The K-Pop Scandal - Chapter One

The music mogul went by many names. To her close friends, she was Song Mun-Hee, an entrepreneur living the dream. To the western world, she was Flo Glitz, a ruthless manager in a big coat. With a passion for music and an eye for profit, she was branded the mean queen of K-pop. Tabloids preferred to call her the wicked witch of the music industry.

Flo Glitz had imagined a homoerotic pop duo causing chaos in the music industry. In the depths of her mind, she could envision screaming crowds pining over two two young men. The band's schedule had been set for months. All she needed was the band members, and she already had two in mind: her godson and her ex-boyfriend.

Flo Glitz never recovered from her ex's dabbling. After many violent fantasies about revenge, she opted for a creative route. She couldn't choose between saving her godson or exacting revenge on her ex. In the end, she thought: why not both? It was going to end bad for her ex, and it made her grin with delight.

Sipping tea at Gang Ja-Lee's house, she snoots around at the beige furniture and wilting orchids. She waited for the right opportunity to make her a deal. She was the godmother to Gang-Ja's youngest son, Taeyang. Flo Glitz wanted to give him a job. Ja-Lee was obsessed with her eldest son's achievements like he was her only child. Fruitful words came to mind when she noticed Taeyang had been cropped out of almost every family photo.

Now, Flo Glitz may have been heartless, but she failed to understand how her best friend could not see the greatness her other child had. Biting her lip in discretion, she dug her fists into her lap. For the time being, she listened to Ja-Lee's boasts about Lee. Oh, what a glorious doctor Lee is! If only Taeyang could be the same. Lee is perfect in every single way.

Please shut up before I slap you, she thought to herself, but since she mentioned the word perfection, she took the chance to change the topic.

"You know, when it comes to my company, I will only accept perfection." Sharp should have been her middle name. Flo Glitz knew perfection was hard to come by, but every time she thought of her godson, her own little precious cinnamon roll, she knew it existed.

"What if your staff has had a bad day?" Ja-Lee asked.

"No such thing as a bad day." Flo Glitz shrugged her shoulders. "One mistake always leaves to another. I don't want them if they can't give me over 100% 24/7."

Ja-Lee gasped, leaning over as her hands jittered. "You'll kill your idols doing that."

"Do the research. I am kinder to my idols than other idol institutions. You need to be rough in this business," Flo Glitz said, " or any business for that matter. I'm harsh because I believe in them. I want to push them until their minds break. Then they're reborn stronger."

Ja-Lee crossed her legs as her teacup quivered in her hands. "I'm so glad my sons didn't want to become idols."

"You know, I like the way Japan hones their idols...They start off flawed and they're then polished so their true beauty shines."

"How are you going to do that?" Ja-Lee asked. "You're going to take somebody from Japan for your project."

"Why would I do that?" Flo Glitz asked, staring at the canvas with two boys. With her eye on the younger one. "I'm looking for somebody local with the right looks for my project right here in Seoul."

"Who do you have in mind?"

"I want somebody that comes across as delinquent. You know, American girls drool over bad boys. Somebody who's always late for school and has had more detentions than hot dinners."

Ja-Lee stared at her. "Like my boy?"

"Yes!"

"So this is why you're here?" Ja-Lee stood up. To that, Flo Glitz nodded. With trembling fingers, Ja-lee circulated around the sofa. "You want to turn my son into an idol?" She gasped and sat down again. "He can't even tie his own shoelaces."

That meant nothing to Flo Glitz. What a pathetic excuse. He can be taught the essential skills in training. "Have you ever considered that academic life is just not for him?" Flo Glitz recalled one of her cousins failing English. He went on to become an English teacher in China.

"How can he succeed without school?" Ja-Lee cried. Flo Glitz never understood society's obsession with education and grades.

"Some of the greatest minds in the world have been college dropouts. He's got so much potential to rule the music scene."

"He won't be capable of doing any of that."

"Ja-Lee you must be more positive. Taeyang is the best boy for the job!" Flo Glitz pointed at the trophy in the far corner of the room. "Wasn't your son the top athlete in the entire school!"

"Well..." Ja-Lee nodded. "Yes! But that won't pay his bills or get him a good job or school."

"And he was one of the lead singers in the choir. And that choir won the competition. Ja-Lee, I don't give these opportunities to people often. He's just the kind of boy I need!"

"He's only an average singer."

"It doesn't matter. He'll be trained by an experienced idol. As you know I have many good friends in the music industry. I'll have the best producers and songwriters on my label."

"But there are so many cockroaches out there!"

"There are cockroaches everywhere. You have nothing to worry about, my friend. I understand you are both struggling financially. You've spent all your life savings on your children. You can make all that money back."

"What if Taeyang fails?" Ja-Lee's mouth dropped. "He might not succeed... I'll owe you billions of won!"

"My dear, that is the wrong kind of thinking," Flo Glitz told her, clutching Ja-lee's shoulder. "He WILL succeed!"

There was a moment of silence before Ja-Lee spoke again. For Flo Glitz, this was a sign of victory. "I'll see what the old man says when he gets home," Ja-Lee said. "He'll be here in a minute!"

The door opened, and two shadows hovered by the corridor. Taeyang came in first and hung up his coat. The other person was Mr Gang with his walking stick. Taeyang bowed to his mother and godmother. "Hello everyone."

What a cutie, Flo Glitz thought. Rubbing her hands together, she wished that she could make Taeyang shrink and take him home like a plush toy.

"Evening, Taeyang," Ja-Lee groaned. She gazed at the window as if she couldn't bear seeing them.

