Chapter Text
Seungjun rubbed his eyes, hoping to make them less sticky as they tried to open. The last thing he remembered was the sun coming up and ignoring that for some well-deserved sleep. After having done one shift at the helm, he couldn’t stay awake any longer and found the quickest route to his bed. It was tempting to turn around again and muddy his ideas of reality and dreams further but when he moved within his hammock, it felt strangely light. Something was missing, but having woken up from such a deep sleep made him unable to reach any of his memories. All he knew was to do the same thing he had done every morning and simply called out: “MK?”
A short and low, “Hm?” came from beneath him and Seungjun jerked to look at the sudden downstairs neighbour. Unfortunately, that movement gave him enough forward momentum to turn his bed around and the wooden interior of the ship flashed before his eyes as he fell. Loud, boisterous laughter echoed while Seungjun squirmed through the sting in his left hip and shoulder.
“Are you alright?”
Seungjun looked up again and everything finally made sense. Of course Minkyun was no longer perched above him, he no longer had the stature to do that.
“I’m fine,” Seungjun grumbled and rubbed his sore spots.
Meanwhile, Minkyun stretched himself and clumsily got out of his hammock. His movements were large and often misplaced, as if his old body felt foreign. One foot made it out of the cotton cocoon, but the other wasn't lifted high enough and tripped him up. To avoid setting his next step atop Seungjun, Minkyun hopscotched briefly but stayed standing with his arms extended out for balance.
Seungjun let out an amused breath. “Good morning for the both of us, I see.”
“I have more of an excuse,” Minkyun argued and walked over, offering his hand, which was taken gladly.
Finally standing up properly, it wasn't just the sore spots that hurt. Climbing through an ancient building and sprinting for dear life had taken its toll and Seungjun felt every movement pinch his joints.
“I'm not going to do anything today,” Seungjun concluded.
“I don't think Jaeyoung has planned anything anyway,” Minkyun responded to the note-to-self.
“Good. Let's go find something to eat, then.”
Minkyun walked out in front and Seungjun still couldn't place his feelings about the change. He'd finally gotten used to Minkyun's voice and the idea of him being more human than bird, but seeing the full shape of that idea created a dissonance too deep for an early morning. It was like seeing an old friend while looking at a stranger; giving a similar feeling to almost recognising someone on the other side of the street but never being sure.
After getting up the stairs, the salty scent of the ocean greeted them on deck and Jaeyoung waved from behind the helm. His neighbour, Yuto, looked up from his book to give an acknowledging nod to the duo before they continued to the kitchen, where Changyun seemed to be sorting out a very little amount of rations.
“Good morning,” Seungjun greeted but couldn't pull the cook out of his concentration.
“Hello?” he retried and threw a glance Minkyun's way, who simply shrugged and proceeded to creep up on Changyun with a wide grin on his face. Like sand in the wind, Minkyun's footsteps could barely be heard and he got behind Changyun without a single slat letting out a creak. He leaned into Changyun's space.
“What are you—”
A high scream cut Minkyun off and a wooden spoon was flung through the air, making Minkyun duck down. Not instantly recognising the person behind him, Changyun jumped to the left and grabbed his butcher's knife from the wall.
“Changyun!” Seungjun almost shouted and put his hands forward. “It's just Minkyun.”
After taking a beat to realise, Changyun lowered his weapon and clutched at his heart. “Oh, Minkyun,” he huffed. “You shouldn't scare me like that.”
“Clearly,” Minkyun quipped. “Didn't think it would nearly cost me my head.” He picked the wooden spoon up from the floor and stuck it out to its owner.
Innocently, Changyun opened his hand to take the object, but it was pulled from his reach quickly.
Minkyun smiled with an arched brow. “How about you make us a good breakfast and then you can have this back.”
“What?”
“You threw it at me, so that makes it mine,” Minkyun explained, his expression not giving away if he even believed that reasoning or not. “I'll give it back for some good food.”
