Taeyang and Gong-Gi were ushered into a black double-decker bus that looked like an ordinary tour bus from the outside. However, on the inside, it was massive. The bus had a homely touch, complete with a kitchen, a minibar and a lounge. Upstairs, there was a five-star hotel room furnished with a king size bed. Their manager, Flo, had her own compartment with the driver.
As they settled in, Taeyang scrolled through his smartphone to catch up on the news. He read that Taegong's album track had leaked, but Flo didn't seem to care. Although her employees were concerned that the leak would cause them to lose money, Flo wanted to generate buzz in the press. She knew that Taeyang and Gong-Gi acting like a couple would cause fans to go wild. The sound of their hysteria pleased her.
Taeyang also saw the official tracklisting for their debut album, "Boy's Love." It included the following songs: I'm a Boy, Lace And Leather, Make You Scream, Bad Boys, Kiss Me, Making Out, Slick, Diamond and Classy.
Flo had used some of her many sock puppet accounts to leak the tracklist. Taegong's social media accounts already had 10 million followers, and this project had been weeks in the making. Taeyang couldn't believe how oblivious Gong-Gi was to it all. How could he not know about the social media accounts? Surely he must have had some fans asking him what was going on or if the rumours were true.
Taeyang knew the songs well. They were all old VALENTINE COOKIE demos that Flo had asked him to record over. All the other band members' vocals had been removed, but some of their harmonies remained. Now that they were awake and had some privacy, the two men could get to know each other better.
"I wanted to know about the songs," Taeyang said to Gong-Gi as he offered some of his coke.
"Sure!" Gong-Gi took a sip from Taeyang's bottle.
"Some of the songs are amazing, and I don't get why VALENTINE COOKIE didn't release them."
"I can tell you," Gong-Gi said, lying down on the bed.
"I'm A Boy has been such a big hit for us..." Taeyang's voice was sophisticated, a far cry from the childish outburst at the airport. "Why release it now? I think it would have been massive."
"We thought it was too repetitive and it had twelve songwriters. We felt like it didn't work, so that's why it remained unreleased until today."
"I think having multiple songwriters helps make the songs catchy," Taeyang said as he put his phone in his pocket and joined Gong-gi in bed. "The tune is great, and you can't get it out of your head. Our vocals sound amazing together. I think the reason we sing so well together is that we love each other."
"Let's not be too hasty!" Gong-Gi pushed Taeyang's arms away. "Remember what we said in the papers."
"I know, but I want to make everybody happy. The record company wants us to get together, and the fans want us to get together, and..."
Gong-Gi silenced him with a kiss. "Let's do things our way. Let the music speak for itself."
"Are you mad about what I said about your wife?" Taeyang didn't know why he asked. He knew the answer already. He didn't know what he was. Would a young man like him be able to keep up with songwriting, dancing, recording, media tie-ins, interviews and singing all at once? He hated the idea of lip-syncing, but he knew other artists did it all the time. He started to realise what Gong-Gi meant now: the music industry was training them to be gods, but he was only human.

***

Mrs Gang's heart raced as she stared at the phone. She knew she had to make the call, but her hands trembled so much she could barely press the buttons. What if they thought she was crazy? What if they couldn't help her? What if she was right about her husband? The voices in her head grew louder, but she pushed them aside and took a deep breath. She had to do this, for her son.
'Hello, Women's Helpline,' a voice said on the other end.
Mrs Gang's mouth went dry. 'I've made a terrible mistake,' she whispered, her voice barely audible.
'Okay, take your time. What makes you think that?'
Mrs Gang hesitated, her thoughts racing. She couldn't tell them the truth, could she? But then again, what did she have to lose?
'My youngest son is working as a pop star, and I sold him to this manager,' she blurted out, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them.
There was a long pause on the other end, and Mrs Gang's heart sank. She had made a mistake. They were going to hang up on her.
'It sounds like you miss your son,' the voice finally said, and Mrs Gang felt a glimmer of hope.
'I do... both of them.'
'Whilst I am not qualified to pass judgement on the music industry, I can tell that you are lonely and I believe that you could benefit from talking to us. Can I also recommend that you take on more hobbies? Now that both your children are grown up, it's time to focus on yourself. Is there anything that you like to do?'
Mrs Gang's mind went blank for a moment, but then she remembered the things she used to enjoy before her life fell apart.
'I love knitting, cooking and anything to do with art.'
'That's great. Have a look online to see if there's any clubs in your local area.'
Mrs Gang felt a glimmer of hope as the voice on the other end continued to talk, but her thoughts kept drifting back to her husband and her pills. She knew she needed help, but she was too scared to ask.
'Is there anything else I can help you with?'
Mrs Gang hesitated, her hand hovering over the phone. She wanted to ask for help, but the words stuck in her throat.
'Well, I do take too many pills!' she blurted out finally, her voice rising in panic.
'As I am not a doctor, I cannot give you advice on that. You would need to speak to a doctor to get medical help. Have you tried reaching out for a therapist?'
Mrs Gang's hands shook as the door opened, and she knew she had to go. But for the first time in a long time, she felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe there was a way out of this darkness after all."

