Star Illusion | ATEEZ Pirate AU

Ending I - The Mullet

A/N: Before heading into the chapter, some of you may or may not notice the hint in my comment last chapter that there'll be endingssss  \(★ω★)/ 

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My legs lead me to the captain's quarter. I enter the room with a thumping heart. Nervousness pools at the pit of my stomach as Jim's words rerun in my head.

'Miss Star loves captain, right? He still loves you, but he's afraid to show it.'

The lad might be making up stuff since the siblings are reputable for teasing people to another level. But it's too late to retreat now, I have already stepped inside the room.

I shut the door and turn around. After we earned fortunes from our rising business, Hongjoong spent a little money on decorations with his favorite red color. The floor is covered with a burgundy rug. Maroon cushioned chairs settle around a dark red wooden table on the right side of the room.

I advance to the left side where Hongjoong perches on a red velvet couch that we bought for him at the last stop. It has lower quality than his beloved couch, but it does make him happier as we find him sitting on it everyday.

Hongjoong casually sip a fruit wine from the villagers. His unreadable gaze follows my movement until I sit on another red couch across from him. Reality hits me when I'm right in front of him. How will I start the conversation? Am I supposed to ask him what he truly feels about me? I know the weight of this question holds as our friendship could be ruined by one single sentence.

"How are you doing?" Hongjoong strikes me with a typical question. His gaze becomes sharper as he stares at me.

"Fine." I answer curtly and decide to keep my mouth shut, and wait for him to reveal why he summoned me here first.

He nods, taking another sip, then continues speaking. "Jim reported that you looked slightly disturb and have been spacing out lately."

I narrow my eyes at him. Did he order Jim to keep an eye on me?

Sensing my accusation, he quickly adds, "Jim just stated his concern to me."

"Oh..." I scratch my cheek as I didn't realize I space out that much for Jim to notice. Sometimes I kinda get lost in my mind, but I don't think it's a concern. "It was nothing to be worried about. I'm fine." I shrug and lean against the back of the couch.

Truthfully, I'm a little disappointed that he called me because of this reason. I thought he was going to confess to me.

"What's bothering you?" Hongjoong throws me another question, still not buying into my answer. "As a captain, I should know of my crew's condition."

My face immediately twitches. His comment definitely bothers me right now. He cares for me because I'm one of his crew. That's it?

Noticing my sour expression, he sighs. "Star, please tell me. I'm trying to help. If you're not happy on my ship, then at least tell me what's the reason."

"It's you." I blurt out. He's the culprit who occupies my mind. The way he acted around me made me overthink. And whenever I get near him, I get these weird feelings that I try to push away. Until Jim told me he still loves me, I came here to prove. And this is what I get!?

My straightforward answer caught him off guard. His eyes go wide, the glass almost slips out of his hand. He places it down on a small table and turns to me. His expression turns dead serious.