A cup of coffee in my hands was precisely what I needed on this chilly winters day. Although I was now indoors, my body felt frosted from the inside. It felt as if the cool winter air was somehow penetrating through the floor to ceiling glass windows surrounding the waiting area. I let my eyes fall shut while holding the cup at my chin to make use of the warmth of the steam. The sweet aroma of coffee wafted in my nostrils sending me to a state of utter contempt. 

 

 

***

 

 

"22A." I muttered more to myself than the stranger who was staring up at me as I slowed to a stop next to the seat he was currently occupying. 

 

"You're window?"

 

"Apparently yes." I say waving my boarding ticket in front of him. 

 

"Is it alright if we swapped seats. I get a little sick if I can't see outside." 

 

"Sure, whatever you want."

 

I concentrate on stuffing my bag in the overhead compartment before sliding swiftly into my seat for the next 14 hours. A glance outside revealed a peek of sunlight slowly rising creating an almost ghostly glow. I buckled myself up and decided to take a nap. It was going to be a long day. 

 

 

 

 

 

And it sure was a long day. We were hardly a few hours into the flight when I was startled awake. It was a tinkling voice and movement that caused me to open my eyes. I could block out everything except for the boy who was sitting next to me. He was being so fidgety and each of his movements led to the rustle of the items in his bag. 

 

I looked over at him to find him holding his camera in hand in front of his face. He brushed a few stray strands of hair away from his eyes and began talking. It was a foreign language but I could pick it up as Korean. He spoke about how happy and thankful he was and how much fun he had. Now that he had to return to his life he would make sure to do his best to not disappoint the fans. I remember I didn't think much of it because many people in the present would make use of the social platforms to put themselves out there and find people who enjoy their quirky selves. 

 

By the time he had put down his camera, he seemed to be drifting off to sleep, slowly and then all at once. I couldn't help but notice how his eyelashes caught in the sunlight would glisten and sparkle like a star. 

 

"Stop staring. You're making me uncomfortable."

 

I scoffed. "Stop flattering yourself. I'm watching a movie." I scrambled to turn on a show to cover up for my blatant lie. To my surprise he didn't open his eyes. He only fell into a deeper slumber. 

 

 

 

 

 

I grew increasingly curious as we neared Seoul. He was definitely vlogging and it seemed like the guy knew how to appease his fans with his the words drawling from his mouth like spilt honey. Was he perhaps a trainee or a popular youtuber?

 

"Hey, who are you?" I whisper in his ear.  

 

His reply was only a smile. "It's a secret."

 

"So why did you come to the states?"

 

"Just a holiday."

 

"By yourself?"

 

"I could ask you the same thing. Why are you going to Seoul alone?"

 

"I'm not alone." I defended myself before realising that even though technically I wasn't alone, it was the harsh reality of the situation. 

 

"That's very convincing."

 

 

***

 

 

"See you around?"

 

"Yeah yeah bye." I called waving in a almost dramatic manner as he walked past the security. 

 

He claimed he might get noticed if he stood by and waited with me for my friend which led me to further my suspicions about his identity. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy his company. There was the uncertainty of never meeting again since neither of us has decided to switch names let alone numbers. It was fates game to play.

 

 

 

 

 

The familiar pink suitcase distinguished my friend amongst the multitude of people almost immediately. Her hair was fashioned in a simple pony tail that still managed to look sophisticated after the lengthy flight. Dressed in a plain white tee and sweat pants, she still looked stunning. As expected of a model.  

 

“Mira,” she drawled as she noticed me in the midst of the frantic people searching for their suitcases. She embraced me in a warm hug pulling away almost instantly with shock. “How was the flight? Did you sleep well?” 

 

“I got lucky. I sat next to a hot guy,” I bluffed.

 

“You’re kidding! You should have seduced him and convinced him to swap seats with me. That was the most horrible plane flight of my life. A child…”

 

How I missed her story telling. “Let’s go,” I called turning her to the arrivals hall. “I could really do with some more sleep.”

 

 

***

 

 

"Can you please please please help me order it before you go?" I looked at her with the best puppy dog eyes I could muster. 

 

"Just say it in English, they'll understand." She continued putting on her shoes not even glancing in my direction. 

 

"I did that last time and they sent me the wrong dish. Please."

 

"Ugh, fine." She said grabbing the phone, "same thing?"

 

"Yes. Thanks, you're the best!" 

 

"You really need to learn Korean yourself." Her voice bounced off the walls and echoed through the corridors followed by the door clicking shut. 

 

I did know Korean. To some extent anyway. Not enough that I was confident in speaking with someone on the street. 

 

I switched the tv on to create some sound to drown out the empty silence and got comfy on the sofa splaying my arms and legs comfortably over the couch. I didn't think I could be more relaxed than right now. My eyes flickered to the screen where a boy group was currently attempting to grab my attention with their bodies. It was a success. My eyes were glued to the screen until a certain familiar face successfully knocked all the breath out of me. I sat up straight on the couch. It all made sense now. 

 

The raspy knocks on the door came not long after but I realised I was no longer craving the noodles. I was shocked that I had so casually gone about meeting an upcoming idol. 

 

 

***

 

 

Was it creepy that I then proceeded to look up his next fan event? And showed up to the fan meet not long after. I convinced myself I was just meeting an old friend.

 

"So you're an idol."

 

He hummed a yes in response.

 

"And who might you be?"

 

“The lonely girl on the plane."

 

His eyes lit up in recognition. "I was asking your name but I do remember you, yes.

 

"Wait I'm confused. Did you know who I was the whole time? You seem pretty fluent in Korean so you must have heard."

 

“No, but it's nice to meet you properly this time." I reached out my hand for a shake which he willingly accepted. 

 

"Please hurry along," a male voice called ushering me off stage. 

 

The next thing I knew my flight buddy was waving at me and he was slowly disappearing behind the growing crowd of fans anticipating their chance to talk to the members. 

 

 

 

 

---

 

Author's Note: Sorry, I just edited it a little. Merry Christmas!