While waiting for dinner everyone was scared of what Ma would be serving them, but their noses were pleasantly surprised once they walked into the room. A savoury aroma mixed with a sweet undertone lingered in the dining room. Ma was quickly plating up while the crew all took their seats, Pou was the most surprised since he had suffered the longest and he looked at what Ma was serving. On the large plates were roast meat on top of a bed of pan seared tomatoes, beside the meat was a light salad of strawberries and oranges mixed with fresh leafy greens. Pou almost felt like pinching himself after seeing the beautiful meal and he couldn't stop from asking.
"Ma, where did you learn to cook like this? Have you been reading Wang Bao's books in secret?"
Ma roughly tore her apron off while answering Pou.
"Do I look like I have time to read, I simply watched the boy."
The compliments rained on Ma as everyone ate happily, Lani had also seated himself at the table since Wang Bao was sleeping too heavily to wake for a meal. At the other end of the table, Nakai side-eyed him before he concentrated on his meal. Lani also side-eyed Nakai but his gaze was more obvious thanks to his lingering eyes. To help rub in that Wang Bao was staying in his room Lani spoke up.
"Hopefully you don't mind trading roomies for a night or two, Nakai."
The table chatter quietened down as Lani turned to stare at Nakai, waiting for him to say something but what he heard, he wasn't expecting.
"Your roommate is staying in someone else's room. Also, why should I care where Wang Bao sleeps?"
Everyone sitting at the table aside from Ma looked between both men, unsure of the atmosphere around them. Lani tried to hide his surprise but failed by asking.
"There's nothing between you two?"
Lani gripped his cutlery tightly while waiting for Nakai's answer. At the other end of the table, Nakai slowly cut his meat before answering without a care.
"I'm simply a guide, that's as far as our relationship goes."
Everyone was shocked by Nakai's answer. Ever since the two newbies had entered this ship, everyone thought Nakai and Wang Bao were at least close friends, if not in a relationship. Lani seemed to be the only one who was happy by the answer and carried on eating without starting anything else. Pou also felt the way Nakai answered didn't match the way they interacted with each other, but he stayed quiet and enjoyed the good food. After the meal the crew washed and dried the dishes while others cleaned the kitchen and dining room, Nakai was let off with no work because Ma felt he was still affected from being in the engine room for too long, and sent him to bed. In the room he laid on the large bed, naked once again.
Nakai's eyes were closed but his mind was racing with thoughts. He thought about Nera and Raia, hoping they were well then he thought about his time at the palace in Man country. He wondered what Queen Mother's plan was, and why she would be hiding behind the authority of the King when he wasn't in the palace. Thinking about Queen Mother quickly led him to think about Wang Bao. Nakai thought over the deal they had made and the reasons he had for making such a perverted offer in the first place. If Wang Bao were to know the truth, Nakai knew they would part ways instantly. The thought of separating was tempting toNakai but also made him feel reluctant. All these burdensome thoughts passed through Nakai's mind until he fell asleep.
. . . . . .
The next day Wang Bao stayed in bed as well. The ship had made enough distance between them and Man country for Pou to feel comfortable taking the crew out for a diving lesson. They hadn't made it out to open sea yet and not too far from the ship were shallow reefs, perfect for the first time divers. Nakai had done basic diving training when he first entered into the military, but it had been a while and he was eager to get into the water and work his muscles. Most of the other crewmates were excited as well while a couple were scared. Pou stood on the top deck alongside everyone; tanks along with a clear face cover and wetsuits had been handed out to everyone. After everyone had their suits on, Pou told everyone seriously.
"Check your partners tanks, today will be a simple speargun fishing, make sure to bag whatever you catch because Ma said we're having hotpot."
Nakai checked Pou's tank before Pou did the same to him. After everyone was geared up they made their way down the gangway and into the cold water. In the distance there was a small green island, the land wasn't owned by any country but the Sea people usually used it as a mail depot. The water was a deep blue and various sized sea creatures swam lazily under the water. Some of the crew freaked out at the ominous sight and tried to rush back to the boat, but Pou warned them over the mics attached to their face cover.
