Long Journey || ATEEZ

Captain

Hongjoong gathered the crew around when he was sure they were all awake, and all above-deck. It was reminiscent of his first speech to them, where he had stood on the forecastle, ATEEZ surrounding him like a halo, as he waited in nervous anticipation, ready to spill out his passions to those strangers.

But now they were not strangers. They were friends, comrades, a crew, fully formed and loyal to their captain.

Except a couple of them hadn't been loyal.

And it fed anxiety into Hongjoong's mind, until he could not take it anymore.

"Everyone," Hongjoong said, clearing his throat.

The crew looked up at their captain with expectant eyes, and Hongjoong once more felt doubt creeping in. He glanced at his first mate, who smiled. Beside him, the rest of the members of ATEEZ showed their support, giving him encouraging looks and smiles. Hongjoong smiled appreciatively, before, growing serious, turned back to the crowd.

"As you all know, there have been many...events out of my control happening these past few days. I apologise for the confusion, and I hope you can give me a chance to explain," Hongjoong said. He took a deep breath, before fixing the crowd with a determined glare. "Yes, Jeon Seungho was a traitor. He conspired with Cezanne and helped her on multiple occasions to attack us. He acted as a double agent and tried to sabotage our hunt for the treasure. He confessed this all to me recently, torn by regret, and I agreed to give him another chance."

The crowd started to whisper among themselves, but Hongjoong ignored them and forged on.

"Saren was also a traitor. Seungho had not mentioned this so I didn't know until he told us yesterday, but he was the main reason Seungho betrayed us, swept up by at the time his only friend's lies and sweet promises."

Hongjoong sighed.

"But that's not what I wanted to discuss – it's come to my attention from these two instances that some people may not have wanted to set off on this journey in the first place," he continued. "That you felt obliged to join because everyone else seemed to be, and because you had nowhere else to go." Hongjoong fell to his knees, head bowed and fists clenched, to everybody's surprise. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry about that. I should've checked properly if you really wanted to join us, and I should have done everything in my power to help you forge out a new life on land."

Then a head of pink hair stepped out from the crowd. Her stormy-grey eyes were as fierce and determined as ever, and there was an almost rebellious set to her jaw. Viechetti Morana.

"Don't be sorry," she said. "Don't be sorry, because none of us feel that way."

Hongjoong's head shot up.

"Sure, a lot of us may have never willingly joined if not for the events that happened," she said, and many of the crew agreed, mumbling noises of assent and nodding, "but not anymore. We're family now, Captain. You saved us from a hellhole and gave us freedom. Not only freedom from that cage but freedom from the oppression of our stupid government and freedom to be what we like. Don't apologise. You're our captain, and nothing changes that."

Hongjoong felt himself tearing up.

"You're awesome, Captain," Miyeon grinned from beside her.

"Yeah, we would've been nowhere, at most probably dead in a ditch if it weren't for you, Captain!" the chef hollered.

"You're so kind and compassionate, it's so obvious how you care about each one of us," Hyeji said. "You even came to comfort me personally after Subin passed, remember that!"

The crowd began to call out their own praises of the captain, showering him with instances of how he had listened, had helped, had supported until they all rose to a crescendo of positivity. It was so loud, so boisterously and appreciatively loud, that it drowned out all of Hongjoong's doubts and fears. His crew cared. His crew really cared.