Hi readers, 

As I said before, I did have most this chapter written up. I just had to edit and add a few bits in. 

So it looks like I’ve allocated one too many pilots for this flight. But I’ll keep it that way. Let's just please ignore that fact (I won't do it next time) sorry. 

I wrote some of this chapter a year ago. So as you may notice, Jonghyun is in this chapter. After much contemplation, I am keeping the story the way it was originally intended, so I have not changed the characters. 

I do have internship coming up, so you might not hear from me for a while. But I will still try my best. 

Once again, a big big thank you to all my readers and subscribers (and new subscribers). 

Until next time, Happy reading :) 

“So I reckon that should be enough fuel for the trip” Jonghyun explains while reporting his flight plan to his seniors in their pre-flight briefing. Kangta and Kyuhyun are listening intently as Changmin nods and picks up another document on the table.

“Changmin?” He looks up from browsing the document and nods in agreement.

“Pretty good. But just one thing you probably missed.” Kangta observes patiently, arms folded across his chest. “Have you checked the NOTAM Jonghyun ah?”

Jonghyun quickly reaches for the NOTAM and browses through quickly.

“The ATC (Air Traffic Control Tower) at Kingsford Smith (Sydney International)   airport are going through industrial action. The air traffic would mean we'd be doing longer holding.” Changmin advises.  

“So we need extra fuel.” He corrects himself. “Sorry I missed that one.” Jonghyun apologises almost timidly.

“Everything else was good.” Changmin says matter of factly.

“Not anything less from the top of his class” Kangta praises the junior of the group who nods humbly.

“I’ll amend it now.” Jonghyun then thanks the seniors and collects the paper wrok, ready to set off.

“Jonghyun, don’t worry Changmin’s not as scary as Kyuhyun has been saying.” Kangta clarifies after their fellow co-pilot Kyuhyun (who is notorious to making a back story for everyone) spread various rumours in association to Changmin’s return. Changmin shoots Kyuhyun a look. The latter tries to feign innocence by averting his gaze. Changmin makes a mental note to corner his mate and make him spill the beans on what other lies he has spread.

“just relax and be natural.” Kangta consoles. 

“Yeah I don’t bite. How are you going to work with me as your SFO if you are that scared?” Changmin smiles jokingly. Jonghyun laughs off his previous nervousness.

“Believe it or not he was my partner in crime in our class of cadets.” Kyuhyun adds. It is a statement that clicks better than any of the previous words. You can almost see the light bulb above Jonghyun’s head and it is as if the whole world makes sense now.

“Ahhh…” he says in understanding.

“You’re doing great” Changmin

“thank you”   he bows before he walks off.

“You ruined it captain!” Kyuhyun starts up the conversation again with a clenched fist. “I even told him how he needed to prepare coffee for Changmin with exactly 1 and ¾ packets of sugar.

Changmin chuckles and shakes his head.

“Not expecting anything less from you Kyuhyun. Nothing less.”

“Btu it doesn’t beat his last one. Did you hear how he told the interns that Ryeowook was the chairman’s son?” Kangta takes the opportunity to poke fun at Kyuhyun.

“what? You didn’t know captain?” Changmin decides to chirp in sarcastically. “they look so alike.”

Kangta rolls his eyes defeatedly.

“Wouldn’t put it past him” Changmin says in the end.

“By the way, Changmin” Kangta comments. Kyuhyun looks from Changmin to Kangta curiously. “not bad. Still living up as top cadet of the class when you graduated.”

Changmin shrugs modestly. Kyuhyun stares cluelessly at the two.

“I just happened to hear the news on the radio yesterday and also notice the missing page  in the NOTAM.”

Kangta smiles. “ You didn’t let me down.”

“Hold up hold up” Kyuhyun says, putting his hand up to stop the conversation. “What’s happened?”

“Captain An, like he always does, found another way to check us.” He pulls out a NOTAM from the bottom of the pile and the NOTAM which Jonghyun just read and Changmin had brought along with him to the briefing.

 After realising the little passage of crucial information that was printed at the top of the missing page, Kyuhyun eyes Kangta.