"Stay calm. Move slowly and try to relax, most of these creatures don't eat meat, and the ones that do are too small to cause any damage."
Pou was about to say that fast movements in the water would also draw them closer, but he held off that information in case they started to freak out again. Nakai and Pou were the most confident when it came to being in the deep water, and they made sure to keep a keen eye on their surroundings to protect the rest of the crew. They slowly made their way further away from the ship towards the reed, and when they could see the sandy floor of the sea, everyone dove down towards the rocks. Sea urchins and shellfish of different kinds stayed close to the rocks, making it easy for the crew to bag a few for their dinner. Out of the beginner divers, Lani had become accustomed to diving quickly, and he roamed around the rocks by himself until he found a pretty shell with no meat inside. After Lani bagged the pretty object, he wanted to return to the group but he felt something wrap around his ankle. Pou and Nakai both saw the large tentacle creature in the distance, Pou helped the rest of the crew to draw back towards the ship while Nakai swam forward.
A thick bright pink tentacle wrapped around Lani's ankle with a tight grip and another tentacle started to wriggle up his leg. Lani was beginning to panic and he tried to swim away but his body wasn't moving forward. Nakai swam past Lani towards the head of the large creature, the majority of its body was hidden behind the reef, and the creature had to be close to five times bigger than Nakai. Swimming back to Lani, Nakai used his knife he had in a carrier attached to his thigh to slice at the thick meaty tentacle. Black blood seeped out of the cuts Nakai made. and it became difficult to see but he was able to free Lani. Nakai pushed Lani towards the ship, through their headset they could hear Pou say seriously.
"Lani, swim back to the crew."
Pou had just arrived but started slicing at the pink tentacles that were trying to slither their way around his body. Nakai's leg had already been wrapped around with a thick tentacle like Lani, but he stayed calm and focused on the skinnier tentacles coming for his arms and head. Once Pou had a free way out, he swam to Nakai's side and freed his leg. The water around them had become clouded with black blood, creating an ominous atmosphere. Nakai had never seen a creature with so many tentacles before, and knew they couldn't stay to hack at its legs all day. Nakai spoke into the mic and acted like the military leader he was.
"Get back onto the ship everyone. Pou swim down to the rocks, stay in the crevices, it shouldn't go after you if you stay hidden."
Nakai and Pou quickly moved out of the murky black cloud of water. Nakai swam towards the back area of the reef and found the main body of the creature again. At a closer distance Nakai could see the head of the large beast was like a bulbous sack made of clear pink jelly, hundreds of tentacles slithered close to where Nakia was moving. When Nakai swam a little closer, he could see thick black veins running through the jelly-like flesh. Aside from the veins, the only other thing that wasn't clear was a thick tube running from the base of the body to the top. The creature had no eyes but it didn't need them since the tentacles were its sensors. After only a few seconds of looking at the creature, skinny tentacles the size of a finger shot out at Nakai with lightning speed; Instead of fighting off tens of tentacles that wrapped around his legs, Nakai only sliced at the tentacles that tried to crush his chest and throat. With black blood discolouring the water around him, Nakai found himself being dragged closer to the body of the beast like he had hoped. The crew hadn't listened when they were told to get back on the ship, and when they saw what was happening to Nakai in the distance, they started shouting over the mic wondering what was happening.
After only a few seconds of being dragged through the water, Nakai was given a view of the circular mouth at the base of the body. With a few slices at the thin tentacles around his legs, Nakai kicked his legs in order to swim into the mouth of the creature. Nakai quickly used his strong arms to hold the mouth open in order to stop the razor sharp teeth from killing him. After he had a strong foothold, Nakai jumped up into the creature's clear throat and used his knife to stop himself from falling back into the mouth filled with sharp teeth. There was no water inside the beast's throat, and instead of blurring his vision the black blood oozed from the shallow wound and Nakai crawled deeper down the creature's throat. Halfway down the tight canal, Nakai could feel a strong pulsating beat against the opaque pink flesh and he knew he was close to the heart of the beast. Nakai used his feet to dig into the throat in order to keep his body upright before he hacked at the clear flesh surrounding him. More black blood squirted out of the small hole but he kept cutting.
