Warning: Please take a deep breath before proceeding 

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San whirls around, the cutlass in his hand drops onto the floor with a loud clunk. Relieves to see that I stop him from committing a foolish action, I, on the other hand, can’t stop my momentum from crashing into him.

San reaches out his hand to catch me. At that moment I stumble on my own feet and fall down, sending the tray and food in the air and unfortunately, the soup splashes into the combatant.

Salted meat, hardtack, bowl, plates, and the tray scatter around me. I watch the disaster that I caused while sprawling unsightly right in front of San. Ignoring the pain and embarrassment, I quickly stand up as if nothing happened.

Fortunately, this is San, he won’t humiliate me unlike the others. Still, because it’s San, I don’t know what he thinks. Perhaps he curses at me with that blank face.

Then I spot pieces of vegetable and meat attached to his chest and abs. “O-oh my god, I-I’m so sorry. Did the soup burn your skin?” I brush them off from his body. His skin is cool to my touch. There’re traces of scars and new scratches from the battle this dawn.

That’s when I realize he’s shirtless.

My face flares and my hands froze in the air. I’ve committed another foolish action in a row. I slowly retract my hands to my side and sheepishly look up to meet his eyes behind his messy fringe, they’re pitchless black, a storm of emotions swirling inside. San extends his hand to touch my face. His cold fingers gently caress my bruised cheek.

“I can’t protect you.” His raspy voice echoes in a quiet room, a hint of bitterness in his tone. “The witch hurt you because of me.”

I immediately frown. Does he blame himself for my injury?

“It wasn’t your fault. You did your best protecting me. You were even injured because of me.” I peer at the thick cloth wrapped around his upper arm where the monster bit him and feel hot in my eyes. If I didn’t lose San dagger, he wouldn’t get hurt and the damage would be lessened.

However, my words seem to not reach him as his expression became even more hardened. His jaw clenches, his hand on my face trembles.

“You’re not a dagger, you’re a human that can also get hurt.” I quickly added, hoping that he wouldn’t take the role of being my dagger too far.

“I’m a monster.” He seethes, losing in his trance. He lets go of my face and raises his monstrous arm up, glaring at it with such hateful look as if he can’t wait to get rid of it.

So he was going to cut off his arm earlier. If I came in too late, would he really cut off his arm? I shudder from the realization.

“Even with that arm, you’re still the same person! You’re not a monster!” I unconsciously shout out loud. Yet, he’s still in his own thoughts and it starts to scare me. He always does unpredictable things. He never reveals his feelings or thoughts to anyone. Though he has been open up more than in the past, this incident is proof that his trauma hasn’t healed.

Grabbing his face, I force him to look at me. “Don’t do something stupid. It’s your arm, it just looks different. We’ll fix it together so promise me you won’t do anything silly again!”

San lowers his monstrous arm down and turns to me, quietly staring into my eyes.

“Promise me.” I repeat, trying to force an answer out of him.

“Together.” He mumbles.

“Yes, together. We’ll defeat that squid woman and get your arm back.” I affirm him.

The storm in his black eyes disappeared. He places his hand on top of mine. His lips part, “Together.” He repeats as he leans his face closer.

I gulp down, not sure what to do in this rapid change of atmosphere. I’m not naive to not know what's going to happen. However, if I push him away, he’d think I’m a liar since I made a promise with him a second ago. But if I let him kiss me, he’d have a wrong idea.

When our lips are a few centimetres apart, my muddy brain suddenly makes me shout a random word.

“Soup!”

San halts his action and I find an opportunity to withdraw my hand from his grasp and step backward. “W-well, you should clean up. The soup poured into you, it must be sticky, Um, and I’ll have to clean your room too. Can you get me a towel?”

San frowns. I feel guilty for rejecting him, but it’s the best way for both of us. 

He quietly observes my face while I try to avoid his heated stare. He steps closer that I feel his breath fanning on my forehead. We stand like that for a full minute until I decide to break the intense atmosphere. “C’mon, you need to clean up, or do you want me to call your mate to help you?”

