Tortuga is the land of pirates and es, the land of alcohol and , the land of troubles, lies and deceptions, of break ups and clandestine marriages. If you go a little bit further into the city, past all the smoke and façades, there is a small village, full of bright green foliage and quiescence.

There is a little kid, with brownish, short hair and pretty hands lying on the grass, a box between his legs and many papers scattered around him. There is another little boy, with longer hair and pointy nose, who just keeps running here and there, trying to catch the other's attention.

“Hyungggg ~” he singsongs, swinging on his toes and looking over the older's shoulder. “Let's go and play, hyung!”

“We can't, Woohyun-ah.” the other retorts, clicking his tongue and frowning slightly. “We need to decipher those maps if we want to go and look for a treasure. Weren't you the one who kept insisting me to do such activity?”

Woohyun nods, lips curving into a pout as he sits next to his hyung.

“But this is no fun.” he says, complaining, and starts elbowing the other. “Sunggyu hyuuuung, come and play with me.”

Sunggyu rolls his eyes and exhales dramatically.

“After I've found the right map.”

Woohyun obviously doesn't agree, but he doesn't add anything more as he stands up and goes inside his house.

They are neighbours, living in that quiet village in the outskirts of the tedious Tortuga. Since it's a very small town, all the people there know each other, and it happens that their houses are next to each other, so they meet up every day. Sunggyu is 10 years old and Woohyun is two years younger than him, but you could say they are best friends.

“Hyung, on guard!”

Sunggyu cannot refrain himself from rolling his eyes again.

“That's fencing, Woohyun, not a pirate fight.”

“I don't mind.” Sunggyu doesn't have to look to know he's pouting, as he always does, his lower lip slightly pushed forward and his nose wrinkled. “Get up and play with me!”

Sunggyu knows that Woohyun is going to keep insisting for the whole day so it's better play with him for a while and then focus again on the maps.

“Seriously, I'm doing all of this just for you but you keep interrupting me!”

Sunggyu picks up a small wooden sword from the grass that Woohyun has placed there for him and bends his body, grabbing the sword handle tightly.

Woohyun was all harsh, strong, uncontrolled moves while Sunggyu was more soft, sharp and precise. They were the opposite but perfect to be rivals, since one movement counterposes the other.

None really wins, but Woohyun trips halfway through a sword and his body collides a bit too hard against the grass.

Sunggyu quickly runs towards him, dropping his word onto the ground, and kneels next to the boy to check if he's alright.

“Hey, Woohyun-ah, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?”

Woohyun has his lips pressed together and Sunggyu knows he's trying hard to resist the urge to cry. His eyes get teary nevertheless and Sunggyu sighs, caressing his cheek and searching for any wounds on his skin.

There is a little scratch on his knee that is bleeding, but it doesn't seem serious. Woohyun anyways acts as if it was the biggest deal ever and forces Sunggyu to carry him inside the house on his arms, until he's sitting on the bed and Sunggyu is knelt in front of him, applying alcohol with a wet cotton to the little scratch. After he's done, Sunggyu blows to it and it tickles Woohyun, whose lips curve into a big smile.

“Hyung, you're so amazing. You could be a great doctor.”

Sunggyu laughs along with him and rubs his hair, messing it.

“I'll be the doctor in your ship when you become a pirate.” Sunggyu adds, lying on the bed, eyes focused on the ceiling. There are little stars and planets stickers pasted there and they shine when you turn off the light. It helps Sunggyu calm down and sleep.

“I'll be the best pirate in the world. And I'll protect you through the seven seas, hyung!”

Woohyun is lying on his side, looking at him, and his face looks a bit weird from that angle but it's still cute. Sunggyu thinks Woohyun is going to be very handsome when he grows up.

He tried to picture both of them on a huge ship, sailing the seven seas together, Woohyun all tall and handsome with a cool pirate hat on his head, while he's standing next to him, with a bandana and the wind on his air, making him look even more attractive. It was a nice picture.

