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The voice was raspy but familiar and he turned his head quickly in search of his brother. Kai was to his left, hooked up to a large machine, his eyes frantic as he tried to tug free from the metal cuffs restraining him.

Tao tried to move again to get to him, but he was held firmly.

“Be still,” a voice spoke sharply by his ear and he looked up at the two women restraining him, the same emotionless expression on their faces that he had come to know the few times he had been conscious. 

There was the familiar mechanical swishing of a door opening behind him, immediately followed by loud protests and shuffling. He couldn’t turn enough, but watched as Kai went pale, eyes blown wide. The sounds began to round him on the right and Tao turned to see what had caused his brother to react in such a way. Two more women were pulling in someone else who was weak and stumbling, but fighting regardless.

“Let go of me!”

The voice made Tao’s heart stop and recheck that Kai was indeed secured next to him before seeking out the other man. They were hoisting him into a machine that was a duplicate of Kai’s, giving Tao a clear view of his face. His blood ran cold as a memory raced across the back of his mind of his own doppelganger and everything that had transpired in that brief interaction. Kai looked taken aback, meaning this was possibly his first interaction with a clone.

What had the voice said earlier? Number 87? Was that the tally of clones total? Or just Kai’s?

“Beginning connection.” One of the mechanical female voices said, regaining Tao’s attention as she began to hook up wires and pads to the now restrained clone who was still fighting.

When they moved away from him, his eyes followed them, then met Tao’s gaze, making him go completely still. The clone tilted his head in confusion and Tao had to look away from the startling marine eyes that were completely different from the warm dark brown of his brother’s who he sought out for comfort. But Kai’s eyes were on the clone, his brows pinched in equal confusion and concern.

“What…?” Kai asked just above a whisper and the clone’s eyes darted to him. He repeated the observation process that he had done with Tao, head tilting slowly one way, then the other. 

Their eyes didn’t separate as the women moved away, but as they began to busy themselves with a panel, Kai dragged his gaze away from the clone and back to Tao.

“Are you okay?” he asked, then, after a beat, he swallowed harshly. “You’re— you are you, right?”

Tao nodded quickly. “I am. It’s me.”

Before any more could be said, one of the women spoke up. “Ready to initiate teleportation test.”

“Exo-subject: Time Manipulator, ready,” one of the women holding him said.

“Exo-subject: Teleporter, ready,” another said.

“Teleporter clone #87, ready,” the first said. “Initiating test.” She pushed several buttons on the panel and the equipment that Kai and the clone were hooked up to lit up. 

“Wait, teleportation test?” Kai asked. “Tao.” Their eyes met for a frantic second before Kai turned to the woman at the panel as she started to turn a dial on the machine. “Stop! Where are you sending him? You ca—” He broke off in a scream as electricity traveled through the wires connected to him, his clone screaming as well as electricity traveled to him.

“S-stop,” Tao stuttered as his eyes began to burn and anger rushed through him. “Stop it!” He began to struggle against the hold on him. A small gray circle began to form in between the clones and he gasped then doubled his efforts to escape as it grew with their screams. Once it was the size of a person, he was drug forward. No amount of fight he gave loosened their vice grip on his arms or slowed them down. Nor did they slow as the machinery began to spark uncontrollably and the gray portal in front of him shifted.

“Stop!” Kai yelled suddenly between screams. “It— ah— It’s not stable. You can’t—” He cut off in a groan, trying to hold another scream in. “Tao! I’m sorry, I ca— I can’t stop it. I can’t—”

With another scream, Tao sought him out again as he was pulled closer to the portal, tears now streaming down his face, fear replacing his anger. Sweat was rolling down Kai’s face which was strained from the pain, his muscles taught as he tried to fight the machine. 

Tao could undo this. If he could use his powers, he would be able to go back far enough and break away before the clone was hooked up. Save both of them from the torture.

Alarms started to blare and one of the mechanical voices said something about the test failing. 

Reaching deep inside himself for his powers he looked at his brother as a headache began. “Kai!” he shouted, but the next moment he was shoved and lost his footing, his vision turning gray as the room vanished, quickly replaced by bright lights and colors erupting in front of him. Pain stabbed his brain as pressure built in his chest, his powers bursting forth as he lost consciousness. 

Tao’s story continues in “Time’s Castaway”

Taglist: @chaysingthesun

First, Prev, Finale, AO3

Leaning back against the rocks, he closed his eyes as the water lapped around his arms, occasionally reaching his shoulders. The sound of the ocean made the night less empty and he allowed it to lull him into a resting state. 

Then, quietly at first, another sound joined in from somewhere above him. It was quiet and gentle at first but it quickly grew. Emotions quickly followed. The wish to die and will to live clashing harshly with each other. 

He wondered who it was. The old fisherman whose wife had passed away recently while he was at sea. The young scholar who was studying to take the state exam for the 4th time. 

Or…

He climbed out of the water, grabbing the clothes he’d left nearby and started up his secret path. When he made it to the top of the cliff, mostly dry, the emotions had dimmed. It seemed the will to live had won out in the end. Though he could still feel a slight quiver in the resolution. 

There, at the edge of the cliff right above his home was the young woman he had often seen being picked on and cursed at in the village. Her tears glistened in the moonlight though her cries had become silent. But she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear his approach.

“Are you planning on giving yourself to the siren?” he asked.

She gasped and nearly fell to the ground as she spun to face him. 

“Wha-what?” She was breathless and he could hear sudden fear in her voice.

“You are standing above his home. If you were to jump, most sirens would see that as an offering.”

“I’m not going to jump,” she said, then her hands clenched into fists at her side. “And I’m certainly not planning on giving myself to a siren.”

“Trust me, I doubt he wants to take care of a human. What use would you be to him?”

The small amount of anger that had appeared flickered away again and she dropped her gaze. “None at all. No one has any use for me. I suppose I’m worthless.”

“Why do you say that?” he grew closer to her, head tilted. 

She looked at him again, studying his features, searching for something. “If you were from around here for any significant amount of time you would know that I am the lowest in this village.”

“All humans are the same,” he said, bristling. He never understood the humans’ need to categorize everyone as higher or lower. “Who told you that you’re less than anyone else in this village?”

“I’m an orphan to a family without a name. My mother died when she gave birth to me and a few years ago my father went crazy,” she stated without emotion. “Everyone says my birth cursed my family and that my life will bring a curse on the village. They say I am better off dead.”

“So that is why you are here tonight? To let fools dictate your life.” He was an arms length away from her now and he stopped. 

“No,” she said, meeting his eyes. He could make her features out clearly now that he was closer. The full moonlight glowing in her light brown eyes. The unique feature for this area was startling and he caught himself unable to look away as a fierceness entered them. “Not anymore.”

“You’re braver than I thought,” he said, his lips lifting into a smile.

“I would have to be brave to be talking to a siren right above his home.”

His smile dropped as her lips lifted into a small smirk. He tilted his head at her again. She was a puzzle. “How did you know?”

A small laugh escaped her, leaving behind a genuine smile. “You explore the village every now and then and trade pearls for money to buy things in the market. I’m sure most everyone knows.”

He smiled back. “I thought I was doing well at blending in.”

“No one knows where you live or what you do. You just show up with pearls and explore, and…” she looked him over with timid amusement.

“And?”

“You don’t really dress properly.”

His smile dropped once more and he looked down at his clothing that he had gathered. The colors went well together and he thought he had imitated the humans’ dress perfectly. Everything was tied and covered. “How?” he asked, meeting her gaze again. “Don’t I have all the proper clothing articles?”

“Most of them,” she said, looking him over again. “They just need to be tied properly. The biggest thing is your hair and lack of hat or shoes.”

“Why would I go through the trouble of putting my hair up only to cover it with a hat?” his lower lip jutted out just slightly. “And shoes are uncomfortable.”

“If you want to blend in, those are things you’ll have to do.”

He thought about it for a second then shook his head. “If everyone already knows then there’s no reason for me to change things now.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

There was a sudden sound in the bushes and they both jumped. He gently grabbed her arm and then moved to stand in front of her, searching the tree line just a few feet away from them. When nothing emerged and their beating hearts slowed to a normal pace, they looked at each other and shared a small laugh. 

“I should…get going,” she said after a moment of silence. “Thank you for talking to me.”

“I’ll walk you home.”

It was a short walk that skirted between the town and the woods and led to a small old house that was worse for wear and set away from the others. 

She stopped at the gate and turned to him. “Thank you again,” she said, then gave a small bow. 

“My pleasure,” he said, mirroring her. She smiled then turned to leave. “I’m Seonghwa, by the way. You can call for me over the cliff if you ever want to talk again.”

Stopping, she turned back to him in surprise. “Would that be okay?” she asked. He nodded. “I’m Nari. I…I’ll see you around then.”

He smiled then gave a small wave as she turned back toward the small house and disappeared inside.

✧

Chatter. Light, airy, friendly chatter. He didn’t know how he had ever really lived without it. The young woman talked about some of the things that had happened since he had last come up to land only two days prior. The distance between visits was growing shorter as he found himself more curious and craving the interaction.

This is what friendship felt like. It was warm and comforting. 

The sun was setting, dusting them in its red and pink glow and he couldn’t help but gaze at her as she talked frustratedly about something that her boss’s wife had done earlier that day. The story took a turn though as she explained that the woman had gotten what she deserved and fallen into a garbage pile because of her ranting. He laughed along with her, doubling over as she acted out the mishap. 

His eyes moistened and then a tear fell and he caught it in surprise, staring at his hand as two more tears joined the first and they became soft pink pearls. 

“What is it?” Nari asked, leaning over him to look. 

“Nothing,” he said quickly with a smile. He tucked them into his sleeve as she reached for his hand then grabbed hers in interception. “It’s really nothing. I’ll show you later.”

She narrowed her eyes at him with a small smile, curiosity sparked. 

“I’ll hold you to that,” she said, then plopped down on the grass next to him, arm around her knees, chin resting on top. “So, tell me more about yourself. What did you do yesterday?”

He shrugged. “Just swam around. Rested on some empty islands. Nothing special.”

“What’s in there? I’ve heard some pretty unbelievable stories.”

“There are others like me,” he said. “Few are as friendly though. Best to stay clear.”

“You’re friendly?”

He bumped her shoulder, smiling at her teasing remark. “There’s plenty of animals that you might find strange. But I would probably find some of your land animals strange as well,” he said. “It can be dangerous at times, but it’s beautiful too.”

“I wish I could see it then,” she said, laying her head on his shoulder as she looked out at the stretch of ocean that was visible over the cliff’s edge. “It would be nice to be able to see new things.”

“I could show you sometime.”

She shook her head. “I can’t swim and it would be difficult for me to see anything underwater.”

