" we won't actually have to choose a side...right? "
[ ateez pirate au // book 1 ]
an ongoing story that shows the issues the ateez boys have to go through on their way to pirate kings. old, familial problems from their pasts become bigger issues t...
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chapter 6 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 ———
That map won't stop tickling the back of Hongjoong's brain.
That damn secret island must have great importance to it. Money? Gold? Treasure? Eternal life?
Hongjoong groaned rather loudly, slamming the palms of his hands down onto the piano keys. A mix of different pitches and sounds erupted from them. He threw his head back in distress. The map would be the end of him.
It was torturing him all day.
At sunrise he unloads Amur's products into the market stand, feeling very empty and braindead. He had enough sleep and ate well, yet there was some third party that was bringing him down. His mood had been overwhelmingly negative throughout the day.
Amur would try and ask the boy to do his work, but Joong would just space out. He didn't feel like himself. There was something wrong.
Come join us.
Hongjoong snapped at his boss plenty of times that day. Amur took the hits, despite not knowing the reason as to why Joong was violent and angry with him. He knew the boy could be very emotional at times, especially without having any family or friend support. He was all alone in this world, at the ripe age of 19. Just a lonely boy making his money off selling and bartering fish to live a sustainable, survivable life. Amur let it go.
Hongjoong was upset with himself. Yet he didn't know how to show it properly.
The hours he was awake felt like days and days that day.
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1, 2, 3, 4.
Another verse. Another note. Stay on the beat.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
His fingers flew perfectly over the keys, the melodramatic music escaping from the piano's inner strings. Every key was perfect.
"Hongjoong...?"
His fingers slammed down on the piano keys, not moving them as they released a tuneless, screeching noise. It was his free time. Alone time.
He finally let go once a hand rested on his shoulder. He looked over, expecting Jangmi, only to be greeted with Amur's wrinkly smile.
"What are you doing here?" Hongjoong questioned, his tone mildly bitter from the interruption. He threw his legs over the chair, focusing his attention on the duo. Something was up and it left him wildly uncomfortable as he eyed down Amur. Amur only smiled back, moving to the side to let Jangmi have his attention.
"Well, we wanted to lighten your mood since you seemed to be down these couple of days. After a month of sending pianist recommendations, the King wants to see you, Hongjoong," Jangmi finished, her bright gummy smile lighting up the room. In her hands was a white sheet of paper with an envelope behind it. The envelope held a giant, red wax melt with the initials "P.C." written into it. Amur held his smile, chest unmoving, as if he was holding his breath while he studied the boy's expressions and thought process. The two stared, waiting for a response.
