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Feeling how innocuous waves of sea waters are brushing against her bare feet, Siyeon follows woman she is suppose to accompany. The sand underneath her feet felt really soft yet drawing her into the depth of the ground. Siyeon was pretty used to these kind of strolls on a beach since she could remember herself. But she wasn’t sure about the woman before her.
“Are you sure you don’t need any shoes for walk?” Siyeon asks audible enough for the brunette to hear. The woman in a a little damp from waves dress stops and turns to her with puzzled look on her face. Siyeon points at the almost red feet of her. The sight looked quite painful. “I bet they are hurting from walking so much.”
“I bet they can abide it a little bit longer.” Brunette retorts back with a challenge, tilting up her chin which elicits sigh of a frustration from Siyeon. Hell, being stuck on this deserted island with the person she, as a pirate, despised. The woman in front of her was a whole package of things she disliked the most. As if fate played a bad joke on her for all her previous misdeeds.
Any member of the politically powerful family is despised by her with just their existence. But now she has to babysit this kind of person with many caprices, Kim Minji on this deserted island. Additionally to her arrogant behaviour, she was an eccentric artist who wanted to see the world and capture it in her paintings before she would give her hand in marriage to some noble man. It was the main reason why two of them are stuck on this god forgotten island because Minji wanted to experience some “adventure” that Siyeon called life.
“Let’s continue the route.” Minji orders with the tone as she was the captain here.
remember, siyeon, after all of this ends, you’ll be given a price in a form of gold coins. many gold coins!
Siyeon sighs and goes on after the brunette. They walk down the broad shore a little longer until Minji finally stops and stares at the horizon of immense sea. She nods to herself and puts down first the flat shaped box made of beechwood that was twice the size of her frame and the fabric bag of tools to paint this particular sight before them. This beechwood box was previously the only thing that Minji was holding on in the middle of the endless sea with Siyeon beside her after being thrown out of the board due to the furious thunder and the attack from the other ship.
“Sail, ho!” Siyeon remembers the lookout’s scream that warned of upcoming hostile ship and a blood-thrilling battle.
Inside the wood box, as Siyeon was witnessing, were large canvas and easel. Last night canvas was drying beside the fire that Siyeon built and now it was ready for the work. After unfolding the easel and placing the canvas on it, Minji starts taking out all other tools from her bag: brushes of various sizes and shapes with additional charcoals that seemed countless for Siyeon, tubes of paints and a bottle of linseed oil, palette and painting knives. Some other tools Siyeon even didn’t know how to name.
And pirate stood there behind focused Minji, wondering how in the world those tools weren’t lost in the sea on their way to this island.
While the focused woman was sorting these things, Siyeon felt almost awkward because of the feeling of doing nothing.
“I, um, gonna find some woods for tonight’s fire.” Siyeon announces after clearing her throat.
“If you need my presence, I’ll be standing and painting here, pirate.” Without turning around, Minji responds. Since their first meeting, she got a habit of addressing her as “pirate” which Siyeon didn’t like because it contained an accusing tone to it as if being a pirate was the most ruthless crime.
With still displeased expression, Siyeon heads to the depth of the forest...
“When do you think Sua’s going to find this island and us?” Minji asks later that night when they were eating some fried vegetables and fish beside the campfire on the shore outside the forest. The sand was chill underneath their feet.
“I was left out several times and once marooned on deserted island in the past and every time Sua somehow found the way to reach me.” Siyeon responds while chewing. She looks at the brunette in front of her with unreadable expression for Minji. “So worrying for your life will be just a waste of time.”
Like that they stop talking and continue eating. Both of them were thinking about their own things. But Siyeon was still curious of something related to her companion.
“So on what conditions did Handong let you take this journey?” Siyeon asks after awhile when they were done with eating. In her question, the pirate was referring to Minji’s sister who made all of these things to work out by asking for a favour from Sua, her former lover. When Siyeon heard this news from Sua for the first time, she immediately thought that the captain didn’t forget Handong and still felt something, but as soon as she made note of the price for the affair of accompanying Minji, Siyeon forgot about her previous thoughts and agreed to the deal as Sua didn’t have the time to look after important political figure.
“I was against my marriage by all
means as instead I wanted to purchase a career of a painter. I am aware that it might sound cliché as every fifth lady nowadays wants to get a life without strict mandatories that come from public.” Minji was talking steadily while staring at how orange flames of fire were slowly eating through the woods and eliciting appeasing cricket sounds. “Therefore I told my sister that I’m going to get engaged only after I will see the world and will keep those wonderful images in my paintings. She agreed and gave me a month but now I think that I will never get fully satisfied with art due to its eternity. I want to explore many aspects of art more and more.”
“So what you gonna do then, mate?” Siyeon asks already laying and covered with blankets that she previously found from the remainders of the ship. Minji was just preparing her sleeping place a bit afar from the pirate. In Siyeon’s tone there were some playful notes of mocking. “Gonna be a good girl and will fulfil your duties of a decent lady?”
“I gave my word and I will keep it, unlike, for instance, you.” Minji answers with firmness as she didn’t like the tone that Siyeon used. Receiving this kind of reaction from her, Minji instantly regrets her oversharing. Having no further desire to talk with her, she tosses around and quickly says. “I’m gonna sleep now. Don’t disturb me during the night, pirate.”
“As you wish, m’lady.” Siyeon says with still present flirtatious tone which made Minji feel disgusted at her response. This reaction strongly reminded her of their very first meeting.
Siyeon’s first encounter with Minji wasn’t so pleasant as she imagined. Of course, she expected some kind of arrogance from lady from politically important family but not the kind that would boil her blood in response. It was a good thing she was drunk at the time because otherwise the events would have gotten worse.
“—so for another successful pillage, hearties!” Sua exclaims triumphantly raising her glass of rum that was almost twice the size of her fist.