With a roll of his eyes, Seungjun walked over and ripped the bribing object from Minkyun's hand, quickly handing it back to Changyun. “He's our cook, Minkyun. Why are you making a deal?”
Again, Minkyun shrugged. “'Cuz it's fun.”
“Not really if the one you're bribing is employed to do the thing you're demanding,” Seungjun hummed. “Anyway, Changyun, what can we eat?”
“We don't have a whole lot anymore,” he admitted. “Jaeyoung is beelining us to a harbour but I still want to be careful with emptying everything out, especially with a new passenger.”
Minkyun huffed and sat at the table. “I've always been a passenger.”
“You know what I mean,” Changyun answered. “So just stick to dried meat and some of the fruits we got.”
Said things were quickly retrieved from their place but Seungjun didn't want to sit down quite yet.
Taking a bite from a weirdly textured pear and withstanding the slightly sour aftertaste, Seungjun put an elbow on the kitchen counter. “And what were you so fixated on just now?”
“Trying to redo my bandages.” Changyun got a few white strings off the ground that had dropped during his self-defence.
“Oh, how is your scratch?” Seungjun asked and simultaneously offered to tie the bandages.
“Fine,” was the answer and it seemed fitting. There was no blood or rough bruising, so Seungjun made quick work of the treatment.
Nodding to something on the counter, he continued. “I doubt you need your big book to tie bandages.”
Changyun looked at the comically large book that laid open alongside a couple of mushrooms, and sighed, “I was also trying to find what kind these are.” He gestured to the strewn hoods, none of which Seungjun could place either. Some had blue striped, or green undersides. A couple were cut into and the inside bubbled a musky liquid.
Minkyun, who had wandered over again out of curiosity, wrinkled the bridge of his nose at the unappetising shrooms. “They all look off... Maybe Yuto knows,” he suggested.
“Probably,” Changyun agreed, “but I didn't want to bother him yet. We've all just barely escaped death, I think we all want to have a calm afternoon.”
“I don't think Yuto feels that way,” Minkyun chuckled and popped a grape between his teeth. “I doubt he recognises death even if it pulled that stick out of his ass. So just go ask him before you put these things in a stew.”
Another sigh. “You're right…” Dejectedly, Changyun left the kitchen.
Minkyun tilted his head and the unbrushed black locks fell to the side, making the dark grey horns more apparent. “And what are we going to do?” he asked and Seungjun blinked twice to stop his studying.
“Not much, like I said.”
As Changyun left, Seungjun and Minkyun finished their scrambled-together breakfast and lounged around the kitchen in silence. Minkyun kept fiddling with his fingers, rubbing the ash coloured skin as if he had missed it dearly. Letting him be, Seungjun searched the drawers for Jaeyoung’s tools. Finding a spot on deck, Seungjun spent a good hour sharpening his knife and polishing his gun, cleaning out the dirt and dust from every crevice and getting it to reflect the rays of the early morning sun again.
“Need some help?” Minkyun asked, briefly acting as a sunscreen so Seungjun could look up.
“Not really,” Seungjun answered. “I'm almost done.”
“Anything else I can do, then?”
“I don’t think so, just relax and sit down.”
Minkyun sighed. “I finally have my limbs back, I kind of want to use them,” he admitted and it got him a short laugh in return.
“Fair enough.” After another quick check of his weapons, Seungjun got up. “Let’s go ask Jaeyoung what we’re doing next.”
It wasn’t a question Seungjun looked forward to asking. He could already sense that they were travelling to civilization again. There was no anticipation aboard, no one was guessing what excitement their next day could bring. The waters around them were safe and the horizon wasn't hiding their destination anymore. Mountaintops were already forming atop the waves, ones fully explored and tamed. He didn’t want their journey to be put on hold quite yet.
As he walked the stairs to the quarter deck, Minkyun followed closely.
“So, Jaeyoung,” Seungjun hummed to the one behind the helm. “Where are we going next?”
