When talking about coming back to Malaysia, Liana always has mixed feelings about it. She wants to be excited about it, since she is coming back to her own country anyway. However, she considers the need to feel guilty to her family sometimes, because she could be sad to leave Korea.
This summer comes, means she has been in Korea for four years now, for education purpose. She always goes back to Malaysia, as often as once a year, provided her family is damn rich to pay for her tickets. The scholarship she got is just something she calls luck, although she actually deserves it. The scholarship doesn’t pay for her often coming-home-to-Malaysia journey, but her rich parents could afford it.
She looks at the ticket in her hands, to Kota Kinabalu International Airport. This is her very first time after four years being in Korea, she is not heading to Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Incheon. She asks for that, telling her parents she wants to have a vacation at the North Borneo, before coming home as a happy family member. Her parents didn’t even further questioning her request; instead, directly send her ticket to Sabah, a state of Malaysia that lies on the North Borneo.
“Why Liana? Are you feeling sad leaving Korea? Please, not again,” says her fellow roommate, also her best friend.
“Uh, shut up, Sabrina. I don’t need you to comfort me,” Liana replies. Both of them are under the same scholarship programme for Mechanical Engineering in Korea.
“Relax, Liana. We have another three years here. Just enjoy your time till that moment comes,” she says while throwing a pillow towards Liana, very gently.
She sighs while looking at the ticket. Yes, she can enjoy another three years here until she graduates. So, perhaps she should enjoy this summer break in Sabah? Why even bother about how sad she is to leave her study country?
“Oh yeah. I’ve transferred the money from my account to yours. You can transfer it to your dad already. Tell him, I say thanks for the ticket. My family is already at Sabah. We will enjoy our holiday there. I can’t wait. Anyway, can you survive alone in Sabah? That’s not even our place,” Sabrina asks, concern about her friends safety. But, she only receives a shrug in return, which she understands as a sign to stay silent.
They are going to Sabah together, Liana and Sabrina. However, Sabrina’s family is already waiting there, for a family vacation at the place. Liana is a different case, as she is going there alone, without anybody accompanying her.
And when the day comes, they go to the airport to board the airplane. OZ 5648, the plane that they are going to board in an hour time. Sabrina is excited, while Liana feels nothing about it. Even the handsome stewards fail to enlighten her mood. The nice hospitality also doesn’t help much.
But when the pilot starts to speak, Liana is stunned at her seat.
“Good evening to all passengers. I’m Captain Choi Minho, your pilot, wishing you a very good day. Our journey today is to Kota Kinabalu International Airport, which will take about 9 hours. Our time of arrival is estimated around 2215 hours Malaysia time, or 2315 hours local time. I would like to thank all of you for choosing Korean Airlines,” says him, whoever the pilot is.
Not just because of the fact that he is a Korean, neither because he is a pilot, but simply because of his voice. Seriously, Liana would think she has melted if her friend doesn’t speak.
“I’m going to sleep the whole journey,” Sabrina exclaims, tearing all of her thoughts. Liana just nods to that, while mind is still accessing the idea of the voice just now must be belonged to a young, handsome pilot. Even when the stewardess begins her talk about the safety measures in airplane, Liana couldn’t care less.
However, she doesn’t realise how far she has gone, only to be woken up by the stewardess’s voice.
“Attention to all passengers, the flight is going to land at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport very soon. Please switch off any electronic devices to avoid any kind of interruptions during landing. Kindly tighten your seatbelt to ensure a safe landing. Thank you,” announces the stewardess with a sweet voice which couldn’t defeat the pilot’s, in Liyana’s thought.
The plane lands safely and Liana sighs, in relief and also in a manner which Sabrina could tell she is quite not knowing where to go after the landing. She did book a hotel, online, but she has no freaking idea where it is, since she had never once been here.
Sabrina takes her hand, and pulls her through the crowd, so that they are able to get out of the plane. Liana let her do as she pleases, realising the benefit her friend is bringing to her. Sabrina, whose path is always calmly in front of her, is about to exit the door when she, Liana herself, halts.
“What?” her friend asks. She ignores the question while her eyes secretly peeking into the cockpit to look for any young man that the voice just now might belong to.
