*knock, knock, knock*

“Come in”

“Dad, I wanted to tell you, that I’ve been working at Neway for long enough, so… I was thinking…”

“If I would set you free again” Damian calmly finished his sentence

“Yes dad,”

“However, you promised to help me”

“But you have my two sisters; besides, I did help you for a month”

“You are pretty clear on the fact that I want to give you the whole company when you are ready.”

“But that’s not I want, I’m not ready, I’m not going to be”

“You will be, you love this job”

“No I don’t Charmaine is the one who really wants to help you and Tavia is the one who wants to try managing the whole company and is working hard to take over.”

“What do you want then son?”

“I want to pursue my dream! My dream was to fly around the world away from this restricted place”

“Are you still so sure, even after the scandal with MAVIS PAN?!”

“I didn’t do it!”

“Then what happened?”

“Even I don’t know, it’s just that I feel the guilt just like I had betrayed Linda”

“I know son, you don’t know how much I’ve been wanting to see you two marry, the day when she becomes my daughter in law, although she has a rich background, from the Langham corp., she’s a good natured girl, who came out to the world wanting to become independent, she works for her sister, her family and her friends, but that day never came…”

“I’m really sorry dad”

“But, if you go back, won’t you hurt her more?”

“I want to make up for it, find out what happened and why, because deep down I still love her, but I just can’t, because I have this sense of guilt saying that she thinks I did it, I wound her deep.”

“I’ll support you my son.”

“Thanks dad,” Raymond said with gratitude and appreciation.

[CX city Hong Kong-lounge]

“Raymond, my brother, your back” Ron greeted as he wrapped his arm around Ray’s shoulder.

“WOAH! Everyone is here, Hi guys!”

“You know we had less fun without you?” Kenneth said

“He means that less pre-flight visits from the cabin crew but we’re glad you’re back” Kevin laughed

“You missed your opportunity to become captain my friend,” Moses joked as he patted Ray on the shoulder.

“Are you saying we aren’t as pro or as handsome as our young Fung?” Bosco butted in as he punched Moses and Kenneth in the arm,

“Wait a minute… Samuel is flying?”

“Yep, he’ll be back after we fly”

“What’s my first assigned destination on the roster?”

[Onboard flight CX 101 Hong Kong to Taipei]

“Raymond, your skills haven’t degraded mate, I’m impressed, mate”

“Thank you captain” Raymond replied,

“I think you might grow be the youngest Asian captain in Cathay,”

“Stop joking Michael,”

[Cabin crew, onboard flight CX 101 HK to Taipei]

“Nancy, I need some more tea, can you please grab me some?”

“sure, which seat?”

“38H”

“Good afternoon sure, what would you like as your beverage, coffee, tea or juice?”

“I’ll take a coffee thanks,”

“Here you go sir, please enjoy your flight,” Linda said to the customer as she saw Fala waved Linda from behind the business class curtain.

“Fala what’s wrong? I need to finish serving”

“Can I serve this side please?”

“Why, all of a sudden?” Linda laughed yet still confused

[On board flight CX101 business class]

“Linda, lucky you’re here, I just received a call from the cockpit, we’re so busy we forgot to serve them” their supervisor told her,

[Cockpit flight CX 101 HK to Taipei]

“Autopilot is on”

*knock knock knock* Ron walked over to open the door, whilst he did this, Raymond was conflicting with his own emotions, firstly, he was hoping at the bottom of his heart that he could see Linda again, but the guilt had stopped him from wishing it was her, instead, he wanted to hide.

AS the door swayed open, Raymond focused on the skies in front of him, not allowing himself to see who it was…His heartbeat multiplied, his eyes losing clarity…

“Sorry, we were so busy we forgot” the voice apologised

“Here are the drinks you ordered.”

Raymond strained his ears in attempt to recognise who it was, could it be her? How can I not recognise her voice?  His insides somersaulted simultaneously

“Thank you Nancy,” Ron took the tray from her, at this point, Raymond released all his tension and sighed of relief.

“Bro, here’s yours” Ron nudged Raymond however, there was no response, where he just sat still lost in thinking in why he was so nervous.

“Huh?” he responded after a third call.

“Still in holiday mode I see?”

[Business class CX 101 HK to Taipei]

“Thanks Nancy, they needed the coffee refill…”

“Don’t worry; it’s not just that right? I can tell that you still feel uncomfortable around the cockpit?”

