Scandalized

By Tara Frejas (Editor)

Fi Legaspi is living the dream working in Seoul as a road manager for one of South Korea’s hottest bands, East Genesis Project.

Until she isn’t.

Her life turns upside-down overnight when paparazzi photos of her and EG Project band leader Jo Yihwan go viral, sparking rumors of a dating scandal. Finding herself in the middle of a hostile fangirl witch hunt, Fi seeks the comfort of home, and to her surprise, not the person she had been pining for for years. All too suddenly, it’s no longer just her career on the line, but also her heart.

Will she walk away from everything that matters to her, or fight to keep her dream alive?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tara Frejas
• Release date: May 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781520309019

Book preview

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Scandalized

This book is a work of fiction.

While inspired by real people and events, all characters, events, and some places depicted in this book are entirely fictional.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Copyright © Tara Frejas 2016, 2018, 2024

All rights reserved.

Cover illustration | Shaira Bea San Jose

Calligraphy | Porcupine Strongwill

Design & Layout | Tara Frejas

Edited by Layla Tanjutco

Contents

A Note From The Author

Dedication

1.Track 1

3.Track 2

5.Track 3

7.Track 4

8.Text Log

9.Track 5

11.Track 6

13.Track 7

15.Track 8

17.Track 9

19.Track 10

21.Track 11

23.Track 12

25.Track 13

29.Track 14

32.Track 15

37.Track 16

42.Track 17

44.Track 18

45.Bonus Content: Gabriel's Checklist

46.Bonus Content: 548

47.Play It By Ear (Backstage Pass #2)

48.ABOUT THE AUTHOR

49.THANKS TO

A Note From The Author

This is the 2024 edition of Scandal ized.

The first edition of this book came out on May 5, 2016. A lot of changes have happened since then, but even with each iteration’s minor revisions, the heart and soul of this book remain intact.

As I prepared this book for its PH Exclusive Blush Books Edition, I thought that some language and ideas could be improved, and I did a little bit of work on that. If you have read this book prior to 2024, you will be able to notice some tweaks here and there, which could be a fun little reward if you like rereading books every now and then.

But even with these changes, the story is still set in a pre-pandemic world, and of course, our main characters still get their Happy Ever After.

Before you proceed, please be aware that the book contains the following:

Rumor-mongering, cyberbullying, and slutshaming depicted in social media comments

Excessive alcohol consumption

Mentions of suicide

Physical assault causing minor injury

Workplace discrimination

This book follows #RomanceClass guidelines of HEA/HFN for romance, and is Heat Level 0 (no sex on or off the page).

Finally, there are two bonus short stories and a preview of the next book, Play It By Ear, at the end of this book.

Hope you enjoy!

To you with the heart of a KPop fan,

and you, for whom that heart goes dugeun-dugeun

Track 1

Zero/Hero

S low news day, huh?

Three heads bent over an iPad simultaneously looked up at the sound of Jo Yihwan’s voice.

"Have you seen these comments?" Steven Bae, the currently ash blond drummer of East Genesis Project, asked. He slid the device across the glass table toward Yihwan, who only gave the screen a passing glance. The band leader let out a soft, dismissive laugh seeing a glamour photo of himself posted beside a grainy screenshot of a video taken at the film premiere they attended last night.

Jo Yihwan, Knight in Shining Armor, the headline read.

The rest of the article lauded him as a hero for helping prevent a stampede from breaking out at the event. It already had more than a thousand comments and several hundred shares, making Yihwan’s name trend across all South Korean search engines.

Stop wasting your time on the Internet, Steven. Yihwan sighed, shook his head and nudged the device back toward its owner. He then spared a glance at the two other people sitting next to Steven—their bassist and vocalist Song Minchan, and their road manager, Fi Legaspi—and added. You all know people just like exaggerating stuff online.

"Well…these people you speak of? They stream our music, buy our albums, come to our shows… Steven pointed out as Yihwan padded toward the music space they had set up at their dorm. He picked up his black Fender Stratocaster and slung it over his shoulder. Capturing a new audience is always a good thing, right, Fi?"

"Of course. Remember when Minchan went on Running Man and—"

Noona… Minchan protested quietly. Yihwan caught a small pout forming on their youngest band member’s lips, and when he looked at Fi, she was already stifling a giggle.

She flashed him a peace sign. Mianhae, Chan-ah.

But summoning that bit of EG Project history was a sure-fire way to get the gang going, and in no time, everyone but Minchan had started filling the room with laughter.

Although the band magnae vowed never to go on any variety show again, he couldn’t deny his Running Man stint was a blessing in disguise. A lot of the show’s female viewers found Minchan so adorable they decided to give the band’s music a try as soon as the broadcast ended. In less than a week, their debut album, Genesis—already three-and-a-half years old—suddenly rose on the charts.