San’s mouth twitches, he immediately points at the drawer next to his bed and heads into the bathroom. As soon as the door closes, I release my breath and fan my burning face. My body, which is still not fully recovered, can’t endure this high intensity situation. I sit on San’s bed while trying to calm down. I shouldn’t have come here alone.

Once my heart resumes its normal pace, I begin cleaning the mess on the floor. If Seonghwa knows I waste so much food, he’s gonna make me pay with my life.

After I finish cleaning, I carry the tray and plan to exit the room. “I’ll go get you dinner. So wait here and don’t do something stupid!” I shout for San in the bathroom.

Suddenly, someone knocks on the door.

“San, you’re in there?”

Speak of the devil! I look down to the wasted food on the tray and pale.

It’s the grumpy quartermaster!

Panicked, I placed the tray on San’s nightstand, looking left and right for a place to hide. The drawer is too small. And I can’t hide in the bathroom because San is changing. So I decide to crawl under the bed but the space is so small I can't even stick my head inside.

That’s when the door opens at the same time as San comes out of the bathroom. There’s a moment of silence. I can feel their gaze upon me, who’s still on the floor.

“What the hell are you doing?” Seonghwa questions me in a mocking tone.

“I’m finding a coin.” I grimace inwardly but calmly stand up as if I didn’t act like a clown a moment ago.

“You have no money.” He scoffs.

Feeling poor all of the sudden, I almost snort but hold it in. Since the first day I stepped into this realm until now, I never possessed a single coin. But Ateez always paid for me so it’s me who stays on the winning side.

“It’s his coin, alright.” I smirk at Seonghwa and point at San. Instead of helping me, San throws his dirty pants onto another bed that apparently belongs to Wooyoung. It could be the reason why his bed is so untidy.

Seonghwa snorts, “You sure love to crawl under people’s beds. If Hongjoong knows-” He abruptly stops and clears his throat. But it’s too late, he already punched me in the gut with that sentence. If Hongjoong knows, how will he react, or he won’t react at all since he has his female lead back.

“Tell him.” San speaks out of the blue. Both Seonghwa and I snap our heads toward him.

Seonghwa raises an eyebrow at his subordinate and sighs when seeing the latter guy is being serious, “As if it’s not messy enough.” He mumbles under his breath, “I came to check up on you but see that you're doing more than fine.”

San curtly nods.

“Rest well. I won’t bother both of you anymore.” Seonghwa spares a glance my way and exits the room.

The situation is definitely messy. I sigh.

A shadow cast above me, I look up and see San’s hardened expression. For some reason, I know what he's thinking. I speak up before he’s going to start where he left off.

“I’ll get you the food.” I head toward the door but an arm hugs me from behind. He rests his chin on my shoulder.

“I’m not hungry.” His husky voice vibrates next to my ear.

Hair on the back of my neck raises. There he goes again. My heart starts to pick up its speed but I manage to speak calmly, “Do you want Wooyoung to bring you food? Fine with me though.”

San instantly lets go. I chuckle inwardly. Sometimes he’s so easy to read.

When I’m back in the room, San lay against a wall on his bed. I place the tray on his nightstand then hand a spoon over to him. San raises his injured arm to grab the spoon, he lets out a low grunt and the spoon drops down onto the bed.

“The wound hurts? Should I call Yeosang?” I worriedly peer at the wrapped cloth that damp with dark blood. Weirdly, he just lifted the cutlass and now he can’t even lift a spoon.

“No.” San grabs my wrist, then glances at the spoon and back to me. I watch him and the spoon, a light bulb in my head light up.

“Okay, I got it.” I sit on his bed and pick up the spoon and begin feeding him soup. Spotting a faint triumphant smirk on his lips, I pick up a big chunk of meat and shove it into his mouth.

While he's eating, we fall into silence. His eyes follow my every move, causing me to feel stiff.

“I thought of killing you.” San spoke out of the blue.

The spoon falls from my grasp and clanks with the bowl. I stare at him with wide eyes. The temperature inside the cabin suddenly drops.

