Love Turbulence

Summer’s call beckoned for a sun high above all those who looked upon it for light. Every cool breeze that blew was welcomed by hardworking Jimin. His shirt was drenched in sweat and covered in engine grease. However, no matter how hot it was, Jimin worked his best. He didn’t want to disappoint his boss; he was afraid of him.

“Ahh, it’s barely noon,” grunted Jimin as he wiped the sweat off his brow with the same cloth he used to clean the jet turbine.

He looked off into the azure expanse, “When will I be able to fly?”

The sounds of steps, ones too familiar, resounded in Jimin’s ears. It was a well-dressed man, whose face was adorned with a stern look.

“Hey, you!” he exclaimed in Jimin’s direction.

Jimin stuttered as he dropped his cleaning cloth, “Uhm, yes sir? Is there something you need?”

He scoffed, “Something I need? No.” His brows furled up, “But, there is something you need to do. You need to get back to cleaning the garage; I don’t pay you to clean the jets.”
“Uhm, yes sir, you see. It’s just that I-“

He intermitted, “It’s just that what? Have you forgotten that any little mistake in cleaning these jets can cause an accident?”

“I’m sorry sir…” Jimin said under his breath.

He taunted, “Sorry for what? Your ‘I’m sorry’ can’t help me any if this jet you cleaned broke down in flight.”

“I know, I’m sorry sir,” said Jimin somberly.

Patting Jimin’s back, he whispered into his ear, “Now, get back to work. And don’t forget to pick up what you dropped. Also you’re face has black smudges all over.”

“Yes sir.” replied Jimin as he saw his boss walking off, whistling as if he had no care at all.

Jimin picked up his cleaning cloth and stuffed it inside his back pocket and looked over towards the airport garage. He sauntered over to it, with hopes that his elongated steps would by any means bring a moment’s rest to his wearied soul. But he made it; the garage was not too far off, after all. He picked up his trusty broom that lied on the floor- it was like a friend to him now, after spending many exhausting hours alongside it. His eyes quickly searched for any traces of dross he might’ve missed earlier that day when he cleaned it the first time. Yet, there was nothing. Jimin had done his best to impress his boss.

It was his mind that needed a sweeping or two. Without any work to keep him busy, his mind dived into a sea of ambiguity. He grabbed a wheeled chair and sat upon it, spinning and spinning.

“Should I? Should I knock over some things so I can clean the mess I’d make?” he asked himself.

He sighed and blew his lips. He was bored, but a sudden thought overpowered him. He tried to dismiss it, but could not resist its pull.

“What should I do about Jae?” he moaned as he spun himself once more. “Oh, why did she have to do this to me? She knows I’m afraid of her dad…”

He got up and reflected on his earlier question, after which he purposely spilled a half-empty can of Pepsi onto the gray floor.

“Alright, now I have something to clean!” he laughed as he walked over to his custodian’s locker.

He stretched his hand for the finest equipment available, a mop and a gallon of cleaning liquid. He began to clean the spill, but even then his mind was somewhere else:

He had failed escaping the grasp of the penetrating thought, “What should I do about Jae?” He mopped and mopped and questioned the existence of Kakao Talk, “Man, people are right: SNS is evil! WHY did she have to confess in that tiny little chat-box?”

Nonetheless, he continued in his diligence. And as he finished putting away his instruments of work, a perturbing sound, something like a growl, shook his peace.

“It sounds like an animal….” he whispered to himself, “Fudge, I hope that neighbor’s dog didn’t somehow follow me to work again.”

He took his steps silently, tip, tap, tip, tap, with the grace of a ballerina dancer. His tired eyes searched and searched unceasingly at the back of the garage, where he had heard the noises.

He squinted, making his tiny eyes even smaller, “What is that?” he asked as his eyes met with what seemed like a rolled up person under a desk.

It looked like a girl, but Jimin wanted to play it safe: he returned to the entrance where he had earlier spun upon the chair and retrieved his trusty broom. When he came back he extended the tip of the broom to poke the mysterious being. *Poke* Poke* No response at all.

“Is it dead?” he questioned.

Once more he poked. However, this time his resembled that of a shining knight partaking in a jousting contest.

“OW!” the figure cried.

