“Los Angeles International information Juliet one four five zero Zulu weather. Wind two three zero at six, visibility one zero. Two five thousand scattered, temperature three three, dew-point minus three. Altimeter two niner niner five. IFR approach is ILS or visual, runway two four left and two four right. Simultaneous parallel ILS approaches in use. VFR aircraft say direction of flight. All aircraft read back and hold short instruction. Advise controller on initial contact that you have Juliet.”

Both pilot and co-pilot are listening to the ATIS message intently. They take mental notes of the information, storing it to the back of their heads, but so far it is a perfect condition to land. The co-pilot, a twenty eight years old man named Kim JongHyun, gives a thumb-up to the pilot as a silent agreement to go forward with the landing procedure. They still have several miles before approaching the airport, though.

“Stop grinning like a maniac, you’re creeping me out.”

“I’m just encouraging you. Go get her, tiger!”

The pilot, Kim TaeYeon, makes a face. “You know it’s not like that...”

“Are we going through the ‘I’m-hurt-my-fiancée-dumped-me-after-two-years-being-together-and-now-I’m-scared-to-start-dating’ talk again?”

“Are you insinuating that I’m scared of love?” TaeYeon fires back. She is very sensitive when her ex gets brought up into a conversation. “Or that I’m playing with the ATC girl?”

At the accusation, JongHyun a brow, frowning. “If you think like that, then maybe you are.” He shrugs, ignoring TaeYeon’s taken aback expression. “Ten miles away, you better send the message now.” Then the previous topic is replaced just like that.

TaeYeon, although still looking a bit irritated, follows through. “Los Angeles Tower, Boeing Hotel Lima Eight Two Seven One, nine miles east north, inbound for landing with information Juliet.” The words flow from her lips with practiced ease.

It goes exactly like it did three days ago, except this time TaeYeon feels excited, unlike her usual sour mood. She has been in the flight business since she is born, her father owns a private aviation company back in her hometown. It is really nothing big. The planes have propelled engines, mostly for doing crop dusting and sometimes banner towing. It does, however, contribute greatly to TaeYeon’s career. With a pilot as a father, she began training really early. At sixteen, she started flying solo and by seventeen, she already got her pilot license with about a thousand hours of flight under her belt. Now, barely twenty five and after two years out of college with Bachelor of Science degree, she has secured a line in international flight.

With such amazing accomplishment, it is natural for TaeYeon to think that she has it all, until her lover left her for a man and she became devastated. It took JongHyun a month to lure her out of her shell, but his tactic of getting her into night clubs and picking random girls in bar for one nightstands failed to work. TaeYeon is never good with human relationship. To say it simply, she is socially awkward, which is bizarre because she works as a freaking pilot, the dream job with big income and beautiful flight attendances ready for a game or two. On more than one occasion, JongHyun and several other pilots have called her an introvert and she does not even bother to retaliate, because she knows it is true. The fact that right now, she is talking with the air traffic controller, whose voice she has a crush over—if that is even possible—through the communication but does not dare to meet her face to face, is enough proof of it.

“Hotel Lima Seven One, turn right next taxiway, contact Ground, point six five, leaving the runway.”

If the air traffic controller feels bored for reciting the same message over and over again, it can’t be detected in her voice. But again, she sounds as static as she always does and TaeYeon can’t help but think that maybe they are not that different. The ATC girl is hiding behind the communicator as well, and even worse, she is trapped in a tower for at least six hours a day. Both of them definitely have something in common.

“Right turn, contact Ground, Hotel Lima Seven One. Go out with me?”

“No.”

TaeYeon can feel JongHyun rolling his eyes at her unsuccessful attempt, so she tries a new approach. “At least tell me your name?” It comes meekly and she can only hope the other woman does not notice it.

“No.”

This is her last shot. As much as she wants to spend hours talking—harassing, as JongHyun would have corrected—to the air traffic controller, she knows she can’t. Actually, it is against the rule to talk more than required and even more when it is for petty matters like wooing someone. TaeYeon can only wonder why the woman has not reported her yet.

Maybe she is not as bothered as she sounds... the thought puts a small grin on TaeYeon’s face. “Then I’ll call you Rapunzel, because you are ‘trapped’ in a tower.”

“This action is really—“ Again, TaeYeon cuts it off.

From the corner of her eyes, TaeYeon sees JongHyun shaking his head at her. “What?” She puts in the ground control’s frequency and without waiting for her co-pilot’s reply, she talks to the microphone, “Los Angeles Ground, Boeing Hotel Lima Seven One, taxi to transient parking.”

“Boeing Hotel Lima Seven One, taxi to parking,” a deep manly voice replies.

“Taxi to parking, Hotel Lima Seven One.”

JongHyun postpones their chat as he concentrates fully on parking the plane. It is probably the only one time when an airplane is going slower than a car. For such humongous metal, the pilot and co-pilot fully depend on the light line marshaller, since they are so high up there and not able to see any fine detail of the ground. TaeYeon and JongHyun finally relax when the marshaller puts both of his arms up to form an “X” with his red batons and they secure the break.

“You’re so mean.”

“I know,” TaeYeon answers back, feeling satisfied that for once she is in full control of how she wants the ‘relationship’ to progress. “I hope she isn’t mad at me.” She frowns slightly. Even after such exhilarating exchange, uneasiness still resides inside her.

“After that ‘Rapunzel’ line? I doubt she will.” The older man takes off his safety belt and headset then smacks his blonde companion on the shoulder. “This calls for a drink!” He cheers loudly.