“W-what!?” My heart hammers in my chest. Did I hear it right? The way he stares at me now reminds me of the early days when he creeped me out with his demonic aura. Could it be because I rejected him so he thought of chopping me into pieces with that cutlass that still lies on the floor!? Seonghwa might be inside his cabin, if I scream, he should hear me and come to my rescue.

“In the past.” San continued, a little too late as I almost passed away from suspense.

I exhale loudly. It’s a relief that he didn’t think of killing me here. But then my body tense up because I recall my terrifying encounter with him. He used to give me a creepy smirk and chased me from the forecastle to my cabin because he was gonna k worded me...

San smirks as he sees my reaction. I scrunch my face at him for scaring me, then wonder why he changed so much. He still wants to k word me though, but this time K stands for kissing.

“So what changed your mind?” I clear my throat, trying to sound normal.

“When you fought with that merchant like a fool and almost died.”

I raise my brow. That was long ago when we chased after Wonderland map at Port Royal. San blatantly called me a fool in my face but he’s right, I stupidly fought with a man out of my league and almost got choked to death.

“So that was why you saved me.” I mumble. Perhaps he saw my sincerity so he fell for me at that moment.

He chuckles darkly, “No. I waited until that man finished you.”

My world crumbles into dust. I glare at him, gritting my teeth. “What the hell! You saw everything and didn’t even help me!”

San only smirks as an answer.

“Eat it yourself.” Fuming, I chew on my inner lip and cross my arm, turning my face away from him.

A cold hand seizes my hand. I look at him from the corner of my eye.

“Your eyes saved you.” His voice is slightly softer. “They’re beautiful aquamarines like an ocean.”

Feeling bashful all of the sudden, I tug my hair behind my ear and clear my throat, “Don’t sweet talk. I won’t fall for it. Seakeeper told you to give the dagger to me, otherwise you wouldn't spare me.”

San smirks wider and shuts his eyes. I grimace because I’m probably right. However, when he speaks the next sentence, my mouth hangs open.

“I want to get rid of you because you made me feel something. A strange emotion surged in this lifeless body.” His brow furrows as he speaks. “I used to find pleasure by killing since it made me feel alive. But it was no comparison when your aquamarine eyes looked at me. So I keep only looking at you. I want to be near you, to see your every emotion, to touch you, and kill anyone that harms you. There’s no one else like you, the only person who cares and treats me like a human. I was dead but now I’m alive because of you. For the first time I understand the feeling that the others talk about...”

San opens his gleaming eyes. They’re reflecting the moonlight. I lose myself into them and unconsciously hold my breath. The person in front of me isn't the same cold combatant that I used to know.

“Love.”

My heart skips a beat once he says the word. The image of scary combatant vanishes, all I see right now is a man sincerely confessing his love. He pours his heart out and lays it bare in front of me.

A faint smile paints on his lips but soon it turns into a bitter twitch.

“But you only look at him.” His grasp on my hand tightened. I press my lips together as my heart starts to clench. “I won’t be your friend. I won’t lose you to anyone or anything.”

I look downward, feeling terrible for hurting him so many times.

“Just tonight, Star. Only look at me.” The way his voice pleading breaks my heart. I love him, but not in that way. I have another person in my heart. Although it’s hopeless, I can’t betray my feelings and change my mind overnight. Even if I end up with San, what awaits in the future is another heartbreak story.

When I don’t answer him, he suddenly pulls me into his chest. I try to push away, but he locks me into his embrace with his injured arm.

“Your wound is gonna open!” I panic. My voice muffled because my face bury into his bare chest.

San hugs me tighter, his hoarse voice whispers into my ear. “Only tonight, make me feel the love.”

Blood rushes to my face, my body completely froze. What did he just say?

“Star, I want to feel your love.” He repeats, his lips graze my ear and it’s enough to send electricity all over my body.

“Y-you...” Words caught in my throat as the words sink into my mind. “H-how about you let me go first? I can't breath.”

