Chapter Text
After the redhead leaves the shop, and Langa stares at him walking out for what was definitely an appropriate, and not creepy at all, amount of time, he remembers why he was there in the first place. He was, and still is, starving. Langa goes up to the one taking his order, orders a chocolate chip muffin as Miya had requested, and orders himself a breakfast sandwich with hot chocolate. He pays the total, subconsciously realizing as he does so that Miya had just gotten more free food out of him. That brat. Langa thinks with no real malice behind it. He gets the food and his drink, thanks the workers, and walks out of the cafe feeling just a little bit disappointed.
I should have gone up and said something to him. I guess I wouldn’t have known what to say though. But I could’ve figured it out, I mean, now I’m going to be thinking about it for the whole flight. Aghhhh I’m so stupid, I should’ve just talked to him.
“Hey!”
Langa looks up at the unfamiliar voice and oh my god, it’s him.
The boy rubs the back of his neck, timidly shifting his weight on each foot. Was this really the same extroverted redhead from the cafe? “I hope I’m not bothering you, I just noticed that you have a skateboard, which is, like, totally awesome!”
Langa can tell that he’s feeling a little nervous, so he gives the redhead a soft smile, hoping to ease his nerves as they talk. “Yeah, I actually do.”
“That’s so cool, man. How did you learn?”
Langa doesn’t usually like talking to random people. He’s more of an introvert who prefers to stick to his usual group of friends that he has rather than go out and explore to make new ones. But this guy? God, Langa doesn’t want this random person to ever stop talking to him. He is completely enthralled by him and his demeanour in the small time frame that they’ve seen and talked to each other.
Seriously, what is happening to me?
“I used to snowboard all the time with my dad back when I lived in Canada. But then I moved to Japan. When I found out there’s no snow here, I decided to try out skateboarding. I met some friends at a local skatepark. I thought they looked pretty cool, and they must have noticed me staring because they helped me learn. It’s a wonder that they didn’t give up right away, though. I taped my feet to the board at one point.”
The stranger laughs as Langa tells him about his past shenanigans. “Dude, why? Why did you think that was a good idea?” He asks, between his chuckles.
“I was scared of falling off!”
“So was I, but I didn’t tape my feet to the board, man.” Langa thinks that he could give up music forever if he could just hear the boy’s laugh all the time. So pretty. Whether it was his laugh or just him that Langa was thinking about, was unclear.
“So, how about you?” Langa asks after the other quiets down.
The teen tilts his head and raises his eyebrows at Langa in confusion. “What about me?”
“I saw that you had a skateboard in the cafe earlier. How did you learn to skate?”
The boy puffs out his chest, stands up as tall as he can with his signature grin as he points to himself with his thumb. “I’m self taught!”
“Woah, seriously?” Langa questions in amazement.
“Yeah, seriously. It was super fun to do. In fact, I got so into it that I make my own skateboards now. Like this one.” He points to his feet only for there to be nothing there. Langa looks up at him in confusion. The teen, sensing Langa’s confusion, matches it with a confused expression of his own. However, when he looks down at his feet and sees nothing, his confusion turns to panic as he spins in repetitive circles while checking his, very clearly, empty hands. He abruptly stops and turns to Langa with a look of epiphany
“Shoot! I forgot my skateboard in that coffee place,” He’s already taken off in a sprint as he yells behind him, “It was great talking to you man, but I’ve gotta go!”
Langa attempts to call after him, but the boy is quick, and is out of sight before he can ask his name.
He sighs, and turns back towards their gate. The only thing competing with the feeling of disappointment rumbling in his stomach is his hunger.
***
After Langa delivers the muffin to a thankful Miya, and basically inhales his drink and devours his sandwich, he somehow manages to find a decent position to fall asleep in, despite the uncomfortable seating. It was a welcome slumber, as Langa was still groggy from waking up earlier than usual to head to the airport. What was not welcome however, was the way Miya aggressively shook him awake.
“Get up, slime, it’s boarding time. How did you already fall back asleep? We didn’t even have to wake up that early.”
Langa swats Miya’s hands away and grumbles in disagreement as he gathers his things. He’s so tired and out of it that he doesn’t feel a shocked pair of eyes staring in his direction as he gets in the boarding line.
He trudges onto the plane, putting his carry-on and skateboard into the compartment above his seat before he pinches himself awake. He pokes his head out the aisle with a disheartened exhale, searching to where the others are seated. Despite Cherry’s common introverted personality, he convinced Langa not to pay extra for the group to sit together because it was, “Illogical, and a waste of money. We will all end up in the same place either way.”
Welp, this is happening. Langa groans internally. Not only did he have to deal with the disappointment of not getting the redhead’s name earlier, but now, he has to sit next to some stranger on this flight that will continue for hours on end.
Whatever. I’m still tired. I'll just put on my headphones and sleep again.
But he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep again with the chaotic teen on his mind.
If only I had gotten his name.
“… It’s Reki.”
Wait, did he say that out loud? And how did the person beside him know?
