[CONTENTID1]Phoenix[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Twenty-Five[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

The ocean waves rocked the small ship back and forth. It had left the harbor and the mainland behind. The loud cries of seagulls had disappeared and only the rushing of the water accompanied them as they headed for Jeju. The soldiers and Yeji were on deck to enjoy the beautiful view as the outline of Wando became smaller.

Meanwhile, Seri stayed in a cabin below deck and kept Minhee company. Although the girl had initially looked forward to seeing Jeju, she had been frowning ever since they had left Wando, and Seri wanted to cheer her up. They sat on a bunk bed together, leaning their backs against the wall behind them. From this spot, they were able to see the ocean through a porthole. The endless blue body of water glimmered in the sunlight. Seri put her journal on her lap and flipped through it, intending to show Minhee a few snapshots of the group’s journey together. The polaroids Seri had used to decorate the pages roused the girl’s curiosity, and yet, the melancholia clouding her features remained. It worried Seri. Minhee had seen and experienced many things that might leave her scarred for life—dealing with the constant threat of zombies and coping with your sister’s death was already difficult for an adult—but for a child? It tore Seri’s heart in half just to think about it. She felt the urge to hug Minhee and inched closer, wrapping her arm around her shoulders and drawing her in. Minhee cuddled up to her and glanced at Seri, her expression holding a deep sorrow, an emotion too heavy for such a young child.

“Minhee, do you have something on your mind?” Seri gently coaxed and smiled at her, encouraging her to speak about it.

Minhee fidgeted with the sleeves of her blue jacket and lowered her head. “I miss Unnie. I really miss her,” she mumbled and gritted her teeth. “I don’t have a photo of her. What if I forget about her?”

Seri’s heart cracked. It was hard to stay composed, but she knew if she started crying in front of the girl, she wouldn’t make her feel better. “I have an idea, Min. I’ll write your favorite memories of her in this journal so we’ll always remember her. Does that sound nice?”

“Mhm.”

“Good,” she smiled and fetched a pen, opening an empty page. “Let’s start with Unnie’s name.”

“Seong Yuno,” Minhee began and watched Seri’s hand as she wrote the name down. “She likes blue and she’s the best at swimming! We… um… one time, we went to the beach together and met a funny little crab. I named it Santa Claws.” She rambled about said crab for a while—it seemed to be a rather important memory to her, which amused Seri. Minhee listed countless different memories she shared with her sister and the rest of their family. As Seri had expected, her parents were no longer alive. Like many others, they must have been surprised by the outbreak and Seri assumed they hadn’t survived the first month—she didn’t ask for details, of course. It was a relief to see Minhee talking with a smile on her lips even if it wasn’t vibrant and cheerful. Seri diligently wrote down everything the girl told her, filling the page with her neat handwriting. When Minhee ended her explanation, she took a deep breath and pointed at the paper.

“Wow, you wrote sooo much!” She opened her arms and demonstrated just how much it was, eliciting a giggle from Seri.

“This is important, so I listed every memory you mentioned. Is there anything else you’d like to add?”

“Um… no.” She shook her head, pigtails flying around, and shyly met Seri’s eyes. “Thanks.”

“It’s okay, Minhee. Do you want to draw a picture of your sister? There’s some space left over here.”

Minhee took the pen and the journal, pondering for a moment before she began to draw a woman, using simple . She gave her short hair, a scarf, and a dress. A big smile bloomed on her face. Lastly, she received a pair of angel wings.

“Done,” the girl whispered. “Does this look like Unnie?”

“It’s perfect,” Seri confirmed proudly. “You even gave her a pretty dress! She would love it.” Minhee seemed satisfied and handed the journal back to Seri who put it in her backpack. Then, she returned to the bunk bed and sat down.

“When will we arrive? How much longer does it take?” Minhee asked and yawned.

“Junmyeon said that it takes about three or four hours to reach Jeju. This ship isn’t as fast as the big ferries, unfortunately. You have to be patient, Min.”

She grumbled something and hugged Seri’s arm, yawning for the second time. “I want the ship to be faster. Serrriiiiii, ask it to hurry!”

“Oh sweetie, there’s nothing I can do. You know, if you take a short nap, time will pass faster and when you wake up, we’ll be in Jeju. You seem a bit tired.”

“Okay, but only a short nap.”

Convincing Minhee was easy, almost too easy, but Seri surely wasn’t about to complain. She reached over and fluffed the pillow, helping Minhee lay down and tucking her in.