“Still at it.” He says part grudgingly part mischievously.

“Well, Changmin did it again. He’s –“ but Kangta is cut short.

“the only one who realised the mismatch of maps provided within the group when we were assigned to make flight plans during recruitment.”  Kyuhyun continues in a bored voice. “You say that every single time!”

“Just to remind you, that you’ve got some catching up to do” Kangta teases, hitting Kyuhyun on the arm lightly with his folder.

 ***

The cabin crew mingle with each other as they continue down the ramp. Yuri notices Yoona lingering a little slower than the rest of them. She slows down to fall in pace with Yoona. She switches hands on her suitcase so that she is able to reach across behind Yoona, and pull her into a tight hug. One Yoona is always grateful for – one that tells her she is at home.

“Smile Yoong!” she cheers and gives her best friend’s arm a light squeeze. “Just because we’re not flying to Japan this round doesn’t mean we can’t fly over there on our time off. Or maybe the next time we go back to Tokyo we might hear some news about your aunt.”

Yoona forces herself hard to smile and manages.

“Hopefully unnie.” She sighs. “The last time we went, the tenant said there was no news from her yet again.”

“Hey, it’s not like our Yoong to give up. You always told us that you’ll find your mother, bring her home and make yourself and your father happy.” Yuri reminds Yoona warmly

“I haven't given up yet unnie, don’t worry. It’s just…” Yoona breaks off her sentence, failing to find words.

“What is it Yoona?” Yoona knows the answer to Yuri’s question but finds it difficult to voice it out. She has yet to fill her in on the story about what happened a year ago in Japan. So she cannot bring herself to tell her friend why she is feeling slightly anxious about a flying long haul with a certain co-pilot. They are bound to come in contact along the way and she feels that she has no idea how to face or approach him when the time comes around. But Yoona is determined to overcome it, ignore it and be professional like always.  Like the many times she has gone through worse situations. She is not going to let a presence faze her.

“Nothing. I won’t let it bother me.” Yoona gives Yuri a cheerful smile which lets her best friend know straight away that she has thought it through.

***

“Cabin crew please prepare the cabin for take-off” Changmin announces over the PA.

Yoona hears a certain voice over the p.a. and she hesitates for a slight moment (an occurrence that she is supposed to overlook) before doing her usual routine of checking the passengers seat belts.

“Sorry madam, we’re preparing for take-off, please fasten your seatbelt.” She says as she helps the elderly lady adjust her seat.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the seatbelt sign is now on. Please do not remove your seatbelt until further notice.” Changmin’s voice announces. Yoona tries to act unaffected by the voice – the one she had only had the chance to replay in her mind for the past year.

“Excuse me sir, please close your table, we are preparing for take-off. Thank you”

Yuri helps a passenger across the aisle fit her carry-on into the overhead compartment.

A few minutes later after they had completed a walkthrough of the cabin.

“Cabin crew please perform cross check” Changmin’s voice announces once again.

Yuri and Yoona check their emergency exit doors, and exchange to conduct the same procedure.

AS Yuri passes Yoona, she whispers “Do you like his voice?”

“What?” Yoona stops and turns to stare at Yuri in alarm. But they manage to complete their routine task before Yuri disappears behind the curtain and into the galley. Yoona follows, trying to get an answer.  “why are you asking me?”

 “Well it doesn’t sound bad compared to the others.” Yuri reasons… Yoona smiles out of relief, which changes into a cheeky, teasing smile.

“But you’d still prefer your boyfriend’s voice.”  

“Too bad his parents objected to his passions.” Yuri says sadly

“Maybe they’ll come around some day.” Yoona tries to cheer Yuri on. 

“Cabin crew, please be seated for take-off” Yoona and Yuri take that signal and head to either side of the cabin, to their respective jump seats.

****

It is late in the evening as they land in Sydney. Having successfully avoided the task of serving the flight crew in the cockpit, Yoona is a little less tense, having almost forgotten that he was even on the same flight. Yet her luck runs out as soon as they pass through customs and await their luggage to arrive at their assigned carousel.

