Chapter Text
“Are you okay?”
You gasped and turned towards the soft spoken, but groggy voice. You had forgotten that there was a guy sitting in the aisle seat of your row on the plane. The cabin was dark to encourage passengers to sleep, save for the moody blue lighting that ran along the length of the ceiling, and you could tell your muffled crying woke him judging by his sleepy eyes under a mop of blonde hair that covered his forehead. He was leaning over the empty middle seat.
“Are you okay?” He asked again.
You cleared your throat and brushed away the tears, avoiding his gaze. “I'm sorry. Could I get past you?”
“Of course. I need to get up and stretch anyway.” He got out of his seat and stepped into the aisle. He was at least a head taller than you and broad shouldered and wore a baggy cardigan and jeans that were ripped at the knees. You went past him to the restroom at the back of the plane and locked the door. Now that you were alone you sobbed uncontrollably.
“I can't do this,” your boyfriend said.
“You have to, there’s no way your luggage counts as carry-on,” you laughed.
The attendant at the check-in counter patiently waited to weigh your boyfriend's luggage.
“No...this trip...us..”
“What? Are you...serious?”
You had planned this trip for months, making sure it coincided with your birthday. You had always wanted to spend your birthday in another country and what better way to spend it than with your boyfriend? You glanced at the airline attendant, and her eyes darted to her computer screen. Then your gaze went towards the crowded line of travellers waiting to check in their luggage. You didn't want to acknowledge it, but your boyfriend had been distant in the past weeks leading up to the trip, and you thought going away together would bring you two closer. You looked back at him with wide eyes.
“Are you breaking up with me...at the airport? I just checked in my luggage, your cousins and grandma are expecting us…” You tried to calmly whisper.
He avoided eye contact saying, “I never told them we were coming.”
“WHAT?!” You yelled.
He sighed, “I'm sorry, I can't do this. I should've told you this a while ago, when I first felt it...I really don't see a future with you. And this trip won't make me change my mind.”
The words sunk in. “Oh.” You felt your heart disintegrating. If you were really honest with yourself, you weren't sure you saw a future with him either, but you thought a trip with him could help clear your mind. If all went well then your fears would be abated, if it didn't then at least you got to travel for the first time in a long time. Besides, being with someone was better than being alone. Especially in a foreign country.
“I'm..I'm going to go. I'm sorry.” He took his baggage and walked away.
“WHO BREAKS UP WITH SOMEONE AT AN AIRPORT?! AT A GODDAMN CHECK-IN COUNTER!?” You yelled after him.
He didn't look back.
The line of travellers at the counter looked on in silence. You didn't know whether to scream or cry. You only knew that he wasn't going to come back and that you didn't want to run after him.
“Miss,” the attendant spoke up, “I’m so so sorry. I can pull your luggage back before they load the plane. What would you like me to do?”
You couldn't answer.
“Miss?”
“No.” A small voice you couldn't recognize as your own spoke. “I'm going.”
“I'm sorry I couldn't hear, what would you like to do?”
“I'm going,” you said resolutely. “Without him.”
A small group of people nearby awaiting the outcome of your drama and some attendants behind the counter clapped and you managed a small halfhearted smile while acknowledging them. The attendant handed you your ticket and passport.
“Your gate number is 28, Miss ____. I hope you have a safe journey to Seoul.”
You don't remember how you got on the plane, but you did, and the first thought in your mind was to get the earliest return flight as soon as you landed. Traveling alone after what had happened was a terrible mistake and you didn't even have a place to stay once you landed. You weren't prepared to navigate a foreign country alone, you depended on the comfort of sharing this kind of experience with someone. And now that person was gone. “Happy Birthday,” You said to yourself into the mirror, your eyes red and puffy, your cheeks tear stained. You took a couple deep breaths and then opened the bathroom door.
When you got out, the guy was still standing in the aisle stretching his arms and legs. He moved aside so you could get back to your seat.
