Water Heart | P.Sh

| 10 |

"Sir yes sir," I saluted and he only let out a small laugh at me, clearly seeing how I wasn't taking him serious as a captain. At least I didn't have to say it straight to his face then.

I let out a small sigh as I turned around and looked at the crew on the ship, trying to figure out who to bother with all my question. Eventually my eyes landed on Jiyeon, who almost looked pissed by how she was wrapping the rope.

Without a second thought I rushed over to the mast and looked up towards the climb to the Crow's Nest. I would have to make the climb at some point anyways. I quickly clipped up my skirt in the clips that was attached to my belt before doing my best attempt at crawling up to Jiyeon.

Let me tell you, it was not without a fight. The grip I had on the ladder was slippery and I constantly felt like I was gonna trip. I don't get how Jiyeon made this look so easily, every once in a while even skipping a step on her way up. However, I finally reached the Crow's Nest with much difficulty and I hauled myself up, sitting down on the ground as I finally let myself rest again.

"Welcome up," Jiyeon chuckled at me and I only waved it off as I panted slightly, "it'll get easier with time."

"I suppose you're the only one willing to answer my questions," I excused and waved it off to her as she only hummed with a small nod.

"Ask away," she assured with a small smile.

"What's the meeting about?" I questioned and she only snickered at me.

"We're reaching Isle de la Mort," Jiyeon shrugged and frowned slightly, "but before we reach there we'll have to stop at another pirate town, because we need some information and such. If we're lucky the Flottante will be there by then and it's from them we need a map... so my guess would be... it's a plan that needs to be worked out and one of us have to be bait. But don't worry. I'll make sure I'll be bait, you can't do it without seeing how it's done."

"That... sounds way too complicated for me," I waved it off and she only let out a small laugh, "okay... then what is a Quartermaster?" 

"Jungwon?" she questioned and I nodded, "it's basically just him who is responsible for giving crew members, who break the rules, their punishment and to make sure it is given. Plus if we manage to invade another ship he will be the captain on that one."

"Oh..." I slowly nodded.

"And he technically is the therapist of the crew. If you have any problems or worries you go to him with it and if he sees it necessary he'll go to Jay with it," Jiyeon shrugged with a small smile, "I don't do that of course, but you should."

"Who do you go to then?" I frowned and she only shook her head, "who, Jiyeon?"

"I usually get a chance to go on land to go let out my worries and such in my own way," she excused with a small smile, "don't worry. Any other questions?"

"Carpenter?" I frowned and she simply gestured at herself.

"No... but like usually you would think I was meant to fix anything what is broken on the ship and so, and I do," she excused and kicked to the bunch of entangled ropes by her feet, "but more than often I end up as a medic as well. Turns out, it's the fewest of these men that know how to disinfect a wound."

"You saved Sunghoon's sight," I remarked and she only shook her head in amusement.

"He was actually just lucky that the blade hadn't touched his eye that one time, but I didn't tell him, because then he wouldn't respect me enough," she admitted with a small laugh, making me chuckle as well.

"And what was Sunghoon again?" I frowned at her.

"Boatswain?" she questioned and arched her brow down at me, only making me nod with a small hum, "as weird as it sounds he's actually sort of the one in charge, not Jay that much," Jiyeon pointed out, "it's like... if we say that Jay is the king of the ship, then Sunghoon is his advisor and essentially is the one who decides what is to happen as long as Jay doesn't butt in. For an example Sunghoon insisted on not having you on the ship, but because both Jungwon and Jay disagreed with that decision you got to stay. He also is the one to assure that we have supplies to survive at sea, makes food purchases and such when we're at harbour... as you might've noticed."

"Oh..." I trailed off with a small frown, "that somehow makes sense."

"Exactly," Jiyeon nodded at me, "you don't have to worry that much about him as long as you have Jay on your good side, and you seriously have to mess up to get Jay on your wrong side. He is not one to hold grudges or get angry at specific people."

"Thank you," I murmured and picked at the hem of my skirt, making Jiyeon look down at me with a funny look, through locks of wet and sticky hair, "for being so kind to me."

"It is the bare minimum," she reminded me with a small laugh, "which a lot of the crew seemingly can't live up to... which is pretty sad, but that's how it is."

I watched as Jiyeon frowned momentarily before her smile slowly faded. Something was telling me the treatment I was getting from the crew was only the surface of what she had experienced in the past four years.