A peaceful night of the Caribbean sea has been destroyed by the most fearsome ship of the pirate king. The ship’s usual nightfall silence and eerie atmosphere completely turn into a lively feast. Sea shanties and instruments are being sung and played by the high-spirited crews of the Revenge. Smells of alcohol blend in the chill night air filling the entire vessel. The crews are either drunk singing and dancing or lying unconscious on the ground. There’s no in between.

Watching from the quarterdeck is the Pirate king, he’s scanning his crews with observant eyes. Corners of his lips lift up into small grins but one cannot discern his real emotions, except his closed men and one of them is the quartermaster. Seonghwa glances at his captain beside him and he can tell that his grin isn’t the sign of happiness.

Today and yesterday are their lucky days as they got the complete map of Wonderland and a big amount of loot. After a long painful month of hopelessness, they were able to let go of burden within 2 days. Hongjoong ordered him to throw a feast for the crews but Hongjoong himself isn’t enjoying it.

“Something on your mind?” Seonghwa asks. He thought Hongjoong was supposed to be content with their achievements.

“Why do you think that?” Hongjoong asks Seonghwa back, eye still gluing to the main deck below.

“It’s obvious.” Seonghwa snorts. He’s been through high and low with Hongjoong. Of course, he knows Hongjoong like he knows himself. But lately Hongjoong has acted differently.

“I guess I can never hide it from you.” Hongjoong grins wider.

Seonghwa waits for more explanation but doesn't receive one. Hongjoong only stares intently at one spot. Seonghwa follows his eyesight and has an urge to roll his eyes when spotting the 2 nuisance girls. They’re sitting on rum casks near the rail of starboard. Their radiance beauty makes the crews turn their heads, drooling unsightly. Seonghwa doesn’t like the idea of having women on their ship, not because of the superstitious belief but the beauties can be a hassle, especially on a ship full of men.

“Never known she’s a boozer.” Seonghwa snickers, looking at the seer drowning herself with a mug of rum.

“So she’s the cause of your trouble.” He glances back at Hongjoong. He noticed the way Hongjoong looks at her, it’s the same when he looks at treasure. Surely, he doesn’t like how captain having a distraction but as long as he doesn’t mess up, he won’t interfere Hongjoong’s business.

Hongjoong sips his wine and chuckles lightly at Soenghwa’ comment.

“Nah, it’s the other way around.” He grins mischievously. But Seonghwa thinks otherwise, it’s both ways. Even the seer looks equally upset. He doesn’t want to know whatever happens between them.

The heartless quartermaster peers at the seer and feels slight pity toward her. Because once the pirate king sets his eyes on something, he’ll win over it no matter what it takes.

---

Bitter taste of rum fills my mouth as I swallow the content from my mug. It’s not that I’m a heavy drinker but I drink it to burn down my bitterness inside my heart. Because I have run into an end, I can’t think of any good plans. I spent the whole day plotting another scheme but none would be able to fool the pirate king. Until at night, the crews forced Aurora and I to join their party even though we didn’t want to participate.

Faraway from the crowd, we are sitting idly on a rum cask. Aurora hasn’t talked to me since this morning. The atmosphere is really awkward between us.

Eyes sweeping through the crowd, I see Jongho playing a fiddle with other several crews, forming a small music band. Not far away, tipsy Mingi and Wooyoung are shouting and singing sea shanties with drinks in their hands. And on the side, Yunho and Yeosang are dancing. Yunho attempts to do footwork but he trips on his leg and falls down on Yeosang, making them collide on the floor.

Watching Ateez members singing off-tune and dancing weird moves is hilarious when thinking the real world Ateez are the powerful talented group.

“You seem to like them.” Aurora speaks up when she hears my giggle.

“Uhh,” It isn’t a hard question but I don’t know why I can’t answer her. My feeling has become hard to distinguish between liking them because they are Ateez or their fictional characters.

So instead of answering, I sigh and swallow a big gulp of rum.

Seeing the seer’s changed expression, Aurora doesn't press for an answer.

