"Trying to be inquisitive, pretty?"

Seonghwa did not want to turn around, the voice being way too familiar to him. His nerves tingled, chest squirming in an dreadful plight, his mouth instantly loosing its wetness, his veins seeming to tightly constrict and his breath becoming erratic. His body shook, the presence behind him raising goosebumps across his skin and his mind had already given him the notion that he was in trouble.

And not a meek one.

A grave trouble, for that matter.

Seonghwa turned around, the petrification creeping within him knowing no bounds, as he backed away and could feel himself shrink, pressing his back against the wooden coverage, his mind continuously signalling him to escape and yet, there was no way out for him. His gaze was low, fixated upon his bare feet, a kind to accept defeat and exhibit instant surrender. Within the infusion of the heavy darkness and the slight intrusions of specks of the moon's mercy, he couldn't comprehend anything further, with the prior exception of the heaviness of the other's authority lingering right in front of him.

The pirate edged closer, his boots making a low sound upon the wooden boards, his steps calm and calculated. With each move he presented, he noticed the other shrinking further, almost urging to crack the door behind him and flee indoors. A vicious grin curled up the corners of his lips, and when he raised and rested both his hands upon the door on either side of the boy, caging him from all aspects, he let out a deep chuckle.

"Why is your uncalled presence lingering herein, pretty?" he spoke, each syllabus sharp and specific, "An unexpected visit from an unknown. Quite amusing."

Seonghwa chose not to reply, tugging his lips beneath the grip of his teeth and his gaze still upon the ground, occasionally flickering upwards to the poorly illuminated form of the captain over him and instantly returning to where it originally was. The man was quite close to his self and he could almost feel his warm breath, the slight tobacco acridity mingled with a strong stench of rum emitting from the pirate's parted lips, fanning his face and making him hotter. He couldn't help it. His heart throbbed in mad impulses against his sunken ribs without a rest and all he begged for at that moment behind the bars of his brain was a span of relief from the man's grip.

"I hope you haven't forgotten what my first mate had made you clear about the very first day of your introduction to the crew," the captain uttered, interrupting the pause, his voice showing seriousness, almost wrathful and demanding obedience, "Let it slip away this early, little fish?"

Seonghwa could swear that he had felt a hand swirling around his waist in an easy effort, making him startle and stare. The hold grew harder and the boy couldn't help but stutter incoherent words in reply. He had already recalled the words spoken by the tall man on the first day he had laid his eyes upon the crew and reminiscing it made his blood run cold.

The first code of conduct on this ship is to reply to the captain immediately whenever he asks you a question, boy.

"I- just- n-no- I-"

The letters he spilled had already tumbled over each other in a confused jumble and Seonghwa was trying his very best to make some sense out of it when, quick as a flash, a hand gripped his jaws and forced him to gaze straight into the pirate's eyes, the conduct being ruthless and rough. Seonghwa was startled and visibly scared. He could already feel his eyes sting, his entire face aching under the strong hold clenching against his bones. He did not want to weep, but the pain was shooting higher and higher and it was almost inevitable to hold the growing tears back.

"After me," the pirate almost growled, letting go of the grip and turning to face the darkness that lay beyond. Seonghwa could feel the tinging pain, as he raised his own hand to feel his jaws, soft fingertips trailing over the regions which were probably scarlet by now. The click of the captain's boots became audible once again, as he strode down the path without further commotion, and Seonghwa didn't want to disappoint him further.

He was already caught for a grave misconduct and now, it was unknown to him what would happen next.

Blinking back the rising tears, the new boy followed the captain's footsteps, jogging behind him to keep up with the latter's long strides, his head hung low. As the humid air of the seas blew into the space through the gaps, Seonghwa felt a strong surge of embarrassment rising within him, regret gnawing at his conscience and his mind continuously rebuking him for taking such high risk. He felt disgusted.

And yet, he had no other choice.

The main deck seemed quieter now, the crew members no longer in sight. The wind was strong and the sky was almost clear, sweet beams of the moon's blessings shimmering upon the inky waters resembling a splendid gumusservi, and constellations dotting the dark abyss above, like tiny candles soaring up in the infinite stretch of the nocturnal welkin.

Seonghwa presently couldn't afford to be kind to himself and watch the night unfurl, as his focus was completely surrendered to the captain's steady footfalls, blindly following him to wherever he was leading him to. With a mind brimmed with thoughts strewn haphazardly and nerves shivering in anticipation of the unknown, Seonghwa kept silent and walked behind.

And he didn't have to wait longer. The destination was already reached.

