"Ya Hyung, you could at least be a bit more respectful to noona," Jongup frowned and shoved his arm.

"I'm just being a bit buckoly, that doesn't hurt right?"

Snorting, you giggled, hiding your smile with long fingers.

"Be a joker somewhere else Kyung, and stop talking like that," you stuck your tongue out at him.

"Ahhh…Yeon-ah you be too cautious around me," Kyung picked up a piece of meat from the plate the waitress had dropped off, "Who knows, if I'm here you can bet that Zico-"

"Should not be here," Zelo stabbed at the meat, throwing three pieces down his throat at once.

You felt very glad that some of the Block B crew and the boys got along with each other. Kyung was one of the few that approached you with a welcoming attitude, flirting without shame and just a slight restraint.   You hate it at first, watching an orange haired, long faced boy come up to you every night, a thin drag of alcohol lingering on the tip of his tongue. Fiery bursts of full confidence and smooth sentences filled your ears, you couldn’t stand him at all. 

"I don't know where the rest of the members went, I just woke up and they were all gone. So here I am…" Kyung leaned over and picked a piece of meat off Jongup's plate.

"Yeon-ah,  why haven't you been working at the bar recently?"

You stopped rice midway to your lips, placing the bowl down.

"Kyung, I don’t think that question is necessary."

"We come here just once or twice a year. How come you don’t let me see you?" He poked his chopsticks in your rice bowl and grabbed a few grains.

"Kyung!"

"Yes darling?"

"DON'T CALL NOONA LIKE THAT." Zelo jabbed at Kyung's chest with his chopsticks.

"Aye matey, I kid is all," Kyung wiped  his mouth on the sleeve of his jacket, brushing his knees off before standing up.

"Yeon. Why don't we take a walk for a bit, eh? I find myself more lonely these days than I think."

Hesitantly you peered up at him, his ruffled shirt fluttering beneath a long jacket. Kyung became lost in his own thoughts, staring off past their table to the crew making a fuss over at the bridge afar. He watched as Zico knocked over a few carts here and there, peasants and slaves shuddering at his presence while the rest of the members silently followed.  They would arrive sooner or later. If anything, meeting the  Captain while spending time with Yeon opened the doorway to Kyung being bent over hell's fire.

"Is everything alright Kyung?"

"No, nothing is alright. So come with me why don’t you," Kyung grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the restaurant, leaving Jongup and Zelo's protests behind.

---

An elderly lady beckoned you towards her booth, calling out sweet words and complimenting Kyung.

"Ahh young man, why don't you buy your lady something to match her pretty dress?"

Looking down, you blushed at her outward comment. Yongguk made sure you wore proper clothes in public, distinguishing you from slaves. Everything sewn and tailored gave you the appearance of the daughter from a well-to-do family, except your shoes. Rough and straw sandals covering padded cotton socks, an accustomed attire from your past.  It was a too familiar attire you could never cast aside.  

"How bout it Yeon, it's your day off.  Let's get you a trinket."

"N-no, its fine Kyung," you stammered as Kyung browsed the shop. If  Zico were to potentially catch you two…the scenarios in your mind became consecutively more negative.

"Wrap up these two," Kyung pointed at a pair of shoes, "these matches her dress well."

"Right away!" the lady disappeared, searching for paper to wrap his gift.  In contrast to the straw sandals of everyday wear, Kyung had picked out shoes of elegant fabric, fuchsia embedded flowers and bamboo shoots delicately pruned upon a white toe cap and slight heels.  You stepped around Kyung to see the price before he blocked your eyes.

"Kyung these are-"

"Tell Yongguk it's a gift from an old friend," he winked.

"A gift from me too?"

The two of you whirled around to see Minhyuk,  lurking on the opposite side of the street. Kyung walked towards him with good manner, slapping his back while you bowed politely. "Pirates or not,  treating someone with respect is the first step to earning their better half," Yongguk's words rang in your ears.  Behind you the elderly woman tapped your shoulder, handing you the shoes and nodding in thanks.

"Minhyuk, is Zico close by?" Kyung whispered, stepping close to his body. He looked around warily for any sign of the other members along the quiet street.

"We just made a run for it from some ruffians, you think he'd be close? He's with Taeil hyung, and as for the others they're on their own. Yeon is safe for now," he whispered back, approaching you.

"Hey there," Minhyuk said softly, lifting your hand and pressing his lips against your fingers.

"H-Hello…" you said with a shaky voice.  You almost dropped the shoes, tucking them above your hip.

"What have you been doing since I last saw you? You didn't even let Kyung buy you a simple pair of shoes. Still conservative on money hmmm?"

"Still losing money on bets hmmm?" you playfully grinned. He smirked and took your hand again, moving his lips across your wrist.

"Stop it Minhyuk…" you absentmindedly shifted on your toes shyly.

Minhyuk never treated you the way Captain Zico did. After five years of returning to the same port, he would casually chat while you served, even offering to you home before they left.  Even in the street, Minhyuk looked simply gorgeous in the daylight, not to mention at the bar during the evening. Yongguk always caught him before you could agree to his gesture, sternly pushing you into the back entrance with the younger boys riding the horses home.  Minhyuk never showed any signs of anger. He seemed to understand Yongguk's protectiveness over your position, with the way Captain Zico treated you for at least weeks in one year.

"I'm not losing. Pyo and I managed to cheat some smugglers out of their pay last night though. We didn’t get away with it easy, Yukwon got beat up pretty bad," he pulled out a cigar from his jacket pocket. He offered one to Kyung who shook his head, gesturing for the group to walk.

"Minhyuk. Don't smoke."

"Why? It calms me down. Especially when you're so tense."

He deeply breathed in the herbs, exhaling slowly into the cold morning air.

"I am not tense."

"Yeon-ah! Hyungnim!"

Pyo's deep voice startled you out of the blue as you jumped right into Minhyuk's chest. He steadied an arm around you with the cigar titled in between his fingers, glaring at the youngest member.

"Hyung, I have bad news," he breathed, straightening the buttons on his collar. Pyo seemed tired, sweat glistening on his wide forehead, blonde hair tied up into a warriors' tail.

"Zico hyung," Pyo gasped, "he.."

Whispering a few words into Minhyuk's ear, Kyung nodded at Pyo before speeding down the empty alleyway where he came from. You stood there, utterly confused. Minhyuk let the cigar down lightly on the dirt and stuffed your shoes into his jacket.

"Let's go find Jongup and Zelo," he smiled, pivoting you two and departing the whole scene.

"What about Captain Zico?" you asked, shuffling next to him and  turning your head back to watch Kyung and Pyo's backs disappear around the bend.  You didn’t notice that Minhyuk's arm was still around your waist, leading you to an open neighborhood area.  Rapidly, a round could be heard firing off where the pair had just ran to.  You felt Minhyuk wrench your arm away from the sound, hurriedly  running over the bridge where Kyung had spotted the crew earlier. Chickens clucked, flapping their wings and scuttling in the dirt. Children ducked and scrambled underneath the bridge, huddling together and clamping hands over ears. While you felt the warmth of Minhyuk's hand running, the haughty laughter of the one person who could have caused such commotion washed over your body in chills.

(A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is HORRIBLE HORRIBLE forgive me ;A;)