Siyeon and other crew members cheer in unison while clapping on the tables making the surroundings almost shake. As Sua’s speech was over, Siyeon took this chance to take quick steps towards the captain and settle down beside her on a bar counter. Pirate sips from her mug while sparing glances at how Sua is love talking with a tall girl who Siyeon recognised as a new member of the crew.
“Didn’t know you started preferring scallywags instead of the girls from brothel, Bora.” Siyeon remarks with a sneer.
“Well, you know I want to try something different,” Sua giggles, pulls the girl closer by her waist, and whispers something in her ear. With a light peck she lets go of the tall girl who heads towards the stairs. “And I can’t resist tall ones.”
“Yeah, I even know why.” Siyeon stares at the back of the girl who a moment later disappears up the stairs to the second floor. She wonders what the captain ordered, but she was too drunk to ask.
“Don’t think I’m over women from beloved brothel, Siyeon,” Sua says sharply. Anyone in Siyeon’s place would think that the captain was upset with them, but Lee knew that it was just a way of casual talking. “Memories of the passionate nights spent with them are always in my heart. Though I need to do it sometime again. By the way, Siyeon, the wench’s already here. Just so you know.”
“Guess I’ll see her only tomorrow,” Siyeon says and gulps the rest of her rum. Then she orders the bartender to pour more. “Some more grog!”
“She has some caprices just like her sister do,” Sua continues her talk. “So try to go easier on her.”
“Won’t promise if she’s a bitch.” Siyeon answers with firm tone and pierces into captain’s eyes. “Bora, you know how I can’t stand any of their “politic” arrogant-arse games.”
“I hate them too.” Sua reminds her with furrowed eyebrows.
“That’s why you slept one of them plenty of times?” Siyeon sneers.
“Handong was different—“
“You fucking let her break you.”
Two of them were quite drunk so it didn’t take an effort for them to grip on each other’s collars and look intensely in the eye. Everyone in the bar got quiet at the scene looking at the captain and one of the main crew members ready to slit each other’s throats. One move and it could be turned into mess of gunshots and blade fight filled with blood.
The next move was done at the same time by both of them: they started cackling that turned into almost hearty laugh. Everyone was looking in shock at them and then joined the mutual laughter.
“I got ye for a moment, didn’t I?” Sua laughs lightly hitting Siyeon on her arm.
“Nah, it was me who got ye!” Siyeon says through the laugh. She adressed the men around her. “You idiots really thought we’d fight?”
“But I almost shitted myself and was ready to shoot any second!”
“I thought there will be bloody fight!”
After the tension was resolved, Sua stands up from her seat and before leaving sets her hand on Siyeon’s shoulder and says:
“Imma head out now to my lady. Try not to get left out on the streets and freeze your arse off. I still need you, Siyeon.”
“I’ll try, Bora.” Siyeon nods with a sly smile while sipping from her large mug.
Like that Sua goes upstairs while Siyeon joins the other company of drunken pirates.
“Hey, grog blossoms!”
After spending the rest of the night with them while consuming immense amount of rum, Siyeon doesn’t remember how she ended up laying behind the bar building among trash and other emits.
She was only starting to go to the world of dreamland when someone stands before her blocking the lovely view of sea for Siyeon.
“Move, lady! You’re not transparent!” Siyeon complains with slurred tongue.
“Are you Lee Siyeon?”
“Who’s,” Siyeon hiccups. “speaking?”
“The person you should watch over, but as I see you can’t even watch over yourself.” Siyeon hears cold almost freezing tone of a stranger.
“Are you my conscience? Cause I didn’t invite you here.” Siyeon laughs at her own joke and at the end hiccups again.
“Whatever this is, I’m gonna request another companion tomorrow.” With that words tall woman in pompous dress walks away, but stops halfway when she encounters some drunken man on the way that is blubbering something to her.
Siyeon was already getting back to sleep, when she hears some disturbing talk nearby. She lifts her head to figure out what is happening and sees some drunken men trying to drag the previous woman.
”Oh, fucking hell, they are so noisy.” Siyeon curses under her breath, stands up on the third effort and walks towards them. Without any warning she takes out her pistol and with a surprising accuracy shoots the head of the bothering man. The already deceased man falls on the ground with a loud thud which deeply shocks the lady. She looks at Siyeon with widened eyes.
“What? He made so much noise it got on me nerves.” Siyeon shrugs off and goes back to the place she was laying previously.
After that night Minji didn’t request any other substitute for Siyeon.
Three days past during which two of them barely get used to each other as they constantly played the game of challenge and objects to each other. But still they worked out in attempts of surviving and several times helped each other.
Last night was of a cold one so it wasn’t a surprise for Siyeon when she found her companion just beside her, pressing closely towards her body. Minji was still asleep and peacefully sleeping.
Siyeon wanted to move and get up to go and look for the morning food, but she simply couldn’t as she was firmly hugged by Minji. Looking at the woman beside her, Siyeon just didn’t want to break her appeased sleep. So she had no choice other than to wait until brunette will be awake.
Despite the fact Siyeon didn’t like so much her guts, she had to admit Minji had divine beauty of a goddess. Her eyes flicked from long lashes of her puppy shaped eyes to her lips, especially to bottom plump lip. Siyeon wondered how soft would they felt to the touch and came to the conclusion that whoever Minji will end up with definitely will be lucky one to kiss those lips every single day.
While Siyeon was deeply in her thoughts she didn’t notice the way Minji’s eyes fluttered and then slowly opened.
“Didn’t you know that it is extremely rude to stare at the sleeping person?” Minji says with her raspy morning voice in a still sleepy tone.
“Well, I didn’t ask you to snuggle up to me at night.” Siyeon retorts averting her eyes away, but then she looks back and snorts nodding towards her hands. “And ye still are.”