He slowly loosen his grip and I turn to face him. I met with a strange sight of his expression. His face plaster with hope and yearn. It pains me to see him like this.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” I say honestly.

“You’re hurting me.” His words pierce my heart.

“San, I-”

My sentence is cut short when the combatant seizes my lips. I shrink in my throat and try to push him away, but his hand locks in the back of my neck. His cold lips dominate mine like a whirlpool that pulls a little boat like me into the center of the storm.

Although I’ve been kissed by him multiple times, this time my stomach is twisting in a weird way. I can no longer resist him. My fingers curl against his chest. San closes his eyes, his hand travels to my back. The kiss becomes less intense, but fill with burning passion. I feel him smiling against my mouth.

He pulls away for a second. “Love me, Star.” He says in a husky tone then claims my lips again. Yet, I’m unable to kiss him back. My mind is too fuzzy to think straight. I don’t even know what I got myself into. San groans in his throat and bites my lower lip, that’s when my senses return to my body.

“Stop!” I push myself away from him and shout. I quickly stand up, both hands clamp over my mouth, feeling too ashamed to meet his eyes. “I shouldn't do this. I shouldn’t give you hope.”

San stays still, probably shocked by my rejection. The room fills with our heavy breathing.

“Coward.” He says, his lips twist into a scowl.

My eyes wide open. He called me that again. It was a mistake to call him a coward. He uses it against me whenever I refuse him. “Yes, perhaps I’m a coward. I don’t want to fall in love and get my heart broken again. I told you I’m leaving. I hope you understand my point.” After delivering my remark, I twirl around toward the door.

San lets out a sarcastic laugh, “In the end, no one loves me.” He says, making me halt in my step.

I bite my lower lip and turn around. “Don’t say that! I do care about you. The others also care about you. I said many times that you’re important to me. It’s just...”

San shakes his head. “Just you’re only looking at him.”

I’m at a loss for words. It’s not worth arguing with him. I take a deep breath to calm myself and say, “I’ll visit you tomorrow. I hope to see your arm attach to your body. Good night.”

I exit the room and lean against the door, letting out a heavy sigh. Touching my swollen lips, I curse at myself for letting him kiss me. I should know better to not fall into the devil’s grasp.

Before leaving, I crane my neck toward Hongjoong’s quarter at the end of the hallway.

San is right. He has his lover back but why do I only look at him?

---

Tomorrow I broke my promise to San because my fever broke out. It was worse than the last time as I slipped into unconsciousness. I traveled to the realm of darkness where it was pitch black, and void of life. I was the only being in this strange place. It could be my dreamscape, but weirdly, I was being conscious in the dream.

But sometimes, I thought I was awake.

I saw an angel crying next to my bed. He held my hand as tears rolled down his cheeks. “Starry, I’m sorry, I couldn’t find what’s wrong with your body. I’m such a bad surgeon.”

It isn’t your fault. I replied to him in my mind. My heart also wept as he continued crying.

And sometimes, I heard the soft voice of Aurora and loud noises of Mingi and Wooyoung arguing. And Yunho scolded them to shut up, followed by Jongho lecturing all of them. Then Yeojin shooed them away.

Surprisingly, I saw Seonghwa coming to visit me. He was so nice that I had goosebumps. I believed this person was the dream Seonghwa since the real Seonghwa wouldn’t say my name and wished for me to wake up soon.

One time the combatant appeared in my view. My body instantly fired up as I recalled the kiss from that night. San wasn't angry with me like I was afraid. He buried his head into my hand, slightly trembling.

“You’re not a coward, I am.” He sounded so heartbroken and bitter, I wanted to wake up now to comfort him. “I don’t care who you only look at, just wake up. You're already promised me.”

I want to, but my eyelids feel so heavy. My body doesn’t listen to me.

His cold lips pressed onto my hot skin. My stomach flipped like how he kissed me the night before. The feelings followed me even when I re-enter the darkness realm.

Then a familiar voice woke me up. “Star.” His voice made my heart flutter yet ache at the same time.

