The first thing I noticed about the plane ride was the undeniable high-pitched "Hi!" of Leanne. It was a terrible squeal, trying all too much to be cutesy. I sighed and clenched my jaw, trying not to show my disappointment too much. Instead, I smiled and shoved my carry-on bag into a cubby. 

"Hey. So, this isn't an airplane to Seoul," I muttered right away. Leanne began to giggle incessantly, flipping her hair over her shoulder. I tried my hardest to keep calm. It was getting more difficult as she bounced in her seat and patted the seat beside her. "I think Kari and I switched tickets."

Her face fell. She was a good actress, I could tell. That flash of jealousy was unnoticeable by the untrained eye as it evaporated into a facade of worry. All fans had a nasty side to them. It was the unspoken truth of the celebrity world. Our promise was to not let the bad side of fans get to us. Say that we could date a fan; even though they became screaming, drooling tryhards the moment you introduce yourself to them. Not fun. I hated lying to so many faces but it was a promise. I intend to keep it. 

"She's gone to Korea? Will there be anyone to help her?" she asked, using a voice that reminded me of honey. It was thick, smooth and far too sweet alone. Her pale skin and small face would've made her desperate voice all the more attractive, but I saw the way she basically threw Kari aside when she saw me. Again, something most fans did to their friends who weren't fans.

I sat down and nodded, moving my head to side to get my fringe out of my face. I was supposed to get a haircut when I got back to Korea. "The other members were waiting for me. They'll probably help Kari get back home. I just hope she's okay. Girl like her, she's bound to get rattled, right?" I asked, my eyes turning towards her. I didn't know what I expected but she was ogling me, her elbows resting on the armrest and her fists pressing against each of her cheek. Her smile was dreamy, as if she couldn't comprehend the reality because of its surreal nature. 

Granted, I felt the same way meeting G-Dragon sunbae... but I thought I was rather professional about it. Unlike Leanne. Who was a much more sophisticated person than she let on, so says Kari. 

She snapped out of it and nodded vigorously. Please, shoot me now. She was trying so hard to be cute that it was devastating. "So do I! I mean, Kari almost had a panic attack arriving here in New York! Imagine how she'd be in a city that's 10 times bigger!" Her laugh was exaggerated.

"Not really making it better, toots." 

Unexpectedly, she quieted. Her aura became snooty as she held her chin up high and shifted in her seat. Leanne crossed her leg and stared straight ahead.  

Boy, this was going to be a dreadful plane ride. 

***

Well, it was safe to say that it was a lot shorter than I expected. I was ready for a 13 hour plane ride, watching movies and charming stewardesses into getting me drinks. Instead, I got a 5 hour plane ride, ignoring the girl beside me while I was listening to music on my phone. She still tried every chance she got to talk to me. As soon as I pulled an earbud out of my ear, she was off chittering away. She reminded me of a bird with the way her voice carried like a song that was too put-together. That, and her voice was chirpy enough to be considered annoying. 

As soon as I was able to unbuckle my seatbelt, I jumped out of my seat and grabbed my carry-on. Leanne called for me to wait up for her but I wasn't taking any chances. I'm sure she was a nice girl and all. But I was in no mood to deal with an overly attached fan who thought she had a chance. She didn't. Unfortunate as it was, I didn't really see virtues in Leanne that I'd want in a girlfriend or even a girl... that is a friend. 

"Leanne!" a small voice thundered across the huge waiting area. It echoed off the walls as I walked down the steps. I saw a young boy, scrambling up the stairs with a smile that was brighter than the yellow sun. His hair was a dark honey blonde. He had the same eyes; bright, chestnut brown eyes that sparkled when they smiled. They were the same as Kari's. "Leanne! Lee– Where's Kari?"

It was her little brother, I was sure of it. "Hey, kid," I interjected before Leanne had a chance to speak. The boy's eyes flickered towards me, scrutinizingly looking me up and down. 

"You're not my sister! What have you done with her?! Tell me! Tell me now! Or I'll... I'll..." The boy dug into his jeans pocket for, wiggling to fully reach into them. "I'll stab you with my Bionicle arm!" He pulled out a black, plastic toy part that did look like an arm. It was holding what looked like to be a flame sword of sorts. It reminded me of what I used to play with when I was a kid. 

As much as I tried, I couldn't help but let a grin spread onto my lips. "Sorry, kid. I didn't do anything to her. She and I got into a little mixup and we swapped airplane tickets by mistake. She's halfway to Korea by now." I could tell that I sounded way too laidback for this upfront, seemingly hyperactive boy. Who reminded me way too much of a blonde, spastic dork. 