“Sorry I woke you.“ You said as you sat down.
“No need to apologize,” He replied, sitting back down.
You settled in, looking out the window again into the night sky.
“It's midnight back home,” You heard him whisper, “But it's 4pm in Seoul. Crazy, huh?”
“Yeah, crazy.” You said listlessly.
You turned to him, and he was leaning over the empty seat, looking out the window too. His shoulders were so wide they were almost touching the seat in front of him, then again you were sitting in economy.
“It's nice to have this middle seat empty,” he said, raising his left arm rest, “You rarely get that in long haul flights. It's like you and I are in business class!”
He stretched his arms and legs out and danced in his seat. It was childish, but endearing like he wanted to get you to laugh. You didn't want to explain that that middle seat was your ex’s so you only made a small nod and mustered an even smaller smile.
“Sorry...I’ll shut up now…” he said, embarrassed and shrinking in his seat.
You sighed. You hated being cold, it wasn’t in your nature, especially to strangers who didn't deserve it.
“No, it's..it's okay.” You hadn't talked to anyone since luggage check-in, and it was strangely comforting to have a conversation, even if it was with a complete stranger who came off as an amateur comedian. Get used to it, you told yourself. You'll be alone for this whole trip if you decide to go through with it. Might as well converse with strangers while you still can in English.
“Have you been to Seoul before?”
He straightened in his seat, shocked at the sudden question. “Yeah, many times with my family. This is my second time by myself. I'm Seokjin. You can call me Jin,” he reached a hand over to you. You shook it.
“I'm ___.”
“Nice to meet you,” he paused as if he was weighing his words, “Do you mind if I sit closer? Kind of hard to have a conversation like this and everyone's sleeping.”
You nodded your assent, and he unbuckled his belt and moved to the seat next to you.
“So what are your plans in Seoul?” He asked. You were glad he didn't bring up the crying.
“Just being a tourist, it's my first time.”
He smiled widely, “Really?! You'll love it. There's so much to see and do. And eat! God, the food is amazing.”
You smiled, remembering how excited you were to eat Korean food, especially after watching Korean dramas like “Let’s Eat” and “Immortal Classic”. Maybe this trip is a good idea after all.
“That's what I heard, I made a list of all these places I wanted to eat at but…” your voice trailed off.
“But what?” He asked.
You realized it might be awkward to eat out alone in a foreign country, especially when some of the places you wanted to go to didn't really cater to single diners.
“But I might have to narrow it down...my food bucket list.”
He frowned. “What? WHY?!” His reaction felt so over the top, you couldn't help but smirk and see if it woke anyone.
“Well, this trip isn't exactly going as I had planned. And,” you groaned, “I need to find a place to stay too. Shit.”
“You didn't book a hotel?”
“No, we..I mean, I was hoping to stay with my boyfriend's family. Ex-boyfriend now, I mean. But that's not going to happen. You're actually, uh, sitting in his seat.”
He nodded as if he understood, then saw the questioning look on your face. “Listen, I'm glad you decided to continue on with the trip and didn't chase after that idiot back at the luggage counter.”
“What?” You stared at him with wide eyes.
“You probably don’t remember, but I was behind you guys in line at check-in. You dropped your--”
“My passport…” You interjected. He nodded. You did remember him. Your ex had gone to the restroom and while you were trying to move both of your suitcases as the line crept forward, you dropped your passport and the tall blonde guy with glasses picked it up for you.
He knew this whole time, no wonder he didn't ask why you were crying. “You heard it all, huh?”
He nodded.
“Are you okay?” Even in the dark you could tell his eyes were soft and sympathetic, searching your face for distress.
You sighed. You were done crying, for today at least. Now your sobering thoughts remained. “Yeah, I think I’ll be okay. I thought I was upset about being dumped, but...I think I'm more sad about doing this trip alone.”
As soon as the words were out of your mouth, you knew they were true.