He turned, making her sit up with his movement. “I can teach you how to swim,” he said, taking her hand. “And some humans practice opening their eyes under the water. If you really want to see, then we can do it.”

“You really think so?”

He met her gaze firmly, leaning in closer. “Yes, I’m positive.”

“Okay.” She leaned in closer too. “Let’s do it then. I want to learn about your world, just like you learn about mine.”

They held each other’s gazes, then he looked down at her lips then back at her. Her eyes did the same. He leaned in closer, his eyes dropping down again as she closed hers. His heart was pounding in his ears as he grew closer. Then, he stopped and opened his eyes again. Her eyes opened too and their gazes met again. 

He opened his mouth to speak, trying to form words. “I–”

Sudden sound came from the brush and he jumped to his feet, pulling her with him as he moved to hide them behind a nearby boulder. He helped her into the brush, then pulled her close as he pressed closer to the rock to hide her from view. 

Voices were passing by on the cliff side path, likely some hunters or fisherman coming back to town from a long day out. They were taking their time, voices growing louder. 

She moved and he looked down to check on her and their eyes met for a brief moment before they looked away again. He shifted, realizing how hot his neck was and wishing the group would pass quickly. He needed air and space, a way to clear his mind and think things through. He’d never been in this kind of situation before. His heart continued to pound in his ears as he tried to make sense of the feeling and impulses that were pushing to be explored. 

“Um…” her voice was just above a whisper and cracked at the end, startling him out of his thoughts. “I think…I think they’re gone now.”

He tuned back into the sounds around them, then cleared his throat and stepped back. “You’re right.” His own voice caught and he cleared it, offering her a hand to help her out of the brush. Once they were back on the path, he let go of her hand then rubbed his neck, looking out at the setting sun. “I should walk you home,” he said. “It’s getting late.”

“Okay,” was all she said. 

He turned back to look at her. She was fidgeting, her eyes searching the ground before finding his. He smiled at her then held out his hand again, and slowly, she took it. 

She smiled as well, a blush alighting on her cheeks.

“Let’s go,” he said quietly.

Next

✧Author's Notes✧

Hello! Pirate Ateez AU as promised. Even though they have fooled us once more lol

If you're new here, I have this post about this side project of mine.

I hope you enjoy it!

If you want to see my other work, here is this link.

And here is a playlist that is currently a work in progress.

“Good morning,” he said to the two of them, then opened the door for the customer before allowing himself to glance over who all was currently occupying the small coffee shop. Several regulars were seated around and his eyes stuck at the back corner booth that was a familiar sight. It was covered in paper both flat and wadded up, as well as colorful sticky notes, books and a laptop. Then he deflated.

Instead of their normal regular, it was a uni student that had discovered them recently. The other booths and tables were filled with new and familiar faces, but the one he was looking for was missing. Then, just as he was ready to head behind the counter to start the day, his eyes passed over a familiar form.

She was seated at the counter, her usual items kept to a much smaller amount as she tried not to take up too much space. Her face was scrunched up in concentration as she typed frantically on her laptop.

Yunho cleared his throat. “Hyung? Are you going to stay by the door?”

Seonghwa felt his face flush but tryed to play it off. He stuck his hands in his pockets and raised his head slightly as he made his way behind the counter at an unrushed pace. “I’m just taking in the atmosphere,” he said, trying to remain nonchalant.

The two chuckled at him, barely having the decency to try and keep it down.

“Whatever you say, hyung,” Wooyoung said, patting him on the back as he joined them.

He ignored their teasing as he put on his apron and got to work.

“Binnie said that they had a rush this morning and got behind, but he brought over what deserts he could for now. The rest will have to come closer to eleven,” Wooyoung said just as Seonghwa noticed the desert display was emptier than usual.

“And here I was hoping we just had more business,” Seonghwa said with a sigh. “I’m glad they’re starting to get more customers at least.”

“He thinks it’s partly because we sell them here,” Wooyoung explained. “He told me most of the people that have been placing orders are our regulars and that we’re how they found them. Felix is ecstatic.”

Seonghwa smiled, imagining how everyone next door must be feeling. Times were just hard for small business. Especially with the influx of themed cafes and bakeries. “I’m glad,” he said.

“Oh, hyung,” Yunho said, looking under the counter. “Speaking of baked goods, I think we’re going to need some more to go pouches for them soon.”

“Okay.” He looked around the space and tried to take note of stock. “Let’s look over everything today, and I’ll place an order after we close up.”

“Yes sir.”

“Will do.”

The two replied.

“You opened this morning, right Yunho? Why don’t you go take a fifteen minute break.”

“Thanks hyung. Then,” he grabbed a mug and poured some for himself. “I’ll just be in the back.”

“I’m going to make a fresh batch of coffee,” Wooyoung said. “How’s San doing?”

“He’s starting to get better,” Seonghwa grabbed his notebook, ready to start the tedious task of inventory. “His fever broke so he should only have a couple more days of recovery.” The bell over the door rang, interrupting his task, but he was happy for it. “I got it,” he said under his breath to Wooyoung, then turned a bright smile to the customer. “Hello. Welcome to The Wishing Star. What can I get started for your today?”

✧Author's Note✧

Hello! Here's another random one I started about a year ago. I realized too late that I posted a rather unfortunate chapter of Starlit Destiny on Seonghwa's birthday. So, here's me making up for it. Happy late Birthday Seonghwa! Lot's of love.

Again, this is just casually edited. Hope you enjoy anyways.

Ask to join a taglist. Feel free to engage. It's my writing fuel instead of coffee lol

/)/)

( . .)

Yunho gathered his maps off of the crate he often used as a table while on deck, and headed to their singular, real table inside, that held multiple uses. Most commonly for food and games.

Wooyoung had insisted on teaching everyone some basic gambling and cheating techniques. Yeosang had said it was probably his way of distracting himself while San was recovering. Yunho noticed that Yeosang would train till he nearly collapsed whenever he wasn’t looking over his or San’s injuries. He thought it was Yeosang’s own form of distraction. Or maybe punishment.

Yunho knew the look he would get in his eyes all too well. No one else ever seemed to pick up on it though, except maybe Seonghwa.

The navigator ducked under the door frame into the small space right behind Seonghwa and the captain. Cards and other random items were strewn across the table from Wooyoung’s most recent training session with Yeosang and Jongho, which the three were quickly cleaning up. So, Yunho he stood off to the side, maps held firmly in his arms so they didn’t slip away.

Once everyone was gathered, the captain gestured him forward.

“Okay, Yunho. You know this town and who we’re looking for, so I’ll have you take the lead.”

“What?” Yunho nearly dropped the maps in surprise. “You want me to lead? But sir—”

“Yunho, how long are you going to keep up the “sir?” Never mind. Yes, I want you to take the lead. I’ll take care of the bargaining and such. But you’re the only one who knows where we’re going, so it’s up to you.”

“I’ve never led though,” Yunho said, unsure. The captain was right, he was the one that proposed this, so it was only logical that he would have to be the one to guide them. “I don’t really know what to do.”

“That’s okay. I just need you to give us a basic understanding of who we’re meeting, show us the way, and introduce me. Nothing huge.”

Nothing huge. “Okay…” he shifted his weight and placed his maps on the table just to get them out of his hands. “We’re looking for Song of the Sea Merchants and Mercantile. I think we’ll want to talk to the owner or one of his two sons. The younger one is around my age, he’s the one that I…know. So, he would be the best person to speak with first.”

“Song of the Sea,” Wooyoung mused. “What an interesting name.”

“Familiar too,” the captain said. “I’ve probably heard of it through the years. But I guess we never dealt with them on my old ship.”

“It’s based on their family name,” Yunho explained. “Song. The son I know is Mingi. They have a mercantile on the dock where they sell and trade. I think the older son is the one that goes out the most frequently for goods. But, it’s been about a year since Niccolò went to them. Things might have changed.”

“Okay.” the captain looked down in concentration, chin between his fingers as he thought. “Thank you, Yunho. I want most of us to go. Jongho can hold down the fort and watch over San. Yunho will guide and introduce us. Seonghwa, You’re my right hand, as per usual. Yeosang, since we’re stepping into a bit of an unknown situation I’d like you to discreetly be on guard. And, I’ll need you to decide what medical supplies we need as well, so that will be your main focus. I doubt we have to worry about anything actually happening, but I want to be safe.”

“What about me?” Wooyoung asked quickly.

“You’re probably the best of us with money and noticing if someone is trying to cheat us. So I’ll need your help on that end. And you know better what food supplies we’ll need as well,” the captain said. “Jongho, are you okay by yourself?”

“I should be,” Jongho said. “Yeosang or I would need to stay with San, and Yeosang is the wiser choice to go.”

The captain clapped his hands and smiled. “Everyone, get what you need. We’ll head out shortly. Oh, and Yunho, remind me when we’re done and we’ll see about getting you some new clothes.”

Before Yunho could protest, the captain was in a discussion with Seonghwa, while they got busy making preparations.

🟈

The dock was as bright and bustling as he remembered it. People were going to and from ships, some with cargo, others in tearful embraces with loved ones. They had found a place to dock not too far from the mercantile, having lucked out, considering how many ships were in the port.

There was something comforting about walking a familiar path. Though it was offset by the unfamiliarity of being the one leading the way. He was on the captain’s left while Seonghwa was on the right, just as the captain had instructed. Wooyoung was chattering brightly behind them, occasionally asking questions or mentioning something they needed to check out later to Yeosang.

When the mercantile came into view, Yunho pointed it out to the captain, then looked for the familiar ship. His stomach dropped slightly when he didn’t see it, but he hoped it was just the oldest son that was away.

“Stefano?”

He stopped in his tracks, heart halting before he could place the voice. Then he spotted Mingi up ahead.

The man brightened then ran forward. “It is you,” Mingi said. “It’s been so long and I didn’t recognize the crew so I wasn’t sure. Man, it’s good to see you.” He smiled and patted Yunho on the shoulder.

“It’s good to see you too, Mingi,” Yunho said with a smile and he held back a wince from pain.

“Does Niccolò need more supplies? I was starting to think he was avoiding us.”

“Uh, no. I’m not with Niccolò anymore,” Yunho replied, and something about saying it out loud felt amazing. His smile grew and he stood straighter. “I’ve never been able to tell you this, but my name is actually Yunho.” He then turned slightly and gestured towards the captain. “Mingi, this is Captain Hongjoong. He rescued me after Niccolò took one of his men. They’re in need of a few things, so I told them I would bring them here as a thank you for helping me.”