***

Elaine Jinx sat in front of her camera, her face contorted with rage. She had always been a controversial blogger, but her recent posts ended her marriage and her career. She had criticised almost every popular band in the industry, but her latest target was Taegong, and she was determined to take them down.
"Hello, my dear followers," she began, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Today, I want to talk about Taegong. You know, that band that thinks it's okay to parade around half-naked and sing about sex like it's some kind of badge of honour?"
She paused for effect, looking straight into the camera.
"Well, I for one am sick of it. Their image is disgusting, and their lyrics are even worse. I mean, have you seen their tracklist? Lace & Leather, Slick, Making Out... Do I need to go on?"
Elaine shook her head in disbelief, her anger rising with each passing moment.
"And don't even get me started on Gong-Gi. That guy is a total creep. He's always leering at his fans and making inappropriate comments. I wouldn't be surprised if he's been accused of sexual harassment before."
Elaine's voice was rising with every word, and she could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She knew she was risking everything by speaking out like this, but she couldn't help herself.
"I know some of you might say that it's just harmless fun, but let me tell you, it's not. It's objectifying and demeaning, and it's sending the wrong message to young people everywhere. We need to stand up and say enough is enough."
Elaine took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She knew she had gone too far with her latest post, but she couldn't help herself. She had always been a rebel, and she wasn't about to stop now.
"Look, I know some of you might not agree with me, but that's okay. We all have our own opinions. But for me, I can't stand by and watch this kind of filth polluting our airwaves. We need to demand better from our artists, and we need to hold them accountable when they cross the line."
Elaine paused, looking straight into the camera one last time.
"So, Taegong, if you're watching this, know that I'm not afraid to call you out. Your image is disgusting, your lyrics are offensive, and your behaviour is unacceptable. It's time for a change, and I won't stop until I get it."
Elaine Jinx's voice drips with venom as she addresses the camera, her eyes blazing with anger. "And as for Flo Glitz, let me tell you, she is the epitome of everything that is wrong with women in power. She's a greedy, heartless business owner who cares nothing about the wellbeing of the young boys and girls she exploits for profit."
She waves a magazine with Taegong on the cover, disgust etched on her face. "Look at this," she says, pointing to a topless Taeyang. "This is your godson, Flo Glitz, and you're best friends with his family. If this is how you treat your loved ones, I dread to think about how you torture the people beneath you. How old is he in this picture, hmm? Fourteen? And he's half-naked next to a 32-year-old man! They claim he's eighteen, but we all know how the industry works. These idols start training when they're barely twelve years old. It's sickening. We demand to see Taeyang's birth certificate."
Elaine's voice rises with each word, her anger barely contained. "This brand of K-pop music is nothing but SEX TRAFFICKING. It's not cute, it's not true love. It's a vile industry that preys on the dreams of young boys and turns them into sex objects for the pleasure of middle-aged men. And people like Flo Glitz just sit back and rake in the profits, never once thinking about the lives they destroy."
She pauses for a moment, catching her breath. "This needs to stop," she says finally, her voice firm. "And we won't rest until it does. Flo Glitz and all those like her will be held accountable for the crimes they commit against these young people. The world is watching and we will not be silenced."
With that, Elaine ended the recording and leaned back in her chair, feeling both exhilarated and terrified at the same time. She knew she had just crossed a line, but she also knew that she had spoken from the heart. And for her, that was all that mattered.

***

Mr Gang stood outside Flo Glitz Studios, his heart heavy with grief and desperation. He missed his son more than anything in the world. The thought of Taeyang suffering at the hands of the media and blogger Elaine Jinx made him feel like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He knew that his son's absence was driving him insane, but he couldn't help it. He just needed to see his son, hear his voice, and make sure that he was okay.
The rain was pouring down on him, soaking him to the bone, but he didn't care. He felt like he deserved it, like he deserved to suffer for not being able to protect his son. He clutched the teddy bear slippers in his hands, trying to draw comfort from them, but it wasn't enough. He needed his son.
As he stood there, lost in his thoughts, he felt a dryness in his throat and an urge to drink. But he knew that he couldn't, not anymore. Alcohol had already taken too much from him, and he couldn't afford to lose any more. He pushed the thought away and tried to focus on his surroundings.
The paparazzi were everywhere, snapping pictures and shouting questions at him. He tried to ignore them, but it was impossible. They circled him, pressing closer and closer until he felt like he was suffocating. He wanted to scream at them, to tell them to leave him and his son alone, but he knew it was useless. They wouldn't stop until they got what they wanted.
"How old is Taeyang?"
Mr Gang shook his shoulders. "He's between sixteen and eighteen."
"Show us his birth certificate!"
"I don't have it!"
Finally, the doors to Flo Glitz Studios opened and security guards and police rushed out, evacuating everyone from the building. Mr Gang's heart leapt in his chest. Maybe this was his chance to see his son, to hold him and tell him how much he loved him. But as the guards approached him, he realised that he was wrong.
"You need to go," the smallest of the guards said.
"Don't you know who I am?" Mr Gang asked, desperation creeping into his voice.
"You are Taeyang's dad," the guard replied. "That's why you need to go."
"Fuck you!" Mr Gang shouted, anger and frustration boiling over. "I'm gonna get my lawyers onto the lot of you!"
But even as he spoke, he knew it was useless. He had no power, no influence, no way to protect his son from the world that wanted to tear him apart. He felt like a failure, a broken man who couldn't do anything right. But deep down, he knew that he loved his son more than anything, which was the one redeeming quality he had left.