"Hey!" Mr Gang bellowed, waving his stick around. It pointed at Flo Glitz. "Get that tramp out of my house!"

"SUNG-WO!" Ja-Lee shrieked, leapt to her feet and threw the television remote at his face. Appearing less than satisfied, she marched to her husband and slapped him with a kitchen towel. "That is not how you treat guests!"

Taeyang quivered and tiptoed his way towards Flo Glitz.

"So Taeyang!" Flo Glitz picked him up in his arms and snuggled him like a cat. "How would you like to be in my new band?"

"Well, I think that would be an amazing opportunity," he said with a smile.

"Of course it is."

"I can't go without my parent's permission," Taeyang said. He took a look over at his parents who were at either side of the room.

"How old are you?" Flo Glitz asked. "You're a bad boy right? You don't need their permission,"

"Seventeen!" Taeyang stuck his tongue out. "Still underaged."

"What have I told you about sticking your tongue out?" Mr Gang stomped his feet. "Disgusting habit!"

"Why?" Taeyang shrugged his shoulders. "I've done nothing wrong."

Flo Glitz cupped Taeyang's face, digging her opaque nails into his boney cheeks. "Soon you'll be an adult. You'll be free to express your true colours."

"Don't do it!" Ja-Lee whimpered. "You'll be useless at it. Stay here, at least you know where you're at."

"Maybe it's best that I go," Taeyang told his mother. "I know I'm useless. You always said things were great until I was born."

Ja-Lee scratched her head. "You make it sound like we love Lee more."

Flo Glitz couldn't help but butt into the conversation. "That's because you do."

Taeyang's mother hovered around the lounge and stared at her son. Shrugging her shoulders, she told Taeyang: "Ask your father!"

"Mr Gang... Sung-Wo?" Flo Glitz pressed her hands together again as if she was in prayer. "Sung-Wo? Please let me take your son under my wing. I can make him a star."

"What do you see in our brat?" Taeyang's father slurred, glaring at Flo Glitz with folded arms as his walking stick collapsed onto Flo Glitz's feet. "He's a disgrace. His grades are poor and he has no talent. He needs to work hard, go to college and get a proper degree and job. He needs to be a lawyer or a doctor. At least it will set him straight."

Flo Glitz shook her head and patted Taeyang's head. "If only you could see the talent your son possesses. I think you should accept him for who he is rather than try to make him something he's not."

"As I said, he should have a proper job like his brother!" Taeyang's father didn't seem to like anything that his son liked. Flo Glitz remembered Ja-Lee telling her that every time he caught Taeyang singing, he would be ordered to shut up and help his mother with the housework.

"Your obsession with Lee has made you both neglective." Flo Glitz's harsh tone caused everyone to jump, especially Taeyang. It was perhaps the first time anybody had defended him. Perhaps he was assuming that Flo Glitz would say he was a failure because that had been brought up to believe. "And I'm saying this as your friend, Ja-Lee! Your son has a wonderful voice. His vocals always stood out at the school concert. Just because he's not an academic person, doesn't mean he's destined to fail."

"What are you talking about?" Mr Gang mumbled, picking up his stick. He made unstable steps to the couch and jumped on the sofa to light a cigar. "You don't have children. You have no idea what it's like to raise children. Anyway, I thought I told you to get out!"

"Excuse me!" Flo Glitz howled with laughter. "I have step-sons. Both of them are the same age as your boys and they're both talented individuals. Thank you very much!"

Mr Gang puffed the smoke in Flo Glitz's direction. "How long will he be away for?"

"It depends." Flo Glitz told Taeyang's dad.

"What good is that?" The smoke from his cigar circulated around the room. "My son should be a lawyer or a doctor."

"And where are you working?" Flo Glitz asked Mr Gang.

"I'm a deputy manager of a supermarket."

Flo Glitz howled with laughter. "Do I sense a hint of jealousy in your sorry old state." She faced Ja-Lee. "You can do so much better than this drunken slob."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SLOB?" Mr Gang bellowed. "How dare you!"

Ja-Lee buried her head in her hands and muttered, "What am I going to do with my life?"

"Depends on him." Flo Glitz had started at Taeyang as she spoke and licked her lips. "He's young, attractive and with a lot of training, he can excel. So it's up to your boy!" Flo Glitz took out a sheet of paper from her folder. "Here you go, have a read of this and if it all looks good, sign your life away."

"I don't think I have my parent's permission..." Taeyang whispered.

Flo Glitz took chunks of cash onto the table. "It looks like I'm your guardian now."

Mr Gang's hostile tone vanished the moment the money fell into his lap. "Go! The pair of ya!"

"I'll see you soon," Taeyang said, bowing to his parents. "I'll miss you both. It won't be long till I'm back home."

Ja-Lee sat next to her husband, leaned on his shoulder and wept. "Now both our boys have left home. Have we pushed them away?"

His father was less emotional, "I still think you should have been a doctor or a lawyer."

Taeyang shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry." What else could he say to a man who never liked him and only tolerated him because of biological obligations? Flo Glitz knew there had to have been some love between them all once. She was impressed with how affectionate and polite he was even after everything his parents threw at him.

With a deep breath, he signed the contract and followed Flo Glitz into her car. She had won, just like she knew she would. "You made the right decision. You're going to be one half of the next big thing."

Taeyang bowed to her before hopping in the car. "Thank you, Auntie Mun-Hee."

Flo Glitz sighed. "You can't call me that anymore."

"Okay, sorry."