Minji pulls away from her and sits up in order not to show the bright pink blush on her cheeks. She starts to stretch her arms and the rest of her body, arching her back.
Siyeon was just enjoying the view. When Minji turns around and notices that, she throws her blanket right at woman’s face.
“It’s time to get up, pirate.”
“Why aren’t you using a brush instead?” Siyeon asks her when Minji started another painting with a vine charcoal.
“By virtue of me wanting to give some shape to the trees,” Minji answers back while still being focused on the canvas and a view in front of her. “You do know something about art. Did anyone teach you?”
“My ex lover was a painter as well.” Siyeon shortly responds standing behind the woman.
“He must’ve been a lucky painter. Drawing curves like yours would be a satisfying thing to be occupied with.” Minji notes with honesty.
“He always would complain about my body.” Siyeon shrugs not believing her words. “Too skinny and masculine. But you know that’s what I am. For a pirate it’s a natural thing to be. So because of this words I left him.”
“Did you do it just like that?” Minji asks with surprise because for her any relationship could be through marriage, and even if not through ring on your finger and a title of a spouse, to get break that kind of relationship with man is quite difficult. Many men are persistent and controlling: the main reason Minji doesn’t like the idea of being bounded to them.
“I’m a pirate and I can’t stand any disrespect to my side from people, especially men. So, in that case, I just leave them,” Minji can hear the smirk in Siyeon’s voice. “If not without any injuries to their pride or other parts of their body.”
“So you can choose anyone to love and leave the moment you feel like it?” Minji asks with curiosity, turning around to look better at Siyeon.
“We’re free people and we live for our own good and,” For some reason, from those words Minji feels exciting shiver down her spine. “Pleasure.”
“But you can die in the end.”
“That’s the most exciting part of all this,” Siyeon chuckles. ”We can die any moment but at least without any regrets.”
“I reckon I got how it is now.” Minji says pensively thinking that this kind of lifestyle would barely fit her.
“Even your sister wanted to go on account and join our crew once.” Siyeon notes.
“Handong?” Minji asks with confusion.
“That’s right. She had an affair with our captain but in the end Sua and Handong’s views on a world didn’t match well as your sister had plans for keeping your family’s legacy and continue it.”
“I think you’re mistaking something,” Minji says in disbelief. “When even did she—“
“Two years ago.” Siyeon says rolling her eyes. “Have an idea when exactly at that time she did that?”
It takes several long moments for Minji to join the dots together.
“She did go to that trip for four months. So that was what she was doing there...”
“Yeah, though it’s pity to break it to you this way.” Siyeon says looking at painter’s upset expression. “Besides how do you think would Bora allow some princess like you to wander around on her ship freely? Only if one of the close to her people asked her. Though most of them are dead...”
“I need to talk to Handong the next time I see her.” Minji concludes while still trying to digest what she just heard from the pirate.
Spending time with Minji doesn’t seem like a torture for Siyeon anymore. Especially after they decided to get loose one night with bottles of rum from the case that was left out from the ship during the thunder. Both of them found common thing that most people loved to do: singing chanteys. Siyeon didn’t expect to have so much fun while singing folk songs with Minji.
to my aye rig a jig in a junting gun,
ho eh, ho ah, are you most done?
They were dancing around the fire which might be the most large one that Siyeon ever built. While feeling how liquor’s effect hit them in the head, they were laughing their lungs out and chasing after each other.
with eliza lee all on my knee,
clear away the track and let the bulgine run—
Minji stumbles on the rock on the way and before completely collapsing on the soft sand, grips on collar of Siyeon’s white baggy shirt with all her might making her to fall on top of her. Both of them grunt in discomfort. Siyeon lifts her head and was about to curse the other girl for her clumsiness but stops as she meets up with gazes with her. She smirks:
“Didn’t expect our singing would turn into me laying on top of you.”
“Get off of me,” Minji says stubbornly and tries to push her but doesn’t succeed in this as Siyeon presses her weight on her trying to catch her eyes. “What are doing?”
“Nothing.”
With those words Siyeon finally stands up from her. She walks away to get some air and sober up so that she wouldn’t commit more reckless things. Though she liked teasing the girl.
Minji was left there still laying and deep in thoughts. But soon her relaxed mind took over her and inclined her to sleep. She took the blanket from their stack of gathered over time things and covered in it beside the campfire that was providing her with some kind of warmth.
It happens several days later after their drunken night.
Siyeon wakes up to a grey cloudy sky expecting Minji to either be sleeping beside her or near her. For the past week and half she noticed that Minji never gets up first every morning. So usually before waking her up, Siyeon would go to the open shore and catch fish or haunt down several small animals in the depth of forest via her pistol and cutlass that she carries everywhere.
But all of those temporary routines die out the moment Siyeon doesn’t find Minji near her. There’s no one around.
So Siyeon gets up, looks around again, and decides to look for brunette down the shore. If she won’t find her there, then she has to be in the forest. But she was sure and at least convincing herself that it wasn’t something serious while walking.
Then all of her thoughts get cut by the sight of the floating body in the water. She runs towards the body that was upward with its back facing the malicious moody sky.
Without any thought to take off her wardrobe, she sinks into the water, immediately meeting with rough waves that push her back to ashore. But Siyeon tries and manages to reach to the body that was already moving away by strong waves. With an effort of not to go down to the depth, she rolls down the body and with a sting in her heart expects to see Minji’s pale face but instead sees unfamiliar one.
It was indeed woman, one of the reasons why Siyeon mistook her for Minji and, after multiple efforts to take all the water out of her lungs, she was still lifeless. It was too late for her. Siyeon sighs giving up to save a stranger, sitting up beside the dead body on the shore, all wet and cold from the chill blowing wind from the west. The only last things she could do in this situation to cover her lifeless eyes.
