Flo Glitz stroked her glossy black hair as she spoke with an air of self-importance. Taeyang couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance as she prattled on about their supposed achievements. He took another sip of his coffee, trying to tune her out. He had a feeling that this meeting wasn't going to be any different from the last one.
Gong-Gi, on the other hand, seemed to be taking it all in stride. He leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest, and listened as Flo Glitz talked about the recent landmark decision on gay marriage. Taeyang could tell that he was trying not to roll his eyes again.

But then Flo Glitz mentioned something that caught Taeyang's attention. Gay marriage wasn't legal in this country? He could hardly believe it. "Really?" he said, interrupting her. "I didn't know that."

Flo Glitz turned to him, her eyes glittering. "Yes, really," she said. "And it's all thanks to us that it is now."

Taeyang couldn't help but feel a little sceptical. He wasn't sure what kind of work Flo Glitz was talking about. He had a feeling that she was exaggerating their contributions to the cause. But he didn't say anything. He didn't want to get into a debate with her this early in the morning.

Gong-Gi cleared his throat. "What's that got to do with us?" he asked.

Flo Glitz smiled at him. "It means that we're making history," she said. "We're part of something bigger than ourselves. We're part of a movement."

Gong-Gi didn't seem convinced. "I don't see how that applies to our work as idols," he said.

Flo Glitz's smile faltered for a moment. "Well, it's about setting an example," she said. "Showing people that anything is possible if you work hard enough. And that's something that you, Gong-Gi, need to take to heart."

Gong-Gi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Flo Glitz leaned forward, her eyes fixed on him. "You're the oldest," she said. "You're supposed to be a role model for Taeyang and the other trainees. But lately, I've noticed that you're not working as hard as you could be. You need to step it up, Gong-Gi. Show them what it means to be a true idol."

Gong-Gi took a deep breath and tried to prepare himself for the coming storm. He knew that Flo Glitz's outbursts were never pleasant, but he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed that she was bringing up his divorce again. It wasn't exactly a topic that he wanted to discuss, especially not in front of Taeyang.

He could feel his stomach churning as she tossed the receipts into the trash bin. He couldn't help but wonder why she was drinking at six in the morning. It wasn't exactly professional behaviour.

"To celebrate Gong-Gi's upcoming divorce," she said, her words slurring slightly, "I feel at some point, he must come out as non-binary."

Gong-Gi felt his heart drop. He couldn't believe that she was bringing up his divorce again. And now she wanted him to come out as non-binary? He wasn't even sure what that meant.

Taeyang gagged on his coffee and coughed. Gong-Gi could see the surprise and confusion written all over his face. He was glad that he wasn't the only one feeling this way.
Flo Glitz continued to talk, her words becoming more and more slurred. Gong-Gi could tell that she was drunk, and it wasn't exactly making him feel any better about the situation.

He tried to block out her words and focus on his breathing, but it was hard when she was shouting at him. He could feel his anger building up inside of him, but he tried to keep it under control. He didn't want to lash out at her, even though he knew that she deserved it.

It was then that he noticed Taeyang mimicking his actions with precision. He couldn't help but feel a small sense of camaraderie with him. It was as if Taeyang was his reflection, feeling the same emotions that he was.

He knew that Flo Glitz had gotten four albums out of them, and as long as the money kept coming, she would keep milking them for what they were worth. Gong-Gi knew that he and Taeyang would only be getting a fraction of her salary, and it made him feel a little resentful.

But he tried to push those thoughts to the back of his mind and focus on the present moment. He knew that he needed to stay calm and collected if he wanted to get through this meeting without losing his temper.

Gong-Gi slammed his fist on the table again. "I said no! I'm not going to be a pawn in your game. This is ridiculous."

Flo Glitz rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Gong-Gi. It's just a little publicity stunt. We've got to keep up with the trends, you know."

"This isn't a trend, it's my life!" Gong-Gi replied, his voice rising with anger. "I won't let you use it for your own gain."

Taeyang stood up and walked over to Gong-Gi, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I've got your back, man. We'll get through this together."

Gong-Gi smiled, feeling grateful for his friend's support. "Thanks, Taeyang. I knew I could count on you."

Flo Glitz stood up, throwing her hands in the air. "Fine, be that way. But don't come crying to me when you're not getting the attention you deserve."

Gong-Gi stood up as well, meeting her eye-to-eye. "I don't need attention. I just want to make good music and be true to myself."

The rest of the team looked at each other, unsure of what to do or say. Flo Glitz stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Taeyang turned to Gong-Gi with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Hey, want to write a song about this?"

Gong-Gi laughed, feeling relieved and happy to have his friend by his side. "Sure, let's do it."

"What's next?" Taeyang asked. "You're gonna plan our wedding day?"

Flo Glitz smiled. "That was gonna be on our agenda."

"See what I mean?" Gong-Gi tapped Taeyang's shoulders, then squeezed them. "Flo Glitz does not care about our welfare. She sees the other idols as money-making machines. Just because we're her favourites at the moment, doesn't mean her behaviour is good. All she wants to do is create scandals and make money."

"And none of us have seen our family in months."

"Your family doesn't care about you," Flo Glitz hissed. "Remember that I'm the one who gave you all of this! Your parents didn't even want you. Don't you remember that they cropped you out of every family photo?"

"I've seen the reels," Taeyang said. "I know you've all been trying to hide the truth from me. They're missing me. People are concerned."

