Last Flight Home

005: St. Petersburg

They went to St. Petersburg.

The minute Alex stepped out of the airport, he froze. This was Russia. The furthest he had ventured out of his homeland was to Tokyo and Beijing, and the foreignness that surrounded him made him feel quite alien—and intimidated. It didn't help that large flakes of snow were drifting down from above, adding to the already knee-deep layer that covered the ground, making him feel like an icicle both literally and figuratively.

"Now you're regretting coming here? Can we go back to Seoul?" Daehyun sniggered. He had been protesting the entire way, but Alex was dead set on following Eunri to Russia.

"No, I'm going to find Eunri," Alex said with determination. He took a deep breath and looked around, trying to orientate himself in the unfamiliar territory. He thought to ask for directions, but he wasn't sure it would work with the smattering of English he knew.

"And where are you planning to go look for her?"

Alex didn't respond, because he had no idea.

Right now it was almost dinner time and he was hungry, so finding something to eat had to be a priority.

"Hey Daehyun, do you know what's good to eat in Russia?"

"No."

"Thanks. That was helpful."

Eventually, Alex managed to find the bus station and find a ride to the city centre, using a combination of flailing hand gestures and random words to communicate with the bus driver. When he got off the bus, he headed into the first restaurant he caught sight of. It was a quaint little place that even had a grand piano in the centre and a pianist playing soothing music for the customers. managed to get himself a seat and get his order taken. Thankfully the menus were not entirely in Russian. They had English translations. Alex couldn't read much English, but Daehyun could, so he simply pointed at the entry on the menu that Daehyun recommended.

"What did I just order?" Alex whispered.

"Monkey brains."

"What?" Alex yelped and leapt out of his seat. Everyone in the restaurant turned to stare at him. He quickly sat down and tried to not look so awkward.

"Just kidding. I wouldn't put that into my own body."

"It's not funny," Alex snapped. "I'm impressed that you have a sense of humour though." He was beginning to think that Daehyun had no funny bone whatsoever because he was forever talking about serious matters and work. He also never laughed at Alex's jokes, which Alex reckoned were pretty high tier.

Just then, the restaurant's doorbell jingled as a new customer entered.

Alex was still trying to get Daehyun to tell him what exactly it was that he had ordered when the waiter interrupted his conversation. "Excuse me sir, do you mind sharing a table with someone else? We are full and there are no other empty seats," the waiter asked in halting English.

After Daehyun translated, Alex nodded. Sharing a table was no big deal.

"Mr Lee?" a familiar voice echoed from behind him.

Alex turned around slowly. He had already recognised her voice before seeing her, but his mind couldn't quite process the coincidence. Eunri was standing a couple of steps away, wrapped in her white winter coat with her scarf obscuring half her face and snow sprinkled in her hair.

"Wow. Did you know she would be coming here?" Daehyun asked.

"No..."

"I'm impressed. Looks like fate hasn't given up on the two of you yet."