#Side Story 2 – 06
Cruising Altitude 02
The first semester after returning to school passed in an instant. It felt like I had just taken midterms yesterday, but finals were already approaching. Although the semester would end right after exams, I didn’t feel the same excitement for vacation as I did before enlisting in the military.
The reason was that I gradually realized how little time I had left in school. Until my first and second years, graduation seemed like a distant event, but now, with job fairs and related lectures, and the fact that I could start job hunting from the second semester of my fourth year, I felt overwhelmed.
The pressure of no longer being a student but becoming a member of society, and early worries like “I heard getting a job is difficult, what should I do?” also took away the excitement of vacation.
Unlike my teenage years when I vaguely thought I’d become an office worker in a company or a civil servant, now that I was in my twenties, I had a clear dream of becoming a “flight attendant.” However, I hadn’t made any special preparations until now, so I was starting to feel a bit anxious.
Among the juniors I had become close with over the semester, many had been preparing for employment for a while. Due to the nature of the French Language and Literature department, there weren’t many jobs that could utilize our major, making the atmosphere even more intense. Seeing those around me, I started to feel anxious that I should be preparing too.
When I cautiously shared my concerns about employment with Saheon hyung, he arranged a meeting with his sister-in-law. Chaehun hyung’s wife, whom he married a few years ago, was a flight attendant – though before I started dating Saheon hyung, I had misunderstood and thought she was his girlfriend… Thanks to her, I was able to get various help and advice.
Following her advice, I joined a flight attendant-related cafe and started looking for interview study groups. However, finding a group was challenging. Most were either too far away, already full, or didn’t accept male members.
While considering whether I should attend an academy like others were doing, finding a post on the school’s Everytime app titled
The format of sharing interview tips with each other and getting direct feedback from a senior already working as a flight attendant was similar to the study groups I had seen on the cafe.
I thought I should at least start with this rather than doing nothing. Fortunately, there was a spot left, so I was able to join the study group. The actual face-to-face interview practice would start after the semester ended.
Just signing up for something made me feel like I had lifted a weight off my shoulders. With that somewhat lighter feeling, I took my final exams, and when summer vacation started, my full-fledged preparation began.
Unlike my first year when I enjoyed the freedom of being an adult and spending time with hyung, or my second year when I lazed around thinking I should enjoy myself before going to the military, this summer vacation was filled with grand ambitions.
Participating in interview practice, attending TOEIC classes, and even aiming to get an HSK certificate while I was at it. It was a busier schedule than during the semester, but I could endure the difficulties because of the sense of achievement and feeling like I was getting one step closer to my dream of becoming a flight attendant, which had seemed vague before.
The TOEIC score required by the airline where hyung works, which is also my first choice, was 550 points. However, from the information I gathered through the study group and cafe, even a score in the 800s was barely enough for male flight attendant applicants.
I had never prepared for TOEIC before, so I was honestly shocked at first, but once I started studying, it was easier than expected. By preparing in a short-term intensive course, I was able to achieve a score well into the safe zone by the end of summer vacation.
As for interview preparation, with constant practice and feedback, I started to get a sense of how to answer questions. It was somewhat ironic to consistently memorize answers and focus on managing facial expressions while being told not to appear as if I had memorized them, but I felt I was preparing adequately in my own way.
They say the most reliable method is to prepare as much as possible. This summer vacation, I felt proud of how much I had achieved and accomplished.
I had achieved a good TOEIC score, stabilized my interview responses to the point where I could answer naturally, and was even struggling and working hard on the new challenge of HSK. My preparation for becoming a future flight attendant was progressing smoothly, like a ship with a favorable wind.
However, a new concern started to arise. Most people in my study group had interview suits. They were expecting job postings to appear soon, and they said practicing in interview attire made a difference in posture and mindset.
Although I had thought it might be better to buy a new suit right before the interview, as more and more people wore suits even in the hot summer, I started to think, “Should I get one too?”
Finally, I decided to follow the trend. After struggling to find information about good interview suits on the flight attendant cafe, I decided on a general design.
Thinking that an objective view from hyung, who was already a working adult and employed at my first-choice airline, would be helpful rather than just looking alone, I quickly dragged him to the department store.
“Where should we buy it?”
I looked around the men’s clothing floor, bringing along Saheon hyung, who seemed to enjoy being called out to the crowded department store on his day off even more. I had clearly checked the store locations on the sign in front of the escalator, but all the unfamiliar characters made it difficult to find.