“I’ve been thinking a lot of things these past few days. I’m such a bad person, right?” He said.

You are. I screamed in my head.

Hongjoong chuckled, “You probably curse at me right now, but I don’t blame you. I deserve it.”

He quieted down for a while, then held my hand. “Please wake up, Star. I’ll allow you to pull my hair.”

Why would I, the president of Hongjoong’s mullet enthusiast club, pull your hair?

“I don’t know what to do, Star. I’m so lost. If you are here, you’ll guide me like you always do. But you wouldn’t be on my side anymore, right?” He paused. “And when you wake up, I don’t know if I can ask you to be on my side either.”

Now, I really want to pull your hair for saying complicated things to a sick person.

“I miss you, my Star.” Warm lips pressed on my forehead. He stayed there for a moment and gingerly withdrew. His warmth disappeared as I was consumed by darkness.

Time passed like an eternity. I had no idea how long I was stuck inside this dreamscape. I felt cold and scared. It was too lonely here. I missed Ateez, Yeojin and Aurora. I no longer saw them visiting me. Did something bad happen? Or were they tired of caring for a sick girl?

I started calling Seakeeper, hoping she’d hear me. To no avail, her voice never came to me. It was so frustrating to the point that I cried. Well, I didn’t even know that I cried or not since I couldn’t feel my own body.

Suddenly, a bright light flashes in the darkness realm, I feel myself being swallowed by the light. My eyes snap open and I huff for air. First thing I see is the wooden ceiling of my cabin. I raise my arms up in the air and then touch my face. My body feels light as if I didn’t fall ill just a moment ago.

Is this a dream or reality?

The door of my cabin opens and I hear Yeojin’s scream.

It took a long time to calm the girl down as she frantically checked me for signs of illness. She told me I was out cold for 3 days. The fever broke out on day one and my temperature reduced to normal state within a day. However, I didn’t wake up. Yeosang and she couldn’t find what was wrong with my body. It was like I just slept. When I told her that I was stuck in the darkness all this time, she wore a shocked expression and ran to call Yeosang.

Once she was back, Yeosang didn’t come alone, but three other guys also stormed into the room.

“Shooting Star!!!” The master gunner runs to squeeze me into a tight hug. His eel arm zaps my back, but I don’t care and return the hug. No one scolds him for hugging me this time. Everyone has smiles on their faces. I feel like I didn’t see them for ages and I miss them so much.

“Yah, Mingi let me hug my Starfish too.” Yunho tries to yank Mingi away, which the latter guy protests.

“No one is hugging Princess right now! Let my brother check her!” Yeojin yells and pushes them out of the room.

Mingi and Yunho pout, Jongho has to drag them both outside the room. Yeojin also exits the room, she winks at Yeosang and shuts the door.

The angel looks slightly fluster, he sits next to me on my bed. He carefully observes my face, then pulls me into his warm embrace. “I’m so scared you won't wake up.”

I pat his back. “Shush. I’m fine now. So don’t cry anymore.”

Yeosang tenses up, he immediately pulls back. “You saw me cry?”

I nod and smile teasingly at him.

Yeosang buries his face into his hands. “Ah, so embarrassing.”

I giggle. He looks so cute right now, especially with the blue nose.

“Star, promise me, if you feel sick or have slight discomfort, you must call me no matter what time it is. I’ll come to you.” He sounds so serious that I can’t help but feel a surge of warmth rising from the pit of my stomach.

“I promise.” I give him a smile. “Thank you for taking care of me. You must be worried sick. I’m sorry.” I stare at his tired eyes.

Yeosang shakes his head. “If you don’t want me to be worried, then don’t get sick. You aren’t my favorite patient anymore so my service isn’t free, you gotta pay for it.”

I pout. “I’m poor, I have no money.”

Yeosang grabs his chin, “Hmm, then I can take this as a payment.” After saying that, he presses his blue nose on my cheek.

“Yeosang, be quick! I couldn’t hold them off anymore!!” Yeojin shouts from the outside, together with protests from Mingi and Yunho.

