𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒
REVEAL

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Seriously. Could he ever sleep in peace?

Changbin was woken up to the sound of something hitting his window. And it was 1:57 AM.

Well, whatever the hell that was must have been worthless, because now his phone was having a seizure. Groaning and rubbing his eyes, he opened his messages to a bunch of spam from Jisung, whose 'watermelon seeds clearly didn't pierce the glass so let's try waking you up with this.'

What the fuck, those seeds must have been huge if they made that noise? Changbin frowned, pushing his duvet aside and turning the lamp on. He sat up, leaning against his pillow and typing in a reply to Jisung's string of whimsical messages.

spearb_iter
1:58
bro wtf are u DOING

spearb_iter
1:58
ARE YOU STILL THROWING WATERMELON SEEDS AT MY WINDOW

spearb_iter
1:58
BRO DONT U HAVE A PHONE FFS USE THAT

jijisung
1:59
OHMYGOD YOURE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!1!! I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD A PHONE LET ME JUST

And the next thing Changbin knew, he saw the lit-up screen of an iPhone hurling itself at the window – hit the glass with a sickening thud – then fall back to the ground, somewhere near the now screaming Jisung.

spearb_iter
2:01
man.... did you just... thrOW YOUR PHONE.... AT MY MF WINDOW

ㅡ 🌊 ㅡ 

"This better be worth it."

"Oh, it'll be so worth it."

"THIS BETTER BE WORTH IT, JISUNG."

"What? Pink onesies look good on you!" Jisung exclaimed, in a voice that was his whisper level but Changbin's screaming level.

"So everyone's showing up in some stupid pyjama get-up?" Changbin rubbed his temples, trying to keep his eyes open.

No, the 'watermelon' seeds (they weren't watermelon seeds only, it was a seed pack Jisung found at a plant shop . . . clearly Jisung was also only half-functioning around this time of night) weren't a dream. Jisung's phone had taken a nasty fall in the form of a long crack down the screen and a chilling dent in the left lower corner. After Changbin opened the door to his apartment and managed to keep Jisung without screaming about the baby hamsters sleeping in the pen, he was forced into his pink dinosaur onesie, with assurance from Jisung that everyone would be wearing the same.

At this rate, Changbin could barely trust a 1 AM Jisung. Now his only wish was that no sober soul sighted a pair of adolescent boys walking down the street in animal onesies, carrying flashlights and a packet of jackfruit seeds whilst talking about the Earth's rotation on its axis.

"What's the whole point of this? Why now? Are you mental? Do you not know that daytime is a thing, Jisung? You know, when the sun rises from the east and our side of the planet faces the sun and there's at least 18 hours in a day when it's bright out and all your crops grow and you don't get all cold because of the weather?"

Jisung blinked. Changbin stared back, his eyelids already drooping.

"Yeah, I sort of forgot you tend to ramble a lot when you're sleepy," Jisung nodded slowly, intertwining his fingers in Changbin's to support the older.

"But that's okay. It's the first official meeting of the full Backbiter crew and we do need a talkative soul, you know."

"There better be Big Macs," Changbin droned, sleepily. "Many of it. And drumsticks. And jackfruits and watermelon and the thing that's not Pepsi but tastes the same."

"Coca-Cola."

"That."

"Depends on what the crew brought . . . what if they're sprite people?"

"Cancelled."

Jisung laughed, his voice carrying in the 2 AM air. "Oh god. I can't imagine what the crew would be like without someone like you."

"Did you force the rest of the crew to wear onesies as well?" Changbin asked, kicking his foot forward.

"I mean." Jisung looked at Changbin, then shrugged nonchalantly. "What better way to check if they're suited for the team?"

"Watch your boyfriend Minho show up in a suit or something."

"Christ, he's not my boyfriend! Hyunjin recruited him like a month ago, how many times do I have to tell you that? Besides," he added, trying to ignore the wheezing Changbin, "I said I'd take away his banana pudding if he shows up in anything but a onesie."