“To stock up.” Jaeyoung had repeated that as the only response to any suggestion of a new destination. Stock up first, kept being the argument against any plan. It felt like a cop-out and Jaeyoung clearly tried to shut down the conversation with it.
“I know that, but I’m wondering what we’re doing after.”
With soft words, Jaeyoung sounded dejected. “I don’t know.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” He shrugged. “I just haven’t thought about it.”
“Alright,” Seungjun answered in a mellow tone. Something didn’t sit right with him but Jaeyoung wasn’t giving much to work with.
Granted the opportunity by the silence, Minkyun asked the next question with scanning eyes. “Where are we going next?”
“To stock up,” Jaeyoung echoed.
“Where?”
“An island close by.”
Minkyun lifted a brow in suspicion as he clearly knew something more. “We’ve already passed the closest island for that.”
After a millisecond of a glare, Jaeyoung lightened his expression and laughed sheepishly. “D-Did we? I must’ve missed it.”
“If you want to catch the next one,” Minkyun grabbed a compass from his pocket and studied it. “You should be heading east about now,” he smirked. A graceful throw got the familiar object back to Jaeyoung, who instantly patted his pockets.
“When did you get my compass?!”
“A bit ago,” Minkyun laughed and crossed his arms. “Now answer me again, where are we going?”
Finally, Jaeyoung's shoulders dropped in defeat and he sighed, “Dragon’s Spine.”
That was the last place Seungjun expected to go to. Dragon’s Spine, Yuto’s home island. It was where this started. Where they got this ship and finally began the adventure Seungjun had wished to be on. Did they really have to go back so soon?
“I thought so,” Minkyun shook his head and caused Jaeyoung to start biting his words.
“And what about it?”
“That depends,” Seungjun jumped in before Minkyun could fan the flames. “Why are we going there?”
The answer was said so simply. “We finished our commission, did we not?”
There was no denying that. But he hadn’t thought their paths would diverge. It wasn’t making sense.
“Did Yuto ask to be sailed back?”
“He did.”
Two words. That clearly wasn’t the whole story so Seungjun attempted to dig. “And you agreed?” he asked but it wasn’t appreciated.
“Look,” Jaeyoung sighed, clearly annoyed, “I’m just doing what our client asked, what reason do I have to disagree?”
Seungjun gritted his teeth. “You—”
“Can we stop talking about this?” With a blank stare, Jaeyoung forced an end to their conversation. “We’re arriving in Dragon’s Spine soon, get the ship ready.”
Frustration coursed through Seungjun while he walked over the deck to check the ropes and place them where they should be. What had happened in the days they took it easy? When was this decision made? Why was Jaeyoung so apathetic towards it? It was a mask—that much Seungjun knew—but why was he so vague about it?
Minkyun, who had been tailing him, tried to pull him out of his thoughts. “You’re going to break one of the slats soon if you keep stomping like that.”
“I just don’t get it.”
“What?”
“Why are we bringing Yuto back?”
Minkyun shrugged and followed along to the main mast. “Maybe Yuto really does want to be brought back.”
“I don’t believe that.” Seungjun gripped the metal ladder tighter than his skin preferred him to.
“Maybe we should ask him first?” Minkyun suggested. “I’m sure I can bluff my way through that conversation too.”
“Bluff?”
“Did you really believe that we have just passed an island perfect for stocking up?”
“I don’t know,” Seungjun grumbled, “you sounded pretty confident.”
“And that's the key to bluffing,” Minkyun smiled.
Atop the mast, Seungjun instantly felt the wind wash a part of his anger away. The spiky silhouette of Dragon’s Spine was coming into view and he let out a breath. Holding on to one of the ropes above him Seungjun hung back to watch the sky. Next to him, Minkyun looked less confident in his abilities and kept a hand on the mast, trying not to look down.
“There isn’t much we can do if Yuto asked for this,” he said, but it still didn’t sound logical.
“I just don’t think Yuto wants to leave.”