If it was possible, Mingi brightened even more and grabbed both of Yunho’s shoulders, his eyes becoming full crescents. “That’s wonderful! It is nice to finally meet you properly, Yunho. And it couldn’t have been at a better time. My dad just gifted me a ship. If you’re looking for a new home I would love to have you on my crew. And, of course, I’ll do everything I can to help your new friends.” Mingi looked around the group for a second when his expression dropped slightly in confusion. “Where’s Alessio? I figured he would have left with you?”

Yunho looked away. He had forgotten that Mingi and Alessio had talked a few times and gotten along well. He didn’t know what to say.

“He…he didn’t…”

“Oh,” Mingi said, just above a whisper. His hands tightened on Yunho’s shoulders in comfort. “Oh, Yunho, I’m so sorry. He was a good man.” Yunho met Mingi’s eyes, which now held unshed tears. “Like I’ve said before, I’m here if you need me.”

“Thank you.”

Mingi gave him a small smile then turned to the others. “Come inside. I’m afraid my dad won’t be back till later, but my uncle is here. He’s my dad’s right hand in the business. Between him and I, I’m sure we can start discussions on things you might need. We can have tea and snacks as well.”

Yunho hadn’t entered the mercantile many times, but it was exactly as he remembered it. Packed with anything you could think of from just about anywhere. Yet even full with everything, it was somehow still organized.

An older man stood behind a counter, giving directions to some other men. The right hand man of the business. He had always rubbed Yunho wrong, but it had never really mattered before since they didn’t interact.

“Uncle!” Mingi called out. “We have some guests who want to do business. Can you have some refreshments prepared and meet us in the trade room?”

The man looked over at the group and his lip curled, but he nodded in response to Mingi’s request. As they passed him, he grumbled something about pirates under his breath and then stormed off.

“Tell me about yourselves and what you’re looking for exactly,” Mingi said to Captain Hongjoong as they entered a cozy, yet ornate room with a large table. Mingi took one of the two chairs farthest in the room at the head of the table but to Yunho’s surprise, Yeosang took the seat closer to Mingi, and the captain took the next one. He then gestured for Yunho and Wooyoung to sit across from them, while Seonghwa stood behind Hongjoong. ignoring the seats that were still available, making his presence terrifying.

“I want to apologize ahead of time,” Mingi said. “My uncle is not a fan of pirates. Being merchants, we’ve had shipments stolen and been forced into bad deals.”

Hongjoong nodded in understanding. “I can only imagine how hard it is to run this kind of business. But I can assure you, we’re just looking to have a friendly relationship. You can consider us closer to peace mains.”

“They’re different from Niccolò,” Yunho said, backing up Hongjoong. “They saved me, treated my wounds, and required nothing in return.”

Mingi sat back in his chair, impressed. “I’m really glad to hear that. I trust Yunho. I think he’s been through enough to be a good judge of character,” he said. “I hope that means we can be good business partners.”

“Me too,” Captain Hongjoong said. “Though, I am a little sad to see that I might lose him to you. I’m in need of a skilled navigator. But what’s more important is him finding where he wants to be now that he’s free.”

“I didn’t know you were a navigator,” Mingi said, turning to Yunho.

“Alessio taught me,” Yunho said with a sad smile. “Along with reading and writing.”

Mingi mirrored his expression and nodded. “Well, I haven’t put together a crew yet for my ship, and I’d love it if you became my navigator. Or took any position you wanted, honestly. But it also looks like you found some people that really care about you.”

Yunho looked from Hongjoong to Wooyoung before turning back to Mingi. “I think I have. But, I’m honestly not sure what I want to do yet.”

“That’s okay.”

“That’s alright.”

Mingi and Hongjoong said in unison. They shared a look then chuckled.

Smiling, Hongjoong sat more comfortably. “Mingi, do you happen to know where your father got your ship?” he asked. “We’ve outgrown our current vessel and need a new one. We don’t have much, but if we sell ours, I think we could afford a ship that’s a decent size with the money we do have.”

Mingi thought for a moment. “I’m not really sure where mine came from, though I probably should. But, there is a ship yard not too far away. I’m just not sure on prices,” he said. “I’ll ask my dad about it, or my uncle. He might know.”

“What about me?” the older man said as he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

He made his way around the table, carefully passing behind Wooyoung and Yunho with a very full tray before placing it on the table in front of his seat.

“They would like to buy a ship and were asking where dad had purchased mine,” Mingi said. “Would you happen to know?”

“I’m afraid not. But I’m sure we can help you figure something out,” his uncle answered.

“That’s a new teapot,” Mingi said as his uncle began to pour tea and pass the filled cups around.

“Just came in. I thought it would be nice to serve your friend with it.”

Yunho scrunched his brow in confusion as the man gave him a cup with a smile. He’d never shown any friendliness towards Yunho before.

Yunho glanced at Mingi who also looked confused but just shrugged when he met Yunho’s gaze. He turned to refocus on the uncle as the man continued to hand out the tea, then noticed Yeosang staring intently at the teapot. When the uncle began to pour his own cup, Yeosang tapped the table twice with two fingers. Hongjoong noticed the motion and quirked his head, then tapped twice with one finger before placing his hands in his lap.

The uncle sat down and lifted his cup, gesturing to the plate of snacks. “Please, help yourself. The tea is delicio—”

Yeosang downed his glass before the man could finish and all attention was drawn to him at the sudden action.

“Ah, sorry,” Hongjoong said. “Yeo—”

Yeosang grabbed Mingi’s cup next, but instead of drinking it as well, he smelled it first, then took a sip. After a second, he held the cup out to the uncle.

“Drink from this one,” Yeosang said flatly, his eyes narrowed.

“Wha—what?” the uncle stuttered.

“What is the meaning of this?” Mingi growled as he shot to his feet.

“Yeosang?” Hongjoong stood next, hand on his sword.

“Poison,” was Yeosang’s simple response.

Yunho sat straighter and could see Wooyoung shift next to him.

“Why on earth would he try to poison you?” Mingi questioned. His voice raised as he took a step closer to Yeosang. “Moreover, why would he try to poison me? And he poured a glass for himself. Yunho,” Mingi turned to him, hurt and frustration on his face. “What is this?”

“I—”

“It’s an assassin’s teapot,” Yeosang interrupted. “He poured yours the same way he poured some of ours. He poured his differently. The teapot has two chambers in it and a few holes around the handle. If you don’t believe me you can look at the teapot.”

“I don’t need to look. Why would I believe you over my uncle?”

“Because he gains nothing by lying to you,” Hongjoong said. “None of us do. And if he’s right, then your uncle just tried to kill you.”

“This is absurd!” the uncle shouted. “Mingi, surely you’re not falling for this?”

Yunho looked from Mingi to Yeosang then noticed the latter stumble slightly and place a steadying hand on the table. So, Yunho stepped forward and took the lid off of the teapot.

“Two chambers,” he said, then put the lid down and slid the teapot towards Mingi for him to see before placing a hand on his dagger. Hurt flashed across Mingi’s face, then he took a deep breath and grabbed the cup from Yeosang.

“Uncle, just drink it.”

“Mingi—”

“I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but we’ll just get this over with faster if you drink it and prove there’s no poison.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve known you your whole life, but you’re listening to this, riff raff? Yes, the teapot has two chambers, but I filled them with the same tea. It’s a novelty, nothing more.”

“Then you can just do it and we can move on from this misunderstanding. But, the more you refuse to drink a simple cup of tea, the more I start to doubt.”

“You shouldn’t have any doubt in me at all. But fine. Fine!” The uncle took the cup and began to lift it to his mouth. He paused and his eyes darted to Yeosang. Yunho moved forward just as the man threw the tea at Yeosang’s face, then raised a dagger from his belt. But before he could plunge it towards Mingi, Yunho had his arm in a firm grip and his own dagger at the man’s throat. Yunho looked at Mingi who had stumbled back, then watched as the others rounded the table to get to Yeosang. He’d luckily been fast enough to hide his face behind his sleeve which was now covered in tea.

“You okay?” Hongjoong asked, and Yeosang nodded.

“What do you mean you’re okay?” Wooyoung nearly screeched. “You just drank poison.”

“I’ll be fine. Let’s just focus on this.”

Mingi stepped forward, the hurt now clearly replaced with fury. “Where’s the antidote?” he asked in a deep growl.

“Why would I need an antidote?” the uncle sneered.

Yunho twisted the man’s wrist so that he lost his grip on the dagger, then spun him around and pushed him against the wall, holding his hands behind his back.

“Uncle, I don’t understand why you were trying to kill me, or why you thought it was a good idea,” Mingi’s voice dropped even more if possible and he pulled a gun from under his coat. “But, were you really so stupid that you don’t have an antidote for yourself?”

“Thirty years! I’ve worked with your father since before you were born and yet he passed over me for a promotion again! Just for one of his brats,” the man shouted as he struggled in Yunho’s hold, his eyes on Mingi’s gun. “I thought it was fortuitous that pirates showed up today. If something happened to you, I could do away with them and play it off as revenge. No one would have been the wiser.”

“My dad was your friend. You could have talked to him about it. It’s too late now though,” Mingi said, then pressed the gun against the man’s temple and leaned in closely. “Now, give me the antidote.”

“There isn’t one. So, threatening me won’t work. Why on earth would I even need one for myself? It’s not like I was going to drink any of the poison.”

“You could have accidentally gotten some in your own glass,” Yeosang said. “Especially since you poured for yourself last. You should always have an antidote on you when working with poisons.”

“Perhaps your lack of planning is the reason you keep getting passed over for a promotion,” Hongjoong said. “At least tell us what the poison was.”

“Why should I?” the man spat.

Mingi grabbed the man’s shirt and shook him in Yunho’s hold, then adjusted his grip on his gun. “If you want to live long enough to plead with my dad, then you’ll tell them,” he whispered.

“C—coreanum. Aconitum coreanum,” the man stammered and Mingi slowly pulled his gun away then turned to Yeosang.

“I’ll get you whatever you need,” Mingi said.

“It’s monkshood,” Yeosang said. “I have what I need back on the ship. But thank you. Captain, if it’s alright with you, I’m going to head back first.”

“Please do,” Hongjoong said. “Wooyoung, help him back.”

“I’m fine,” Yeosang said quickly. His complexion had turned sick but he smiled reassuringly. “He should stay here and help finish. I’ll be going then.” He bowed his head then calmly, but quickly left the room.

Wooyoung turned to Hongjoong, unsure. “Hyung?”

“He asked to go alone. But he’s your friend so I’ll let you decide. We can handle things here if you really want to go after him.”

Wooyoung nodded then rushed out and they refocused their attention on the man in Yunho’s grip.

“Can you keep holding him?” Mingi asked. “I’m going to go get something to restrain him and send a note to my father.”

“I’ve got him,” Yunho said.

