Sirens song

Chapter 17

The morning sun was peeking over the horizon, washing the deck in a golden glow. Jongho and Yeosang were the first to emerge from the lower deck, having finally untangled themselves from each other's arms.

Jongho's cheeks were still tinged pink, the memory of Yeosang clinging to him like a limpet still fresh in his mind. He tried to shake off the feeling, focusing on the tasks of the day instead.

The rest of the crew started to trickle out of their cabins, groaning and yawning as they slowly came to life. Wooyoung, still bleary-eyed, emerged last, stretching his arms above his head and yawning loudly.

"Ugh, I hate mornings," he grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Why does the world have to start so damn early?"

Wooyoung groaned again, eyeing the rising sun with a scowl. "Ugh, screw this," he muttered, yawning widely. "I'm gonna go back to bed. I'll wake my ass up in the afternoon."

He turned on his heel and started back towards his cabin, his footsteps dragging.

"Hey, no fair, you can't just go back to bed!" San's voice called out, his words dripping with mock outrage. "You've got duties, you lazy bum."

Wooyoung flipped San off over his shoulder. "Bite me," he retorted, disappearing into his cabin and shutting the door behind him.

The crew watched as Wooyoung's door slammed shut, a collective sound of disbelief and amusement echoing through the deck. "Well, that's one way to deal with mornings," Hongjoong commented dryly.

San just chuckled. "Yeah, if by 'dealing with mornings' you mean avoiding them completely," he jested. "He'll regret sleeping through the day when he's got to do extra chores tonight."

Hongjoong just shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "Sometimes I wonder how we even function as a group with members like him," he said, his voice fond.

"Hey, now," San protested. "Wooyoung's lazy tendencies aside, he's a damn good navigator. We'd be lost without him."

"True," Hongjoong agreed. "But I swear, sometimes I feel like I'm running a daycare instead of a pirate crew."

San laughed at that, the sound booming across the deck. "Ah, come on, Cap," he said. "You love it and you know it. We're your dysfunctional family."

"Family that's gonna make me lose my hair prematurely," Hongjoong muttered, rubbing his forehead. "Especially with Wooyoung's lazy ass."

San slapped a comforting hand on Hongjoong's back. "Just remember, Captain," he teased. "Gray hair looks distinguished."

Hongjoong groaned, his hand moving to cover his face. "I swear, if I start going gray because of this crew, I'm going to make you all scrub the deck for a month straight," he threatened.

"Hey, hey, you can't blame all of us for Wooyoung's laziness," San protested, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'm a perfect angel, remember?"

Hongjoong rolled his eyes at San's comment, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Please, you have the angel-look down, but your actions are far from it," he retorted. "Yeosang, on the other hand, he's the actual angel."

San fake gasped in mock offense, clutching a hand to his chest. "Are you saying I'm not an angel?"

Hongjoong chuckled. "I'm saying you're a demon in an angel's disguise, San."

San dramatically placed a hand upon his chest. "I'm wounded, Cap. You wound me," he proclaimed, a cheeky grin on his face. "I'll have you know, I'm a perfect gentleman."

Hongjoong snorted, shaking his head at San's antics. "A perfect gentleman for Wooyoung, yeah," he agreed. "For anyone else? Debatable."

The banter continued for a few minutes, the crew ribbing each other good-naturedly. Eventually, though, Hongjoong clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.