Sometimes you’re lost (you’re lost)
But you will be found
-Lost and Found by One OK Rock

The place was a bustle of activity. A teenager just successfully tucked one of his hand-carry luggage in the compartment above his head, then settled himself on his seat beside the window. A woman beside him, who most likely was the boy’s mother was heard scolding the teenage kid to exchange his seat with her. To Toru’s amusement, the boy replied that he would like to take a picture of the clouds once the plane take’s off.
 
Toru Yamaa - yes the very same silent and serious lead guitarist Toru, who simply nods every time his band One OK Rock was interviewed- saw this scene and secretly smirked. He was working his way around people, aisles and seats to find his own, as indicated on his plane ticket. He can’t help but observe everything around him, and bask on the small and glorious freedom, away from head-banging audience and screaming fan girls. It’s not that he dislike any of those. It was one of his wishes after all – to be heard by thousands of people in various parts of the world, and enjoy the music they created. Still it’s a good experience to miss it and stay away from the rock scene sometimes.

After a few steps, a couple of elbow brushes with 2 different girls, one with a dazzling smile, an almost bruise on his shoulder when he bumped to this big muscled guy (so  much like the bouncers in front of the stage when they perform) and a slight trip on one of the aisles, he finally reached his row.

He was ready to  settle down on his seat and observe the rest of the world, comfortable and cushioned but he found he was unable.  A girl was already comfortably sitting on his paid seat beside the window.

Toru frowned, look at the girl and then at the seat number printed on compartment above her. He glanced at his ticket to be sure then stared back at the girl.

18A

He couldn’t be wrong! His seat number on the ticket and the row he was standing at is exactly the same. So, there must be something wrong with the girl, who by the way was now browsing through a travel magazine provided by the airline company.

Toru cleared his throat loud enough to be heard but not to loud to disturb others, then muttered an “Ano…” . The girl with short, copper colored hair and very fair skin just ignored him. He raised his eyebrow at that. Normally it wouldn’t take much for a person,and a girl at that, to notice him.

“Excuse me” he said shyly with the best baritone voice he possess, which by the way he was often told, can melt a girl’s heart.

The girl look up and he was met with a very cute face and powerful eyes. One that says one does not simply cross this girl or else… Still the eyes were captivating that Toru forgot for a second why he said excuse me. She was looking at him now with a raised eyebrow and said “Yes?” with a sweet voice so unlike what her eyes is telling him.

A bit flustered, Toru replied “Ahm, you are actually in my seat Miss. I paid for 18A.” He scratched the back of his nape with one hand and smiled at her. Toru has always been shy around girls, contrary to what everyone may think.

The girl just smirked and even laughed a bit. “You must be kidding, right? Is that a new pick up line? I clearly saw on my ticket that I was supposed to be on 18A.” She muttered a hmpf and flipped her head away from him.

Pick up line? Toru was torn between frustration and amusement. Pick up line for saying that she is occupying my seat? Weird. he thought. He couldn’t understand why he was having a difficult time muttering a reply in front of her. He even felt guilty that he was disturbing her comfortable life (on his seat) when in fact he was the one who was right.

“Miss! I’m not playing with you or anything and I really hate to disturb you but the plane is going to leave soon and I would really love to be seated and settled on MY seat.” Toru with all the politeness he could muster, told the girl one more time.

She lifted her head, stared at him with eyes mirroring his frustration.”You know what? It is such a waste that you are so handsome but can’t locate you own number. Is this your first time?”

Again frustration and amusement. Toru was at loss why he was even amused. Probably because he was used to girls asking for his autograph on the streets and have his picture taken with them. He was used to either girls ignoring him because they don’t know him or didn’t know rock, or girls with puppy-dog innocent eyes telling him he was the most handsome leader of the band. He sounds cocky now,yes, but he gets that all the time.

But never a girl who raises her eyebrows at him and belittles him with her wonderful eyes.

Toru let out a laugh. “No Miss, it definitely is not my first time flying, maybe it’s yours?” he retorted with a smirk.

“You know what?, if only I was not destined to be with my guitar-boy Toru Yamaa, I would have dated you because you are handsome and cool yet polite. Now I change my mind. I’ll stick with Toru” She crossed her arms and again flipped her head haughtily away from him. Her nose now high on the air and her chin jutting out stubbornly.

Wait wasn’t he the Toru Yamaa she is blabbering about? he thought, his eyebrows almost touching in the center because of his confusion. But of course he heard the handsome part, he was not deaf unlike the girl who seem to be blind. No wonder she can’t find her own seat.