“I’ll have someone come and clean this up and bring fresh tea. If you trust me,” Mingi continued. “I’m very sorry you were dragged into this and if you need anything for the one that left, please let me know. I owe you, and him, my life.”

He hurried out of the room and Hongjoong turned to Yunho.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked.

“I can hold him,” Seonghwa offered.

“I’ll be alright,” Yunho reassured.

“The captain pulled out one of his guns and held it up into the man’s light of sight. “Well if he tries anything, I’ll aim for the knee.”

⸶⸸⸷

Yeosang grabbed onto the wall as soon as he exited the mercantile, and looked around. His insides were on fire and he could already feel a shortness of breath. He tried to remain steady as he made his way to an alley inlet before he doubled over. While the contents of his stomach emptied, he vaguely heard his name being called and then someone was patting his back.

“I’m right here, Yeosang,” Wooyoung said. “I’m right here.”

When Yeosang was done he tried to stand but he was growing weaker and ended up leaning heavily on Wooyoung.

“What do you need?” Wooyoung asked.

“The… the ship.”

“Okay, let’s go.” Wooyoung said as he draped Yeosang’s arm over his shoulders. They nearly made it back to the ship before his stomach decided to empty itself farther and Wooyoung took him to lean over the dock.

Jongho peaked over the side of the ship, his expression going from frustration to concern.

“What happened?” he asked as he rushed to them.

“He drank poison,” Wooyoung said as Yeosang leaned on him more heavily. He was breathing in gasps now and Jongho took his other side to help Wooyoung get him back onto the ship.

“What kind?” Jongho asked.

“Monkshood,” Yeosang said hoarsely.

“What?” Jongho stumbled at the response. “Yeosang…that’s…”

“What?” Wooyoung asked as his worry grew. “That’s what?”

“Nothing.”

“Very bad,” Jongho said firmly in contradiction to Yeosang.

“I have what I need to treat it,” Yeosang said before Jongho could say anything else to worry Wooyoung farther. “I need my pack of medicine and some hot water and an empty bucket because I’m going to be…expelling the poison.”

“On it,” Wooyoung said as he and Jongho lowered him into a chair.

“I’ll reheat the water and get a glass for you,” Jongho said as Wooyoung quickly grabbed Yeosang’s belongings.

He placed it on the table and began to pull out small jars. “What am I looking for?”

“Charcoal, a black powder. It should be in one of the white jars.”

There was the sound of ceramic against ceramic as Wooyoung searched before lifting one in triumph. “Is this it?” he asked as he held it open for Yeosang to see.

Yeosang nodded as Jongho came over with a glass of hot water. He began to measure out the powder into the water with a shaking hand, but Jongho took it from him to mix it, before handing it back over. Wooyoung helped him steady it as he tilted it back and tried not to choke. When it was down, he sat back and tried to breathe deeply, but the poison was working faster than expected.

“Is…is that it?” Wooyoung asked.

Yeosang nodded weakly and closed his eyes. “For now.” He grimaced at his voice, raspy and quiet. “I just—” He leaned forward as his stomach churned, blooming with pain. “Bucket.” His hand shot forward and something was pushed into it, then up to his face just in time. It lasted longer and burned worse, until nothing was coming out, though his body was still trying.

Hands were on his back again, and something warm was placed against his face when he finally stopped, wiping away the remnants as he was left gasping for air and trembling.

The warm cloth was pulled away and something cold was placed against his lips, making him instinctively drink from it.

Water. Cool water.

“Spit it out,” Jongho instructed as he removed the glass. “Then you can have more.”

Yeosang obeyed and felt relief when he was able to drink the water. He sat back again, his breathing less labored from the poison and more from the exertion. Something rested against his forehead and he pulled away.

“You’re burning up,” Wooyoung said.

“I’m fine,” Yeosang forced out, but his words were slurred.

“No, you’re not,” Wooyoung said. “And you don’t need to pretend that you are.”

“Here,” Jongho said.

Something cool was placed against Yeosang’s forehead and he leaned into it.

“You should drink more water,” Wooyoung said. “Is there anything else in your stuff that you need?”

Yeosang shook his head. “Just more of the same,” he said.

“What? You have to do that again? But you were heaving. There’s nothing left in your stomach.”

“Have to,” Yeosang insisted. “It was too strong.”

“It was poison! Of course it was strong. And you drank a whole glass!”

Yeosang shook his head again. “He’s an amateur. Please, Woo. More.”

“I’ll make it,” Jongho said.

“You need something in your stomach,” Wooyoung argued. “Is there anything I can make that will help?”

“Book,” Yeosang said. His stomach was burning again and he held in a groan from the pain.

“Drink this first,” Jongho said, placing something against his lips again. “More water.” This time it was warm.

When it was empty, Jongho pulled away again and placed another glass into his hand, helping him steady it. He braced himself as he downed the drink. It wasn’t the worst antidote he had ever had, but the earthy charcoal was the last thing he wanted right now with his already irritated throat. He leaned back and took another deep breath as the glass was taken from his hand.

“I’m going to make you soup,” Wooyoung said with the sound of fluttering pages. “Fish soup. We have mackerel and rice, and I think we have a few other things on this list.”

“Thanks,” Yeosang said. His stomach churned again. “But, I don’t think—”

“You don’t have to eat it right now,” Wooyoung said. “But you can’t throw up if there’s nothing in your stomach. That can’t be good for you.”

“Wooy—” He buckled over and the bucket was shoved into his hands once more as the charcoal tried to force out anything that was left. But Wooyoung had been right. There wasn’t any food, and the little fluid that was left quickly made its escape, leaving him dry heaving once more until he couldn’t breathe.

Someone was alternating between rubbing and patting his back until his body calmed down and he was able to sit up again. Though, he didn’t really sit up. His body barely had the strength left to stay upright.

He was given more water to rinse out his mouth and drink, which took considerable effort. Then someone was dabbing a cool cloth on his forehead again.

He could tell that he was passing the danger of the poison and his body was moving into rest. When he had been gaining tolerance to poisons, he had always had to fight against that rest to continue training. But now…he no longer needed to.

Whoever was next to him, it didn’t matter. He let himself lean on them, then allowed himself to let go.

First, Prev, Masterlist, AO3

“Yunho, it’s okay.”

He opened his eyes, but his blurry vision and muddled thoughts made it difficult to place the faces looking at him in concern. Then it clicked into place.

“Wooyoung?” he forced out. His throat was dry and scratchy and the use sent him into a coughing fit.

“Here, I have water,” Wooyoung said, then placed something against his lips. Yunho let go of the arm that he’d grabbed and took the cup. He nearly choked as he drank the water, but didn’t care. It felt too good. When it was gone, he was left gasping and collapsed back onto his stomach as the cup was taken from him.

“Are you okay?” Wooyoung asked again. “Do you want anything?”

Yunho shook his head, not trusting his ability to speak yet.

A cold hand pressed against his forehead again and he flinched but didn’t grab it this time. Instead he was tempted to press into the touch which offered him some relief from the stifling heat.

“Good,” Yeosang said. “His fever is gone.”

“Thank goodness,” Wooyoung breathed. “Yunho, I’m going to make some more juk for you. Do you think you can eat it?”

He didn’t really feel like eating, but more juk sounded too good to pass up. So, he nodded slowly and forced out a quiet, “Thank you.”

“Okay. I’ll be back in a minute.”

“I’ll bring you some more medicine,” Yeosang said.

“What happened?” Yunho asked, then coughed again, but not as bad. He didn’t remember feeling this miserable when he had gone to sleep.

“You had a high fever. Luckily, Jongho noticed when he was checking on San, otherwise it might have gotten worse. We even started to worry if you would wake up. It was hard to give you water and medicine without hurting your back.”

“How…how long was I…” He stopped. His throat hurt too much and he didn’t want to have another coughing fit.

“Just a little over a day. Your fever was worse last night but it must have broken earlier this morning,” Yeosang explained. “I’ll be right back, okay? We need to make sure your fever stays down.”

When Yeosang walked off, Yunho closed his eyes again then braced himself. He slowly rolled onto his side, fighting against the pain.

A whole day. He’d slept a whole day around complete strangers. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had been given time to recover from injuries or even allowed it himself. Alessio had used lessons as an excuse for him to rest a few times, but it had been rare. Luckily with the increase in his skills, the frequency of his punishments had gone down.

He braced himself again and started to move. He needed to climb down from the bunk. There wasn’t enough room for him to sit up so he wasn’t sure how he’d be able to eat. He was sure he had dumped half of the water he had been given because of the awkward angle.

“What are you doing?” Wooyoung asked when he was half way down. “You’re going to open your injuries.” Wooyoung huffed and grabbed his arm to steady him when he showed no signs of stopping. “And you just woke up. You should be resting.”

“I didn’t think I would be able to eat since there wasn’t enough room for me to sit up,” Yunho explained as Wooyoung helped him to a chair.

“You could have asked for help at least. Here.” Wooyoung heavily placed a bowl of juk on the table then walked away.

“He’s just worried about you,” Yeosang said as he came up. He placed a second bowl on the table, this one filled with a dark liquid that had a pungent smell. “After you eat I’ll check your injuries and redress them.”

“Thank you.” Yunho downed the medicine in one go then chased the bitter taste with a bite of juk.

Wooyoung rejoined them with two more bowls and began to dig into his own after handing one of them to Yeosang. Yunho took a few more bites before looking around the quiet space. The rest must have been on the deck. Though he spotted San still sleeping on the lower bunk, his bandaged chest slowly rising and falling.

“How’s he doing?” he asked.

“He’s okay,” Yeosang answered. “He hasn’t woken up yet, but the wound is healing without any issues.”

“Good, I’m happy to hear that,” his eyes left the unconscious man and looked back at the two across from him. “You three seem close.” They traded a glance, then smiled.

“We’ve been friends since we were kids,” Wooyoung said. “San and I trained together. Though, we ended up with very different fighting styles. And we’ve worked together for the past several years in my dad’s…tea house.”

“Ah, that makes sense. Did you not train with them too?”

The color drained from Yeosang’s face and his eyes dropped back to his food. “No. My training was…private.”

“Oh…”

Wooyoung cleared his throat and clapped a hand on Yeosang’s shoulder. “We’ve been training together recently though and found out that our fighting styles actually go really well together,” he said. “For someone who trained to be a solo fighter, he’s picked up how to fight with others pretty quickly.”

“Fighting alongside others can be challenging,” Yunho said. “I’m sure it helps that you’ve known each other for so long though.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Wooyoung said. “We’ve all adapted pretty quickly, all things considered. I think it’ll take Jongho and I the longest to figure out how to fight together since we’re so different. But we’re doing okay considering we’ve only known each other for about a week.”