On the outside, the creature retracted its tentacles and its entire body began to shrivel in on itself. Nakai had become soaked in inky blood but he kept slashing, Nakai's wrist and bicep had started to burn from the amount of strength it took to retract and push his arm, and he could feel the fleshy tunnel he was trapped in started to constrict a little. Nakai didn't stop until he punctured through the thick heart and the throbbing pulse of the creature's heart stopped thumping. With the creature dead Nakai slithered back the way he came. The dead body had become so shrivelled and tense that it made it hard for Nakai's large body to move, but he continued to force his body down. The tight throat slowly started to cling to his body but before he could become stuck, he reached the mouth of the dead beast. Nakai held his knife in his mouth and used his hands to grab onto the sharp teeth of the creature. His arms burned from exhaustion as he pulled his body out of the tight throat.
Luckily the teeth were curved outward otherwise Nakai would've been sliced a thousand times. Once he reached the outer opening of the mouth, Nakai used his knife to chop at the tight muscle. He cut the jelly meat until his arms could no longer move when suddenly, he saw another blade break through from the other side. Nakai's head piece had stopped working after almost being suffocated meaning he hadn't been able to inform Pou about his safety. Pou slashed at the dead meat with all his strength until he made a small opening, Nakai practically birthed himself from the dead creature into the cold water, and the inky blood that had covered his diving suit was washed away from the sudden submersion. Pou laughed out of relief when he saw Nakai's body move, and he dragged Nakai back to the ship. On the top deck Ma was waiting for Pou and Nakai, her old face filled with a mix of anger and worry. The crew had already been forced back up by Ma, and the small old lady was checking over Lani's body to see if he was injured but she couldn't see since he was still in his wetsuit. Lani felt fine though and quietly motioned for Ma to give him some space, before taking his wetsuit off. Everyone gasped at the sight of Lani's legs, Lani's eyes widened from shock as he exclaimed loudly.
"Look at the bruises those suckers left."
Lani's right leg was mottled with round blue and purple bruises but there were no other injuries to his body. Pou and Nakai slowly walked up the gangway, out of breath from the long swim and steps once they finally made it up to the top deck. As soon as Ma caught sight of them, she walked over and punched Pou's thighs before dragging Nakai down to the dining area. Ma forced Nakai to take everything off so she could see if he was injured. Unlike when Wang Bao was unconscious, the crew didn't try to force their way into the dining area. Instead they waited in the hallway to hear if Nakai was all right. Lani was the only one to push his way into the room, an obvious look of worry plastered on his face.
If Lani's legs looked bad, Nakai 's body looked ten times worse. Large and small round bruises appeared almost black on the skin of his legs, arms and torso. Lani felt he had caused Nakai to become injured and he asked with a guilty face.
"Is he all right, Ma?"
Lani waited at the front of the room while Ma looked over Nakai's entire body, along with the countless bruises, there were small cuts and grazes. The smaller tentacles had been the cause of the majority of Nakai's open wounds but there was nothing too serious. Pou slipped his way past Lani who hadn't been given an answer and slapped Nakai on the shoulder, a little shocked at how unscathed he was. Before Lani died from guilt, Pou told him in a light tone.
"He's fine, just a little worse off than you. What the hell made you think being eaten alive was the best case scenario down there?"
Pou turned his attention back to Nakai, unsure whether the Giant was stupid or a mad genius. Before answering, Nakai gently pushed Ma away, and he sat up to cover his lower half with his wetsuit.
"There was no way the two of us could take on that thing from the outside. There were hundreds of tentacles. It was the only logical way."
Lani suddenly spoke up once he heard this, the look of guilt still evident on his face.
"I'm sorry, I was the one who alerted that creature and because of that, you had to risk your own life."
Lani stood in front of Nakai showing a deep remorse for his actions but Nakai hadn't taken anything to heart and he simply shrugged his shoulders. Stating there was nothing to apologise for but Lani didn't accept it.
"No, I have become indebted to you. I will find a way to repay you somehow."
Nakai was becoming uncomfortable with Lani's puppy-like attention directed at him and he quickly shook his head.
"Just stop glaring at me everytime we meet and we're even."
