RSL CH 24

“Captain, would you like to join us for a meal?”

After a flight to Shanghai, the Co-pilot invited me to dinner. The cabin crew seemed to have plans of their own.

“Let’s meet at 6:00? I know a place.”

“Oh, sounds good. I’ll wait for you on the first floor then.”

After finishing check-in, he smiled and went up to the room first. The hotel we stayed at was affiliated with a German company, so it was very familiar. There were also many good restaurants nearby, making the Shanghai flight a pleasant one.

The hotel manager upgraded the room condition, perhaps because the customer information was still in their system. Thanks to that, the elevator seemed to go up endlessly. It was a corner room on the top floor. The room and bathroom were excessively spacious, but the view was splendid. I filled the marble-lined bathtub with water.

I called the concierge and asked them to send someone up. A young employee who looked like he had just graduated from high school knocked on the door. Handing him the uniform, I attached a note saying he must be here by 6 am tomorrow morning. When he nodded that he understood, I tipped him 100 yuan. His voice seemed to gain even more enthusiasm.

When the bathtub was halfway filled with water, I took off my robe and got in. The contrast between the cold air conditioning and the hot tub made my body feel sluggish. Looking at my naked body, I could understand why people had commented that I had lost weight. I felt a bit disappointed by the faint abs.

As I ran my hands over my body, blood began to rush. I thought of someone. Due to my lack of interest in the female body, I had fewer instances of consoling myself. A warm flush rose to my face. While adjusting the temperature by turning off the hot water, one hand was already heading towards my thighs. It had been a while since I tasted ecstasy.

It was exactly 6:00 when I finished my bath and went down to the lobby. The Co-pilot greeted me in a short-sleeved T-shirt. I actually forgot his name. I can’t memorize the names of all the pilots I meet once in a while like this.  I was relieved that I had a term to call him by other than his name. He probably felt the same way.

The restaurant was a five-minute walk away, so we decided to walk. Downtown Shanghai, with its vast stretches of 10-lane roads, is, as always, huge. As we approached the entrance of the restaurant, which seemed to be about three times my height, I felt like I understood the mind of the little boy in Gulliver’s Travels.

“I guess we should have Dongpo pork after all?”

The Co-pilot ordered a few things. I looked at him curiously, as he was fluent in Chinese, and he told me a story about how he had lived in Xianjiang as a child with his father.

“Since Hong Kong was so close, we used to go back and forth a lot. It was around the time when Hong Kong was returned, so it was bustling.”

“When did you come to Korea?”

“I came when I entered middle school. I had to study. Back then, I watched a lot of Korean dramas that I couldn’t see in China on illegal videotapes. There was a drama called ‘Pilot’. Watching it, I thought being a pilot was so cool. That’s when I realized my path.”

I knew which drama he was talking about. Many Korean pilots I’ve met have cited that drama as the reason they chose this path. It’s amazing how powerful content can be in shaping someone’s life direction. I believe the history of Korean aviation owes everything to the Air Force, the Aviation University, and the drama “Pilot”.

“Captain, I see you’re also new to the country. What do you do when you’re off?”

“Oh, just resting… This time, I’m thinking of going to the sea.”

“The sea is nice. Where are you going?”

“I’m not sure. Do you have any recommendations?”

“A date?”

“No, I was thinking of going with a friend.”

“The East Sea is good, but it’s a bit far. If you’re coming from Seoul, places like Yeongjong Island are closer. You can even go for a day trip. Eulwangri Beach is also close to Incheon Airport.”

I opened my phone and marked the places he mentioned. I wanted to contribute something to the trip with Han Jae-yi, and luckily, the Co-pilot enjoys traveling as much as he does, so he gave me detailed instructions on where to go, what to do, and what to eat. I finished my notes with pride.

After finishing our meal and having tea for dessert, a staff member brought a plate of fortune cookies. I didn’t know they had fortune cookies in mainland China. It seemed they introduced them probably because foreign tourists liked them.

I cracked open the fortune cookie delivered to me and unfolded the paper. Red English letters, looking like they were printed with a cheap printer, caught my eye.

