Chapter Text
At first, Manju cookie wasn’t suspicious at all. For whatever reason, Jagae trusted him. It was so odd to her, but hey, at least it added up.
In the initial incident, Manju was with her the entire time. After unpacking his things and choosing a room, he went straight to her. In between payment and presenting, Manju, if he was only looked at as a merchant, would not have had any time to do such things.
Not to mention hurt anyone, and she knew that.
They were kindred spirits after all, they were both guildmasters, merchants, seafarers. They were so much more similar than what it seems like on the surface, and that’s why she felt as if she knew him best.
That’s why she didn’t hesitate to leave Manju on his own. There was no way he could have done it, not with all the merchandise in his ship which was now destroyed, not with his guild to uphold. He was a leader, and she knew he understood that, even though he didn’t always seem like it.
They seemed like each other’s best defense, solely because they knew each other well, through themselves.
And yet..
When he was accused..
She couldn’t find the words. Any words.
The evidence was stacked against him. A sweet and sharp smell? Him being the only victim that was left unscathed? And the fact that he was the only one who saw the culprit in the forest.
Suddenly, Jagae felt as if she didn’t know him at all, like she was wrong the entire time.
She didn’t like that.
She felt wrong and right at the same time. Manju clearly did it and yet.. she didn’t wholehearted believe it.
He has no motive that could possibly outweigh his business. Why would he destroy his own ship, and for what? To keep suspicion off of him? Well, what a joke! That didn’t stop shit!
But then.. what about just now? The fact that he had just used her as an alibi— and it wasnt the first time either. He did it multiple times.. and Jagae didn’t suspect a thing.
She should feel angry, betrayed, like he should be locked away forever! But here she was.. hurt.
Why? She didn’t know. They ever truly met eye to eye, they bickered on every occasion met, and for the sake of the witches, they were rivals!
And yet.. she was hurt.
Until Macaroni concluded at a very questionable conclusion.
Manju cookie.. wasn’t Manju cookie..?
He was a fake, a fraud. And suddenly, it all made sense.
When they began to search for the real Manju cookie, Jagae immediately went to his room.
When she walked in, a strong smell slammed into her and the cookies who followed behind. It was the same incense the fake had used on her earlier.
Her hand immediately found its way to her nose, covering it as if it was gonna poison her.
Her head pounded, it was such a nauseous smell that she wouldn’t be surprised if someone were to faint from it.
To faint.. that happened to a victim, didn’t it?
She tried to keep advancing into his room, when she was stopped by the detectives. It was a crime scene they said, so they be the ones to investigate.
It made sense, so Jagae ultimately followed their orders, though she insisted in staying at the area so she could see everything. The smell was still strong enough from a distance, but it didn’t seem like much of an obstacle anymore.
All she could think about was where the real Manju was, and if he was okay.
Speaking of foxes, she glanced over at the allegedly fake Manju.
She hadn’t noticed anything. She didn’t even suspect him.
For whatever reason, that bothered her too.
Moments later, the detectives found someone interesting, and called Jagae to carry it out of the pungent room.
Inside was Manju cookie.
At the sight of him, she felt this dizzying sensation in the bottom of her stomach.
Without hesitation she immediately brought him out and carried him to her room, since his was still contaminated. Looking at him, she wondered if he ate at all, and how long he was like this.
After the whole thing with the culprit was figured out, most of them came to check on Manju cookie.
Caramel Choux cookie said she was going to go prepare food for him when he woke up. Cheddar Cheese cookie mentioned that the incense was most likely the reason why he didn’t come to for a while. Like she herself said, it indeed made the mind slow down, like a sleepy feeling. Most likely it was also the reason why the mayor, headmaster and nougat cookie didn’t wake up immediately either.
Jagae wondered if that meant she was the next victim since the culprit also lit the strong incense with her. But nevermind that. Right now, she was much more worried about Manju’s condition since he was the only victim whom they weren’t able to watch over the entire time.
Goodness, just how high maintenance was he?