“Siyeon?” She hears after some time behind her. The timid calling of her name reminds Siyeon of the emotions that she’s been feeling and making them more mixed up. Because she was glad it wasn’t Minji that she found drowned, but it makes her disgusted at herself for being glad for someone else’s death. Siyeon tightly clenches her fists. “What was the cause of her demise?”
“And why the hell you decided it was alright to wander here alone?” Siyeon ignores the question and instead asks, almost growling in anger. “Are you that stupid?”
“What do you even mean? I just decided it was a good idea to look around during this weather. The sights here—“ Minji answers back, not getting the reason for her outrage.
“Fuck the sights!” Siyeon turns around, gets up on her feet, and approaches Minji with fierce steps. “You could’ve been in the shoes of this dead woman! And only god knows what happened to her. All because of your stupid aims to get memorable adventure!”
“They are not stupid. You just don’t understand,” In Minji’s eyes a light of realisation glistens that turns into dark shades. “But I do understand that you only getting freaked out because of the possibility of losing the price for all of this. I’m dead and no money for you, isn’t it right?”
“Of course,” Siyeon sneers darkly with the same hostility in the eyes and gets dangerously close to her. Although she was a bit shorter, she looked at Minji with a challenge and a coldness in her gaze. Her expression turned emotionless and at the same time mockingly surprised. “What do you even expect from me, a pirate? I just need to endure all of your bilge-sucking whims ensuring your safety and take the money. Nothing personal here, princess.”
“When we’ll get back on the ship, I’ll request another companion. The half of the money will be given. But for now, you’re free from your responsibilities.” Feeling almost unbearable betrayal in the chest, Minji grits though her teeth into Siyeon’s face. “So get out of my sight, pirate.”
“Another companion, she says...” Siyeon mumbles under her breath with frustration and holds the bottle of almost empty rum. “Like I care, for fuck’s sake!”
Then she throws the bottle to the sea expecting to get a negative satisfaction of that but she doesn’t receive anything instead getting upset more over her actions. She was walking and talking to her drunk self over an hour now. Her feet were counting the clumsy steps on the shore of the beach. Seagulls were flying around and squawking too loud and accusingly. The sky was still grey and hostile as if trying to punish Siyeon in her pirate misdeeds and actions towards Minji. Siyeon said a lot of unnecessary stuff that she shouldn’t have and she was realising them just now.
And due to the guilt and pain in her chest because of the words that Minji spat back at her, Siyeon was standing and contemplating while she looks at the aggressive waves in front of her. She was replaying the face of that dead woman that she couldn’t save. She was so guilty of everything that she’s ever done to the point she despised herself.
With cloudy thoughts just like the same sky, Siyeon heads towards the waters that were welcoming her. Perhaps the only place she’s like at home is the sea...
A whole day passed since their quarrel and Minji hoped everything would be settled, that she would see Siyeon’s face sooner but it didn’t happen. Siyeon didn’t showed up once and it worried Minji. Even at the start of the day the qualms were boiling in her but she dismissed them due to the still upset feeling within her. Minji thought she started to bond with Siyeon and seeing her good qualities as a person but all of these, as the the pirate herself said, were delusional to Minji.
So because of this resentment, Minji decided do something more different from the routine and find something useful in the forest.
This forest was quite different from usual jungle that Minji saw on the way here. This one was severe and unwelcoming, though there weren’t any life-threatening habitats nearby. But something about this place thrilled Minji. She didn’t know in what way as she kind of liked this extinct dark atmosphere of the place especially for the past days.
In the middle of the forest, on the borderline of starting hills, she found one cave and spent all day on exploring and making it a bit more convenient to tonight’s shelter after making sure it was safe to stay here. Minji was aimed to spend some time without Siyeon as her pride doesn’t let check on the pirate.
When she was done with carrying most of her belongings there, worry in her chest didn’t appease and instead grew extensively.
So she went back to the place where she previously spotted Siyeon with a dead body. Of course, she instantly didn’t find the pirate. So she started walking along the shore.
Of all places, she didn’t expect to spot the pirate unconscious while the waves were trying to pull her in to the waters of the sea.
“Dear god...”
Minji reached her in a matters of seconds, pulled her away from the waves to the drier sand. With trembling hand she pressed the vane on Siyeon’s cold neck and was a bit relieved at the weakly beating pulse. But the way Siyeon’s body was cold concerned Minji a lot.
Without any further contemplating, Minji puts Siyeon’s limbs on her shoulder from the back, lifts her up and bents a bit for the pirate not to fall. She heads to the depth of forest as it was already getting dark.
The first thing Siyeon thinks about when she with a lot of effort wakes up to a dim surroundings is that she was freezing. Her whole body started trembling under the thick layers of blankets.
“You’re awake?” Siyeon hears familiar voice from the other side of the little campfire. She distinguishes it as Minji’s soft voice.
Siyeon wants to answer but it’s so dry in her throat that the only thing she could let out is throat cutting coughs.
After coughing out what felt like her whole soul, Siyeon still feels extreme dryness in her throat.
“Oh, here. You must be thirsty.” Minji says while holding wooden cup that Siyeon carved. While looking at how Siyeon greedily was drinking water from the cup that Minji’s holding, painter realises that all of the conveniences that she took for granted were from Siyeon’s hands. A memory of their talk appears in her head out of nowhere:
“From where you learnt carving dishes?” Minji asked the first time she sees how Siyeon was cutting the edges of a wood.
“I told you already that I was left out and marooned even on deserted islands alone several times, right? Now guess the other stuff yourself.” Siyeon answers while being focused on the wood that was already gaining a shape.
”Well, impressive.” Minji hums in response not even thinking about the fact Siyeon was doing it for her. Eventually she didn’t show her gratitude in a bit...