Anyway, what I’m saying is, this could be a good thing for us.

Minchan agreed. It’s good not to be forgotten, especially since we’ve spent most of last year in Japan.

Yes, but you know trends like this don’t last very long, Fi said with a shrug. I’ll give it three days, tops.

Well, then…Yihwan can just go be a knight in shining armor again somewhere else next week!

Okay, I’m done with this ridiculous conversation, Yihwan said and pointed to his band members. Can the two of you please come up here? Break time’s been over ten minutes ago.

Steven snapped his fingers and got up from the couch, following Yihwan into the music space. That’s it, Yihwan! All you gotta do is be on the news every week and our next album’s guaranteed to hit the charts!

"Our next album hasn’t even been written yet." Yihwan ran a hand through his messy tuft of dark brown hair. Steven, meanwhile, sat on his self-proclaimed throne behind his LED-lit Pearl drum set.

Minchan finished the last of his samgak kimbap before joining Yihwan and Steven for their rehearsal. We’re really just subtly nagging you to hurry up with the songwriting, hyung.

Hey! Yihwan protested. Didn’t we agree to write ten songs each?

Steven twirled a drumstick between his fingers. I’m already on song number 7.

Song number 4! Minchan piped in.

Yihwan blinked. It had only been two weeks since they'd agreed on a ten-song assignment for a new album. How was it possible for Steven and Minchan (who whined so much about it, too) to have made this much progress?

More importantly, why was his slate still blank?

Fans and industry people called Jo Yihwan a genius songwriter and composer. In fact, 90% of EG Project’s discography was written and composed by him. The abundant praise he got for his work never really bothered him until the more recent articles about the band made it sound as though he was the only person in the group who mattered. Journalists who sought them out for interviews rarely had any questions for Steven and Minchan, and the write-ups have started to bear his name instead of the band’s.

He found that unfair. His band members deserved to be recognized for their hard work too.

Hence, the ten-song assignment.

Yihwan challenged his band members to write and compose ten songs each. When they were done, his plan was to workshop all the songs and curate them for the new album.

He felt inadequate now, having been unable to write a single verse since the challenge commenced. Inspiration seemed to have eluded him lately, and he kept convincing himself it was only because he didn’t have the luxury to just sit down and write.

Steven and Minchan didn’t sound like they were complaining, though. There was hardly any reason to, especially since their successful seven-city Japanese album tour just ended. They did miss performing for their fans in South Korea, but these first few weeks back allowed them to breathe a little and catch up on sleep, among other things. For the first time in almost a year, their daily schedules didn’t involve being up and about for more than twenty hours a day.

Relax. We’re not really in a hurry, are we? Fi asked, snapping Yihwan out of his trance.

No, they reply in unison.

The roadie smiled. "Then you shouldn’t be worried. The reason why Amethyst Entertainment isn’t pressuring you to come up with something new just yet is because they’re still basking in the afterglow of all the money you brought in...and the money you will continue to cash in when the Asian tour begins."

"Ahh, I wish I could bask in that afterglow, too," said Steven.

Minchan shook his head. You would, if you’d stop dating all those women.

You jealous, Chan-ah?

Fi snapped her fingers. Focus, please. I want this rehearsal done in two hours, she demanded with a tap-tap-tap on her wristwatch, effectively keeping Steven from protesting. She pulled out several bills from her pocket and placed them on the table like a bar customer ordering a round of shots. Chimaek for dinner. My treat.

Steven pointed a drum stick at Fi. Ooh, I like this one!

Yihwan just laughed, pulled the mic stand in front of him and spoke into the unplugged microphone. Any requests, pretty lady?

"Stuff of Daydreams, please."

And without further ado, Steven hit his drumsticks. 1, 2, 3, 4...

Three days later

Inside a small meeting room, Fi shut out the world around her with a pair of earbuds and her KPop playlist. She tapped her feet and quietly hummed to the music while organizing her band’s schedules for the week, pausing to play air guitar when the opening riff to EG Project’s Stuff of Daydreams streamed into her ears.

So it’s like this, let me tell you how it is

I would hold you in my arms

say ‘I love you’ with a kiss, kiss, kiss

Our every single day would be

the very best, no less—but I guess

nothing is ever as it seems

every single thing is the stuff of daydreams

None of the other EG Project songs have resonated with Fi as strongly as Stuff of Daydreams had. Time and again, she’d wondered if Jo Yihwan had somehow taken a peek inside her heart and decided to write about the secrets it once held.

That wasn’t possible, of course.

How could he, when he was always looking at someone else?

Noona....

