Prince of Shells

24. A Heartfelt Apology

Seonghwa was just rounding the tree to break apart the two squabbling pirates when Wooyoung spoke up again. His formerly angry and taunting voice had dropped into a low whisper. Hesitating, Seonghwa listened to his grave words.

"I don't 'ate ye."

He did not say it condescendingly. The only emotion his serious voice conveyed was hurt.

San gave a disbelieving scoff, making Seonghwa wince. Still, he stayed in the shadows for now and hid away from their eyes. Not as if they would have seen him, regarding how much heat they stared into each other's faces with. Nervously, Seonghwa bit his lip, his body still tensed to be right there if any of them made a move.

"As if. Avast lyin' to yerself. Us bein' crew members does not 'ave to mean we 'ave to get along. Don't force yerself to 'ang out with a filthy whore if it makes ye uncomfortable!" San turned to march away, and again, Seonghwa flinched forward to stop him. However, Wooyoung seemed to have some mind left working for him. With a quick movement, he grabbed San's shoulder, spinning him back around to face him. San growled at him warningly, but he stayed, impatient.

"San, I be serious. We talked about this here."

"Aye, ye said it been jealousy." San roughly pushed Wooyoung's hand off, the sharp slap resounding much too loud in Seonghwa's ears. "Don't be childish. The 'ell do ye want with jealousy on this ship?"

"I just want to make sure ye be safe! Anybody on board would be jealous if they saw ye throwin' yerself at a stranger! Even more so since they be the people whom ye mean the seven seas to!"

They were talking finally, that was good. However, these few minutes of normal conversation felt much too fragile. They would break apart any second now. Seonghwa's brain was yelling at him to leave already and to let them work it out, but at the same time, he was scared of missing the moment it all escalated, and he would need to step in.

"Not everybody thinks like that, Wooyoung. Jolly, 'ow dare ye preach to me about 'ow much the crew 'elped me when actually ye was the only one who kept pushin' me aft into a past that I don't want to define me? Ye be the only person who made this here problem up so don't give me that crap about bein' mates an' watchin' out fer me! It be far too late fer me to believe that." San sounded as if he was close to punching Wooyoung in the face. In a dilemma, Seonghwa kneaded his hands together.

"I be sorry, understood?! I be 'ella sorry fer everythin' that 'appened, I told ye countless times! Why can't ye see that if ye won't accept me, I at least want to make sure that nobody else will get 'urt?! I be watchin' out fer them too, even if ye don't think so!"

"Ye wouldn't be sorry an' then get right aft to bullyin' me! What's the point o' bein' sorry then?!"

Seonghwa's jaw hurt from where he was clenching it too hard. His feet were restless, wanting to step forward already but being repelled all the same. At their rough exclamations, his guts had formed into a tight ball of nervousness. He could not let them fuck this up.

"San." Leaves rustled as they moved. Seonghwa risked a peek and found Wooyoung just stepping up to San to gently hold his hands in his. San still looked defensive, but his gentle fingers subconsciously curled around Wooyoung's. Back behind the tree, Seonghwa tried to relax his jaw. He was praying to every god in the sky that this would not end with a dead body.

"Sanie... I be truly sorry. I gave up tryin' to be the nice guy after some time. After all, I knew that there no matter what, ye would see me as an enemy. So I just watched out fer ye via the other mateys. But please, ye 'ave to believe me. I don't 'ate ye. I've long since stopped lookin' down on ye. I admire yer strength fer livin' through all o' them 'orrible things. I just want to protect ye from anythin' like that there 'appenin' again. Wanna 'elp ye get rid o' that unhealthy copin' mechanism."