Nakai stood up to leave and was surprised to find Wang Bao standing in the doorway. His face was still sickly pale with burnt red cheeks, but it looked like his body had regained a lot of its energy after sleeping. Lani immediately forgot Nakai existed and he ran over, his arm snaking its way around Wang Bao's waist.
"You should be resting. Are you hungry?"
Wang Bao didn't know the crew had gone diving, and his eyes moved away from Nakai's bare body to Lani's bruised legs that weren't covered by his shorts. He answered Lani with a confused voice.
"Yeah, I'm thirsty too. What happened to you two?"
Wang Bao's eyes linger on Lani's legs then on Nakai's close to nude bruised body. Before either Nakai or Lani could answer, the crew behind Wang Bao all blurted out the different scenarios that had unfolded under the water, almost giving Wang Bao another headache. Lani quickly quietened everyone down when he saw Wang Bao wince from the sudden loud noise, and tried to get Wang Bao to return to his room but was refused.
"My muscles are aching from not moving, besides I feel much better now. Thank you for taking care of me Lani."
Lani's face beamed with joy and he quickly dug into his shorts, bringing out a small iridescent shell in the shape of a perfect circle. Wang Bao had already moved to sit at a table when the shell was placed on the table in front of him. The crew had seen enough and made their excuses to leave the area, Pou and Ma headed into the kitchen to prepare dinner while Nakai made his way back to his room. Wang Bao felt the atmosphere change and he became a little on guard. Before Wang Bao could ask what was happening, Lani sat beside him and spoke in a serious tone.
"Bao, I feel like I should make my feelings clear at this stage. I know it's only been a short time since we've known each other but I trust my heart. I like you and I hope you can accept my feelings openly."
Wang Bao had never been confessed to before and the colour in his pale face changed to a bright red to match his cheeks. He knew Lani felt strongly towards him but he thought it would fizzle out or stay as a small crush. Lani sat patiently beside Wang Bao with a gentle smile, and the kind gesture made Wang Bao feel stuck.
"I-I think I need a little time to think about it."
Lani understood and agreed before taking his leave. The beautiful shell shined under the lights but it made Wang Bao feel sad. Pou and Ma took turns peeking at Wang Bao who continued to stare at the shell. Wang Bao already knew he didn't have feelings for Lani, maybe in another life where he wasn't being chased by his deranged Mother and his brother hadn't left him, they could have been lovers but Wang Bao couldn't bring it in himself to accept someone's feelings when there was no guarantee they would see each other again.
Wang Bao sighed every few seconds before a small piece of chocolate was placed beside the shell. When he looked up, Wang Bao saw Ma was eating a piece herself. She patted Wang Bao's hand before whispering with great difficulty.
"It's better to break his heart now. Waiting will only make the heart grow fonder, especially for someone like Lani."
"....Okay."
Wang Bao stuffed the chocolate in his mouth and took the small shell in his hand firmly before making his way to Lani's room. He didn't need to knock since the door was left open and he walked inside. Wang Bao saw Lani was sitting on his bed quietly and slowly walked over to do the same. Despite his fear of hurting Lani, Wang Bao placed the shell into Lani's hand. The sudden sadness in Lani's eyes hurt Wang Bao's heart, but he knew it was for the best like Ma had said. Forcing himself to look Lani in the eye, Wang Bao apologised softly.
"I'm sorry Lani, I can't accept your feelings. I wanted to see if I could force myself to try since you're very kind to me but I couldn't find it in me to do that to you."
Lani looked as if he was on the verge of crying but held it back, and showed Wang Bao his usual gentle smile while saying.
"It's okay, Bao. Don't feel bad, I knew deep down you were going to say no. I just wanted to try."
The small shell was pushed back into Wang Bao's hands with Lani's large and calloused hands before they were closed shut.
"Keep it, it was a gift."
Afterwards Wang Bao slowly left the room and walked into his own bedroom, Nakai was laying on the bed naked like always, and Wang Bao couldn't help but feel better at the sight. Wang Bao quickly walked into the shower cubicle and threw a clean towel at Nakai. Screaming at the top of his lungs.
"Cover your damn body, you pervert!"