"Welcome aboard Flight 1256 heading for Tokyo."
Shaundra fastened her seat belt and sat back. Her very nervous husband fidgeted in a seat next to her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, looking into her eyes with concern.
"So far so good," Shaundra replied, hoping all the hypnosis was going to work. So far she didn't feel jittery or like she was about to hyperventilate. Moments later the plane taxied down the airfield and took off. Her ears clogged, but she breathed easily. If she made it to Tokyo without a panic attack it would be a miracle.
Shaundra put the ear buds of her MP3 player into her ears and opened a book she'd brought along to pass away the time. Ichiro sat, composing songs in a notebook while looking over at her every now and then. Both of them turned down the drinks offered by the stewardess.
Shaundra started getting sleepy after reading a few chapters. She closed the book and her eyes and then drifted off to sleep. And she continued to sleep until Ichiro shook her awake after they landed.
Shaundra's eyes flittered open to find not only Ichiro but Satoshi and Yori hovering over her. "You can relax, fellows,"
she said. "I'm fine and drug free." The look in all their eyes spoke volumes. They were excited that the hypnosis had worked.
Ichiro leaned over and kissed her affectionately on the cheek. "Congratulations - we're home."
Shaundra did not fail to notice the look of sadness in both Yori and Satoshi's eyes after they witnessed Ichiro's kiss.
She'd have to do something to mend the rift between the two guys. "Let's get off this tuna can," she said.
Satoshi and Yori moved so that she and Ichiro could get out of their seats. Fifteen minutes later, they stood in the terminal, overwhelmed by a mob of fan girls.
"What is this?" Cristal asked her as they walked.
"Your worst nightmare. Be careful and stay as close to the security personnel as possible. The fans love Aomori, but they hate us."
"How come this didn't happen when we flew into Korea?"
Shaundra shrugged her shoulders. "This happens all the time when I fly with them."
Satoshi walked up and took Cristal's hand. "Come on. I'll get you out safely."
Shaundra smirked. Say what he wanted, Satoshi cared about Cristal.
Kenshin and some of the roadies moved ahead to get their luggage, and their entourage moved forward toward the exit.
Girls screamed the member's names at the top of their lungs and took pictures with their cameras and cell phones.
"Yori," one overzealous teen screamed. "I love you."
Yori ignored the shout and walked holding his wife's hand.
Amaya didn't seem affected by any of this, probably because nothing worried her.
"I can't wait to get home," Ichiro replied.
Shaundra agreed. Most of her stuff from the United States should have arrived by now and would be in storage until after the China tour. Hopefully by then the others would find permanent housing and move out of the farmhouse which she and Ichiro were supposed to occupy alone. From what she gathered, Satoshi and Takumijo hadn't even tried to find their bachelor's apartment, and Yori refused to move back into Amaya's parents' home and had plans to buy a home for him and Amaya after the tour.
Call it selfish on her part, but she did not want to share a house with the others any longer than she had to. The sooner the nest emptied, the sooner she and Ich could go on with their lives.
"It's her, Yi-jun Lee's girlfriend," someone shouted. "Can I have an autograph?"
Cristal nearly jumped into Satoshi's arms.
"Let's get them out of here," he told Ichiro.
Ichiro nodded, grabbed Shaundra's hand and literally pulled her through the rest of the terminal while Takumijo stopped to sign autographs and have his photo taken. Luckily for him, he didn't have a woman to protect.
Aomori and the guards got them safely out of the terminal and into the vans. Fans lined the streets with banners welcoming the pop group back to Japan.
Kenshin turned on the radio, and music filled the van. The intro to Big Time Rush's "Boyfriend" played and to her surprise and everyone's in the van, both she and Cristal started singing and moving to the beat.
"What the heck are you two singing?" Amaya asked.
"That's an American song."
"And we're Americans," Cristal answered.
"You're in Japan. That is very disrespectful."
She and Cristal disrespected Amaya a little bit more as they song along with En Vogue's sultry "Never Gonna Git It."
"We need to put you two on the stage," Masaaki said. "We can name you Red Hot Mamas."
"No thanks," both she and Cristal said in unison.
"One idol in the family is enough."
"Same here," Cristal said. "I like being behind the camera and not in front of one."
"You're both too old anyway," Amaya added. "Idols debut in their teens."
The look on Yori's face was priceless. He truly had his hands full with that one.
"We're not old," Cristal said in defense. "I bet we can out- party you."
Amaya didn't seem offended. "I know better than to embarrass myself in public. I'm a wife now."
Shaundra laughed. "Yeah, while you're scrubbing floors and cleaning noses and behinds, Cristal and I will be tearing up the dance floors around the world."
