✔️ Cruise ➳ jungkook

🚢 9 🚢

Chaerin felt a gentle tug in her chest, immense pity overwhelming her senses. 

So that's why there were storage lockers on board, she thought. She recalled seeing rows of them, and had tactlessly wondered who they were for since other passengers had their own rooms. Clearly the Kim siblings were not the only broke people on board. Scratch that, they were probably better off than this (cute) guy, and she was starting to feel a bit ashamed of herself.

"Aren't you gonna laugh?" the angel mumbled sullenly, taking her silence as potential mockery. There was just something vulnerable and endearing about the set of his shoulders as he sat hunched over on the floor, his eyes glued to the snacks in his lap.

Without really thinking, she helped gather up the rest of his things. Fortunately, his DSLR survived the fall, miraculously cushioned by a large bag of Lay chips.

"I'm really sorry." Chaerin said lamely, not knowing what to say that would help alleviate his current predicament. Crouching down next to him, she handed the angel his camera. He accepted it appreciatively.

"...Thanks." He swallowed hard. She looked away while he swiped rapidly at his eyes, pretending not to see.

"Shoot, I-I dunno what the hell I'm doing," the boy paused to take several breaths, clearly upset. "Backpacking alone through Scandinavia? What was I thinking!? I can't do this, I'm such an idiot oh my god I'm a freaking idiot."

"You're not an idiot," she argued, hesitating briefly before laying a careful hand on his shoulder, light enough that he could pull away if he wanted to. He didn't. "You survived this long, didn't you? For... Uh—", she faltered.

"Three weeks," he responded morosely. "Three weeks before I splashed everything on this stupid cruise. Freaking overrated."

"Tell me about it. I nearly threw up about 10 times since we left Helsinki."

"It's worse out here. Stupid gulls nicked my pizza. Seriously, they haven't left me alone since the market. Dumb birds must think I'm some fast food joint or something."

"Uhhhh about that," Chaerin's face warmed considerably. "The other day with the gulls. And this morning. Thanks for... you know."

Of course, she conveniently left out the parts where she was caught sniffing and calling him 'expensive'. He didn't need reminding of that.

"Oh. That," the angel, suddenly abashed, stared determinedly at his hands. "It's okay. You listened to my crap rant. Count us even."

They both sat in awkward silence until a strong wind triggered a violent sneezing competition — It seemed like they were trying outdo each other on who could sneeze louder.

"H-Hey," the angel sniffed and rubbed his runny nose on his sleeve. "You better go in. Don't get sick 'cause of me."

"But you getting sick is okay!?" Chaerin retorted. Her heart gave a tight wrench, seeing that the poor angel was shivering badly despite his false pretense of acting the hero.

He shrugged in response, feigning nonchalance. "It's just the sniffles, no biggie."

"Yo, buster. I don't need your death on my conscience."

"Stop being dramatic! I'll be just fi- HAH CHOO!"

His whole body shook with the force of his sneeze. By the time he overcame the next bout, he could barely breath through his blocked nose.

"I'm-" sniff  "-good, everything's-" sniff  "-awesome."

Chaerin was deciding whether he needed a thick blanket or a punch to the face.

"Honestly," the angel supplied as he caught her look of disbelief and concern, "It's much more comfortable out here than it looks." He gave his sleeping bag a weak pat.

She countered with a scathing remark, dished up with a generous serve of sarcasm. "You know what? Second thought, you really are an idiot. If you wanna die so badly, just jump into the sea. It's way faster. And more entertaining."

"Wow, sorry that my death's boring," the angel apologised with towering hypocrisy and a florid bow. "Should I do a backflip off the front of the ship? Maybe do a couple of ballerina twirls midair?"

"Extra points for every seagull you hit on the way down."

"Do I get a bonus if the gull's eating pizza??"

"Nope."

"Awwwwwwww, your game sucks," he complained, "I'll stick with my slow death then, sweetheart, thanks."

Despite his acerbic tone, Chaerin glimpsed the ghost of a smile upon his face, his eyes brimming with poorly disguised mirth. She knew he was mocking her, yet she couldn't help the swooping sensation in her stomach when he called her 'sweetheart'.

"So you're really serious about sleeping here, huh?" She attempted to steer their conversation back to the main issue, on,y to earn a scoff from the angel.

"Nah, I'm just waiting for the gulls to bring my pizza back. Wowee, 'course I'm kipping here. What, would you rather I sleep in the engine room??"

"You could sleep in my room," Chaerin blurted and, instantly realising her indicative choice of words, clapped a hand to her mouth, burning with shame.