IN THE MIST | seongjoong

10

Hongjoong looks out the small window on the door to his quarters. He can see Seonghwa and San training as per usual on the quarterdeck. He could see how much Seonghwa had already begun to improve in adapting to his human form and body. He could see how much the dynamic between San and Seonghwa had shifted. How the dynamic between his crew and Seonghwa had shifted.

Though no trust had been earned, Seonghwa had begun to find a place beside the crew. His snarky comments and hostile attitude began to ease and soon, small smiles graced his face rather than scowls and snarls.

Well, for everyone except him.

It seemed he was the exception to Seonghwa's gracious nature and though he couldn't pinpoint why, he couldn't say it bothered him much. The siren had been on his ship for a little over a week now, he couldn't expect him to get over the loss of his song so quickly, especially when it was at his hands that it happened. But. He couldn't explain why he still felt salty about seeing Seonghwa warming up to the others.

His crew helped Hongjoong take Seonghwa's song, yet he's the only one getting shunned out.

He huffs, walking away from his door. He doesn't care. It doesn't matter if Seonghwa warmed up to him or not. Either way he'd get his hands on the trident.

He walks back to his desk, circling in as he looks out of his window, coming to a stop when he squints, looking ahead to see that they were coming upon land. At that moment, as if everyone had noticed at the same time, he hears Mingi blow the conch shell that marked the sight of land. He could hear the running feet of his crew following the alert as he too headed out onto the deck to look out to the land they had spent days at sea to arrive at.

"Is that it?" Wooyoung questions, pulling out a small spy glass as he was eager to get a closer look. Hongjoong took the spyglass from him, recognizing it as his own and, ignoring Wooyoung's whining, he placed his eye to it, examining where they were heading to.

He couldn't see too many details considering they were still at least half a day out, but he could see the thick forest that covered the majority of the island. There was a small shore but beyond it would be a maze of trees and unknown territory. He closes the spyglass, tucking it into his pocket while sending a pointed glare at Wooyoung for having pocketed it off him. The thief pouts, crossing his arms at the loss of his item.

"There's a thick forest. We'll have to strategize how to get through it and find the covenant." Hongjoong announces, looking at each of his crew and when his eyes meet Seonghwa's, he doesn't linger long.

"How are we supposed to find the covenant if they're just spirits?" Jongho questions, crossing his arms, and eyes seem to fall to Seonghwa, the one who had told them the covenant was spirits in the first place. The siren blinks, glancing between the eyes on him. Hongjoong pokes his tongue to his cheek when he notices how the siren visibly avoids his eyes.

"We don't have to find them. They'll find us." Seonghwa says calmly and Mingi groans.

"So we're sitting ducks?" Mingi wasn't one to sit and wait by choice. He always had to be busy with something, or else he'd complain to Hongjoong that he was useless to the crew.

"No, I'm sure there's another way." Hongjoong says, looking at Seonghwa who raises his brows.

"Like what, captain?" The siren asks the question with ridicule, crossing his arms with the slightest tilt of his head.

"They're still witches, regardless if they're in the form of spirits or not." Hongjoong reasons, eyes narrowing at the siren who blinks at him, unimpressed.

"Whatever you say." He waves at the captain, leaving him to figure out the captain's own way as he walks away, disappearing into the depths of the ship, likely to his own cabin.