Yunho’s eyes widened in surprise. “When you said you hadn’t been a crew for very long, you really meant it.”

“Of course. Why do you think we’re still on this tiny boat? It’s hard to find a proper ship.”

Yunho looked around the small space again. Wooyoung wasn’t joking. There was barely enough room for the three of them. He wasn’t sure how six had managed, and now they had welcomed him on board. He hadn’t gotten a good look of the deck or the boat when he’d boarded, but it likely didn’t offer much more space.

“How do you all sleep?” he asked. There certainly weren’t enough beds, and he had taken up one of them.

“In shifts,” Wooyoung said. “Or we sleep on the deck and the floor. Since San grew up on fishing boats and Hongjoong’s been a pirate for a while, they tend to doze off on the deck. And Seonghwa goes for a swim when he needs space.”

“Really?” Yeosang asked. “I thought he just did that to hunt and refresh.”

“That’s just his excuse most of the time, but it’s usually when he’s upset. He might not even know that’s what he’s doing honestly.”

“So, he is a siren then,” Yunho said. “I know your captain said he was during the fight and there was that whole display. It’s just…it’s hard to believe a siren would join a pirate crew.”

“Special circumstances.”

“Right. You mentioned that he had someone he was looking for.”

“I almost feel bad for whoever has her. Crossing a siren is about the most stupid decision you can make,” Wooyoung said.

“I’d have to agree with you. We always did our best to avoid waters known to have them.”

“Smart.” Wooyoung smiled. “I wouldn’t worry about Seonghwa though. He can look intimidating, but he’s actually really caring.”

The conversation lulled again and they focused back on their food. It gave Yunho more time to look around the layout to try and get a feel for things. He was lucky he had been sitting down most of the time. The ceiling was dangerously close to his head, and he doubted he’d be able to clear the doorway while standing straight.

It was as he was thinking about how grateful he was that carrying San had automatically made him miss hitting his head, when the captain walked in, humming a tune. He brightened when he saw Yunho and made his way over.

“Glad to see you up and about,” he said as he leaned onto the table. “You gave us quite the scare. How are you feeling?”

“Better, I guess. Hard to know you’re sick when you’re asleep.”

“Unconscious,” the captain corrected. “Luckily, Yeosang had some medicine for you. How’s your back?”

“It’s fine, sir.”

“You don’t have to call me sir. You haven’t even decided to join the crew, so I’m not your captain. Hongjoong is fine.” He stood straight and crossed his arms. “Are you sure you’re okay though? I doubt you’ve healed much yet.”

“I’m going to check it when we’re done eating,” Yeosang said. “He’s still in a lot of pain. I suspect it will take a few more days at least. We might need to stop somewhere for more medical supplies for him and San.”

“That’s not necessary,” Yunho said quickly. “You should just use what you have for San. You’ve already done too much for me. I have no way to pay you back.”

He was a complete stranger to them and yet they’d not only fed him but used up valuable medical supplies on him.

“You don’t need to pay us back,” Wooyoung said. “You helped us get San to safety and helped get me escape.”

“Wooyoung’s right. It’s our decision to help, so we don’t expect anything in return,” the captain said.

“But—”

“However, we are kind of lost…” The captain rubbed his neck and looked at the ground. “My fault. Without San, it’s been a lot harder. If you could just help me navigate to a port town I’d be really grateful. You can say no, and even if you say yes, I won’t ask for anything else from you.”

Yunho looked at Wooyoung who smiled. He wasn’t sure he wanted to agree to joining them yet. They seemed different, but they were still pirates. And he knew pirates all too well. But they’d helped him so much and he had nowhere else to go…For now.

Yes. For now it was the best option he had.

“Okay,” he said. Wooyoung and the captain brightened and even Yeosang looked at him in relief. “I can try to navigate us somewhere. I even have a place in mind that can hopefully solve your boat problem.”

“Really? Oh, that’s wonderful! Thank you. After Yeosang takes care of your back, I’ll bring you the maps and supplies.”

“Okay.” Yunho thought for a moment. “I might need to get a look at the stars tonight as well to get my bearings.”

“Whatever you need. I’ll go gather what I left on the deck and tell the others.” Without another word, the captain turned and headed back to the deck.

Wooyoung leaned back in his chair with a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. I was honestly worried we were going to be stuck on this boat forever.”

“Yeah. Too much longer and Jongho might have killed you,” Yeosang joked.

Wooyoung whacked the back of his head then leaned on the table and met Yunho’s eyes. “So, you know of a shipyard? I’m honestly kind of surprised.”

“Well, I’m acquainted with the son of a merchant. Though, acquainted might still be too strong of a word.” Yunho thought back. “He would always try to talk to me because we could understand each other. But it would always make Niccolò mad, so I would usually get a lashing when we got back to the ship. At some point I started to ignore him, but he would still try to chat with me. Niccolò didn’t really like working with the family, but they had certain supplies at a decent price that are hard to come by. If nothing else, I think you should be able to restock on medical supplies, and they might know where you can get a good ship.”

“I’m glad I got captured,” Wooyoung said. “The bruises were worth it. You’re a godsend, Yunho.”

Yunho smiled. “I think you might have been too.”

I did it, Alessio. I escaped and might have even found some friends. Thank you for everything, hyung. I’ll miss you.

First, Prev, Next, Masterlist

“Wooyoung…” San cautioned.

“I’m not stuffy,” Jongho snapped. “Just because I don’t enjoy hurting others doesn’t mean I don’t know how to let loose.”

“I didn’t hurt anyone, unlike you, I’m sure. People like you only follow the law without thinking about who it affects or enjoy when you can use it to abuse common folk.”

Jongho grabbed Wooyoung’s collar, his hands shaking. “I have never abused my power like that. I’m helping people. That’s what we do. We help them and protect.”

“No. That’s just what us common folk are told. All you and your fellow trained dogs protect are the nobility and aristocrats.”

Jongho pulled back his first, but his arm was caught before he could lash out.

“Let him hit me,” Wooyoung taunted, pulled forward by Jongho’s grip still on his shirt. “Prove me right.”

“Wooyoung, no,” Yeosang said, getting in between them. He wrapped his arms around Wooyoung and started to push him away while San wrapped his arms around Jongho and pulled him back.

“Guys, stop,” San said. Though, it came out as a grunt with the effort he was exerting trying to pull Jongho away.

“That’s enough!” Hongjoong’s sudden bellow made everyone freeze in place. He marched over, making them all take a few steps back. The tone, presence, and scowl made Jongho think of his training days and he instinctively stiffened into attention, his eyes dropped to the floor.

Hongjoong hadn’t blown up once at them, he’d barely been strict. But in that moment, Jongho could see a captain. Stern and commanding. A leader.

“Now I know we didn’t all come from the same background and we’re going to have differences of opinions and argue. But I will not have physical fights on my ship unless it’s for training. You two can either walk away, or talk it out.”

“But Hongjoong—”

“Wooyoung, do we need to go below deck?”

“No, Captain,” Wooyoung said quickly with a gulp. His wide eyes dropped to the ground and he took a step back without another word.

“These rules apply to everyone,” Hongjoong continued. “Am I understood?

Everyone replied quickly with either a “Yes sir,” or “Yes Captain.” Then Wooyoung sulked off to the small room below deck. That meant unless Jongho wanted to be with him in the tight space, he was stuck on deck with the others.

Most of them went about their business, but San was eyeing him in frustration until Yeosang pulled him away to help put away the supplies they had bought. With nothing else to do, Jongho made his way to the side of the ship and took a seat on a random crate.

He mulled over Wooyoung’s words, which stung, but weren’t necessarily a lie. He’d found out first hand just how corrupt some of the other soldiers and government officials were. He’d nearly lost his life finding out.

Wooyoung had likely spoken from experience and in the end, regardless of their methods, they had the same goal. As long as no one innocent was hurt, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to cross some of his lines. He was already going against his superiors as it was.

But, Wooyoung had been out of line calling him stuffy. He was not stuffy.

They just didn’t know him yet.

♠

“Wooyoung.” Jongho marched up to the lounging pirate, making him jump. “We need to talk.”

“Why?” Wooyoung snapped. “So you can criticize me some more?”

“No.” Jongho took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I wanted to say I’m sorry for earlier. You were right about the corruption. I discovered it first hand only recently and it’s hard for me to accept. My father was a guard and I wanted nothing more growing up than to serve the kingdom. But those I trusted to have the kingdom and its people’s interest at heart tried to have me killed when I brought the slavery situation to them. All this time I thought I was helping people, but now, after all this, I’m not sure. I took my frustration out on you and I apologize.”

Wooyoung sniffed in thought then smiled. “Apology accepted. I shouldn’t have antagonized you either,” he said. “I wanted to get a rise out of you, but I pushed too hard.”

“You were right though. Except for me being like them. Or being stuffy.”

Wooyoung burst out laughing at the almost pouted defense.

“I’m serious! You might not believe it, but I used to get in trouble with my superiors when I was in training.”

“You were a trouble maker?” Wooyoung said in shock. “You’re right, it’s hard to believe. But I knew you’d be a perfect addition to the crew.”

Jongho’s mouth opened in surprise. He’d forgotten that Wooyoung had been the one to encourage him to join and suggested him to the captain. He had been the first person in a while to vouch for him.

“Teach me,” Jongho said and Wooyoung tilted his head in confusion.

“Teach you what?”

“How to cheat and talk my way out of a bad situation. Teach me how to be a pirate so that I can be a part of the crew.”

“You want me to teach you how to swindle people out of their money?”

“Only those that deserve it. Like you said. Cheating a cheater isn’t a big deal. The money doesn’t belong to them in the first place.”

“Alright.” Wooyoung jumped to his feet then walked over and grabbed Jongho’s shoulder. “Let’s get going.”

“Wait, right now?”

“No time like the present. Best way to learn is on the job.”

“But it’s almost night.”

“Exactly. There will be way more games going. People are braver and more reckless under the cloak of night.”

♠

Jongho watched and listened during the first couple of games and after each one Wooyoung would explain how he cheated. He explained why he would choose a target, things to look for before, and things to watch for during a game to make sure you didn’t push your luck.

Then Jongho joined him for a game. He didn’t make many moves without a sign from Wooyoung and was shocked the first time Wooyoung secretly slipped him a piece he needed to win. Wooyoung kept that up. They’d play one or two rounds of a game and won most of them and Jongho understood. It was addicting. The thrill and the success. He understood why Wooyoung and San made a living at it and why the captain had joined a few games himself while they had been in this town.

He weighed their bag of winnings and grinned as they walked away from another successful game.