"Mom! Mom! This guy made Kari go to Korea!" 

A groan ripped past my lips. I finally lost at five hours with Leanne and two minutes with Kari's little brother. 

A brown-haired woman looked towards the boy, then at Leanne (who was already at the bottom of the steps and conversing with a tall teenager), and eventually, at me. She squinted her eyes towards me before she went to the luggage pickup and grabbed a bright, shiny, banana-yellow suitcase that had rounded edges and a thick black strip where the zipper wrapped around it. The boy had jumped down the steps and was already at the woman's side. I slowly made my way down the steps, not sure what I was supposed to do at this point. 

"What's your name?" she asked, not stepping towards me. However, her son did as he stood right beside me, looking up expectantly. It looked as if her mother was rather cautious, whereas her two kids were definitely not. 

"L. Joe, miss."

"How'd you meet Kari?"

"I helped her clean her wounds after she fell in the middle of a crosswalk in New York."

"Ha! Sounds like her, all right," a male voice grunted, low and throaty. It suddenly reminded me of C.A.P hyung's voice. I wondered if he had the same personality as his and if it was, we would get along splendidly. The older woman cracked a small smile as the boy had a huge, wide grin on his face. "Name's Jolan, nice to meet you, Joey." 

It was the tall teenager I had seen Leanne with. He had angular features and light tanned skin. He had suns spots along his cheeks and nose; he must've got out a lot. "Uh, hey," I replied. "Are Canadians usually so polite?"

"Yes. Now, about Kari. Where is she exactly?"

"Seoul. The capital of Korea. She'll land in about 8 hours or so? Good friends of mine will take care of her. I trust them completely. They'll make her call my phone one way or another," I told them with a reassuring nod. Still, her mother had a perplexed face.

"Why wouldn't she call me? She does have her phone, doesn't she?" 

I gulped. "Uh...heh, about that..."

"No way! She lost it when she fell, didn't she? Did it get run over by a car? Stolen by a masked man? Crushed by an old man's walking stick?" the young boy asked, practically jumping up and down. I laughed and shook my head.

"Sorry, kid. It fell down the sewer drain."

"Oh, jeez! See, that's why she has my credit card! She can buy a new phone and she could pay me back later... Urgh, that girl! She can be so frustrating!" the woman balled her hands into fists as a tremor shook through her body. As soon as her wave of anger came, it was gone. Damn, I wish I had that power. "Alright, what's done is done. In 8 hours, we should expect a call from her. In the meantime, L. Joe, do you have a place to stay?"

"What? Here? No, I know nothing about Canada," I muttered quickly, letting out a sheepish smile as I rubbed the nape of my neck. It was true, I didn't. I was probably in for as much of a culture shock as Kari. That worried me. 

"He can stay with me! Here in Winnipeg!" Leanne squealed and clung onto my arm.She was too busy nuzzling her face into my sleeve to notice that I mouthed the words "no way" to the others. Jolan let out a laugh as Kari's mother let out an amused chuckle. 

"No, no. He should stay with us in Kenora. He's the only connection we have to Kari right now. He needs to be with us, her family. Sorry, sweetie pie," her mother told the teenager. 

Leanne almost looked ready to rip my arm off. I hastily looked towards the three other people, trying to find something that'd say they were surprised at this action. Unfortuantely, they all looked unfazed by her behaviour. Still, she disdainfully let go of me and paraded off. She muttered angry goodbyes to Kari's mother and brother and squeezed the hand of Jolan. "Trust me, Joey, she was the exact same towards me. She's a Rubik's cube, I'm telling you."

Oh, great. She's boycrazy, too. Wonderful. Add that to the list of things I don't like about her. 

"Well, c'mon. We best be getting home. I even bought Kari's favourite cake. Oh, L. Joe, just call me Miss Ryan for now, understand?"

"Yeah."

"And call me Kyreese! I'm 11 and Kari was supposed to get me a present. But instead, I got you. So I guess it sort of works out. I always wanted a brother." Kyreese shrugged and grabbed Kari's suitcase, prying it out of his mother's grip so he could roll it around. I chuckled. Well, this was a lot different than I expected.

Usually, a stranger's welcome wasn't so... welcoming. 

But there were things I noticed. Kari's mothers hands wouldn't stop shaking. Jolan kept looking over his shoulder to the waiting area, as if she'd call out and run down the stairs after us. Kyreese was trying to get his mind off things by pretending her suitcase was a spaceship. At least, I think it was a spaceship. They were still really worried about her. 

Ah, who was I kidding? I was really worried about her. And how the others would treat her. 

... 

Would they like her too?