As the stewardesses led Takuya deeper into the crew area, their Indonesian chatter washing over him. At first, the unfamiliar words were just a meaningless jumble of sounds. But as they continued to speak, Takuya found himself starting to pick out phrases here and there. “Eh, dia cantik banget sekarang!” one stewardess giggled. She… pretty? Takuya puzzled out, the meaning clicking into place. They were talking about him!
“Iya, seragamnya cocok banget di dia,” another agreed. Something about his uniform suiting him. Pride bloomed in Takuya’s chest at the compliment, even as confusion swirled in his mind. Why did their words make sense to him now?
The more the stewardesses talked, the more Takuya understood. It was like a fog slowly lifting from his brain, Indonesian replacing Japanese word by word. When one stewardess asked him a question, Takuya was shocked to hear himself respond in halting Indonesian. “Uh… aku… rasanya beda banget,” he said slowly, his new feminine voice sounding both strange and familiar to his ears. I feel so different.
The stewardesses beamed at him, congratulating him on his progress. Takuya basked in their praise, a giddy warmth filling his body. He barely noticed as they sat him down at a counter with a mirror placed on top, a makeshift vanity. He was too focused on trying to follow their increasingly familiar conversation. Hands tugged at Takuya’s hair, ensuring the elegant updo was just right. Makeup brushes danced over his face, highlighting his delicate new features. Takuya sat pliantly as the stewardesses fussed over him, their touches both foreign and welcome. “Udah deh, sekarang dia ready banget!” the lead stewardess finally declared. Now she’s ready.
Ready for what? Takuya wondered dazedly. He looked at his reflection, marveling at his changes. The beautiful Indonesian woman staring back at him was a complete stranger, yet somehow felt more right than his old self ever had. Takuya searched for any trace of the Japanese man he had been in the reflection, but came up empty. That person was gone, replaced by this lovely stewardess.
“Ayo dong, udah waktunya kerja lagi!” one of the stewardesses called out. Time to get back to work. The others chimed in their agreement, and suddenly Takuya found himself being ushered out of the room. He stumbled a bit on his heels, but quickly found his balance, hips swaying naturally. It was like his body knew how to move in this new form, new muscle memory taking over.
Takuya followed the others out to the main cabin, a bright smile already fixed on his face. He greeted the passengers warmly, his Indonesian flowing smoothly now. “Siang, Pak. Ada yang bisa saya bantu?” Good afternoon, sir. How may I assist you?
The words felt natural on his tongue, like he had said them a thousand times before. Takuya moved through the cabin with practiced grace, attending to the passengers’ needs. He poured drinks, fetched blankets, and flashed charming smiles, his old life fading further with each interaction.
By the time the plane landed, Takuya was just another one of Indo Airways’ lovely stewardesses. Any remnant of his past as a Japanese man felt hazy and unimportant. This was his reality now: serving passengers with a smile, forever a member of this beautiful sisterhood. As Takuya followed the other stewardesses off the plane, the lead stewardess approached him with a knowing smile. “Selamat datang di keluarga Indo Airways… Talia,” she said warmly. Welcome to the Indo Airways family, Talia.
Talia. Yes, that was her name, wasn’t it? Talia beamed back at her supervisor, a rush of joy and belonging filling her heart.
“Makasih banyak! Aku seneng banget bisa gabung sama tim ini,” Talia replied earnestly. Thank you so much! I’m so happy to join this team. Giggling with her new sisters, Talia headed towards the terminal, ready to embrace her wonderful new life as an Indo Airways stewardess. Any lingering traces of Takuya were long gone, replaced by pure, feminine joy. Talia was exactly where she belonged.
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