Her modest black heels clacked against the smooth tile surface, her sleek, functional suitcase rolled behind her as she made her way through the crowded airport. She wasn't in a rush per se, but her pace indicated she had somewhere to be. Synthai Himawari always valued being on time, and being early was on time in her book. Even when she was in a rush, Synthai always made a point to smile and wave at all the security guards and cashiers as she passed; she had a reputation as the most polite and friendly flight attendant at Narita International Airport.
She flashed her badge at the flight crew security checkpoint before placing her suitcase on a conveyor belt. Stepping through the standard metal detector, she made friendly conversation with one of her favorite guards, Noah
"Where you off to this morning?" he asked.
"A nonstop to Paris, so it'll be a long day," she replied. "But Kehlani and Elena are also on the crew list, so it should be a fun one. We have two days, before the next flight so maybe I'll get to do some exploring too."
"Ohh, well you better bring me back a souvenir then!" Noah teased.
"I'll see what I can find," Synthai smiled, grabbing her suitcase off the conveyor belt and heading toward their assigned gate.
Grabbing a clipboard from behind the desk, she reviewed her preflight checklist. Synthai enjoyed being a flight attendant, she liked rules and having specific procedures to follow. It made things easy and helped her feel in control. Of course, the perk of traveling around the world was nice too!
She had been to Paris twice before, but both times were only small layovers, never enough to leave the airport and explore, so she was really looking forward to the downtime she would get there. She even scouted a few cafes to checkout and brushed up on her French.
When she boarded the aircraft to double check their inventory, she found her fellow flight attendants, Kehlani and Arlo, already there. The commercial airliner was massive, eight seats wide in the coach section, with two near each side window and four in the center aisle. Synthai wasn't used to these huge planes, despite them being the norm for long haul international flights.
For the most part, she worked a lot of domestic flights or the shorter international flights to nearby Asian countries. It was only recently she started taking more of the long-distance international flights. That's how she met a certain handsome, blonde pilot who seemed to specialize in them.
"Where's Elena?" she asked.
"Probably lateâŠagain!" Kehlani sassed as she restocked a snack cart.
"I heard that!" Elena's familiar voice shouted from the doorway as she rushed onto the plane. "In fact, I'mâŠ" she looked down at her watch, "right on time!" Kehlani just rolled her eyes and continued her task.
The four of them spent the next half hour working together to complete all their preflight prep and safety checks. Kehlani and elena were some of Synthai's favorite people to work with, but when they were together they often bickered. Arlo was usually quiet, but he was good at his job so Synthai liked working with him too.
"Okay, ready?" Elena asked as the four flight attendants gathered in a circle, all nodding at the ready.
"Rock, Paper, Scissors!" they chanted in unison, before throwing out a hand sign.
"Yes!" Kehlani cheered in victory.
Elena pouted and crossed her arms, "It's not fair! You always get first class!" Kehlani stuck her tongue out.
Synthai shrugged. It was nice tending to first class, mostly because there were fewer passengers and there was a greater possibility of getting tipped, but she really didn't mind coach. She was too excited about their destination to really care.
It was getting close to boarding so Synthai excused herself to use the restroom. In the mirror, she reviewed her appearance. Her slim-fitting navy pencil skirt was pressed, her pale blue button up was wrinkle free, and her striped handkerchief perfectly knotted. Despite her polished attire, she nervously played with her indigo bangs, trying to make sure they were the perfect amount of tousled. She knew he would get here soon, and the thought had her stomach fluttering with butterflies.
Synthai stepped out of the bathroom and found Kehlani chatting with the pilots,Aiden and Xavier. "I'll go grab it for you, Captain Xavier," Kehlani smiled before walking away.
"I'll be in the cockpit," Xavier replied and slipped passed Synthai.
She met eyes with Aiden and gave him a small smile. "I didn't realize you were on this flight, Synthai. I'm glad to know our passengers will be in good hands," he winked and Synthai immediately flushed. Why did he have to be so cute!?
"I'll take care of the passengers, so don't go crashing the plane, okay?!" she replied, and immediately regretted her words.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! He basically just complimented her and she responded by telling him not to kill everyone! Why was she such an idiot?!
"I'll try my best!" Aiden laughed, "no promises!"
His lack of offense allowed Synthai to breathe again. They both turned when Xavier called Aiden from the cockpit. "I better get up there, but let's talk again soon," he said with a soft smile.
Synthai nodded, too afraid to open her mouth in fear of what stupidity might escape. He slipped past her and she sighed. Why did she constantly embarrass herself in front of him? Why couldn't she just have a normal, friendly conversation with him? He was her captain! He just also happened to be insanely handsome, well built, really nice, and funny.
Synthai sighed again, she was doomed.
It was soon time to board the passengers, and Synthai and the other flight attendants spread throughout the plane directing everyone to their seats and helping with overhead luggage. After the aircraft doors shut, they pulled away from the gate and Aiden's voice came over the loudspeaker as they made their way to the runway.
"Welcome aboard everyone! My name is Aiden Harmon and I'll be your captain today. We know you have a lot of choices in air travel and we thank you for choosing Air Konosuba. We're looking at about twelve and a half hours to Paris, so please sit back and enjoy the flight!"
The flight attendants all took their positions as the prerecorded safety instructions followed. Synthai held up the seatbelt, oxygen mask, and life vest demonstrating their use in time with the pleasant female voice.
She took her seat and a moment later the plane was speeding down the runway and took off. Once Aiden announced they had reached their cruising altitude, she shuffled over to the beverage cart to start the in-flight service with a bright smile.
Hours later, the cabin lights were dark with most passengers napping. They'd be landing in the early evening in Paris, but it was already rather late Tokyo time. Though she tried to train herself against jet lag, she was started to feel the tiredness set in. Synthai swept through the aisles scanning the seats to see if the passengers needed anything, as she made her way to the back of the plane to grab some coffee.
Elena slipped out of the bathroom, looking a touch flustered as they met eyes. "Oh, uh, hey Synthai! What brings you back here?"
"Just grabbing a little coffee."
Both girls' eyes widened, albeit for different reasons, when the bathroom Elena just exited opened again and Arlo stepped out. Elena forcefully pushed him back inside, and grumbled, "I told you to wait at least 90 seconds!" The blonde slammed the door closed and looked back at Synthai. "Coffee you said?" She asked as if nothing just happened. "I think we have some, follow me!"