Chapter 2

They were the last two workers to arrive, which was not unusual. Wonshik was always the latest back home, and Hakyeon was not a great deal better when it came to time. As he had grown older, Hakyeon was trying to be more responsible, but Wonshik ran on his own clock and Hakyeon found to his own dismay that, like with all things when it came to his best friend, Hakyeon fell easily in step with the other’s habits. Being in an unfamiliar place, far hotter and more humid than even their own home island, had weakened Hakyeon’s usual confidence. It didn’t help that Wonshik moved around like this was his second home, sure legs carrying him through the hard labour while Hakyeon tailed behind and talked to him. It wasn’t like this back home.
“Oooy! Over here!”
Another thing he disliked about this island was the sheer amount of people who he didn’t know but Wonshik did. Hakyeon was always out of the loop. Up ahead a tall silhouette of the person Wonshik had pointed out yesterday was the cargo ship’s captain, bounced over to meet them.
 
The Captain was a tall youth with hair like a gleaming chestnut and a wide smile. He appeared to be the same age as Wonshik, and was what would be considered by most as a typically handsome man. Hakyeon would have thought the Captain was from one of their neighbouring islands, if not for the unusually large shape of his nose, which suggested he may be of mixed heritage. The other man reached for the cart, his larger hands bypassing the wooden handle to instead cover Wonshik’s.
“Woah, thanks for bringing it all the way here Ravi. You could have left them at White Hall, I’m back again tomorrow morning anyway.”
Hakyeon’s eyes widened at the strange name he had never heard being used to describe his best friend, but Wonshik laughed until his eyes were crescents.
"I didn't want to keep anyone waiting." Wonshik said, ducking from under the handlebar and immediately was enveloped in a hug from the Captain.
"I know its because you missed my handsome face. Don't deny our love, Ravi, we're meant to be."
The comment made the pair laugh even harder, and they shoved each other around for a few moments like little boys before Hakyeon snapped at them.
"Don't you two have work to do?"
Both turned to look sheepishly at Hakyeon, Wonshik looking like a scolded puppy and wide eyes. The Captain gave Hakyeon a salute, which was met with narrowed eyes and folded arms.
"Yes, mother."
Wonshik cut in before Hakyeon let out all of the hot air he was choking on, looping an arm around the older man's shoulders.
"Ken, don't be like that. This is my best friend Hakyeon, he's my island's village leader."
Ken's grin lost some of its cheekiness and he clapped Hakyeon’s shoulder.
"Hakyeon, is it? I think saw you yesterday at the pier with my Ravi."
"And I saw you too; I asked Wonshik who that ugly man was with the silly hat and he said you were a Captain. I didn't know it got worse the closer I got."
Hakyeon was shocked by his harsh words being met with a mock-wounded look and laughter from Ken as he took off his navy, wide-brimmed hat and clutched it to his chest. At home, the villagers would be scurrying away from his dark look and Wonshik would pout, but this man didn’t take him at all seriously.
"Oh! Oh! Cruelty from such beauty still heals as much as it hurts! Ravi, how do you control yourself around him?"
Wonshik shook his head at both of them, Haykeon refusing to thaw and Ken not seeming bothered in the slightest by the glare he received.
"I am not getting dragged into this! Let's get this on the boat."
Haykeon grumbled as Wonshik and Ken pulled the cart together to bring to the bustling pier. He watched on as a dozen hands flew in from all directions to help to load the precious cargo. It was like at home when the fisherman came back with their haul; excitement and chatter bubbling even as they moved heavy loads as if they weighed nothing, and Wonshik fit in with this crowd perfectly. They were all men of the sea, even Ken, and they hoisted ropes and scrambled up wet wood in bare feet as naturally as breathing.
Back home though, Hakyeon knew every face and his heart would swell with pride at the skills of his people. Here, on this strange island with cropped seagrass and trees planted all in endless rows, Hakyeon felt nothing but impatience to leave. Why did Wonshik not feel the same?