Startled, Yeosang abruptly pulls away and scratches his blushing cheek. I blink rapidly since I’m still confused by what just happened a second ago. When I was unconscious, who caused my angel to change!?

---

Eventually Yeojin couldn’t prevent the guys from breaking into my room. Not long after, the others; Wooyoung, Aurora, Seonghwa, San, and Hongjoong burst into our tiny room. Hongjoong used his authority to chase everyone out but no one listened to him. He looked pissed at his crew. I glanced at him and accidentally locked gaze with him, we awkwardly stared at each other.

I turn away and see Aurora standing between Hongjoong and Seonghwa. When I was sick, Hongjoong and Aurora probably made up. The thought nags me at the edge of my heart. So he wouldn't ask me to stay by his side anymore, right? I shake away my silly thoughts and try to listen to the Mingi who’s in charge of updating the situation.

Then my gaze travel to the combatant. To my relief, his monstrous arm is attached to his body. San oozes a cold aura while glaring toward me. But when I look closely, his burning stare is pointed at Yeojin who’s hugging my waist beside me on the bed.

I snort, he’s so easy to read again.

Then I hear someone snorting after me. Next to San, the first mate subtly smirks my way. I send him a telepathic message to shut up. He smirks wider and winks at me.

“Shooting Star, do you even listen to me?” Mingi whines as I busily roll my eyes at Wooyoung. I turn to Mingi and give him a sheepish smile and gesture to him to continue his story.

The master gunner told me that, luckily, the sea witch didn’t return to attack us. Nonetheless, they still couldn’t find a way to Wonderland even when they sailed according to their past memory. We had 5 days left until the last full moon. They were so devastated, especially when I fell sick.

“Well, I didn’t dream of Seakeeper. Sorry.” I tell them. The weight of being their last hope is heavy. The atmosphere becomes gloomy. Their crestfallen expressions fuel guilt for bringing them down as they suspected that I was unconscious because I communicated with Seakeeper.

“We still have 5 days left. Don’t pressure yourself. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Hongjoong says. The others nod and give me reassuring smiles.

I scan my friends’ faces in the room and a surge of warmth envelops my entire body. I never had anyone that really called friends. My life until now has never been perfect. Even at this moment I can’t say it’s perfect but now I have people who truly care about me. Sadly, when I find my true friends, I have to leave them and go back to my reality.

My vision suddenly blurry with sweat in my eyes.

“Princess, why’re you crying?!” Yeojin’s panicked shout alerts the others. All hell breaks loose as they think I’m going to pass out again.

---

Yeosang didn’t allow me to get out of the room because he was afraid that my body was still not fully recovered. The storm hit yesterday afternoon until late at night which added another reason everyone agreed to lock me up inside the room.

The next day, the weather was warm and the sky was cleared. I was so bored to death and needed to stretch my body. I pleaded with Yeojin until she agreed to sneak me outside.

So here I am, standing at the forecastle with my bodyguards. Mingi and Yunho stand between me, and Jongho next to Mingi. Whilst Yeojin went to keep an eye on Yeosang at sickbay to make sure he wouldn’t come find me absent from the cabin.

“Seakeeper, please show us the way to Wonderland!!”

That isn’t me yelling but Mingi. Somehow Jongho spread the practice among the crew. It became the ritual for them to shout at the figurehead.

“Hey, Shooting Star, why aren’t you calling her? Perhaps she’ll hear you.” Mingi turns to me.

I take a deep breath and shout, “Seakeeper- cough!” A searing pain pierce my throat. I cough several times but the guys are all panicking.

Yunho quickly pats my back. “Aish, Mingi, you know she’s still sick, why do you have to force her?”

“I’m sorry.” Mingi pouts guiltily.

“No, I’m fine. Just a little sore throat.” I shake my head.

“It’s strange. You suddenly got sick to the point you were unconscious for 3 days and now you look quite well.” Jongho says.

“Yea, right.” I also find it strange why my health got worse all of the sudden.