The flight crew approach the cabin crew who were already waiting patiently. There are friendly greetings exchanged and when it comes to Yoona who turns around at the wrong time to find the tall being she was avoiding just standing behind her, she tries to hide her surprise. He nods politely, there is almost a ghost of a smile which she is unsure whether she imagined or not. Upon pondering whether or not to respond, Yoona opts to bow slightly – the way you do to people you are not so familiar with. She turns back to focus on the rotating baggage carousel, yet she is awfully conscious of the presence behind her.

As their baggage start turning up labelled with special yellow tags [crew], they approach the conveyer belt to collect them. Just as Yoona lifts hers, an impatient passenger to her right had bumps into her arm, causing her to lose grip, forcing her to drop the baggage. Before she can react in time, Changmin brushes past her from behind to reach for the baggage for her. He returns, and places her luggage on the ground. As he straightens up and hands her the handle Yoona stares back into his deep brown orbs. She blinks twice, momentarily blanked of any response before she mumbles

“Thanks” a warmth developing in her cheeks.

“Is your arm alright?” he looks down at where she was bumped.

“Yes. Thanks.” Yoona says again, once again probing his deep brown eyes and simultaneously hoping he does not pick up on her flushing cheeks.  

“Be careful.” He manages to convey before Yuri calls out to Yoona and cuts their exchange short. Grasping the opportunity, she promptly takes the cue to walk away after quickly bowing. As soon as she is out of earshot, she heaves a deep sigh, only now being to breathe properly.

 ***

To Yoona’s dismay as they are allocated rooms at their hotel, Yoona realises her room is opposite Changmin’s. She lets the fact slide past her sleep-deprived mind, being too physically and mentally exhausted to care anymore. She bids the rest of the girls good night before winding down and falling fast asleep.

She is awoken the next morning to the ringing of her doorbell.  Yoona pulls herself out of the bed and trudges to open the door just slightly. As she takes a peek outside, she is overcome by surprise to find Changmin across her threshold. She hesitates before blinking once rather dramatically. Despite an adrenaline rush, and her flustered inner emotions, she maintains her composure on the outside.  He on the other hand, smiles in amusement at her reaction.

“Can I … help you?” she offers, with just her head poking out of her room.  

“Sorry to have woken you.” Changmin says tentatively and waits for a response from Yoona. She merely stares back tiredly, the room door still separating the two of them. But Changmin does nto mind the awkwardness. After a moment, she replies.

“You don’t look sorry at all.” Yoona says blankly (yet jokingly). And perhaps he senses the humour and chuckles before continuing.

“Can I please borrow your phone charger? I’ve forgotten mine…”

“and Kyuhyun oppa can’t lend you his because…”

“He’s upstairs and he uses an iPhone.” Changmin says, as if he already had his answer prepared.

“and you know I have a Samsung because…”

“you were holding it on the crew bus yesterday” he says simply. And Yoona forms an O shape with .

“You win.” She smiles in defeat. She leaves the door hanging slightly ajar as she trudges back into the room to retrieve it. As she passes her mirror, she spots how her hair has gone amess through the night. She stares wide eyed at her reflection and closes her eyes in embarrassment, and takes a look at the (still very much closed door) and imagines him on the other side of it.

When she returns with the charger, she only sticks her hand out with the charger hanging from it.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

“Have you forgotten anything else?”

“Nope.”

“Good. Have a nice day” she bids goodbye without taking another peek at him and closes the door, rather gently though.

Changmin stares at the charger in his hand and looks back up to the closed door in front of him.

“Thank you, Yoona” says under his breath. “it’s nice to have found you again.”

***

The afternoon is spent with the crew strolling around different parts of the city – most of them in Town Hall, the precinct almost at the heart of the Sydney CBD. At a particular coffee shop, Yoona had ordered coffee and realised that they don’t accept card for orders under $5. She opens her wallet and finds that she had spent the rest of her small change on the gifts at the market stalls. When she turns, Yuri and Hyoyeon are already waiting outside with Kyuhyun and Jonghyun, and are a bit out of reach to call out to without offending anyone. Just then, Changmin approaches from having collected his coffee, he passes the cashier a $5 note. Yoona turns around staring at him in surprise. He merely says

“In return for the favour of lending me your charger.”