“Sleep well,” she said and planted a kiss on her forehead. She took the girl's hand and held it as she fell asleep. It was obvious she had been exhausted and direly needed a nap. Seri heaved a sigh. She had no experience in handling children—was she doing alright? Or could she do better at comforting Minhee? Dealing with loss was a delicate matter and everyone handled it differently, especially young children. Hopefully, Minhee’s grief would fade with time…

The cabin door opened a tad. Yeji quietly snuck in when she spotted Seri and Minhee, the cute sight eliciting a muffled giggle from her. She came to stand next to Seri and observed the little girl, her flushed cheeks, and the pigtails she wore.

“She’s so sweet,” Yeji whispered.

“Just fell asleep after we finished writing in my journal together. She lost her older sister recently, and what she needs the most is comfort.”

“She didn’t leave your side since you boarded the ship.”

Seri smiled softly, brushing a lock of black hair out of Minhee’s forehead. “She’s growing fond of me.”

“It’s no wonder after you saved her. What a miracle that you found her before it was too late. Have you considered adopting her?”

“A-Adopting…?” Seri had been stressed in the past days, constantly on edge and scared for everyone’s lives, so she simply hadn’t had an opportunity to think about adoption. “Hm, she’ll need a new home and people she can trust. I suppose I should ask Baekhyun about it… since we’re engaged and planning a life together, he should be involved in this decision.”

“Alright,” Yeji grinned and gave her friend a thumbs-up. “Baekhyun won’t say no if you ask him. He’s already protective of her too. Want to join us up on deck? It’s nice outside, and Minhee will be safe here.”

“Yes!” Seri said and got up. She clumsily crossed the room, favoring her uninjured leg. Yeji frowned at her struggle and put her hands on her hips.

“It’s inconvenient you don’t have crutches. With any luck, they will provide some for you when we’re in Jeju. Should I ask Baekhyun to come and get you?”

Seri stopped in her tracks, her features freezing in realization—Baekhyun would make a fuss if he saw her walking through the whole ship with her injury, especially after she had promised him to take care.

“That would be for the best, thank you,” Seri cringed. Her friend winked and disappeared, returning on deck. Baekhyun appeared in the doorway not long after, finding his fiancée standing in the middle of the room like a lost puppy.

“My poor little angel,” he sighed at her pouty expression. He lowered his voice once he realized that Minhee was asleep.

“Sorry, I don’t want to be a bother.”

“I don’t mind helping you. It’s better if you don’t strain your leg.”

He put his hand behind her knees and wrapped an arm around her back, picking her up and cradling her to his chest. She met his slightly concerned gaze, a faint smile spreading over her lips. “Well, on the bright side, I have an excuse to be carried around by my fiancé, who is super strong by the way.”

“Super strong, eh?” he repeated in a smug tone, soaking up the compliment. They left the cabin and quietly closed the door so that Minhee wouldn’t be disturbed. Then he carried her up a narrow stair on deck, where the sun shone right in their faces.

“Yes, the strongest soldier I know,” she added since his reaction was simply priceless. She giggled at the confidence that was drawn over his features. This man really was something…

“You know many soldiers,” he drawled, “And still you’re saying that.”

She giggled and kissed his cheek. “Just goes to show how amazing my fiancé is.” A dangerously attractive smirk grew on his face, the kind that made her heart jump in her chest. He was so handso—

“Are you done his ego?” Chanyeol asked, abruptly popping up next to her. She gasped, not having noticed him and the others up until now—Baekhyun’s shoulder had been in the way.

“You’re the one who keeps calling him my future husband! So it’s not like you’re innocent.”

“That’s different,” Chanyeol insisted and huffed. “I’m just messing with him.”

“If we have to deal with an overconfident Baekhyun for the next 24 hours, it’s entirely your fault, Seri,” Jongin called from his spot next to Yeji in the sunlight. They sat close to the railing, from where they enjoyed a magnificent view of the endless ocean. It was the perfect spot for a pair of lovebirds…

Baekhyun exhaled loudly, demonstrating his annoyance with his fellow soldiers. “They can’t keep their mouths shut,” he muttered.

He brushed past Chanyeol and let Seri down on an empty bench in the sun, located by the stern of the ship. Sehun and Junmyeon were on the vessel’s bridge, navigating it toward its destination, while the remaining soldiers sa