Uncaring of the hustle bustle of the airport, the benumbingly cold AC of the boarding area, the even more irating cry of a random kid perched across me with his equally irking mother sending nasty and cakey-faced looks towards my grunts, the disgustingly handsome stranger that sat literally, I kid you not, 2 mm away from me, I preoccupied my hurling mind with the ranked game of mobile legends as I once again, for the love of God, bit back the curse ready to reach everyone’s pure ears.

But! Me being busy did not mean that I did not have a third eye or a forth one or fifth, for, I swear I could feel the man peeping at my phone, throwing constant judging stares at my gameplay.

Hey, It wasn’t my fault that that day was an unlucky day and that handsome stranger had to witness such a ratchet-looking game from my side. Yes, unlucky because usually, I am a pro. Maybe It was the way he just stared and did not budge or the fact that he was in my beautiful face and breathing the same air as me but I had somehow decided that my all-over-the-place nooby play was due to those piercingly big brown eyes of his, ready to devour my existence if let loose. 

However, I prayed secretly, I really did, for him to just look the hell away so I stop flushing and embarrassing myself and sweating like a pig when the AC was so freaking cold! After a few minutes, maybe he lost faith in my aggressive plays and kills to death ratio and my overall jittery demeanor that he finally tore his eyes off my screen and looked away. I guess he was now staring at that annoying kid with his dolled-up mother! Okay! If it was not for his heavenly handsome face, I’d have found him creepy but let’s forget about it.

I was not even done envisioning our marriage and our 69 little kids running around our mansion when the speaker sounded and we were asked to rush into the airplane. Buckling up my hand-carry, which was just my school bag, honestly, with a few unnecessary things my Asian mum shoved in my bag, for, she was somehow convinced that I was waging a one-man war against Hong Kong instead of going to enroll in a medical university there, I marched forth, purposely sluggish so the handsome stranger could walk on and I could measure our height difference!

It’s important! We need to have a significant differenc e in height to look cute together, just my opinion though.

Oh and did I tell you that I actually prayed to share the same seat as him?? Sounds pretty creepy to normal people but hey, normal people are so boring, no? Anyways, as soon as I set foot in the plane, it was predecided in my head that I was walking to the altar, for, he was tucking in his hand-carry into the compartment, soaring tall and looking so charming. Being the overly-dramatic human being, I stroll closer and pretend to tuck my bag into the compartment, accidentally reaching it but before he could notice, pulled my arms back to my side and plastered on a rather sullen look.

For a second there, he simply did not react, still engrossed in fixing his luggage then he retrieved his arms and his wandering murky orbs fell on my elating face. I promptly deepened the contortion on my mien and hugged the bag to my chest, portraying pure disappointment in my lack of height. But instead of giving me a hand like the prince-charming I spazzed over in my head on, he dashed past my smaller frame and scooted to the window seat.

Wait a minute.

WINDOW SEAT?!

Gearing up all my senses, I hurriedly threw the bag to the darkest core of the compartment and closed the lid with a sound, entirely irated. I cemented there, knitting my arms before my lack of chest muscles as If I had no idea how to ride a plane if I could not sit on the window seat. I even went as far as tightening my jaw and letting out a few grunts of disbelief but the handsome man did not budge!

Nevertheless, I propped down and gyrated my face away after I had murdered him a few times in my head and prayed to be abducted by aliens for the nasty thoughts of starting a family with the Satan himself. After hearing the agitating kid’s constant nudge against something, probably the back of his seat, I was convinced that I am the happiest man alive and the kid was my new hero, my new sensation! Although, the stranger began watching my favourite movie, which meant we had the same taste and which translates to let’s get married, I put all my disturbing thoughts at bay and hoped for the rushing waves of slumber to wash them away, along with the unneeded iration over not getting the window seat.

But being the warrior that I am! And an absolute hoe for the window seat AND the man perched on it, slap me, I angled my head and plastered on my best flattering grin.

This one specific Cheshire cat grin with twinkling eyes always helps! Yes! I must use it.

“Hey, can I have the window seat?” said I, a singsong voice reaching my own ears and making them bleed.

The man did not respond nor spared a glance to me, too engrossed in watching the movie but then, I persistently nudged his forearm and oh dear Lord! Them muscles! I could feel the veiny arms and the rigidness it possessed but instead of jumping 2 feet off the ground, I remained still on my spot and waited for any kind of response.

Just breathe in my direction, man!

As if heard, the stranger, with a rather muddled looking visage, pulled the headphones off and fluttered for what felt like an eternity in my direction. But I was not complaining! He looked sooooooo dreamy and handsome and y and ho-

“No. It’s my seat.” I paused momentarily.

One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes…

With a look as confused as my uality, I squinted at the nonsense that just left those kissable lips.

I am hurt!
Wasn’t he supposed to just leave his seat like the prince-charming he looked like?!
It’s strike two!

A bit abashed, irked and whiny all in one, I pivoted my head away, back to square 1. “Alright..” The next few minutes were spent in me mutilating his body and feeding him to piranhas as I clawed at the seatbelt, involuntarily picking on the duvet too that now lay on my lap, experiencing all the torture that I had running through my head.

How dare he say no to me?!
Me? Lee Taemin?!?!
Boy, this rivalry will cost you your life!

It was not long until I discerned the plane taxi-ing and sooner we were in the air. Now, this was where things got a bit a awkward because being the clumsy me, I have a habit of grabbing things when I am terrified of something, like your usual 9 years old. So, I gripped his sleeve and come on! It’s just a sleeve, not his - though I would have not minded doing that either but that was beside the point that moment. He proved my hypothesis of Prince-charming even more wrong when he jerked his arm away and knitted his eyebrows, wearing such a disgusted face on that handsome visage.

“What the hell are you doing??” asked he but by the time the twisted look had ripped off his face, I was leaning over the seatbelt with my face in my hands, a familiar knot of nausea getting over my chest.

Maybe it was the embarrassment of being rejected or the fact that I had motion-sickness, I made sure I maintained that position till we were stable and I had successfully lost my ability to hear things except for my stupid erratic heartbeat over nonsensical thoughts like maybe he is shy. As I pulled myself up with a plan B of getting that window seat while maintaining my submissive nature, I heaved out a sigh and looked over at him from the corner of my eyes.

And what did I see! He was playing mobile legends!

With a feeling of wind blowing in my face, the smell of Bulgarian roses, the excitement of newly found love, I stabbed an elbow over the arm rest and brewed on a sheepish smile. The wind kept blowing and the smell of Bulgarian roses never stopped coming and it made my conscience think, where exactly- I halted, witnessing the hostess spray an air-freshner and then the mini-fan a kid before us had held over his face.

Idiot.

I hastily dimmed the smile to a purse of lips and slightly raised my chin to look at his username, finally realising that my prince-charming needed a name!

Choiminho69

Choi Minho…69?!?!?!

Speedily looking around to see if my brain was loud enough to stir everyone but finding no commotion, I reverted my ogling eyes to the screen and had you seen me that moment, you’d think I’m a polymorphic tomato!