Flight Attendant
Written by AnonymousT
His flight had been delayed for over two hours. It was winter time. In Tokyo, there was snow. In Hong Kong, there wasn't any of the white substance. He had already bought and finished three large cokes, had been to the men's room at least seven times, and walked around the airport thrice. Frustration crept inside of him building into anxiousness. He would be late. He hated being late. He hoped that he wouldn't be late. She would be furious for waiting.
Cousin Meiling just happened to call his home the other day saying that she had purchased one first-class ticket just for him to visit her in Tokyo, Japan. He reluctantly obliged, since she insisted that he needed a break from work – which was true. But it was weird because Meiling was never this giving nor was she wealthy enough to buy a first-class ticket along with an expensive airline. This was definitely his mother's doing. He just knew it. And he also knew that the money was pulled out from his mother's pocket. Meiling was just the reason.
"In ten minutes, first-class passengers will board at gate thirty-seven."
Syaoran checked his watch and sighed knowingly that he was going to be late for dinner time in Tokyo. He flipped out his cell and dialed Meiling's home number, knowing that she would be charged for the international call.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Hey Meiling, it's me."
"Huh! Are you using the plane's phone! You know you'll be paying for it!"
"No, I'm using my cell phone in Hong Kong." Syaoran sighed at the high-pitched voice.
"What! That's even worse! You'll have to pay for this too! You know I don't make a lot of money, unlike yourself! Just making people pay for calls without the receiver's choice at – are you listening to me?" Syaoran was dangling the phone by the antenna nonchalantly from his fingers while Meiling's criticism was pouring out.
"Not really. But I'll be arriving two hours late, and I won't be arriving at Tokyo airport until eleven at night. So don't wait up for me. I'll just take a taxi. I'm pretty sure I remember my way around."
Syaoran was lying. He could only find his way home from work.
There was a beautiful sound of silence until…"OH! Sure! OK, bye!"
"Wait a minute, don't you dare go to all those clubs! And don't stay out too late or else – what the?"
The monotonous beeping had begun as Syaoran closed the phone. "Stupid girl…"
Obviously, Meiling was more than glad to not have to be Syaoran's chauffeur for the rest of the night. But he was slightly relieved as well. He wouldn't need to suffer her bickering. Plus, he could choose his own food.
"We are now boarding our first-class passengers at gate thirty-seven."
Syaoran ended up being the last one in line to be seated. After his ticket was scanned he passed the smiling and bowing pilots and flight attendants greeting him. He didn't even look at them. There was no need. It wasn't like he was going to see them again.
Finding his leather seat, he settled into it comfortably, not wanting to move his sore muscles from sitting in the airport's plastic seats.
"Excuse me, sir. What would you like to drink?"
Sadly, he had to turn his head to the flight attendant. She was smiling the perfect smile. It bothered him a bit.
"You should stop smiling like that. Oh, and I'll have a coke."
She was stunned. Her face was frozen in time, never hearing such a blunt comment like that in her life.
"Excuse me, sir?"
Syaoran squinted at the attendant's gold-plated nametag.
"Um, coke, Kinomoto-san." He saw her eyebrows shift upwards. "…please?"
"Oh, no, no! Sorry, but what you just said before that."
"Oooh, that….right, right."
She waited for an answer that never came. Syaoran innocently searched through the book rack and flipped through the pages of a magazine. A little disturbed and annoyed, she left to prepare his drink.
"Here you go, sir."
"Mm, thanks. But really, you should stop smiling like that."
The stewardess pretended not to hear him this time, and walked away tending to the other passengers. He watched her walking back and forth, up and down the aisles. He chuckled. She really was an attractive woman, but that smile…
A few minutes later, Syaoran reached up to press the service button above him.
Her shadow loomed over him. It must have been her. Humming smugly to himself, Syaoran looked up and the magazine dropped from his hands. Whatever was standing over him was death. He cringed.
The hideous creature was an old, decrepit lady with wrinkles and bags of skin overflowing in places where he didn't know that could sag like that. He shuddered involuntarily at the sight. He looked up again and somehow her nostrils were right above him. He immediately looked back down.
"What do you want, sonny?"
Syaoran refused to look at the..the…whatever she was.
"Um… Could I have uh…A package of peanuts?"
The darkness over him was still there.
"….Please?" He asked in the feeblest voice he could utter. He felt like the shy little boy in class with the threatening teacher. Then finally, he could feel the soothing warmth returning to his body.
He muttered grudgingly to himself, "…Reminds me of mom."
Turning around in his seat, he saw Kinomoto-san smiling her fake grin near the attendants' area. Syaoran's eyes squinted, as if they were meant to kill. She had planned this all along.
Meanwhile, the monster was returning. His eyes widened at the sight down the aisle, and sat properly in his seat with his nose buried in the magazine.
She came as swiftly as she left. "Here's what you ask for, cutie."
