Chapter 180 - Volume 5.9 The Eternal Storm
"Everyone! Get ready!" Malaya screamed once more as she held into the ropes. The strong waves of the sea were now rocking their ship back and forth. Thunderous sounds kept echoing along with the flashes of strong bolts of lightning in the darkened clouds. Together with Rhyme and Iris, they were navigating their way through the strong and towering waves of the seas.
"Yes! We can do this!" Hyun Jae said, trying to uplift everyone who looks uncertain because of how the oceans became wild. "Fight! fight! fight!"
Rein, Hyun Jae, and Lila were near the entrance towards the cabin.
"You should have at least put some control room where we will be sheltered from the rain and the sea! While we are steering this ship to its path." Iris retorted to Malaya.
"Well! I think that was a good idea, Iris." Malaya started. " But I do believe there is no need to worry about it because we will be fine as long as we hold on to the ropes," Malaya laughed. A strong gust of waves flapped from her background. 'Though, I initially thought that it would be cooler to experience the thrill of the waves. That is why I didn't install a control room, like all those modern ships. But I guess reality sucks. And there is no way I can tell them this reason. With all their retorts, I'm pretty sure that they will just call me foolish.' Malaya thought as she laughed more.
Both Iris and Rhyme looked at Malaya as if she had gone mad. 'How can she still laugh at this situation? What a terrible boss she is!' while rolling her eyes to Malaya was still laughing at her own statements.
"Now, I felt sorry about her," Rhyme came closer a bit to Iris and made sure she was the only person who could hear those words.
"Me too," They both chuckled but Malaya noticed them talking with each other.
"What are guys thinking?" Malaya screams. While Rhyme looked at Iris to warn her not to say anything.
"It was nothing," Iris responds. They were all soaked with the rain as well. But their talking to each other was interrupted when Lila got their attention.
"The third deck has some water entering!" Lila screamed.
"I will check it!" Rein said as he ran downstairs.
"I will also help!" Hyun Jae and Lila followed after him. When they reached the third deck, They saw Dorris, she was already there, trying to cover a hole that was caused by some strange metal pipe that pierced the ship.
"Hey! I'm glad you came. I just don't know what to do about this hole."
"This is a huge problem." Rein said
"Yeah! Huge problem" Hyun Jae said " Anyways, where does this metal come from? No wonder that even though the ship is made of iron and metal, this thing is still able to penetrate through the ship." Hyun Jae said with worry. The water was slowly pouring in from the tiny protruding hole in the metal.
"We can't remove that yet because once we do that more water will enter." Rein said. "If you may, can both of you bring the plank from the storeroom?" He said looking at Lila and Hyun Jae. But before the two girls could answer.
"Is this what you're talking about?" Kayden was already there. In his right shoulder were wooden planks, and in his left hand, he was holding a tool kit.
"Yes," Rein said. "I'll begin with the temporary repairs for now."
Kayden reached the wooden planks to him and the kit and Rein began doing the repairs.
Back at the upper deck, Malaya and Iris continued to help Rhyme navigate the strong waves of the sea.
"I wonder what went wrong with the third deck!" Iris screamed. Due to the increasingly loud sound of the storm, they had no choice but to scream at each other in order to hear each other out.
"Rein is there! I'm sure whatever the problem there he will be able to fix it!" Malaya screamed back.
"Another strong wave is coming!" Rhyme screamed. And all of them tightened their grip on the ropes. The waves hit them causing the ship to strongly rock even more.
"Ahhh!" Iris suddenly screamed all of the sudden.
"What happened, Iris?!" Malaya screamed back.
"Lady Iris, are you alright?!" Rhyme also screamed back. The two had worried looks on their faces.
"I forgot! I haven't put my precious wines into proper storage!" Iris screamed. "My babies need my help!"
Both Malaya and Rhyme looked at Iris dumbfounded.
"Wines?!" Malaya screamed. "I thought it was something important! You idiot!"
"What do you mean about something else?!" Iris screamed back. "Those are my babies! I'm going to check them out!"
"Stop Iris!" Malaya screamed back. "It is too dangerous to walk back to the cabin. You might get swayed by the waves! Your life is much more important than any of those."
"You will never understand me since you are not used to it. Whatever you say I will get those!" Iris screamed as she started leaving.
"Ah fine! I have three hidden hundred-year-old wine stocks in my room! If all of your wine got destroyed, you can have that just don't leave right now! Just stay here, Iris."
"Really?!" Iris' eyes sparkled. But then she looked suspicious towards Malaya. "You don't drink. Why do you have wine in you?!"
"It is because I can use that as collateral if there is a chance. And now there is a chance!" Malaya screamed.
Rhyme, who was watching the whole exchange of their ridiculous conversation, didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "How can both of you still think of wine given the situation?!" He finally screamed too which earned the look of the two girls.
"That's because my wine is more important than anything else in this world!" Iris screamed back trying her best to defend herself. "They are part of my life, my pleasure and they make me feel I'm in paradise while I'm living. I can't live without them…"
"Don't mind her! She's just crazy!" Malaya suddenly interrupted her and screamed to Rhyme.
'No both of you are insane!' Rhyme wanted to scream. But he just kept it inside him. Another strong wave was approaching them. He held the steering wheel and maneuvered it to the left side.
"What did you just say? I hear that!" Iris said.
"Why are you asking me if you are already here?" Malaya responded.
"Please stop!" Rhyme screamed back. " Your arguments will never be helped in this situation. Can you just at least be logical?"
"Alright! How long are we gonna be like this?!" Iris screamed. "I'm already getting tired! Besides, hours have passed!" She looked at her palms who are now turning into a red color.
"Until we crossed it!" Malaya screamed.
"Argh. I don't know anymore if I can stay like this! This is so tiring!" Then suddenly some idea sparked inside Iris' mind. "How about we play a game?!"
"A what?!" Malaya screamed when she didn't catch Iris' words.
"I said a game!" Iris screamed back. "Let's play a game!"
"That sounds great!" Malaya's eyes sparkled. "What is the game?!"
"Hah?!" Iris screamed back.
"I said, What is the game you want to play?!" Malaya screamed back.
"Oh! Rock paper scissors!" Iris screamed. "The one who will have three-streak lost will have punishment points that will be used once we cross this storm! "
"All right! I understand" Malaya screamed. "Then let's begin!"
"Rock, paper..."
"Scissors!" Iris screamed.
"Rock!" Malaya screamed.
"Hahaha! I won!" Malaya screamed with joy. " Well! It's so fun!"
"Again!" Iris said. "I'm just warming up! I just let you win the first time around so it will not look boring for you" Iris trying to defend herself from losing the first part of the game.
"Oh! Then let's see!" Malaya said with competitive energy in her voice. "I will win on this!"
Hearing more of their nonsense, Rhyme just silently shed invisible tears at how carefree the two girls are even in such a life-threatening predicament. If one wrong unfortunate event occurs, their ship could be overturned by some waves!
'Are they not thinking about this?!' Rhyme screams internally. Another huge wave approached them but the two girls just went playing with their game.
'Well, as far as I can see. They don't care or maybe they just are not thinking about this. Girls are always a girls'
"Hey, Rhyme!" Iris screamed to get his attention " Do you want to join us?"
"No thanks!" He screamed back at Iris. "I wanted to say I'm fine here. But nothing is fine here! Stop playing you two!"
"You are too boring.. Come on, have some fun with us!" Iris looked at him while Rhyme tried all his best not to make eye contact with her.