Her eyes wander and not even a second after that, she finds someone that might have catch her heart only by the way he looks at his I Phone.
“Liana, why?” Sabrina asks again. She looks at her.
“Nothing...the...p-pilot, his voice is c-cool just now I-”
“Liana, there are people behind you waiting to get out of this metal bird,” she says while rolling her eyes.
Liana quickly turns her head all the way behind her to find many eyes are staring at her weirdly. She flushes a very red tomato and she unintentionally pushes Sabrina roughly out of the plane. Then, she gets out and sighs.
“Liana, for God sake! Are you okay, seriously?” asks her friend again. She looks at her apologetically and nods. Her friend shakes her head and pulls her hand again, guiding all her way in the airport.
Once they take their bag from the luggage area in the cold-aired airport, Sabrina asks Liana about her own plan.
“You are going straight to the hotel after this, right?” asks her, with much concern shown in her face. Liana nods.
“How?” another question.
Liana could only shrug.
“I can ask my dad to send you there if you want,” she says.
“I’m alright by myself. I can take a taxi or maybe a bus,” she says, with a slight not-so-confident tone. Sabrina is about to rebut her words, when she raises her voice and quickly cuts her.
“Look. I’m not a kid anymore and I know how to take care of myself. You, just do your job to enjoy you time with your family,” she says and that very much puts her friend into a silent mode. Sabrina sighs and nods.
“Just give me a call when you are already safe in your hotel room,” Sabrina says.
“Okay,” and with that, they go to the opposite direction.
So, when Liana arrives safely at her hotel, Le Meridian, thanks to the taxi driver, she gives a call to Sabrina, telling her that she is safe. She also tells her not to worry because she has a perfect plan for the holiday, while she doesn’t even know where she will go tomorrow in the first place.
She falls asleep right after that, due to exhaustion from the long journey she just had. That night, she dreams of the pilot, Captain Choi Minho.
The next morning, Liana feels more than just lonely. She is also confused on what she is going to do that day. If there’s really nothing to do, she thinks it might be the best for her to just stay in the hotel room. At least, no one will bother her that way.
However, first and foremost, she will never forget the importance of breakfast. As a bright student, she knows how important and essential that meal to provide energy throughout the day, even if she plan to just stay in the hotel the whole freaking day. She takes her access card and walks out of the room. When she closes the door, a person, who seems also just closes his door, is standing right beside her. But, she doesn’t really care, until she hears the voice of him.
“Hey!” the guy sort of greets her, in a way too friendly for two people who are about to converse for the first time. She lifts up her face to meet a guy whose height might be more than 6 feet, very charming and handsome with a sweet smile. And the corner of her mouth curves upwards without she intends to do so.
“H-hi...” she says, voice too absorb in surprised, for seeing her dreamed man standing right in front of her. Choi Minho, what are you doing here?
“You were...on the plane yesterday, weren’t you? My passenger?” he asks, with his deep, addictive voice. She finds it too seducing, too luring.
“Well...yeah... You remember?” she asks.
“Of course. You were the one that blocked the other’s way at the exit door, right?” asks him. She supposes she wants to have a longer conversation with him, but hearing that question, she feels humiliated and feels like running away. And the worst is, she does run away. But the guy is too fast; her hand is caught in not even a second after that.
“Oh, wait. Look. I’m sorry if you find my words offending. I’m...I just, keep remembering that moment. You were cute when the friend of yours told about how you blocked the other’s way and the way you were shocked was just...err...how could I say...attractive?” he says quickly, not wanting that girl, Liana to have any grudge upon him.
She cools down right after that, and again, she feels like her cheeks are boiling inside and outside. She looks away from his gaze. He is the type that understands. To avoid the awkwardness that starts to arise between them, he speaks to her in a very persuading way.
“Are you going for breakfast? Can we have it together?” he asks. Without further thinking, she nods.
Liana and the captain are having a good breakfast together and they come to know each other very quickly. The whole conversation is pretty much initiated by him because she is just too shy to speak.
“I’m sure you know my name. Choi Minho. Just call me Minho by the way. What about you?” asks Minho.
“Liana, just call me Liana,” that’s it, her answer is short and precise.
