"Damn Yoochun, check out that girl's legs."

"Stop ogling over girls and just eat, Changmin."

"I'm serious Yoochun, just look at that body. I'd bang her."

Yoochun swats at a vexing fly that buzzes around his head. The hot Thai air creates drops of sweat on Yoochun's rather expanse forehand and he pushes his bangs back in an attempt to air his forehead. 

"Changmin, why'd you insist on choosing a roadside restaurant? Look at this," Yoochun gestures wildly at the flimsy plastic stools they're seated on, "-and look at that." He stabs his finger at the white, pristine building known as the Siam Paragon. He stares at the contrasting settings; blue tinted windows, water fountains, high end shops, gold lettering and perfectly pruned vegetation. 

"They said the food's good here."

"I'm sure the food's just as good in there, where there's actually air conditioning."

"I like it here. They have the best pad thai I've ever had in my life."

"Yeah, Jaejoong liked the pad thai here the best."

Changmin doesn't answer, and Yoochun knows he's unintentionally hit a rather soft spot.

"Why didn't Junsu and Yunho come? I thought I told all of you guys to come," Yoochun mutters, slightly disgruntled at Yunho and Junsu's refusal of his offer to eat lunch with him.

"Junsu can't tolerate the heat, and Yunho's craving Korean food so he's moping in the hotel room."

Yoochun remains silent, remembering the previous night's episode.

***

Yunho had been complaining of homesickness and wanting to eat kimchi jiggae, much to the annoyance of the other members. He wandered off at ten in the night to find a store that offered Korean food, or any food that could serve as a substitute for his homeland's meals. 

"If he hadn't been such an to Jaejoong we wouldn't be having this issue right now; he would have cooked something in a heartbeat," Yoochun snapped. The dripping heat was getting to him and made him more volatile. 

Junsu elbowed Yoochun in the ribs. "You can't be angry forever, Yoochun."

Yoochun glowered back. "You know it's true, Kim Junsu."

***

Yoochun snaps back to reality when he feels the sharp pain of Changmin's signature kick in his shin. He glares at Changmin, who jerks his head a group of university girls, dressed in starch white button downs and navy blue miniskirts. The girls' eyes widen and they giggle at the sight of the two DongBang men, ducking behind their textbooks to hide their giddiness. 

Look at them, Changmin mouths.

"If you date them, there's a language barrier, you know." 

Changmin shrugs. " is universal."

Yoochun shakes his head and smacks it on the aluminum table several times, earning him worried glances from the middle aged owner of the food stall.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Jaejoong roams around the paths of Dusit Zoo, stopping at the elephant exhibit. He reaches into his pocket and gently fingers a silk elephant keychain Yunho gave him five years ago in Bangkok. 

"What should I do?" Jaejoong asks the elephant. The elephant does not respond, instead opting to merely sway its massive trunk from side to side. 

Jaejoong lets a little air out of his cheeks, his mind wandering off. It's been a year and a half since he's left DBSK, and the company's been pestering him with emails, telling him it's time to return. They've been deceiving the fans, telling Cassiopeia that Jaejoong's leave is temporary, that no, there are no discord among the members and Jaejoong's health has been deteriorating, so they've sent him off to recuperate. Despite Jaejoong's pleas, SM refuses to terminate the contract and fans are growing suspicious. 

His mind flashes back to a conversation he had with a monk at a Buddhist temple. Although the monk and Jaejoong spoke different languages, Jaejoong was able to get the general idea thanks to a passing Korean man who was married to a Thai woman.

"Go face your problems. You cannot avoid karma, so you might as well face them head on."

Jaejoong stares at the baby elephant, sleeping in a grey heap under a small pavilion. Its innocence reminds him of Junsu, its vulnerability of Changmin, laziness of Yoochun. 

And Yunho - everything reminds him of that man.

It's time to return.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Changmin and Yoochun wander in the crowded night market, the absence of the scorching sun finally allowing the humid heat to succumb to the cooler, refreshing air. 

"Come on Changmin, let's go home. We have a commercial to record tomorrow."

"Just one second, Yoochun." Changmin points to a graphic shirt on display, laughing wildly. "I want that shirt."

"Imagine what our fans will think if you wear that shirt out, Changmin. Come on, let's go."

"I'll just get that shirt, and we can leave."

"No way in hell you're getting that shirt, Changmin." Yoochun grabs Changmin's wrist, towing him away and managing to flag down a taxi in the chaos. Changmin attempts to break away from Yoochun's vice strong grip by flailing around wildly, hitting a passerby's face in the process.

"Look what you've done, Changmin," Yoochun hisses. 

"I'm so sorry," Changmin says in broken Thai. The man, hidden behind in a black hat and surgical mask, nods and walks past them into the awaiting taxi.

"Ah, excuse me but that's our taxi," Yoochun says in Korean, apologetically. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," the man replies in Korean. He steps back and begins to walk away. 

Yoochun's hand shoots out and grabs the other man's.

"Kim Jaejoong?"