And now Siyeon was in a condition not being able to even hold a cup which made Minji feel guilty for being oblivious and ungrateful all this time. Seeing how big drops of sweat was appearing on her forehead from the immense heat that was coming from her body, Minji felt so sorry for being stubborn self and refusing to check on her just once a lot earlier.
After Siyeon was done drinking, Minji takes a towel, wipes sweat from her forehead and neck, and dips it to the bowl of cold water. Then she puts it on her forehead to break the fever down.
Minji was doing this all evening and the heat still was present which worried her with every passing second. Her shoulders trembled. She felt so useless that she couldn’t contain her quiet sobs.
“Minji?” Siyeon weakly calls out.
“Siyeon?” Minji looks up not expecting the response but stands up from her place in instant to approach Siyeon. She sniffs and hastily wipes her tears away so that Siyeon couldn’t see. “What is it?”
“I’m freezing.” The words were said weakly and barely audibly but Minji heard her. “It’s so cold here.”
“Alright, then let me lay down beside you,” Minji says while taking off her clothes as she has learnt from the books about surviving that naked bodies give more warmth. After taking off her last piece of wardrobe, she scoots over to Siyeon under several layers of blanket. Previously she took off all the damp cold clothes from the ill pirate. She tightly presses her body against Siyeon’s exposed one, feeling abnormal heat from her skin which she hoped will reduce over time. “How is it now?”
“It’s... getting warmer.” Siyeon responds quietly.
“Good. Rest more, Siyeon, and I’ll watch over you.” Minji says and buries her face into the crook of Siyeon’s neck.
While Siyeon was panting restlessly all night, Minji couldn’t sleep because of the fear of waking up alone next morning. She snuggles up tightly to her body in a hope of giving the needed warmth to Siyeon and in a prayer that Siyeon will be alright...
The moment Minji sees that the fever is finally gone, she sighs with a relief and tries not to sob again as her eyes were all puffy from previously crying and worrying without rest all night long. She was still nude, but she was also so worn out to get up and put on her clothes. Instead she just closes her eyes and rests her head comfortably on her elbow. She falls asleep early afternoon with the light rays of sun that creep in the cave.
Next time she wakes up, the surroundings are dark, only lighten up with the fire that someone built. At first Minji with furrowed eyebrows tries to adjust and remember the recent events. The moment she remembers, she gets up in an instant.
“Hey, Minji.” She hears behind her.
“Siyeon, you’re alright.” Minji says with relief in her tone.
“Aye, all good here,” She answers with a cheerful voice and takes several steps towards the fire. She flips the meat of the animals that Minji couldn’t distinguish that’s hangs upon fire. “Dress up and come down here. I’ve prepared some meal here.”
Minji looks for her wardrobe and finds them beside herself. While holding them she bites her lip and asks Siyeon:
“Could you turn around so I could put my clothes on?”
“Minji, we slept together while being naked.” Siyeon remarks and raises her eyebrow. “I already saw you. What’s the point of hiding something that I already saw. Besides there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Fine.” Minji says with pursed lips and gets up. She starts putting pieces of wardrobe on, trying not to meet up with pirate’s gaze. She feels blush creeping out on her cheeks but in the end manages to dress up. Besides she notices Siyeon wasn’t even looking as she was focused on the meal all this time.
Suddenly Siyeon sneezes.
“Bless—“ Minji gets cut out as Siyeon sneezes again and again. She rubs her nose and sniffs. “Bless you...”
“Ah, it’s because of the hangover. Can’t believe I let my drunkard arse to drink all day,” Siyeon says while offering the piece of meat to the girl. “It will be fine soon.”
“How’s your head?” Minji asks while biting off quite rough piece of meat of the bone.
“Still dizzy but now it’s bearable.”
They eat in silence, each of them in their own thoughts. Minji was hesitating on starting the conversation again as there were some qualms in her and yet present guilt.
“I apologise for my outburst the other day. I acted quite ungrateful and rude as if my comfort was included in your duties as a companion. Guess you’re more than your title tells and I’m grateful for the fact that you chose to share your experience with me on surviving in these kind of situations and places.”
Some time Siyeon still chews processing the said words and thinking. She looks up with a small smile.
“I should admit I acted shitty too. Guess you’re more than your title tells too.”
“I’m delighted to hear it.” Minji returns the smile.
“Remember when you told about my sister and the captain’s affair?” Minji later that day asks when they were gathering some berries among the bushes beside the cave. The forest was different from other jungles with the presence of low growing berries or other types of plants instead of tall palms.
“Aye,” Siyeon confirms humming while tearing off the berries and putting them in the bag made of fabric. “What about it?”
“It doesn’t make sense to me. They are both women. I mean how even—“
“They are both women and were in love with each other. Where’s the problem?” Siyeon says with apparent confusion in her voice. “We don’t choose who we love and I don’t know about you and the people like you, but we, pirates, have a freedom to love anyone we want. Guess Handong wanted to go on account and join us because of that.”
Minji didn’t say anything more as she was now digesting the said words and contemplating. She was in deep thoughts until the rest of the day.
“Are you gonna sleep here?” Siyeon asks when she sees Minji’s joining her.
“Yes,” Minji says, for a moment gets unacceptably close and puts her hand on Siyeon’s forehead. “You’re still ill and you need additional source of warmth to keep your body temperature stable. Optimal option would be the heat of the other body.”
“I was in a worse situations. There’s no need for all this shit but if you really want to share your body’s warmth with me, go ahead.” Siyeon shrugs and settles comfortably beside the girl.
“I can’t believe you turned everything in that kind of context.” Minji says while staying on the place. She rests her head on her arm and closes her eyes trying to sleep guessing Siyeon is starting dozing off. So to not torture herself with questions, she instead asks:
“Have you ever been with a woman?”
