RSL Ch 3

Fortunately, it didn’t rain when we got off the plane at Singapore International Airport, but torrential rain started while we were taking a taxi. Since the layover period was only one day, there wasn’t much time for sightseeing, so it seemed like a good outcome.

We checked into our hotel and were about to go upstairs when a group of room attendants offered us dinner. We don’t usually eat together like this. We were all tired from the long flight and would have preferred to enjoy some private time. The Co-pilot looked at me with a raised eyebrow and nodded. It seemed to be a sign of acceptance.

“Sure, sure.”

When I said okay, everyone was excited. I wondered if the atmosphere is different in Korea. I even wondered if I should pay for the meal. I really don’t know this part, so I nudged the Co-pilot on the way to the elevator to ask.

“No way, let’s split it with me and say you’ll pay a portion and I’ll pay the rest.”

It was a wise approach. I think his name was Jeon Sung-wook. I felt like I should get to know him better.

As we reached the room, I noticed the unnecessarily spacious area. The company had arranged an executive room for me. The Co-pilot one floor down seemed to have a standard room, but there was some class discrimination. I wouldn’t have gotten that in Germany.

I unpacked and checked my phone. There was another missed call from Han Jae-yi. There was also a text message. I unbuttoned my uniform while checking the contents.

(Woo Seo-jin, answer the phone.)

(Why are you suddenly like this?)

(Talk to me.)

Preparing for marriage, I guess. I threw my shirt off and lay down on the bed, closing my eyes for a moment. The conversation I had with Han Jae-yi that day came back to me.

‘Marriage… really? With whom…?’

That’s all I asked when I heard the news. Yeah, I was most curious about who he was getting married to. I didn’t even know he was dating someone, and his words, skipping the first verse and starting from the second, were surprising.

‘Gisela. You know her. We were classmates.’

Gisela Weber. I knew it well. My adoptive parents had put me in an all-white school to raise me without discrimination. It was something I was grateful for, but I couldn’t deny the relative sense of deprivation I felt comparing myself to them.

Surrounded by shining kids, I sometimes struggled in that society. In the memories of school friends with conflicting mixed emotions, I vividly remembered her.

Another child from a well-to-do family, whose father was a university professor at the same university as Han Jae-yi’s father. Gisela was the only child of Prof. and Mrs. Weber, and their family was quite close, so her interaction with Han Jae-yi was natural.

Even so,

‘When did that happen?’

‘Not long ago. We somehow got to talking about marriage, and it didn’t seem like a bad idea.’

Seeing Han Jae-yi decide to get married with a nonchalant attitude like ‘not a bad idea’ made me sigh. Gisela is a good woman, and I hoped she thought of Han Jae-yi as a spouse not beyond the ‘not bad’ level.

He said they had a date. I couldn’t bear to watch.  I couldn’t bear to witness that. It was cowardly, but to protect myself without Han Jae-yi knowing, I prepared for a trip to Korea. After leaving, he kept calling, and I’m still avoiding him. The situation led to this context.

I put the tossed uniform into a laundry bag, hung it on the door, and changed into comfortable clothes. I grabbed only my wallet, watch, and sunglasses and left the room. In the lobby, a few diligent colleagues were already waiting.

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

“No problem. We just got here too.”

“The captain is on his first day today, and we thought it might be a bit awkward for him to have dinner alone.”

The office manager made some excuses. Anyway, I was thankful. I also didn’t like eating alone in a hotel. When the group gathered, we shared a taxi. It seemed that someone among the crew knew a good restaurant in Singapore.

The restaurant we arrived at was initially pleasant with its cool air conditioning. For forgetting the sweltering weather, indoors was the best. It had been a while since I ordered chicken rice. Some teased me for choosing such a humble menu, but I really wanted to eat it. This Southeast Asia route from Germany was not on my usual list of destinations. It was my first time visiting by flight for personal reasons rather than work.

When I said “personal reasons,” I was actually referring to a trip I took with Han Jae-yi when I was about twenty-four years old. He had just passed the bar exam and suddenly asked me to go on a trip with him. Having never traveled with him before, I hesitantly agreed, and he compiled a list of travel routes and restaurant recommendations after researching alone.

Han Jae-yi was that kind of person. The beginnings were always impulsive, and once started, he was deeply attached. I remembered the chicken rice we ate at a street restaurant back then, costing about 3 euros, which was truly fantastic. I recalled his proud expression as he saw my satisfied face.

Damn it… I’m thinking about him again. I bite my lip involuntarily.

“Captain, don’t you like it?”

She, who had ridden in the bus with me, asked while checking my reaction. Unintentionally, it seemed I was behaving in a way that could be misunderstood.

“No, it’s delicious. I’m just thinking about something.”

“But Captain, how tall are you? I didn’t know you were so tall.”