Jimin drew back, stunned by the sudden cry. And when he saw what he had poked, or rather whom he had poked, he laughed.

“Jae, what’re you doing here?” he chuckled.

“Well, how about you first tell me why you poked me…” her eyes gravitated towards the broom in Jimin’s hand, being held with a tight grip. “…With a broom? Am I some kind of animal or something?”

Jimin’s smile grew wide. “Because I thought you were my neighbor’s Saint Bernard that ended up following me to work again.”

She sighed. “Help me get up?” she asked as she extended her hand in Jimin’s direction.

Jimin wagged his head, but he obliged, “Alright, let’s get you back up.”

She held Jimin’s hand tightly and he pulled her up. She shook the dust off her jeans and Jimin looked at her, still wondering why she was there in the first place.

“You have engine grease on your face,” sighed Jae as she cleaned his face with her handkerchief.

“Uhmmm, thank you?” said Jimin with a flushed face.

Then, he thought she might love to go out for a spin, so he left her there as he went back to the entryway.

“Hey, where are you going?” she asked.

“Just wait, I’m sure you’ll have a blast.” he responded as he continued off.

Jimin looked for a second wheeled chair, one that had been put away by his coworker that had recently quit.

“This one’s much older than mines, but I’m sure she’ll still have fun.” he remarked as he pulled the chair from under a pile of unused jet manuals and miscellaneous equipment.

He put this chair over his strong shoulder while he rolled his much heavier one along.

“What’s this?” giggled Jae.

He sat the chair down and patted its seat, calling for her to seat on it.

After he sat on his and rolled to and fro, and spun and spun, he said “This is how I have fun after I’ve finished cleaning up the place and have nothing left to do.”

She snickered, “Really? I don’t think Papa will be too fond to hear this.”

Jimin braked his wheels, “What? You’re gonna tell him. Please don’t.”

Jae came and stood behind Jimin.

She spun him and laughed, “No, silly. I was just kidding. I wouldn’t want to have you leave after all.” She stopped the chair, and in a shy, almost silent voice, said “You’re the reason I like making visits here.”

Jimin’s cheekbones couldn’t help but to be raised upwards. He felt tender warmth swirling in his face; he was flustered again.

But, he didn’t want her to notice. “You came here to visit a janitor?” he laughed.

Jae stepped away and sat in the chair he had brought. She covered her face with her two hands, and her flowing hair altogether came down her face, hiding her from Jimin’s sight. An awkward silence fell upon the two. All Jimin could do was spin in his chair.

“I love this chair, yup, yup.” he said.

Then, Jae flung her hair back and laughed like a madwoman.

Jimin stopped spinning. “What’s wrong?”

“I came here because my dad grounded me, not because of you, conceited! My dad told me clean the garage… I didn’t come to visit you!”

His face grew long, “Okay, if you say so… But, you were sleeping, not working.”

“Sleeping could be working too; especially when falling asleep is hard because of a certain someone. BUT, I was actually working. It’s just that I got tired and fell asleep there, under the desk." Her laughter soon stopped and she begun spinning in place. “Wheeeeee!” she squealed.

Jimin smiled and said, “Okay! I knew you’d love the chair!”

Jimin had clearly seen through her transparent heart, yet he chose not delve any deeper. All they could was spin in place. However, Jimin took glimpses at her with every spin in secret. She noticed, and hoped he would notice her staring back at him.

“Look at this!” exclaimed Jimin as he kicked off the wall, propelling his chair into her direction, and finally stopping before her.

“Such a kid,” she scoffed.

Jimin rolled himself to where he had originally been. “Once more!” he cheered joyously.

He kicked off a wall, but this time he had lost all control.

“Watch it!” she warned.

“I can’t!” Jimin cried as he closed his eyes.

Then, boom! The chairs clashed against each other, causing them to fall off their seats.

Jimin slowly opened his eyes after he felt a warm air coming from under his nose. “Jae, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to fall on top of you.”

Her face was scarlet, and her response was almost entirely silent, “Please get off…”

Jimin swiftly stood up. He picked up his chair up and sat, again spinning.

“I’m such an idiot.” he whispered.

Jae too followed suit and returned to her seat.

“I have to act now… My heart keeps telling me too” she thought.