—
The snow still wasn’t giving any sign of letting up. Despite that, the cookies were still set on preparing for the festival. They were able to break the rock blocking the path with another explosion by using Cherry Cookie’s newly found bombs, and so the desserts that were injured were transported to the hospital, all except Manju.
He wasn’t incredibly malnourished, as it had only been less than a day since he was held hostage. The doctor who came said he’d be waking up any minute now, and left it at that.
Jagae sat in the chair next to her now-occupied bed, watching as Manju’s chest rose and fell. Call it peaceful if you wish, even though everything that happened was pretty scary.
Jagae sighed in exhaustion. The others seemed pretty content with leaving Jagae to watch over Manju while he was recovering while they salvaged the festival. Honestly a good hearty meal after babysitting and investigating sounded pretty good to her.
Suddenly, the cookie in front of her shifted, and Jagae stood up in surprise, rushing over to check the sleeping fox.
Solid to say that the first thing Manju saw when he woke was his rival.
“Jagae cookie? Why are you in my quarters?” He muttered, his eyes still half shut while they adjusted to the light.
“Are you alright? Do you remember anything that happened?” She questioned as he tried to push himself up to sit. A feeble attempt, as he was very visibly tired. Jagae assisted him, a hand on his shoulder.
“Are you really making me think this early in the morning?” He groaned, somewhat surprised at her concern for him, but not fully minding it. His hand found its way to his temples, rubbing him in clear irritation. Jagae assumed it was because of a headache.
Jagae gestured to the plate on the bedside table. “You should eat. The festival is in a few hours and I will not be carrying you there.”
“Ah right. The festival.” He reached out for a jelly. “So will you tell me what you’re doing here?”
Jagae raised an eyebrow at him. “You were kidnapped and framed.” She replied, keeping it short to see if he could fill in the blanks by himself.
“Ah. Is that so?” He yawned, still chewing. Jagae felt the urge to hit him on the head. Why was he so calm about this?
“That’s it? You were in danger and that’s all you say?” She laughed in disbelief.
Manju looked at her. “Well, if you’re here then everything is probably fine.” He took another bite.
His logic was something that Jagae couldn’t grasp in the moment. Witches, did he get brain damage or something?
“Whatever. Just be down by five. And don’t light any incense anymore. I’ll get the detectives to speak with you.” She turned, moving swiftly out the door, not waiting for his reply.
She was so worried for nothing.
—
As the sky darkened, she made her way to the hall. After she left Manju’s side, she went to the docks again. Almond cookie warned her that going to see the ashes wasn’t the best idea, since it was clear that she was quite attached to it. Nevertheless, she ignored it, using her fan to launch her into the air, landing soundly on the dock of her shipwreck.
This wasn’t the first ship destroyed, in fact she didn’t even know how many previous Iridescent ships came before this one.
But just because it happened before, didn’t mean the pain wore down.
What happened here was really unfortunate.
She entered the festival venue, the decorations lighting up the room even more than the light did. The food looked good and the cookies looked happy, and honestly, that was the best comfort she could have possibly gotten after everything.
She made her way to a seat, settling herself down. She particularly eyed the grilled jelly on the table, that she didn’t notice the fox coming towards the chair beside her.
“Is this seat taken?”
Jagae automatically replied no, not looking up until she heard the chair shriek as it was pulled out. Naturally, she looked to see what the horrid noise was, only to see something else.
“Manju cookie?” She said, making eye contact with him as he sat down. He looked significantly better than how he was when she last left him.
“Hello. Long time no see.” He giggled. Jagae rolled her eyes.
Caramel Choux cookie stood up, asking for everyone’s attention. She began her toast, thanking everyone for their hard work and support despite everything that happened. She asked everyone to just eat, and just enjoy the festivities.
Didn’t need to tell them twice. The food smelled amazing, and everyone was very much ready to start eating.
“Oh yeah, the detectives talked to me about the whole thing.” Manju told Jagae, trying to start conversation. Jagae looked at him inconvenienced. “Ah, I don’t remember a thing, but apparently I was in great danger? That’s so scary!” He chuckled, an odd expression to have while talking about something like that.