“Maybe he does,” Minkyun argued again. “Maybe while we were asleep or lounging downstairs they had a fight. Or maybe they don’t like each other as much as we think they do.”
As the island came closer, Seungjun began to pull at the sails. “Neither of them has that amount of performing talent.”
“Harsh.”
“You can’t genuinely believe those two dislike each other.”
Minkyun almost put his hands up but quickly gripped onto something stable again. “I’m just trying to make you see other sides.”
“Well I have seen them now, and I don’t believe them,” Seungjun stated. “So let’s think of a way to find out what happened.”
“I’d ask Yuto for his side of the story first.”
“Fine. Let’s do that when we’re done here.”
Luckily, Minkyun had picked up a couple of things from his time on Seungjun’s shoulders and managed to be of help decently well, getting the ship ready for its arrival. It was a sour return and Seungjun wasn’t sure what question to ask their researcher first, but he should get to it quickly.
“We’re done, right?” Minkyun asked from the end of the wooden beam they were standing on.
“We are!” Seungjun shouted back over the wind and had anticipated Minkyun to clumsily come his way again, hanging onto every rope he found to deal with limbs he still wasn’t that used to having again. But he didn’t move any closer. He stayed at the outer tip of the beam. And then Seungjun noticed why. Minkyun didn’t just have trouble with his limbs, he had entirely forgotten them.
His eyes went down, his knees bent.
Before Seungjun could yell anything, he dropped.
In one second Minkyun had figured out his mistake and the things he thought were wings began flailing through the air.
“FUCK!”
“Dive!” Seungjun shouted right on time.
By pulling in his arms and straightening his legs, Minkyun barely escaped a collision with the ship’s railing and crashed into the waves.
Seungjun jumped in the ratlines to get down faster and raced to the side of the ship where Jaeyoung was already standing. A frighteningly long second passed before Minkyun resurfaced, his wet hair falling in front of his eyes.
Seungjun stuck out his arm. “Are you alright?!”
“I’m freezing,” Minkyun answered with a trembling jaw and grabbed onto the ladder he had fallen next to, pulling himself up with a panic Seungjun hadn't expected.
“You idiot,” Seungjun cussed. “What were you thinking?”
Jaeyoung took off his long coat. “Not much, apparently.”
Gratefully, Minkyun accepted the blanket. “I just forgot I can’t fly anymore.”
He was taken below deck to dry up and get treated. On his way to the ocean, Minkyun’s left arm had grazed the side of the ship but it wasn’t anything that needed more than a bandage. However, it did take up enough time for them to end up in Dragon’s Spine without having confronted Yuto. Time was running short.
While Seungjun tied the ship to the harbour, Yuto was piling his belongings in the middle of the deck and making sure all his samples and findings were between them. His luggage had grown since coming aboard, but the strangest thing about the whole picture was that he was only being helped by Changyun, who had just as much trouble carrying the stacks of books. Seungjun and Minkyun had their hands full with getting the ship stationary, but Jaeyoung wasn't anywhere to be found. Again, frustration began to bubble in the pit of Seungjun’s stomach.
The second he had completed his task, he hurried to the duo sorting everything into stacks and sacks. Minkyun went to aid Changyun, who was walking back and forth to get everything to land.
“You’re almost done, I see,” Seungjun sing-songed, trying not to sound like he had a motive.
“We are,” Yuto answered flatly.
“So… You’re really going?”
“I am. Our agreement has ended and thus I have been sailed back to Dragon's Spine.” He picked up a heavy stack of books and began walking to the little bridge connecting the ship to the docks.
To be helpful, Seungjun grabbed something off the pile and followed suit. His tone stayed light. “It feels a little sudden, doesn't it?”
“You were simply asleep when it was discussed.” With the way the words came out, it was quickly becoming obvious Yuto wasn't fond of this line of questioning, but Seungjun kept going.
“Why didn't you come get us?”
“It didn't feel necessary, the decision seemed quite clear.”
“Did it?”
