Water Heart | P.Sh

| 26 |

It was odd to watch Sunghoon carefully balance two bowls of soup over towards where I sat, his eyes very focused on the two bowls, assuring himself he wasn't spilling any soup at all. 

"Here you go," he murmured quietly and handed me a bowl.

"Thank you," I let out a small laugh as I grabbed the bowl, the way he had wobbled and shakily sat down beside me had looked too funny.

"Don't ask me what it is. I have no idea," he quickly pointed out and I just nodded and happily grabbed the bread that laid in the edge of the soup bowl, "I got the food and that's the most important."

"Preach," I agreed and he let out a small laugh as I took a bite of the bread.

"So... how do you plan for me to fall in love with you?" Sunghoon questioned and I glanced at him, "you know what I mean, don't look at me like that."

"Alright, I'll tell you," I hummed with a small nod, turning my head to look at him, "I'm gonna spend time with you."

"That's... that's it?" he questioned and I nodded at him as his eyebrows furrowed together, "that won't make me fall in love Soomin."

"And neither will insincere actions do," I pointed out with a shrug, "with the time we spend together we'll slowly take a liking to each other and by that I'll be kinder to you and do more things for you. You get what I mean?"

"I gave you two weeks," he reminded and I nodded at him, "Two weeks, not two months."

"Then you better not push me away at any point," I remarked as he only looked at me in disbelief, "oh you heard me, little sailsman... then what is your plan?"

"I was planning on being kinder to you," he shrugged and I hummed, "and in hindsight that actually doesn't seem that much better than what you are gonna do."

"My point exactly," I nodded at him, "you can't force yourself to love someone, but maybe you can manipulate yourself. Who knows? I just agreed on being someone you could at least try and have around for long enough to fall in love."

"I hate to say that I appreciate it," he muttered before casually placing his small slice of bread over in my bowl, "so you can take this instead... I know you miss the baker so, you should get the most bread."

"Ah no no, you need the food," I shook my head and was about to pick it up once again to put back into his bowl.

"I insist," Sunghoon shook his head as he grabbed onto my wrist and slowly smiled at me, "you can keep it."

"Okay..." I trailed off hesitantly, slightly weirded out by his kindness, but as he just said; it would be how he was gonna try to make me fall in love, "but we have to put down one single rule if I have to follow through with this."

"And that is?" he chuckled in amusement.

"When we're at other places with pretty girls, you don't go around and snog any of them," I pointed out and he only nodded slowly, "and I'm serious," I warned with raised eyebrows, "one peck with another girl in the next two weeks and I am not doing this."

"Fair," he nodded at me before glancing to me, "then you're not doing any of the pimping jobs."

"But Jiyeon-" I started and he hummed with a small nod.

"You've seen what Jungwon thinks about it," he casually shrugged, "if I'm not gonna go around and share as much as one peck with another girl, why should you be going around and making advances on other guys just for the sake of the crew?"

"Touché," I murmured and squinted my eyes at him, "but Jiyeon is not doing the job either. So let's hope we don't need someone to seduce anyone."

"We'll send Jay then," he remarked with a small laugh, managing to pull a laugh out of me as well.

"Oh god... and in those dresses," I continued laughing as Sunghoon merely chuckled at me, "why would you give me that image? Now I've lost my appetite!" I complained and smacked his shoulder.

"Ah, nonsense!" he exclaimed before poking the half slice of bread that floated around in my soup, "at least do Sunoo some honor and eat all of your bread!"

"If you insist," I nodded with a small laugh and picked up the slice of bread, letting it finish dripping of the soup before taking a small bite of it.

"And I do insist," Sunghoon nodded in satisfaction as he looked back down at his soup while I watched him intently.

Slowly and quietly my eyes almost automatically got drawn to the locket around his neck, all rusty in its chain. I had forgotten he was wearing it, ever since I got on the ship I had been too overwhelmed by everything that I hadn't even noticed he was still wearing it.

"I have another thing," I admitted and looked back up at his face, watching as his head turned around and he arched a brow at me, "if I manage to make you fall in love with me at the end of those two weeks... I get your locket."

"Ah, not a chance," he shook his head in amusement, "this is mine, have been for three years."

"Oh yeah?" I questioned and he nodded while I glanced back down at the locket, assuring that it was in fact M.S that was engraved on the front of it, "well... it just so happens to be the case that before it was yours, it was mine for roughly... sixteen years."

"No it was not," he snorted and shook his head at me.

"It was," I insisted sternly, "a gift from my grandma, I dropped it in the ocean when I sailed over here. What else... what the heck would M.S even stand for?"

"Marine Sailors," he shrugged and I looked at him with raised eyebrows, almost asking him if he was serious, "Miniscule Snails. Muscular Studs."

"You're an idiot," I commented and he snickered in amusement.

"Well... if it is your locket then what is inside of it?" he questioned and I looked at him in confusion, "if you can't answer then I'm not agreeing to this."

"If they're all still in there, there's a small variety of pearls," I commented and he hummed while squinting his eyes, "a white one for me, a yellow one for Sunoo, purple for my mom, green for my dad, blue for my grandma and red for my brother."

"Is that so?" he questioned and I immediately nodded making him let out a small sigh, "the red one isn't there. But I'll agree to the requirement."

"Thank you," I hummed happily and looked back down at my soup.

"So... have I been kind enough?" he questioned and I chuckled in amusement before simply nodding quietly, "so first day has gone well enough so far."

"You're improving yourself Park Sunghoon," I proudly stated and he only shook his head.

"No no... I'm just showing you the kind side of me," he remarked and I let out a small laugh at him, "it's true! I can be kind!"

"Sure, sure," I nodded at him, "I believe you".