"I hear you, girlfriend," Cristal said, reaching over the seat and giving her a high-five. "Just because we live across the sea now doesn't mean we've forgotten our roots."
Shaundra agreed. "I grew up dancing and singing in New Orleans. I learned to second line before I could walk."
"What's a second line?" Ichiro asked.
"I'll show you when we get home," Shaundra told him.
"And then I'll take you back down south for Mardi Gras next year if you're not on tour."
"Count me in," Cristal said. "I want to go next year too."
"Maybe you'll be too busy taking care of Yi-jun's babies by then," Amaya said to her.
Cristal stopped laughing. "I doubt that very much, thank you. Regardless of what you think of me, I prefer a man who is more dedicated to me than to his career. Mr. Niigata sent me to France to get an interview, and I got the interview.
Nothing else."
Shaundra wasn't a fool. She could hear the sorrow in her voice every time she mentioned Yi-jun's name. Cristal was hurting, and Amaya knew it and knew how to push the wrong buttons.
"Now I'm in Japan ready for my next assignment, which is getting promotion ready for Aomori's China Tour. I don't have time for birthing no babies."
Shaundra chuckled, knowing Amaya didn't know the old line from Gone with the Wind. Being married to Yori did nothing to alter Amaya's personality and the way she saw things. Cristal, unfortunately, would have to learn that the best way to get along with her was just to ignore her and to stay out of her company as much as possible.
"We're almost home," Kenshin announced.
"Good," Yori replied. "This has been a very long adventure."
"It's about time you got here," Dong told Yi-jun when he walked into his office.
"I had some things to take care of first," Yi-jun said, trying to ignore his manager's hysterics.
"Mr. Smith has been trying to get in touch with you. You got the part."
Yi-jun slid down into a chair. "In the American movie?"
Dong nodded. "Yes. You beat out all those other guys."
"How soon before the shooting starts?" There was so much to do, plans to make, and what about his relationship with Cristal?
"Not for another couple of months," Dong replied. "You'll have plenty of time to take care of your obligations here and in China before you leave."
He'd promised Satoshi he'd put in an appearance at Aomori's China tour. He hadn't seen his old friend in a long time and was dying to see him perform.
Dong sat back down behind his desk, dialed a number and then handed the phone over to Yi-jun.
"Yes, Mr. Smith. Thank you, Mr. Smith," Yi-jun said, bowing even though he knew the American director could not see him. "I will see you in a couple of months."
The director hung up, and Yi-jun handed the phone back to Dong.
"I'm just waiting for them to send your contract."
Yi-jun breathed a sigh of relief. "I am so glad. I can't wait to tell Cristal the good news."
"Cristal?" Dong asked.
"Yes, Cristal Gentry, the young woman who accompanied me to France a couple of weeks ago."
"Oh, her," Dong said. "She's still around?"
Yi-jun frowned at him. "What do you mean?"
"They don't usually be around the morning after."
His agent made him sound like such a cad.
"I told you this one is a keeper."
"Uh huh," Dong said, not believing him. "What's she got on you?"
"Nothing. I happen to like her very much."
"Well, just don't go do anything foolish like proposing."
Yi-jun attempted some smart comeback, and then he stopped. Now was not the time to discuss his personal life.
Instead he stretched and yawned. "I'm really looking forward to going to the United States."
"Aren't you tired of traveling? You just got back home.
Rest awhile and then we're off to China."
He didn't know about rest. He never was the type to just hang around doing nothing. He'd thought about flying over to Japan and surprising Cristal. Of course she did seem a tad bit upset when he dropped her off at the mansion weeks ago.
She was probably nervous about getting the interview to Mr.
Niigata, but he'd taken care of that for her. "What else is on my calendar for the rest of the week?"
"Nothing much," Dong replied, flipping through a calendar.
"Why?"
"Nothing," Yi-jun said. Maybe Dong is right. Maybe I should rest. He'd call Cristal later and tell her the good news.
The phone rang and Dong answered it. "Yes, he's back.
What time?" Dong looked up at the clock on the wall. "He'll be there." Dong hung up the phone.
"What have you signed me up for this time?" Yi-jun asked.
"A photo shoot for Belle Magazine," Dong replied.
"No interview," Yi-jun said, rising.
"No interview," Dong assured him. "Just that pretty face and your gorgeous body."
Yi-jun looked at his manager suspiciously. "It's not a nude spread, is it?"
Dong chuckled. "No, this is still Korea, remember?"
Having three women in the farmhouse was more than poor Yori could bear. Their constant prattle and bickering was enough to drive a man insane. To tell the truth, Amaya started most of the arguments, which ended with both the American women ganging up on her. There was no way in the world this could be a permanent arrangement. He had to find a new home, pronto.