Yuto dropped his books with a harsh thud. “It did.” He turned around. “Why is it such a surprise to you?”
“I— It just…” A deep breath was taken. “What did Jaeyoung say?” Seungjun asked and it became apparent that he had used the wrong words.
With a sigh, Yuto's eyes turned to the ground. “So you think I spoke with Jaeyoung about this topic. Is that because it makes sense to you that Jaeyoung wishes to have me off the ship?” he mumbled. The display of disappointment was brief but pulled at Seungjun's heartstrings. Never had Yuto shown such earnest emotions and it made Seungjun all the more determined.
“It doesn't make sense to me,” he stated as clearly as he could. “I just doubt Changyun would make such a decision, and Minkyun was with me most of the time, that’s it.”
“Ah, that also explains your correct guess.”
“So what happened?”
“Nothing of note,” Yuto answered and walked back on deck to get his next set of belongings. “I merely asked what our next destination was and Jaeyoung reminded me that the agreement had ended.”
“And then?”
“Nothing followed.”
“Nothing?”
Yuto looked up. “What are you expecting to follow?”
“I don't know,” Seungjun answered with a bit of an edge to his words. “Maybe you asked to stay aboard.”
“Why would I do that?” Yuto asked and the lacklustre tone was getting on Seungjun's nerves.
“Because you seem to not like what's happening right now.”
Intrigued, Yuto tilted his head and humoured the conversation a little longer. “What argument do you believe I would have to convince you all to let me stay aboard.”
“You don't need a good argument. Simply say you want to stay and we'd all let you.”
A laugh. All Seungjun got back was a breathy, slightly mocking laugh before Yuto grabbed his next part of the luggage and continued his path back to his hometown.
Seungjun wanted to pull his hair out and gathered all his strength to not scream. Right when he was about to chase the infuriating researcher, Jaeyoung came walking up the stairs from below deck with a heavy bag thrown over his shoulder. A grey cloud followed him over the wooden flooring and Seungjun wasn't sure what to say.
Jaeyoung glanced his way. “You should pack.”
“Pack?” Seungjun frowned.
“Have you forgotten this isn't our ship?” With a nod, Jaeyoung pointed into the harbour, to the little vessel that had carried them and many passengers for days on end. Their old ship, the little dawn where he and Jaeyoung first met. It felt like ages since they last used that boat, and it felt impossible to use again.
“What are we going to do with it?”
“Sell it, probably. She needs some fixing, but we could swap her for her slightly bigger cousin,” Jaeyoung explained. “It's a very pretty ship model and could help us in our transportation business.”
“Alright…” The reminder of their ‘transportation business’ really wasn’t what Seungjun wanted to hear but now was not the time to focus on that. “Can you help me pack?”
“Can't you ask Minkyun? It's not like he has anything to pack anyway.”
“That's…true.” With his attempt to get Jaeyoung alone failed, Seungjun knew he had to have a strategy meeting.
Minkyun had moved to the kitchen, helping Changyun with his many jars and utensils. Even here, the atmosphere was strangely heavy.
“What are we going to do about this?” Seungjun groaned after closing the wooden door behind him.
Changyun perked up at the noise. “About what?”
“The whole situation with Yuto and Jaeyoung.”
“Oh.”
Annoyingly, Minkyun continued his suggestions for a different viewpoint. “Should we even do something about it?”
“Yes,” Seungjun answered instantly. “You can see that they are both miserable, but they are also both too stupid to do anything about it, so we have to.”
“Agreed,” Changyun nodded and instantly caught Seungjun's attention.
“Do you know what happened?”
“Not really.” While hanging on the kitchen island, Changyun ran past what he knew. After having done some tests on the recently acquired specimen, Yuto had gone to Jaeyoung to ask where they were heading off to next, leaving Changyun to stay in the kitchen. Apparently very little time had passed before Yuto had come back, noticeably down. He continued helping with research but his sketches were less detailed and not annotated. It was a subtle difference but so clear when it came to Yuto. Changyun had tried to find out the reason for the mood switch but had gotten the same response Seungjun received earlier.
