Jade and Joshua were once the quintessential high school sweethearts, their young love blooming in the hallways of their school, filled with laughter and shared dreams. However, an unforeseen event shattered their once unbreakable bond, sending them...
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"Here is your pasta, Sir, along with your iced coffee," the air hostess announced in a sickly sweet tone, her voice dripping with enthusiasm as she gracefully passed Joshua a tray laden with his dinner. Jiwon felt an uncharacteristic surge of annoyance bubble up inside her. She shot the air hostess an icy glare, but the woman seemed blissfully oblivious, her attention entirely focused on Joshua, who was too busy concocting ways to irritate Jiwon.
With a subtle clearing of her throat, Jiwon signalled to the air hostess for her dinner. "And Ma'am, I have your olive salad and chǎo fàn, accompanied by iced tea," the hostess replied, her voice strained and her smile plastered on as if it were part of her uniform. Jiwon stifled a laugh at the air hostess's awkward attempt at a Chinese accent; it was both unnatural and amusing. "Thank you," she said politely, setting her food carefully on the small table in front of her, wondering if the woman's eagerness to please was more about Joshua than it was for the other passengers.
As the air hostess walked away, announcing that they could call her if they needed anything, Jiwon couldn't shake the feeling that she was hoping Joshua would be the one to require assistance. With a sigh, Jiwon picked up her fork and spoon, her eyes drifting to the drink before her. She had ordered iced coffee, not iced tea. A flicker of doubt crossed her mind about whether the drinks had been switched, but she quickly brushed the thought aside, focusing instead on the enticing aroma of her chǎo fàn.
Taking a bite, she was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful it was. But when she glanced up, she caught Joshua watching her with a bemused expression, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Have you forgotten how to speak in English?" he teased, his voice laced with a hint of mockery.
"Of course not," Jiwon shot back, trying to maintain her composure. "You're supposed to tell the person serving you if the order is wrong, Jade," he said, putting his fork down with exaggerated seriousness. Jiwon raised an eyebrow, her confusion evident. "What?"
In one fluid motion, Joshua reached for his can of iced coffee and swapped it with Jiwon's can of iced tea. "I ordered iced tea, for your information," he said, a mouthful of food making his voice somewhat muffled. The urge to smack the back of his head was overwhelming. "You don't speak with your mouth full," she seethed, irritation bubbling beneath her calm façade.
"You're welcome," Joshua replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. In a moment of defiance, Jiwon flipped him off, a mischievous grin threatening to break through her annoyance. Joshua gasped dramatically, clutching his chest as if she had dealt him a mortal blow. "Jiwon, that was absolutely-"
Before he could finish, she aimed a bottle of water at his head. "Complete your sentence and you're going to regret it, Hong," she warned, her voice low and menacing. Joshua swallowed hard, a hint of sheepishness creeping into his expression.
The dinner continued in a tense silence, punctuated only by the soft sounds of laughter and murmurs from Eric and Jayoung, who were seated a few rows ahead. Just moments earlier, Eric had approached their row, casually asking if they would care to switch seats for a while. Jiwon had been on the verge of agreeing, eager for a change of scenery, but before she could respond, Joshua had covered her mouth with a swift hand.
