Act - 5: "First-Class Connections"

As Aria and I made our way to the check-in counter, the bustling airport around us seemed even more chaotic. We approached the counter, where a baggage handler eyed our luggage.

"Good day," Aria said, placing our suitcases on the scale.

The handler, a scrawny man with a crooked smile, nodded and started weighing the bags. Next to him, a woman, presumably his colleague, seemed to be fiddling with the scale. I watched curiously as the weight on the scale kept climbing, even though our bags didn't seem that heavy. Aria furrowed her brow, suspicion creeping into her eyes.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but your bags are over the limit," the man said, his smile never reaching his eyes.

Aria's expression hardened. "That can't be right. We weighed them at home, and they were well within the limit."

The man shrugged. "Maybe your scale is faulty."

I noticed the woman subtly pressing her knee against the scale. Pretending to be an innocent child, I spoke up in a loud, clear voice, "Aria, sister, that lady's knee is on the weight!" The woman quickly withdrew her knee, shooting me a venomous glare. The handler's smile faltered as other passengers started to murmur, looking our way.

Aria seized the moment. "You trying to scam us?" she demanded, her voice rising. "This is outrageous! I'll sue you and report this to the media. You can't just cheat people like this."

The handler's face turned pale. "No, no, ma'am, there must have been a mistake. Let me recheck the weight." He hurriedly reset the scale and weighed the bags again, this time showing the correct weight.

"That's more like it," Aria snapped. She glared at the woman who had tried to cheat us. "You should be ashamed of yourselves."

Aria wasn't done yet. She crossed her arms and raised her voice even further, drawing more attention from the bustling airport crowd. "You won't get away with how you treat customers like this! This is a blatant attempt at theft, and I will not stand for it. I want to speak to a manager right now!"

Moments later, a tall man in a crisp uniform strode over, exuding an air of authority. His nametag read "Manager Johnson." "Ma'am, is there a problem?" Manager Johnson asked, his voice firm.

"Yes, there is," Aria shot back. "Your staff here tried to scam us by falsifying the weight of our luggage. This is unacceptable."

Manager Johnson glanced at the handler and the woman, who both looked away, avoiding eye contact. His eyes narrowed as he turned back to Aria. "I assure you, ma'am, our staff is well-trained. There must have been a misunderstanding."

Aria stepped closer, not backing down. "Misunderstanding? They deliberately tried to cheat us. This kind of behavior is disgraceful and needs to be addressed."

The manager's expression hardened. "I understand your frustration, but raising your voice won't solve anything. Please lower your voice, or I'll have to call security."

At this point, I decided to step in. Taking a deep breath, I put on my most innocent smile and looked up at the manager. "Excuse me, sir," I began, my tone polite but firm. "We're not trying to cause trouble. We just want to be treated fairly. Imagine if every passenger had to deal with this kind of behavior. It would ruin the reputation of your airline, wouldn't it?"

"I appreciate your metaphor, young man, but we need to resolve this matter professionally."

I took a step closer, lowering my voice for a final, impactful statement.

"Professionalism is key, sir. And a true professional knows when to admit a mistake and make it right. A free upgrade to first class would show us that you value honesty and customer satisfaction. It would turn a negative experience into a positive one and ensure that we leave with a good impression of your airline."

There was a moment of silence as the manager stared at me, clearly torn.

Finally, he sighed and nodded.

"Very well. As a gesture of goodwill, I'll upgrade you both to first class. But please, let this be the end of the matter."

As he spoke, I couldn't help but smirk, a subtle yet confident expression that made the manager visibly nervous.

It was clear that he was taken aback by my demeanor; this was not the behavior he expected from a child.

"Thank you, sir," I said, my voice polite but carrying an edge that suggested I wasn't one to be trifled with.

The manager hurriedly instructed the handler to issue our new tickets.

As the handler complied, fumbling with the paperwork, I noticed the manager's eyes lingering on me, a hint of unease in his gaze.

He knew I was dangerous to fight head-on, and that thought seemed to unsettle him.

Aria, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Let's go, Dio," she said, her voice filled with triumph.

"We've got our upgrade."

We walked away from the counter, the sound of murmurs and whispers following us.

I could feel the eyes of the onlookers, some curious, others impressed.

The woman who had tried to scam us stood fuming silently, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment.

As we moved towards the first-class check-in area, Aria ruffled my hair.

"Wow! Dio, you handled that like a pro" she said, a proud smile on her face.

I grinned up at her.

"Just doing my part, sis.

Now let's enjoy that first-class treatment!"

We made our way to the lounge, the atmosphere significantly more relaxed now that the situation had been resolved.

As we sat down, I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

This time around, I was determined to use my knowledge and skills to protect those I cared about and ensure we were never taken advantage of again.

Aria leaned back in her seat, her expression softening.

"You know, Dio, I'm really proud of you.

You stood up for us and handled the situation like a true adult."

I nodded, appreciating her words.

"Thanks, Aria.

As we settled into our seats in the first-class cabin, I leaned back, feeling a sense of accomplishment and anticipation for what lay ahead.

The soft hum of the airplane engine and the muffled conversations of other passengers created a soothing atmosphere. Just as I was getting comfortable, I heard a familiar voice in front of me.

"Dio?"

I looked up, surprised, and found myself staring into a pair of innocent blue eyes peeking over the seat in front of me.

It was Emilia.

She smiled shyly, her cheeks tinged with a hint of pink.

"Hi."

I returned her smile gently.

"Hi, Emilia.

Fancy seeing you here."

Aria, noticing the exchange, turned her head and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, Emilia.

Looks like we'll be travel buddies after all."

Emilia giggled softly.

"I know, right? What are the odds?"

Aria leaned forward, a warm smile on her face.

"It's nice to see you again, Emilia.

How are your parents doing?"

Emilia nodded politely. "They're good, thanks.

They're in the seats just behind us."

I looked back at Emilia, my smile widening.

"So, excited about the trip to Norway?"

She beamed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Absolutely! I've never been on such a long flight before.

What about you, Dio?"

"Same here," I said, pretending to be curious and enthusiastic.

"It's a whole new adventure for me."

As we continued to chat, I couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and connection with Emilia.

It was reassuring to have a familiar face on this adventure, and her presence added a touch of warmth to the journey ahead.

Later, as we were settling in, a couple approached us.

Emilia's parents.

Her father extended a hand to Aria and me.

"Thank you for helping our daughter earlier," he said, his voice warm and sincere.

Aria smiled and shook his hand.

"It was no trouble at all. We're happy to help."

I froze as I recognized Emilia's father.

Peter Bigdalen.

A renowned businessman, a multimillionaire owning a vast chain of hotels.

My mind raced as I processed this unexpected connection.

This was an incredible opportunity; I remember seeing his speech all the time he was the Norwegian Bill Gates.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Bigdalen," I said, shaking his hand with a firm grip, my mind already buzzing with possibilities.

Peter smiled warmly.

"Likewise. And thank you again for looking out for Emilia."

I smirked inwardly, realizing that this trip was already off to an interesting start.

Networking with someone of Peter Bigdalen's caliber was an unexpected boon, and I knew I had to make the most of it.

Dio Stat's Info

Strength:20

Agility:8

Intelligence:5

Endurance:7

Charm:10