His glance turned to that other circle of men, all of whom stood apart from the bustle of the crew and were engaged in their own conversation and self-importance. Only one glanced periodically at the workers on the boat, and did not appear to speak at all.
Unlike the roughly cut, stained clothes that the workers wore, and he himself, these men wore pressed suits with silken threads and shiny shoes. No hair was out of place or was hidden underneath a fancy hat. At least Ken's hat had character, battered and soiled from the ocean and sunlight; these men and their clothes looked as if they rarely went outside.

Hakyeon had met men like these a few times in his life.  As the future village leader, he had visited many places and received important guests at his family home.  It would be something he would need to do more when he eventually became the official leader. It was thanks to men like these that the fish Wonshik caught all day made money for the community.

Thinking of Wonshik, Hakyeon rolled up his sleeves and joined the dockhands to move cargo. As he worked, Hakyeon’s sharp eyes noticed some idle hands while he lashed boxes together and he raised his voice, pointing at one man who snapped to immediately.
"You, get those ropes. You, give me a hand here. Going in one, two, lift!"
Looking up on to the ship's deck, he spotted the plume of familiar red hair even in the evening light and gave Wonshik a wave. Wonshik was busy hoisting ropes, his biceps rippling and the muscles taut with each heave. Despite being thus occupied, he noticed the wave and gave Hakyeon a quick smile, which Haykeon returned.

He turned away to give more orders, running back and forth along the pier with his arms full of boxes until the work was nearly done and there was nothing more for him to do.
A sound like the tearing of cloth hissed behind Hakyeon’s ears and he jumped aside as Wonshik descended the ropes to land with a heavy thunk.
"All done, leader." Wonshik chuckled, leaning against Hakyeon, who returned the affection with a nudge. "Have fun?"
"Well if sweating and shouting is what you mean by fun-"
"That's one way I have fun. Care to join me?" Ken purred.
"Yah!" Hakyeon glared at the Captain, dragging Wonshik with him as he stepped away from Ken's proximity. "Don't sneak up on us, you sleaze!"
"Ravi didn't mind." Ken swatted at Wonshik’s behind and earned a scowl from Hakyeon, who pulled the redhead closer.
Both Ken and Wonshik broke out into giggles as Ken started waggling his eyebrows comically.
The playful banter slowed as Ken started walking towards the group of men, waving for Wonshik and Hakyeon to follow.
"Come on, let's go see the boss."
Wonshik began to follow but Hakyeon held him back.
"Why are we going?  They aren't interested in us."
"Uh..."
"Are you coming Ravi?"
Wonshik frowned, looking back and forth between his best friend and the Captain, looking like a small animal trapped. Hakyeon relented, letting him go but following very close behind. In all diplomatic meetings at home, Hakyeon had to drag Wonshik out of his shyness, why was he so different here? It was unsettling.

Up ahead, Ken had barged in to the circle, throwing his hands onto the nearest two shoulders, which were shrugged off almost instantly. Ken’s smile didn’t even flicker.
"We are done for the night, gentlemen.  Any of you want a ride?"
There was murmured dissent and the circle began to fragment, most heading towards the smaller boat in pairs as they continued to talk. Ken moved to lean on the only remaining man, talking in a lively voice while the other said nothing.

Hakyeon’s eyes were on Wonshik as the younger man walked ahead. He saw how Wonshik’s easy stride was grew less confident than usual, his head beginning to lower and he was rubbing the grime off his hands and onto his faded blue shorts in nervous scrunches of his fists.
Intrigued, but with unease bubbling deep down in his core, Hakyeon walked faster to catch up.

Assessing the stranger as they approached, Hakyeon was surprised by how much younger the man was compared to the others who had been in the circle; he couldn't be older than Hakyeon himself.
The stranger was tall, with sharp, pale features that reminded Hakyeon of the jungle cats that stayed on their home island: shy, sneaky, and rare. His eyes were cold and dark, lips pursed and he looked annoyed. About what, Hakyeon was not sure, but his protective instincts brought him closer to Wonshik’s side. He didn't like or trust this stranger.