“Stop being so noisy. Let me eat my jelly in peace!” She grumbled, scooting her chair away from him.
Manju laughed. “Oh but weren’t you just worried for me? I could’ve sworn you looked ever so curious!”
Jagae looked at him skeptically. “..you really don’t remember anything?”
“Well I remember a situation and our ships being destroyed.” Manju hummed, his smile lightly faltering at the mention of their shipwrecks.
“That it?” She asked, bringing a piece of jelly to her lips.
Manju put his finger on his chin in exaggerated wonder, though oddly it looked somewhat genuine despite his usual theatrics. “Hm.. I also do remember seeing someone who looked exactly like me in the forest. But I’m not certain if it was real or not.”
Jagae paused her chewing. “..in the forest? Not.. in your room?”
Manju nodded. “Yes. My mind is a bit fuzzy you know, since I was assumed to be hit with the hammer by the detectives.”
Remembering the entire situation, Jagae straightened her back and stopped eating entirely. She forgot for a moment just how dangerous the circumstances were. “.. you alright?” She quietly asked.
Manju smiled softly at her affection. “I’d be in the hospital if I wasn’t. The only thing affected was my memory. So inconvenient right?”He lightly joked, trying to assure and clam Jagae’s worry. “Anyways, Macaroni and Cheddar Cheese, they told me to tell them anything related to what happened. But since I was sleeping for a while, most of my testimonies won’t be taken seriously as there’s a possibility I was dreaming it up. Not the best situation huh?” He shrugged.
“I see. How about if there was a witness to your claims?” An idea began to brew in Jagae’s mind.
“Not likely there’d be one, that’s what they said.”
“..then.. why not tell me your entire story?” Jagae asked, some odd kind of excitement rising in her dough. “As far as I know, you or the culprit were clinging to me the entire time. I’m probably your best bet.” She explained, subconsciously leaning slightly towards Manju.
He paused, surprised at her sudden boost in determination. Then he began laughing, as he always did. “Is that so? Then I will gladly take you up on that offer. The snow still isn’t letting up after all. Can we talk after this?”
“Tomorrow. Take time to rest.” She ordered him, her seriousness becoming clear as day.
“Ok!” He happily said, turning back to his food.
For someone who was kidnapped, he was quite the energetic cookie.
—
The next morning, the two of them sat outside on a bench. In front of them stood cheddar cheese cookie and Macaroni cookie, who overheard the conversation and invited themselves. It was logical of course, but it was admittedly a bit.. forceful.
Jagae shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“Ok then. Shall we begin?” Manju asked the three cookies, who nodded in response.
“Tell us everything in the order you remember.” The cheesy cookie told him, bringing out a notebook.
Manju smiled. “Why of course. I also should tell you that I recalled some new details due to a proper nights sleep, so forgive me if I failed to relay some details to yesterday.”
Macaroni cookie nodded in understanding.
Manju began to speak. “Well, to start off, obviously I remember sailing here. I also remember talking with the mayor and the headmaster about their request for the decorations, specifically about the payment at the docks. They told me they were going to begin setting up and left, and that’s when I went into the actual town. That’s where I found Jagae cookie. We talked for a moment before Caramel Choux cookie came to greet us.”
“I can vouch for that.” She recalled, and Macaroni cookie nodded in understanding.
Manju continued. “Then moments later, an explosion sounded, and we ran to the docks to find our ships destroyed. Then while Jagae helped the victims, I grabbed their hats and went back to the townsquare with Cherry cookie and the rest of them. Then a crowd began to form at the workshop due to Nougat cookie’s injury, and after that we were told that there was no way to leave the town square safely, so we all stayed put.” He explained, watching Cheddar Cheese cookie struggling to keep up with his notes. When he was ready again, Manju kept recalling his point of view.
“Then I remember trying to stay close to Jagae for safety, but was denied, so I stayed in my room the entire time. That’s when the detectives decided to interrogate me on my alibi.”
“Yep, the records of that is right here. So far so good.” Cheddar cheese noted, tapping his pencil on the notebook.
