Last Flight Home

006: St. Petersburg

The song ended, the final notes of its melody left lingering in the air like the aftertaste of vintage wine. After a moment's pause, the patrons of the restaurant burst out in applause and whistles, cheering on the brave customer who had impressed them with his wonderful piano playing and melancholic vocals.

Alex turned towards the entrance, hoping and praying that Eunri was still there.

It was as if time stopped. Frozen along with the snow that lined the pavements outside.

She was by the doorway, her scarf hanging half-wrapped around her neck and a slight glistening reflecting off her left cheek. She was looking at him—through him—at something else. A memory perhaps. A memory that he had intentionally tried to pull back to the surface.

"That was not bad," a voice interrupted, and time began to flow again.

A waiter clapped him on the back and started babbling excitedly in Russian, but all Alex could focus on was Eunri. He got up from the piano bench and walked towards her, ignoring the comments and praises coming from customers and staff along the way. When he came up to her, he suddenly became tongue-tied.

A moment passed, and they merely looked upon each other, reliving a memory that had long passed.

"That was... quite astonishing," Eunri said, breaking the silence between them. Her lips tilted upwards in a stiff smile. "I didn't realise you played the piano so well."

"I don't play the piano, by the way. Or sing, for that matter."

"Saw that beautiful grand piano over there and couldn't resist," Alex replied.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you choose that particular song?"

"Someone I lost loved that song, but I hardly ever played it for her when she was around. This place reminded me of her, so I just went with it."

He wanted nothing more than to scream that she was the one he was playing for, to pull her into his arms and tell her never to leave him again, but he held back. This time he didn't need Daehyun's reminders for that.

"Oh, I'm sorry for your loss," Eunri said apologetically. "And I'm sorry for bringing back any sad memories."

"Not at all!" Alex shook his head. "Don't misunderstand. She's not gone gone—she's just, temporarily away. She left me, basically. I was a complete fool and she left, but I'm sure I'll be able to get her back one day. Soon, hopefully." He took a step closer to Eunri, and his heart sank a notch when he saw her take a step back. Trying to hide his disappointment, he squeezed out a crooked smile. "Shall I walk you back to your hotel? It's late, and it might not be so safe for you to be wandering around a foreign place on your own."

"Oh and she'll be safe with you? You're the creepiest person in St. Petersburg right now," a snarky voice remarked.

"It's alright, I wouldn't want to trouble you. My hotel's not far from here. It's only a five minute walk."

"It's not any trouble. I've nothing much to do now anyway. Let me just grab my coat..." Alex rushed back to his seat and slid his jacket on, then grabbed his luggage and hurried back to Eunri's side. "Let's go!" he declared.

"Um, are you sure about that?" Eunri asked, taking a glance at the Samsonite that Alex had dragged with him. "You should probably check in at your own hotel since it's already late."

"A five minute detour won't make much of a difference." Alex pushed open the door of the restaurant and stepped out, receiving a huge blast of frigid wind straight in his face. He shuddered, putting his coat collar upright so that it would give his neck a little more coverage. The sun had long disappeared and the temperatures outside seemed to have dipped by at least twenty degrees.