Chapter Text
“Lee Jihoon, your presence is requested on the main deck. Captain Donghyun has given an order for your immediate attention,” ordered a deep, yet striking voice. Jihoon sluggishly rolled over to face the tall man standing beside his bed.
“What is this for now, Sangkyu? If you don’t mind my asking, that is,” Jihoon drowsily asked, his voice quite hoarse. A quick glance out the porthole indicated to him that it was still the dead of night. What could possibly be so important that his sleep needed to be disturbed? He had three assistant physicians, and yet Donghyun was calling for him in particular.
“I am not too sure, Jihoon,” he responded. “Based on the scraps of information that I overheard, it sounded like Lieutenant Jihyuk from an associate ship has sent over a dispatch vessel with a message. Most of the officers aren’t informed on what exactly it’s about, sir.”
Jihoon let out a loud groan. He was rather annoyed about this, but he couldn’t just show that. After all, it was his duty to serve his team until his death. He signed up for this. “Allow me a few to get ready,” he asked Sangkyu, then giving him instructions to give to their Captain. “Relay to Donghyun that I will be there shortly. I am in no position to face him with my current attire.” Jihoon had only his sleeping garments on, and if it was important that wasn’t necessarily what he wanted to present to everyone. Sangkyu returned his order with a simple nod, and with not another word, he proceeded out the door, closing it gently behind him.
After lying in bed for a few more seconds to digest everything, Jihoon begrudgingly pulled himself out of bed and dragged himself over to his dresser to at least put on his coat.
Upon swiftly putting it on and buttoning it up, a quick glance into his small mirror made me realize how much of a mess he looked currently: His hair was all over the place; the white, loose pants of his nightly attire clashed with the royal blue and gold coat thrown tightly over his baggy white shirt; and finally the moonlight shining into his quarters, reflected on the deep, crimson ruby crystal tied around his neck. It was clear and smooth, as if it had just been polished.
He honestly hated how much it stood out sometimes. It would always prompt questions. ‘Where did you get this? Did someone give it to you? Can I touch it? Can I have it? Are you rich?’ These questions agitated him to no end. He would always answer with the same thing, but that answer never made its way around, as Jihoon found himself answering it quite often. The necklace had been passed down in his family for generations, so many that the exact origin and background behind it was unclear. He thought the questions asking if they could touch or have it were utterly absurd. Obviously , the answer was no. In fact, he has rarely, if ever, even taken the crystal off since it was given to him. Why would he ever let someone have it?
Jihoon ran his hands through his hair, trying to fix it up one last time before exiting his quarters. He let out a deep sigh. “What could this be…?” He asked himself. The fact that Captain Donghyun wanted the head physician specifically over any of the assistants puzzled him. Jihoon was very confident in all his assistants abilities. Over the last few years, he had been their mentor. He was honestly convinced that they were more skilled than him at this point. Jihoon was trying to convince himself it was nothing, but something was bothering him.
Finally after more brief stalling, Jihoon made his way out of his quarters. He made sure to navigate the narrow halls quietly so as to not disturb the rest of his team who was still sleeping peacefully— something he really wanted to do right now. It was a short walk up to the main deck, although he wasn’t even there for a second before Donghyun caught sight of him and flagged him down. “Lee Jihoon!” He called, beckoning him. “Over here!”
He hastily made his way over to his Captain, who honestly looked even more exhausted than him. Standing beside him was Lieutenant Chaho and two other people unfamiliar to him. Once Jihoon was properly in front of them, he politely bowed to his superiors. “At your service, Captain.” He turned next to Chaho, “As well as yours, sir.”
Chaho dipped his head in respect. “Thank you for your urgency, Physician Jihoon. We may now proceed with our objectives.” He turned his head to Donghyun, who returned a nod as well. “Donghyun will provide you with the information now.” Jihoon waited for him to speak.
“Once again, thank you for your urgency at such an early hour,” he expressed gratefully. “You are probably questioning why you were summoned in place of your assistants, yes?” Jihoon gave a quick nod. “The matters at hand are rather pressing right now.”