Having heard the whole story, Minkyun rolled his eyes. “Why didn't Jaeyoung just say he wanted Yuto to stay?”
Seungjun laughed. “Because Jaeyoung is hopeless. I rarely hear him say what he really wishes for.”
“Then Yuto?”
“Have either of you ever heard him express his emotions?”
Minkyun hung back against the kitchen counter. “Alright, you got me there.”
“So, as I said, we have to do something—”
“About what?” Someone asked suddenly and Seungjun jumped the second he recognised the voice as Jaeyoung's.
“A-About…”
“About Yuto leaving,” Minkyun put bluntly and Seungjun wanted to slap him for it.
As a response, Jaeyoung shook his head and let out a huff. “What is there to do?”
“A lot, probably.”
Seungjun gently got Jaeyoung to sit down on one of the heavy chairs, hoping it’d stop him from leaving quickly.
“Please just tell us what happened.” With a hand on the shoulder, Seungjun tried to comfort the sulky expression creeping up Jaeyoung’s face as he was finally giving in to the pestering. This time, the anger wasn’t there. Nothing was played down or left out, as if even Jaeyoung saw this as his last opportunity. A short summary of the day was given before he finally rehashed the actual words Seungjun was looking for.
“Yuto asked where we’d be going, so he’d know how much time he’d have for something.” Jaeyoung started playing with his nails, needing something to focus on as he mumbled, “Then I asked if he wanted to go back to Dragon’s Spine, since we finished our trip…”
“That’s not a bad thing to ask,” Seungjun responded calmly.
“I know. It just came out wrong, I think. Yuto seemed…taken aback.” Another deep breath raised Jaeyoung’s chest. “He just said that it was understandable and left.”
Relief washed over Seungjun. This was fixable. “I’m guessing you didn’t chase him?”
A shake of the head confirmed the suspicion. “I wouldn’t know what to say.”
“Invite him to stay.”
With a pleading look, Jaeyoung asked, “Can’t you?”
“No. You do it.”
“Don’t I sound too desperate if I suddenly ask him now?”
Minkyun chuckled from the side line. “Well you are desperate, so…”
“But I don’t want to sound it,” Jaeyoung snarled and he briefly closed his eyes to reset his tone. “Can I tell you all something?” There was a slight shake in his voice.
“Of course,” Seungjun answered and shot a look Minkyun’s way that screamed at him to not crack more jokes.
“I… Please don’t tell Yuto, but I think…I like him.”
It fell silent. Not because anyone was shocked, but because no one knew how to fake surprise. With it having been incredibly obvious, no one had expected the heartfelt admittance. With Changyun and Seungjun looking like they were digging for a response beyond the capabilities of their brain, and Minkyun clearly holding back unwanted words, Jaeyoung continued.
“So it’s hard to talk to him.”
Happy that the conversation could move on, Changyun pursued the topic further. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want him to know yet,” Jaeyoung explained in a whiney tone as he got annoyed at himself. “How do I ask him to stay without making it weird and being found out?”
Minkyun crossed his arms and shrugged. “Just say you’re still horrible at navigating and want more lessons.”
“I’m not that bad!”
“Suggest making more maps together?”
“He didn’t seem that interested in the map itself, more in drawing the crab…”
Seungjun jumped in. “Just tell him.” He looked Jaeyoung dead in the eyes to come across as serious as he could. “He won’t take our invitations, you have to go up to him. Just be simple and clear, you don't have much time.”
Finally, it got through to Jaeyoung. He didn’t seem excited but at least he straightened his back with a grain of courage. And thus, the waiting game started. Seungjun had no doubt that this would be fixed so he hung back in his chair as Minkyun sat down next to him. As Jaeyoung left to go find Yuto, the others opted for staying in the kitchen to not accidentally walk in on anything important.