“Of course. So, when we finished, Caramel Choux asked us all to stay in one place, and admittedly I didn’t care to listen. Instead I decided to go on a walk, and I found Cherry cookie completely disheartened by the disappearance of her cherry bombs and the whole situation, so I helped her stand and brought her to a bench. It was better than the floor, after all. Not sure why I was able to remember that detail more than others. Anyways, I went back into my room after that to rest.”
“Actually I can confirm that.” Macaroni spoke up. “I saw you help her from my room.”
“Oh, that’s great! Thank you.” Manju smiled, flustering the young cookie.
“Anyways allow me to continue. The next morning I decided to go into the forest to see if there was another way out, since my hometown had a little shortcut in their woods. Of course I didn’t fully expect that just because one town has multiple paths, all other towns do as well, but it didn’t hurt to check. I was getting deeper and deeper until I felt as if I was getting followed. The next thing I knew, I saw a reflection of myself and blacked out. Then I woke up again with Jagae hovering over me! That’s all I know.”
The two detectives nodded and thanked him, before moving away slightly to talk. Jagae and Manju were left on the bench behind them.
“So, you were the real Manju until the forest?” She asked him softly.
“Probably.”
Jagae bit the inside of her mouth. “So.. you don’t remember chasing the culprit? Or falling? Or.. when you asked me to carry you back to the square?”
Manju dropped his smile, suddenly becoming serious at Jagae’s expression. “..no I don’t. Did the imposter ask you that?”
Jagae hesitated for a moment. “..yeah.”
“..I see.” He muttered.
The two detectives walked back to the bench. Noticing the tension, Macaroni decided to tell a quick joke, but was interrupted before he could say anything by Cheddar Cheese. He cleared his throat.
“Well, it seems the imposter switched places in the woods, and stayed like that until Macaroni found out the truth.” Cheddar thought out loud.
Macaroni nodded along. “It explains why the explosion happened while Manju was with Jagae in the town square, and how the real culprit was able to go into the Pointy Punks’ home to frame them without any suspicion. Most likely, our culprit did this behind the scenes while everyone else was distracted.”
“Thanks for this,” Cheddar told the two. “This will help us define a clear timeline. If we need anything more, we’ll contact you. Until then, feel free to go home after the blizzard clears.”
Macaroni smiled. “We’ll see you when we see you.”
The two detectives left, once again leaving the two on their own. Manju stood up, dusting off his pants from any snowflakes, and stretched.
“So complicated. We just have the worst luck when it comes to weather and unusual conditions don’t we Jagae?” He playfully asked, turning his attention back to her after stretching.
Instead of her usual response, which was to question his choices and roll her eyes, she sat there, staring at the snow piling up in front of her.
“Jagae? Are you alright?” He asked, slowly putting his hand in her line of sight to catch her attention.
“Oh, sorry. What were you saying?” She looked at up him, surprised to see an expression of worry plastered on his face.
“I was just saying how we have the worst luck, since we have faced unusual situations together before.”
“Ah. Yeah, we kinda do.” She laughed, though it felt more obligatory than real. “I’m going to head to the post office and send a letter to my crew. You should do the same so that when the snow clears they’ll already be on the way.” She stood up, shaking the snow off of her head and clothes before walking away.
She was acting quite strange.
—
It didn’t take long to do some errands. A short letter to her crew about her whereabouts and her condition was simple enough, and it didn’t take long. After everything, it seemed much more better to have someone pick her up, rather than go through the trouble of making a whole new boat.
She walked back to the townsquare, and instead of going to her room to rest, she found herself gravitating to the dock again.
When she began to see the ashes of her beloved ship, she noticed another cookie already there. They were sat down on the wooden dock, and snow was getting onto their head.
“Mandu?” She called out to him, and the fox cookie turned around, meeting her eyes.
“Still with calling me that? How much longer shall we play this game?” He sighed.
Jagae slowly walked towards the dock, taking a seat right beside him.
“You were fine with it before.”
Manju raised an eyebrow at her. “Probably because that wasn’t me.”
Jagae paused, looking at into the horizon, as if just remembering the entire imposter thing. “..Right.” She mumbled.
