Captain Hongjoong surveys you with stony eyes as you slip into the captain's cabin, your boots padding noiselessly against the decking of the floor. Mingi waits for you outside, having received express orders from the captain – who rarely gives out orders – to leave the two of you to talk alone. It makes you uneasy.
You clear your throat nervously, almost, and cross your arms behind your back – a habit of yours, thanks to your military roots. The captain's lip curls back in disgust.
"Greetings, Captain," you say curtly, unsure of what kind of tone to take. Hostile? Friendly? He had let you stay on his ship thus far. Maybe you should be saying thanks. Or maybe he's called you to let you know that they're going to chuck you off the ship in the middle of nowhere, and hope you make it back to land safely. Maybe not safely, knowing the captain's attitude towards you.
"Welcome," Captain Hongjoong says, his voice as flat and neutral as your voice had just been. He unfolds his arms, stops leaning on his desk, and motions for you to sit as he takes his own seat behind the desk.
"Why...why have you called me here?" you ask inquisitively as you take your seat.
"I heard from Mingi that you have something important about sirens to report to the King," the captain says, a wry, dead smile crossing his face. "'Important siren matters' were your exact words, I believe?"
Damnit, you think to yourself. Why had you told Mingi, whom you don't even know well enough to trust fully? The privilege of your trust only comes with years of companionship, and you pride yourself on this fact, but now you've just gone and blabbered to a pirate – of all people – about the singularly most significant thing in your life right now.
You sigh and pinch the spot between your eyes.
"Yes. Mingi told you correctly," you say with a huff, but carefully keeping your voice neutral, letting none of your panicked interior show. You've been trained well enough for this.
"Can you tell me, then?" Captain Hongjoong asks, his voice carefully pressured so that you almost squirm uncomfortably because of it. He inspects his dagger, as if he isn't subtly enforcing his authority (ironically) over you. He is the captain of this ship; you are but a mere crew member. A new addition, at that. You have nothing – no reputation, no power, nothing.
But despite that quiet insistence, your answer is already decided.
"No," you say decisively. "I'm sorry, but it's confidential – for the King's royal ears only."
"It's not like you're part of the Royal Army anymore," the captain says cuttingly, and you flinch. That hurts.
"My lips are sealed, Captain," you say, swallowing down your ego, raring for a fight in return for the scratch it has just received. "I'll prove my innocence soon enough, then the Royal Army Siren Hunter Association – and me – will deal with the matter."
All of a sudden, the captain slams his hands on the desk and flies out of his seat.
"You know what I hate about every single one of you military bastards?" the captain says, his calm voice flaring up and his levelled expression breaking out of all controlled boundaries as he glares at you. "It's the fact that you think that you're the main character, you're the only one who can solve whatever mess that's been created." He scoffs bitterly. "My father was like that, too." Captain Hongjoong's voice is icy, sharp as he spits out the word 'father' with disdain. "He was a high-ranking official in the Army, and he too insisted that he could handle it – believed his own authority would save our necks from the Royal siren hunters that came knocking at our door one day."
"Why...?" you dare ask, though your tone treads carefully, not wanting to provoke the captain any further. That dagger in his hand, and his fastly whitening knuckles as they tighten around the handle, make you uneasy.
"My mother was a half-siren," the captain says simply, but his expression remains a stony mask of anger. "They found out about it somehow, and my father ended up letting her die because of his own arrogance and big-headedness." The captain takes a deep breath. "So," he says, fixing you with that glare – the one that seems to be reserved especially for you, "that answer your question?"
You're frozen in shock, fighting to keep yourself from spluttering in surprise as you struggle to answer.
"Y-yeah," you manage, and you realise it makes sense why the captain's crew has never met a siren before – they would never attack one of their own, even if only the mere blood of one flowed in his veins. But then, the realisation of something else comes, and suspicion fills you. "Hold up a second," you say. "Why are you telling me this?" you ask. "From what I've heard of the rest of the crew talking, I don't think they know about your siren heritage. I barely know you – and I'm exactly what you hate. Well, was, anyway. Are you going to kill me?"
That's exactly what you would have done if you were to ever spill your own secrets.
"No," Captain Hongjoong says, frowning at you. "Why would I do that?"
"You literally threatened me the first time we met."