“You’re a Malaysian?” he asks again. She nods, without any words. She sees him smiling.
“Do you have any plan for today?” asks Minho. Liana only shakes her head. He nods.
And the session just ends like that. They finish their breakfast and Minho sends her to her room. She stays there the whole day and wonders what the handsome pilot is up to. When it is time for dinner and she is about to fall asleep for like, seventh times that day, the sound that indicates someone rings her bell pierces into her eardrums. She thinks it is a room service, until she opens the door.
“Hi...I just wanna ask if you would like to go out for dinner,” Minho is standing in front of him, looking very fresh and she could smell the sweet odour of body shampoo that he used. It might not be the hotel’s shampoo.
“Yeah...but just give me a second, will you? I’m getting ready,” she says and closes the door of her room. She doesn’t know how she could just agree to a perfect stranger to her but after all she agrees to herself that having dinner with him is not something bad.
They go to a small stall that sell barbequed seafood and Liana seems to enjoy her food so much. Minho laughs to the sight of her. Liana doesn’t realise that though, because she is too absorbed in her own food.
“Well...” Minho says once they are done with their dinner, “You didn’t come out from your room at all today, did you?” asks him.
“Yeah...actually...I don’t have any plan for holiday. I don’t even know this place,” says her.
“Oh, really? I thought you’re a Malaysian?”
“Not from this state. I’m from Peninsula Malaysia,” she replies him. He nods.
“So, have you ever come here before?” he is now being friendly again.
“Not even once. This is my first time,” Liana says.
“So, I guess it is not wrong for me to give you this,” he says while putting a bunch of key chains right in front of her.
“Hey...you don’t need to do this y-”
“It’s okay. This is your first time here too. So, I thought it might be good if you get some souvenirs to bring it home. Don’t worry, money is not a problem,” she nods.
“How did you get this?”
“I bought it while strolling around this place in the morning until just now,” Minho says.
And again, that’s it. They walk together to their hotel rooms after they finish their foods.
Before she enters her room, she thanks him from bringing her out for dinner. If not, she’ll stay in the room and order the hotel’s food again.
“Anyway...you don’t have any plan for tomorrow, right? So, we’ll go for breakfast together again tomorrow and I’ll bring you to some places after that. Is that okay? Better than you just be in your room. It’s not healthy you know?” he says with his perfect, killing smile.
“Well...I don’t know...I-”
“Tomorrow, breakfast at eight,” he ruffles her hair and walks into his room, living the petite girl dying out of joy. And that night, she messages Sabrina telling that she has fallen for a pilot.
So, as promised, after their breakfast the next day, Minho brings Liana to a place, a jetty in fact.
“Where are we going?” Liana asks him when he gives her a safety jacket.
“You don’t have sea sick, do you?” Minho asks and Liana shakes her head.
“Well, we’re going on the boat to an island, Manukan Island. I heard the sand is white and the beach is really nice,” Minho says. They get into the boat and they are off to the sea. When they are at the middle of their journey, Minho points to a huge mountain that can be seen from there.
“That’s Mount Kinabalu, isn’t it?” Liana only nods to the question. The peak only could be seen half of it, since it is surrounded by the moist, fluffy morning cloud.
“It is a nice place. Mount Kinabalu is the highest peak in Malaysia, I think about more than 4000 meters above the sea-level,” Liana tells him. Minho nods to the information.
“I hope to go there with my girlfriend,” he says and Liana could feel a slight tinge of jealousy over her heart.
“You have a girlfriend?” she asks him. He chuckles.
“No, I’m single. Just...I’ll go there once I get myself a girlfriend,” he says. Liana doesn’t know why, but she is hoping for it to be her.
When they reach the island, they do nothing more than just strolling at the beach. Liana doesn’t hate beach, but just a bit uncomfortable with it, since she was once stung by a jellyfish. Minho doesn’t speak either. He looks like he is too absorbed in observing the scenery around the island.
When it is already 1230 hours, Minho speaks first.
“Let’s have our lunch together,” says Minho, gesturing her to the nearest food stall. The seafood offered there are quite good, except that Liana doesn’t really stand spicy food. However, Minho eats it with full appetite, maybe because he is a Korean so he is used to spiciness.