Hongjoong pushed a door open, entering the room with Seonghwa after him. The room was almost as big as the one the latter found himself in all day, with a single window and perhaps many more substances to fill the void. Seonghwa couldn't see much, owing to the darkness occupying the room. Not knowing where to rest his eyes upon, he averted his gaze to the man who brought him there, as he noticed him walking up to a small table nearby and picking up something from its surface. The other was quite curious.

A short sound of something being struck was heard and immediately, Seonghwa saw flames igniting from the tips of the captain's thumb and forefingers. He was astonished, as he watched him bring it closer to the wick of a candle placed upon the table, quickly transferring the fire to the thread and soon, the candle glowed, presenting its warmth to the void within. Seonghwa saw him repeat the action another candle placed adjacent to the now glowing one, before he shook his hand and the flame between his fingers vanished.

Seonghwa was stunned.

"There," Hongjoong called, snapping him out of his train of thoughts. He saw the captain pointing at a chair opposite to where he stood and without further queries, Seonghwa quietly went and took his seat. For a moment, he felt the urge to let his vision wander around the room, but the prominent presence of such a fearsome figure made him put an immediate extinction to his desires and therefore, he kept his gaze low, stuck to the floorboards beneath of brown and black.

"You have stirred quite a conundrum upon my vessel since your presence amidst those fishnets," the pirate spoke, his fingers tapping against the wooden table against which he stood, "And I would like to extract answers for all the rising queries of my mates."

Seonghwa didn't know how to reply to that or what exactly to utter, so instead, he raised his head slightly to get a quick view of the captain and then hastily shot his gaze down, teeth tugging at his lip and fingers fidgeting against each other upon his lap.

"It's funny how the knowledge of me not accepting silence as a reply hasn't penetrated your skull yet," the voice had venom within, laced with the darkness of vileness, "Perhaps the lash of a whip-"

"Y-Yes C-Captain," the reply was immediate, between stutters and stops, "I-I wouldn't repeat that- wo-wouldn't dare to-"

"Favorable," Hongjoong smirked, his fingers now trailing upon the patterns of his cutlass, eyes briefly studying the designs under the candlelight before shifting back to his captive.

"Who are you?" he shot, the question seeming like a bullet straight out of a gun, "And how did you end up in the waters, that too, in a mesh of nets?"

There was a fleeting silence, the breeze carrying the repeated splashes of the marine waves against the bottom walls of the mighty vessel to fill the void, and within the next moment, the monotony was broken from being prolonged.

"I am a slave," the boy seated in the chair spoke, "A prostitute to be exact. I was in a ship of merchants, travelling from the islands of Glestonia to the land of Zerie. My presence therein was not in singular, there were about fifteen of us, sharing the same profession."

He took a pause, slowly raising his vision to meet the pirate's, in hope and slight horror, and upon viewing the glint of interest within those midnight dark irises fixated upon his form, he quickly fluttered his gaze low and continued.

"That night, the storm was heavy and it struck the ship and tore her apart, the sea goddess showing no ounce of mercy and hence, almost all of the crew drowned within the blink of an eye," his voice had sadness cradled within, a surge of hidden loss hinting at the words as he spoke, "May the heavens be praised that I happened to be lucky enough to latch upon a broken piece and stay above the waves, fighting for my breath. And that was the hour when I found the solace of the nets. I gripped them for support and swam into the mesh, having no knowledge about the treachery tangled within the trap, and there I was caught, lashing about in panic, not being able to find a way out of the ropes. Finally, in struggles and strains, I gave up and felt all my senses drift away, and then, I don't know what transpired further."

The breeze was gentle, the ship rocked in a steady motion, as once again, silence enveloped the space. Seonghwa had nothing more to say, he had already informed about all that had transpired. Timidly, he raised his head, catching a quick glimpse of the man in front of him. For a while, he studied him, the grim palour over his visage, under the chiaroscuro of the candlelights, his posture rigid yet calm, showing no specific movements or any signs of anticipating harshness. He was contemplating, the words the former spoke seeping deep within him, as he tried to reason it all out and draw a conclusion, a perfect one.

After all, it resonating so close with whatever he had predicted earlier.

"I didn't happen to see any shipwreck nearby though," the captain finally spoke, without raising his head, "Well, that must not be an excuse since the storm was quite ruthless. Anyways," he finally looked up, the captive now clear to his vision, "You were a prostitute, you say?"

"Ye- Yes," the stutter was still very much present.

"Pretty for a reason," the pirate chuckled, his gaze transferring to the burning candle beside him for a moment. He stuck his finger out, trailing the tip against the surface of candle, a single drop of the molten wax from above rolling down, landing upon his skin, momentarily burning it. The pirate seemed not to care, the piercing pain offering him pleasure, the smirk upon his lips exhibiting his emotions. He stayed in that position for the following few moments, the wax cooling upon his skin into a soft grayish mess, his smirk unchanged, his emotions unfazed.