Woohyun fell asleep first, and Sunggyu couldn't hide his smile as he dropped off too.

****

“Are you sure, hyung?”

Woohyun has his head buried on Sunggyu's lap and his body is covered with maps and other yellowed papers. Sunggyu nods furiously.

“Yes, this is the right map.” his lower lip is slightly swollen due to all the previous bites (his nerves can get pretty bad), and the small hint of tiredness in his eyes is quickly replaced by pure excitment.

Woohyun wants to move and jump around but he can't, and waits patiently for Sunggyu to remove all the papers from him before doing so.

“When are we going!?” he asks, not being able to hide his enthusiasm.

“I think we need to ask our parents but we might go tonight. Remember, you tell your mother you're staying at my house tonight and vice versa.”

Woohyun nods, and suddenly jumps onto Sunggyu, wrapping his arms around him.

“Carry me, hyung.” he orders, and mounts piggyback on him.

Woohyun doesn't weight much but it's a bit uncomfortable for Sunggyu, since he's leaning too hard on his shoulders and his body isn't placed properly on his.

They end up falling to the grass, laughing wholeheartedly.

****

With his new boots, his wooden sword and his pirate hat, Woohyun shows up in front of Sunggyu's door, a goofy but huge smile on his face.

“What are you wearing, oh my God.” Sunggyu cannot contain himself and bursts out laughing when he sees Woohyun hat.

Woohyun is hurt, Sunggyu notices, and smiles softly as he brings the boy into a tight hug.

“Yah, don't be mad.” he whispers, and can feel Woohyun is resisting the urge to hug him back. “It looks good on you! I was just surprised because I wasn't expecting it, I'm sorry.”

There it is, Woohyun hugs him back. He's a bit taller than him and tries to lift him off the floor, playfully.

Their mothers think they are staying at each other's houses, but actually they are going to look for a treasure in the haunted house which is halfway between their village and Tortuga.

The haunted house is a huge, abandoned mansion, covered with climbing plants and moss. Their map says there is a big hidden treasure inside it, and they (Woohyun) have always wanted to go on such adventure. It was thrilling and fascinating, but also a bit scaring.

“Don't be afraid, hyung.” Woohyun says, holding his hand, as if he was reading his thoughts. He smiles widely and there are two baby teeth missing, which make him look even cuter. “I'll protect you!”

Woohyun lifts his chin up, trying to look arrogant, and Sunggyu just laughs along (at him).

It is around 9 p.m and the sun is already going down, but they still have time before having to take out their flashlights.

Woohyun moves even closer once they've already stepped inside, and Sunggyu feels his hand tremble a bit.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Woohyun?” he asks, because the last thing he wants is the boy fainting there. He's the older, he needs to take care of him after all. “We can come back during the daylight, it doesn't matter.”

Woohyun shakes his head furiously.

“No, no, hyung, we need to do this now, at the moonlight. It's okay, don't be scared! I said I'll protect you.”

Sunggyu rolls his eyes and thankfully it's quite dark inside so Woohyun doesn't see it, or else he would have thrown a tantrum (as always).

The floor beneath them creaks and Woohyun lets out a small scream, jumping on his place.

Sunggyu laughs.

“Hyung, don't be mean!!”

He grabs his hand and pulls him closer, looking at the map in front of them and following the instructions. They have to cross the first room and then go to the right, then straight through the corridor and go upstairs.

The stairs seem to be a bit unstable and Sunggyu fears for their lives.

“Let me test it first.” he says, and even though it's a mere whisper, it sounds too loud in the silent corridor.

Woohyun nods, obviously scared.

Sunggyu notices the stairs are still in good shape, so he motions Woohyun to come closer, who sticks to him as if he was his second skin.

Woohyun's hand feels warm against his and Sunggyu gives him a squeeze, to let him know he's right there with him and nothing wrong is gonna happen.

The upper floor is more untidy than the ground one, and there are crystals and pieces scattered here and there. They walk carefully, trying not to step on them, and Woohyun would have stumbled at least twice if Sunggyu wasn't holding him by the hand.