“Yes.” Siyeon simply answers without any teasing which surprises Minji a little.
“How did it feel, being with a woman?” Minji further asks.
“Why ye asking?”
“Because...” Minji hesitates to respond but nevertheless does it. “I think I have attraction to them as I enjoy drawing more of women’s body rather than men’s one. I’m not stating that I had many opportunities to draw men but I was content with how it was.”
“That sounds interesting,” Siyeon hums. “But it might be different from kissing and fucking them.”
“I—“ Minji feels sudden heat on her cheeks from pirate’s words. “Please, can you express yourself more humbly?”
“You know I can’t,” Siyeon giggles. “Bare with it, mate.”
“Alright...” The sigh that Minji lets out is quite of a displeased as she thinks that conversation with only pirate degrading her own speech. “Is there a difference from sleeping with men?”
“You don’t sound like a person who’ll be fucking after the marriage,” Siyeon continues her teasing and for the first time Minji has a strong urge to slap the annoying grin off of her face. Apparently her frustration was written on her own face as the pirate quickly attempts to make an apology. “Fine, I got that. Let me answer your question. Well, laying with women is rather longer and brings more pleasure. I love dominating and, god, some women are so submissive but playful enough to switch. A lot of playing around is fun too.”
Because of the internal permission to herself to imagine the said words, Minji feels exciting feeling within herself. She bites her lip to restrain herself from trying it as she realises that right at this moment she is laying with a woman.
“So are you satisfied?” Siyeon asks when she doesn’t get the response from the girl beside her.
“No,” Minji lets out with a shaky sigh but hastily corrects herself and nods repeatedly. “I mean, yes, much obliged with your answer.”
“Alright,” Siyeon asks and yawns feeling how the fatigue is taking over her body. “Good night then.”
“Good night...”
The moment Minji finally realised she was attracted to women, more exactly to a woman, she was laying beside Siyeon on a beach covered with bright rays of afternoon sun and drawing in her sketchbook. She was pretending to sketch the sight before them, but in reality she was giving shape to a delicate face on the page with a vine charcoal. While giving brief glares to her side where Siyeon was laying and telling her stories about her risky and exciting incidents she was in in the past, Minji was wondering when did they get to the point of being able to make a free from hostility conversations. Minji felt like she was in a dream.
“—and if Bora wouldn’t held me in time, I’d be dead by now! Still give me chills when I recall it.” Siyeon ends her story while shaking her head.
“Your stories sound engaging.”
“Aye, until you are yourself in them.” Siyeon retorts with a chuckle. “That’s when it gets ironic.”
Minji returns the same chuckle and after that falls in the content silence. At this moment Minji has a sudden desire to get close and do the thing she’s been contemplating about for the past few days. So without any further thoughts, she does it: moves closer and looks at her welcoming lips. She wants to lean in but gets stopped by Siyeon’s exclaim:
“Is that a ship down there?”
Siyeon wasn’t wrong when she distinguished the far silhouette of a upcoming ship. Luckily, it was Sua’s ship which meant she finally found them and they were saved from dying out on the island. The only thing was that Minji wasn’t pleased with interference to their almost sacred moment. But in the end she coped with it, distancing herself from Siyeon as she’s got to the conclusion that her feelings were delusional due to the long time dwell in an isolated island with only one person. Her feelings were just a outcome of this effect.
However she still kept the little sketch with her. When she had an alone time in her chambers, she would take out this page and look at this for immeasurable amount of time. That times she had urge to visit Siyeon who was just a few rooms away. Eventually she would stop herself from doing it.
“You’re new here? Never seen you before.” Siyeon remarks while leaning on hull’s inner side when stranger sits down beside her. All other pirates on the ship were occupied with their duties and Siyeon for some reason wasn’t recognising a dark haired tall girl with a quite youthful face.
“Yup, my name’s Yoohyeon,” The girl says and stretches her hand to handshake that she doesn’t get as Siyeon just stares at her. “For some reason, captain needs me for a very important reason so I’m here.”
“Important reason, you say?” Siyeon again asks with furrowed eyebrows and when she receives a nod, the crease between her brows deepens. “What kind of reason?”
“I have no idea, honestly.”
“How old ye again?” Siyeon demands with growing suspicion.
“Seventeen.” Yoohyeon answers simply and tilts her head to the side not getting why she asked this question.
“Bora, I swear to god, I’m gonna kick your perverted arse, if you’ll say that the new girl is your another toy to play with,” Sua could hear the apparent threat in Siyeon’s tone when pirate came in with knocking out the door of captain’s cabin. “She’s a fucking child.”
“That’s the point!” Sua accents on the last words. “She’s the youngest daughter of that bastard who took Gahyeon from me. Other my people are in captive too, but there are nothing I can do with it but I’ll get my sister back and ye gonna help me with it. Exchange will be held.”
“I didn’t know Gahyeon was captured too,” Siyeon trails off. “Sorry for mistaking the situation.”
“I can’t blame you,” Sua says while sitting back on her chair. “That girl is totally in my taste but she has a long tongue which got on my nerves so much that I let her walk around freely on the deck.”
“Yeah, I noticed that.” Siyeon agrees, recalling the way Yoohyeon was garrulous with her. “Well, I guess Imma head back to upstairs.”
“Wait, Siyeon, there’s one more thing,” Sua says and places her sharp chin on outer side of her hand while closely looking at her. “How was the two weeks spent with our lady Minji?”
“It was fine. We argued several times,” Siyeon says undermining the last words. “But overall fine and bearable.”
“What kind of thing you did to change her behaviour so much?”
“What do you mean?” Siyeon narrows her eyes in confusion.
“You still watch over her, right?” The curiosity in Sua’s voice was surprising Siyeon. “You probably noticed how she talks less and keeps her distance. Why?”