He nodded. His brows were furrowed in deep thought. “I understand. But you deserve better. I mean, who breaks up with someone at an airport?”
“Right?!” You exclaimed, and then lowered your voice. “I still can't get over that.”
“It's brave, what you're doing. I mean, wow, it was like something out of a movie the way you said, ‘I'm going.’ Even those people clapped for you! I did too!”
You smirked, appreciatively. That bit did make you glad you decided to go to Seoul.
He continued, “You have to be positive. Okay? This might be the best thing that ever happened to you. Traveling does wonders for your soul. Especially when you're on your own. Fighting!” He shook a fist in the air and smiled brightly. You recognized the term from k-dramas, and it was the first time someone ever said it to you. You smiled. You weren't sure why he was cheering you up, but it was nice and definitely something you needed. But you had your doubts.
“I don’t know...I've never travelled alone.”
“I had an amazing time in my first trip traveling alone. You will too. Having that time to just be myself and do anything I want and not have to depend or worry about anyone else...It was nice. And you never know who you'll meet.”
You nodded, wanting to believe him. At least part of what he said was true so far, you wouldn't be having a conversation in the dark with a guy if you weren't single.
“What are you doing in Seoul?” You asked.
“I'm taking an immersive cooking class for three weeks. It's my second one out there. I'm training to be a chef.”
“Oh, no wonder you like food so much.”
He chuckled softly. “Yeah, it’s my first love. It's never broken my heart.” His eyes got wide after his choice of words. “I'm sorry, too soon.”
You smirked. “It's okay, food has never broken my heart either. I think I'll make food my boyfriend on this trip.” He laughed heartily, slapping his knee. It felt like an overreaction, but maybe that's just how he is, you thought.
“I'm curious, what places were you planning to eat at?”
You pulled out your list on your phone and showed him. You had listed restaurants by neighborhood, their address, nearest metro, and what dishes they were best known for.
“Wow! You did your research! I'm getting hungry now,” he said, reading the list of restaurants. “I get why you said you'll have to narrow down your list, some of these places aren't for people eating alone, the portions are meant to be shared.”
You sighed, as he handed the phone back.
“What else is on your to do list in Seoul?” He said, trying to change the subject.
“Lots of things: visit Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, Namsan Tower. And it sounds dumb now, but I planned all these “couple” things I was really looking forward to.” You said regrettably. “Bike ride along the Han river, try soju and street food, wear matching couples outfits to Lotte World, take selfies under the cherry blossoms, go to a noraebang. All this cheesy stuff that I thought would bring us closer.” You chuckled to yourself feeling really lame.
“Now I have to think of more things to do by myself...Do you have any suggestions?”
His eyebrows were furrowed as he listened attentively and he didn't reply right away. You immediately felt embarrassed about admitting all the couple stuff and wished you said something else.
“I can do all that stuff with you.” He offered.
You weren’t sure if you heard correctly. Did he say what you thought he said? You met his eyes for at least five seconds before responding.
“What?”
He chuckled shyly and smiled. “You don't need to be a couple to do most of that stuff. You just need to be with someone who wants to do it too. And all that sounds like fun.”
“We don't even know each other.”
“We have this whole flight to talk and get to know each other.” He looked at the flight time countdown on his TV screen, “We’ve got like at least ten hours.”
You eyed him suspiciously. A stranger wanting to hang out with you hours after he learned you were single?
“You want us to get to know each other for the next ten hours,” you stated.
He leaned back realizing how ridiculous it sounded. “We could also watch a movie, play a game, eat snacks. I have a lot of snacks, like a ridiculous amount of snacks. They never give enough snacks on these flights.”
“Why...why are you doing this?”
“I’m not trying to pick you up, honestly, I can see why it looks and sounds like that,” he backpedaled, nervously, playing with the holes in the knees of his jeans. You had to admit that a small part of you didn't mind if he was trying to pick you up--he was doing a decent job, but you didn't want to tell him that.
