Flo burst into Gong-Gi's hotel room, her eyes wild and her brown hair tousled. Without a word, she pointed at the television screen, where the words 'Breaking News' blazed in red letters.

"They want to talk to you NOW!" she said, her voice urgent.

Gong-Gi's heart raced as he quickly finished combing his hair. "This can't be good," he muttered. "This is about me mooning in the Sistine Chapel, isn't it?"

Flo nodded, a look of concern etched onto her face. "And kissing in Vatican City," she added, her voice low.

"I thought you wanted the band to get attention!" Gong-Gi groaned, feeling a sense of dread wash over him. He knew that his reckless behaviour had caused a scandal, but he had hoped that it would blow over. Now it seemed like the whole world was watching.

"You're making me, the mighty Flo Glitz stressed!"

"I am in so much trouble," he said, running a hand through his hair.

Flo put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll get through this together," she said, giving him a small smile. "It's fine. They'll get over it eventually. Anyway it's all free publicity and the music video will be a massive hit."

"Mun-He, my wife is going to kill me..."

Flo shrugged her shoulder and whacked his back. "Who cares about your stinking fat wife? And never call me by that name again. Only special people can call me that!"

"My wife is not nor was she ever fat!" Gong-Gi screamed. Had Flo had been a man, he would have had no problem punching her in the face. She should consider herself lucky that his family taught him never to hit a lady. He saw no lady in Flo Glitz. Only a monster who exploited people for money.

For once, Flo pursed her lips. Was it wise for Gong-Gi to stop, yes! Did he give a toss? No! "The press can hear you and they'll write horrible things about you and then the fans will be..."

"Fuck the press!" Gong-Gi interrupted her, though he knew what she was going to say.

"They're going to twist everything I say and do anyway. I'm already seen as a bad guy thanks to you kidnapping me."

"It doesn't matter because you're hot!"

"This is a joke. Take me home now!"

"If you leave now, you'll have nothing. You'll have to pay back the dime I've spent on your career. You'd be left with nothing. Your wife and daughters will starve to death on the streets. You don't want that, do you?"

Taking back what he thought, he brought his knuckles together and charged his fist onto Flo's nose. She was no lady after all. "My wife is a million times the woman you'll ever be. You're a bitch and a parasite who's exploiting the LGBTQIA+ community."

"You know you're on camera, right?" Flo laughed as she wiped her bleeding nose with a tissue. "You have no privacy. Everything you say and do is recorded. I've been following you for a while. I can trace your every word and movement. Imagine if the world saw this, they'd be mad at you, not at me."

"You're scum!"

"Why thank you." Flo hugged him. "Now get yourself sat down. I better watch you for this."

"If it's Elaine Jinx interviewing me," Gong-Gi hissed, "I am not doing the interview."

"As if... She's all bark and not bite, that woman."

Gong-Gi's heart pounded in his chest as Flo barked orders at him, demanding that he get ready for an urgent online interview. He could feel the sweat prickling at the nape of his neck as he struggled to tame his unruly hair. Dread filled him as he spoke, "This can't be good... It's about me mooning in the Sistine Chapel, isn't it?"

Flo confirmed his fears with a nod, adding fuel to the fire with the mention of the infamous kiss in Vatican City. Gong-Gi's stomach churned as he realised the severity of the situation. "I am in so much trouble..." he muttered under his breath.

But Flo seemed to find the situation amusing, laughing as she joked about the free publicity and the potential success of the music video. Gong-Gi's nerves were shot, and the last thing he needed was her making light of the situation.

As if sensing his irritation, Flo made a snide comment about Gong-Gi's wife, causing him to snap. "My wife is not nor was she ever fat!" he yelled, feeling his anger bubble up inside him.

Flo wasn't having it, though, reminding him that he owed her everything he had. Gong-Gi felt trapped, knowing that he had to do as she said or risk losing everything he had worked so hard for. He felt a pang of guilt at the thought of his wife and daughter starving on the streets, but he couldn't stand the thought of working with Flo any longer.

Before he could leave, Flo taunted him with the reminder that he was always being watched, that his every move was recorded. Gong-Gi's anger boiled over, and he lashed out, striking her in the nose. Flo's mask of composure slipped, revealing the true monster beneath. She taunted him further, knowing that she had the upper hand.

Gong-Gi was trapped, and he knew it. All he could do was sit and wait for the interview, hoping that somehow he could salvage the mess he found himself in. But deep down, he knew it was hopeless. He was nothing but a pawn in Flo's twisted game.

The interviewer was Aldo Benz, a popular news presenter in Germany. Gong-Gi could see why he was well liked for this chauvinistic smile and black suit. "Hello! Here I am with Mr Dal Gong-Gi from the upcoming band, Taegong. Mr Gong-Gi, thank you for joining me today."

Gong-Gi nodded and smiled. "Thank you for having me, Mr Benz."

"How's Taeyang?"

Flo stood with her back against the wall as she hid from the webcam's view. "He's fine," Gong-Gi replied. "He's just exhausted from filming. It was a busy day yesterday."
"So it was..." Aldo seemed less than impressed. "Yesterday you filmed the music video for your first single, I'm A Boy, in Rome."

"That's correct."

"Who in their right mind would think it is acceptable to expose yourself in a church and kiss another man in Vatican City?"

