Fortunately, there wasn’t a chaotic scene at the airport.
It was because the flight we were taking was a chartered plane. (Since it was booked under the HU Group corporate account, I was able to hitch a ride along.)
So, the departure process was much quieter than usual, with many steps being skipped compared to regular passengers.
I breezed through the crowd like I was taking a casual stroll, and before I knew it, I had reached the lounge where we were waiting to board.
Thanks to that, Mari had calmed down quite a bit.
Mari was now pressed against the window in the lounge, watching the plane take off.
“Wow…!”
“….”
I sat back in a nearby comfortable chair and relaxed. The lounge provided by the airline had dim lighting, with a soft coffee aroma drifting in the air.
Team Leader Jung was talking at a table with the dozen or so staff members who had come along (mainly for Mari’s care, security, and those who were there for the artwork installation).
“If we leave Incheon at 7 PM, we’ll arrive at JFK Airport at 7 PM as well. Taking into account travel time, we should reach the Manhattan hotel around 9 PM. But depending on traffic, it might be delayed a bit, so keep that in mind.”
“Is the local survey team waiting at the airport already?”
“Yes, they’ll finish the car rental process and be ready to move right away.”
“If that’s the case, it might be better to go in this direction instead of…”
They were pointing at the map of JFK Airport, discussing the fastest way to leave the airport. It was all for Mari’s anxiety, but they were talking with utmost seriousness.
Team Leader Jung, usually a bit scattered, was calmly coordinating with the higher-ranking staff members.
“….”
Watching them, I couldn’t help but realize again that they were true professionals. It also made me realize how lucky I was to be traveling with them.
“…..”
I felt a bit awkward, like I was just tagging along while everyone else was working.
Something…
I felt like I should be doing something too.
“….”
Was I really just the role of Mari’s stuffed animal? Damn, if I was still built like this, I’d at least be the pack mule for the hero party.
‘Calling this just a friend perk seems like an understatement. Normally, I’d be traveling with other artists, not flying on a chartered plane.’
In fact, when I went to Japan, I had a luxurious trip thanks to support from the Palgon and Mizane families. All my foreign trips had been luxurious affairs with translators and escorts.
“….”
Thinking about it now, it was really quite amazing.
Go Hana had grown so much.
She must be treated like a princess wherever she goes.
‘At this rate, I wonder if I’ll ever be able to go on a normal trip again… In my past life, my biggest dream was to go backpacking in Southeast Asia, carrying just one bag.’
While I was sitting there lost in thought, a flight attendant in a uniform approached our group from beyond the lounge’s main entrance. She told us that “everything is ready” and personally led us to the plane.
“Welcome!”
As we reached the entrance of the chartered plane, two staff members greeted us. Then, the first-class flight attendant quickly followed behind. She flashed a professional smile and began guiding Mari and me.
“You two may sit wherever you like.”
Mari, perhaps feeling a bit overwhelmed by the friendly smile, averted her gaze. She grabbed my hand and hurriedly led me to a corner seat.
“Hana! Let’s sit together!”
“…Okay.”
The first-class seats were luxurious. It was nothing like the economy class I’d flown in when I went to Japan. They were more like “rooms” than “seats.”
“What, did they stick a capsule hotel here…?”
Mari and I sat with a low wall on either side of us, in a seat that was almost as comfortable as a bed. The monitor in front of us displayed the flight path we would be taking.
Team Leader Jung approached us, sitting side by side.
“We’ll be waiting in business class. Please call us if you need anything.”
Mari, adjusting the backrest of her seat, responded. It seemed like she found the automatic movement of the seat amusing.
“Yes, sure!”
Before leaving, Team Leader Jung whispered in my ear.
“If Miss shows any signs of panic, please let me know immediately. Thank you.”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
Then, with a kind smile, he gracefully left.
“…..”
I watched him leave, feeling a bit dazed. It was strange seeing Team Leader Jung act so competent today.
But, as expected…
The moment I thought that, Team Leader Jung tripped and fell forward. Suddenly, with a loud thud, he fell in the empty aisle.
“Eek?!”
“…?!”
Seeing this, the flight attendant rushed over, startled.
“A-are you okay?!”
“I’m fine, I’m fine…”
I sighed in relief, watching the scene unfold.
Team Leader Jung was still Team Leader Jung.
*
[Attention, passengers. Our flight will soon arrive in New York…]
“!”
I sighed when the announcement interrupted the movie I was watching (a 2006 film). The screen had frozen as the plane prepared for landing.
“Damn it, I was so close to the ending… should’ve just watched it in the future.”
“…That went by really quickly.”
“Really? I thought it was super boring. Strangely tired…”
“That’s because you kept bending over drawing. You should get up and stretch sometimes.”
“Is that so? Ugh…!”
Mari suddenly stood up, stretched like a cat, and shivered. Then she plopped back down, wiggling her bare feet. All around her seat were the doodles she had drawn during the flight.
‘She’d probably collapse if no one’s watching, just drawing all the time…’
I picked up the scattered doodles that had spilled into my seat and organized them.
“How’s your right arm? Isn’t it numb?”
“It’s a little numb, but it’s fine. I’ve gotten used to drawing with my left hand.”
“…You should rest when that happens.”
Saying that, I looked out the window.
“…..”
Far in the distance, I could see countless lights under the dark sky.
The plane slowly turned, showing off the vast New York cityscape.
[Our flight is scheduled to arrive in New York shortly. The local time is 7 PM…]
“…”
Looking at that scene, I finally felt like the real schedule was about to begin.
‘So, it’s starting now… I was able to come here so comfortably because of Mari. I should thank her.’
