[Location: Somewhere over the Sea of Japan]

 

“Halmuni!” Yunho groaned, sinking back into his seat.

 

“What are you complaining about?” his grandmother scolded through the phone receiver. “I’m being serious, Yunho! Tell me when you’re getting home! I’ll get everything ready. A lot of my friends have nice granddaughters. I’ll introduce you to them!”

 

“Halmuni, I am not looking for a girlfriend right now. I’ve been so busy and tired—if I come home, I just want to relax and—”

 

His grandmother scoffed. “What? A hot-blooded boy like you not looking for a girlfriend? You shouldn’t be thinking like that! This is the age where you have to get someone! Just look at your Jaejoong hyung! He’s smart! He found a nice girl and grabbed her right away!” Yunho wearily rubbed his forehead.

 

“Halmuni. All I want to do when I get home is sleep and take it easy.”

 

“You’ll have time for all that. Now just tell me when you’re coming! I’ll get everything arranged.” Yunho sighed.

 

“Actually, Halmuni, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to come home.” Changmin looked up from his laptop and raised an eyebrow. His hyung ignored him. “I’ve still got a lot of things scheduled.”

 

“Oh, I see. Alright. But you promise to call and tell me when you know you can make it home?”

 

“Of course, Halmuni,” Yunho said solemnly. Saying goodbye, he ended the call and dropped the cell phone onto the seat beside him. He looked over at Changmin.

 

“What do you mean you don’t know when you can get home? We’re on vacation now, hyung!” the younger boy reminded him.

 

“I know,” Yunho grumbled. “But if I told my grandma I’m coming home today, she’ll have a bunch of girls lined up to meet me as soon as I arrive at my house. I’ll just surprise my family and show up at home unannounced. It’ll be much less trouble. Omo, I’m so tired.” Pulling off his jacket, he reclined his seat back and stretched himself out comfortably.  “I can’t wait to just get home and lie around…and eat my mom’s cooking…and do whatever… whenever I want…”

 

Changmin hid a smirk. He wished the fangirls could hear his fearless leader-sshi now, whining about being tired and wanting homemade cooking. But Yunho had reason to complain. The guys hadn’t had a day off in nearly  months as they got ready for the weeklong Japanese concert tour they had just finished. Five concerts in 7 days. Changmin could hardly feel his legs, but with the prospect of the 3 week vacation they all had ahead of them now, he was extremely happy.

 

Changmin looked over at the empty seats next to Junsu and Yunho.  “Yah, it feels weird heading home without Yoochun and Jaejoong hyung. I can’t believe those guys ditched us,” he joked.

 

“It was easier for Yoochun to just fly from Tokyo to the States, instead of coming home with us first,” Yunho reminded him. “And Jaejoong told me he wanted to spend time with Mi Young. They needed to go home early to pack. Jaejoong says they’re going somewhere special.” Changmin and Yunho exchanged glances. “He must think he’s a real Casanova.”

 

Taking note of the blatant silence that was coming from the seat in front of him, Yunho sat up and looked over the top of it. Junsu was bent over his PSP, furiously playing the new soccer game he bought. His little pixilated character made a goal, and suddenly the screen flashed with the word ‘WIN.’

 

“YEAH!” Junsu yelled. He pumped a fist into the air, narrowly missing Yunho’s jaw. The older bandmate whacked him.

 

Junsu rubbed the top of his head and looked up. “Yah!” he quacked in retaliation.

 

“Save it.” Yunho nodded down the aisle at the approaching lunch cart. “The thing you’ve been waiting for all day is here.” Everything else forgotten, Junsu was suddenly on the edge of his seat. He threw a glance at Changmin and saw that his food rival was equally prepared, his lunch tray table already unfolded. They eyed each other haughtily. “I can’t believe you guys,” Yunho groaned “Plane food doesn’t even taste good.”

 

“Annyeonghaseyo!” the young hostess chirped, stationing the cart between Junsu and Changmin. She pulled out two foiled covered trays and handed one to each of them. “I hope you like it! It’s a Japanese seafood dish!”

 

Junsu and Changmin gaped at the spicy fish and noodles piled high underneath the cover. “Looks great!” they said simultaneously, snapping their chopsticks apart. Yunho glanced at Changmin’s food uncertainly and held up a hand as the hostess approached him with his tray.

 

“Actually,” Yunho said apologetically. “My stomach is feeling a little off. I don’t think I’ll eat right now.”

 

The hostess faltered. “Oh? Are you sure? The chef put a lot of work into making it. He was so excited to hear he was cooking for celebrities.” The delicious smell of the food reached Yunho’s nose, and his resolve began to disintegrate. His stomach didn’t feel THAT bad, he supposed.

 

“Maybe I’ll eat some then,” Yunho conceded, with a little laugh. Smiling, the hostess slid the tray onto the table before him and turned to leave. From the kitchen, she could hear the two younger guys squabbling. ‘That won’t last for long,’ she thought to herself as she picked up the small glass vial of clear liquid she had left on the counter and slipped it into her pocket. She had seen this drug in action before. All it took was a few drops in the victim’s food or drink and they’d be out like a light in 10 minutes flat.