Manju took notice of this, tilting his head to one side. “Hm? Are you alright? You’ve been acting off ever since we talked to the detectives.”
“..shut up.” She hissed, not meeting his concerned gaze. She began breathing deeper, like she was having difficulty breathing properly.
Manju shifted uncomfortably, his ears and tail drooping down at her tone, but still not daring to pry his eyes off of her. “..if there’s something bothering you—“
“Well obviously something is bothering me Mandu!” She yelled, interrupting him. her hands now rolled up into fists, slammed into the wood they were sitting on, causing Manju to jump at the sudden sound. She gritted her teeth. “The whole thing, this whole situation that destroyed my ship, put everyone in danger and I—!“ she abruptly stopped, as if to catch her breath. She looked up at the still snowing sky, blinking rapidly. Clearly disheveled, Manju nodded once to let her continue.
Jagae took a quick moment to formulate the words, exhaling. “..and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
Manju looked at her in sympathy, some kind of pity spreading across his face. “You did a lot though, more than the locals did anyways.” He tried to comfort her somehow, but her face didn’t relax. It stayed in that same, scrunched up look.
“That’s not what I mean, it’s— it’s like..” she stammered, her hands waving around in front of her, like she was fidgeting with air as she tried to explain. In fact, she wasn’t even completely sure if she should be telling this to Manju, her rival of all people, but the truth is she needed to get it off her chest somehow, and Manju looked to be the only one who was willing to listen. That was enough for her to feel comfortable admitting anything to him.
“You and me.. we were the only visitors who knew each other. Maybe not well, but we knew each other before this.” She looked to Manju as if looking for his reassurance. Her eyes seemed slightly wet.
Manju awkwardly smiled, startled at the eye contact. He wasn’t sure if he should tell her that, so instead he kept quiet and gave her what she wanted to hear.
“That’s right.” He replied, nearly whispering it to her.
“And I can prove that because you are able to know when I’m acting differently.”
“..yeah..?” Manju sat there in confusion, a bit concerned.
Jagae nodded in agreement. “And then.. from what you told me, you switched out with the fake in the forest, which meant you, the real you, was actually with me at one point.” She explained and Manju hummed in understanding, even though he was at quite a loss to what she was trying to get at.
Jagae looked out into the distance again, almost slumping.
“..despite me being the one who knew you the best out of everyone in that square.. I didn’t even notice anything. I couldn’t tell the fake from the real.” Jagae bowed her head down, seemingly disappointed in herself.
Manju listened more intently than he realized. His body gentled, some kind of understanding settling in him. It made his heart hurt almost, seeing her so vulnerable. It was a side he had honestly wished to see one day, but not like this.
“The imposter knew me well Jagae.” He softly explained, not sure of whether he should lean closer or not. “I’m sure not even my crew wouldn’t be able to flesh me out from the fake.” He lightly chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
Honestly it seemed to work slightly. Jagae didn’t seem as conflicted as she was before.
But she still seemed angry.
“Sure. Maybe I’ll entertain that idea.” She said sarcastically, her temper still headstrong, though now she was so clearly agitated. “But that doesn’t change the fact that if I had listened to you from the start, that if I had stayed with you like you asked me to, the imposter wouldn’t even have had a chance to switch with you!”She snapped, the burdened glint in her eyes still stubbornly standing tall.
“Jagae, that was never your fault.” Manju firmly told her, moving into her line of sight to get her attention. She finally looked at him again, a slimmer of need in her eyes, a need of reassurance. The guilt was eating at her, that was for sure.
“I never blamed you, no one did. In fact I’m grateful that you took care of me when I was out cold.”
The look in her eyes changed from self-blame to confused amusement, like he was dumb. “All I did was watch you.”
Manju smiled teasingly. “Is that so? From what I was told, the second you found me you picked me up and carried me to your room.”
Jagae looked at him in disbelief, like she was thinking: “who told you that?”. She scoffed. “What was I supposed to do? Leave you there? Though I’m really second guessing myself on that decision now.”
