UNENDING

2: A Tempestuous Fan

All things considered, the rest of Sean's journey from the departure bay's entrance, then up to his arrival at the designated gate went smoothly. Without a single hitch.

It was so uneventful Sean did not feel like someone who, only recently, had received quite a lot of attention on a variety TV, and would probably continue to do so in the upcoming years. If he was lucky.

Well, there was always that one lady officer at the check-in counter.

Sean had been handing out his ID card and e-boarding pass when the lady just stared at him. Like for a full minute long. Unblinkingly.

It was rather unnerving for Sean to be stared at like that for the first time in his life.

Eventually, Sean resorted to his best "trust me, I'm harmless" smile so as not to come across as rude which, thankfully, got things moving again. Albeit awkwardly. And by the time Sean left the check-in counter, the lady official had sent him off with a drunken smile.

But that was it.

Personally, Sean could not—dare not—decide whether or not it was a good sign.

Sean wondered what life would be like for him once he debuted as a legit idol. He thought of B3ST, or X.O., or JamDua, or any other top Nusantaran boy group there was. How they reached quite a great extent of popularity, amassing so many devoted fans in their wake.

For a moment, Sean thought of the sizable flock of half-crazed young girls standing outside of departure bay's entrance. He wondered who the mystery idol those girls had sent off earlier might be.

Idols were born almost everyday. But in reality, only a handful made it to the very top. Sean was nowhere under any illusion of the contrary.

Most idol debutantes would not make it to their fifth year in the industry, ending up being swept away into obscurity. The plain, hard fact sucked like that.

Sean wondered which fate awaited him in Jakarta.

From his seat at the departure gate, Sean watched as one by one, planes from various airlines took off and soared in the open sky.

It would be his turn soon. His plane was already there, connected with a jet bridge to the gate. Waiting for him to come aboard. Mockingly.

Sean's head felt floaty, stuffed full with fragile bubbles of dreams and imaginations. But his chest was heavy.

As John Mayer's voice flowed through his earphones, Sean tried to ease his mind into a semi-meditative state. Immersing himself in each line of its lyrics.

Someday I'll fly, someday I'll soar

Someday I'll be so damn much more

'Cause I'm bigger than my body gives me credit for

Bigger Than My Body abruptly turned into Say as Sean's phone buzzed from an incoming call. The name [Hilman Idris] appeared on the screen.

"Halo, Bang Hilman," Sean said as soon as he picked it up, "how is it going?"

The man on the phone spoke in a rough voice so unfit to his thirty-one years old. "Hey, Sean. You good? Flight on schedule?"

At his group's future manager's question, Sean hurriedly got up from his seat and scrambled to find the nearest screen displaying all flight info. Finding one, he did a quick scan until his eyes found the matching airline and flight number.