The map indicated they had to cross the whole corridor until they reached a huge, red door. That was their final destination.

Woohyun would jump at any single sound he heard, be it from the ground or just simple rats running across the floor.

Sunggyu was a bit amused.

The door was big and had some weird, intricate designs which Sunggyu could not identify, but there were pirate symbols and sirens drawn all over it.

He just hoped the door wasn't locked.

There was this huge box in the middle, and Sunggyu frowned, stopping Woohyun from running swiftly towards it. Wasn't that a bit too...easy.

They moved slowly, fearing something would appear in front of them at any second. The box was simple, and there was a little posit inside, which said:

''the treasure is where the morning glory lives.”

“What does that mean, hyung?” Woohyun asks, softly, and his voice cracks a bit in the end.

Sunggyu closes his eyes as he tries to think. Morning glory is a flower (he knows that because his mother is a botanist and he sometimes helps her taking care of the plants), and they grow in gardens where there is a lot of humidity and it isn't too cold.

“I think we should go down to the backyard.”

“We went all the way up just for this?” Woohyun asks, obviously angry, and Sunggyu pats his head, trying to comfort him.

The way downstairs is much quicker since they already know what's there, and it doesn't take much until they are on the garden.

It's already dark then but they don't need their flashlights since the moon is shining brightly over them, illuminating everything.

They look at the map, but there are no more instructions.

“What do we do now, hyung?” Woohyun yawns and Sunggyu knows they should finish their trip soon.

“I have no idea.” he replies, pouting.

The posit only said they had to go to the garden.

Unless...

“Wait, come here!” he grabs Woohyun's hand and pushes him forward.

There is a small natural water fountain behind the mansion, and it's surrounded by flowers. And most of them are morning glory.

“It should be here!” Sunggyu exclaims, his heart beating faster in excitement.

Woohyun moves a bit closer towards the fountain, and his eyes catch something behind it.

“Hyung, I think there is a cave there.”

It's difficult to pass beneath the fountain without getting completely soaked, but Sunggyu tries his best so Woohyun doesn't get much wet, because the boy would start trembling afterward and probably fall sick the next day.

Now, there is a huge treasure chest in the middle, and Sunggyu sighs in relief.

“There it is, we found it.”

“How are we going to open it?” Woohyun asks, and Sunggyu closes his eyes. They didn't even have the key. “Oh, look.”

There was another paper stuck there, this one a bit bigger.

“Only with the kiss of your soulmate, you are allowed to open this chest.”

“Pffff.” Sunggyu snorts, leaning back on his place.

Woohyun seems disappointed.

“B-But...” he mumbles. “There are no girls here, how are we going to do that? Besides, I don't even like a girl yet....”

Sunggyu sighs, his mind trying to look for a possible solution.

A kiss from your soulmate.

Who did Sunggyu love the most?

His eyes shot open and he sat up, his heart beating even faster.

“Yah, Woohyun-ah.” he calls. “Who do you love the most?”

Woohyun frowns.

“What do you mean? I told you I don't like any girl yet.”

“I mean, who you love the most right now.”

Woohyun frowns cutely as he ponders about it.

“You.” he answers, and Sunggyu is relieved to see that he's not the only one.

“Okay.” he says, slowly. “I'm going to kiss you, Woohyun-ah.”

And before the boy can even complain, their lips are clashed together in a short peck.

Woohyun blushes furiously afterwards and so does Sunggyu, who coughs in embarrassment as he shifts his gaze to the treasure chest.

It is opened.

“H-Hyung.” Woohyun seems to be at a loss for words. “Hyung, why did you do that?!? I wanted my first kiss to be with my future wife on my ship!”

Sunggyu laughs, the sudden awkwardness quickly disappearing.

“Don't worry, Woohyun-ah, you'll have plenty of time to kiss all the girls you want.”

Woohyun doesn't say anything but keeps pouting as he shyly grabs Sunggyu's hand again.

“Now let's see what's inside.”