Donghyun then directed his attention to the two people beside him that were unknown to Jihoon. “This is Yoo Youngsoo and Ryu Kwangjin. They are crew members of Captain Hyunbin and Lieutenant Jihyuk’s ship.” Jihoon continued to nod to indicate he was following along. He wasn’t too sure where this was going yet. Donghyun continued, “Lieutenant Jihyuk dispatched the two of them to deliver us a message. It's both exceptional and worrisome.”
That really wasn’t what Jihoon wanted to hear at the crack of dawn. His Captain resumed, “Captain Hyunbin was able to capture the infamous, elusive Serenity pirate crew.” Jihoon raised his eyebrows in disbelief. The Serenity crew was known for escaping every trap and danger set for them, and he’s being told they’ve been captured. It’s almost laughable.
“We do not jest, Jihoon. It is true,” Lieutenant Chaho spoke up again, affirming his words. “Youngsoo and Kwangjin can assure you.” Turning his head to the two others, they both nodded brightly. Jihoon figured they were newer recruits just looking at them. They looked to be 18, possibly younger. Even if they caught this crew, Jihoon knew they’d probably escape sooner or later. It was just a matter of time, right?
“Under my assumption, that was the exceptional news, yes? Then, what may be the worrisome news?” Jihoon asked. He assumed it included major injuries from battle, so he was not surprised when Donghyun responded with just that.
“Jihyuk’s Head Physician, Myungsik, was fatally injured, as well as one of his assistants,” explained Donghyun. “This is the task I will be entrusting to you. In a few hours, we will be making contact with Captain Hyunbin. You, Sangkyu, Taewoo, and Sohee are to help treat their crew’s wounds. From what I heard so far, it sounds like the fighting was brutal and resulted in many injuries.” Jihoon nodded in understanding.
“Yes, Captain,” Jihoon bowed again. “It is my duty.” Jihoon hated seeing others injured, but he was grateful he was able to assist in the best ways possible. Many people did not have access to this kind of assistance. He wished they did.
“You may take your leave now,” Donghyun informed. “Either I or my lieutenants will send for you when it is almost time for contact.” Jihoon, however, had a few more questions burning in his mind. He figured most of them would go unanswered, but also figured why not give it a shot and ask at least one of them.
“Thank you, Captain. Although, I have one more question if I may,” he asked.
“You may ask,” Donghyun responded.
“What are we planning on doing with the Serenity crew?”
Donghyun stared blankly at him for a second, before clearing his throat. “…I do not know. That is something Hyunbin and I must discuss with Admiral Ilhwan.”
Jihoon did not like that answer. He sensed dishonesty in his Captain’s tone. However, he played it off in front of him, dipping his head in acknowledgment. “Understood, Captain. I will be taking my leave now then.” Bowing once more to his Captain and Lieutenant, he headed off. To where exactly? Well, he didn’t really know yet.
Now that he was awoken, he couldn’t just fall back asleep. It wasn’t that simple. Perhaps he would go and find Sangkyu again. He was probably on duty somewhere, plus, he should probably tell him and his other two assistants what they need to do here shortly.
For a few minutes, Jihoon roamed the ship aimlessly. Looking out into the vast sea, sometimes, fragments of his childhood would appear in his vision. He had always loved the ocean as a child. It’s what inspired him to be here now. Helping others and living his dream at sea, what more could he ask for? Yet, he still longed for something. Perhaps in moments like this, he really did miss his family— his home. He grasped the ruby crystal dangling from his neck tightly. It always gave him strength. He only wished he knew the backstory behind it.
“Jihoon?” A gentle, light voice called. He released his grip on the necklace, turned around, and met eyes with his youngest assistant, Sohee. “What are you doing out here?”
Jihoon laughed, “Ironically, I was going to look for you, Sangkyu, and Taewoo.”
“Ah, really? We were actually all just together in the medical bay,” she told him. Jihoon realized he was stupid for not checking there first. “Did you need us for something?”
Jihoon shook his head. “Not at this exact moment, but I need to inform you of some duties we will need to perform in the coming hours. Could you take me to the others?”
“Of course, sir,” she nodded. “They are probably still in the area.”
Jihoon and Sohee started to make their way to the medical bay in silence. Jihoon considered the three of his assistants to be the closest thing he had to friends on the ship. Although, it could still be rather awkward sometimes. Even though they were all closer to each other than some other officers, their relationship remained professional in many aspects.
