Where the sea sleeps [HoonHao] ✔

10

"Will they be okay by themselves?" Dino queries on their way into town. He walks shoulder to shoulder with Scoups who doesn't seem to mind this. In fact, there's the smallest of smiles on his face every chance he has to glance at Dino.

"They'll be okay," Minghao assures. "Mingyu can fend for himself. Hoshi can fend for the both of them if the need arises." He's walking a little ahead of the group. He's got his head held high and his shoulders back, walking with such confidence that, if he were dressed any more formally, he could be mistaken for someone of high class.

The nice thing about where they were was that the way they dressed resembled the way every male dressed around here. Everyone had on loose fitted clothing; white sweaters or shirts and loose pants. Some of them walked barefoot and if not, they had on boots just like he and the rest of the crew did. The fact that they blended in brought him some sort of comfort. A comfort he definitely did not feel when he was alone on that boat. Or when he was first brought onto the ship.

"This is the inn," Minghao informs as they arrive outside the little building. "You guys can go on and explore if you want. Be back here before it gets too dark, okay?"

Before he knows it, the rest of them disperse and Minghao disappears into the building. Unsure as to where the rest of them went, he chooses to follow after Minghao who, upon seeing him, lifts his brows in surprise. Woozi chooses not to say the reason he's tagged along with him, instead looking over to the girl as she makes her way over to them.

"Cash?" she queries right as Minghao hands the money over. He nods his head in the direction of the door as if gesturing to the crew despite them not being there.

"They'll be here before dark. I'll point them out to you."

Gingerly, she accepts the money and turns her gaze to the book. "If you're staying, I can offer you a drink."

"On the house?"

With a scoff and roll of her eyes, she shuts the book with extra emphasis and in the blink of an eye, she's disappeared through the doors to the left. Minghao looks to Woozi in question.

"Think I'm getting that free drink?"

"Not any time soon," he murmurs.

Of course, the girl returns with three glasses which she places in a line on the counter. In one swift motion, she's opened one of the bottles lining the shelf until the glass is filled halfway. "First drink is on the house," she says stiffly. "Anything after, you're paying for."

"I can work with that."

"Do you perhaps have a name perhaps?" he asks as soon as he registers the third glass and for whom she was pouring it. He realizes that the chances of Minghao asking for her name were minimal; the moment he had the glass in his hand, it was clear he was no longer paying attention to his surroundings. As he plopped himself down by a table, he turns his head to look out of a window, rested his chin in his hand with his elbow supporting him and kept his hand curled tightly around the glass.

"Nayoung," she replies in that same tone as before. "Im Nayoung," she says as her eyes scan him up and down. Tilting her head ever so slightly so that her chin is upward, she arches a brow. "Do you have a name?"

"I go by Woozi."

Her laugh sends a jolt through him. He hadn't realized that the name he went by with the crew might have been odd to other people. Not until he saw the way she threw her head back, full on laughing. "That's not a name," she says between laughs, her head in a constant shaking motion. "You're joking, right? C'mon, tell me what's your name."

"I just did—"

"Honestly—"

"I have told you my name. Whether you choose to believe it or not is your decision."

"Well, I don't believe it—"

"Could you leave the kid alone?" While he knew who the voice belonged to, he almost didn't recognise it. The emptiness in Minghao's voice chilled him to the bone. Turning his head, surprise flashes through him when he meets Minghao's gaze. It's almost as empty as the tone of his voice. There's no hint of emotion and it is the lack of said emotion and how natural it seemed that triggered the thought. He could see this being an everyday Minghao, despite how terrifying it was, and he wonders if there was ever a time where it was. Where this Minghao was a constant presence and the one he currently got to see every other day was nothing but a replacement; a cover. "He told you his name. Accept it."

There's an unsettling feeling in his stomach and maybe it's because of the way he's speaking and how different it is, but he doubts it. In truth, he thinks it has to do with the fact that while she had pressed on when he insisted it was his name, the moment Minghao insisted, she pressed her lips together and backed away. He officially felt like nothing; it was enough that he couldn't remember a thing, but when he was laughed at and ignored when telling someone about himself, it hurt a little more than it should have. It reminded him that, with a lack of knowledge on himself, he was nothing. He couldn't back up arguments or certain actions or words with a reason when he knew nothing. It made him feel all kinds of negative.

"Woozi."

He doesn't look back as he walks over to the table with his drink. Taking a seat across from Minghao, he slides his glass across the table. "You can have it," is all he says as he turns his attention out of the window.

"Woozi? Is everything"

Before he can finish his sentence, there's a little cheer and an exclaimed 'I found them'. A moment later, they're joined by Vernon and Dino. Scoups takes the empty seat to his left and watches as Minghao downs the glass Woozi had passed on.

"You could afford a drink?" As soon as the words pass through his lips, three drinks are placed, alongside their keys. After the drinks are downed, they play a game to decide the rooms.

At first, Vernon and Dino ended up together while Woozi had a room alone. Scoups made a query; he wanted Dino as his roommate so, completely ignoring the original game, they went for a trade. Vernon agreed to it so long as he got a room alone which of course, Woozi didn't mind handing over.

Minghao stared at him, eyes intense.

At the very least, there was emotion in them and Woozi would take it any day. It made the idea of rooming with Minghao all the more comforting.

He doesn't know what he would do if he were rooming with intense, emotionless Minghao and he'd prefer not finding out.