"Due to dangerous weather, flight 302 to Los Angeles has been delayed for an additional four hours. Please check the flight information on the departure boards or online for further details. We apologize for any inconveniences this might cause. If this raises any issues, or if you have any questions or concerns, please come to the desk at gate 43. Thank you."
Umi almost tore her hair out.
After two hours of "delayed twenty minutes" this and "delayed ten minutes" that, it seemed that the airline had finally decided once and for all to crush her remaining shred of hope that she might actually make it to Los Angeles and get a good night's rest before the archery competition.
And now? An extra four hours at the airport? What was she even supposed to do during that time?
People were already lining up at the gate's desk, scowling from impatience and irritation as they muttered darkly about missed connections and rescheduled meetings. Umi, having no complaints that were at least in the realm of fixing, settled on opening her laptop and double-checking her hotel and the competition's details.
At this rate, she would arrive in America at around two in the morning. The hotel wasn't too far from the airport, but considering immigration and baggage claim it would still be past three by the time she checked in and got settled. The competition's check in started at seven, and she would need some time to prepare her bow and get herself ready so… Less than three hours of sleep. If that was even worth it.
Umi covered her face with a hand. This was a mess. But she had already registered and paid the fee so it wasn't as though she could back out now.
Four hours of waiting it was.
A three-note chime rang throughout the airport, and the delay announcement was repeated again.
Somehow, hearing it a second time only made Umi feel worse.
Deciding she might as well stretch her legs, Umi stored away her laptop, grabbed her backpack, and headed off. She vaguely remembered passing by a coffee shop on her way to the gate hours ago, and even if she would rather save her pocket money, caffeine sounded much more appealing at the moment.
#
Umi ordered a cup of black coffee with sugar and, against her better judgement, also bought a croissant. If anything, she might as well treat herself while she was stuck at the godforsaken place. Managing to snag one of the few remaining tables in the shop before it was filled by all the other stranded passengers, she took out her leisure novel and settled in for the long wait.
Three minutes later, that wait was interrupted.
"Umm… I'm really, really sorry, but would it be okay if I sat here?"
Umi looked up and found her gaze locked on the cleavage before her.
"I just… Um… All the other tables are taken, and…"
Umi forced her eyes further up to the face of a very nervous looking, extremely pretty young woman. She seemed to be around Umi's age, with grayish hair and amber-colored eyes. Her white dress and green blazer, which she pulled off stunningly, made Umi feel slightly self-conscious about the hoodie and sweatpants she was currently dressed in.
The woman was smiling, although she looked uncertain, and the hand that wasn't holding her coffee rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Just until another table opens up, of course," she added hastily.
Umi's gaze dropped down briefly to the woman's chest again, and then she bit her tongue and looked up.
"Uh?" Umi said articulately.
The woman blinked and Umi mentally kicked herself.
"I mean… Yes. Um. Feel free." The words came out mechanically, and Umi found herself wanting to hide herself behind her book. Two years into college and she was still the socially inadequate girl she'd always been growing up.
"Thank you." The woman sounded relieved, if not a bit confused, no doubt thanks to Umi's strangled reply. In any case, she pulled out the opposite chair and sat down, setting her coffee on the table and offering Umi a warm smile.
Umi felt a flush creeping up her neck..
Should I smile back? Would that be creepy? I'm not good at smiling. But wow, she's really pretty. Like… wow. I'd compare you to a summer's day. Oh god, have I been staring this whole time? Not at her boobs, right? I'm not staring at her boobs. Am I? Dammit, I'm the worst lesbian ever.
"Sonoda Umi," she blurted out. She winced. Backpedaled. "Uh. Is. Me. That's me. I'm Sonoda Umi." She was pretty sure dropping dead would've gone by much less awkwardly. "Hi."
It was all Umi could do to not slam her face into the table.
The other woman laughed, politely covering her mouth with a dainty hand, and Umi looked at her miserably.
"I'm sorry." The woman's voice was kind, all traces of nervousness gone now that Umi had proved herself to be the more anxious one. "I didn't mean to laugh. I'm Minami Kotori. It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you," Umi echoed. Her ears were still burning, but she could feel her heart rate slow down a little when Kotori smiled at her again. She swallowed, wondering what to say next.