Soon enough, they found their way to the destination. Jihoon took initiative and opened the door. Luckily both Sangkyu and Taewoo were there. “Oh, hey Jihoon!” Taewoo called. He was the most casual of the three, but understood when he had to be professional.
“What brings you here?” Sangkyu asked. “I was sure you’d be asleep right now.”
“Oh yes, Sangkyu. I’m definitely sleeping right now,” Jihoon rolled his eyes. “I can’t fall back asleep that easily, let alone after what absurd things I’ve been told.”
“Absurd things?” Sohee inquired. “Does this relate to the duties you mentioned?”
“Ah, do we have duties to tend to?” Taewoo questioned.
“Not right now, Taewoo. In a few hours though, yeah. Captain wanted all of our help.”
“For…?” Sangkyu asked inquiringly. “Are you always this vague?” He giggled.
Jihoon rolled his eyes. “For starters, I have to find the words to even say it…” He paused, thinking for a moment. “ Apparently , Captain Hyunbin and his crew caught the Serenity crew.”
“Huh?” Taewoo choked out. “You’re lying, right?” Jihoon shook his head. “Oh my god.”
“My reaction as well,” Jihoon said, “Though, I am unsure of what exactly is planned regarding their capture. What does capturing them give to us?”
“Money,” Sangkyu’s hard voice interrupted. “ Everything’s for money. My guess is that Donghyun and Hyunbin are going to meet with Admiral Ilhwan, and then he’ll take them from there and deliver the crew to the Royal Family. Then, our fleets get the money for the capture.”
“That makes sense,” Sohee nodded. “They’ve apparently been sought after for ages…”
Jihoon admitted it all made sense, but his gut feeling from the conversation earlier was telling him that wasn’t all. Donghyun seemed to have… other plans.
Jihoon spoke up again, “Moving on from that, Lieutenant Jihyuk sent a dispatch vessel following the capture. It informed us of that news, but also that Myungsik was fatally wounded during it. Many of their crew members were injured, so we are ordered to assist.”
“I would help regardless of his orders,” Sohee replied. “I hope Myungsik is alright…”
“As do I,” Taewoo seconded. Sangkyu and Jihoon nodded their heads as well. All four of them were familiar with Myungsik. He was a lot older than all of them, and he gave much advice to all of them over the years. He was their mentor basically. Jihoon would never forget him or his lessons. He had such an impact on him. “Pirates are truly cruel, aren’t they?”
“Depends on who you ask,” Sangkyu explained. “Some crews attack us on sight and some will attempt to flee.” He shrugged. “Logically speaking, if we attack first, then technically they’re just defending themselves from us.”
“Look, we don’t attack for no reason. They steal from merchant ships and even from ours sometimes,” Taewoo argued. “If they just stopped , then maybe we’d stop too.”
“Not how that works, Taewoo,” Sangkyu sighed. “I’m sure there’s ships that don’t steal.”
“They are called pirates for a reason!” Taewoo shouted.
“Okay, you guys. Calm down,” Jihoon stepped in. The arguments would only escalate from there, and no conclusions would be made. “Stop arguing. It’ll get you nowhere.” Sangkyu and Taewoo had immediately dropped the quarrel at Jihoon’s order, but it looked like it would continue once he left. Sohee hadn’t said anything, but she was always rather reserved when arguments started. Although, Jihoon was pretty sure she could easily win an argument.
Jihoon wasn’t too sure how he personally felt about pirates. To start, he had never even talked with one, so why form an opinion just yet? He’s always told ‘Oh, well they steal stuff!’ But, they never ask why. Why do they steal stuff? If it’s from greed, then yes, they shouldn’t be doing that. But, what if it’s a need? What if they’re starving? Hurt? Jihoon was sure if he ever spoke his mind, he’d get killed. Although he was faithful to his team, he still had conflicting thoughts sometimes. He was caught in the middle.
Jihoon sighed out loud. “I’m going to head out now,” he told them. “We will be sent for when we make contact with Captain Hyunbin’s ship. I’ll see you then.” He turned around, opened the door and left quickly. He didn’t really want to go back to sleep anymore, so he just decided to linger around the deck for a few more hours, hoping no one would stop to talk to him.