“Maybe the close touch with nature made her eccentric arse realise something.” Siyeon shrugs her shoulders and answers with sarcastic tone. “How the hell I know even?”
“Alright, you can go now, mate.”
“Do you like her?” Yoohyeon asks when she caught the way Siyeon keeps sending glances at Minji’s side. “She doesn’t look like a pirate though.”
“Cause she’s not,” Siyeon answers and turns to the girl who for some reason became her tail that follows her around. “And I don’t like her. It’s just that I should watch over her.”
“Like a guard? Or defender?” Yoohyeon asks making Siyeon wonder of what kind of fairy tails she has read in her seventeen years of life. “Or perhaps as a lover?”
“Companion.” Siyeon presses on her word as she didn’t like the last assumption. She tuts her tongue at the younger girl. “Don’t assume so boldly, kid. You can get in trouble with that long tongue of yours.”
“That’s right.” Behind them someone’s feminine voice agrees. As they turned around, it was Sua who walked towards them.
“Ugh, that hag again.” Siyeon raises her brow on Yoohyeon displeased groan. “Hey!”
“Who did ye call a hag, ah?” Sua ruffles Yoohyeon’s already fluffy hair too roughly which makes the younger girl to whine. Siyeon snorts at the sight, slightly surprised at captain’s lighter than usual mood. When Sua caught that, she addresses Siyeon. “You, go to Minji and bring her to my cabin. Yubin will be there too. Need to discuss something important.”
“Aye, aye,” Siyeon obeys and heads towards the painter who’s occupied with scratching her sketchbook with charcoal. While approaching Minji, Siyeon suddenly realises that they didn’t even exchange a word since getting back on the ship. This makes Siyeon to recall Sua’s previous words about Minji’s recent odd behaviour as before she was rather talkative in a casual way. When pirate reaches Minji, the busy painter doesn’t notice her presence. Siyeon clears her throat and slightly roughly calls. “Yah!”
Minji immediately looks up with round startled eyes and visibly gulps. Siyeon wonders since when her puppy shaped eyes started resembling their nature.
“Sua’s calling you to attend to a meeting right now.”
“Alright,” Minji simply agrees. “Just let me gather my things. It will take literally seconds.”
“I’m waiting,” Siyeon nods and keeps standing there and looking around while the other girl puts her belongings into her bag. She stays still until her gaze catch a glimpse of a page on which Minji was working on. “Is that me?”
“Um, yes.” Minji trails off with awkward tone. She lets the pirate to take the sketchbook from her hands and look closely at it. Her heart was doing flips while she was expecting scolding from the pirate for drawing her without consent. But instead Siyeon notes with a calm voice. “I’m too pretty here. It’s not realistic.”
“But that’s how I see you and I think it matches pretty well.” Minji objects with yet timid tone feeling how blush blossoms on her cheeks.
“Whatever,” Siyeon says and hands back the book for sketching. “We better get going or Sua will make us walk the plank.”
As it was decided by the captain in the discussion several days before, Siyeon was supposed to keep guarding Minji and accompany her to the home land, Magnolia Island, as the period of a deal was almost finished. When they will get there Handong will reward the pirate with needed price.
For the past days Siyeon, for her own surprise, talked with Minji a lot as if the previous long pauses didn’t exist at all. Nevertheless, Siyeon had to admit that she was enjoying the company of Minji to the point she felt flutter in her heart sometimes.
“I hope the exchange will be successful and Sua will manage to return her sister.” Minji says with hope when they were already on the island and walking towards the castle where Handong probably was waiting for them. “Pity, we can’t be there at the moment. I’d like to see how everything would escalate.”
“Yeah, it is,” Siyeon chuckles, sparing a quick glance at Minji. “Well, also the things could turn out only in two ways: the exchange is done successfully, or something happened and there might be a massive fight. The second one is more likely to happen.”
“Don’t say that,” Minji says with gasp. “If there will be a fight, you may lose your crew members.”
“Why you care? It’s not like you have important for you people there,” Siyeon responds with dismissive tone.
“Well, I somehow got used to the company at the ship. I’d even say, bonded to some people there.” Minji says with honesty while internally recalling the times she enjoyed spending with members of the crew for the past week. Especially with one particular pirate.
Siyeon wants to respond to that but instead looks up at her front and realises they have already arrived.
“Well, we’re finally here.”
They only had to enter through the massive doors of the castle where a month before Minji lived the life of a noble lady who sometimes enjoyed art. Handong would meet them and reward the pirate inside the castle. After this Minji probably wouldn’t see Siyeon again as she’s going to fulfil her duties while Siyeon will go on living a life of a free pirate. There likely won’t be any reasons for them to meet again. They might become just strangers and empty memories for each other.
“Siyeon,” Minji stops the pirate by the hem of her sleeve. Siyeon who was about to knock on the door turns around with a question in her eyes. “We need to talk.”
“Something’s wrong?”
“Yes.” Minji nods. “I need to tell you something very important before we come in.”
“Before I will tell you I want to ask: do you regret anything about this journey and the time that you spent with me?” Minji asks in the backyard garden. Painter loved spending her time in here and devoting her spare minutes to the drawing because this place has some kind of appeasing atmosphere that would always calm Minji. She hoped the flourishing trees and other plants will give her the same feeling this time too.
“I never regret anything,” Siyeon says with a confident grin in her voice. “You?”
“I reckon in some way I do,” Minji answers. “Because I fell in the trap that I think I cannot get out.”
“What is it?” Siyeon asks with genuine curiosity, getting intrigued by sudden lyrical claims of the woman.
Minji contemplates on whether to tell her or just make a joke instead. One part of her wanted to say it out loud, just let out everything that she’s been feeling, and get a relief in her already longing soul from that. But the other more apprehensive and sensible side warned her that her desires will ruin her life and everything she supposed to value.