A gentle hand rested on her shoulder, disrupting her thoughts. She looked up, mildly surprised to see Minchan. When had he entered the room?

Noona, look at this, he said, placing his phone on the table.

She mumbled an Oh no as soon as her gaze fell on the screen, where it showed a photo of Yihwan and top actress Han Haera posted side by side. On top of the photos, the headline read: Are EG Project’s Jo Yihwan and National Goddess Han Haera Dating?

No, no, no... Fi took her earbuds off and looked at Minchan. Where’s Yihwan? Has he seen this?

I’m not sure. I saw him with Minja noona a couple of hours ago. Think they were discussing the upcoming tour.

Fi stood up, spaced out for a few seconds, and sat back down again.

How did this happen?

Yihwan and Haera were a closely guarded secret, a hush-hush relationship only a handful of trusted people know. But while the couple had broken up a long time ago, news like this won’t die unless any of the parties released a statement.

She got up again and gathered her things.

Where are you going, noona?

To find Yihwan. Or Gabriel. Whoever I find first.

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News got to Yihwan before Fi could.

When she found him alone inside the Opal rehearsal studio, Fi immediately sensed his distress. He tried to conceal it, but Yihwan’s unfocused gaze and the way he shifted his weight in front of the piano while shuffling through music sheets…

He was on the edge of a downward spiral.

Hey.

Hey, she said, still standing by the door. You okay?

Yihwan didn’t say anything. Instead, he sat in front of the piano and played a melancholy tune unfamiliar to her. He paused a few times to mark up his music sheets, then hit the ivories again.

Yihwan-ah.

The door behind her opened, letting Steven and Minchan in. As soon as Yihwan turned to look at them, Fi could swear she saw the two members flinch from the corner of her eye.

Come on, you guys. A tone of practiced nonchalance came out of Yihwan. What did Fi say about trends? In a few days everyone will be talking about something else.

Are you all right, hyung? Minchan asked. He was a step behind Steven, and though he stood taller than both his hyung-deul, to Fi he appeared like a child cowering behind his older brother.

Sure. Has any news about Steven dating anyone lasted over a week? he added.

That was, perhaps, their cue to laugh, but no one dared.

Because it wasn’t funny sitting in the front row, watching the aftermath of Haera breaking Yihwan’s heart. It wasn’t funny how, even if the breakup was almost two years ago, the band leader had never really moved on. Haera had since become an invisible imprint on all of his songs—a phrase here, a refrain there—and Fi wondered how Yihwan would deal with netizen backlash when this skeleton gets dragged out of its closet.

And how she would.

—Breaking News—

Are EG Project’s Jo Yihwan and National Goddess Han Haera Dating?

July 30 | Scoop News—Seoul, South Korea

Speculations about a dating scandal between Jo Yihwan and actress Han Haera have surfaced.

A very reliable source revealed that the couple began dating a year after Jo’s band, East Genesis Project, debuted. That same year, Han moved to Choigo Entertainment after her contract with Amethyst Entertainment ended. She went on to star in a string of blockbuster hits, starting with the melo-romance She Who Must Not Be Loved.

The source says, It’s a very low-key, very intimate relationship. They usually enjoy car dates and very rarely go out in public. I believe they are still together.

Last year, Choigo Entertainment confirmed that Han and co-actor Jung Hwichan began dating after filming their hit movie Six Ways to Sunday. The lovebirds have since been spotted going on several dates around Seoul and, very recently, overseas.

Both Amethyst Entertainment and Choigo Entertainment have yet to release official statements about this issue.

COMMENTS

[ +8,675, -987 ] This is such a joke. Han Haera looks good and all, but she’s a bitch. Yihwannie matches well with someone else. Like Steven Bae. ㅋㅋㅋ

[ +6,119, -1,024 ] Is Han Haera cheating on these two fine men? Heol. Guess being born with that face gives you license to play around.

[ +4,634, -1,055 ] Jo Yihwan seems like a good boy and all, but they’re not on the same level. Han Haera is better off with Jung Hwichan.

[ +2,978, -500 ] What if it was Jung Hwichan who stole Han Haera away from Jo Yihwan? Daebak. A real life makjang drama.

[ +1,450, -598 ] YIHWAN OPPA, NO! I heard that Han Haera is a diva in real life. You don’t deserve someone like her. Please never date.

Track 2

그냥 해라 (Just Haera)

At 9:15 a.m., Gabriel Park made a beeline from his desk to the vending machine down the hall. Fifteen minutes into this work day and he was already feeling the need for a second dose of caffeine. Maybe even a third, because good lord—why were these vending machine cups so tiny?

As the machine slowly dispensed his choice of poison, the PR manager took his glasses off and rubbed his tired eyes. He’d been up all night trying