"What's going on, bro?" Takumijo asked him as he joined him in the dance studio.
"Just thinking about how crowded this place is now."
"Very much so," Takumijo said, taking off his warm-up jacket and placing it on the desk. "Before long we will be knee deep in babies and dirty diapers."
Yori snorted. "I doubt that. Unless you and Satoshi find women who just want to stay home and be housewives."
Takumijo laughed. "Don't hold your breath on that." He bellied up to the exercise bar and stretched one of his long legs over the top.
Yori agreed. He didn't think either of those two would be procreating any time soon. "I think I'll check the newspaper later to see if anything is available in the area. It doesn't have to be as large as this place, but something nice." He joined Takumijo on the bar and stretched out one of his legs.
"Are you sure you want to live close to Ichiro and Shaundra?"
Takumijo was wise beyond his years sometimes. "Not really, but I hate the idea of driving clear across town every day just to come to rehearsal."
"That's true," Takumijo replied. "But won't you get tired of seeing them sucking face and acting all lovey-dovey walking down the streets or in the grocery store when you run into them?"
"Yes, but I won't have to see it every day. Shaundra's hardly ever around when we rehearse. She's usually writing or visiting her publisher. I probably won't see much of her at the market either, since Ichiro does all of the shopping." He paused. "And I'll only have to see Ichiro during rehearsal."
Takumijo brought his leg down and raised the other one.
"The two of you really need to kiss and make up. I can't believe you let a woman come between you."
Yori stopped stretching. "A woman did not come between us. Ich crossed a boundary and broke a trust."
"Yeah, yeah, I heard it all before. You really should get over it. He's married to her now." Takumijo walked away from the bar, sat down on the floor and stretched out both legs and the rest of his body.
Yori joined him on the floor. "I hope he enjoys it for as long as it lasts."
"What do you mean by that?" Takumijo asked as he came up for air after doing a sit-up.
"He's going to leave her as soon as someone younger comes along."
Takumijo went back down and pulled back up again using his abs. "You really think that will happen?"
Yori nodded. "Yes. Shaundra's his first love, so he's all excited right now. But sooner or later he's going to notice someone with spunkier breasts and a bouncier behind."
Takumijo came up quicker this time. "I hope not to be around at that time. Shaundra will be devastated."
Yori didn't know when Takumijo and Shaundra got to be so chummy. "Yes, she will be." And he'd be waiting in the wings to pick up the broken pieces.
"But she gave up everything back home to follow him here. That has to count for something."
"You really think Ich has taken any of that into consideration?" Yori asked. "No, because he is selfish. Luckily Shaundra still has family in the United States to go back home to once he breaks her heart."
Takumijo sat up again. "Let's just hope for Shaundra's sake this does not happen. If a younger, prettier woman comes anywhere near Ichiro, I'm going to send her packing."
"Oh, no, you can't interfere," Yori told him. "That would make him want her more."
Takumijo seemed to think about what he'd just said.
"Maybe you're right. I shouldn't interfere."
Yori smirked. He knew he could count on Takumijo to be on his side. Now all he had to do was bring Satoshi over to his way of thinking.
"What do you think about Cristal Gentry?"
"She seems like a nice girl," Yori said, turning over and doing a couple of pushups. "Masaaki says she's a very good public relations person."
"One of the best," Takumijo replied. "I just wish Satoshi would ask her out on a date. I think she is perfect for him."
"And that's exactly why he won't date her," Yori said.
"Huh?"
"Satoshi doesn't want a female copy of himself. He wants a challenge."
"No, he wants Shaundra."
Yori sank down on his stomach. "You're kidding, right? It's just a crush."
"No, he's madly in love with her," Takumijo told him.
"Shit," Yori said. He hadn't expected that. "But she's not interested in him, right? Maybe we should try to get him and Cristal together." That would keep him away from Shaundra.
"I thought you just told me not to interfere," Takumijo replied.
"I told you not to interfere in Ichiro's life. Satoshi is a different case. We should most certainly interfere."
"What about Yi-jun?" Takumijo asked.
"What about him?"
"Aren't he and Cristal dating?"
Yori laughed. "You know Yi-jun. He dates anything in a skirt. The man has never been in a serious relationship in his life."
"I suppose you're right about that too. I'll just ask Cristal if they're dating. If she says no, then I'll go out of my way to make sure that she and Satoshi get together."
"Why are you being so helpful?" Yori asked once he was sure he had Takumijo right where he wanted him to help do the dirty work.
A few minutes later, Satoshi and Ichiro joined them to practice their dance routine for their China tour.