“Yeh a little…” Linda forced a smile

“You’ll be fine; I heard that he is still on holidays.”

“But who did you see in the cockpit?”

“I’m not so sure… other than Ron, I was in a hurry and he took it from there, I only saw their backs,”

“Thank you, have a nice trip,” They both bowed together, looking choreographed

“Thanks Fala, for your support,” Linda whispered

“Where do we go first?” Ron asked

“Hotel of course, I’m too tired,”

“You boys have fun, see you” Michael waved as they left the plane.

[Taipei shine café]

“I thought he looked too familiar, it looked like him but I don’t think so….”

“I don’t think he came back to work yet,”

[New Century Shopping centre, Taipei]

“Linda stared into the windows, as her friends dragged her along the shops,”

“OH my GOSH, it’s GUESS!” Fala screamed,

“Come with us Linda,” Nancy invited,

“No thanks, I think I want to just walk around by myself”

[New century shopping centre, Taipei]

“Raymond, just come,”

“I know you just dragged me here because you have a date Kenneth, we only met up with you an hour ago,” Raymond confessed,

“That’s pretty true, but one day I think he will slow down for just one girl.” Ron smirked

“Where is the date though?”

“Just down in the café over there,” Kenneth indicated downwards,

“Ron, why don’t you go up with him? I want to walk around more, freshen up my mind”

“You sure dude?”

“Just go, I’ve been locked in an office for so long already!”

“You are one traitor!” Ron pointed at Raymond with a trembling finger. Raymond smiled and walked away.

  Raymond walked into the lift, allowing everyone to enter and exit, he didn’t even realise that he had gone up and down the whole building for a few times already, he finally came to his senses as the lift stopped at the top level. He was stoned when he looked up and saw that all the people waiting outside for the lift were all in pairs, causing a deep punch in the heart. He finally came to a stop just in front of a claw crane. He stopped and stared, for a second he could have sworn he saw the flash of that exact same bear that he had used that special night.

On the opposite machine, his most beloved ex-girlfriend was standing innocently on the other side. Who knew that fate could be so cruel to play such a harsh game upon the couple bringing them so close but separated by just two claw cranes, separating them back to back? They were just so close but still so far.

[Flashback, Langham place shopping centre Hong Kong Mong Kok]

“How come there’s no-one here when he promised to be on time?” Charlene asked blankly.

“Charlene, are you sure that your boyfriend is here? Besides, all the shops are closed.” Linda asked clueless.

“Wow they are so pretty! I never come here at night past trading hours.”

“The arcade just looks magical. With such magical lighting, many people would faint just seeing it”

“But why would Ken call us to come here?” Linda asked Charlene once again being suspicious of the reason they came here. Charlene turned around and avoided Linda’s eyesight smiling cheekily.

“But don’t you reckon it looks different from usual? Especially the café over there, it seems somewhat like a garden” Linda continued.

“Magical? Harry potter like?”

“No, it’s just like a fairy tale.”

“I think we might be early, so why don’t we play our claw crane competition?” Janice suggested.

“They’re pretty cute, is this what they usually do?” the voice asked observing from an unseen spot hidden in the shadows of a higher floor,

“Usually the canopy would give us away, but I guess our plan succeeded.” Another guy smiled

Amidst all the girls running to their haven of fun, they did not realise that they were being observed, in a somewhat scary way.

“Everything is going according to plan, I knew she would choose it, thanks guys for helping me organise” Raymond smiled sweetly down at his other half.

“We changed the café so we can use it if we succeed, also the rainbow lighting and canopy that is usually on, is turned off temporarily, see? The rainbow staircase looks rather gloomy tonight, but it will be brighter later.” Kevin said in a lower voice than usual.

“No need to thank us yet, it’s all up to you now to see whether we pass the test.” Kenneth whispered. Raymond clenched his hands as his insides flipped and churned, feeling warmth rising towards his cheeks. He looked around, Ron, Kenneth, Kevin, Bosco and Moses were all here to support him, and he felt thankful for it, no matter what was going to happen. He looked down once again, unable to remove his eyes from her sweet smile. 

“I think we should get ready.” Ron patted Ray on the elbow.

***

Linda pressed the button not failing to be able to clamp the toy, she jumped with joy on the inside until the victorious music sounded as the toy dropped its way into the chute. She turned the tofu around to see a ribbon hanging around its body.  There was an attached note.

