Water Heart | P.Sh

| 2.4 |

Lin seemed to be happily occupied with tidying up the rigging up in one of the crow's nest. So much so that I could leave her behind up in the crow's nest with a good portion of breakfast while I stayed by the helm along with Jay. Sitting on my usual wooden box a bit behind him.

"So what else do I need to know now that I am back?" I questioned as I swung my feet a bit back and forth - kicking my skirt out each time.

"Well... Jake joined us," Jay remarked and I nodded, "however, we lost Jungwon's ship to the Flottante, shortly before Sunghoon and Jiyeon were arrested. We've been sailing around restlessly because we can't really berth anywhere... and now... we have a plan to break out Sunghoon and Jiyeon in a week."

"And how will you do that?" I questioned and shoved my hands under my thighs.

"We'll sail you in to the city they're being held in. Jake will row the boat. You'll report to a guard on the dock that you just escaped from the ship and can give your witness testimony to prosecute both Sunghoon and Jiyeon," Jay calmly explained.

"You'll get the executed," I remarked and he immediately shook his head and glanced over his shoulder at me with a smug smile.

"Quite the opposite. You'll cause a scene when you have to explain what they've done to you, and while all guards rush to tend to you and your panick we send in our people, get them out in time for you to quit your act and ask to be escorted back to the dock and be left alone to get some fresh air. We pick you up again and we sail on," Jay shrugged, "we'll probably celebrate at one of the pirate towns we'll pass."

"Okay..." I hummed and he looked back over at me, a small frown tugging in his right eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"I need to ask something of you," I sighed and he nodded, letting go of the wheel and looking at me completely, "can you promise me Lin and Sunoo will be safe?"

"Well... no," he shook his head, "you know I can't promise that. You can't sail on a pirate ship and be safe," he reminded and I pursed my lips in dismay, "but... I guess I can promise you that we'll do our best to protect them."

"Where's Jungwon?" 

"Round and about," Jay excused and turned back to the wheel, "try down in my sleeping chamber. He's been sitting down there and trying to plot everything out for days now."

I quietly jumped down from the box I sat on and sent Jay a knowing look as he simply shrugged. Quickly I had jumped down from the helm and turned right back around to such into Jay's sleeping chamber that was just under the helm.

Exactly as Jay had explained, Jungwon sat bent over the table in the middle of the room. His head hanging in his hands as he sighed. He hadn't even heard me.

"So... when were you going to welcome me back on board?" I questioned and closed the door carefully behind me.

"Hm?" Jungwon's head lifted from his hands and he looked over at me in a confused daze, "Soomin," a slow smile spread on his face and in two long steps he was hugging me, "my goodness I've missed you."

"Likewise," I hummed, trying to ignore how he was hugging the air out of my lungs.

"You have to listen to my plan," he gasped and quickly dragged me over to the table, "so if we just stay at the dock in the night no one will notice us and I can get in and get Ji out without anyone noticing."

"Jungwon..." I winced slightly as I looked over all the maps and calculations he had laying around, softly brushing his hand off of my wrist, "I don't know what place they're holding them, but I can almost definitively assure you that the place is gonna be heavily guarded both day and night," I softly reminded and hummed as the smile on his face slowly disappeared, "Jay already has a plan on how to get them out."

"I know..." Jungwon murmured quietly and scratched the side of his nose.

"It'll work just fine, and I assure you we'll get her out," I patted his back softly, only resulting in a heavy sigh from Jungwon, "what is it?"

"He won't let me go on land to get her out," Jungwon quietly admitted and slumped back down in his seat.

"How come?" I questioned and leaned my butt against the table and crossing my arms over my chest as I looked down at him. 

He was quietly glancing around at all his papers, tracing small patterns on the armrests of the wooden chair he had fallen back into. Clearly contemplating his answer.

"He doesn't trust me," Jungwon eventually revealed finally looking up at me and shaking his head slightly to get his hair out of his eyes, "says I've been too torn about all of this. He fears I'll be reckless if I go on land."

"Maybe that's for the best," I reminded and he glanced at me in such a way that I was sure he didn't trust me, "imagine it becomes a great hassle to get them out. People get injured and they'll be shaken up after everything they've been through. Perhaps it's for the best that you'll be waiting here, unharmed and ready to take care of her in whatever way is needed. Imagine you get seriously injured and can't be there. Maybe it is better."

"You'll be there," Jungwon remarked.

"Yeah... but I don't have my face on mutiple posters around these islands. I'm going in as a victim and they'll look at me as a victim," I reminded him, "Jungwon I honestly think it's best if you stay here and wait for her."

"What if she gets injured?" Jungwon questioned.

"How will you help her on the island? If she gets injured we'll have to treat her on the ship anyways. We can't stop a fight just because she got injured," I reminded him, "promise you'll stay back here and wait with the medical box."

"Alright," he huffed after a few seconds, "but then she has to get back here as well."

"Definitely."

"Unharmed.

"Possibly."

"Soomin..."

"Jungwon..."

I let out a small chuckled when I noticed how he was looking at me with annoyance more than stubbornness.

"Stay patient," I ruffled his hair before wandering over towards the door, wanting to leave him be with his small project, "go down and have a rest, alright? I have never seen your eye bags so heavy before."