“Just ask it,” Sehun drawled out, sounding a little exasperated. He was sitting on his bed, cross-legged with Sungmi beside him and his book between them. They had used the opportunity of an empty cabin to practice reading.

Sungmi looked up at him easily thanks to the close distance of the pair. She blinked, confused. “Ask what?”

Sehun shot her a ‘really?’ sort of look, appraising her carefully. “I can see you want to ask something.”

Admittedly, Sungmi did have a question on her lips. “I don’t know how you could possibly know I had something to ask.”

Scoffing, Sehun raised an eyebrow at her. “It’s written all over your face,” he replied, motioning to her whole face as he said it. “You’re like an open book.”

Sungmi immediately schooled her face into a neutral expression. “Enlighten me then,” she said, perhaps a little testily. “What was I going to ask you?”

He paused for a moment. “Why I can’t read,” Sehun stated, looking away with what Sungmi could only guess was embarrassment.

“I wasn’t going to ask that,” Sungmi snipped back. “I was going to ask about Baekhyun, actually.”

Sehun glanced at her sideways with a blank expression, shifting a little. “What about him?”

Sungmi held her feet with her hands and rocked gently. “You still think he’s innocent, don’t you?” she asked uncertainly, her fight with Kyungsoo uncomfortably fresh in her mind. She wanted to tell someone about it, but she wasn't as close to anyone as she was to Kyungsoo. So who could she tell really?

“Look, I know I don’t get along with him all that well,” Sehun said with a little sigh. “But there’s no way it’s him. I’ve known him since I was eleven. Plus, you said it yourself that he was with you.”

It was a relief to hear that someone else still believed in Baekhyun’s innocence. “Good,” she murmured quietly, probably confusing Sehun a little but he didn’t bring it up. “Ok, back to work,” she said, voice lighter again now.

The two read for about twenty minutes, Sungmi catching Sehun’s little mistakes and helping him with words he was stuck with. Sehun then turned the page, and out fell the letter that Sungmi had found before. Sehun’s face fell as he quickly snatched it up, holding it in shaken hands.

“Are you ok?” she asked softly, knowing full well that he wasn’t. For him to have such a strong reaction, it was clear that he wasn’t.

Sehun his lip nervously, eyes darting from the piece of paper to Sungmi’s face. He seemed to appraise her for a moment before looking back to the paper.

“It’s from my mum,” Sehun admitted, running his finger backwards and forwards along the edge of the fold. “I haven’t spoken to her in years,” he confessed, still moving his finger seemingly thoughtlessly.

“Years?” Sungmi asked, leaning closer subconsciously. Although she often didn’t see eye to eye with her own mother, she couldn’t imagine not seeing her for years.

Humming a little, Sehun nodded and a forced smile lifted his lips. “Let’s just say I wasn’t a good fit.”

Brow puckering, Sungmi tilted her head to the side a little.

Sehun saw this and shifted again, letting out a little sigh. “I can’t read because I was never taught how,” he confessed, still staring at the letter. “And I was never taught how because mum couldn’t afford to send me to school.”

“Oh, Sehun,” Sungmi breathed out, reaching for his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry.”

Sehun let out a humourless chuckle. “It’s not your fault. She broke the rules, that’s why.”

Sungmi frowned at this. Broke the rules? What did that mean? “When you say she broke the rules, what d–”

The door to the cabin swung open then and in marched Chen, shaking his hair like a dog escaping from a bath, splashing rainwater everywhere.

“It’s wild out there,” he announced, beginning to walk over to this bed but then his eyes seemed to clock Sehun and Sungmi sitting so close together on the bed, Sungmi’s hand soothing Sehun. He cocked an eyebrow curiously, changing his direction instead to come over to stand near to them. He crossed his arms on his chest. “Well hello there,” he almost purred, but it was very teasing.

Sehun shrugged out of Sungmi’s hold instantly, tutting as he scowled lightly. Sungmi’s lips spread into a long, thin line.

“You’re dripping everywhere,” she informed Chen as she stood and crossed to her own bed.

Chen chuckled, shrugging as he released his arms and sauntered back to his bed rather casually. He towelled off his hair before peeling his clothes off, standing completely despite the other two being in there too. Of all the boys, Chen was the one who Sungmi had seen the ‘most’ of. She was pretty tuned in to when he would be getting though, so was usually very good at averting her eyes whenever it happened, pretending she was busy. Today, she chose to watch Sehun as he carefully put the paper back inside the book and slid it back onto the floor. He looked up, seeing her looking and, glancing quickly at Chen, shot her a soft smile that she couldn’t help responding to with her own.

Chen clocked this though, making a strange noise. “Something weird is going on with you two, isn’t it?”

Sungmi broke eye contact with Sehun to shoot Chen a look, relieved to see that he was now dressed. He shrugged innocently under her glare. When she turned back to Sehun, he was facing away from her, tucked under his blankets.

Captain Minseok received a knock on his door the next morning, first thing. He poured himself a cup of tea, expecting it to be one of the other captains coming to complain about something before settling himself in his desk seat and calling for them to come in.

Sungmi was nervous to be opening the door, but nonetheless knew she had to do this. Their captain had been very absent lately, so this was her only chance to speak with him.

“Oh, Sunghee,” Minseok greeted, not able to hide the surprise in his voice. He offered her a polite smile when she saluted, motioning for her to sit. “What can I do for you?”

Stepping forwards into the cabin, Sungmi was rather surprised by just how different it was from her own one. In this one there was a spacious double bed, a bathroom and a desk area. The whole cabin was larger than Sungmi’s too, despite how it was built for only one person. Trying not to feel bitter, she reminded herself that there was a hierarchy as she sat in the seat opposite him.

“Sorry for bothering you,” Sungmi began, clasping her hands nervously in her lap. Minseok smiled at her encouragingly, waiting for her to continue. “I just,” she hesitated, chewi