“Aren’t you supposed to work now?” she asks a bit too blunt.
“Huh?” Liana receives a confused look from the other party.
“I mean...you dropped your passenger in the airport but aren’t you supposed to fly back to Korea?” she asks. He chuckles, coolly and calmly.
“Pilot has holiday too, you know. My colleague, Taemin took my place to fly back to Korea that night. Why?” he asks back.
“Nothing...just...I want to know,” says her.
“I’ll fly back to Korea tomorrow morning. So, I have this whole day to enjoy being in Malaysia,” he says. Hearing that, Liana’s heart sinks. Why so fast?
Minho seems to notice disappointment in her face and he speaks again.
“Hey, want to go for snorkelling?” he asks. She looks at him.
“I don’t know how to swim and I never once snorkelled before,” she tells him.
“It’s okay. We can rent a safety jacket and I can guide you all the way,” he offers. Liana quickly nods, agreeing without much thinking, and that’s how she gets herself a free snorkelling teacher.
They rent the snorkelling equipment and make their way down the sea level. Liana flinches at the first contact with Minho’s hand.
Liana is very happy to see a lot of fishes and aquatic lives seem to be very lively down here and she enjoys the journey. She pretty much records all those colourful memories in her mind – with green, yellow, blue, orange, pink and other fishes make their way and swim along with her. At that moment, she knows that Minho is someone she really can trust.
Minho brings her to the surface for a while.
“Did you watch Finding Nemo?” he asks. She nods. Minho opens up his grips and there, she sees a small clown fish frantically swimming in the limited-space area of Minho’s palms – maybe the oxygen level in the water in Minho’s hand is already decrease. She laughs at the sight of the fish.
“Can I see its house?” she asks.
“You mean the coral?” Minho asks with his sweet smile. She nods again, a few times.
They go down again and Minho pulls her hand, bringing her to the coral where all those clown fishes live. As much as she wants to smile, she restrains herself from doing so, to avoid any of the unpleasant, salty sea water leaks into her snorkel.
She is really surprised when Minho suddenly let go of her hand and swims even deeper into the coral. She feels unprotected, since swimming is not her thing. But her worry is not even long when suddenly Minho swims up to her and pulls her hand up to the surface of the water.
“Take this,” he gives her something. She stares in awe.
“You went deeper just now to get me this seashell?” she asks. Minho smiles.
“Another thing for you to be recorded in your memory,” he says calmly.
“H-how can you even do that?” she asks him.
“Oh come on... I even have a scuba license,” he says.
Liana keeps the white shining seashell in her grip until they get back to the shore and finally to their rooms. Before she calls it a day, she sends a message to Sabrina that she has fallen for a snorkelling teacher.
The next day, after having breakfast together, Minho was off to Korea, bringing along hundreds of passengers with him. While Liana, she is back home.
Liana spends her entire summer break at home with family, but her mind keeps thinking of Minho. She feels stupid she didn’t even ask for his contact information. The summer break ends dully.
When it is time for her to get back to Korea, her family sends her off. She bids goodbye to them and thinking about her another year of studying in Korea. She boards the plane with Sabrina. However, she could feel something different with this journey back to Korea.
“Hi...” a voice whispers right into her ear when she passes the cockpit.
“We meet again,” she’s shocked when she hears the voice and immediately turns her head to the owner.
“Minho!” she screams, but not too loud just enough to annoy only her best friend. Sabrina rolls her eyes and walks to her seat first, wants to give as much space for Liana and the young pilot.
“I’m your pilot today, again,” he says. Liana smiles widely and nods before she walks to her seat next to Sabrina.
“Meet you dreamed man, huh?” she says, teasing her. Liana’s cheeks turn very red after that. Sabrina shakes her head, smiling to her friend’s behaviour.
When they have perfectly landing in the land of Korea, he meets her again.
“This is my phone number and email. Keep in touch, okay? Inform me when you are having a break,” he says.
“Okay.”
“I so much want to bring you to Mount Kinabalu with me,” he says.
Liana quickly understands his words and that makes her the happiest girl on Earth.
No comments:
Post a Comment