He honestly still couldn’t believe that they were able to capture the Serenity crew. For the last few generations, it was recorded in books that they were uncatchable. Yet, here they allegedly were captured. All that legacy was ended. Why was he almost feeling bad right now? What Sangkyu said made a lot of sense to him regarding the money. The Royal Family had a bounty on them for ages. The sum of money that would be obtained would be tempting to their head Admiral and his fleet. It made him uneasy. Wanted: Dead or Alive. Would his crew… no. He didn’t want to think about that. If they killed them… What would he do?
Jihoon couldn’t help but stare out back into the ocean again. He has forever wondered why he felt such a pull to the ocean. His parents always told him that they loved the sea as well, and that it must just run in their blood. He hasn’t seen them in years. He wanted to desperately. They were just starting to research the possible family history and backstory behind the crystal that dangled from his neck. He hoped when he returned home, he would feel warmth again.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Hours had passed without notice. Jihoon had spent the entire time standing at the edge of the ship in immense thought, when he was finally brought out of that trance by a loud, powerful voice shouting in his ears. “Lee Jihoon! Are you even listening right now?”
Startled, he turned around, meeting eyes with Sungseok— Donghyun’s other lieutenant. Jihoon had to admit, Sungseok scared him sometimes. Something about him just frightened him. “Ah, yes. I was distracted for a moment,” Jihoon bowed formally. “I apologize, Lieutenant.”
“Meet Donghyun on the main deck,” he ordered. “Your assistants are already there.”
“Yes, sir. I once again apologize for any delay,” he responded, bowing again. The bow went unacknowledged, and he watched Sungseok coldly walk away. Jihoon swiftly pulled himself together, and made his way up to the main deck. Maybe he shouldn’t have come to the lower deck of the ship. Their ship was so large; if you weren’t familiar with it, you’d get lost.
Finally making his appearance at the top, main deck, he made his way over to his assistants. “About time you showed up, Jihoon,” Sangkyu retorted. “We’ve been waiting.”
“ Sure you have,” Jihoon sassed back. He recognized the bluff.
“Alright, we haven’t been waiting that long,” he admitted. “Truthfully, what we are really waiting on is the contact with Hyunbin’s ship. Jaewoong and Donghyun have been talking at the helm for a while.” Jihoon thought that was strange. Sangkyu added quietly, “I wonder if he’s lost on what to do somehow. We can literally see their ship on the western horizon.”Jihoon turned to the horizon Sangkyu mentioned, and he was right. There was Captain Hyunbin’s ship.
“Yeah, we’ve been at this standstill for the past few minutes. No distance gained,” Taewoo added. “They should really hurry up if there's major injuries.”
“Ah, it looks like we're moving now!” Sohee chimed in, pointing out their movement. “Should hopefully be there soon…” They all looked worried about the injuries, himself included. He figured there had been some deaths too, but it’s not something he wanted to inquire about at the moment. The four physicians stood there silently as the ships got closer and closer.
Jihoon squinted a bit to see if he could make anything out. He was confused at the sight. He knew the ships would remain in close proximity to each other, but he thought that he and his assistants would be staying on Hyunbin’s ship for the time being. So why exactly was the pirate crew on the main deck all tied up instead of the imprisonment area? They weren’t coming on their ship, were they? Jihoon was only left wondering what the fuck was actually happening.
Hundreds of thoughts were racing through his head, but he didn’t have enough time to digest everything before their ships were side by side. He watched as Hyunbin jumped from one to the other one. It looked kind of dangerous, but he didn’t question it. Hyunbin whispered into Donghyun’s ear, and Jihoon wished he had better hearing.
“Alright, everyone! Here’s the plan,” Donghyun announced loudly to reach both ships. “ Our ship will be holding the Serenity crew. We are to assist in the crossover and make sure no one escapes. They hold no weapons, so don’t be afraid to use force. Don’t let them escape!” The last part had a growl to his voice. Jihoon didn’t know why they made this complicated. Why couldn’t they just use Hyunbin’s ship instead to avoid this tedious middle step.