“Don’t. But I am telling the truth. Thank you for worrying. Seems you care about me more than I hoped you did.” He giggled, a bit of a blush creeping up to his cheeks.
“Whatever.” She told him, finally letting herself smile. “Sorry for.. that whole thing.” she averted her eyes.
He smiled. “It’s quite alright. It affected everyone, not just me you know, and I’m glad you were able to speak on it.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” She whispered, which Manju didn’t completely catch.
“What was that?”
“..nothing.”
—
The two returned to their rooms, eager to get a good nights sleep in case the weather did calm down for the next day. As they passed Manju’s old room, which still smelled of the sickeningly sweet incense, Jagae stopped.
“..it’s still strong.” She noted, her face not caring to hide the distasteful expression.
Manju looked back at her, his nose also picking it up. “I’ve learnt the art of making the smell last long.. maybe I should rethink adding it into incense..”
“You don’t say.”
He chuckled. “Well, i think it’s safe to say I’ve also gotten sick of that smell. I’ll probably be avoiding incense for the next couple of weeks.” He sighed, Jagae looking quite amused at it.
“Well if you do get back into blending your own scents..” she walked over to where Manju was, slightly ahead of her. “..then maybe you should run them by me. You know, to make sure they aren’t strong enough to knock someone out?” She laughed.
Manju looked at her, very interested in her offer. “In that case, perhaps instead I’ll make a new one tonight.” He hummed, the eagerness very clear to Jagae.
“Ha! Don’t think it’s free. The payment for the testing can be made to the Jagae guild.” She informed him, Manju scoffing in return.
“I think the free incense is payment enough.” He said as they got to their rooms, which were right beside each other now. They didn’t immediately go in however, instead stood right in front of their doors, facing each other as they were still talking.
Jagae clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, interested. “Sure, if I like it, which is very unlikely.”
“Then on a completely unrelated note, what are your favourite scents Captain Jagae?” He joked, half chuckling.
“Find that out yourself.” She teased, inviting him almost, turning to the entrance of her room and unlocking the door. “G’night.” She told him, going into the bedroom.
“Good night Jagae.” He said, doing the same.
—
A few weeks later, after the two crews had come to pick him up when the snowstorm had finally passed, Jagae received a letter in the mail.
Adorned in the usual fashion, she carefully opened up the signature red scroll of the Manju guild, knowing that most likely, there was something inside.
And she was right. 3 incense sticks covered in wax paper slipped out from between the paper, tied with a small red kumihimo cord.
The contents of the letter were the usual playful bantering and teasing words of the sly buttershell fox, along with some notes on the incense sent, and Jagae skimmed through it, already formulating a backlash for the insults in her head.
She went into her room, grabbing a lighter and a small glass cup. Not that she’ll tell anyone, but she was very much looking forward to this.
She lit the stick on fire for a moment before blowing it out and putting it into the cup, leaving only a bright ember slowly burning a trail down the stick. She watched as the smoke trailed up into the air before getting dispersed by the ocean breeze.
It wasn’t strong, just as Manju had wrote in the letter, saying something about how he noticed Jagae didn’t react too nicely to the one the imposter had light in his room, so he wanted to contrast that. He also said it will take some time for the smell to be obvious, so after lighting it, Jagae left it be and sat down at her desk, deciding to do some paperwork while it burned.
Actually, it didn’t take long for Jagae to recognize the scent, though whether that was because of a mistake in Manju’s perception or because Jagae was actively looking for the smell was beyond her.
The scent that lingered in the air of Jagae’s ship quarters was identical to Manju’s signature scent.
Ignoring the wet dog smell that also came off of Manju (that frankly, did not exist in the first place), it was unmistakably the subtle aroma that one could smell when he passed by.
It was soft and sweet, and unfortunately for Jagae, she liked it a lot.
After it burnt out, the smoke finally subsiding, Jagae opened her window fully to clear the smell out.
But it seemed that Manju begged to differ, as it didn’t completely disappear days after.
That fox didn’t rethink anything! The smell was just as stubborn as he was, she found herself thinking every time she recognized it clinging to her things.
And yet.. she still didn’t seem to hate it.