Group B, you may begin boarding

"Finally" I sighed.

Shuffling awkwardly on to the ramp, I was able to keep my self pride and not fall flat on my face. I quickly found my seat, a window seat of course, and sat down hoping no one had the seat beside me. It wasn't that I was a frigid and rude person, I just really wanted to get to sleep. I could only read a magazine for so long. Of course, just my luck. A family of five consumed the seats surrounding mine.

"Aish! The new group 2PM is so daebak!."

"How about Gee? I think it's even better'

"If we get to go to Star Date, don't ise your stupid aegyo babo!"

The three teenage girls giggled, and screamed over not a song or a group, but this 2PM's cat named Sir Warmth. I didn't even know what or who, but I didn't want to hear the name 2PM again thanks to them. I noticed one of them fell silent immediately, but then hollering louder than ever that she swore she saw a man that look like Jaebomb on the plane. I couldn't make it out though because of the high frequency of her voice. Her sisters reassured her that he would never be on this flight, since he is an idol. This brought up an entirely new argument, over who was this guys biggest fan. Sweet mother of pearl: save me. Now.

This flight to Korea I could tell was already shaping up well.

I took my charcoal coloured sweater and curled up inside of it, hoping and praying I would fall asleep by playing my impossible scenarios over in my head.

6 hours later

I woke with a start. Hungry? No. Cold? Snug as a bug in a rug. Bladder? Bursting.

Rushing out of my seat, trying my best not to awake the clan of fan girls around me, I scuttled to the bathroom at the back of the plane.

After going to the washroom, I dared to sneak a peak in the mirror. And thenI realized that was a mistake. My hair was in every direction, any make-up I once had on now served as facepaint, and there was a large red line on my forehead from resting it on the window.

"And this is why I am single" I murmered to myself. Laughing at my own appearance, I lumbered back to my seat. I noticed it was 3 am, Eastern Standard time- all the more reason to sleep some more.

Walking past a few more sleeping passengers, I noticed that there was someone else awake. An attractive-someone. He was definitely Asian, korean possibly, with a very toned and trim figure. Very natural looking, while still making my eyes buldge out at his looks. I thought to myself,

"Maybe I should break my anti-social plane rule, just this once."

As I got up the nerve to at least make awkward eye contact, and maybe even flash a smile - I tripped. Knocking over not just myself, but the attractive guy. Really, of all people? This clearly wasn't my day.

"I. Am. So. Sorry" I said robotically, due to my shock.

"Ah, It's ok, Just hope you weren't hurt" he replied back, with a smile loaded with aegyo.

"Aha, just my pride..." I timidly said, blushing red. "I'll jsut sit down..and uhm...Ya.. Bye.."

"Sure you don't want something... Like a picture... an autograph?" the guy asked.

"I already know I look horrendous, so I'll pass on that opportunity. And for the autograph? The only thing I'm famous for, is the time my I fell into a new exihibit at a gallery opening."  Too much information. Uh oh. "Pretend you didn't here the last part" I blurted out, hoping that he'd just laugh and walkaway.

"You're a witty girl, but really? Nothing? Suit yourself" he said, shrugging his shoulders and beginning to move back to his seat.

Come on Wen, say something. Don't go back to your seat just to lip sync to girl power to music. You've already toppled on to him, how could you mess up more.

"I-I really like your tattoo" I mumbled out, secretly hoping he didn't hear me immediately after. Things just went from embarrassing to flat out creepy. My personality seems to be a natural repellent to men.

The guy turned his head back slowly, and shyly said
"Aha, thanks, but you're going to have to be more specific"

As I looked at him, I realized that he didn't just have a set of stars on the right of his neck, but also what seemed like the beginning of a sleeve. My ignorance must add nicely with my personality repellent. I cleared my throat and said

"The stars on your neck I'm referring to, they look rad"
I just used the word rad, I need to get myself together already. I was born in the 80's, not that era.

"Oh, well those were just for fun. A girl usually comments on my body, or smile, but not the tattoos usually. You're different, I can tell."

Different; that's the word I like to use for people that smell clothing in stores, and the people who spend their free time counting the bricks in their house. He wore a look on his face though. Interest? Intrigue? Pity? Probably pity. Unfortunately. Maybe I should just bail out now, and save myself while I could on this flight. Turning my body against the seat, to get past him I quietly replied

"it's just that I have a similar tattoo."

I lifted up the hair of my left side, revealing my tattoo. It was quite simple, being a jagged line like on a heart monitor with two stars. It trailed around my ear, touching the nape of my neck barely. No one really knew the true meaning, sometimes I would even forget, but of course it would come rushing back as soon as the thought slipped my mind. When I was 19, I attempted suicide. Soon after, my boyfriend also attempted, but he succeeded, since he believed I was dead. He was all I had left, seeing as my adoptive mother died from cancer when I was 18, so I needed no legal guardian. Thats when I decided to rough it out alone, in New York and live my dream for my mother and boyfriend. A star for each, and to remind myself never to try and stop my heartbeat again.