“Head Physician Jihoon,” Jihoon whipped his head around at the mention of his name. It was Chaho this time, but Sungseok was beside him as well. “You and your assistants will be tending to injuries sustained by our fellow crew members. Following the transfer of the pirates, you will treat them in our medical bay.” Jihoon held his tongue. This just meant everyone was coming onto their ship. Were they planning on abandoning the other one?
“Yes, sir,” the four of them responded in unison, gaining a curt nod from both lieutenants.
Soon after the order, they started to move the pirate crew over one by one, also very tedious in Jihoon’s opinion. Once they crossed over, Jihoon finally got a good look at the infamous pirate crew. One look at them, and he wanted to fucking hurl. It had not just been the Royal Navy who was injured during the capture. Jihoon glanced at his assistants; Sohee looked equally horrified, but he couldn’t read Sangkyu and Taewoo’s expressions.
As the pirates kept coming, Jihoon kept getting sicker. They were bloody, battered and beaten beyond recognition. Jihoon cursed over and over again in his mind. These… weren’t not all battle injuries. Someone had been doing this to them even after the battle. Now more than ever, Jihoon knew he needed to get behind what the fuck was going on. No other pirate crew they have caught has been this… harmed.
Jihoon did a quick head count in his head of how many pirates there were— fifteen. That was an abnormally small number. He thought it was finally all over when his stomach dropped to the floor upon seeing his crew dragging the last one on board. It was a young child, no more than six or seven, trying his best to fight against the forceful pulling. He was just as hurt as the others and clearly in pain. Taking this all in, Jihoon was completely certain his ship (and Hyunbin’s) had abandoned all morals at this point.
Every one of the pirates had a solemn look on their face and were dead silent upon boarding. The child however was loud, and he could tell that he was holding in tears. “No! No!” The cries tugged at Jihoon. “Stop! Let us go! We didn’t do anything! Leave us alone!” His voice was cracking. “I-I just wanna go home!”
“This is your new home now,” Donghyun laughed. His eyes went dark. “Get over it.”
Jihoon was about done right now. He was a physician for fucks’ sake, and every last one of them were injured. Yeah, he needed to help his injured crew, but upon Hyunbin’s crew members’ crossing over to their ship, he noticed hardly any injury. It was nothing like the horror he just saw. And apparently Myungsik had been fatally injured? He knew something suspicious was going on. He was going to find this out.
“That’s your cue, Jihoon,” Donghyun said emotionlessly. “Get to work.”
“Where is Myungsik?” Jihoon asked, the attitude peeking out. “You told me that he was fatally injured. Where ?” Jihoon returned the cold, hard stare that Donghyun had been giving him.
“Myungsik is too injured to move over to our ship,” Donghyun explained. A lie. “Though, after you finish up tending to injuries over here, you may go and see him.”
“Make it make sense, Captain,” Jihoon hissed. Sohee, Sangkyu, and Taewoo stepped back. Jihoon knew they didn’t want to get involved right now. “You’re telling me that he’s too hurt to even move, yet, you want me to wait to help him? No, I will refuse that order.”
Some logic must’ve finally clicked with Donghyun at that moment, because he sighed, “Fine. You may tend to his injuries, but…” Jihoon didn’t trust the situation right now.
“But, what?” He retorted.
“…We are unsure if he’s going to make it…” Donghyun added softly. Jihoon scoffed at his tone. “Please, do not be upset if he passes. We will make sure he is remembered forever.”
Jihoon was seething with rage right now, but kept his composure in front of Donghyun. Acting like that would not get him closer to getting to the bottom of the situation. The way he talked about Myungsik made it sound like he was already dead or was absolutely going to die. Jihoon was going to make sure that didn’t happen.
Taking no time, Jihoon pushed his way past everyone, and made the jump over to Hyunbin’s ship. There were still some people on there, but not many. He didn’t feel like asking anyone where the medical bay was, but he guessed Myungsik wasn’t even in there. He needed to find his quarters instead. Jihoon made his way through the corridors, looking for anything that stuck out to him that would indicate where Myungsik’s quarters were.