I glanced at the seat next to me. Mari, seemingly overwhelmed by exhaustion, was yawning.
“Yawn…!”
“….”
She hadn’t slept a wink during the 14-hour flight from Korea on the evening flight, so it was practically like pulling an all-nighter.
I started regretting not trying harder to make her sleep.
‘…First thing’s first, we should get to the hotel and rest.’
*
The next morning at 11 a.m.
I slept in so much that all the fatigue from the trip was gone.
Beside me, Mari was snoring.
– Goro… Goro…
She was lying upside down on the bed, with her butt in the air, her face buried in the pillow. It was a position that made it seem like she was deliberately trying to destroy her spine.
“…..”
‘If she were 10 years older, she’d regret this…’
For Mari’s future,
I gently helped her straighten up so she could lie down properly.
‘I’ve become weak in the morning and tend to wake up late, but every time I see her, it’s like a spectacle.’
Once she was in a more comfortable position,
her snoring got louder, as if the space around her had opened up.
“Kuuhhh…!”
“….”
Hmm…
Yeah.
Sleep a lot and grow taller.
Feeling sorry for her, I gently turned Mari, who was lying upside down, and laid her down properly. Then, leaving the snoring behind, I walked barefoot across the carpet, feeling the texture under my feet, toward the window.
I pulled back the somewhat heavy curtains.
– Druuuk!
With the sunlight pouring in, the Empire State Building stood tall under the blue sky, all in clear view. Below it, countless cars and people were moving about.
“…Oh, New York City.”
I thought I’d be used to the view of skyscrapers, but New York’s landscape was grander than I imagined, fitting its title as the center of the world.
‘So they’re holding an exhibition here… Now I understand why so many people who come from the US are so taken with the American atmosphere.’
And the center of the world didn’t care whether two girls from Korea were sleeping in or not. Beneath a rough-colored sign, people of various races walked around, moving busily.
– Knock knock
“!”
I rushed to the door at the sound of knocking. The suite room, or whatever it was, felt too wide for my short legs.
When I opened the door, Jeong Juim, smiling brightly, walked in. With coffee stains on her suit sleeves, she whispered softly.
“Are they still sleeping?”
“!”
She was probably talking about Mari.
“Yes, she didn’t sleep at all on the plane and just drew pictures, so she must be really tired.”
“Is that so? Fortunately, I’ve made a reservation at a quiet restaurant where we can have lunch, and I was just about to tell you. If she’s still asleep, though, I may have to cancel it.”
“Such a shame.”
“Well, it can’t be helped. I’ll just rebook a restaurant inside the hotel for later this afternoon…”
At that moment, we heard someone coming from behind.
We turned around.
The source of the noise was Mari, stumbling along, half asleep, like a zombie.
“Ugh, where’s Hana…?”
“!”
Jeong Juim and I exchanged a quiet laugh and made eye contact. She let out a relieved sigh and said,
“…Looks like we don’t have to cancel the reservation after all.”
*
Our group had lunch at a nearby Chinese restaurant and then came to a park by the Hudson River.
Mari, Jeong Juim, and I sat side by side on a bench, while the other staff members were wandering nearby. We decided to have donuts together in this relatively quiet park.
I spoke to Jeong Juim, who had brought the donuts.
“Coffee and donuts at an American park… this really feels like something out of a movie. And the donuts taste so much richer, too.”
“Haha, American donuts are really delicious because they put so much sugar in them.”
“If I eat these for a year, I’ll probably end up in the hospital.”
“Well, that’s true for people who have medical insurance.”
“America is so ironic.”
“It’s an ironic country, so protests happen a lot. I even saw a huge protest in front of a donut shop.”
While Jeong Juim and I were chatting,
Mari was leisurely drawing the view of the river with a donut in one hand. Each time she made a line, the proportions she drew were incredibly precise, which was impressive.
“….”
The cool riverside scenery.
The English voices coming from afar.
And the relaxed girl sketching.
It was surprising to realize that there was peace like this even in the busy chaos of New York.
“……”
I suddenly said to Jeong Juim,
“It’s peaceful. I just hope that nothing happens until the day after tomorrow, the installation day for the exhibition.”
“……”
Jeong Juim gave an awkward smile and said,
“You really shouldn’t say that on-site.”
“Why?”
“Every time someone says that, something always goes wrong.”
“….”
For some reason, I felt a chill.
“….”
Hmm…
Ah…
No way.
“……”
I tried to stay calm and put the donut in my mouth. The sweetness lingered on my tongue.
‘There’s no way something will go wrong after coming all the way here…’
Then, the installation period arrived.
I spoke in a despondent voice.
“W, they stole all the TVs…?”
“Not all of them, but 23 of them, except for the two that were being transported by truck…”
“…..”
The employee from the shipping company in Korea answered with an apologetic expression.
“There was a violent protest near the store where the TVs were kept, and suddenly the atmosphere started to shift. They broke the doors of a nearby store and began looting, and it just kept escalating…”
“…”
“It was really an unexpected incident. We’re so sorry.”
“…..”
The staff member handed over a photo as evidence showing a group of intense protesters happily carrying out TVs after breaking into the store.
“…..”
I looked at it, speechless.
“….”
The installation period had begun, but almost all of the TVs we had carefully brought from Korea had been looted. It was a sponsorship worth over 100 million won.
“….”
‘Oh no…’
My vision darkened!
“……”
I looked up at the sky, my vision now clouded.
“…..”
At that moment,
The American flag in the exhibition hall fluttered in the wind. The red stripes and white stars were swaying, contrasting with the blue sky.
– Flap!
“…”
It felt like the flag was saying this to me:
– This is America.
“…”
And I was able to return to reality.
‘…This is really bad.’