[BL] Rocket Science Love

Chapter 4

It's a long-haul flight to Frankfurt. According to aviation regulations, flights lasting more than 10 hours must be staffed with a crew of at least 2 people per shift. However, today, due to just barely exceeding that by an hour, an additional captain was added to the crew.

Assigned to handle the latter part of the flight, I sat in the observer seat, watching the unfamiliar sight of someone else piloting from behind. The seasoned captain and what seemed like a rookie first officer ran through standard callouts and taxied onto the runway.

Shortly after receiving clearance from the control tower, the A380, with its massive frame, took off successfully. Once again, the Korean menu option was taken, so I graciously yielded the next turn to the rookie first officer and settled for the last remaining menu choice.

After the captain handed out seatbelts, I headed to the restroom. The A380, with its two levels, had some business-class seats on the upper deck. As I exited the cockpit door, a few passengers glanced at me with curiosity.

Back when I was in Germany, I had a colleague who enjoyed interacting with passengers and often stepped out to chat with them. He even occasionally let kids sit in the cockpit before takeoff. Thanks to him, whenever we flew together, the cockpit, which had been strictly off-limits to anyone but authorized personnel after 9/11, buzzed with people.

I wasn't particularly sociable, so I didn't stray from the manual much. Occasionally, I'd open the door a few times upon request, but it always felt uncomfortable to break the rules. Han Jae-i used to tease me, calling my nature boring.

"You're going to live your whole life like a model student."

But Han Jae-i, on the other hand, enjoyed impulsively doing things. He'd leave class without a word and head straight home, or show up at the flight training center without notice, urging us to go out for drinks.

Having grown up without any major mishaps, I think I admired him in a way. His character felt like something out of a movie to someone like me, who typically just ran away from my own emotions.

After finishing the meal, I took a short nap in the rear seat for about an hour and then took over the controls. The captain who handed over to me went straight to the crew rest area to get some proper sleep.

Being a pilot demands immense physical strain. With constantly changing time zones and often not getting enough sleep, it's common to feel physically drained. During the long hours required for captaincy promotion, I often woke up not knowing which country I was in.

As I grew older, it wasn't that I became more accustomed to things; rather, my body became increasingly weary. That's why, even though it was just a little, I took on the latter part of the flight. I also had a vague hope that when I got older, another junior colleague would take over like I did.

As the Korean clock passed 3 am, I could feel the strain on my body. Outside the window, the twinkling lights of the city began to appear.

"Preparing for landing," The first officer said, and I nodded in acknowledgment.

"Cabin crew, stand by for landing," I announced.

I switched off the autopilot and took control manually. Despite the rain, landing went smoothly. We safely landed at the Frankfurt International Airport, a place so familiar yet weighing heavily on my heart. The runway was wet, and I was immersed in memories of the person I had spent half my life with here.

Was there meaning in running away? As I took a deep breath for solace, I found myself exhaling an even deeper sigh. I couldn't shake the feeling that living was becoming increasingly burdensome.