Ken, in comparison, did not appear bothered by the fact he was holding a completely one-sided conversation until they arrived.
"Ravi, thank goodness you're here. I found this statue at the docks, did you want to take him back to White Hall with you?"
Ken shoved the stranger forward, who turned and gave him a deadly glare while Wonshik laughed with his rich, low voice but there was a squeak at the end that Hakyeon noticed.
"Leo sir, it's good to see you."
"It's good to see you as well." Leo murmured politely, his heavy gaze resting on Wonshik’s face until the other gave him a bright smile then ducked his head back down.
"You didn't say that to me! Aren't you happy to see me, Leo?" Ken began to whine.
Leo gave him an unimpressed quirk of his brows and turned back to Wonshik. He didn't even bother looking at Hakyeon, but before any other words were said, Wonshik threw his arm around Hakyeon to pull him forward.
"This is my best friend I've been telling you about, Hakyeon. He is our future village leader. Hakyeon, this is Leo, he is the one who owns this island."
Hakyeon tilted his nose up slightly and put his arm around Wonshik as he was introduced. He remained confident as Leo's eyes snapped over to him and gave him an icy stare.
Hakyeon had heard about both Leo and Ken from Wonshik many times when his best friend returned to their home island after work here was over.
Ken fit what he had imagined from Wonshik's stories, but it was only here and now that he'd realised how little he'd paid attention to what Wonshik said about Leo, just a few anecdotes and nothing more.
He didn't like to think about the mysterious Leo person who Wonshik spoke about with a cute, dreamy smile.

"So you're the boss here." Hakyeon drawled, eye narrowing. "Wonshik told me about how you would throw seawater on him if you caught him napping, and-"
"Yeon!" Wonshik was shocked by his tone, relaying the story as if it weren't originally told with cheeky amusement.
Ken dispersed the awkward mood that was beginning to settle with his explosive laughter. It was the kind that Hakyeon himself found hard to resist, even though his guard was up and his eyes trained on Leo.
Leo barely even moved as Ken slapped Wonshik hard on the shoulder.
"Ooooh I remember that! You looked like a wet puppy and you both wrestled until your big brother had to come and save you from getting beaten!"
Wonshik laughed too, his cheeks slightly red and he smiled at Leo.
"You wouldn't be able to beat me now." He teased.
Leo's cool facade didn't change except for a slight tilt towards Wonshik. When he spoke his voice gentle and soft, as if a feather was tickling the shell of one’s ear.
"Are you willing to risk finding out?"
Wonshik didn't appear to take the threat seriously despite the serious look on Leo's face, chuckling.
"Bean said that Ravi can fall asleep standing up, but I haven't seen it yet." Ken piped in.
Hakyeon couldn't hold back his own laugh when the memory of finding Wonshik in that exact situation flashed into his mind. Warmth flooded his chest as he caught Wonshik's eye, the attention making his guard drop.
"He does! I have seen him fall asleep standing out in the rain, upside down, even through big storms out at sea. " Hakyeon ruffled Wonshik's hair. "What were the Gods thinking when they made you?"
Wonshik had started blushing hard now, having had enough as Hakyeon listed a few more ways he was found sleeping to Ken. His head was low and he ducked away from Hakyeon, pouting.
"I can't help it when I get tir--" Wonshik's whine was cut short as a yawn escaped him.

It had grown dark at this stage, the stars visible faintly overhead. The docks were almost empty of people, a few crew lingering. The smaller vessel had already cast off while they had been speaking.

"Aww, sleepy? You know there's always space for you in my cabin." Ken said sweetly, and winked at Wonshik, who only grew redder and Leo frowned, giving the cheeky Captain a glare.
"No thanks, I've seen your cabin, and it ain't pretty." Wonshik said, and he added to Hakyeon, "He's even messier than Hongbin. There's maps and toys and junk everywhere."
Hakyeon winced at the thought. Wonshik's brother was a bit of an artist, and the tiny home that the brothers had shared was full of his art.