"And that was for a plausible reason," the captain shrugs. "But if you're so determined not to tell me, then so be it. We'll drop you off at Saeyang City – since that's outside the borders of the Cheol Kingdom – and you may do as you wish."
The captain's tone has an air of finality about it – and it's a tone you're all too familiar with. It's the one you used to use when you were concluding meetings with your crewmates, usually late into the night when whatever discussion you were having had been going around in circles and you were tired of it. It means that the matter is closed, and no more debate is to be held. Bowing your head in submission, you mutter your dismissal and head out of the room.
Mingi greets you, albeit a little worriedly, as you close the door of the cabin softly behind you. He asks you what had happened, what Captain had asked you, to which you merely shrug and tell him it's a private matter.
"But I'll be leaving soon anyway," you say. "Captain said he'd drop me off at Saeyang City, and then you'll never have to see me again."
Mingi seems upset at this, drooping like a little puppy refused snacks, and for some reason, you feel a pang of guilt throb through you.
Ugh.
Stupid emotions.
* * *
The next few days at sea are uneventful as The Pirate King sails towards the port in Saeyang City. You are both doubtful and excited as you stare out to sea on one of your free shifts, staring out at the endless stretch of blue, the salty breeze ruffling your hair. You've come to close up from the others again, knowing you'll never see these pirates again. And if you ever did, you would meet as enemies – so what even is the point in trying to befriend them?
Your plan is solid; rebuild your life in Saeyang City. Build your influence up so that when you bargain your innocence with the Cheol Kingdom's ruler, he would have no choice but to accept you back into his ranks.
The more rational part of you sighs at your naïvety, but you shrug it off. You're going to go through with this plan, and you are going to succeed.
That's how you reassure yourself as the days pass.
Mingi still lingers around you, but his eyes are reproachful and hurt. You're not sure whether to go over and comfort him or not, seeing as he is the sole resident of this ship to show you even an inkling of kindness.
But your throat closes up, not recognising this foreign emotion, this warm, thick buzzing in your chest that overtakes you whenever you see the tall pirate going about this business.
Your days had always been spent with petty remarks and snarky exchanges in the past. You had never shared genuine feelings with any of your crewmates, staying the cold and calm captain they all needed. Your emotions escaped you years ago when you made your first kill, watching as the unfortunate siren who had the bad luck to swim straight into your trap bled out, its breaths heavily laboured as the last of its life-force faded away.
Emotions are for the weak, you believe, and so you make no move to reconcile with Mingi.
It's a bad choice, you know, but you try and ignore your guilty conscience.
It isn't like you're going to ever meet him again, so what was the point?
Yet something within the pirate, something pulls him to you as the hazy black of land on the horizon comes into sight.
"We're almost here," Mingi says softly as he almost seems to ignore your presence and stares out to see.
You stay silent.
"I think I'm going to miss you, you know," the deep-voiced pirate says. You stare at him incredulously, your mouth hanging open, but too many thoughts are running through your head for you to notice.
"Wh-why...? What have I ever done for you?" you semi-whisper.
"I dunno," Mingi shrugs, his eyes never leaving the rim of water, miles and miles away; unreachable. "You were a nice friend, I guess."
Your heart plunges into your stomach at the pirate's confession. Friends? This man, this godsdamn pirate, has been thinking that the two of you are friends?
You don't know whether you should feel disgusted or grateful.
Or maybe even disappointed in yourself. You, the fearsome captain of The King's Wrath, the best siren hunter of the seas, and an avid hater of pirates – friends with a pirate? What a disgrace.
Mingi turns slightly, and surveys you with pale blue eyes, a slight smile on his face.
"What's the matter? You look horrified," the pirate says with a little grin, and a small chuckle escapes his lips. "Is the idea of being friends with a pirate like me that terrifying to you?"
Yes, you want to say, but your lips stay firmly glued shut.
Mingi smirks.
"So that is the case then," he decides, turning away again. He leans his head back, resting his hands on the back of his neck, and laughs, much to your surprise. "It's fine. I understand you. We all look like horrible, thieving bandits to everyone else. We are horrible people, I guess." The pirate shrugs. "It's not like I knew you that well anyway."
You open your mouth to say something – anything – but your throat closes up once more.
Perhaps you did see Mingi as a friend, and seeing him degrade both himself and his crewmates stirs something within you.
You reach out your hand, but then the sound of song meets your ears, and your stomach drops.