Toru heaved a huge sigh and was about to show the girl his ticket when he heard a squeal.

“OH my Gosh! Juicy Toru-girl, I’ve been looking all over for you” a girl almost as tall as him with long curly coffee brown hair,bounded noisily towards them. “Why are you here? You left us in a hurry, is that how excited you are to see Japan?” she asked merrily as if the whole plane can’t hear her and that they were just doing a regular chit chat.

“What do you mean ‘why are you here?’, this is our seat right?” the girl called Juicy asked incredulously.
“WHAT? NO!” the new girl answered.

“Don’t fool me Maeka, Last time I checked we are supposed to be in 18A.” Juicy pushed her point.

“Hahahaha.You forgot your glasses again didn’t you? Here let me check my pockets, I’m sure I picked it up for you- again” the girl called Maeka rolled her amused eyes and rummaged through her pockets and held out a dark-rimmed eye glasses. “Seriously Juicy, for someone with blurry vision, you always seem to leave your third and fourth eyes anywhere. Hahaha”

“Anyway,” Maeka continued, “ Move out because you are seating in 16A with me on 16B duh.. and oh” she stopped and followed up with a longer Oh!

Toru noticed that Maeka was now staring at him with a shocked expression, still forming the O she just uttered. Finally! A reaction Toru is familiar with.

Juicy, on the other hand was busy adjusting her glasses on her nose bridge and she was going through her own ticket. She probably still thinks her friend was jesting. She was stunned for a second. She looked up when she saw her mistake and was ready to bow down and apologize but an ethereal image, more stunning than what was on her ticket, clouded her mind.

Now that she has her perfect vision back, she saw that the person she was busy pounding with slightly harsh words was no other than her koibito. Toru Yamaa.

Toru watched everything happen in a flurry of movements.The girl juicy suddenly stood up but rather clumsily so she bumped her knees on the back of the seat in front of her. She also hit her elbow on another seat and was now holding it with her other hand muttering an Ow.

He wanted to laugh! For the fiercest lady he met was reduced to a clumsy girl just because she realized who he was. He suddenly forgot that he was shy around girls and now had and urge to tease the girl. So with an amused smirk on his face he said “ Congratulations on your first flight Miss Juicy. Would you like me to walk you to your seat?”

Juicy stuttered with a “W-What? No. I mean Yes, sure. I mean NO, I can find it on my own. Its not my first!”

Toru just laughed- out loud.

“Miss Maeka, Thank you for bringing that magical megane, You saved my flight. I owe you.” Toru turned to the tall girl and bowed slightly

“Anytime Toru leader sama. I’ll definitely remember that you owe me though haha” was all Maeka could say with a laugh and a slight blush on her cheeks. That was a fast recovery for someone who was starstruck.
“One more favor though please?” he asked then whispered to Maeka’s ear “Can you please go back to 16B and leave Juicy with me?”

If Maeka was surprised, happy or giggling she didn’t show it. She just bowed and whispered back “ Sure, that’s 2 now, I’m keeping tabs” then winked.

Toru was surprised that Maeka was speaking like they are the closest of friends who make bets and favors with each other all the time. He smiled-- one that reached his eyes. He wondered for a second what kind of favors this Maeka may ask of him. He dished the thought away and turned back to the matter at hand.

“So” He stated to the still flustered and panicking girl Juicy. “Your friend told me that you should apologize to me properly. I have all these 3 seats booked anyways, supposedly for friends who, for some reason, did not join my leisure travel. Why not stay where you are and I’ll just sit here in the middle beside you?’

“Huh?! You owned all these 3 seats but you still went through all the trouble of getting mine. I mean yours technically but yeah you get my point” was Juicy’s lame retort/query.

It never fails to amuse Toru that she is now stuttering instead of burning him with her eyes. “I wanted a window seat.I wanted to take a picture of the clouds.Is that a problem?”

“No.Then I’ll be in the middle, you take the window seat.’

“Nah! I found something more interesting than the clouds.”

Juicy’s cheeks were warm with the blush that spread on it for Toru’s implied meaning. “Me?” she suddenly blurted out. Her head must be fussy with feelings and suppressed giggles.

“Sorry Ma’am. I meant the travel magazine” Toru answered while trying to hide his amused laughter when she saw the eyebrows of Juicy turning into one long line on her forehead and her lips pouted in disappointment.

This definitely will not be a boring ride.