Ken continued talking, complaining to Leo that Ravi was making things up, but Hakyeon was ignoring that noise in favour of observing Wonshik growing visibly more tired the darker it became.
The pair had had a very long day, working from before sunrise until the last load was delivered minutes before. For Hakyeon, even the walk back to where they were staying felt too far, but it couldn't be helped.  They had been fuelled by sugary, imperfect mangoes all day, and Hakyeon needed to eat something different. It had only been two days since they had arrived here. Already Hakyeon longed for home, for the safe routine of life. Home was where Wonshik's smiles were mostly for him and all of his attention. They could relax on the beach after a long day and Wonshik would tell him about the songs he had been writing, the fish he'd seen and caught, and would sometimes let Hakyeon see his lyrics that they would sing together.  Wonshik was protective of his songs and there were few people who he allowed to see them. To Hakyeon's knowledge, only he and Hongbin had been privy to them in the past.

On those long nights Hakyeon would often talk more out of the pair, filling Wonshik in with the village news, new recipes, his worries about being a good leader, the rumours from other islands and anything else he thought of. Wonshik always listened right up until he could no longer resist the pull of sleep. Then Hakyeon had a few moments alone to enjoy looking at his friend's peaceful face without fear of being caught. Not that Wonshik would ever know without being told – the other was oblivious to the pull that he had on others.

Yes, Hakyeon knew he had it bad.  There had been no special moment of realisation. Like the omnipresent stars glowing above, Hakyeon's love was present all the days of their youth, but became visible now in the dusk of their maturity.
It frightened him to keep such a large secret from Wonshik, who was so open to him, though after today and this whole 'Ravi' thing, he was beginning to doubt that...
He did know that unless he made a move (something Hongbin had been urging him to do for years), Wonshik would continue as he always had - clueless of his best friend's feelings.
Fear held Hakyeon back from confessing. What they had was precious, nearly too precious to risk even if it was eating at him every morning he opened his eyes to a new day. No one else understood him as well, not even his own siblings. The connection he shared with Wonshik was rare, and he knew in that way at the very least, his best friend thought the same.
That was something Hakyeon knew these two strange men could never dream of having with Wonshik, and that knowledge filled him a fierce kind of pride. It would not slay the beast of jealousy which slept deep in the pit of his belly, but it helped to keep the monster at bay.

Hakyeon reached for the Wonshik's wrist and glanced at the two others.
"If you're not done, we're going back up. Shikkie, let's go?"
Startled by the sudden announcement, Wonshik let himself be dragged by Hakyeon east, uphill towards the buildings that lay there.
"H-huh? Oh um Ken see you tomorrow Leo --" Wonshik raised his free hand to reach after Leo.
Without taking the offered hand, Leo strode past and began to walk east as well, his fast pace leaving them all quickly behind.
Ken and Wonshik called more goodbyes to each other and then finally, the two friends were alone and Hakyeon slowed their walking pace to a stop. Wonshik gave him a questioning look, but waited silently for Hakyeon to explain himself. Hadn't he been eager to leave? Why had they stopped?

The walk back would be a long one. Behind them, the music of crashing waves murmured in their ears. Without looking, Hakyeon knew Wonshik’s eyes were closed as he listened and he did the same.
He had little idea of what was on Wonshik's mind at this second, but Hakyeon was sending out wishes to the ocean Gods to take this strange, uncomfortable feeling in his chest, to somehow transport them far away back home where Leo and Ken would not be and everything would be fine again.

And maybe if he was honest with himself, he might have admitted to a single prayer that also left him to appeal to the Gods.

They hadn't answered it yet, but Hakyeon was still hopeful.

________

a/n: sorry for the delay!! work has been crazy; it's been 60hr weeks for me. i'm not really happy with this chapter but I didnt want to delay it any further.