“Wow! I didn’t expect a smile like that from you,” Wooyoung said with a laugh as he nudged Jongho. “Guess you’re not so stuffy after all.”

“It’s more fun than I expected. I get it now.”

“That’s why people get addicted and ruin their lives. It takes self control as well as skill.” Wooyoung stretched then patted Jongho on the back. “We better head back now. I’d say that was a pretty successful first lesson.”

Jongho nodded, then paused in his tracks when he saw the commotion from another game. “Let’s do one more,” he said, pointing to the spectators. “That must be a good one. It has a big crowd.”

Wooyoung hummed as he observed the people on the outer edge. “I don’t know. I really think we should head back. It’s getting late.”

“Last one,” Jongho urged. “It must be a big game. Let’s at least watch.”

Wooyoung hesitated for a moment then shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

They pushed their way to the front and found a fairly large card game in progress. The players were on the rougher side and a few of them were clearly pirates.

A few people around them were quietly complaining about the cheating game host and the merciless pirate crew that the men belonged to and Jongho traded glances with Wooyoung.

“You should play a round,” Jongho said. “And since they’re pirates, maybe we can get some information.”

“I don’t know, Jongho. There’s something about them that’s rubbing me the wrong way. I don’t know if we should risk it.”

“Come on. They can’t be any worse than any of the others you’ve played against today. And besides, we’ve been in this town for two days and still don’t have anything. We might finally get a lead.”

“I don’t know the language they’re speaking very well though. If it goes wrong —”

Jongho huffed and crossed his arms. “Alright, if you don’t have the confidence to do it, then let’s just go back to the ship, hyung.”

He started to walk away but Wooyoung grabbed his arm. “That’s the first time you’ve called me hyung.”

“Is it?”

“I know what you’re doing, just so you know. But fine. It couldn’t hurt to try.”

“Just play it safe like you’ve been doing and if they still seem dangerous, you can call it quits and we’ll leave.”

“If I’m doing this I’m seeing it through till the end. I’ll show you a master at work.”

Wooyoung adjusted his shirt and checked on some of his hidden cards, then made his way towards the players. “I’d like to join if you don’t mind.”

The response he received was in a language Jongho didn’t understand, but Wooyoung was able to respond back in it. Though, a little awkwardly. Some of the pirates were giving Wooyoung a look that almost made Jongho tell him to stop the whole thing. But, he held it in and kept a close eye on them in case they tried anything.

After one round with a losing hand, followed by several wins, Jongho realized Wooyoung wasn’t playing it safe anymore. But the other players didn’t look like they suspected anything, even though they were growing more frustrated with each loss.

Finally, Wooyoung gathered his winnings and said what sounded like a farewell. While the others were grumbling, they didn’t protest as he stood and joined Jongho.

“What did I tell you? Master at work,” Wooyoung said. “Let’s go get a meal. I wiped them out.”

“Shouldn’t you wait until we’re farther away to start boasting?”

“Nah. They can’t understand us. I couldn’t understand everything they were saying, but I’m pretty sure they were mocking us, so I just gave them a friendly lesson.”

“I still think you should have been more careful with your wins. I’m surprised they didn’t accuse you of cheating.”

“They didn’t think I was smart enough to. And, seeing as they’re not coming after me already, I’d say they’re good sports.”

“Alright, I’ll trust your expertise then.”

They found a small restaurant with stew just off the road and Wooyoung ordered them some food and drink. After they were a few bites in, Wooyoung cleared his throat and adjusted awkwardly in his chair. “So, you said someone tried to kill you when you tried to expose the slavery incident?”

Jongho nodded. “An official in your town if you’d believe it.”

“Do you remember his name?”

“Of course,” Jongho said, then took a drink. “I recorded everything about him so that I can report everything at the castle once I know more about the situation and find more who are involved. His name was Kang —”

Wooyoung cut him off with a scoff. “Of course it’s him…”

Jongho’s eyes widened as Wooyoung downed the rest of his drink. “You know him?” Jongho asked.

“We have some…history with him. I guess you could say I’m not really surprised. The good news is he doesn’t have a very skilled assassin at hand right now…probably. So you should be safe. Especially now that you’re with us.”

“Do I even want to know?”

Wooyoung smirked, but it wasn’t with his usual mirth. His eyes caught somewhere behind Jongho before he could respond and he stiffened, then ducked his head. “Time to go,” he said. “Looks like I was wrong about them being good sports.”

“Wha—”

“Don’t turn around.” Wooyoung placed a few coins on the table and stood slowly. “They might only be here for food, but let’s just quickly slip out the back to be safe.”

Jongho got to his feet and followed Wooyoung’s lead. They were nearly to the door when someone behind them shouted.

“Run!” Wooyoung shouted and broke into a sprint. They burst out the back door and were met with a dead end alley whose only exit led back to the front. “Great.”

They paused, both trying to formulate a plan.

“I told you we should have gone back to the ship. You were arrogant.”

“It was your idea to play against them in the first place! Come on. Let’s just hope they don’t have anyone keeping watch out front.”

They started towards the alley’s exit as someone burst out from the door behind them and shouted again. Wooyoung pulled out his knives but rammed into someone at the exit and fell to the ground, the knives clattering away from him. A much larger man reached down and pulled Wooyoung to his feet without any effort, and immobilized his arms behind him.

Jongho dodged as someone grabbed for him. Another lunged at him, but he punched the man, making him fall instantly.

“Jongho, go back to the ship!” Wooyoung shouted, still struggling against the giant man. “Get he—” He cut off with a grunt as one of the players punched him in the gut.

Jongho grappled with another man, then knocked the pirate into the wall as he made his way towards the exit where the other pirates were leaving with Wooyung. He tried to follow, but a shot was fired, and the bullet barely missed.

“Jongho! Get out of here!” Wooyoung shouted again.

Jongho hesitated. If he had his sword, or they didn’t have guns, he would be more confident. But as it was, going and getting help would be smarter. So, as they started towards him again, he gave Wooyoung a nod, then turned and ran as fast as he could.

The footsteps pursuing him died out before too long but he didn’t stop or slow down. When their little ship came into view, he shouted, hoping someone was on deck.

Someone draped in shadow leaned over the railing and his voice caught in relief. Once he was closer, he could make out Hongjoong’s features. “Hyung!” he cried out. “Help! Wooyoung was taken.”

First, Prev, Next, Masterlist

Seonghwa and Wooyoung grimaced at the image of Hongjoong behind the counter. He’d likely try to help with preparing a drink, only to end up somehow burning something.

The bell above the door jingled and they turned to greet the customer, but were instead greeted by their friends.

“Hello,” San said, his tone taking on a cute lilt. “We have arrived. Song Mingi in the house.” His voice raised in volume, and Seonghwa’s eyes darted to the few customers already in the cafe.

“Morning,” Mingi said, voice just as loud. “Who’s ready for promo time?”

“We’ve got everything prepared for you,” Yunho said, gesturing to the box.

“And this,” Wooyoung said, as he pulled off his apron, “is for you.” He threw it at San, who barely caught it. “I’m so ready to take some nicer photos than our every day ones.”

“Just remember not to get too loud,” Seonghwa said. “People do come in here to study.”

“And work,” Wooyoung said with a wink which received a glare from the oldest in response.

“I’ll get started on some of our seasonal drinks,” Yunho said and headed towards the counters, dragging San along with him.

“Wooyoung, can you make one with art before you start on the photography?” Mingi asked as he shed his coat, which Seonghwa took from him. “I’ll start getting a background set up.”

“Sure thing!” Wooyoung left them quickly and Seonghwa looked at Mingi with a raised brow.

“You’re going to drink that one, aren’t you?”

“He never makes us fancy ones,” Mingi said. “Is it wrong for me to get one with art out of him every now and then under the pretense of work? At least it’s not going to waste.”

Seonghwa couldn’t argue with that. He was just happy to have the help with promotions. “Oh hey, I have an idea for an event I’d like to run by you later. But it can wait until you and Wooyoung are done,” he said, readjusting his apron as his eyes darted to the front door.

“Oh, yeah?” Mingi seemed to brighten. “That’s new for you. I’m excited to hear about it.”

Seonghwa half-heartedly bumped into his shoulder at the teasing. “I’ve got to get to work,” he said instead. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Will do, hyung.”

“And remember, please be mindful of the customers.”

“Don’t worry.” The response was instant, casual, like he’d said it a million times. Which, he had.

Seonghwa shook his head with an endearing smile as he walked off. Wooyoung was finishing up the design on a latte when he joined the others behind the counter.

“Changbin just texted and said they’d be bringing the baked goods over in about fifteen minutes,” Wooyoung said. He carefully placed the latte onto a tray and started to make his way out.

“Oh, good,” Seonghwa said. “That way we can add a couple items to the photos.”

“Wooyoung,” Yunho called out before the younger man could leave the space. “Let me know when you’re almost done with that one so that I can start the next one.”

“Will do.”

Now that the chaos from set up was under control, Seonghwa took a deep breath and went through his mental checklist of what needed to be done. The rush wouldn’t hit for a while, and all the current customers were set with their orders. The case was ready for the bakery items and Nari wasn’t in yet. There wasn’t much to do now except make drinks as Mingi needed them and make random orders as more customers came in.

He busied himself with cleaning that wasn’t necessary, making mental note of stock as he went. Before too long, their neighbors showed up with pastries and he filled the case while Yunho made the next drink for the photos.

“How’s it going with the regular, hyung?” Changbin asked as he started placing cookies on the top shelf. He nearly dropped one, eyes darting to the two in front of him. Felix’s eyes were sparkling, and both held equally knowing grins.

He cleared his throat and focused back on the cookies. “I don’t know what your talking about,” he said.

They looked at each other and rolled their eyes, Felix’s grin turned into a smirk. “Wooyoung hyung has been keeping us updated. We know all about her,” he said.

“Don’t you two have a business to get back to?” Seonghwa insisted. How many people had Wooyoung told about his crush?

“He said she’s the reason you insist on having multiple slices of the strawberry cake available every day,” Changbin said. “Here I thought you just wanted leftovers for yourself or San.”

“Don’t worry, hyung,” Felix said, raising a fist. “Fighting.”

They both left after that, chuckling and meeting Wooyoung’s eyes as they exited.

“Why don’t you just ask her out?” San said.

“Not you too,” Seonghwa groaned, closing the dessert case with more force than necessary. “We’ve been over this. She’s a customer. I’d be overstepping.”

“If you say so, hyung.”

Another customer came in and Seonghwa nudged San. “Focus please.”

When the transaction was done, he started on the drink, giving him an excuse to ignore San’s teasing. Instead, he focused on figuring out how to best execute the plan he had in mind.

What to say.

What to offer.

How to offer without it coming across as out of the blue or feeling like a burden.