“What kind of trap you’re talking about? Is it a spell of a witch we met on the way here or something alike?”
“It is you,” Minji simply confesses and expects something similar to the scoff but instead gets the expecting look in Siyeon’s eyes. So she continues talking while feeling a little lamb in her throat from the nervousness and how her voice gives a tremble for a moment. “You’re really a pirate, Siyeon. You rob all the time and this time you managed to steal my heart, do you know that? Your recklessness and bravery inspires me. While looking at you I want to do the same: be myself and enjoy life to the fullest. Love you and paint every feature of your face and body. You’re so breathtaking you don’t even know how it effects my heart.”
Siyeon didn’t know she was holding her breath until she hears the silence that settles after Minji’s confession. She gulps loudly and approaches the taller girl:
“So you don’t want to return to your home?”
“I-I don’t know. I’m just so confused and scared—“ Minji trails off and takes a pause to gather herself up. To some extent she manages to do it. “All of this came to me in such an unexpected way. But it’s definitely there, a desire to give up all my duties so that I could purchase a life that could give me a freedom of expression myself and loving whoever I want. But I’m so scared of the possibility of me making a mistake that I won’t be able to fix once it’s done. I just need to know that I’m actually doing what’s best for my heart and it’s mutual—“
Siyeon interrupts her by cupping her face and leaning in to capture her lips in a deep slow kiss. Minji’s breath hitches and a moment after realising what was happening, she immediately reciprocates the kiss allowing Siyeon to slide her tongue in her mouth while pulling her closer by the waist. With a thump pirate gently wipes the drop of tear that was about to fall from corners of Minji’s eyes.
At that moment Minji felt so cosy in the arms of Siyeon who pressed her against the tree that she might’ve painted hundreds times since she’s remembered herself. She didn’t expected that kissing Siyeon would be so heart-warming and calming like those campfires that Siyeon built on that island. Minji smiled to the kiss because it might be the first time she felt the happiest and welcomed. All of this felt so right.
“I hope this speaks up for my feelings,” Siyeon says with a smile and out of breath, after breaking the kiss. But pirate didn’t pull away and was still pining her against the tree with her body. “I can’t promise you everything will be smooth as you might imagine if you join our crew, but if you’re hesitating just because you’re not sure if it’s mutual and whether I’ll be by your side, listen here, Minji. The things I feel towards you are new for myself too and I’m kind of even intimidated by the amount of them. I feel like my feelings for you are immense just like the ocean. And I think I can do anything for you to be just in good mood. Insane, right?”
Minji chuckles along with Siyeon. She softly cups her face in her hands looking at her with so much affection in the eyes.
“I don’t want you to get married to that man and I want you only for myself. This might be selfish but I do want you, Minji.” Siyeon says and puts Minji’s messed up lock of hair behind her ear. Internally she notes the softness of them. “All of this don’t feel real.”
“Honestly, for me too.” Minji chuckles again. “But I know something that could feel real.”
Without any further words Minji pulls her back for a kiss. While feeling the tenderness of Siyeon’s lips, Minji smiles happily into the kiss and presses closer to her body.
“And where she’s at?” Sua asks, while tapping her foot impatiently. Just yesterday she was met by Siyeon who announced that they have new crew member with the stupidest smile on her face and the blush on her cheeks. For a moment Sua thought she was drunk but sooner she realised Siyeon was just genuinely happy, despite how unusual two things were sounding together. By her smile she instantly figured who would be the new crew mate. “Lord, I should start making scallywags to walk the plank for their tardiness.”
“Bora, she will be here in a moment.” Siyeon answers with a calm voice. She knew it was inconvenient for their captain to wait for just one person, but also Siyeon started getting worried a bit. She was wondering how the conversation with Handong went. She was sure it wasn’t easy for Minji herself so Siyeon internally made a note to come up with something that would brighten up her mood later. She instantly smiled at this antic of herself and shakes her head. She’s already so whipped for this woman.
Previously the exchange didn’t succeed as the other captain decided to attack them without warning so there have been a fight. Siyeon wished to be there so that she could make the captain pay for his misdeeds that he caused to the crew. However, luckily Sua managed to return Gahyeon back and there wasn’t so much loss, rather additions as Yoohyeon decided to stick with them.
When Siyeon turns her gaze back foreword, she literally loses her speech as her eyes land on the walking towards them Minji who was in a pirate wardrobe as if the clothes were meant for her. The dark coloured tight breeches made her legs look longer and the white baggy shirt with a leather vest upon it made her waist look strong yet attractive. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbow and one of her arms was resting on a the holster. Her black buckle boots that were reaching almost to her knees were making confident yet steady steps on surface of the dock.
“Finally!” Sua exclaims, lowers her black wide brimmed hat a bit to the side and nods addressing the new comer. “Welcome to the crew, Minji.”
With that words she turns around and heads to the ship on the ramp.
“How do I look?” Minji asks and briefly touches her black hat.
Siyeon approaches her and pulls her closer by her belt.
“You look handsome. I like it.” Siyeon says and bites her bottom lip at the sight of several muscles flexing on Minji’s neck. “Now I’m curious how will you show yourself in fighting.”
“I can demonstrate it tonight.” Minji flirts back with a grin and quickly leans in to peck her in the lips. When she wanted to pull away, Siyeon doesn’t let her and draws her back by the collar of her shirt. This time the kiss is longer and more passionate which knocks out the air from their lungs. When Minji wants to deepen kiss herself, Siyeon pulls away and breaks it with a mischievous grin.
“We have to go, pirate.” Siyeon says with a scolding yet playful tone and leads her towards the ship while holding her hand. Minji just chuckles at that and follows her love with a fluttering heart as she realises that the new future waits for her in that ship.