“Thank you” she says gratefully. But he shrugs it off casually. Just before he walks off. She stops him in his tracks. “Hey, um… sorry if I came across as being rude this morning”

He chuckles

“I would consider this morning’s attitude as well mannered.”  

Yoona rolls her eyes but giggles anyway. But their conversation is cut short when Yoona is called to collect her coffee.

It is not until a few stores later that Yoona has accumulated smaller change. And she is determined to look for Changmin to pay him back. Without much luck, she only finds him when he ends up in the same section as her in the bookstore. He had just picked up a book in the ‘gift book section’. Yoona approaches him filled with purpose.

She spots the book in his hand. It is titled ‘book of nonsense’.

“Looks like you’re bored?” she says, as a way of announcing her presence. He closes the book, and turns to look at her,

“And it looks like…” he spots the book in her hand titled ‘reasons to get married’. He quirks up his eyebrows and finishes off his sentence “it looks like you’re trying to convince someone to marry you?”  

Yoona frowns at him at first, having not expected for his quick comeback and then realises he had noticed the title of her book. It was a book she had picked off the shelf earlier, and had decided to buy it as a gift to Hye Kyo Unnie, hoping it will help Joong Ki Oppa convince her to get married. But he doesn’t need to know the details. It’s a matter that shouldn’t concern him. She is unsure if it is just her being sensitive or whether there was a tension he seemed to have when he had just said that. But when she tries to read him further, she decides to just drop it and shrugs nonchalantly. She then pulls out the $5 note she had prepared to return to him earlier.

“thanks for earlier.”

“I said it was a thank you for the favour you did this morning”

“I don’t like owing people.”

He studies her for a moment and finds that she is adamant. SO he stretches out his hand.

“Thank you” she says with an exaggerated smile. “just please don’t forget to return it.”

“I won’t. I'll knock on your door at like 3am in the morning this time.” He jokes before walking off. He turns back to find her warning look. He chuckles as he takes the escalator up to the second level of the bookstore.

As Yoona continues to stroll around the book store, Hyoyeon approaches her to see her opinion on a particular bookmark.

“Hey Yoona isn't this bookmark pretty?”  Yoona takes a look at the pretty bookmark with printed flowers of a lavender field on it. It has an inspirational quote as well.

“it’s pretty.” She says with a rather distant smile with a hint of regret.

“What’s with that expression?” Hyoyeon asks, almost second guessing her choice.

 “I’ve seen a prettier one.”

“Really? Which one?” Hyoyeon asks, waiting enthusiastically for Yoona to respond and point her to the right direction.

"Oh. Sorry unnie, its not here. I don't even know where it is now" her eyes kind of scan what she can see of the upper floor (to where Changmin disappeared off to).

"Yoona?"

"Yes?"

"You look distracted, did you want to go upstairs?"

"no. no. upstairs is just sports and travel books. "

"Got a collection of those ones.” Hyoyeon jokes referring to the travel guides they have at home.

But Yoona is thinking of a particular bookmark she had found in Japan. With a particular someone…

[One year ago in Tokyo]

Changmin led Yoona to a souvenir shop around the local area – one she had never visited. There were various handicraft she had never got a chance to buy. So she browsed slowly and admired the craftsmanship of the woven purses, hand-made hair accessories, painted ceramic wind-chimes and many more.  It was not until after they left the shop that Changmin tapped Yoona on the shoulder and held out a little gift to her.

Yoona reached out her hand and took it gently. It was something simple but beautiful and delicate – a bookmark covered with light blush pink pressed Sakura flowers. Yoona brushed her fingers over it – admiring intricacies.

“It’s not a lot but… I just thought it was a shame you didn’t get to see the Sakura flowers.” He began to explain. But she shook her head in response, he was confused at first. But then he saw her smile as she looked up at him. Their eyes met. Before her words were even conveyed, her eyes had already told him the words

“thank you, it’s beautiful.” She says softly.  

Just like you in this moment – Changmin had thought to himself. But he did not voice it out.

“You’re welcome.”