Japan, Here I Come

The day Yona was waiting for finally came. Today was the day of her flight to Japan. She felt giddy all over and was practically floating as she prepared to leave. Her parents and brother wanted to send her off to the airport but she declined that like her life depended on it. Her mother would only cause to much dramatics. She was having none of that.

But still, Yona wasn't able to escape the endless nags of three overly concerned people. Her ears were practically bleeding before they let her go.

And off she went. The skies were suprisingly clear when arrived at the London Heathrow Airport. She sauntered inside leisurely in her Jimmy Choo block heel. A tan Armani coat was draped over her shoulders, keeping her warm as she checked in for her flight.

'Japan, here I come!'

She thought smilingly. The distance between London and Tokyo was a whopping 9600 kilometers. Which is equivalent to an average of 11 hours of flight. Yona was a bit uncomfortable at this prospect of such long hours flying. But her destination made it worth the while. Besides, the airline services in the first-class weren't a joke.

....

The spring breeze hit Yona's face sweetly as she stood outside Tokyo Haneda International Airport. She was finally here. She breathed in deeply the air, savoring the feeling of being free of worries. Yona could really get used to this.

She followed the driver into the service car that was sent to fetch her from the airport. The ride to her hotel, The New Otani Garden Court, took around 25 minutes. She was relieved at this short ride because she badly wanted to hit the hay and take a rest. The jet lag and fatigue from the 11 hours flight were catching up to her.

Yona arrived shortly. The concierge catered to her with utmost politeness and respect. She was led to the room she has booked for indefinitely. Yona looked satisfied at the suite. It was a traditional Japanese-style 'tatami' room which had a breathtaking view of the Tokyo skyline and the century old gardens of the hotel. The zen vibes of the brightly-lit room gave her a sense of tranquility. She flopped into the futon without giving a damn about manners.

After a few minutes of savoring the bed, Yona started to unpack her things. The hotel provided the basic essentials so she didn't have much to worry about. She decided to curb the desire of going out. Yona thought it would be better to replenish her energy first before going out to explore. Besides, it was nice to enjoy the luxuries of her room first.

She ordered for a Dom Pérignon Pinot Noir. Yona planned to drink tonight, kind of like a personal celebration for being free of a dumbass scum who couldn't keep his thing in his pants. She wanted to celebrate being free from work for a long, long time as well.

And most of all, she wanted to celebrate her. The her who has to live up to her family's reputation. The her who has endured the underestimation of men in her field. The her who has to fight tooth and nail for things that in the first place were easy to obtain but was not open to her because she was a woman. She wanted to celebrate her, who persevered from the inuendos and leers of men in the corporate worlds. She wanted to celebrate how far she had gone in all these years.

People would think that being an heiress, being the princess of a powerful family would mean that she has everything within the palm of her hands. That she wouldn't suffer from any setbacks or hardships. The harsh truth was, no.

Being an heiress also has difficulties. She has hardships that she has to endure. Hardships that an average woman wouldn't be able to handle. Hardships that made her yearn to be a normal, ordinary girl. No one knew that her mental health has been suffering for years already. She didn't want her family to worry. She didn't want her enemies to find a chink in her armor. No one knew that her work forces her to miss hours of sleep and countless of meals. The image she struggled hard to keep made people think that she was unbeatable. It also made them forget that she was human, too.

Yona poured the wine in a glass and slowly sipped. The liquid drew a sweet warmth in her throat and sighed in comfort. Ah, this was all worth it. Yona didn't realize that she continued to down drink after drink.

Then, as the booze started to get to her Yona felt melancholy seeping in her heart.

She was in one of the most beautiful places in the world. But she was here alone.

"I should be used to it, so why am I feeling like this now?"