RSL Ch 21

“I’ll order chicken, what’s the address here?”

Co-pilot Jeon Seong-wook picked up his cell phone. His pregnant wife recommended the new menu as she’s a chicken enthusiast. After placing the delivery order, we picked our second beer. Meanwhile, we started snacking on the dishes disguised as meals.

“Captain, when do you get your next simulation test?”

“I think I still have about three months left.”

“Mine’s next month. It’s killing me, seriously.”

Pilots must pass simulation tests twice a year. They have to make accurate judgments in hypothetical emergency situations. Since these are rare occurrences, they’re not used to them. If they don’t prepare thoroughly, the plane crashes. Physical exams are once a year. Although the interval seems long, if you fail either of these, flying is suspended. It’s quite stressful.

“I took it last month, and wouldn’t you know it, that was the day when the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport official came to observe. They’ve been saying pilots’ accident rates are high these days.”

“What do officials know when they see it?”

“And to make things worse, they sent someone from the Air Force.”

“Ah…”

Just hearing “Air Force” made my brows furrow. Such prejudices aren’t good, but I couldn’t help recalling the Bangkok flight incident.

Just then, the front door opened. For a moment, I thought it was the chicken, but the delivery person wouldn’t know the password to the front door. It was Han Jae-yi. All three of us glanced at him, and seeing our reaction, he looked startled and began assessing the situation with widened eyes.

“Oh, you’ve been waiting for this.”

He said he brought the chicken packaging from outside. He was in his suit again today. I unintentionally got a full frontal view of him, and although I knew he had long legs, seeing them again like this was still surprising. It didn’t match him at all to see him holding the chicken packaging.

“I haven’t paid for it, did they just give it to you?”

“I’ve paid for it.”

“Hello.”

“Yes, hello. Please enjoy. Seo-jin, I’ll go change my clothes.”

After putting the chicken on the table, he went back into the room. Perhaps I should put it in a bowl. I stood up and opened the kitchen cabinet. I heard the two of them muttering,”Hmm, quite alike.” I assumed they must have discussed various things before coming since they were friends.

Now that the chicken was placed in the center, it felt like we were hosting something, and I felt relieved. Han Jae-yi came out of the room wearing comfortable clothes.

“What would you like to drink? Beer?”

I tried to get up from my seat, feeling awkward as the host, but he pressed my shoulder and sat me back down.

“I’ll take care of it.”

I could smell a faint whiff of cologne on him. Han Jae-yi walked past us, took out a cup, and drank some water. He didn’t seem to have any intention of drinking; he was in a very bad mood, just like yesterday.

“Come here and join us.”

Co-pilot Jeon Seong-wook asked him to join. Han Jae-yi smiled and said, “Yes,” but I was the only one who noticed that it was a public smile. He was wearing the same outfit as yesterday, so I could only assume that he was upset for similar reasons. Still, I could tell he was trying not to show it in front of the guests, so I left him alone and went back to talking.

“I need to work on my fitness, is there a center nearby?”

“Oh, you’re talking about a gym or something.”

“What do you mainly do? Strength training?”

“Yes. And I’d like to swim if possible.”

“I know one with the pool. Shall we go together?”

Cho  Min-woo’s words were quite welcoming. It felt nice to be from the same neighborhood at times like this. I had been suffering from a sore back from not having a place to jog. Han Jae-yi moved closer and sat down.

“I heard you’re getting married soon.”

Han Jae-yi’s face hardened at Co-pilot Cho Min-woo’s words .It wasn’t such an intrusive question, but he looked at me as if to ask why he knew about it. I was rather embarrassed.

“I just happened to mention it, and that’s not a bad thing.”

Wasn’t sharing supposed to build camaraderie? If Han Jae-yi’s nerves weren’t on edge,we could have laughed it off and moved on, but now I found myself feeling self-conscious for no reason.

“Yeah, well.”

“Congratulations! When’s the date?”

Co-pilot Cho Min-woo’scheeks perked up. He seemed genuinely interested. But was it really that important to know? And Han Jae-yi had to answer.

“It’s at the end of July. The exact date is being arranged by my girlfriend.”

Actually, I didn’t know that either. My hand moved toward the beer with a bitter feeling.

“How do you have weddings in Germany? Do you have them in churches?”

“Well, if you’re religious, it’s mostly done in church. We’re just going to sign at the city hall… “

As he said this, Han Jae-yi glanced at me, and our eyes met. Again, I had never had this conversation. I didn’t want to ask how or where the ceremony would be held, and he didn’t offer the information either. It didn’t seem like they were planning a lavish wedding. Considering the conservative nature of both families, someone must have insisted on keeping it simple.