“Hello, welcome to The Wishing Star,” San greeted brightly.

“Noona!” Wooyoung shouted and Seonghwa’s head shot up, eyes darting to the entrance in time to see Nari give a small wave to Wooyoung before continuing to the counter.

Seonghwa couldn’t escape his drink making to meet her there.

San glanced back at him with a knowing smile before turning back to her.

“Hi,” he said, more enthusiastic than when she entered.

“Hello,” she said, unsure.

“You must be the regular hyung talks about,” San said.

“Oh,” she said as she glanced behind San to seek him out. Their eyes met and pink dusted across her cheeks.

“Hi Nari,” Seonghwa said quickly. “I’m just finishing this drink, then I’ll be right there.”

“D—don’t worry about it,” she said.

Still, he finished the to-go order as quickly as he could, listening in on their conversation in case he needed to do damage control for anything San said.

“Are you San?” she asked.

“I am?” San said in surprise. “How did you know.”

“Intuition,” she said. “It’s nice to finally meet the famous roommate.”

“Psh, famous? I’m not so sure about that.”

Seonghwa could hear the blush in San’s tone. If he were a bird his feathers would be puffed up.

“Look’s like we’re both meeting celebrities today then,” San said as Seonghwa handed the drink off to the customer, then started to rush back. “The famous regular that plays animal crossing and writes books for a living.”

“I’m not…”

“Nari,” Seonghwa said when he was close enough. She looked up at him as he quickly closed the distance, hopefully missing how his hand latched onto San’s shoulder with a little more force than necessary. “More editing today?”

“Of course,” she said. Then, she looked behind her, towards the two by the window and dropped her voice a bit. “What’s going on today? Who…?” She didn’t finish the question, but he could see the curiosity burning in her eyes.

“That’s Mingi,” he said. “He’s our marketing and promotions manager. And Yunho’s best friend. We’re getting more professional photos today of our new and seasonal drinks to post on socials for the next month or so.”

“And Wooyoung is getting to take the photos?”

He nodded and she beamed.

“That’s great!” she said. “He’s such a good photographer. It’s a shame he doesn’t do it more.”

Seonghwa opened his mouth, but San spoke before him.

“That’s what I keep telling him. He’s been using every excuse in the book lately about why he hasn’t been taking any photos,” he pouted.

“We’ve all been trying to get him to take some time to work on it,” Seonghwa said. “But he won’t listen.”

“Ya!” Wooyoung shouted. “Stop talking about me like I’m not here.”

San raised a finger to his lips to shush their friend, who just started grumbling under his breath as he went back to work.

“I’m taking photos now, aren’t I?” he huffed to Mingi, who just patted him on the shoulder.

“In his defense,” Yunho said, joining them. “It has gotten a lot busier here lately. There’s not really a good time for him to take off.”

“I’ve offered to cover a shift or two,” San said, pouting again.

“Why don’t you focus on the shift your covering now instead of berating me for something completely unnecessary and wasting everyone’s time? Hmm? Hmm?” Wooyoung said, speaking 90 miles and hour as he walked over.

Seonghwa raised his hands, gesturing for Wooyoung to calm down before he bothered the customers. “Okay, okay,” he said. “We’ll drop it.”

“Thank you,” Wooyoung huffed. “I swear, no one ever takes my side. Yunho, can you start on the next drink please? I’m nearly done.”

“Of course,” Yunho said, holding back his laughter from the mild altercation. “I was taking your side, by the way.”

“Whatever,” Wooyoung said, with a wave of his hand as he walked back over to the photo area where Mingi was watching, mildly confused.

San started typing on the tablet in front of him, then looked up at Nari. “Just coffee, right?”

“That’s right,” she said, in surprise. “Guess I really am famous. Or does my order just annoy Wooyoung that much.”

“What do you think?” San said with a grin. “If you really want to annoy him, you should order something else today when he’s not working.”

“Hmm,” she hummed in thought. “Maybe…”

“Noona! Don’t you dare!” Wooyoung whined, stomping his foot once.

She chuckled at the response as she fished her wallet out of her purse. “I’m only teasing,” she said. Her eyes shone like stars, completely captivating Seonghwa’s gaze. The light brown shone in the sunlight, with little flecks of sparkling gold, and he felt like the air had left his lungs.

“I’ll…get started on you coffee,” he said, stuffing his hands in the pocket of his apron and turning away. “You’re table is open.”

“Thank you, Seonghwa,” she said, her voice light. The way she called his name was gentle, and he couldn’t help the blush from rising to his cheeks.

Still, he turned and smiled at her, praying that the evidence of his crush wasn’t too visible. “Of course. Do you mind if we use your table to eat lunch again?”

“Not at all,” she said. “I’m always happy for the company.”

He turned away again to fix her mug of coffee, hoping that the heat on his face would die down enough that he could actually take it to her.

The bell above the door dinged, thankfully knocking him to his senses. The following sound of the late morning rush had him hurrying to drop off her drink with a promise to check on her once everything had died down again, before he was back to work.

His and Yunho’s hands were full with keeping up with the orders, as well as making sure San didn’t get too overwhelmed or confused. But, just as quickly as the rush had come in, it was gone and he was left catching his breath along with the other two behind the counter.

“I don’t know how you do this every day,” San said. “Multiple times a day. I’m wiped.”

“You’re doing great, Sannie,” he said, ruffling the younger man’s hair. “Don’t know what we would have done without you.”

“Hyuuung,” San huffed, pushing Seonghwa’s hand away to fix his hair.

“I’m going to get started on the next drink for Mingi and Wooyoung,” Seonghwa said. It was one of his favorite new additions, so he was excited to work on it. Excited to share it. But he had two versions to work on, so it would take him a little bit.

“Then, I’ll go around and check on customers,” Yunho said, grabbing the coffee pot.

“Okay,” Seonghwa responded, too focused on gathering the ingredients and going through the checklist. He’d have it memorized before too long, but he had to make sure this one was perfect…for the photos.

After starting the espresso and prepping the dark chocolate, he pulled the pre-cut strawberry stars and star ice cubes from the mini freezer, then the homemade strawberry compote from the fridge, along with creams. Everything was a matter of timing. He grabbed one of their new latte glasses and filled the bottom with the strawberry compote. Then he carefully added in the star strawberries, using the ice to help hold them in place along the side of the glass before drizzling some chocolate to help hold them a bit better.

The espresso finished just as he was ready for it, and he quickly poured it into the mixing glass with the dark chocolate and mixed them together. He then poured it into the glass in tandem with some cream, allowing the liquids to marbleize. Then, he topped it with a healthy amount of whipped cream and added a couple more strawberry stars as a garnish. The finishing touch was a sprinkling of dried strawberry crumbs.

Satisfied, he stepped back. It was perfect.

“Ooo,” Yunho said. Sidling up next to him. “Looks good, hyung. You finally perfected it. Got a name yet.”

Seonghwa shook his head, quickly getting to work on the hot version of the drink. “No,” he said. “But it will come to me.”

“I’m surprised. You’ve never really struggled with naming one before. And this is the only new one without a name.”

“I know. I just want to make sure it’s perfect.”

“Whatever you decide will be great,” Yunho said, his voice encouraging.

The name was taking a surprising amount of time, and it irritated him. He wanted to get it on the menu as soon as possible, but couldn’t until he made a decision. Still, he knew what was holding him back. Why he wanted to be perfect.

Finishing touches on the hot drink, he loaded the two onto a tray, then retrieved a slice of strawberry cake that he had set aside earlier. Then, more careful than was probably necessary, he took them to the front.

“Perfect timing,” Mingi said, him and Wooyoung looking up from the screen of Wooyoung’s camera. “We just finished with this one.”

“I’ll take it off of your hands then,” he said as he carefully unloaded the items on the tray to the table, then grabbed the other hot and cold drinks. “San has been waiting patiently.” The whip cream on the hot chocolate had certainly deflated, making the mint leaf and cookie droop a little sadly, but the mint chocolate lover wouldn’t mind.

He turned to see the temporary cashier watching him with crescent eyes. Hands clenched and shaking on the table as he tried to contain his excitement. He was certainly earning the drink today.

“Wait,” Mingi said before he could walk away. “I want one of those. Does he get both?”

“No, one of those is mine,” Wooyoung said. “San and I have been trying to get a mint choco drink on the menu for ages and he finally listened to us, so we have dibs.”

“But I like mint choco too,” Mingi whined. “You can get one whenever since you work here.”

“Then just come by more frequently. Besides, you took the latte art one earlier,” Wooyoung argued back as he started to arrange the drinks and cake for the perfect photo. “Ooo, your labor of love,” he teased the oldest. “Finally ready to debut?”

“Almost,” Seonghwa said. “Just needs a name. Here,” he handed over the cold mint chocolate drink. “Share it.”

“I don’t want to share,” the two said in unison.

“Then rock paper scissors for it,” Seonghwa sighed. “Those are mine when you’re done.” He pointed at the strawberry based items, ignoring the whining.

“Just yours?” Wooyoung said, wiggling his eyebrows, but Seonghwa ignored him and turned to head to the counter. He handed the mint hot chocolate to San, who took it with glee, ignoring the rock paper scissors game happening behind him.

San took a long drink of the now mostly cooled liquid and hummed in satisfaction. Then he sent a wink at the oldest. “Do I get a bite of the strawberry cake?” he asked innocently.

“No.”

“But—”

“No buts.”

San pouted, then took another sip of his hot chocolate and was satisfied all over again. He grabbed the mint chocolate cookie, that was barely floating now, with his teeth and it fell apart on him.

“I’ll get you a spoon,” Seonghwa said, starting to round the counter. “Don’t make a mess.”

✧✧✧

It took longer than he was hoping, but they finally finished and were on to the next drinks. He took the items to Nari’s table with light steps, careful not to spill them. They weren’t as pretty as they had been, and probably not as good, now closer to room temperature.

Carefully, he set the cake in Nari’s peripheral, then the two drinks. She looked up, watching as they appeared one by one, then look at him in surprise.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“New seasonal items,” he said. There was some awe in her expression as she looked back at the drinks, and he couldn’t help but be filled with pride. “I wanted to make something for the season that complemented the strawberry cake. Since it’s a favorite.” He added the last bit quickly. “And it will be a collaborative promotion with the bakery next door.”

“Well, they look amazing,” she said. “Are you getting to take a break now?”

He nodded and slid into the booth across from her. “Just for a minute. Which one do you want?”

“I’m sorry?” she asked, eyes wide. “I get one?”

“Of course,” he said. “I want to get your opinion on whether or not they actually complement the cake.”

“Are you sure?” her hands hesitated forward, but he could see the anticipation in her eyes. “I’m sure one of you is a better judge of that. I don’t know the first thing about coffee.”