“Hey guys let’s end it here, come over here for a second,”

“Linda, don’t tell me you’re trying to cheat and trick us to go over there,” Fala blurted totally absorbed into the game. She missed the toy, pouted and walked unwillingly towards her friend. Charlene was all smiles, hurrying Linda to open it. Everyone was curious at why there was a note in a place like this? Linda read the message together with her friends.

“Linda, look up” Linda and her friends did as the note said and scanned the second level, as her phone rang.

“Hello love, where are you? Do you know where I am?” as Linda was just about to reply in confusion, she heard her friends shriek in excitement, and point to a suddenly brightened spot on the second level. Raymond walked slowly towards the escalator, saying through the phone

“Are you surprised?” Linda just kept staring at him unable to reply, as she was confused,

“Maybe it was fate, but you chose the right toy first go.” He smiled charmingly at her as she was still stunned, not able to respond in any way.

“Didn’t you say you were flying tonight?” Linda asked Raymond who approached, ending his call.

“You said you would trust me right?” Linda nodded.

“Now please trust me and close your eyes, I’ll win a toy for you.” At the sound of this, Linda slowly closed her eyes gently, turned around and gave her hand to Raymond. She felt his security and protectionism through his hand passing onto her.

“Are you ready?”

“I am whenever you are.” She relied as she felt his gentle hand guide the joystick to his destination, he felt him press the button, although she was screaming inside to open her eyes she just trusted him. She heard the toy drop through the chute. Her heart skipped a beat .

“You can open your eyes now.” Raymond whispered into her ear, as the girls stood around and gaped in admiration.

“How romantic,” they whispered to each other.

Linda picked up the toy from the chute with instinct, with the bear facing upside down, as she turned to face Raymond,

“turn it around,” Raymond motioned, as Linda did so, she found a really pretty box, hanging from its neck, just like the tofu however, Raymond made it seem so different,

“Hey guys come down,” he yelled to the second level. There the girls watched as all Raymond’s friends running down from the escalator,

“Wow, it might turn into a circus with them here.” Niki whispered with giggles following. However, as they looked closer, Bosco was holding a camera, and Kevin was holding a bouquet of roses, all smiling as they felt the happiness from their friend transferring into them. As soon as Niki saw Kevin holding the bouquet, she blushed and looked away not realising that Janice was looking at Niki’s reaction. The girls squealed in excitement as the group gathered. The atmosphere of the once empty and chilled shopping mall, turned into a loveable and romantic scene with touches of warmth love and happiness. 

“What are you intending?” Linda asked as she passed the bear to him through his gesture. She watched him smile sweetly, passed the bear to Fala, and slowly positioned to kneel down, opening the box as he did so. It showed a ring with the matching pattern as the love heart necklace he had given her. Linda’s heart skipped a few more beats gazing into her prince’s sincere eyes, she knew he was not joking. The guys and girls cheered together

“Ooooh!” 

“Linda let me take you around the world, through pain, love, hardships and suffering, we will not be separable. Allow me to guide through the dark, be your dance and song partner, be the one who you think of first when you are in trouble,  love you forever without change, and be your other half for the rest of my life,” He asked sincerely as Linda felt some tears gather towards her heart.

“But why is there so many people?” Linda asked surprisingly

“I feel more secure with them here, I know you’re not the type who wants to be rich however you really need someone who treats you from here,” Raymond gestured towards his heart.

“Please just say yes, sis, he has done so much for today.”

“Linda, if you say no, he’ll look like a total idiot with so many people,” Janice said sincerely

“Marry him, marry him…” the group of friends cheered together, as Linda’s tears were coming to a point where they would come out anytime soon. She covered squealed while spinning around on the spot, and finally nodded as her tears finally released themselves.

“Yes” Raymond got instantly got up embracing Linda laughing with happiness, picking her up and spinning her around. The guys jumped up and high fived each other.

“Wait!” Niki shouted

“What about the ring?” Fala asked allowing Raymond to instantly slide the ring on Linda’s finger as if scared she would disappear in an instant if he didn’t. He looked down at Linda’s teary eyes,

As the group made the place lively again, the café was bustling with liveliness.

“How did you guys have access?”

“My cousin owns this place” Kenneth smiled pointing to the café. It was indeed a magical place.

“Why don’t we play a game? Losers have to change Ray and Linda’s baby’s first diaper.” Bosco suggested.

