had placed them there in the first place, and scooted an inch away and tried to look at Eunbi in the eyes.
Instructor M had gotten her camera from the cart while everyone was distracted and came back, “Let’s take this photo so we can bring her to the infirmary and get her leg checked out.”
Everyone surrounded the frog woman but made sure to give her enough space so they don’t accidentally hit her injuries. They posed for the camera: Minjoo awkwardly held the red snapper, Hyewon and Yena pretended to eat the fish, Yujin pointed at the fish, Eunbi, Chaewon, Nako, Hitomi, and Yuri smiled normally, Wonyoung did a V pose, and Chaeyeon and Sakura made a heart behind the group. Once they were done everyone dispersed and Instructor M took the fish from her.
“I gotta take this fish and all the ones you caught to the kitchen, so I need two people to come with me and help me haul all of the fish. And I also need one more person to come with Minjoo to the infirmary.”
Chaeyeon and Yena offered to help out with the fish, grabbing the baskets filled with their bounty and quickly heading out the door. Weirdly enough, Yujin was the only one who went to Minjoo’s side and let her lean on her shoulder despite the concern evident on all the member’s faces. Perhaps, she did not see the silent agreement between Eunbi and her members and their instructor. The agreement of letting Yujin take care of Minjoo and have some time alone together.
“Take care, Minjoo-yah,” Eunbi said.
The rest of IZ*ONE wished her well, “Bye-bye, take care!” Then the two girls exited the building.
Yujin guided the limping Minjoo to the infirmary. The young women have gotten incredibly acquainted with the clinic, more many different reasons. Since the first day, Yena and Chaewon got attacked by a chicken and got their hands scratched. The second day, Hyewon got a stomachache from eating too much, and on that same day, Nako got her hand stuck in a snare trap and had to get it removed before it caused her blood to stop circulating properly. They thought they would be injury-free on the third day, but they were completely wrong. Luckily, the injury was minor. Wonyoung had tripped on a log but only sustained a minor scratch that healed in just a day. Minjoo’s accident had been the worst, so far, in their time here.
“Ah!” Minjoo winced in pain and stumbled, almost bringing Yujin down on her.
The puppy girl’s eyes widened and she quickly helped the older girl regain her balance. “Unnie, maybe-”
“I’m fine, Yuding,” she brushed off the younger. “We can get there fine, just let me get my bearings straight- ow!” Her steps faltered and she fell on the floor.
“You are obviously not fine.”
“I’
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