It was the first time Taeyang had ever stepped foot out of South Korea. His body slouched against his seat as he stretched. Peering out of the plane windows, he could tell he was in a different country. Taeyang suppressed his panting and urge to scream. He was technically the luckiest guy in the world, but it hadn't sunk in. The plan was surrounded by people, he could hear them banging on the plane doors. They had microphones, a dozen types of cameras and notebooks tucked into their hands. "Are they all for us?" Taeyang asked Gong-gi.
Gong-gi nodded, then looked away. "It's the paparazzi. Be prepared for them to hunt you down 24/7. If you're lucky, you might find them creeping under the shower curtain." It felt as if Gong-gi was trying to give Taeyang advice, but he sounded like a mad man from the way he slurred. His eyes could barely stay open.
Taeyang bit his lip and pulled his away from him. All of a sudden, the teenage dream of fame and fortune became less desirable. Here he was, hoping this band would give him a purpose in life. "Seriously? You make it sound like it's a horror movie."
He could tell that Gong-gi was forcing a smile. It was the bent and awkward smile you would expect when someone at the dinner table is trying hard not to pass wind. "Being a pop star can be a nightmare."
"Thanks," Taeyang said. "That's really reassuring. You could have said that before, and I could have had the chance to run."
"Once you're in Flo's grip, you're in it for life."
"I know we're not gonna be in this forever, I mean maybe for a few years at least. I'm assuming you'll be reuniting with VALENTINE COOKIE soon, right? Why didn't you and Flo Glitz get married in the end? Everyone used to rave how you two were the perfect couple."
"Our romance was staged." Gong-gi shook his head. "Being in the military brought me back to reality. I retired from the music industry. I've got a wife and two daughters at home."
"What brought you back?" Taeyang asked. Something about Gong-gi's story didn't make much sense. If he loved his family so much, why leave without even saying goodbye? Why was Gong-gi not worshipping Flo Glitz after everything she had done for him and VALENTINE COOKIE? She always seemed to be kind, like a second mother to him these past few weeks. Everything seemed to be explained in baby steps.
"Flo..."
"So, do you love her?"
"No..."
As Flo Glitz entered their compartment, Taeyang wondered if asking too many questions was a good idea. "Believe me, Gong-gi... I am so over you."
Taeyang found the sudden change of tone in her voice unconvincing. Even though their old romance may have been staged to promote their dramas and music, Flo had genuine feelings for him. Those were his observations. Like one of his favourite American singers, there were only two kinds of people in the world; observers and entertainers. Taeyang was born to be an entertainer, but he had the skills to be a wise observer.
Flo was a terrible liar. Taeyang could see the strain on her eyes. She waffled on about how she never had feelings to Gong-gi initially and was strictly here on business and fulfilling her boy love fantasy. It was at that moment, Taeyang's heart pounded. Neither of the men was selected at random. Flo had picked them out on purpose. Even though Taeyang knew only the surface of what had happened between the other two, he could feel the chemistry and the tension when their eyes locked into each other.
"NOW LISTEN HERE!" Flo raised her voice. "I CAN MAKE YOU TWO MILLIONAIRES, BUT YOU HAVE TO SHOW THE WORLD HOW MUCH YOU LOVE EACH OTHER."
It was apparent Gong-gi was still taken aback. Taeyang understood. They only met once, and he had been asleep for the entire plane ride and now had to pretend that they were a couple, even though Gong-gi has a wife and kids at home. Maybe they had split up? Maybe things were bad at home. Taeyang could speculate for hours inside his head. For now, he decided to do as he was told, as he held onto Gong-gi's hand as they followed Flo to the immigration office.
"Hey! Are you gay?" the American photographer asked.
Taeyang nodded. "Yeah, are you?"
A female reporter hogged her microphone into Taeyang's face. "Can you kiss for us?"
"Sure!" Gong-gi shrugged his shoulders, picked Taeyang up and rammed his tongue down his mouth. It was in fact, Taeyang's first-ever kiss, and he wasn't sure if he loved it or hated it, but he went along with it. He grabbed Gong-gi's hair with his right hand and spanked him with his left.