Luckily, Kotori took care of that, too. "Flight delayed?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink.
Umi nodded.
"Me, too. Los Angeles?"
Umi nodded again, and Kotori beamed at having gotten it right.
"It was pretty frustrating, wasn't it?" Kotori leaned forward excitedly, apparently feeling very strongly about the continuous delays. "They kept making us wait longer and longer - if it was going to come to this, I wish they would've let us know sooner rather than later."
Kotori suddenly paused, considering something, and then laughed in embarrassment. It was the cutest sound Umi had ever heard. "Ah, but I guess I'm being unfair," she continued. "I'm sure they couldn't help it, right?"
"Uh," Umi said intelligently. She cleared her throat. "Yeah."
If Kotori was deterred by Umi's complete lack of conversational ability, she did an excellent job of concealing it. "Oh well. So what're you traveling for?" she questioned.
As Kotori spoke, she cocked her head to one side curiously, and Umi had to cover her mouth to keep from smiling at the adorableness, managing to pass it off very smoothly as scratching an itch on her cheek.
"I… Archery competition." Umi managed to reply with a bit more fluidity this time. "It starts tomorrow."
"Archery?" Kotori's eyes lit up. "That's so cool! Do you go to a lot of competitions?"
Umi shrugged. "I suppose. But they're usually within the country. This is only my second time going to an international one."
"Second?" Kotori was absolutely awe-struck. "You must be really good!"
"Well, I wouldn't say that." Umi tried to shrug off the compliment but the goofy grin spreading on her face might have given it away. "I just like it a lot."
Kotori propped an elbow on the table and leaned into her hand, settling herself in. "How long have you been doing it?"
"Since elementary school."
"Wow, for real? Where are you now? University?"
Umi nodded.
"Same here! But that's a really long time." Kotori sounded impressed, and Umi tried not to look too proud about it. "How'd you keep at it for so long?" Kotori asked.
"It's fun," Umi replied honestly, and she realized it was the first thing she'd said the entire conversation that came out with complete ease and comfort.
Kotori must have noticed it too, because she grinned brightly and didn't say anything else.
Understanding that it was now her turn to keep the conversation going, Umi returned the question Kotori had first posed to her. "What are you planning to do in America?"
"Visiting some fashion and design companies," Kotori answered. "I'd prefer working in Japan, honestly, but America has good opportunities too. For now I'm just going to look at a few places and see where it goes from there."
"Fashion and design," Umi repeated. "That seems fitting for you," she commented, and then spluttered when she realized that she'd said it out loud.
Kotori giggled and waved a hand to signal that she didn't mind. "I'm glad you think so," she replied amiably.
"But," Umi scrabbled for anything else to say, "I mean, in a good way. Because. You... dress nice?"
As if just noticing it, Kotori looked down at her outfit. Umi whimpered at her own helplessness. Kotori looked up again, and - was it just her imagination? - seemed to have a new look of understanding in her eyes.
Umi swallowed thickly. She suddenly became very aware that the coffee shop had emptied out considerably since ten minutes ago.
"Umi-chan," Kotori's smile was positively radiant, "if you don't mind, I'd like to get to know you better."
It only took fifteen seconds for Umi to process her words, choke on her coffee, and reply eloquently, "And I you."
"We can talk more?"
"Absolutely. Whenever you want. Anytime. Anything."
Was it amusement or endearment that Umi saw in the other woman's gaze now?
"Well," Kotori sounded satisfied as she leaned back and stretched her arms, arching her back and holding it for maybe a tad longer than was actually necessary. "We have four hours," she stated.
"That we do," Umi agreed.
Kotori tilted her head and blinked widely, looking content when Umi shifted her legs with a nervous stutter. "Maybe we should get some more coffee?" she suggested lightly.
Umi was up with her wallet in her hands in a heartbeat.
#
Despite not getting any sleep on the plane or in the hotel room, Umi succeeded in the archery competition with flying colors.
All she had to do was think about the phone number scrawled on the receipt in her purse, the cheerful voice and bright eyes that flashed in her memory, the promise of a date in America, and her arrows soared with a determination she'd never even known she'd had.