He turns to ask, only to be shocked into silence immediately. The boy, or Reki as he had said, stands next to his seat, snickering.
“Were you thinking about me, or something?” Reki teases. Langa tenses and blushes, and starts mumbling how “it’s not like that,” before the other speaks again.
“Relax man, I’m kidding. I was wondering what your name was, too. I would’ve asked earlier but I just had to forget my skateboard. So, what is it?”
“Langa,” he swallows. “Langa Hasegawa.”
Reki smiles and seemingly excited to finally learn Langa’s name. Had he actually been thinking about him?
“If we are giving out our full names, mine is Reki Kyan. It’s nice to meet you Langa.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.”
They sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes, something Langa didn’t even know was possible to do with someone who is basically a stranger. The other relishes in the shy, soft smiles Langa throws his way, only to return some bright ones of his own before Langa speaks, deciding to be the one to start the conversation back up this time.
“So, if you don’t mind me asking, where in Japan do you live?”
“Oh, I live in Naha.”
Langa, once again, is stunned. “Seriously?!”
“Yes? I live around that Dope sketch, skate store, thingy.” He says, using his hands to explain when his words fail him. “I kind of have to, cause I work there.”
“I live like, ten minutes from there.”
Reki’s mouth hangs open as Langa tells him this information. “Dude, seriously? What is up with these coincidences? I talked to you because I saw you had a skateboard, then I was excited when I found out we were sitting next to each other on the flight, and now I find out we live in the same area? That’s crazy luck!”
Luck. He thinks he’s lucky to get to see and talk to me more.
Langa, forever being a blunt person, says, “I noticed you in the cafe right away. I thought you looked cool, and then I thought you were even cooler when I found out you skated. It’s nice that we live in the same place, maybe we could skate together sometime.”
He looks up at Reki’s face after stating this only to see the boy blush, covering his face with his hands as he giggles and says, “Geez, dude. How can you say such embarrassing things with a straight face?” But he seems happy about the suggestion, so Langa only grins in response.
Just then, the flight attendant comes over the speakers to announce that they will be taking off, and informs everyone that they must fasten their seatbelts. Langa does this, then looks over at Reki to continue talking, only to realize Reki is shaking, just a little bit.
“Reki? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Reki gives a pathetic attempt at a laugh while fiddling with his hoodie strings.
He’s trembling, Langa notes.
“It’s um… it’s stupid but I’ve…” He inhales, then exhales. “I’ve never flown by myself before. I’m also actually scared of planes? Especially when they take off, and usually I have my mom or one of my little sisters here to hold my hand and ground me. Which I know is stupid, okay? I’m not supposed to be this scared of heights at seventeen, but, I am. So, I’m just a little nervous. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
He looks to Langa, curling in on himself as he expects judgement or laughter from the boy he just met. Instead, Langa holds out his hand. “If you’re comfortable…” Reki takes a second before he understands, and he looks away, smiling as he nervously grabs onto Langa’s hand.
The plane starts moving, and then slowly crawls its way into the air, but Reki doesn’t seem to have as much fear anymore as he talks to Langa the whole time they ascend into the sky.
“Hey Reki, I was thinking…”
“What’s up?”
“You wanna hangout when we get to San Francisco too? I know we already agreed to skate together in Okinawa when we both get back, but I think my friends would like you, and I want you to come.”
Reki thinks about it for a bit. “Well, I’m visiting some family friends, but if I have time, that sounds great!”
Langa grins. “Do you have pen and paper I could write on? I gotta give you my number so we can meet up.”
Reki nods and dives into his backpack to look for his notebook and pen. When he finds them, he hands them over to Langa so he can write down his number, but before he can do anything, Langa admires the little sketches and drawings inside the book. “Did you make these?”
Reki silently nods, the tips of his ears going pink. “Just ignore them. I know they’re not that good, you can just-”
“What do you mean?” Langa interrupts. “I love them.”
“Really?” Reki asks in disbelief. Langa doesn’t know why he doesn’t believe it. From these sketches alone, Langa can tell that he has talent.
“Yes, really.”
“Oh… well thank you.” Reki almost whispers, and Langa thinks he might have missed the words if he wasn’t so captivated by him.
Langa writes down his phone number after going through and complimenting a couple more sketches that Reki pointed out to him after Langa had seemed to take genuine interest in them. Reki happily tears out a piece of paper from the book as well, scribbles down his own number, and hands it to Langa.
“So you know who it is.” Reki says.
Langa is completely and utterly charmed by him and his bright smile. So when he utters the words, “I’ll get you ice cream when we get there,” Followed up by, “However many scoops you want, too. That’s a promise. Just, don’t tell my friends.” With zero regret, Langa knows that Miya was right about airport crushes all along; not that the kid needs to know that, of course. However, if Reki asked him right now for unlimited scoops, Langa thinks he would find some way to make it happen.
And if Reki takes his hand once again, carefully intertwining their fingers despite having no sense of fear in his eyes anymore and scoots as close as their seats allow it, no one will hear a single complaint from Langa.