“Come to think of it, you need a witness, right? Who’s going to do it?”

“You.”

I had expected it, but shouldn’t he have asked me? Well, if marriage was a part of Han Jae-yi’s life, then naturally, I would be the witness. The problem was, I hadn’t even imagined his marriage, so it wasn’t his fault.

“Who’s doing Gisella’s side?”

“I heard it was her cousin sister.”

He acted like it wasn’t ready,  but the setup was already done. I took a sip of beer.

“Captain, you’re going to have to take a vacation.”

“It would be perfect if it coincided with a flight to Germany.”

“Yeah, that would be great.”

I turned away from their conversation and stood up. I have a bitter taste in my mouth. I searched for a cigarette and was about to head out to the balcony when two people stood up at the same time. Han Jae-yi, who naturally stood up to make way for me, and Co-pilot Cho Min-woo, who took my cigarette out of his pocket and held it in his hand. The three of us stare at each other for a moment.

“Co-pilot and I are smokers, you don’t have to come with us.”

I sat Han Jae-yi down, and the two smokers went out to the balcony, while the two non-smokers remained at the table. I tried my best to ignore Han Jae-yi’s wry smile. The milk carton I was using as an ashtray was now half full of butts. I closed the balcony door and lit a cigarette.

“Your friend seems to be in a bad mood.”

He’s got a good eye. Either that, or Han Jae-yi was being a little too aggressive.

“He has been acting a little off since yesterday, maybe something’s bothering him out there.”

“We’ll have to excuse ourselves quickly, so you two can talk.”

“No, you don’t need to worry about it at all. He’ll loosen up eventually.”

I pondered over my thoughts as I inhaled the smoke. Cho Min-woo had a peculiar aspect to him. It felt like he knew something but pretended not to while subtly indicating that he did. It’s a bit hard to explain, but it’s like… How should I put it? It’s like testing out hypotheses one by one to see if they’re correct.

“Would you like to come with me to register tomorrow?”

Wondering what he meant, I looked at him, and he brought up the topic of the gym again.

“I’m on standby tomorrow.”

“Ah, standby calls haven’t been coming in much lately.”

“Still, just in case.”

On standby days, you must wait for the call at home. Failing to receive this call is considered a disciplinary offense because you’re supposed to stand in for a colleague who can’t fly due to unavoidable circumstances. The probability of actually getting called in is close to zero, but I like to make sure of things.

“I heard from Jeon Seong-wook that you complimented me on how good I am at maneuvering.”

“Yes. It’s true.”

“I was so happy I couldn’t sleep last night.”

I chuckled, feeling somewhat bemused. What an overreaction. There’s nothing to gain by showing off to me. At best, if I’m lucky, I might get a standby duty once a month, which would give me a bit more flying time.

“It’s nice to receive praise from someone you want recognition from. I asked someone in HR, and they said you were already well-known. They even mentioned that you finished training as a top student in Germany.”

“You even know that?”

“You’re a well-known figure.”

I was curious about how they perceived me. Was it really because of my training performance and experience, or was it because of my appearance and name mismatch? But there was something more important than that.

“Why did you ask about me?”

Co-pilot Cho Min-woo, who was puffing on a cigarette, looked at me. His dimples rose again. I blew out the smoke and gave a simple answer.

“I was just wondering.”

He stubbed out his cigarette on the milk carton. It seemed like one was enough for him, as he didn’t seem to have any intention of lighting another. In a situation where it was obvious I had to wait, I couldn’t afford to be leisurely, so I also extinguished my cigarette and tossed the butt. As the smoke dissipated, he opened the balcony door. The cool air from the living room air conditioner wafted in.

Contrary to my worries, Han Jae-yi was quietly talking to Co-pilot Jeon Seong-wook. It turned out to be a legal consultation. His in-laws were facing a lawsuit, but since Han Jae-yi didn’t know Korean legal precedents, practical advice was impossible. Still, he offered some advice on how to approach the situation and said he would introduce a lawyer he knew.

“Did you know any lawyers in Korea?”

“Why. Do you need one too?”

Seeing his smiling face, I felt a bit better. It seemed he had eaten some chicken, judging by the fork placed in front of him. It was fortunate that he was the type to solve problems on his own if left alone.

After staying for about 30 more minutes, they decided it was time to leave. I felt a little disappointed that the housewarming party ended sooner than I expected. When I suggested they stay longer, Co-pilot Cho Min-woo replied, “Let’s have a drink together next time.” Han Jae-yi chuckled again at his expression. As they exchanged farewells with a somewhat strange glance at each other.

“Well then.”

“I had a good time.”

Co-pilot Jeon Seong-wook waved goodbye.