"Oh, look . . . we're here." Changbin stopped.

The two best friends stopped walking as they neared the shore, gentle waves lapping at the sand. The panorama of the sea was beautiful – the dim light from the thin crescent in the sky reflecting off the water, making it appear lighter, maybe even silver. Changbin took in a deep breath. There was something about the beach at midnight which he loved.

"Idiot, do you not see it?" Changbin was snapped out of his trance to Jisung's sharp voice.

"Over there. At the end of the jetty."

Changbin followed Jisung's gaze down the jetty he often used to pull dives off as a child – and his mouth fell open. There, in the water, was the Backbiters' ship – the silhouette making it appear majestically scary. The sails flapped in the gentle ocean breeze, the flag hovering on top of the mast – and a board leading up from the jetty to the ship. Changbin couldn't believe it. It was like seeing all the pirate ships from his childhood all so suddenly in real life, at 2:30 AM in the morning, which somehow felt even more surreal.

"Jesus Christ," he found himself whispering.

"You really were serious."

"MAN! Of course I was!" Jisung exclaimed, exasperated.

"My father made me the captain because he was moving to Los Angeles and won't be leading the Backbiters anymore. Naturally, I'm his oldest, so it was me, but there will be a day Jiyeon will take over too." Jisung concluded. Changbin's heart softened at the thought of Jisung's ten-year-old sister Jiyeon in a pirate get-up.

"Dad left us one of his private jets too," Jisung let out a strained laugh.

"Told me to drive myself and Jiyeon to Los Angeles when I get a pilot's license." His facial expression was slowly crumbling.

Changbin's fingers tightened around Jisung's hand. He knew how important Jisung's father was to him and that he still wasn't really over him moving away.

"Let's walk down the jetty," Jisung offered, breaking the silence. Changbin blinked.

"I took a rowboat to drop the others off, but I can walk you," Jisung halted – "so we can appreciate this. You know. Together."

Changbin, despite his sleepiness, smiled back at Jisung warmly. Jisung grinned back his eyes glinting ever so slightly in the moonlight.

They walked down the jetty together, hands clasped tightly in each other's. Changbin would occasionally droop over, but soon Jisung was dragging him up the board onto the ship, which groaned heavily against the waves.

"Just a few more steps, you big baby . . ."

Jisung led him down the stairs into the corridor that housed the cabins. It was lit by a small yellow bulb hanging off the ceiling.

"Dang, why is it so silent?" Jisung frowned. Changbin bit back a retort – well, it's almost 3 AM and people are normally asleep, maybe that's why!

"Go in." Jisung opened the door to one of the cabins, pushed Changbin inside, then slammed the door shut. From somewhere in the cabin, there was an almost immediate response of, "oh, FUCK!", a painful thud, and another smaller, more agonized, "ᶠᵘᶜᵏ!"

"Minho-hyung." Changbin sighed, sitting down next to the elder (who was rubbing his head and groaning, because wow, he lost braincells he didn't even have).

"Is the bed okay?"

"Fuck off, beansprout." Minho winced, adjusting the hood of his blue onesie. "If this is what I'll wake up to every morning, then I don't want it."

"Where are the others? Did Channie-hyung and Hyunjin not show up?"

"No, dumbass, they're right there." Minho pointed at the two lumps on the bed opposite his. One let out a loud snore.

"We got here around ten, toured the whole ship, did some random dancing, then got here and knocked the fuck out at one," he explained to a baffled Changbin.

"So yeah, we've been here –"

"GOOF MORNING!" The door to the cabin slammed open, making Minho jump again. One of the 'lumps' on the next bed jolted up, screaming – and Changbin slowly registered that it was Hyunjin, and the listless lump #2 was Chan.

"Did you just say goof morning?" Minho repeated.

"Oh." Jisung scratched his head with a pen, looking beat.

"Typo."

"Bitchass, you're speaking in real life."