She rolled her chair over too Jimin’s and stopped his spinning.

“You need something?” he bewilderedly asked.

“Remember what I told you on Kakao Talk?” She whispered, “You know about my crush on you…”

“Oh, no, not Kakao Talk. I think I hate it now. I mean, look at what it’s brought about…” Jimin said under his breath.

“Did you say something?” she asked, doing her best to keep her eyes on Jimin’s.

He kept his head down, but they then drifted towards her. “Yeah, ‘What about Kakao Talk?’ I asked you.”

She quietly spoke, “How come you said...”

He interrupted, “I’m sorry. It’s just that.” He sighed deeply as he ran his hand through his hair, “I can’t. It’d be like the Princess and the Pauper where the dude can’t go out with the chick because he’s dirt poor while she’s filthy rich.”
She chuckled, “I think you’re talking about some other story…” She looked down at her feet and started tapping her shoes together. “But, I get what you mean. I’m sorry for putting you under pressure.”

A rush of emotions battered against Jimin’s heart: He knew she liked him, and he knew too well that he liked her, but he still did not want to go any further than being “acquaintances”. Fear of her father’s disapproval became fetters, holding him bound in a place of ambiguity and denial- denial of his feelings for her that is.

Soon enough, Jimin heard what seemed like a quiet whimper coming from Jae, who hung her head between her shoulders. And he saw, he saw a thin trail of moisture that ran down her soft face; she had cried a little.

Jimin pulled at his hair in frustration, “Did I just make her cry?” he asked himself.

The ground began to shake, and almost immediately the roaring of a jet taking off filled their ears. Jimin brusquely stood up and ran outside to see the majestic flight of this powerful mechanical beast. His eyes could not leave its sight as it flew through the clouds, piercing the very heavens.

He confirmed his final thought, “I know what I have to do now.”

Jimin ran over to where Jae sat by herself and pulled up her chin. Her eyes were red and swollen. He could only guess how long she had cried.

“Keep looking up, Jae. Please don’t keep your head down,” he said as he her hair.

She rolled away from him, “What do you mean.”

“I mean…” He smiled, and said, “I mean, I like you. Even if I am never able to fly a jet, I know that with you by my side I will go beyond the blue sky and past all the clouds of heaven.”

Her eyes shone brighter than the sun itself, “You mean you’ll go out with me?”

“Yes! I don’t care what kind of turbulence we go through. Like a jet that flies after having gone through troubled winds and afterwards flying beautifully we’d be. I don’t care what your father thinks: I’m going out with you, not him.” he declared.

Her tears were replaced with laughter, and Jimin wrapped her up in his arms.

“I like you, Jimin.” she whispered into his ear.

“I know, I always knew. I like you too.” he replied as he grinned.

But, their excitement ended as the sounds of steps echoed from the garage’s entrance.

“I knew you two would do this if I left you children alone.” proclaimed a deep voice.

She gasped, “It’s my father.” Looking at Jimin, she anxiously asked, “What are we going to do?”

Jimin reassured her, “Don’t worry. I have to tell him someday, so why not let that day be today? I’m going to tell him I like you!”

Jimin held her hand, and walked alongside her over to her father that stood as a looming figure at the garage’s entrance.

Her father saw them and applauded his bravery, “Well, look at you now.”

Jae hid behind Jimin, but Jimin pulled her to his side. “We have to stand firm,” he told her.

“What’s this?” Jae’s father asked with a raised brow. “I told both of you to work-”

Jimin interrupted, “We were, but we finished all our work.”

Jae’s father chuckled and this puzzled the two lovers. Would he break them up? They questioned.

Placing his hands on Jimin’s and Jae’s shoulder, he continued, “You didn’’t let me finish boy. I was going to say, ‘And it looks like you guys did work’.”

“Wait what?” Jimin sharply asked

“I mean you guys worked out your problems.” Staring at his daughter’s eyes he spoke, “She was having trouble sleeping and I suspected it was because of a boy. And I guessed right: that boy was you.”

“What?!” Jae squealed.

“Why do you think I told you, Jimin, to continue your work here, in the garage?” he questioned as he met Jimin’s confounded expression. “Or why did you think I told you to work here as punishment, Jae? I knew too well you would meet here!” he told his bemused daughter.