“I’m not that kind of guy. It's just that I’d be upset if you have a shitty time in Seoul, especially if you don't get to do half of the stuff you wanted to do. I know the city and I speak Korean; you can think of me as your guide. Plus, I'm going to be alone my whole time there and I want to have fun too,” he laughed. “I haven’t been to Lotte World since I was a kid.”
“What about your cooking class?”
“It’s from 9am to 2pm, Monday through Friday. We can hang out after my class and on the weekend. Whenever you like really,” he suggested. “If there's something you don't want to do alone, I can do it with you. You wouldn't have to narrow down your restaurant bucket list.”
You couldn’t believe your luck. Less than an hour ago you were sobbing in an airplane bathroom about traveling alone and now some random guy is offering to be your travel and food buddy? He seemed kind enough and interesting, and you liked that he already knew his way around Seoul and could speak Korean. But you still had your doubts. You'd only just met this guy, and other than the fact that he seemed cute under dim lighting and loved food, you didn't really know him.
“I don't know...What if I don't even like you,” You said a little too seriously.
His eyes and mouth got wide and he made a face like he was upset and offended, and then he laughed which made you laugh. You both realized that people were still sleeping around you so you both stifled your laughter.
“Tell you what,” he started, his voice low, “We get to know each other during this flight and when we land you decide if you want to hang out with me and have the best time in Seoul or we part ways and never see each other again. No hard feelings. How does that sound?”
Turbulence hit and you felt the plane shake and drop what must’ve been a couple hundred feet. You gripped the arm rest instinctively and closed your eyes. When the shaking subsided you opened them. The cabin lights were on and everyone had awakened from their sleep.
A voice came on the loudspeaker, “Apologies everyone, we hit a pocket of turbulence but should be stabilized in a couple minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts and remain seated until the fasten seatbelts lights have turned off. We’ll be turning off the cabin lights in a few minutes so you can get back to sleep. Thank you.”
You turned towards Jin, and could finally see his face clearly. He was more handsome than you remembered, then again you only registered him for a second when he picked up your passport.
His skin was lightly tan and smooth, his lips plump, and the blonde hair--though totally unnatural since you could see some of his black roots--suited him. His ears were pierced but had no earrings. His eyes were still shut tight, his brows furrowed as if he was expecting more turbulence .
You felt pain in your right hand and looked down. He was grasping it with his hand firmly as you held onto the arm rest.
“Jin. Uh, my hand.” Jin opened his eyes.
“Oh, sorry.” He let go of your hand and you noticed his eyes studying your face and taking in your features, from your eyes to your mouth.
“Are you okay?” You asked.
He stopped staring and looked away. “Yeah, yeah. I just hate turbulence. And I wasn't wearing the seatbelt.”
He looked for the belt buckle inadvertently leaning close towards you as he struggled to find it. You got a whiff of his cologne, it was intoxicating and warm and reminded you of baked goods.
“Oh god, my face must be really puffy.” He covered his cheeks. “When will they turn the lights off?”
“You look fine,” you replied, then remembered that your face must look raw and splotchy from all the crying. “My face must be worse.”
“No way,” he said, looking into your eyes. “Actually you have an eyelash..” He pointed at your cheek. You swiped at it but missed. He shook his head.
“Hey hey hey! Don't wipe it away, that's a wish! I can get it, if you want?” You nodded, trying not to laugh. You couldn't believe someone still believed eyelashes granted wishes. With his index finger and thumb he gently picked it up. It must've stuck to your cheek from all the tears. He held it in front of you.
“Make a wish.”
It must've been grade school when you did stuff like this. You closed your eyes and wished to have fun on this trip, wished that you could be at ease on your own in a foreign country, wished that Jin would be a fun travel mate if you decided to hang out with him. You blew on his finger and the lash was gone in an instant.
“I hope it comes true,” Jin smiled.
At that moment the lights turned off, and the cabin was bathed in blue light again.