To pass the time, Seungjun began to ask what the bugs in Changyun’s jars were. It was still a little odd to see the raw ingredients be so…spindly, but they tasted good in the end, so Seungjun had found peace with the idea of eating them. The lecture on their use and nutritional value was rather interesting but it was more amusing to see Changyun know all about the little creatures but then fail to put them to the correct use, as if he wanted to spite science. It was definitely more chaotic in structure than Yuto’s talks and a bit harder to follow, but entertaining enough for the purpose of getting through the hour.
Metal chimed and the kitchen door opened again. Everyone turned their heads but it didn’t startle Yuto, who came walking in with a familiar tray of mushrooms. The purple caps had been stored next to the hammocks for quite some time, growing passively in their dark corner.
“Changyun,” he started as if very unaware of the curious eyes on him. “Can I stall these in the kitchen? I wish to give them a bit more humidity.”
“Y-Yeah, of course,” Changyun answered and stepped aside so the specimen could be put in the corner of the L-shaped kitchen counter. He looked at his previous audience and got an ushering look back. So, with a bit of an awkward tone, Changyun wondered, “I-I thought you had packed those.” While the comment was strange, it got Yuto to say what everyone wanted to hear.
“There has been a slight change in plans,” Yuto explained with a continuous smile he hadn’t shown before. “I’ll stay aboard for a little longer to further my research and knowledge, and in turn aid Jaeyoung in understanding navigation.”
The last of Seungjun’s stress left. He got up and stretched the wooden chair out of his muscles before greeting the sun outside. Jaeyoung was outside and Seungjun couldn’t help sending him an approving nod.
While Yuto wasn’t leaving, he still wanted to sort his luggage now that he was so close to home. He had only packed for a relatively short trip but there was no saying when he’d arrive here again and it made him think twice on what to take and leave. As Yuto grabbed Jaeyoung and Seungjun to discuss what was wise to bring on a seafaring journey, Minkyun came up with a question.
“Are we even keeping this boat?”
Another thing Seungjun had been reluctant to think about. The old ship had carried and protected them perfectly, but with the crew having grown a little larger, they couldn’t make it work anymore. It appeared not even Yuto had realised that this ship had only been granted for the trip to The Garden, but it only took him a second to think of a response.
“If our paths ever diverge, yet I can call upon you to bring me wherever I need to go, I’ll gladly give this vessel to you,” he offered. “My hands don’t do it justice anyway. Then you do not have to worry about any future changes anymore.”
Jaeyoung’s face softened and he almost wanted to say something before Minkyun belted out: “Well, if she’s ours, then let's dazzle ‘er up!” Before anyone could even agree or disagree he turned in place and pointed at the various things that could do with a bit of paint or wax. The railings needed to be turquoise, in his opinion, and the name needed to be written more boldly, among other things.
“Hey now,” Jaeyoung shushed, “No need to go that far.”
“Far? How is a colour and a name far?” Minkyun scoffed. “Every ship needs a name or it’s bad luck.”
Weirdly, Jaeyoung appeared nervous. “I’m sure she has a name, but no need to boast with it.”
Minkyun narrowed his eyes. “I still think we should. You of all people should know to be respectful to a vessel.”
“I am respectful.”
“Then let her be proud of her name.” A smirk sprouted on Minkyun’s face. “Or are you af—”
“Fine!” Jaeyoung interrupted with a shout. “Do as you please. Just don't waste money.”
“Paint isn't that expensive.”
And just like that, their activity for the evening was planned. Luckily, it wasn’t a day for hurry. Yuto took his time getting new things—mostly books—from his house and Jaeyoung was always somewhere in his vicinity. Changyun had made a list of what he needed and took Seungjun to find what they could in this farming community. Meanwhile, Minkyun was tasked with doing prep work for his grand painting ideas. With scaled paper he smoothed multiple surfaces before going to town to get supplies.
