Sirens song

Chapter 10: "A Midnight Kiss"

The crew's conversation about the siren was interrupted by a loud, painful groan coming from nearby.

All heads turned towards where Yunho lay on the deck, his face twisted in agony. His eyes flickered open, and he let out another pitiful moan.

The crew exchanged worried glances, their banter suddenly forgotten. They rushed to Yunho's side, crowding around him anxiously.

"Yunho, are you alright?" Hongjoong asked, concern etched on his face.

Yunho groaned again, his body shaking with pain. He tried to sit up, but his movements were weak and sluggish.

"I...I don't know," he managed to say, his voice hoarse. "I feel... I feel like crap."

The crew fussed over him, trying to help him get more comfortable. San knelt down, placing a hand on Yunho's forehead.

"You're burning up," he said, his voice worried. "We need to get him below deck so he can rest."

The others nodded in agreement, and quickly helped Yunho to his feet. He stumbled a few times, still disoriented and weakened.

As they started to lead him towards the stairs, Hongjoong glanced back at the injured siren.

The siren was watching them closely, his watery eyes tracking their movements. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in his side stopped him, and he let out a strangled hiss.

Hongjoong hesitated for a moment, torn between tending to Yunho and the injured siren. But the others were already leading Yunho below deck, so he slowly approached the siren.

The siren watched him warily, his eyes widening slightly as Hongjoong drew closer. He tried to shift away, but his weak condition prevented him from moving far.

Hongjoong paused a few feet away, studying the siren's face. Even in his weakened state, the siren was undeniably beautiful. He had delicate, androgynous features and watery eyes that reminded Hongjoong of a sad puppy.

Hongjoong knelt down, making himself level with the siren's face. The siren tensed up, his eyes narrowing in caution, but he didn't pull away.

"Can you talk?" Hongjoong asked, his voice soft.

The siren's expression shifted slightly, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes. He opened his mouth, but only a shallow breath escaped. He tried again, and finally managed a hoarse, "Yes."

That single word caught Hongjoong slightly off guard. He hadn't expected the siren to be able to speak, much less answer so easily.

"What's your name?" he asked, his voice still quiet.

The siren seemed to hesitate for a moment before answering, his eyes flickering with a hint of uncertainty.

"Seonghwa," he said quietly, the word escaping his lips in a soft, melodic tone.

Hongjoong repeated the name, his voice still soft. "Seonghwa."

The siren, Seonghwa, seemed to almost shiver as he heard his name, a slight flicker of surprise and a hint of something else, almost like... recognition, in his eyes.

Hongjoong noticed the change in Seonghwa's expression, puzzled by the subtle reaction.

"Do you... have a last name?" he asked, gently prodding for more information.

Seonghwa seemed to hesitate again, his eyes shifting away from Hongjoong for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was so quiet Hongjoong had to lean slightly closer to catch his words.

"Park," he murmured. "Seonghwa Park."

Hongjoong stored the information away, mentally cataloguing the new name. Park Seonghwa.