The plane's wheels touched down at Incheon International Airport with a gentle thud, jolting the girls awake from their various states of half-sleep and half-chaos. Jisoo, seated by the window, let out a small squeal of excitement. "We're here! Ladies, welcome to Seoul!"
Vanessa, sitting in the middle seat and looking bleary-eyed from her unsuccessful attempts to nap, stretched her arms dramatically. "Omo, so this is it? This is the place Jisoo's been hyping like it's the promised land?" She craned her neck to look out the window but gave up quickly. "I can't see anything. Jisoo, why didn't you let me take the window seat?"
"Because I called it first," Jisoo replied, smug. "And look at this view. Isn't it beautiful?"
Vanessa squinted, unimpressed. "All I'm seeing is concrete and lights. Ah, if this is what you call 'beautiful,' then come to Lagos, and I'll show you beauty. We have Third Mainland Bridge and...uh, okay, maybe not much else, but still!"
Chloe laughed, shaking her head as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Oh, Vanessa, you and your comparisons. Incheon is one of the most advanced airports in the world. Just wait till you step inside. You'll be speechless."
"Speechless?" Vanessa repeated, rolling her eyes. "My dear, I've been to Murtala Muhammed International Airport. If I didn't faint there, I won't faint here."
The plane doors opened, and the passengers began filing out. As the girls grabbed their carry-ons and shuffled into the jet bridge, Vanessa was already making mental notes.
The first thing that hit her was the air-conditioning. "Ehn?! Is this airport trying to freeze my destiny?" she exclaimed, hugging herself as she walked into the terminal. "Why is it so cold? Is this not summer? Did I mistakenly enter a fridge?"
"Vanessa, it's not that cold," Asha said, though she did pull her hoodie tighter.
"Not cold? This AC is working harder than the devil on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, back in Lagos, the airport AC is there for decoration. You'll be sweating buckets while they're announcing your flight."
Jisoo, who had been striding ahead, turned back and grinned. "Just wait till you see the facilities here. Incheon is like a city on its own."
The group entered the main terminal, and Vanessa's jaw dropped. She took in the high ceilings, the spotless floors that gleamed like glass, and the sheer size of the place. There were gardens, fountains, and even a robot zooming past them, offering assistance to travelers.
"Jesus is Lord!" Vanessa exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. "See this place! Is this an airport or heaven's waiting room? They even have robots! Lagos airport cannot try this one. Over there, the only robot you'll see is someone selling gala and shouting, 'Buy am now, sister!'"
Chloe burst into laughter, nearly dropping her carry-on. "Oh my God, Vanessa, stop! You're going to kill me before we even leave the airport."
"No, I'm serious," Vanessa continued, pointing at a sleek information kiosk with awe. "See how everything is working. Lagos airport, they'll tell you to 'go and queue' when the computers stop working. And that queue will have you sweating like you're in a sauna."
Asha smirked. "Don't forget the random guy asking if you packed something in your bag that you don't know about."
"Ah, yes!" Vanessa clapped her hands. "And then they'll ask you, 'What did you bring for us?' Like I came to the airport to distribute party favors."
Jisoo tried to stifle her laugh as they headed toward immigration. "Okay, Vanessa, we get it. Seoul is a bit different from Lagos."
"Bit different?" Vanessa gave her a pointed look. "Omo, this one is heaven versus village meeting. Just look at the air here—it's like it was imported. No smell of diesel or generator smoke. Lagos, are you seeing this?"
The group finally made it through immigration, with Jisoo translating for Vanessa when she tried to explain why her passport photo looked like she'd just woken up from a nap. Once they cleared customs and collected their luggage, they stepped into the arrival hall, where a wave of Seoul's summer energy hit them.
"Guys, look at this," Chloe said, spinning around to take it all in. "Even the arrival area looks like a luxury mall. This is insane."
"I swear, I feel like I should be paying rent just to stand here," Asha added, looking around.
Vanessa, however, was focused on the massive electronic board displaying flight arrivals. She squinted at the smooth animations and then turned to Jisoo. "So, let me get this straight. This board is actually working, and they don't need someone with a megaphone shouting, 'Flight from London has landed!'"
Jisoo shook her head, laughing. "Nope. Everything is digital here, Vanessa."
Vanessa let out a long sigh. "I need to call someone in Lagos and tell them what I've seen. Maybe they can upgrade our own airport so it won't embarrass us anymore."
"Please do," Asha said, rolling her suitcase forward. "And while you're at it, tell them to invest in some air-conditioning that actually works."
By the time they exited the airport, Vanessa was still muttering under her breath about the wonders of Incheon. But the moment they stepped outside, the humid summer air hit them like a wall.
"Oh, so this is why the AC inside was working overtime," Vanessa said, fanning herself with her boarding pass. "Seoul heat is not playing, oh. It's like Lagos, but with less dust."
Chloe pulled out her phone to call their airport pickup. "Don't worry, guys. The van should be here in a few minutes. We're staying at a cute Airbnb in Itaewon, so we'll get to see the city on the way."
"Van? Airbnb? Cute?" Vanessa repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Chloe, I hope this 'cute' place you booked is not one room with bunk beds. I didn't come all the way from Nigeria to suffer in Seoul."
Jisoo grinned. "Relax, Vanessa. It's a nice place. You'll love it. And if you don't, well, you can always find yourself a rich CEO to take you in."
Vanessa rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress her smile. "I'm keeping my eyes open, don't worry. But first, let's find food. I need something spicy to remind me of home. Jisoo, do they have anything here that can compete with pepper soup?"
Jisoo laughed. "We'll find you something, Vanessa. But you might want to lower your expectations. Korean spicy and Nigerian spicy are very different."
Vanessa smirked. "Well, if it's not making me sweat and question my life choices, it's not real spice. But let's see what Seoul has to offer."
As their van pulled up and they loaded their luggage, the girls couldn't help but exchange excited glances. They were finally here, in Seoul, ready for the adventure of a lifetime. And if Vanessa's hilarious commentary was anything to go by, it was going to be a trip they'd never forget.