FELLOWSHIP || Ateez Fanfiction

Chapter Fifty Four: Rivalry

Seonghwa POV
I am helping Wooyoung with our dinner when suddenly Mingi comes in.
"Guys, outside is a giant island full of water!"
"I can't leave. I have a pot on the stove. You can go if you want to. I don't really need you here anymore anyway."
Wooyoung shoos Mingi and me out of the kitchen.
We go onto the deck. Everyone else is already there and looking over the railing.
"Did you just see the orca in the distance?", San exclaims.
"No unfortunately not.", Jongho answers.
I go to the right railing and look down. We are flying over a giant mass of water. I can't even see the end of it.
A seagull lands next to me on the railing and looks at me as if it expects something of me.
"I don't have anything for you.", I say to it. The seagull walks towards me and lets out a short screech.
"I really don't."
The seagull pulls on my sleeve. I try to get away from it but it follows me.
"Please, I don't have food for you."
Mingi laughs at me for getting cornered by a seagull.
Yunho finally steps in and shoos the seagull away.
"Thank you!"

I observe the water for a little while even though the cold wind is starting to get to me. Something about this ocean is calming to me. Suddenly something rises from the water surface. A handful of dolphins jump out of the water.
"DOLPHINS!!", I shout and points at the gray creatures underneath us. I only heard about them in fairytales and never believed I would see some myself. The others all rush to my spot to see which makes the ship tilt slightly for a few seconds.
"They are bigger than I thought.", Yeosang says.
"Did you know that dolphins are actually just another kind of whales."
San boasts proudly with his knowledge in different kind of sea animals.

Then Wooyoung comes out of the kitchen. "Dinner is ready. I've already eaten, so I can take over now."
Wooyoung pushes Hongjoong away from the wheel. We go down into the kitchen and grab our food.
"By the way, what do you want to do tomorrow evening?", Hongjoong suddenly asks.
"Why? What is tomorrow?", I ask.
"It's the last day of this year."
"Already?!", San exclaims.
"I sadly forgot that it's that soon. Otherwise I would have bought some fireworks."
I notice that Yunho looks at the window with furrowed brows.
"Did you see something outside?"
"I think it is starting to snow outside."
I turn around and watch some snowflakes fly by the window.
"Wooyoung only has a thin jacket on. I'll bring him his coat."
I leave the kitchen and walk into the bedroom. I take Wooyoung's coat out of his closet and go onto the deck.
The young man shivers in the cold.
"Thank you. I thought it would be warmer."
I help him to get into the coat and go back to the kitchen.

The next day I have to navigate the ship. The deck has become slippery over night. A thin layer of ice is coating it. I didn't think the temperature would change up this drastically. Around noon it's starting to get warmer. The others come onto the deck to watch the sea again. Yunho takes over the navigation and I decide to go inside to warm up. When I come outside again in the afternoon and look into the distance, I can see the edge of this giant island.
"I can see the edge of the island, which means we're almost in my home country.", I say.
"I think should be able to cross the border before the new year starts.", Yunho explains.
"By the way, have you guys decided what we are going to do to celebrate the new year?"
"Wooyoung wanted to cook a lavish meal but we don't have enough ingredients. Hongjoong is currently in the kitchen with San. They want to make a wish lantern that we can let fly at midnight. Otherwise we still have some rice wine with which we will make a toast."
I look for the source of the voice and find Jongho up in the crow's nest.
"Sounds like a plan."

After dinner we play some games together to make the time pass. It starts to snow again. I feel for Mingi who has to navigate the ship in this weather on New Year's Eve.
I look at the clock. Only a half hour left until midnight. I go to the kitchen counter and slowly start to prepare the wine.
"Only water for me please!", San says.
"I'll make you a tea since it's cold outside."
"I'll take San's share.", Jongho comments.
Five minutes before midnight Hongjoong takes the lantern, everyone takes their glass and we go upstairs.
We gather around Mingi at the wheel.
One minute before midnight Hongjoong lights the candle in the lantern. As clock strikes we let the lantern fly. I close my eyes and make a wish.
I hope we can be together like this for a long time.
We make a toast. I feel a bit tipsy afterwards.
"Happy New Year!"