“But you’ll be able to tell if they go together.” His tone was insistent. “It’s good to get customer feedback, and I trust your opinion. Plus, you’ve been working so hard. You deserve a treat here and there. So,” he nudged them towards her slightly, “which would you like?”

“Then…” she reached forward and slowly slid the cold one towards herself. “I’ll take this one.”

He smiled and slid the hot, now cold one, towards himself.

She took a long drink from hers, closing her eyes and really savoring it. She hummed in delight then finally opened her eyes and looked at him. “This is amazing!” she said.

He held out a small fork for her, then slid the cake a bit closer once she took it.

“You have to stop spoiling me with all these free treats,” she said even as she readily sunk the fork into the spongy cake.

He wanted to tell her he would happily spoil her every day, in greater ways. That the drink was made specifically for her. That she was quickly becoming his favorite person.

But he couldn’t.

So, instead, he told a half truth. “Let me treat my favorite customer every now and then,” he said.

She looked up at him in surprise, fork still in her mouth. Pink dusted her cheeks as her eyes shot back down to the table, cake, laptop, anything but him.

She took another drink, then swirled the straw around in thought. “You treat me a lot though,” she said.

He shrugged, but she didn’t see it. Instead, she continued.

“Tell me about the drink,” she said. “What all is in it?”

He scooted forward in his seat, and explained it in detail. She looked at him again, met his gaze, her attention matching his excitement. There was still a light dusting of pink on her cheeks, and he was sure his matched. Especially once Yunho called for him to come back.

He stood reluctantly, hand still on the table. “I’ll be back in a little while to eat lunch,” he said. “If it’s not a bother.”

She shook her head. “It’s never a bother.”

“Then,” he cleared his throat, to overcome with her response. “I’ll have the others come eat lunch first.”

“Okay,” she said, then lifted she glass slightly. “Thank you again, Seonghwa. I think this will be a big hit. You did a great job.”

“Thanks,” he forced out, then walked away. His face was burning. He needed a minute. But one look at the others told him he didn’t have that. So he swallowed the embarrassment and joined them. Shooing Yunho away to take his lunch break.

✧✧✧

It was another hour before Mingi and Wooyoung were done. They joined him and Yunho behind the counter with the props and final drinks and Wooyoung slouched against him dramatically. “I’m starving,” he whined. “I could practically fade away.”

“Then go eat,” Seonghwa said. “I’m not stopping you. It’s long past your normal break time.”

“Thanks, hyung!” Wooyoung cheered, then tried to plant a kiss on Seonghwa’s cheek. But the oldest was faster, pushing him away before he even got close.

“Don’t,” Seonghwa said with a grimace. “Just go eat.”

The youngest saluted, then disappeared into the back to grab his food.

“I’m going to head out to eat,” Mingi said. “As long as you don’t need any other photos taken.”

“No. But, before you go,” Seonghwa said, stopping him in his tracks. “Let me give you some money for lunch and…” He trailed off as he searched for his wallet.

“What’s up?” Mingi asked when he didn’t finish.

“I just wanted to go ahead and run my event idea by you so you could start thinking it over.”

“Oh yeah! I completely forgot.” Mingi put his hands in his pockets, attention fully on Seonghwa in anticipation. “What were you thinking?”

“Well, what about a book launch event? A reading and signing with the author. Maybe some live music. I’ve heard it can be a really great evening event. Especially in the winter.”

“Sounds good. Do you have an author in mind?” Mingi’s eyes were wide and curious as he leaned forward in excitement.

“I do,” he said, matter of fact. “She has a book coming out soon, but I don’t know the exact date yet. It might not work out timing wise. Or she or her company might not be interested. I wanted to run it by you before bringing it up.”

Mingi nodded in thought. “It would fit the atmosphere of the cafe well,” he said. “And a rare evening event could pull in more people. San could probably sing…” he trailed off, then looked at Seonghwa and smiled. “I like it. Why don’t you go ahead and reach out to them, see if there would even be any interest, find out a timeline. And I’ll start brainstorming some ideas.”

“Really? You like it?”

“What’s not to like, hyung?” Mingi said with a chuckle. “Whether you believe it or not, you have good ideas.”

“He’s right,” San said, joining them.

“You don’t even know what we’re talking about,” Seonghwa said.

“Don’t need to,” San argued. “Mingi said you have good ideas, that’s all I need to know to agree.” He grinned at the oldest, adjusting his apron. “I’m ready to get back to work boss.”

“And I’m going to head out,” Mingi said, happily placing the offered lunch money in his pocket. “I’ll get to work on the photos after lunch and reach out to you tonight or tomorrow about any extra information I need to start posting.”

“Thank you, Mingi.”

“Just keep me updated on the event idea.”

“Will do.”

Mingi headed off and San turned to Seonghwa curiously. “What event idea is he talking about?”

“Something that is still very much just an idea. I’ll tell you about it later.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” San said, taking his spot back behind the register.

“Thank you again for the help today. You can go as soon as Yunho and Wooyoung are done with their lunch.”

“I don’t mind staying longer if that would help. That way they have an extra hand while you take your break. And then, you can take your time.” He looked at Seonghwa with meaning and the eldest looked away, busying himself with cleaning the already spotless counter. “But really,” San continued. “I’m happy for the extra income after losing so many days to that stupid bug.”

“Do you have enough gigs lined up right now?” Seonghwa said in concern.

“Yeah. I’m booked up the rest of the week, so I’ll be okay. The rebooking and slow start back just stressed me out a little. But it’ll be fine.”

“Okay. Just let me know if you need some extra hours. I’m sure we could figure something out. You could sing here on the weekend maybe. Get some tips.”

“That might not be a bad idea. Thanks, hyung. I’ll let you know.”

✧✧✧

Seonghwa took a slow bite of his food, trying to figure out how to start the conversation.

Nari was editing her story, and he didn’t want to interrupt her, but he also knew she still hadn’t eaten. And, he didn’t want to wait another day to talk to her about his idea.

When she started tapping a key in thought, fingers no longer flying over the keyboard, he took a risk. Carefully, he tapped her hand, and she looked at him. Her eyes weren’t really focused on him though, her thoughts still clearly somewhere on the story, and he couldn’t help but smile at her concentration.

“Why don’t you take a break and eat?” He said. “You look like you might be stuck.”

She sighed and leaned back in the booth. “I am,” she said. “That obvious?”

He nodded. “You weren’t typing as fast, and it looked like you might have erased a line a couple times.”

“I did. It’s just a sentence that I struggled with when I was writing the first draft. I still can’t seem to clear it up. Even with my editor’s notes.”

“Well, maybe taking a break will help. Clear your head. Give it some fuel.”

“You’re probably right.” She closed her notebook and pushed it to the side, then her computer. “It’s just hard to take a break once you start making progress.”

“But, you’re not making progress at the moment,” he said, helping her clear a small space for her to eat. “So that means it’s time to rest.”

“Thanks,” she said with a small smile. Then she pulled out a rapped kimbap roll. “It’ll come to me.” The small space filled with the sound of foil and the nervous tapping of her foot under the table. “It’s just this sentence. I just can’t…” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “It’s fine. Sorry. You don’t want to listen to me rant about this.”

“I don’t mind.” He said, bumping her foot with his. She immediately stopped bouncing her leg. “If it helps you destress, I can listen.”

She smiled, hand coming up to rub the back of her neck. “Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate it. But I would rather talk about something else while we’re both on break. Get my mind off of it.”

“Okay,” he said. “Um, it’s still work related. But I had something I wanted to talk to you about, if that’s okay.”

“Oh, sure,” she said, eating a piece of her kimbap.

His leg started bouncing under the table as he tried to formulate the words. Her foot bumped his, mimicking his earlier action and he smiled at her in gratitude. “Have you ever had a launch event for one of your books?”

Her eyes widened in surprise and she shook her head. “No,” she said slowly. “I’m not really well known, so I haven’t seen a reason to.”

“Well…I was looking at event ideas for the cafe this winter, and there were couple book themed ones out there. The book launch seemed interesting, and with your book being published soon, I thought it might be a good one.”

She leaned back in her seat, face scrunching in thought before she bit her lower lip. Then she sat forward again. “What exactly would that look like?”

“There’s a couple of ways to go about it,” he said, putting his food down to really focus on explaining. “Usually a reading of the first couple pages or the first chapter. Or a random exert from the book. Sometimes a book signing. Sometimes live music. Something calm to match the atmosphere. From there the details vary.”

She looked away in thought, chewing on her lip again. “It sounds like a really fun idea,” she said slowly. “But I don’t know that my book will pull in very many people, and…I don’t know if I would be comfortable reading in front of others. Public speaking was not my forte in school.” She smiled, but he could tell it was somewhat forced. “I can see if there’s another, more popular author who might be a better choice though.”

That took him by surprise. He wasn’t even sure how to respond at first. But he met her eyes and didn’t back down, reaching across the table to gently wrap his fingers around her wrist. “I don’t want another author though,” he said. “The reason the idea caught my eye was because it made me think of you. This isn’t about big numbers or a grand promotional event. This is about creating a cozy, friendly atmosphere. Giving people a something to enjoy on a cold winter night. And collaborating on something with someone I care about. Besides,” he smiled brightly, switching his grip to her hand and giving it a little squeeze, “I’m sure you have plenty of readers who would be interested. And we have regulars who I’m sure would be happy to discover your writing.”

She smiled back at him. Less forced, but still unsure.

“But, what if no one comes. It will be such a waste of time and money.”

“It won’t,” he insisted. “Promise. No matter the outcome.” She started chewing on her lip again and he pressed on. “And if you don’t want to read, we can just have someone else do it. I was also thinking San could sing while people are arriving. His voice fits the vibe perfectly. I can send you some of his recordings.”

“I like the idea,” she said. “I really, really do. I’m just not sure.”

“I am. But I don’t want to force you into it. So why don’t you give it some thought today, and talk to your publisher about it. Mingi already said he liked it and is going to start making a plan.”

She took a deep breath then squeezed his hand back. “Okay. I’ll think about it,” she said. “You won’t be upset if I decide not to though, will you?”

“No,” he said quickly. “Of course not. It’s whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Okay.” She smiled, more genuine this time. Relief noticeable in her shoulders. “Thank you, Seonghwa.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” he said. His eyes landed on his hand on hers, and he rubbed this thumb across her palm. In comfort, in support. “I’m sorry if this stressed you out. I didn’t mean for it to.”

She squeezed his hand back and he looked at her again. She shook her head then met his eyes. “You were just thinking of something that would benefit both of us,” she said. “That was really thoughtful. I’ll let you know once I make up my mind.”