Tiffany and I stepped out to the main deck of her ship at daybreak, when no sailor of hers or mine was awake. We actually still didn’t want to stop being around each other but if I stayed any longer, this relationship of ours will be forced to end when it just started. We carefully sneaked around, making sure that we didn’t ‘cause a ruckus by tripping over rope or anything. Suddenly, I heard a stifled giggle behind me.

 

I turned around while I was tiptoeing around, finding Tiffany to be holding her laughs back by both hands. “What?” I asked, confused.

 

“Your face…and movements.” She managed to whisper as she tried to suppress her laughter. I blinked, looking down at myself before comparing both of us. 

 

It turns out that I was the only one tiptoeing around the deck and having a paranoid face.

 

I sighed and slapped myself on the cheek. “Just when I thought I couldn’t get any dorkier.” I mumbled, disappointed in myself.

 

Tiffany giggled and stepped closer, holding my hand tightly. “I think it’s cute.” She smiled and leaned to kiss my cheek.

 

I instantly blushed the moment her soft lips touched my skin, sending tingling sensations starting from my face to my toes. “Now go. My medic, Seohyun, likes to wake up early and walk around the deck.” She quickly whispered and started pushing me towards the ladder.

 

I stopped right before climbing down the ladder, turning to face her. “We’re gonna meet in Hibiscus Lagoon a day from now, right?” I assured our plans, not wanting to make any misunderstanding.

 

“Yeah.” She replied, showing an eye-smile that sent my heart fluttering. “Go go! I think I hear doors opening.” Tiffany hurriedly uttered then told me to go down the ladder before turning around.

 

“Wait!” I called, grabbing her sleeve and turned her around.

 

“Wha—“ That was all she could say before I placed my lips on her, sending both of us into a entrancing kiss.

 

I pulled away, instantly having a smile glued to my face and whispered, “I love you.”

 

She slowly smiled back, staring into my eyes and whispered back, “I love you too.”

 

“Captain?” An innocent girl’s voice exclaimed from inside the cabins. I hurriedly climbed down the ladder until I reached the boat I used to reach this place last night and rowed away as fast as I could from her ship.

 

~~~

 

By the time I finally reached my ship, the sun already rose to two-thirds of its whole body. I looked around, finding nobody awake yet. “…the guards are already asleep.” I sighed in relief before sneaking back to my room.

 

As I thought that I was going to peacefully enter my room like nothing happened, I felt a hit on the back of my head. “Yah!” Someone loudly whispered.

 

“Ow!” I cried in pain, turning around to find Yuri glaring at me.

 

“Leaving like that in the middle of the night was completely reckless! What if we were attacked overnight?!” She scolded.

 

“That’s why I left you a note of being charge for the meantime…”I grumbled, gently rubbing the throbbing part at the back of my head.

 

She sighed. “It was still reckless…”

 

“Well nothing happened—“ I stopped talking, seeing the glass Yuri had to be filled with white liquid. I stepped closer, inspecting its contents. “What in the world is that?”

 

“Oh, Sooyoung told me that during their harvesting a few days ago, they found a weird fruit. And it turned out to be Ma.” She explained while grinning, letting out the familiar smell of Ma out . I stepped away, pinching my nose.

 

“Oh great, Ma is back.” I groaned.

 

“Yep~ It’s not that bad, Taeyeon.” She mumbled, sipping a bit of it.

 

“I thought once we set sail that I’d never be able to smell or taste or even see those things but it turns out that they haunt me.” I said in a funny noise since I was pinching my nose. “God, you used to drink that everyday when we were still training.”

 

“Yes and I miss it.” She smiled at the cup before gulping down all of the contents. “You should—YAH! You changed the subject! Where were you last night!?” She suddenly shouted, letting out a heave of Ma breath and a few drops of excess juice of it that were on her lip.

 

I wiped them away, throwing in a few glares at her before mumbling, “Tiffany’s…”

 

“Huh? She’s not even here. Did you sail around looking for her? How did you do that so silently?”

 

“No! That’s impossible, somebody would’ve felt the currents while sailing.”

 

“Then how?”

 

I glanced at the direction of where I know Tiffany’s ship is still floating at. “…I saw their boat in the distance using my spy-glass then rowed over there.” I admitted, sighing.

 

“Oh. So what happened?”

 

The whole night rushed through my mind and my mind commanded my mouth to smile, my heart to jump and my knees to weaken. From the moment I saw her first again… to the goodbye kiss and exchanging of ‘I love you’, I didn’t forget any detail.

 

I smiled widely at Yuri, whispering. “We’re official.” She widened her eyes, dropping her cup and exclaimed in a really high voice.

 

“SERIOUSLY?!”

 

I jumped in my place, thinking that would’ve woken everybody up and started suspicious. I quickly grabbed Yuri—then covered —and ran to my quarters, where no one could suspect us of being the noise. “SSH!!” I stomped my foot. “Can your mouth get any bigger?!” I commented sarcastically before releasing her.

 

“It’s not my fault! You and Tiffany are—“

 

“Ssh!!” I scolded her, sending glares.

 

“…in a relationship?” She whispered. I nodded, regaining the smile I had 10 seconds ago. We just stood there for a few seconds as I watched Yuri take everything in. Finally, she looked at me and said, “How do you kiss each other with your short height?”

 

At first, I wasn’t really thinking of her words but once I realized what she meant…”YAH! KWON YURI!”

 

~~~

 

            With the sun high in the sky, The Atlantic Compass continued to sail proudly around the ocean for another day. I’ve never been in a better mood…though it was filled with Yuri always suddenly passing by me and whispering Tiffany’s name in my ear just for the sake of teasing me.

 

I stood beside Yoona as she steered, looking over everyone and making sure that we were on the correct course. From this angle, I could see Yuri and Sooyoung disciplining the crew together and making sure that everything was battened down.

 

When I looked back up, I saw that we were passing by at Hibiscus Lagoon. I couldn’t help but stare at it as long as it was in my sight.

 

I turned back to the front, almost straining my eyes for not blinking that long.

 

“I’m gonna miss you after this…” Tiffany pouted, holding my hand even tighter. I stared at her cute pout and couldn’t help but make a way to turn it into her beautiful smile.

 

“Let’s meet before our next fight. Just make sure that no one finds out.” She turned to me, looking happy already.

 

“How?”

 

“Let’s sail around Hibiscus Lagoon but not too far so we can still go there by boat. No one ever has to know. Is that okay?” I suggested, hoping that she’ll think it’s a good idea.

 

She slowly smiled at me and nodded profusely. “Okay. At night, so that we won’t be seen by others.” I nodded, smiling back.

 

I found myself to be smiling at the thought of meeting her again. Which caught Yoona’s attention.

 

“What are you thinking about, captain?” She asked, chuckling at the sight of my foolish smile.

 

“Nothing really…” I replied immediately.  My everything.