“What did you do that night? Something triggered you?” Yunho asks.

My face flares, recalling what I did that night. I couldn’t tell them that San kissed me and I didn’t think that was the real reason either.

“Your face looks kinda red, your fever returns?” Mingi places his hand on top of my forehead.

“Starry!!” The surgeon shouts from a distance. We all turn around and pale. The angel who transforms into the devil, stomps toward the forecastle, with Yeojin running after him.

“All of you, do you want Star to get sick again?” Yeosang scolds his crewmates as soon as he reaches the forecastle. The trio guiltily glance between Yeosang and me.

“Sorry, I couldn't hold him back.” Yeojin sheepishly apologizes to us and earns a sharp glare from her brother.

“Starry, let’s go.” Yeosang extends his hand to grab my arm. I sulk at him. I haven’t been out here for long.

“Wait, where’s Woo? I thought he’s here with you guys.” Yeojin looks around scanning for her ex lover.

Truthfully, Wooyoung was with us for a short moment, but when he saw Aurora emerge from the lower deck, he ditched us, friends, and went after a girl. However, who is gonna tell the furious Yeojin?

“Nah, he’s with Aurora-” Mingi quickly clamps his mouth with his hand as he realizes his mistake. He mumbles sorry to Wooyoung under his breath.

Yeojin’s face twists. “Where?”

Nobody answers her, yet our eyes lead above the crow’s nest. Yeojin follows our sight, saying nothing and advancing to the ratlines.

“Yeojin, stop it. You need to give Wooyoung time.” Yeosang stops his sister.

“I give him time and he always avoids me. I’m tired of it.” Yeojin sounds like she’s going to cry. “And he’s with that woman. I told her to not mess with Woo but she still went back to her word.”

I let go of Yeosang’s arm and go to hug her waist. “Stop hurting yourself. The more you hold onto him, the worse the pain. You should let him go-”

“No, I’m not like you. I won’t let go of the person I love. Do you really don’t feel anything when captain mullet is with another woman? If I say you should stop loving Hongjoong too, can you do it?!”

The noise around us dies down. The crew turn their focus to Yeojin and me. My body numbs as I slowly let go of her waist. Her words hit me right in the middle of my heart.

“Yeojin, come with me!” Yeosang angrily yanks his sister's arm, pulling her away. “You guys take Star back to her room.”

Yeojin gives me an apologetic look and gets dragged by Yeosang. They haven’t taken a step forward and freeze in place. Because not too far away standing the captain and quartermaster.

Dread wash over me. He must’ve heard it. The attention immediately transfers to their captain and me. Hongjoong’s face hardened as he strides forward until he stops in front of our group. He silently stares at me and glares at his crew behind my back.

The crew around us start to whisper. I bet there’s gonna be a hot topic among tonight's gossip group.

“Why are y’all silent? Something happened?” The first mate asks as he jumps onto the deck. Aurora comes down after him. They confusedly scan the deck and spot our group. Wooyoung’s frowns, he ushers Aurora toward our direction.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, but no one answers him.

“Star, Aurora, come with me.” Hongjoong calmly says.

I startle, feeling scared of why he called us both at the same time. Yeojin told me that while I was sick, Hongjoong remain a distant with Aurora. She guessed that he might not make up with her yet. So is he going to clear everything now?

But I’m not ready to hear it from him. I'm not ready to get my heartbroken to pieces.

“Where’re you taking them? Star is still sick, she doesn’t need to hear anything from you now.” Yeosang lets go of his sister’s arm to stand beside me.

Hongjoong furrows eyebrows at the surgeon. They have an ongoing glaring battle until Seonghwa interrupts them with his shocking words.

“We’re taking them to the brig.”

My mouth hangs open. Are they planning to lock us there in a crime of stealing captain's heart!?

( ╯°□°)╯ ┻━━┻

Thank you for sticking to the story.  I'll try to update more often.  And I'm determined to finish this story so don't worry that I'll disappear and left you guys hanging. (◕‿◕✿)