My eyes travel again and stop onto the quarterdeck, spotting two silhouettes; Hongjoong and Seonghwa. I grimace at the memory of Hongjoong this morning. That jittery feeling has been nagging me since then. I stick my tongue at Hongjoong as a revenge, hoping he won't see me.

Aurora beside me suddenly yelps. I quickly turn my head and see a muscular man towering near her.

“Ye so beautiful..” He slurs and smiles creepily at her. “Dance with me.”

“Go away!” Aurora's face contorts into disgust.

“Don’t be shy.” He tries to grab her hand, however, another strong hand grips the man’s hand preventing him from touching Aurora.

“Mate, ye drunk.” The owner of the hand appears to be Wooyoung. His smiling face can’t hide his irritation. He proceeds to shoo his drunk crew away.

“It must be hard being a beautiful lady.” Once the muscular man staggers away, Wooyoung turns to Aurora.

She doesn't react at his remark but her gorgeous face clearly shows discomfort.

“It’s boring here. Do you wanna go dance with me?” He asks and wiggles his brows. I can only roll eyes at him at his lame invitation.

“I don’t dance with pirate.” She spats coldly.

Wooyoung chuckles and then shouts out loud, “Ma fellow mates! Miss Aurora here doesn’t want to dance with me!”

The crowd hear him and boo at her. Aurora turns red in anger and embarrassment.

“You’re insane.” She gets up, intending to leave. But Wooyoung won’t let her go easily. He grabs on Aurora’s wrist.

“Let go!” Aurora hiss at him while wriggling out of his grip.

“Hmm, I don’t want to.” He playfully smirks at her to annoy her. And it works as Aurora glares at him angrily.

Suddenly, Aurora snatches a mug in Wooyoung’s hand and splashes rum into his face. My jaw drops at the unexpected scene.

Wooyoung wipes the droplet from his face and his eyes glint dangerously. His grip tightens around Aurora’s wrist and she cries in pain.

This is not good. Angry Wooyoung is wild and unpredictable. Before their fight evolves into world war III, as a self-proclaimed mediator, I must intervene.

“Stop it you two!” I shout at them and hit Wooyoung's hand to let go of Aurora. He scoffs at me but willingly lets go. Once Aurora is free, she instantly turns her heel and leaves.

We both watch her back walking further away. I turn to roll eyes at Wooyoung for being at courting a girl.

“Your party is boring!!” I shout at his face.

He snorts, “You’re the boring one.” Then his eyes glint mischievously. “Mates!! the seer here wants to sing for us!!” His loud shout makes the music stop and all heads turn to me.

I scoff at his remark. I return him with a daring glare. Drinking rum bottom up, I hand the mug to Wooyoung. He takes it confusedly.

Let me show you how to party. I sneer at them inwardly.

My world is spinning as I wobble into the crowd and they immediately part way for me. I stop in the middle of the crowd. The whole place is silent and all eyes staring at me.

“Is she going to tell us fortune?” An unknown voice rose from somewhere.

“Music!” I shout at the instrumentalist. Jongho and his bandmate watch me strangely.

“Play the music!” I shout again. Jongho shakes his head and starts, the whole band then follows him.

As the music begins, I start clapping my hands. Shortly afterward the crews follow my lead.

I take a deep breath and start singing.

“HAKUNA MATATA YA!!!”

Jongho accidentally misses the note. And the whole crews forget how to clap.

“Say my name Say my name Say my naaammmeee”

“Stop her!!” A shout breaks the silence.

“UMM OHH EHH OHHH”

“I said someone stop her!!”

From tonight onward the ship has an unofficial rule that prohibits Star from singing and dancing ever again.

---

A glint of light enters my close eyelid waking me up from my deep slumber. Groggily open my eyes, I see Aurora hovering next to my bed.

Her blank face startles but she instantly smiles at me, “Finally you’re awake.”

My head feels like exploding and my stomach churn, wanting to throw up. I slowly rise into sitting position and zone out. My memory from last night disappears like a torn page. The last thing I remember is Aurora fought with Wooyoung.

“You should go clean up.” She says.