During their time in the shops, Seungjun had mentioned something about the barnacles and needing to remove them if they were going to use this ship for longer. With little explanation, Changyun added two more ingredients to their list and by the time they were done, Seungjun could barely carry the burlap sacks anymore. They hadn’t even found everything they needed, but with a promise to stop at a larger market soon, he got Changyun to return to the ship. There wasn’t any time to relax, however, as Minkyun pulled Seungjun to help give the ship a new pop of colour.
Lowering the rowboat halfway gave Minkyun a way to reach the side of the ship in a somewhat stable way. The scars of the previous paint gave away a few letters of the name, but Minkyun’s slow and precise movements kept Seungjun in suspense. Halfway through the word, Changyun came marching from the kitchen with a large bottle of thick green liquid.
“What’s that?" Seungjun wondered.
“A barnacle remover,” Changyun explained and swirled the bottle around but the inside barely moved. “They absolutely hate this stuff, they’ll leave in no time.”
“Barnacles don’t move…”
“They will with this.”
While slightly sceptical, Seungjun invited Changyun to demonstrate it. No one else could easily get to the barnacles at the bottom of the hull, so it would be his job anyway. Changyun still didn’t like going into the water, but he also really wanted to show his creation and dove underneath the waves. Seconds later, puffs of the green substance walked upwards along the rough rocks clinging to the wood. One by one they let go, breaking off and falling down into the depths.
“See?” Changyun gloated as he resurfaced and was quickly praised by both Minkyun and Seungjun, who were more than happy to not have to do any barnacle scraping.
When everything was done, they hopped onto the docks to admire their work. Not everything had been finished, but the ship already looked revitalised. As Minkyun had said, the hand railings on the stairs and in front of the helm were a subtle turquoise and the edge of the kitchen door frame was painted the same to save money, as Jaeyoung had asked. Most of the places they could reach from the deck had been treated with a wax for protection and the ship’s name shone proudly. Nehalennia. Nothing Seungjun had ever heard before, so he had to ask. Which was perfectly on time, as Yuto walked up to them.
“There isn’t much I can say,” Yuto explained. “Theories say it’s the name of a guardian or goddess who protects seafarers. Nothing has been found to confirm any hypotheses, and I think that’s why she was given the name.” Slowly, his voice became less flat.
Jaeyoung nodded in agreement. “She was once made to explore the world.”
“And I’m glad she’s doing that again,” Yuto continued.
Back on deck, everyone scattered to get ready for their departure in the morning, sorting out some final things, checking their supplies once more or simply catching a moment of quiet time. Seungjun had other plans, however. A little bug called ‘curiosity’ had bothered him all afternoon and he had to put it to rest. Jaeyoung was sitting with his back at the helm, cutting pieces off some freshly bought bell pepper.
“Hey,” Seungjun hummed and got a noise back. “How are you?” he continued and settled down on the wooden flooring as well.
“Good. Relaxing.”
“That’s good,” Seungjun nodded.
Jaeyoung gave a brief side-eye before glancing at the yellowing sky. “My talk went well.”
“Oh?”
“I know that that’s why you’re here.”
“I-I mean…” Of course, Seungjun didn’t want to seem nosy but Jaeyoung knew him too well by now, so he let his head hang and laughed in defeat. “I was just curious.”
“Well it went well,” Jaeyoung repeated. “I simply asked if he could stay and teach me for a little longer, it was the only thing I could think of. He asked if I was sure about that, so I said I was and he took me up on the offer.” Encouragement was given through a soft fist against his shoulder.
“See, it was that simple,” Seungjun joked. “Now there is no need to rush the rest.”
Clearly, Jaeyoung needed to hear that. He took in the evening’s air, filling his lungs to get the nerves out. “Thank you.”
“No need,” Seungjun dismissed and got up again. “I’m just glad you’re enjoying yourself.”
The sun lowered slowly as Changyun served dinner. Not much was said. Not much needed to be said. Everyone looked drowsy from the stress-filled day and let the world come over them without resistance.
Today felt like an end and a beginning at the same time. Not much had changed but Seungjun felt something stirring.