Each step he put forward was being observed by the other presence within the chamber, his eyes expressing horror and clear bewilderment, completely devoid of any plausible explanation.

"So," the pirate spoke, eyes darting back to the human in front of him, "Your past profession does speak volumes about your weak knowledge about a ship, if I'm not wrong."

Seonghwa nodded.

"Hence, you'll need some teaching," the speaker breathed, a little thoughtful, "You have landed upon a pirate's lair, pretty. Herein, you won't be allowed to sit and eat without labour."

Seonghwa breathed, "I-I'm good with it," his reply was shaky.

"Fantastic," came the immediate reply, "Tomorrow, you shall begin. Sharp when the Sun is right above the horizon. You'll be reporting to Mingyu, our boatswain. You might not know him, Mingi will be your guide in that. There shouldn't be any delay in your arrival. Punctuality is a must upon this vessel and failing to abide by them might lead to serious repercussions."

Seonghwa hesitated for a while, but soon chose to nod his head in an affirmation with a meek 'yes' as a vocal support.

"Also, do not try to irk that big guy," the pirate's voice was now laced with tinges of warning, "He might seem friendly but you wouldn't like to get on his black list. Been observing him for years. Strict in his work, gentle in his manners and unarguably heinous when things don't proceed his way."

Seonghwa heard it all, visibly gulping and nodding in acknowledgement. He definitely didn't want to end up on his bad side.

"Hold on," Hongjoong the pirate called, folding his hands across his chest and giving off a curious look, "Do you know what exactly a boatswain is?"

Seonghwa shook his head, in negation.

"As I had predicted," the other clicked his tongue, "He's the one who holds all the knowledge about this pride of mine. Every bit of it, from chambers to ropes to sails to equipments. Even the planks of wood that build this up isn't unknown to him. He keeps everything in order and prepared, in case of unexpected mishaps and other difficulties amidst the waves. Working with him will give you a quick and better understanding of this place, and the people as well. A boatswain's job is quite strenuous, mind you."

Seonghwa just stared back at him, slightly nodding. He wasn't planning on adding any words but Hongjoong proceeded to do so.

"Especially for someone who's solely accustomed to spread on beds for the riches and richer."

Seonghwa didn't know how to reply, as he felt his mouth going arid at that, the pit of his stomach churning and chest throbbing. He chose to simply nod, once again.

"You better hit the sheets now," Seonghwa heard him say, as he watched the pirate walk over to the bed that was pushed towards one corner of his chamber, "You are going to have quite a tough day tomorrow and close to no rest at all. So, go get some hours of sleep."

"Y-Yes."

Seonghwa stood up, tearing his gaze away from his feet for once, as he saw the other sitting upon his bed and taking off his coat, revealing a plain white shirt beneath and several chains adorned with unknown jewels hanging from his neck, littering his chest. Seonghwa didn't know he was staring, but Hongjoong did.

"I wouldn't mind to bed you if you continue to gawk at me in that manner, pretty," the pirate smirked, capturing the other's gaze within his own, "But in that case, you wouldn't be able to work tomorrow and I wouldn't like to ruin the first day of your tasks like that."

Seonghwa was taken aback, blushing like mad. He hastily lowered his gaze, biting the insides of his cheek. He heard the pirate chuckle, making him grow hot under his thin attires and with a low bow, he chose it to be clever to scamper away from that space.

But he paused.

"I- I wouldn't want to disturb you again but-" Seonghwa grew nervous, "What do they call you?"

He saw the pirate look at him with intent, his brows slightly creasing and looking quite thoughtful. And then emerged his malicious grin, the smirk that Seonghwa was so accustomed to to view, just within his few days of stay.

"Hongjoong," the reply was low, his voice sounding quite grave, "Kim Hongjoong is my name. But, as much as I would love to make those luscious lips of yours roll out my name from them, I'm still 'Captain' to you. And to everyone upon this ship."

"Captain," whispered the listener, as he bowed once again and exited the door, softly closing it behind him.

His breath wasn't rhythmic, his chest still ached under the repeated palpitations of his heart and he was profusely sweating, feeling extremely warm.

Hongjoong. The name swirled within his head, bringing forth a crazy comfort within, along with a hint of dominating dread. As he walked in small footsteps across the deck towards his own room, the sea breezes caressing his face with care, he couldn't help but recall everything about the conversation he and the captain had carried out previously.

He couldn't wait for the next day, even though he was quite aware that it wouldn't be easy at all.

Atleast I would get to learn more about this ship and get acquainted with the others.

He thought.

And that's the plan after all.

