Water Heart | P.Sh

E.4

Towards the end of August, 1830, the apple plantage was opened for Soomin. She had a permanent deal to empty the apple plantage by that time of the year - when the owner couldn't get any more profit out of it for the summer. That day in August she had two baskets and a cloth with her. Hoping to get enough apples with her back to the bakery.

That one day of the year, but only in the year of 1830 was someone waiting for Soomin in the plantage. Sunghoon stood patiently and stared at the red apples still hanging on in the leafy crowns that threw shade over the ground.

"You're early," a small laugh pulled him out of his trance of the red apples. Behind him Soomin wandered up the last bit of the hill, her green skirt flowing gently around her legs, every once in a while showing the curve from her hip and down to her knee.

"I couldn't wait," Sunghoon excused, trying to hide his smile. The corners of his lips pointing down, but the grin still betrayed him and showed his true feelings.

"So... will you just be staring or will you do the honors of helping me pick the apples?" Soomin questioned and halted her steps by his side. Looking up at him with a knowing smirk.

"I'll even carry the apples back for you," he pointed out and let a smile spread on Soomin's face as she nodded and extended a basket and the cloth towards him, "seems like an unfair disposition," he remarked and pointed to her lone basket.

"You're underestimating how much can be in my apron," Soomin shook her head and showed the pocket in the apron she had worn for the occasion, "now come on. I've always wanted to see a prim and proper boy picking apples in the bright sun."

With a teasing smile Soomin sent Sunghoon one last glance before disappearing in between the trees. Sunghoon snickering before bending his head slightly to follow the swoosh of her skirt flowing in between the trunks. 

It was only a question of time before both of them had stopped at each of their trees, picking the juiciest of the red apples. Every once in a while Soomin would wander over and look through Sunghoon's basket - getting rid of the few apples he haad picked that would be a waste to use in an apple pie or pastry. She didn't comment on it, but each time Sunghoon's cheeks went a bright pink out of embarrassment. He wasn't used to picking apples and therefore didn't know how to judge wether or not an apple was good enough to be used for baking.

"Are you only going to use them for baking?" Sunghoon questioned once he noticed a pattern in the way Soomin sorted his apples.

"Majority of them," Soomin nodded quietly, "we wanted to try a bit with jam and juice making this autumn. Try and get something else out there than just our bread. Maybe we could sell bread and jam on my morning routes. The juice would probably be given to the shelters... but that would be it, really."

"And is Sunoo gonna..." Sunghoon trailed off and Soomin shook her head with a small smile, throwing one last apple away before standing up once again, "no?"

"I'll be working on that. Sunoo is busy enough with morning bread and apple pies in the autumn," Soomin excused with a small smile and picked up her nearly full basket before continuing to the next tree, "don't pick the apples with small holes in them. We don't want worm in our pastries."

"Of course not," Sunghoon shook his head quietly and turned back to picking his apples.

By the time Soomin had filled up her apron pocket and basket, Sunghoon had managed to fill up the cloth and tie it up securely, as well as his basket. A small smile on Sunghoon's face as he carried his apples out to the edge of the plantage and put it down beside Soomin's basket.

"Only seems fair to get a reward for the hard work, doesn't it?" Soomin questioned and picked out an apple from her apon and extended it towards Sunghoon. Soon following it up with a half loaf she had been carrying in her waist pouch. Placing it on one of the apple towards between them.

"The view is nice from here," Sunghoon remarked and looked over the town at the foot of the hill, "the town looks more welcoming from up here."

"It's because you can't see or hear the people living in it," Soomin reminded quietly, "even from here the sea looks inviting," she remarked and slowly Sunghoon's eyes trailed up to look at the dark blue blanket that seperated the town beneath them from the light blue sky in the horizon.

"Then..." Sunghoon trailed off mindlessly, stopping himself when he noticed Soomin looking at him through the corner of his eye. Losing all his words for a few seconds before gathering himself once again, "let's get on a boat and sail off."

"I think you make it sound easier than it actually is," Soomin remarked in amusement and shook her head, "besides... there's always this myth... do you know it?"

"I've never even seen anything outside of Galway," he chuckled and shook his head, "this plantage is the furthest I've been from home."

"Hm..." Soomin hummed quietly and picked gently in the piece of bread she had pulled for herself, "there's a saying that women at sea brings bad luck. Not necessarily on transport ships, but work ships. It's a no no. I almost had to cross the country on land when Sunoo and I wanted to go here."

"I didn't know about that one," Sunghoon shook his head quietly.

"I think it started as a pirate myth," Soomin shrugged, "which is comical considering how they're supposed to be some of the most including ship crews."

"No female pirates then?" Sunghoon snickered and Soomin shook her head.

"They exists," Soomin excused, "so I've heard. But they always sound to be the most... hardcore... perhaps that's why they started that thing of women on ships being bad luck."

"Hm... who knows," Sunghoon hummed quietly.

By the end of the day Sunghoon had helped carry the apples back to the bakery. He had found it weird that Soomin kept on leading them away from the big roads and down the back alleys between the houses. However, it had first dawned upon him why she had done that once he was on his way home down along the larger streets. She was simply making sure no one saw him with her. Let alone helping her and fraternizing with her.