The Co-pilot naturally chimed in. It was a question that often came up when meeting Koreans.

“I measured around 185 at my last health check.”

“Wow, really tall. Your nationality isn’t Korean, is it?”

“No, I’m German.”

“Oh, a second-generation immigrant or something?”

“No, I was adopted when I was young from an orphanage.”

The smoothly flowing conversation abruptly stopped. Everyone had expressions as if they had asked an unnecessary question. I was used to such reactions, so I could smile without feeling uncomfortable.

“It’s okay, I was lucky enough to have a good upbringing. It’s not like I have a dark history or anything.”

I casually used some Korean words I had recently learned to brush it off. Finally, the expressions began to relax. I observed the woman who had ridden on the bus with me.

I actually brought this up on purpose. I wanted her to know before she ‘did anything’ to me. In my life, I’ve realized that there were quite a few people who asked about such things.

The purposeless dinner gathering led to returning to the hotel and continuing with a simple drinking session. This meant I had to listen to the Co-pilot’s love story twice a day. Perhaps due to the influence of alcohol, the story unfolded a bit more dramatically than the one from seven hours ago. Still, judging by the reactions, everyone seemed to find it entertaining, which was fortunate.

As I lifted a cocktail glass, my phone rang from my pocket. It was Han Jae-yi. I hesitated for about three seconds, but I thought there was no avoiding it anymore. It wasn’t about manners regarding the friendship that had lasted for 15 years. I went outside to answer the call.

“Yeah, speak.”

– Woo Seo-jin.

He always called me by my abandoned Korean name. His voice, it’s been a while since I heard it.

“Why.”

– You… where the hell are you?

“Singapore. Fairmont Hotel, 2nd floor. At a bar called Shangri-La. I’m in the lobby now.”

– Did you really think that’s what I meant to ask? Did you really enter Korea?

“Yeah. You heard it from Chris. Why ask again.”

Chris is my brother, so the son of the Schmitz couple.

– Why suddenly. Why are you doing this after leaving a good company.

“Because the treatment is good. They’re looking for an A350 captain, and it’s just right for me.”

Han Jae-yi sighed. It was a fact that couldn’t be denied. Due to the popularity of Boeing models in Korea, there are relatively few people who can fly Airbus models. Korean Air, which introduced the new A350 model, was recruiting captains under favorable conditions.

I was just taking that opportunity. Externally.

-But still, you should have consulted with me. No, you should have told me. I’ve become a complete fool now.

“Is that important?”

-What?

“Is it important that you’ve become a fool?”

-…

“I didn’t know you were getting married either. But I didn’t say anything to you either.”

I’ve gotten a little, shall we say, childish.

On the other end of the phone, Han Jae-yi sighed. Yeah, he could have thought that way. When I asked if the wedding preparations were going well, he used the expression ‘so-so.’

That couldn’t be true. As far as I knew, Han Jae-yi was someone who meticulously handled things once he started something. The phrase ‘so-so’ was not at all fitting for Han Jae-yi.

-I got your point for now. Let’s talk in person for more details.

He seemed to have given up on hearing more about the unexpected meeting, and I didn’t get a chance to ask him to say hello to Gisela before we ended the call. I can’t deny that I was jealous.

This seemed to be the first step in my escape. We talked on the phone and he said he understood, so my coming to Korea was now a fact of life for him. As it is, I will live here and he will get married and stay in Germany.

I figured that maybe we’d talk on the phone once or twice a year, maybe we’d see each other every few years, and that would sort out my feelings about him. I applaud myself for being so mature about it.

“Uh, Captain. We’re about to go upstairs.”

After ending the call in the lobby and returning to my seat, it seemed the drinking session had already concluded.

“Yes. Then, everyone, go upstairs and rest.”

I took out my card from my wallet in advance and settled the bill at the nearby counter. Earlier, the office manager insisted that we should split the dinner bill, so I had already thought that I would pay for the drinks. My colleagues, who couldn’t prevent my swift action, expressed their gratitude.

With the flight scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, it seemed like I could check out at a leisurely pace. Since there was a good swimming pool facility available, I thought of using the fitness center early in the morning.

So, I entered the room. Feeling a bit regretful that the alcohol buzz was fading away, I took out a bottle of wine from the minibar and uncorked it.

I chose red wine, and Han Jae-yi insisted on white wine. Even among white wines, he liked Riesling, and he couldn’t understand my preference for a dry taste. When we went to a restaurant, he always sought sweet and smooth wines, and I ordered a heavy, oaky wine with a strong taste as much as possible.

We always teased each other about our tastes. I labeled his taste as kindergarten-level, and he mocked mine as an old person’s taste. We did have those times.

I smiled bitterly and put the wine I was holding into my mouth.