"Gee," Gong-Gi chuckled, not knowing what else to do. He was crying inside. He wanted to escape this regime and go back to his family, but he couldn't. He had no way of obtaining his legal documents. Flo had kept those from him. He was a slave to his contract and there was nothing he could do about it. A good night's sleep would be a rare thing. "No need to be homophobic, Sir."

"This is not homophobia." Aldo's calm facade was breaking. "This is a genuine offence of exposing yourself and committing adultery. How do you feel about potentially corrupting the youth of today with your soft-core porn?"

"Now I know how women feel everyday." If Gong-Gi was stuck in this contract, he thought he might as well mess about if he could. If it meant Flo would fire him, it would be a great thing. Flo had plans to make Taeyang the bad boy of the group, but Gong-Gi wanted to troll his management and the rest of his critics. Fans would love him regardless of what he did.

"What do you mean?" Aldo asked. "Please answer my questions properly..."

"You know exactly what I mean. Don't think that my army of fangirls will FOR ONE SECOND tolerate your prominent homophobia."

"I can assure you that I am not homophobic," Aldo snapped. "I have gay friends."

"You should know better than that."

"Okay...let me rephrase my question. What is the point of your music?"

"To spread love and cheer to everybody!" Gong-Gi noticed Flo's smirk at his response. "I mean, you all come at me for causing controversy. But deep down, you all love it."

Aldo shouted over Gong-Gi before he could finish his epic on the spot speech. "If you're so talented, why do you need to sexually assault your younger bandmate to sell records?"

"Oh dear... You're not going to be popular Mr Benz."

"IT'S NOT MY JOB TO BE POPULAR! MY JOB IS TO TELL THE FACTS!"

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the pillow this morning."

"I'm going to suspend this interview right now!" Aldo bit his lip and tried hiding his red face with a sheet of paper. "You've got no intentions of cooperating. You're an adulterous, immature, evil, greedy beast. I feel sorry for your family and colleagues. They be ashamed to have you in their life."

Gong-Gi grinned. "And you're homophobic trash. Good day!" He slammed the laptop down, ending the viral interview.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Flo Glitz asked. "Looks like you need some elocution lessons."

"You wanted controversy, you've got it!"

***

Poe Tree's love for Taegong knew no bounds. Their music was more than just a sound to her. It was a lifeline. And no amount of controversy could shake her devotion. She was like a heat-seeking missile, and Taegong was her target.

Turning on her camera, Poe's eyes lit up like fireworks as she began to gush about her beloved band. "Oh my god, you guys! I just can't even! Taegong is everything to me! Their music is like a drug, and I am so addicted! I would do anything for them!" She clutched her chest and let out a high-pitched squeal that could shatter glass.
And then, the conversation turned to Aldo Benz. Poe's face twisted in anger and frustration. "That guy is such a jerk! Who does he think he is, talking smack about Taegong like that? I mean, seriously! They are changing the world with their music, and he just wants to tear them down! It's not fair!" She pounded her fist against her palm for emphasis, her eyes blazing with fury.

"But you know what?" Poe's voice suddenly became softer, almost conspiratorial. "We know the truth. We know how amazing Taegong is, and we will always stand by them. No matter what happens, we will be there to support them, and to show the world that love and music can conquer all!" She punctuated her speech with another squeal, and then blew a kiss to the camera. "Taegong forever!"

***

Elaine Jinx couldn't contain her amusement as she watched Poe Tree's latest livestream. With a scoff, she pulled out her phone and hit record. "Oh, Poe Tree, always the fool," she chuckled. "And yet she thinks she's making a difference. Pathetic."

Elaine took a moment to compose herself, then continued, "Now, let's talk about Aldo Benz. The man is a genius, a true journalist. He's not afraid to reveal the ugly truth and take down these woke phonies. We should all be thanking him for his hard work."

Watching the career of her idol crash left a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Let's make a stand and boycott this band and all that they stand for," Elaine declared. "Instead, let's support independent artists who create music because they're passionate about it, not just for fame and fortune. These artists are the true heroes of the music industry. Go and see local bands."

Elaine took a deep breath before continuing, "And to the media, I urge you to stand by Aldo and his incredible work. He's doing the important work that so many other journalists are too afraid to do. And to the police, I call on you to investigate Taegong's management. There's clearly something shady going on there, and we need to get to the bottom of it."

She leaned closer to the camera, her eyes blazing with passion, "Like I said before, and I will keep on saying it. It's never been more important to take a stand against these crooks. We stand up for what's right even if it means our careers go in flames. Let's support real music and real artists, not these manufactured sellouts."

Elaine takes a deep breath and continues, "This constant exploitation of aspiring artists has gone on for too long. Stop worshipping these false idols and demand accountability. The music industry is in dire need of a revolution, and we can be the ones to start it. Let's support independent artists who are creating music from the heart, not just for profit."

She leans in closer to the camera, her voice becoming more urgent, "And to the brave people out there who work in the media, here's my message to you. Please don't be afraid to stand by Aldo Benz and his truth-seeking journalism. We need more journalists like him, who willingly expose the lies and corruption that are running rampant in this industry."

Elaine takes another sip of her drink and sets it down, her eyes now burning with intensity, "And to the authorities, I urge you to investigate Taegong's management. It's clear that something fishy is going on, and we need to get to the bottom of it. No one should be allowed to get away with abusive and manipulative behaviour, no matter how famous they are."