Flo dug her hands in her pockets. Her team hid under the desk and just as she got her gun out, she signed and placed it in her pocket. "Take the afternoon off." She crouched under the table to address her staff. "ALL OF YOU! Nobody's had a day off in 2 months. Go!"

What Flo said was true. Everyone who worked with Taegong including the members themselves had not had a day off in 2 months. The Boys Love-album has been recorded in four different languages: Korean, Japanese, Tagalog and English.

If there was anything Taeyang did like at school, it was studying languages. It was fun to watch anime without the subtitles. His English wasn't the best, but he thought it was good, considering he was just a student. It had meant that Taegong had released four albums within a span of a year.

Gong-Gi thought of Flo Glitz's suggestion as the cameras flashed in his eyes. For a moment the split second seemed to drag for eternity. How does one pretend to be non-binary? Would it make a difference to his career? When it was first suggested to him, it sounded ludicrous. Then again, he was in a homoerotic band, anything goes. He assumed that Koreans would not understand, but the western audience would devour it. He already lied many times before, but he didn't know how much more pretending he would have to do and how much more pretending he could handle.

There was no escaping the news: Gong-Gi was getting divorced. The fans were celebrating because it meant that he and Taeyang were ready to take both their music and their relationship to the next level. Heading out of the studio, Taeyang and Gong-Gi were hounded by screaming fangirls. As they walked through the crowd, Taeyang caught a glimpse of his father. He stood at the back, waving a small Korean flag. The sight of him made Taeyang's heart swell with a mixture of emotions. He hadn't seen his father in years, not since he left home to pursue his dreams. He wondered if his father was proud of him, or if he even cared about his success at all.

Gong-Gi noticed the change in Taeyang's expression and nudged him gently. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice barely audible above the screams of their fans.
Taeyang shook his head, trying to shake off the sudden wave of sadness that had washed over him. "I'm fine," he said, forcing a smile. "Let's just get through this."

Gong-Gi nodded, understanding that Taeyang needed a moment to compose himself. They continued through the crowd, signing autographs and posing for photos, all the while pretending to be the perfect couple in front of their fans.

But as they made their way back to their car, Taeyang couldn't shake off the feeling that their relationship was becoming increasingly one-sided. Gong-Gi seemed to revel in the attention they were receiving, while Taeyang felt like he was losing himself in the act. He wondered if Gong-Gi even cared about him as a person, or if he was just a prop in their fake relationship.

As they got into the car, Taeyang felt a sudden urge to confide in Gong-Gi. But before he could say anything, Gong-Gi leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, flashing him a smile that made his heart skip a beat.

"Thanks for being such a great partner," Gong-Gi said, his voice filled with sincerity. "I couldn't have done this without you."

Taeyang nodded, feeling a lump form in his throat. He wanted to tell Gong-Gi how he really felt, but he knew that it would only complicate things. Instead, he smiled back at him, trying to push aside his doubts and focus on the future.

As the car pulled away from the crowd, Taeyang glanced back at his father, still waving the Korean flag in the distance. He wondered if his father had seen through their act, or if he believed that they were truly in love. Either way, Taeyang knew that he had to keep up the charade, at least As they approached the car, Taeyang's heart skipped a beat as he saw his father standing there, a proud smile on his face. Tears stung his eyes, and he rushed over to embrace him. "Dad, what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice cracking with emotion.

"I missed you, son," Mr Gang replied, pulling him into a tight hug. "We all missed you. I'm so proud of you."

Taeyang felt a lump form in his throat as he hugged his father. He had never expected that his father would be so supportive of his music career, even when he had doubts himself. It meant the world to him to have his father there, to see him living his dream.

As they got into the car, Gong-Gi smiled at Mr Gang. "It's good to see you, sir. I hope you enjoyed the performance."

"I did, thank you," Mr Gang replied, nodding his head. "You boys are doing amazing things. I just wish you'd just keep it PG."

"You need to tell our management that," Taeyang laughed.

Elaine Jinx and Poe Tree got into the car too, and Taeyang felt a pang of guilt in his chest. They were all smiles and laughter, but he knew he couldn't keep pretending forever. He loved Gong-Gi, he really did, but lately, he felt like the relationship was one-sided. Gong-Gi was always so focused on his career, on the music, and Taeyang felt like he was just along for the ride.

He looked out the window as the car pulled away from the screaming fans, lost in thought. He knew he needed to talk to Gong-Gi, to tell him how he felt. But for now, he just sat in the car, surrounded by his loved ones. He tried to push those thoughts to the back of his mind. There would be time for that later, but not now, for the sake of their careers.

The car drove on, leaving the screaming fans and rainbow flags behind. But Taeyang couldn't shake off the feeling that something had changed between him and Gong-Gi. They were still pretending to be in love, but he knew that things would never be the same again.

Finally, unable to contain herself any longer, Elaine turned to Gong-Gi and said, "I just want to say that I think you are a disgrace to the K-Pop industry."

Poe scowled and rolled her eyes at Elaine, but it was too late. Gong-Gi had heard her. Elaine shrugged her shoulders, unapologetic for her words.

An awkward silence fell over the group as everyone stared at Elaine. But to Elaine's surprise, Gong-Gi didn't seem offended. Instead, he smiled and took Taeyang's hand.
"Thanks for your honesty," he said.

Mr. Gang was quick to react. "Hey! Don't hold my boy's hand so tight. You're gonna hurt him," he said, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

Despite the tension, Elaine couldn't help but feel a little proud of herself for speaking her mind.