My hoarse voice answer her, “Ok”

She shakes her head and sits down on her bed. She begins to immerse in her book.

I get off the bed and check myself in the mirror. I look like a party hangover.; wrinkled shirt, hair sticking everywhere, and red bloodshot eyes. I almost mistake myself as a zombie.

After cleaning up in the bathroom, I head to the kitchen to find some fresh water to ease my queasiness. Along the way, the crews give me weird stares.

“Miss Star, you’re the best.” Jack who walks past me gives me two thumbs up.

Frowning in confusion, I’m about to ask him but he already skipped away. Normally, he would look at me a bit fearful but now he acted casually. I wonder if something happened last night.

As I enter the kitchen, I spot Mingi and Jongho on one of the tables. I grab a mug of water and make my way toward them.

“Hi guys,” I greet them and sit next to Jongho. Instead, they greet me back with cold snickers and resume eating.

I blink at them confusedly. “What?”

“You really live up to your name, Star.” Mingi says, earning another baffle look from me.

“I gotta admit your performance was beyond my expectations.”

Ok, what’s he talking about? I sense a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

“From the look, she didn’t remember anything last night.” Jongho adds while digging his food.

“What happened last night!?” I startle. Something must really happened judging from their attitude, Jack’s comment and the crews’ weird stares.

They snicker as an answer. “You should be careful from now on, you offended many people last night.” Jongho says. I notice a slight glare from him.

“What!?” I am shocked at the information. Offended people? What did I do last night?

I never drank that much before so I never knew my drinking behavior.

They didn’t answer me and snicker again. I pout at them and sip on my water to calm the nerve.

Not a while later, the navigator saunters over our table. “Captain calls for a meeting at his quarter.”

“Aye,” Mingi and Jongho nod in response.

“Including you too, Star.” Yunho adds.

“Ok.” I answer.

Slightly frowning, he steps closer to my seat. I look at Yunho and feel an unusual vibe from him.

Unexpectedly, he starts rubbing my hair. “I’m not a puppy!” He yells and leaves right away.

I touch my messy hair, shocking “What was that?!” I turn to ask Mingi and Jongho who are indifferent by my situation.

“I told you. You offended many people.” Jongho shrugs and coolly drinks grog from his mug.

Oh lord, don’t tell me I called Yunho a puppy!

“What to do?” I cry.

“Nothing. Just wait for your karma.” Jongho smirks as he lifts both hands to pinch my cheeks.

Ouch!! I yelp and hit his hands, looking at him in disbelief.

“I’m not cute.” He also yells before getting up from his seat and leaves the kitchen.

My eyes follow Jongho and my mouth agape. Did I call Jongho cute?

I turn to Mingi who is abnormally quiet. An unexplainable expression plaster on his face as he gets up from the table, “Let’s go to a meeting.” 

He stops next to my chair and leans toward me, flicking on my forehead. “I’m cuter than Jongho.” He scowls and also leaves me sitting dumbstruck.

What did I do last night?! I wail hopelessly while covering my forehead in pain.

Then a corner of my eyes catches sight of the surgeon walking inside the kitchen. I quickly call him, “Yeosanggg.”

“Hi angel,” He greets me with his sweetest smile and sits next to me. However, he shoves a bowl on the table in front of me. His angelic smile transforms into a scary grin.

“You must be hungover. Make sure to drink my green terror before going to the meeting.” He says through grit teeth.

I stare at the bowl and see familiar green liquid. My mouth dry at the realization that he now knows I called his medicine ‘Green Terror’.

He snorts at my panic state and shouts at the nearby table full of scary looking pirates, “Mates! if the seer here doesn’t finish her medicine, don’t let her leave the room.”

“Aye, Sir!!” They respond in unison and smirk at me. I instantly divert my gaze away from them.

“Bye, angel, See you around.” Yeosang pats my back softly and exits the room.

My heart feels so cold, staring at the green terror. My life is doomed, thinking that I’ve committed a sin by offending Yeosang. My shaky hand grab the bowl and take a sip. Bitter tears escape my eyes when the memory from last night's events returns back in a full-blown.

Holy ! I’m dead!