Water Heart | P.Sh

| 43 |

It didn't feel like the ship had been empty for long before I heard voices nearing the ship, making me immediately look up and over to the ramp. Within seconds Jay had rushed up on the ship, pulling harshly on Sunghoon's arm.

Sunghoon immediately fell over his own feet and slid slightly across the deck as I frowned at them. I wasn't sure if Sunghoon was laying still because of his fall or if anything else had happened.

"Soomin, for fuck's sake, do something!" Jay yelled out as he rushed over to kneel down by Sunghoon.

My eyes slowly widened as I got up from where I sat and skipped down the stairs in no more than three steps. I clipped up my skirt in my small run before rushing over and sitting down on Sunghoon's other side.

"What did you do?" I immediately questioned as I tried turning Sunghoon's face to look towards me, "what did you do?" I repeated as I cupped his cheeks in my hands, "hey... tell me."

"It's as if the island just rejected his presence," Jay frantically started, "we had barely even been on land for more than a minute before he began complaining of headaches and chest pain. We had to turn around and go back when he fell to his knees."

"Go get a blanket for him," I hurriedly waved Jay off as I kept my eyes fixated on Sunghoon.

"Are you su-" Jay started and I merely had to look up at him before he had gotten to his feet and ran off once more.

"Sunghoon?" I whispered and he hummed quietly, his eyes barely open as I finally managed to turn his head, "don't close your eyes, please... don't close your eyes," I whispered quietly as I brought his head up into my lap and I craddled his cheek within my hand.

"I'm fine," he whispered and I shook my head quietly, "I am."

"Fine my ass," I commented and the corners of his lips tugged upward slightly.

"It's fine Soomin," he whispered, "you don't have to sit here. I know you don't care, nobody cares, you can just leave."

"Jay cares," I reminded and shook my head quietly, "he cares a lot... I care... by now you're at least my friend, of course I care," I reminded him and mindlessly began drawing small patterns on his shoulder, tracing my finger around on the soft fabric.

"I don't think the curse is gonna give me long," he whispered quietly, "I'm sorry I didn't fall in love."

"Don't say that," I shook my head quietly, giving him a small smile, "I can't give up on you, so I don't think you should give up on yourself either, even if you find it hard to fall in love. Heck, I don't care who you fall in love with by now, at least just try to withstand the curse. Please."

"I could only find one blanket, would it be enough?" Jay hurriedly questioned as he rushed back to us and I glanced up at him.

"Just make sure he is covered completely," I nodded at him.

"Is he fine?" Jay questioned as he draped the blanket over Sunghoon's curled up form, "is he?"

"He claims so," I nodded quietly, "try and give it some time."

"You," Jay started and pointed sternly down at Sunghoon, "better pull through. You hear me?"

"Even if I die you won't get rid of me. I'll haunt your ships," Sunghoon remarked with a weak smile, causing for Jay to smile softly down at the boy in my lap.

"I'll go and see if we don't have some food to give him," Jay announced and I nodded quietly at him.

I quietly looked down at Sunghoon once again as I noticed how he stirred slightly in his place. Once I looked down he had just turned his head to look up at me properly.

"You're not leaving, are you?" I questioned and brushed his hair out of his face.

"Even if I do, it wasn't your fault," he reminded and I nodded quietly, "now I get why you wanted us to stop the project... this is why it would hurt you more."

"Just... don't ever leave my sight again, got it?" I questioned with a small chuckle and he hummed quietly as his eyes momentarily closed, "keep them open."

"I'm trying," he assured quietly as I reached over and squeezed his shoulder softly, "do you still hate me?"

"Of course not," I assured him, "I thought I already told you how I was falling for you."

"You look sad," he continued commenting and I nodded, pulling his lifting hand down once again.

"Of course I am, this is worrying me," I reminded him, trying not to frown my eyebrows more than they might already might be.

"I'm hurting you," he commented and I stayed quiet, "I wish I could return what you've given me..."

"Shut up, will you?" I chuckled making him sigh and purse his lips as he rested his head back slightly.

I sat in silence and tried to calm myself down as I continued playing with Sunghoon's hair. Once in a while he would hum or call out my name, to which I would ask him to stay quiet once again.

"Soomin," he called out, this time a lot louder than it was before. I quietly shook my head, as a way to ask him to be quiet, "Soomin please listen to me."

Instead of answering I just grabbed tighter onto his shoulders and hugged him up to me as I continued to sit and stare straight ahead of me.

"Soomin," he started and I shook my head quietly, "I'm feeling fine. Just a flare up."

"Just let me sit a bit," I murmured and he sighed before I felt his hand pat softly on my back, "I never had this possibility with Sunoo... we weren't really on hugs with one another, more smacks... if I'm gonna lose you I'm gonna have a hug to remember you by."

"I'm not going anywhere," he reminded me carefully, "Soomin, I'm not gonna lea-"

My head had snapped away from Sunghoon in the midst of his sentence, watching as loud thumps came from the ramp and the rest of the crew ran back up on deck, Jungwon panting at the very end of their trail.

"What the hell is happening?" Jay yelled out as he marched over to grab onto Jungwon's shoulder, shaking him slightly.

"The nymphs," Jungwon breathed out, panting slightly, "that surely ain't any normal nymphs. They were horrifying."

"What happened?" Jay repeated sternly.

"Chased us off, Jiyeon said they most likely would kill us for being on the territory, we need to go," Jungwon continued and it fell silent on the ship as I glanced around.

"Where's Jiyeon then?" I questioned and Jungwon looked over at me in confusion, slowly letting his eyes look over the crew that had run back with him.

As if realization suddenly hit him, he abruptly stood up with widened eyes and turned to the ramp once again. Jay still had his grip on Jungwon's shoulder and had to pull him back from the ramp.

"If she is gone we leave her here. We don't question the safety of the crew," Jay reminded him sternly, "the crew is more important."

"But Ji..." Jungwon trailed off, trying to pry Jay's hands off of his shoulders.

"If Jiyeon is out there we have to leave her," Jay sternly spoke and my grip on Sunghoon slowly loosened and he fell back down into my lap once again.

"Leave Jiyeon?" Jungwon questioned in disbelief before slowly shaking his head, "we don't leave Jiyeon."