“Love is more intense when it comes late. – Horace -“

I couldn’t help but laugh. The intensity had lasted quite a while. I handed the paper to the curious Co-pilot. He asked me if it makes sense. Not one to fall for such things, I dismissed it as nonsense. That was the end of the dinner.

When I woke up in the morning and opened the door, I found a freshly laundered uniform hanging on the room handle. I changed clothes, smelling a faint scent of petroleum. It felt ridiculous to tidy myself up in front of the mirror. I didn’t know why I was so excited.

Shanghai Pudong Airport was before rush hour, so there was little wait time for takeoff. The A350, carrying 280 passengers, took off right on time. The Co-pilot’s eyes were half-closed, as if he hadn’t slept well. He hadn’t come straight to the hotel after dinner yesterday. It seemed like he had met a woman.

“Are you very sleepy?”

“No, I’m fine. Sorry.”

He pushed himself upright again and opened his eyes. . He slapped his cheeks with both hands and started massaging his eyes. A cabin crew member appeared in the cockpit camera. She opened the door.

“How would you like your meal? We have chicken and beef stir-fry.”

“Captain, please go ahead and choose first.”

“I’ll just have a bun and butter, please.”

“And the Co-pilot?”

“I’ll have the chicken dish. Oh, and some coffee, please. Thank you.”

He smiled at the flight attendant. At a glance, it seemed she was also blushing shyly as she looked at him. It felt like a scene from a workplace romance drama. After she left, I asked him,

“Should I continue to pretend not to know?”

“Huh? Haha. Oh… Yes, please. Just pretend.”

He scratched his head in embarrassment.

“So, you two met after I left yesterday.”

“Yes. It’s not often that our flight schedules overlap.”

The cabin crew team probably had some group activity yesterday. Since she couldn’t have missed it, so the lone Co-pilot would have had to have dinner with me. I finally understood the situation. They probably had little free time, so they must have stayed up late. I decided to play dumb and pretended not to notice his constant yawning. It wasn’t a coincidence that I had become more tolerant of such things than before.

It’s a short two-hour flight, so we landed right after we finished eating. It was still early morning in Korea. The aircraft slowly lowered its altitude and flew over a congested road. The wheels touched down smoothly on the runway. Eager to finish the landing checklist quickly, I took the checklist from the sleepy first officer’s hand.

“It seems like you have an appointment, Captain.”

“Oh, yes. I’m receiving a new car today.”

“Oh, which one did you choose?”

“Just a domestic one.”

After completing the checklist, we headed out to the gate. I couldn’t help but notice that my steps were quicker than usual.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

After returning the documents and parting ways with the Co-pilot, I took a taxi straight to the dealership. Perhaps due to my attire, the dealer I had contracted with recognized me at the entrance and greeted me warmly. I received the car keys and documents from them. Although I needed to do a final check, I had no intention of recalling anything, so I immediately got into the driver’s seat.

On my way home, I called Han Jae-yi’s cell phone a few times. He didn’t answer, so I figured he was either still sleeping or working. I wondered if I should get him something to eat, but I figured I could go out and get some later. I hadn’t even taken the car for a test drive, so the instrument panel was unfamiliar to me, but I knew I would get used to it.

When I pulled into the parking lot of the villa, Han Jae-yi’s car was not there. Thinking he might have returned it, I went upstairs to the house, but his shoes weren’t there. He was nowhere to be seen in the living room or the bedroom. It was then that I realized all his belongings were gone.

Before I could even settle my thoughts, the phone rang. After letting the ringtone play for a while, I finally pressed the answer button.

-Did you finish the flight?

“…Yes. You’re not home?”

-Ah, you’re home already? Um… Gisella’s here, in Korea.

I stood there for a moment at a loss for words. It was sudden and embarrassing.

“What’s wrong?”

-I don’t know, I didn’t hear about it until she got there. She came last night.”

“…Okay.”

-Seo-jin-ah, can I call you back later?

“Yeah, sure.”

-Okay. Take care.

After hanging up the phone, I stood in the living room for a long time, looking at the furniture he had arranged haphazardly. I hated Han Jae-yi, who was probably staying in a hotel in Seoul with his fiancée. There was nothing wrong with his behavior, but my emotions took over.

Later that afternoon, Han Jae-yi’s bed was delivered.