“Well… I saw on the flight attendant cafe. Someone said they wore a suit from this brand to an interview and got accepted at three places at once! They’re even nicknamed ‘the man who penetrated three times.'”
“Oh… I guess I need to work harder…”
Ignoring the sly glance directed at my behind, I found the store where the “man who penetrated three times” had bought his suit. There weren’t specific regulations for male flight attendant interview attire, so it was common to prepare a neat suit. With a black base and a crisp white shirt. As I was trying on clothes according to plan in front of the mirror, a staff member came to assist.
When I mentioned it was for a flight attendant interview, they recommended several versions of suits. As I came out wearing them, Saheon hyung looked at me with excited eyes. Sitting on the sofa with his chin resting on his hand, his smile was visible even beyond his large hands covering his mouth.
“…How does it look?”
As he kept smiling every time I came out in a suit, I started to wonder if I looked too awkward. However, Saheon hyung seemed to be observing quite carefully and offered appropriate advice.
“I think the one you wore earlier suited you better. Maybe because the buttons are more subdued? It looks neater.”
“Is that so…”
“What about the tie?”
“Ah, the tie…”
As I fumbled, the staff member skillfully showed us the ties near the counter. Naturally, the main color of the airline where hyung works caught my eye. I mumbled awkwardly.
“Light purple… Would it not suit me?”
“Why? It suited you well before.”
With a few scenes flashing by of when it had suited me well, I had to lower my eyes for a moment. Saheon hyung got up from the sofa and started picking out ties himself.
“How about this? When I asked the crew members around me, they said wearing the airline’s symbolic color in the interview outfit is a gamble and not really recommended.”
The tie Saheon hyung chose was a light sky blue with a subtle gray tone. It looked neat, and when I tried it on, it seemed to brighten up my face, so I liked it.
“I’ll go with this one.”
I felt proud to have found something that suited me well at once. Moreover, it was more meaningful because my beloved partner had chosen it for me. While I was quietly enjoying it with a slight blush, Saheon hyung ordered from the staff.
“Two of the suits he tried on earlier, and a new one of this tie, please.”
“Certainly, please wait a moment.”
“Two… suits?”
“Wear one now, and one later for the interview.”
“But… Ah, I was going to buy it myself!”
Although I had decided to buy it, enchanted by the story of someone getting accepted at three places, it was a price that required mental preparation. Just as I was about to hesitate, thinking I’d be spending twice as much as expected, Saheon hyung silently paid with his own card.
Thanks to that, all I could do was shuffle my feet anxiously. After finishing the payment and getting his card back, Saheon hyung smirked.
“Don’t worry. Your heart is racing.”
Is this a situation that should make my heart race? I wondered briefly, but since everyone has different standards for excitement, I just watched nervously as the staff packed the suits.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been to a store like this too. I wonder if I still have the clothes I wore for my interview at home.”
Saheon hyung murmured, tapping the ties hanging on the display rack with his fingertips. Fidgeting with guilt, I unconsciously imagined Saheon hyung from 6 or 7 years ago at his sudden words.
A slightly younger Saheon hyung. He must have had a period when he was preparing to be a co-pilot too. Did he recite memorized answers in front of the interviewers like me? Unlike now, when the uniform fits him perfectly, he might have looked awkward back then.
Suddenly, my heart felt warm and fuzzy. Unable to contain my rising curiosity, I asked.
“Did you wear a suit for your interview too?”
“Yes. There weren’t any ready-made ones that fit me in Korea, so I bought one when I was doing flight training in the U.S.”
I must have been looking at him with sparkling eyes of admiration without realizing it. Saheon hyung chuckled and then tapped a red tie.
“I think it was red. My tie color.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. I wore a red bow tie for the interview. A Chinese guy I was training with said red was a lucky color.”
It seemed like a joke to anyone, but he said it so seriously, and since it was Saheon hyung, I thought it might actually suit him well, so I closed my mouth seriously. Seeing my uncertain look, he held a pre-tied bow tie up to his neck.
“What do you think?”
“Um…”
Unable to find words, I just made a meaningless sound. Saheon hyung raised one eyebrow and slightly lifted the corners of his mouth like an airline model. That look was just like…
“…You look like a… pimp…”
“……”
“Ah, I mean, you look handsome! I, I, I accidentally said what I was thinking, hyung, hyung, where are you going! Wait for me!”