"The typewriter in my mind isn't really working right now." Jisung plopped down in between Minho and Changbin, squinting at the crumpled sticky note in his hand.

"I'll be calling in the final candidates for the team, one by one. First up . . .

"KANG HANEUL."

The door opened – and a boy with tousled hair and bright eyes walked in, his white wolf onesie only making him cuter. His face broke into a smile the minute he saw Minho.

"Hi again!" he exclaimed. "I'm so –"

"Okay, Haneul," Jisung stands up, facing the new boy. He shoved a finger at Haneul's chest, the question slipping out before he could control himself.

"What did Derby Duck Detective say to his partner?" His expression was completely serious. The guys at the back started booing and groaning, before Haneul could even give an answer.

The look of sudden panic was visible on Haneul's face – but Jisung didn't back away, only scooting in closer to the former. Haneul gulped, all sorts of stupid shit racing in and out of his mind – and without thinking for a bit longer and making sure he wasn't going to make an absolute fool out of himself, he blurted out the first thing that lodged itself into his mind.

"He said, 'I hope we QUACK this case!'"

Silence.

"Oh my god." Jisung took in a deep, indecipherable breath.

"There is hope." One of Jisung's arms reached over Haneul's shoulder to hug him tightly.

"THERE IS HOPE!" He declared loudly.

There were some half-hearted claps. And a loud snore from Chan.

"Someone please wake that dude up," Jisung let go off Haneul, offering him some space to go and sit down next to Minho.

"I don't care if you blow that damn party horn you got from the birthday party at the beach yesterday evening, just do it." Jisung looked back at the sticky note in his hand again.

"Then we have –"

TOOOOOOT

"Bitch –" Jisung glared at Minho, who looked back at him innocently with the horn sticking out of his mouth.

"You asked me to, what the fuck?"

"Okay, fine, but not now!"

"YOU LITERALLY JUST SAID DO IT, I –"

"Come in, MOON HWARA," Jisung called, ignoring the spluttering Minho looking back at him.

No response. The door stayed shut.

"Hwara?"

There was a loud scream from outside, a bang, someone yelling 'god, get IN THERE!' and the door slammed open – in walked a girl, her hair all over her face – Jisung clapped his hands in her face, startling her.

"Yes? What? I'm up, I'm up, what do you want?" Hwara blubbered, blinking.

"Talk dirty to me." Jisung grabbed Hwara's shoulder. There was a choke of anger from Hyunjin.

"Ohhhh . . ." Hwara drooped over.

"HWARA!"

"YES!" She snapped awake. "HUMUS! YELLOW SNOW! GRAVEL! DIRT! COMPOST! SHIT! PUMICE! SILT!"

By the time she finished rambling off her list, everyone in the cabin was in fits of laughter – Jisung, too, let Hwara snuggle into Hyunjin's lap, the former still doubled over from laughing.

"That was . . . a whole new level of talking dirty," Jisung rubbed the tears away from his eyes, trying to focus on the next person on the list.

"Okay, uh." Jisung squinted at the paper, trying to decipher his own writing.

"Wow, Jisung, you finished high school and you still can't write neatly and properly, huh," Hyunjin retorted, shooting an anxious look at Chan. Don't wanna get my ass whooped now.

"Like your writing is any better, Hwang. Anyway," Jisung cleared his throat dramatically.

"EMIL MIKKO LEIFSSON!"

They didn't even see the door open – but suddenly another boy was standing in the room, already looking done with the bullshit of all seven awake – well, six, since one was still asleep – people in the room. He wasn't in a onesie, but he was wearing a two-piece pyjama set. That should count.

"Oh, oh!" Minho exclaimed, standing up a bit. "That's my one!"

"Bitch, when was I yours?" Emil shot him a disgusted look.

"Uh." Jisung faltered, watching Minho square up. "Let's stop. Anyway, Emil . . ."

Christ, should I even ask him a question? He proved himself worthy enough, the way he picked me up and yeeted me into the sea –

"Yes, squirrel boy, hurry the fuck up."

