Water Heart | P.Sh

| 2.34 |

The skies had continued to stay grey with clouds hanging above us. However, it seemed that the clouds were without any rain or storm in them. The wind was barely even there the days we needed it, leading us forward at a slow pace.

It had been relatively quiet on the ship, everyone seemed to take care of themselves and their duties. The only thing I had noticed was that the other day Jiyeon had taken down the pirate flag, making me believe that we soon were to enter civilized waters.

"Land up ahead!" Jiyeon yelled out from the Crow's Nest and I rushed out to the front of the ship to look ahead. 

Not too far away was a large harbour. By far the largest I had yet seen on my voyages. It seemed to be hustling and bustling, but with enough space for us to berth by the bridges. I grinned widely and looked over my shoulder to look towards Sunoo, who constantly had some sort of physical contact with Lin.

Lin was still wearing a bandage on one of her eyes to hide the marcabre sight of her bleached eye that had been the outcome of the excessive bleeding two weeks prior. My smile seemed to falter the moment I noticed that Sunghoon was talking to Sunoo about something. Both of them constantly glancing towards me and seeming dull. I frowned deeply before Sunoo waved me over. This must be the harbour we leave them at then.

"What is it?" I questioned in confusion, looking between the two boys.

"We're gonna be going on land to get food," Sunoo merely waved it off, "they should have a lot of shops along the sea front and apparently the ship shouldn't be too known here, so it'll be safe to berth. However, they'll stay on the ship just in case."

"Oh... so nothing too serious," I remarked with a small smile and Sunghoon immediately shook his head, smiling with tight lips.

I couldn't help but feel like something was off when Jiyeon helped berth the ship and lowered down the ramp onto the bridge connecting the ship to the harbour. Jake and Jay, both stood at the helm looking down towards us.

"Be careful, alright?" Jay called out as I helped Sunoo get Lin over towards the ramp.

"Take care too!" Jake yelled back with a wide smile. Making me look up at him in confusion.

"They're talking like we're leaving for good," I chuckled and looked to Jungwon who took over the job of helping Sunoo with Lin, down the ramp.

"Don't think too much about it," Jungwon shook his head in amusement, pulling me into his side with an arm around my shoulders.

"Soomin, hold on!" Jiyeon yelled out, running up from the food depot, "I have some crystals for you."

"Surely, it shouldn't be too dangerous for us to go down on land," I chuckled as she grabbed my hand and shoved a smaller handful of crystals over into my hand.

"It's Tiger's Eye, Green Jade, Carnelian and then you can also keep the Turqoise, you still have it right?" she questioned and I nodded, carefully letting the stones drop down into my small pouch, "oh! And here," she smiled as she pulled a small vial from the back of her neck and handing it to me. Some sort of purple liquid, "if anything every happens, such as bad sickness, just a small drop and you'll be fine."

"Why would I nee-" I started before she abruptly hugged me, "are you alright?"

"She's a bit stressed these days," Jungwon excused as Jiyeon let go of me and just continued to stare at me for a few seconds, "go down and get some sleep, alright?" Jungwon whispered as he softly caressed the lower part of Jiyeon's back.

"Okay..." Jiyeon nodded quietly, quickly disappearing from my sight.

"I should go after her," Jungwon excused and gave my elbow a small squeeze before following after Jiyeon.

"Take care, alright?" Sunghoon murmured, rushing up behind me and pressing a long kiss to my cheek, "I love you."

"I love you too," I murmured in confusion as I looked after Jungwon, "what's up with them?"

"Don't think about it," he shook his head with a small smile, "just go."

His hand traveled from my back to hold my hand, giving it a small squeeze before I rushed down the ramp towards Sunoo and Lin. I quietly walked behind the two, down the bridge and towards the solid land. I soon realized I had forgotten any type of currency up on the boat, causing me to quickly turn around to get it.

However, the moment I had turned around the ramp was gone, getting pushed back up onto the ship as Jake closed the small door in the railings. Once he noticed me rushing back he only sent me a sad smile.

"What are you doing?" I yelled out, making Sunghoon quickly turn around and look down at me with pursed lips, "Sunghoon!"

"It's fine," he called back as I looked up at him in disbelief, "I'll see you in your dreams!"

"Where are you going?" I panicked as I lifted up in my skirt and rushed towards the end of the boat bridge, which the ship already had left, "you promised not to abandon me!"

"I'm not!" he yelled back, looking back over his shoulder before looking back with a pained expression, "it's for the best! I love you!"

"Sunghoon!" I screamed after the ship, "Turn back! Come back!"

"Soo," Sunoo called out gently as he grabbed my wrist and I stumbled over my own feet, falling to my knees as I watched the ship sail away. Sunghoon constantly moving around to keep on being able to look towards me.

"Sunghoon!" I screamed once again as I clutched my skirt tightly and my eyes started to burn.

"Soo..." Sunoo muttered again, forcing himself in front of me, letting the ship blurry in the background as it disappeared faster than it ever had before, "it's fine."

"He left me... why would he leave?" I immediately started questioning, running both my hands through my hair, looking around frantically. The constant movement of my eyes causing my tears to start falling. An aching pain rising up in my chest.

"The ship was unsafe, Soomin. You knew that," he reminded softly, "Lin couldn't stay in the Carribean, not even on any island. We needed to go home, you needed to go."

"Why couldn't I stay?" I whispered as I looked back at Sunoo. He immediately sighed and had to look away for a second, "I wanted to stay."

"It was ultimately a decision we all took," he admitted quietly.

"Behind my back?" I questioned in bewilderment, "you didn't even ask me what I wanted to do!"

"After we found out Jungwon was the one the Phantôme came for we decided what we would do. Only a week ago we decided it would be safest for you to come with Lin and I," Sunoo shortly explained before he glanced back over my shoulder, probably to where he had left Lin, "Sunghoon was the main defendant of you staying on the ship, and the main defendant of you leaving. The agreement was either you stayed forever or they never came back. He was convinced he could protect you, until he realized all the ways you've been hurt on the ship."

"He left me," I whispered in realization as my eyes drifted away from Sunoo's face and to the sea behind him. Watching the waves in silence.

"He'd rather know you were safe and be away from him, than having you by his side and exposing you to danger every day," Sunoo softly reminded.

"Where are we?"

"Galway. They let us off in Galway."

"Ireland... this is not home. England is home."

"I know... we'll be fine. Lin has family here. The Parks living down town. We'll live with them, they had a sister who sailed to the Carribean with her husband and son a long time ago. They never made it, rumours say they were attacked by pirates. They're a bit sorrowful family, but surely they'll like us."

I glanced at Sunoo for a second. He didn't know that story was all too familiar, but it was and I dreaded seeing the Park family Lin was related to.