Juliet In Distress : F4 THAILAND

Three.

Ren's POV -

Chapter 3: Coffee Conundrum at 30,000 Feet

After Jia's impromptu landing in my lap, I was convinced that this flight was determined to be a series of absurd events. As she laughed off her spectacular fall, I couldn't help but chuckle along, my nerves slowly easing.

But as they say, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Shortly after our comical introduction, things took an unexpected turn. Jia's face contorted into an expression that could only be described as a mix of longing and despair. Her eyes began to water, and before I knew it, she was full-on crying.

Now, I might not be an expert in handling emotional situations, but even I could tell this wasn't just a case of post-fall embarrassment. Panic washed over me as I scrambled to figure out what had gone wrong.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. I still didn't even know her name, but I couldn't just sit there while she cried her heart out.

Between sobs, Jia managed to stammer out, "I... I want coffee!"

Coffee? That was it? I was expecting something far more dramatic given the circumstances. But then it hit me – pregnancy hormones. I'd heard enough about them to know that they could turn even the tiniest inconvenience into a catastrophic event.

Desperate to help, I racked my brain for a solution. "Um, I don't think they serve coffee on this flight," I offered, trying my best to sound sympathetic.

Her tears intensified, and she clutched her belly as if coffee was the elixir of life. "But I neeeeed it!"

I had an idea, one that was so absurd it just might work. "How about this," I began, "I'll make you a deal. When we land, I'll take you to the fanciest coffee shop in town, and you can have all the coffee your heart desires."

Jia's eyes widened, and her tears began to subside. "Really?"

I nodded, feeling like some sort of coffee savior. "Absolutely. But just one condition: you have to tell me your name." I said, as if I didn't google her entire bio data less than ten minutes ago.

She sniffled, her lips curling into a sheepish smile. "It's Jia."

"Jia," I repeated, feeling a warm glow inside. "Nice to officially meet you, Jia. I'm Ren."

"Nice to meet you too, Ren," Jia replied, her eyes still glistening with a mix of gratitude and lingering coffee cravings. "You know, I never thought I'd be crying over coffee in the middle of a flight. Pregnancy does strange things to you."

I chuckled, realizing that this was probably the most unique "meet cute" in the history of awkward encounters. "Pregnancy can be quite the adventure, I've heard."

Jia, clearly in the mood to share, launched into a delightful ramble about her cravings, how she had a secret stash of chocolate in her bag, and how she once sent her assistant on a wild goose chase to find a particular flavor of ice cream at 2 a.m. I listened with genuine amusement, my heart feeling lighter with every word she uttered.

As she recounted her misadventures with a wink and a smile, I couldn't help but be drawn to her infectious energy. Jia was a whirlwind of charm and unpredictability, and I found myself hanging onto her every word like a kid at storytime.

"And then," she continued, "there was this one time I tried to make homemade pickles at 3 in the morning because I had a sudden craving. Let's just say it didn't end well, and my kitchen turned into a vinegar-scented disaster zone."

I laughed, imagining the chaos that must have ensued. "That does sound like quite the pickle!"

Jia's laughter filled the air, and her eyes sparkled like the night sky. "You're easy to talk to, Ren. It's like we've known each other for ages."

I couldn't agree more. Despite the odd circumstances of our meeting, I felt an unexpected connection with Jia, like we were two puzzle pieces that had just found their perfect fit.

Our conversation continued to meander through the absurd and the adorable, from pregnancy anecdotes to our favorite guilty pleasure movies. We discovered shared interests and quirks that had us both in stitches.

As we waited to retrieve our luggage at the airport, Jia turned to me with a curious glint in her eye. "So, Ren, you've heard all about my coffee cravings and kitchen disasters. What do you do?"

I hesitated for a moment. My career as an artist wasn't something I often shared with strangers, especially not with someone as intriguing as Jia. But there was something about her openness and the connection we'd formed that made me want to be honest.

"I'm an artist," I admitted, a faint blush creeping onto my cheeks.

Jia's eyes lit up, and she grinned like a kid in a candy store. "An artist? That's amazing! What kind of art do you create?"

As we waited for our luggage to make its grand appearance on the carousel, I opened my laptop and pulled up one of my recent paintings. It was a piece I'd been working on for weeks, a symbolic representation of power and dignity in a world where women still fought for both.

In the painting, there was a woman wearing a crown, her expression a perfect mix of strength and vulnerability. On either side of her, two men tugged at her attire, one reaching for the crown atop her head, and the other attempting to snatch her dress.

I watched as Jia's gaze locked onto the painting, her eyes scanning every detail. For a moment, the airport baggage claim faded away, and it was just the two of us and my art.

"Power and dignity," she mused, her voice soft. "Two things women still fight for in the world. Your painting captures it beautifully."

I was both surprised and touched by her response. Most people didn't delve so deeply into the meaning behind my art. "Thank you, Jia. It means a lot coming from you."

Our luggage finally arrived, snapping us back to reality. We gathered our bags and made our way towards the exit, our conversation shifting to our favorite artists and the stories behind their works.

3rd Person POV -

After exchanging numbers at the airport, Ren couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the last time he'd meet Jia. As he watched her disappear into the bustling city, a sense of warmth and excitement filled his heart. It was as if a ray of light had finally broken through the clouds of his past rejections. He couldn't fathom how anyone could leave a girl as vibrant and captivating as Jia. Little did he realize, in that moment, that something more profound was taking root within him – a budding crush that would paint his world with unexpected colors and set his heart on an artistic journey of its own.

On the other hand, as Jia got into her car, she couldn't help but feel a sense of elation after meeting Ren. His quirky sense of humor and artistic soul had left an indelible mark on her heart. It was as if she'd stumbled upon a rare gem in the most unexpected of places. While she hadn't quite realized it yet, there was a flutter in her chest, a newfound curiosity about the charming artist who had brightened her day. As the taxi sped away, Jia's thoughts were filled with images of their shared laughter and the promise of a coffee date. It was a feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on, but one thing was certain – meeting Ren had left her with a delightful sense of anticipation, and maybe, just maybe, a hint of a crush that was beginning to bloom.

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