Who was the woman Hongjoong loved so much that he regarded her as his guardian?

Is she the author? Did he have a lover before becoming the pirate king?

There’re million questions floating in my mind. And Hongjoong’s flashback story didn’t mention anything about that.

I hadn’t pry for more explanation from him when I saw the surgeon storming onto the quarterdeck and dragged me back to my cabin. He scolded me for wandering around and warned me if I sneak out one more time he’ll make the medicine more bitter.

How could that green terror taste more bitter? That would be a crime. I was devastated by the fact that Yeosang is scarier than Seonghwa.

So the next few days, I’m locked in the room in order to recover fast. And surprisingly, my left foot healed rapidly thanks to Yeosang’s miraculous medical skill.

Mingi visited me one night but he refused to come into my room. So he stood outside while I leaned against my door frame, listening to the history of the Seakeeper. His story was a whole different fantasy story. So my conscious tell me that I should believe Hongjoong’s story. But asking about Hongjoong’s past lover isn’t an easy task. People are gonna be suspicious for sure.

Mingi saw me bore to death so he invited me to join his little story-telling group. Later I found out it's a formal name for a gossip group. Because the ship is a close environment, there’re few entertainment that the crew can enjoy and gossiping is one of them. I agreed cause I think joining a gossip group may get me some juicy stories.

Tonight the group gather in a small storage room. Around 10 people cram in the room, they consist of old to young pirates. We are sitting on the floor in a circle, only one lamp lit in the middle.

“Why is he here?” I whisper to Mingi who’s sitting beside me. We both glance at the combatant leaning at the dark corner.

“I don’t know, to tell his horror story?” Mingi jokingly says and we both let out a fit of giggles. Soft rocking of the ship, wooden floor creaking sound, eerily darkness, the atmosphere apparently perfect to tell ghost stories. 

I scan around the room and see the crew stare warily at San.

Suddenly, a figure intervenes between Mingi and me. Mingi growls, unwilling to move.

“I invited him.” Wooyoung sits down as he successfully shoves Mingi away and he turns to wink at me.

“Whatever.” I roll my eyes at him.

Mingi wants to shove Wooyoung back but the latter guy clears his throat drawing everyone’s attention. “Mates, our master gunner is gonna start soon.”

Mingi halts his action and can only glare at Wooyoung. Without wasting more than, he begins telling his epic story and the others take turns. But none of their stories are useful to my problem.

When they finish with the stories, one of them turns to ask me, “Aye seeress, you have the power to foresee the future. Can you tell mine too?” The others chorus, “Me too.”

Mingi and Wooyoung also glance my way, eager to know their future.

My face twists at their request. I know this is coming one day.

Straightening up my back, I speak in a calm manner, “I’m not a fortune teller.”

“Ain’t that the same thing?” A voice asks and the others follow along.

I sigh and cuss at that person in my mind. They're putting me in a difficult situation.

Mingi, noticing an awkward smile on the seer’s face, shouts at his crew, “Yah! Are you a bunch of idiots? Of course, they’re different. Star is the seer, she sees important big events stuff, not your lame future.”

Wooyoung whispers to Mingi, “Really?” And Mingi responded, “Dunno.”

I secretly laugh at Mingi’s explanation and see the crew nod even though they are still confused.

My eyes lit up when I think of how to ask them about Hongjoong’s past love life in the most subtle way.

“Sorry that I can’t predict your future but since you all are the crew of Pirate King that I’m destined to be your guide. Why don’t you help me understand your ship more? It’d give me an insight and enable me to provide accurate prophecies.” I finish speaking and low murmurs erupt among them.

“What did she say?”

“I dunno.”

They seem confused so I add, “Something like your background.” But they turn their left and right, murmuring to each other.

“Perhaps we start from your captain” I suggest. Wooyoung crane his neck and raise his brow, giving me what-are-you-getting-at looks. But I smile innocently at him.

However, they haven’t answered me yet as they, one by one, excuse themselves to leave, including Wooyoung and Mingi.

I sit perplexingly at their sudden departure, until I left alone with San.

“What the heck,” Is my question too straightforward? Or are they being so loyal toward Hongjoong?

I turn to look at the combatant who is sitting still in the dark corner. “Err...San,” I call him. But silence only returned to me. Is he sleeping?

Deciding between leaving or waking him up, I lose to the fangirl side and choose to wake him.

I slowly creep toward him, making sure to stay at a safe distance in case he plans to throw me another dagger. When I lift up the lamp toward his face, I froze in my motion. San is actually awake, his cold dark eyes already fixated on me.

“Uh, y- you, I, leave... ” I stutter badly, spitting incoherent words.

In my turmoil state, he ignores me and averts his gaze behind my back. I feel a dark energy from behind me.

Gulping nervously, I turn around and see a dark silhouette at the door. I squeak, trying to get up but fall flat on the ground. The figure scoffs. I remember his voice as he always scoff at me. “Seonghwa?”

I see why people were leaving.

I instantly stand up and intend to leave. But Seonghwa blocks my way.

“This is my last warning to you. Don’t poke around our business. Whatever you try to get, I’ll make sure you’ll never get it.” He says.

I huff at his words but I can’t retaliate as I’m alone with the devil twin. I grit my teeth thinking of the traitors; Wooyoung and Mingi, who dare leave me. If I don’t make it out alive, I’m going to haunt them.

I fail to retrieve information tonight, but I can dig it another time. Right now, it's best to save my life from the grasp of the devil.

“Ok, I’m leaving. Goodnight to you too, quartermaster.” I push past Seonghwa and earn him another scoff. 

The room now left with 2 most feared individuals of the ship. 
“Why are you here?” Seonghwa asks San. He never saw San joining a group ever.

San slowly rises from the ground and walks past Seonghwa. “To tell a horror story.”

Seongwha tries to register what San meant but gives up. Feeling bitter that his best man also acts strange. Seonghwa begins to ponder again. That Star girl, what does she really want?

---

As we traveled to find the crescent dagger, we’ve been to several locations but didn’t find the wrecked ship. Ateez began to stress out even though they didn’t say it out loud. I could detect from the heavy atmosphere.

They ask me to join them in another meeting where the navigator asks me more questions. “Could you meditate to see your premonition more clearly?” But I shake my head at Yunho. It was all I can remember from the scene.

Yunho sighs. His brows furrow, staring at a giant map on the table.

The quartermaster doesn’t let this opportunity to slip as he attacks me with his mean remark. “Are you sure you received the dream premonition, not your own delusion?”

I shoot a dagger at Seonghwa and he gladly shoots me back.

Yunho, being a nice guy he is, interferes in the ongoing glaring battle. “There’s another island that we haven’t visited yet. At this pace, we’ll reach tonight.”

“What if we find nothing there? Are we going to keep doing this?” Seonghwa questions his crew. And some of them nod in agreement.

Uneasiness present on everyone’s face. Seonghwa's words are right. They can’t keep guessing the location. It only wastes their time.

Hongjoong, who has been quiet since the beginning of the meeting, silently observes his crew. He claps his hand, gathering everyone’s attention, “Alright, if we still don’t find the dagger tonight, we’ll think of another plan.” He looks at me and smiles. “I believe our seeress can give us another solution.”

I stiffly smile back at Hongjoong. I can sense the tension underlying in his expression.

Whatever his another plan is, I hope it won’t involve me ending up in the bottom of the sea.

// Will Star end up in the bottom of the sea? See ya next chapter!