Taegong 12: The Right Time

“I don’t get how I’ve put on weight,” Flo Glitz cried after eating her fourth packet of seaweed crisps. She weighed herself daily and if the scales weren’t showing her what she wanted to see, she would be miserable for the rest of the day. Though according to her associates, it made no difference whatsoever.

No one dared reminded her that she ate all the cookies last week. Taegong as a band had just started performing live this week. Flo Glitz’s stress levels had gone through the roof. Their debut performance was a football stadium in Seoul. So far most of their performances had taken place in theatres and nightclubs. They had already filled their roles well. Taeyang was the energetic one. Gong-gi was the edgy and sophisticated one.

As a coping mechanism, he pretended that every rehearsal was a performance. For him, he found it was helping for it didn’t matter if they were performing in front of an arena with thousands or a shopping mall prescient with a dozen passerby’s. Taeyang was ready to give the band his all, because the band and Gong-gi were all that he had.

If the band were to fail, Taeyang would be lost. His family would be ashamed, of course they’d still love him, but so much money had been poured in all directions for him to be where he was then. Plus he could never compare to his relatives. His brother, Jin was one of the most respected doctors he knew. His cousin on his dad’s side of the family was a wealthy lawyer. The cousins on his mother’s side were around his age, and kept themselves busy with their sheep.

Taeyang looked at Gong-gi, who was sat on the table closest to the cantina area. He had three eggs on his plate where as others only had one. He decided he should sit by him. Other idols in training were staring at him, some in awe others in jealously. It didn’t really make much difference to him, it was just like being at school.

“Sometimes I think Flo Glitz is a robot,” Taeyang said to Gong-gi. “She looks like she’s come straight out of a manga comic. Wait, on second thoughts she reminds me of that awful pink woman from Harry Potter.”

“That’s a polite way of saying it.”

Flo Glitz waltzed towards the men and dragged them into her main office. Her desk was pushed away to the side by large window showing all of Seoul’s famous landmarks.

Taeyang gasped, blown away by the pink interior. The plush toys and figures on the shelves had made their home here. The homoerotic artwork behind her desk stood out like a sore thumb. Walking past the trash bin, it was hard not to notice that it was overflowing with snack packets and drink sachets.

“Three eggs!” Flo Glitz directed her anger at her favourite victim: Gong-gi. Everything always seemed to be Dal Gong-gi’s fault. Taeyang couldn’t help but feel small next to her despite the fact he had Gong-gi by his side and they were both taller than her. Taeyang remembered when she threw her hot chocolate at Gong-gi because one of her girl groups, Midnight Kiss had received poor reviews and sales for self-titled album. “Gong-gi, you need to stop being greedy.”

”He’s hungry,” Taeyang explained, sitting on his lap. “He’s a growing lad.”

“Don’t get involved!” Flo Glitz hissed. “You’re gonna end up a loser just like him if you’re not careful.”

“Well I don’t want you landing in jail,” Taeyang said. “You’ll kill him if you’re not careful.”

Flo Glitz sighed, then crossed her arms. “You should both be very grateful for me. There’s thousands of people that would love to be in your shoes. I’ve got companies, influencers, journalists and experts all over the world begging me to get them to work with you. You’ve both have it easy here, you know? Even Fanny Bru wants to write a song for you.”

“As in Fanny Bru from Pussy*Pussy*Meow*Meow?” Taeyang gasped. VALENTINE COOKIE had covered several of their songs like no more candy for you, overtime and wine time.

Gong-gi laughed, folding his arms. “He can’t decide weather he’s a he, she, they or a chimpanzee.”

Flo rose from her desk, and yanked Gong-gi off the chair, over the table Andrea him collared by the wall. “Now you listen here.” Flo Glitz had Gong-gi’s back against the wall. Had Gong-gi had been any closer to the window, he would have surely fallen to his death. “Fanny Bru is one of the greatest song-writers alive today. How dare you make fun of their gender.”

”That’s enough!” Taeyang said, picking up a plush cat that fell off her desk. “He’s lost his wife and family in a short space of time.”

“Oh Taeyang,” Flo muttered, “you make it sound like they’re dead. They’re fine. Mini-Rose is just milking it. She never cared about Gong-gi.”

“Tell me what she did wrong?” Taeyang’s request brought both Gong-gi and Flo Glitz to a standstill. “She must have done something to make this happen. Her song where’s she crying about your apparent infidelity... she probably cheated herself. I see this happen all the time, the one paranoid about cheating is because she can’t handle the guilt. She must know our love is a publicity stunt, she’s playing along with it.”

”I guess I should tell the truth,” Gong-gi said, lowering his head. “Rose and I broke up a long time ago.”

Taeyang squinted. “Why are you still living together then?”

”We chose to still live and work together because of our daughters. We were waiting for the right time to file a divorce.”

Taeyang stared at the gun poking out of Flo Glitz’s pocket. “You and Rose went to school together, right?”

Gong-gi wiggled out of Flo Glitz’s grip. ”How does he know that?

“I’m friends with his mother,” Flo replied.

Taeyang placed his hands on his heart. Weeks of intense training had made his perceptions hazy. ”For me, this is no publicity stunt! I love you Dal Gong-gi, and Flo Glitz might be crazy but she’s only looking out for you.” He squeezed him tight then kissed his lip.

Gong-gi gazed at him, shrugging his shoulders. “Just remember it’s one-sided.”

“Meanie!” Flo Glitz howled throwing pocky sticks at him.