Chapter 69

The day of the flight.

"Ani (no), don't go, Jin-ah!"

A few heads turn to glance at the spacious entrance of HIA (Hangbyul International Airport) after hearing a loud commotion, and their strange inquisitive gazes settle against the too feminine frame of a boy whose beautiful amethyst eyes were holding back its tears from falling. Their appraisal gazes sit at the sight of him longer, in full awe, before averting their eyes away and minding their own business.

"Ani! This can't be happening! We had such little time with each other, don't leave, Jin-ah! What about our karaoke gathering? Aniiiiii!"

His friends cover their arms around him, crushing his small physique as they wail and whine at his shoulders, and Jin could only bite his lips, trying his best not to stifle a sob.

"We won't ever feel and sense completeness without you." Yeji sullenly rubs the side of her cheek above his head, unbothered that her cry was indeed the loudest. Hesung on the other hand, had his face morosely pressed against Jihyuk's chest, obviously weeping in grief as Mr. Snob himself tries to calm him down.

They look ideal together considering the height difference they had, but that was neither significant nor pleasing enough for the mood around them to lift. Everyone was in great grief that this is where their friendship would start to struggle, and the chances of it falling apart are at higher risk.

But if it was any other normal day from the past, he would constantly root for Hesung's extreme shyness over Jihyuk's frank character.

Jin gently pats Yeji's back, trying to soothe and hush her down, "Yah, it's not like I'll be gone forever." He, himself is aware that his voice was shaking.

No, it's more likely that they don't have enough reason to return here. Nevertheless, he forces to just smile it off, reassuring them that wasn't the complete case, and yet seeing him trying so hard only worsened the glum atmosphere around them as Yeji's mortified cry became louder.

"Hey, we'll keep in touch, okay?" Jin's heart felt heavy at the thought of their separation. No one was more affected about this other than him as the image of him sitting alone in a crowded place full of unfamiliar faces had left a suffocating feeling within his chest and left a bitter taste at the back of his tongue.

He would be lonely in Cheon without them.

It's a good fact that they lived in this modern age where they could make use of technology.

Ji-Hye pats his head and ruffles his hair, "We'll meet each other soon in the future, so I won't be saying my goodbyes." There was visible dampness in her eyes, but she did not waver as Yeji did. She kept a strong and determined expression plastered all over her face as she gently leaned in and kissed the top of his head, "You have to come back, no matter what."

She was like the big sister Jin never had.

He nods his head. Yes, this isn't the end. They will surely meet each other soon.

"Farewell, Ahjumma. We will miss you."

Yeji turns her attention to his mother and sobs poorly on her shoulders. Her nose was red and her eyes were already swollen, but it looks like she wasn't planning to stop there just yet. His mother returns her embrace with a smile as she tries to calm her down.

Later then a lady approached them and introduced herself as their attendant for today's flight which was seemingly odd enough as Jin noticed that they were the only ones being politely escorted by a staff with two other men pushing two luggage carts behind her.

When Jin turns to look at his friends again, he was greeted by Jihyuk's sudden tight embrace who has kept his lips sealed the whole time. The probing tears he was holding back finally gives in and rolls down unhappily from his half-closed amethyst eyes.

He lifts his shaking arms and wraps them around Jihyuk's waist.

He suddenly felt like not leaving.

Startled, Jin felt something warm from the side of his head.

Jihyuk held his face, his big hands holding him firmly and his eyes scanning every bit of detail on his angelic face.

"Sweetheart, it's time to go."

His mother calls, but he was stuck in his place, his surprised amethyst eyes stared at the tears streaming down from his Jihyuk's melancholic eyes.

His feet stayed frozen against the ground. He couldn't move a muscle, and his lips refused to utter a word.

It was his first time seeing Jihyuk crying silently since they were young, and it left a distasteful sting inside his chest. It was heartbreaking seeing him this way.

"Wait for me . . ." Jihyik whispers, his eyes darting down at the ground. When he lifted his gaze again, there was intense judgment and determination inside his eyes.

It was the last thing Jin heard before a hand gently dragged him away. It was his mother who had her arm wrapped around his shoulders as she guided him inside the airport, knowing he'll never get to leave that place if he wasn't forced to.

____________________

They arrived two hours earlier at the airport to catch their flight but went inside an hour late, and Jin wonders how his mother was calmer than expected.

They are currently being escorted to the second floor with him entirely clueless about what was happening. His senses only heightened when the staff led them to a more secluded and empty dim-lit hall with a completely different extravagant structure and motif from the airport's general structure and outline.

He inched to walk closer to his mother's side, "Eomma . . . "

His mother elegantly shifts her gaze from the brochure in her hand to him. She gives him a warm and reassuring smile and somehow, just like magic, his anxiousness lessens to at least see and know that she was aware of what was happening.

Where are they going? Aren't they going to book for another flight?

The lady before them halts in front of a dark steel door with a silver and gold lining handle with finger size chrysanthemums engraved on it. She opens the door, and another two uniformed men came out to directly take their bags from the luggage carts.

The lady urges the two of them to step inside the room with two lackeys holding their belongings from behind. Jin suddenly felt uncomfortable being treated so differently. As a matter of fact, he never had any experiences of such occurrence in his life.

His mother nods in acknowledgment towards the young attendant before she pulls him inside the room with extra care.

Seeing the full structure of the room that's seemingly from a different world, Jin gapes, at a loss for words.

The enormous room was twice larger than two whole floors from CDA combined and westernly decorated. On the right side of the room rests five king-size beds with a striped steel floor to ceiling stool dividing one bed from the other, and on the other side of the room rests a polished white piano, a small golf station, an indoor aquarium, an eight-seater dining table, and a personal study.

He scans his eyes around further, completely bewildered.

The fully stocked snack bar from the left side completely took almost half of the room's share, and there are two other doors he sees from the distance that he doesn't know where it leads to.

What is this . . .

"We offer extracurricular service to our royalty class guests. I'm Sue, and I will be giving and aiding you assistance throughout your stay."

Royalty Class?

There's a well-dressed maid standing from the corner and a poised butler from wherever fairytale book he stepped out to, carrying that silver tray in his hand with a stainless cover cloche above it.

Is this the lounge they're supposed to stay in or a full-service hotel?

"All payments have been covered throughout your stay. We are especially told to await your orders for the plane's scheduled departure. Our pilots will be on standby." The lady smiles at the both of them, "When will you like to leave for Cheon, Ma'am?"

"It's a shame to go if we just arrived here. Let's say, two hours from now? I'd still like my child to rest and have lunch with him."

"We understand. I shall make the preparations right away."

The woman politely bows and then leaves, closing the door behind her and taking four people with her.

Jin instantly turns his head to his mother, "Eomma . . . what's going on?"