He twitched and was about to cry. Trembling, he looked behind him, to see Kinomoto-san's back shaking along with her fellow flight attendants. Her friends looked over Kinomoto-san's shoulders and pointed at him. She whipped her head around to witness the pitiful sight that was Syaoran.
He formed the words inaudibly with his lips, "I hate you."
She chuckled and smiled...She smiled. Finally.
It was all in beautiful slow motion.
Suddenly, he forgot everything that happened. He happily relaxed in his seat as he turned around. The image replayed in his mind…over and over again.
A faint bell sounded, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"The pilot has turned on the seat belt image. Passengers, please fasten your seat belts and prepare for landing soon. The current time in Tokyo is 11:17 p.m. Thank you for having Tamata Air as your serving airline."
Out of the blue, Syaoran formed a devious plan. He grinned mischievously.
He pressed the service button above him again, praying that the monster wouldn't come this time. His luck prevailed.
"How can I help you, sir?" She was smiling, but it wasn't the same.
"Sorry, Kinomoto-san, but I can't seem to work this thing properly," he pointed at his seat belt, "Do you think you assist me?"
There it was. That silver buckle, lying on top of that area. Oh, she couldn't think about it.
She frowned at the situation. Apparently, she was horrified. But she had to do it unless she wanted to lose her job. So there she was, reaching for the blasted thing on top of his…pants. Reluctantly, she grabbed it, briefly touching the expensive fabric of his pants, and buckled the seat belt.
Sighing gratefully she was about to leave.
"Thank you, Kinomoto-san, but I still don't feel very safe. The seat belt is a bit too loose. I may tumble down the aisle if anything horrible occurs." Syaoran said all of this in his most sincere voice, dripping with sugar.
She held in all her anger with her fists clenched. Smiling sweetly at him she replied, "Why, of course, sir. I should have done so."
Seizing the seat belt forcefully, the attendant pulled it as if there was no tomorrow. It was right on target.
"Ooof!" Syaoran whined lightly.
"Now there's no way you'll be able to fly out of your seat, sir. I hope the rest of the flight will fit to your liking."
The flight attendant stalked off to the back.
A man across the aisle chuckled stupidly and gave Syaoran two thumbs up. Syaoran chuckled sarcastically along with the idiot and did his best to heal the surging pain.
A few minutes passed and the plane landed. The pain died down but was still tender. Syaoran rose up to get his carry-on and walked awkwardly towards the exit.
He saw a series of red near the doorway. Some flight attendants in their uniforms were lined up saying their thank you's and farewell's with humble bows. But she wasn't there.
Wondering where she was, he walked through the corridor that connected the plane to the building. Breathing in the smell of coffee nearby in the airport, he was finally on land. He immediately headed for the strong scent…and saw her sitting on the stool of the coffee bar with her striped scarf hanging off the armrest.
She chuckled half-heartedly.
"Meiling said that you always get coffee after a flight."
Syaoran was surprised, beyond doubt. How in the world did she know Meiling?
"When I got off the plane, I checked my voicemail. Meiling left a message on my cell and she said to pick a Syaoran up. She sent a picture too. You match the picture, but not the description."
He was standing in front of her now.
"Here, it says that 'He's a really nice guy, although he can be a bit temperamental. But just show him around the city since he has no sense of direction. Thanks!'"
He took a seat next to the young lady.
"So let's go!"
Flabbergasted, Syaoran had just sat down. He wanted his rest. He needed it since he didn't have any at the airport in Hong Kong nor on the plane.
"What! I'm finally off the plane, and I don't even get any rest!"
"Why? Maybe it's because you were trying so hard to piss a certain person off?"
Syaoran hung his head in shame.
"Yeah, I thought so. Now, let's go explore Tokyo!" She gently hooked her arms with his and lightly pecked his cheek. "I owe Meiling for something she did for me, so we need to do this. And I forgive you, if you really feel that bad."
His eyes grew and his cheeks were painted with a light pink. He looked up at her face and it was there again. It was dazzling, stunning, and all the beautiful adjectives that he could think of.
He admired it for a few more seconds before he wrapped her scarf around her delicate neck with kind hands.
Putting on his coat, he led her with his hand on her back towards the exit. The airy snow gently fell from the dark sky as it built up large heaps of white cotton on the cement sidewalk.
Syaoran hailed a cab and once they got in he asked, " So…Kinomoto-san –"
"It's Sakura."
"Ah, Sakura…what's our next destination?"
And so they drove into the illuminated city. What it holds…We just don't know. Be it laughter, love, or life, it's a destination to look forward to.
Disclaimer: Why DO these things exist. I don't know why. Sigh. But it's very depressing to see the word. Something you want so much can never be yours. Sigh.
Author's notes: Yay! I'm finally done! Yeah, this plot suddenly popped into my head while on my flight to Taiwan. I saw the flight attendants and thought how weird their job must be. Serving old people and annoying little kids must be a bore. Haha, yes, it's very random. But then I ask myself, is their life right now just living on airplanes? So yeah, so this story was written. I hope you liked it. Now review my readers, review!