* * *

"Mingyu isn't bad, I promise," he heard the taller speak, as he walked beside him in silence. The morning beams of the aureate glory shone upon his features, the sky yet to turn blue. The horizon shone brightly, golden, orange and red, as long rays approached the strech of the firmament like warm fingers, brightening it up in a slow pace. The breeze was slightly warmer and tame, and the waters were calm, shimmering under the glow. It looked peaceful, and quite a sight to behold.

Since the crack of dawn had the crew left their beds in order to go about their day. The deck seemed to breath, every man indulged in the task alloted to him. Cries and calls were audible, heavy footsteps and shifting of materials and collision of objects. Seonghwa watched them at work, his face exhibiting no specific emotions, yet, his eyes showing attention.

He didn't watch them too closely, keeping himself restricted to only a few glances. And as he walked down the deck, he felt eyes upon him, staring at him in queries and questions, or many other emotions. Seonghwa didn't mind a few, especially from the younger ones. Their gaze were purely out of wonder or slight confusion and it was very much prominent. The ones that made him uncomfortable were from the men who seemed older than what he was, much older, burly and big. Their stares held greed in them, a surge of ugly intentions, sinful smirks and sickening stares. And Seonghwa felt extremely disgusted by them. He hoped to hide, to run away within the safety of his chambers and never come out.

But alas! He knew it was impossible, entirely impossible.

"Hwa, you hearing me?" Mingi called, noticing the evident absence of Seonghwa's mental presence.

The voice pulled the boy back from his array of thoughts and then he noticed, how much he had missed of whatever his companion was lecturing him about.

"I- uh- yeah-" Seonghwa stuttered, feeling highly embarrassed at the conduct. He should have been attentive.

"Well, seems like you didn't," Mingi sighed, as they reached to the farthest end of the deck. As took a sharp turn towards the starboard, Seonghwa couldn't help but spare a glance at the sea. His gaze seemed longing, of depth and despair, as if, within the enormity of this world, he was all alone. And the magnanimous marine whispering in front of him made him believe the depths of it. He wanted to sense a purpose, a smudge of belonging. He wanted to feel accepted and belong somewhere, where he could be his true self and yet, accepted by all with open arms.

"Brought 'orth thy new lad, matey?" A heavy voice snapped Seonghwa out of his thoughts, " 'ope it ain't turnin' out a scallywag."

Seonghwa looked in front of him. Squatting low on the wooden planks, he viewed a man, with a thick rope in his grip, eyes rested upon his presence. The man looked young, owner of a handsome face and quite sharp features beneath the black strands of his hairs messing across his forehead.

He had no cloth covering his upper body, it was left bare, his tanned skin glowing underneath the morning sun. He had his body covered with tattoos, of several designs and each depicting something new. From afar, Seonghwa noticed a kraken, it's tentacles coiling around his muscular arms, black ink showing prominence against his brown skin. He saw many more, some of which he could decipher, like mermaids, sirens, serpents, some sort of birds and so on. Some, he couldn't understand, consisting of certain languages or grotesque images drawn across his abdomen.

He noticed him wearing a few chains around his neck, his trousers tightly wrapped his legs, and heavy boots securing his feet. Seonghwa pondered that perhaps, the space within which he worked was hazardous, and hence he wore shoes, taking in account of the fact that most of the crewmates didn't wear shoes.

In conclusion, this man was handsome and there could be no arguments about it.

"So, Hwa, this is Mingyu," Mingi said, "And Gyu, this is Hwa. He'll be providing you assistance, according to Captain's orders."

"Hwa 'hey call ya, eh?" Mingyu raised a brow, giving Seonghwa a calculated look while viewing him up and down, as if in search of any doubts, "Quite a pretty chap on board. Ain't seeming to be built 'or tough jobs of a bos'n, yer know."

Seonghwa had noticed how the accent that Mingyu spoke was different than both the Captain's or Mingi's. Mingyu bore the famous way of how pirates communicated, sounding like a real one, his words sounding unclear and not quite refined. On the other hand, both Captain's and Mingi's sounded highly polished, as if they weren't pirates at all.

"Hwa, I must leave now," Mingi informed, his eyes bearing an apologetic look, "I'm hoping the best for you. Just don't talk to him without any extreme necessity. He's good, I promise. You need not to be scared about him."

Seonghwa simply nodded, his eyes travelling back to the man currently indulged in examining the ropes. Mingi gave him a small smile and turned around, walking away.

He sighed.

Seonghwa looked up, squinting his eyes to get a better view of the large sails that fluttered above. He could hear the calls of the crew and looking back, he knew his task was about to begin.

He breathed.

This is my chance.

--------------------------

Thoughts?