"O-Oh, um." Jisung squeaked. "What should I wear for Halloween?"

"If you really want to be scary, print your face on a sack and wear that," Emil replied, making Haneul hoot with laughter. Jisung snorted.

"You can bet half the neighbourhood kids will flee when they see you."

"Okay, but I might dress up as an eclipse." When Emil looked confused, Jisung went on.

"You know. Dress in black. Then just stand in front of things."

"I'm this close to throwing you into the sea again." The slightest hint of a smile appeared on Emil's face.

"Oh, please do – actually, no." Jisung took his words back when he saw Emil roll his sleeves up. Laughing, he let Emil join the almost-filled cabin, cueing the last member.

"And finally . . . YANG SUYIN!"

The girl had barely stepped in through the door when Jisung blurted out again – "HALT! Tell me why firetrucks are red!"

The door, only slightly open – closed again, and came a girl's muffled voice from behind the door –

"Because they have eight wheels and four people on them, and four added to eight is twelve, and there are twelve inches in a foot, and one foot is a ruler, and Queen Elizabeth is a ruler – wait, fuck, I'm running out of breath." 

There was a heavy intake of air, then – 

"And Queen Elizabeth was also a ship, and the ship sailed the seas like we are gonna, and in the seas are fish, and fish have fins, and the Finns fought the Russians, and the Russians are red, and firetrucks are always 'russian' around."

There was a moment of dazed silence, then Hyunjin let out a dramatic wheeze, setting the others off.

"Even a simple answer like 'that's how they were fucking painted' would have been okay but you're on another level," Jisung spoke, breathless from laughing.

"Oh, pizza's here!" Hyunjin looked at his phone, which was ringing in his hand. Getting up, he excused himself from the gathering, all of whom were talking about going up to the deck now that the pizza had arrived.

Well, all of them but Chan. Let's pray he wakes up soon, so the ship doesn't burn.

Hyunjin walked down the board and along the jetty, the silvery ripples in the water distracting him more than he would have liked – but before he knew it, he was greeting the pizza delivery girl.

Oh, shit damn, she's cute. Her nametag read, Baek Soomi.

"Hello!" She greeted, enthusiastically. "Enjoy your pizza!"

"Thank you!" Hyunjin took the box and the bag of Coke from her, surprised. "We appreciate your service."

"No problem." Soomi grinned. "That's some friendship goals you have there. Please do get some sleep, though."

"I'll tell them," Hyunjin laughed. Pizza boxes in hand, he set off up the jetty again, careful to not drop any of them.

Ooh, it's from Pizza Hut! Hyunjin smiled to himself. He was about to look up at the sky when something written on the outer side of the box caught his attention.

To the Backbiter Crew, 2020
Happy sailing! <3 
You may not be able to direct the wind,
but you can adjust the sails.
Keep doing you!!
-- Pizza Hut staff

How sweet, Hyunjin thought, finally looking up at the sky.

And the moon seemed to smile down at him, almost like she agreed too.

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wow the quality of malaak's writing <<<< everything else :DD 

and yes i recycled gifs im too lazy to make some right now.. ack

so!! this is the last update before i leave! after i get back we'll be starting with the individual character reveals :D i hope you're excited !! sorry for the really late update kjsks

and !! congratulations to the ones who got the slots: SOUTH ATLANTIC [ suwubins ], INDIAN [ LOLIHAVEN ], NORTH PACIFIC [ K1TSUNEO ] and MEDITERANNEAN [ beazibo ]! i adored every single one of your forms, all of them had me crying for days on end ksjsk i'm also very sorry to the ones who didn't get in ;; you guys will still be making cameos in here like our soomi did ! <3

++ a major shoutout to kal [ K1TSUNEO ] for the guidance he provided in finishing this chapter... that playlist... does wonders. thank you for putting me back on track <33

i love each and every one of you so so much !! <3