“Ah, you are Lee Jihoon, yes?” The low pitched, echoing voice through the hall scared him. He looked around and finally noticed a man standing at the end of the hall. “If you’re looking for Myungsik and his main assistant, they’re another floor down. You’ll see his room.”
Jihoon didn’t say a word, but nodded. He wasn’t sure if he trusted the words yet, but went with it anyway, having no other guesses. It turned out to be right, because the next floor down, he found Myungsik’s room. No hesitation, he flung open the door. There on the bed was Myungsik— fatally injured as told. “Myungsik!” Jihoon called, rushing over. No response. Jihoon wasn’t really the type to panic, but he was starting to. “Please! Myungsik!”
“…Jihoon… is that you…?” A sickly voice croaked out, turning to face him.
“Yes! Are you okay?” Jihoon asked frantically. “What hurts? I’ll get what you need.”
“…Don’t,” he whispered weakly. “It’s not going to work.”
“No!” Jihoon shouted. “Don’t say that!”
“Jihoon… I need to tell you something…” Myungsik murmured, hardly audible.
“What…?” Jihoon stood there. He didn’t want Myungsik to die right now.
“Come… closer… I can’t say it loudly…” Jihoon came closer, sitting down at the bedside. “…We are being watched…” He trailed off, “…I must hurry…”
“Myungsik,” Jihoon breathed. “Please,” he begged. “I can help, please.”
“No… you cannot. They will kill me eventually…”
“You cannot possibly mean…”
“Yes, I do… Jihoon… There’s something they are hiding about that pirate crew…”
Jihoon pieced it together in his mind, letting out a quiet gasp, “…You tried to help didn’t you… So, your crew do this to you then…”
“Yes… they did. I will not last much longer, Jihoon…”
“But…” Jihoon wasn’t ready.
“It’s okay,” he said softly. “I’m alright with it… So is my assistant.”
Jihoon cursed aloud, “Fuck, I fucking knew they were up to something the moment I first heard they caught the Serenity crew… This is fucked up in so many ways. I’m going to figure this shit out now .” Jihoon couldn’t believe it. They were killing their Head Physician and assistant because they were probably tending to their injuries, as a physician does.
“Jihoon…” Jihoon directed his attention to Myungsik once more. “…Be careful who you trust… It is clear that not all is as it seems… Remain vigilant, be safe…” Myungsik trailed off, his eyes closing. Jihoon knew at that moment what he needed to do.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Jihoon had returned to his ship after talking with Myungsik. Donghyun had inquired about his condition, but Jihoon responded that he ended up falling asleep. Donghyun gave him that knowing look, and Jihoon held in his scowl. “I'm going to the medical bay now to help my assistants,” Jihoon explained coldly. He wasn’t too sure how much longer he could hold up the facade. All his life, he had been loyal to his crew, now his gut and morals were leading him.
He didn’t know who he could trust, not even his assistants. What if they knew something? What if it was only him who didn’t know anything about the situation? As he made his way to the medical bay slowly, something else caught his ears. Horror. He didn’t want to hear more, but he forced himself to. It was Jihyuk, Chaho, and Sungseok shouting endless profanities at the pirate crew. They… were torturing them there. Why? Jihoon begged. He wanted to get them all out of there. He needed to get himself out of there too.
“Weren’t you on your way to the medical bay?” Jihoon jumped in fright at the sudden voice behind him. Fuck. It was Donghyun. Had he been caught? No, he just had to make shit up and hope he went along with it. It was his only chance right now.
“Yes, it seems you caught me at a poor timing!” Jihoon shouted loudly, picking at his ears. “My ears are ringing super loud right now so I can’t hear much, and my head is spinning!”
“Ah, really?” Jihoon couldn’t tell if he fell for it. “Well you are heading to the med bay, and I bet your assistants would be very willing to help. I hope you feel better. We’ll need your guys’ help a lot!” Donghyun smiled. Jihoon avoided eye contact but nodded.
“I’ll be off now!” Jihoon shouted, keeping up the act. He kept his eyes on the floor, and hurried away down the corridor to the turn. When he was out of sight, he exhaled deeply, composing his thoughts. His crew was obsessed with the pirates, they killed any opposition, they were torturing them… Was he next? This was going to be a lot more than Jihoon ever thought.