"That is really cool, it's like a combination of my neck tattoo and my ear one" said the guy, snapping me out of my thoughts, and showing me the jagged line with 'AOM' around his ear.

An awkward silence filled the air as I tried to come up with something to end the rampage of bad my bad social skills. Waving my fingers, I managed to squeak out

"Well, it has been a thrill talking to you. I'll let you go back to sleep."

"Oh, I hope I didn't keep you up but...uh...would you like to maybe, you can say no...but. w-would you like to sit with me?" the guy finally managed to spill out, upon rubbing the back of his neck while avoiding my eyes. He peered up through the blonde and black crop of hair on his head, to flash me a reassuring and hopeful smile.

Looking back at my seat between the family of five -which three had gotten up to serenade eachother with a Korean pop song- I urgently and relucrantly said

"Yes!' , maybe a bit too strongly.

"Great, my flight home will be much better with someone to keep me company"  he answered, with a sigh of reluctance.

We began walking towards where he was seated, when he spun around quickly, checking left and right before saying in a hushed tone,

"And by the way, my name is Jay Park"

"Can't say I have ever met a Jay. Well, my name is Wen. Or my english nickname Chacha. But let's stick with Wen." I gingerly offered my hand as I spoke.

"Nice to meet you Wen. I hope you didn't say yes to sitting with me out of pity. If so, I'm sorry for bothering you" Jay replied, slightly looking embarassed.

"Oh no, not at all. You actually saved me from hours of sitting next to happy fan girls over there" I said, pointing over my shoulder to where the three girls were still singing, and now proceeding to dance. "They would not stop yammering on about this thing called 2PM, or this guy called Jaybomb, or sometihng along those lines. 

"You mean Jaebeom" Jay corrected.

"I am not tuned into Kpop these days -wait, are you a crazy fan too? " I asked skeptically. I hoped he wasnt, that would sure put a damper on the situation if he was going to fan boy over this person too.

"Aha, no. I am not that arrogant. I wouldn't talk about myself like that. " Jay retorted, chuckling to himself.

"You're Jaebeom? A Korean idol? Get out of town..." I exclaimed "This doesn't happen everyday., now does it. What were you doing in New York?"

"I was visiting family in Seattle, then I had to catch my connection in New York to Seoul. I wouldv'e stayed longer, but 2PM has a schedule to up hold."

"It must be so stressful to be in the public eye" I said, motioning towards the still goo-goo eyed girls.

"It is, but it is worth it since I am doing what I love, with people I love" Jay replied sincerely.

I let his words sink in, thinking of how that is what I am trying to do- minus the people I love since I was going to be alone in Korea. Jay picked up on the fact that I wasn't going to reply, and asked me why I was going to Korea.

"You're a native speaker, English I mean, so why Korea?"

"I was adopted there, and I should return to my roots at some point. The language, and customs are going to be a barrier, but I'll push through with what little of Korean I've tried to learn" . I fiddled with the drawstring on my sweater, getting nervous thinking about if Jay would ask questions about my past.  "I will be studying there for fashion design".

"That is refreshing" he replied with a grin

"Pardon?" I slowly said, with confusion as my current tone.

"It's refreshing to see a young pretty women going to Korea for a greater good like improving ones understanding, versus just going there for fame." Jay explained. The look on his face showed that he'd seen many go that route. Continuing, he said "Being famous is fine, it's just that losing someone to it isn't".

I turned my face, to look into his eyes; eyes with a lingering sadness in them, and I asked

"Do you think you've lost yourself?"

"I will have to wait and see" Jay replied with a sideways half smile.

I began to drift off, imaginging what a life like Jay's would be like: performing night after night, minimal privacy, having to have a double life of what you put on for fans and who you really are. That is a life I could not live.

"Wen?" Jay whispered, as he nudged me gently.

"Hm?" I slurred out, getting my head out of the clouds.

"You look really uncomfortable. Here, just rest your head on my shoulder" he offerered moving closer to me. 

Last time I rested my head on a man's shoulder, was years ago. Let alone a man I had just met. Being too tired and uncomfortable to really care, I took his offer graciously and said, "Hope those girls from eariler don't try and kill me in my sleep for touching their oppa".

"Don't worry. People usually believe I always travel with the rest of 2PM, let alone by myself or with another- a women specifically." he said, taking a blanket and covering us both with it. I flinched as his hand grazed my cheek by accident. He noticed, and moved away slightly, gaining also a look of confusion about my reaction. Women probably threw themselves at him all the time, he probably was shocked when I did the opposite and avoided his touch -and conversation.

"See you soon, in Korea" I yawned out, burowing my face into the seat and his shoulder.

Grinning at me, Jay whispered back "I'll see you soon too, Wen".