The couple looked sideways at their closest escalator and broke into a painful smile remembering a similar escalator back at the Langham place; they played a game where the leaders of the two lines do a game of scissors paper rock. They had broken into female and male lines facing each other. Similarly however it was Linda, Raymond and love where Raymond is beaten by Linda and Linda is beaten by love where love is beaten by Raymond, however with different actions. The loser of the game had to stay in the position at the front of the line, the winner gets to go the back or bottom of the escalator, the losers of the entire game are the first two to reach the second floor, on the escalator. Niki and Kevin were completely embarrassed in having the thought of having to change diapers.

[Arcade, New century shopping centre, Taipei]

[Flashback]

“You’re sad because Janice broke up right? And she’s too sad?” Raymond asked his girlfriend sincerely. She nodded her head slowly and asked

“How did you know? Is it written all over my face?” Raymond wrapped his arm around Linda and said softly

“Oh, dear, I have a girlfriend who is easily affected, Ka Yan, you just can’t take everyone’s feelings and sorrow then gather it up all to yourself,”

“But I just can’t watch her cry, I don’t know anything about the pain, she looks like she is being stabbed in the heart, I just don’t know what to do” Linda sobbed

“Shh, come on, I’ll bring you somewhere that might help you”

“Where are you taking me?”

[New Century shopping centre, HK, Mong Kok]

“What can this place do? Aren’t we a little too overage for this?” Linda laughed

“Since, your tall, your good at badminton, volleyball, basketball, I’ve seen you play before, you have talent.” He said as he lead her towards the basketball game,

“I’m really not that good, honestly…”

“Stop being so humble Linda, take my card and swipe it, quick” Linda did so, her heartbeat quickening, as the game starts as the hoop moves forward and backwards,

“Think that the ball is your sadness, your stressful emotions, pain from you and throw it away imagining that if it gets through the hoop, it will just disappear,”

Linda thought deeply about Janice’s crying face and used all her force to get it through the hoop,

“It worked,” Linda screamed, looking fully content at Raymond.

“Of course, it does I used to do this all the time!” He yelled as he picked up another ball trying to be louder than the surrounding music,

“Why?”Linda asked loudly,

“Family pressure I guess? Keep going, don’t stop”

“But it’s already the last two!”

“Let’s just imagine that the ball is each other or maybe just our love,”

“Fung, have you gone crazy?!”

“I’m just trying to prove to you that even fate doesn’t allow us to throw our relationship through that hoop that easily, trust me?”

“I trust you,” Linda closed her eyes as the ball left her hands, the couple stared intensely at the ball that just left them, the two balls fly forward straight for the hoop as the balls met, they bounced off each other so that it would not go through the hoop.

“I TOLD YOU”

“What if it really went down?”

Linda picked up her first ball and stared at the first hoop. Thoughtless, she aimed the ball as if it was all her stress from her work. It went down the hoop in a swish. Her second shot went through too. She imagined that it was Raymond hoping that she could forget him. A flash of the fight, the ball left her hands and flew towards the hoop langing on the rim and rebounding off. She frowned not understanding why she had got every hoop smoothly except the this one. Why didn’t it work? She asked herself. It had always worked every time she felt unhappy. She picked up another ball with her final chance, she imagined it to be the newspaper scandal and threw it through the hoop. Surprised, it went through.

“Should I really let go?” she whispered to herself as her phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Sis, you must remember that whne you come back from your flight, go directly home, it’s some family friends, birthday”

“What are you eating? Which cousin is it?”

“I think it’s some guy called Matthew, oh and mum brought some organic strawberries back from America, weird huh?”

“Why so urgent?”

“I have a feeling it’s a set up! but you should really taste these they're awesome”

“But mum and dad believe that Raymond did not do it! DUDE i have plenty of strawberries to choose from” Linda answered without thinking and walked away. Charlene laughed, liking the fact that her sister was easy to tease

Raymond walked towards the hoops, he gave it a try and only got one shot in, is Linda really that big of an effect on him?

He walked away, confused, anxious to know what would be his next step , guilty and frustrated at himself. He remembered that he had Linda on his mind while shooting the first few hoops but then came the thought of the scandal, it made it in a swish. Is this just fate or am I not trying hard enough?

This remained a mystery deep down insde if hum which he was conscious of but which irritated him.

“Why didn’t the hoops work?” they whispered to themselves as they met up with their friends downstairs at the café, fate was playing it difficult on the couple, but will Linda find new love? Will Raymond find out about the truth?