My Ex is in my Idol Group
Episode 31: The Rehearsal Room Isn't Soundproof
1. Three Weeks Later — VOX Begins
The office was small.
A sixth-floor unit in a nondescript Gangnam building, wedged between a dental clinic and a tutoring center. The sign wasn't even printed yet; someone had written "VOX Ent." on the door with a marker.
But inside, everything buzzed.
Minho sat cross-legged on the floor, untangling cables.
Jun sorted through demo tracks.
Seon was quiet in the corner, holding a lyric notebook full of scratched-out lines.
Jaewon entered with takeout and four black T-shirts that said, "No Silence. Only Song."
Seo-jin raised an eyebrow. "Is this merch or a manifesto?"
Jaewon grinned. "Both."
Seon finally looked up. "We need a debut date."
Everyone turned to him.
Jun: "That fast?"
Seon: "We released the truth. Now we show what truth sounds like."
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2. Flashback — The Stage that Shattered
One year ago.
Seon had stood backstage before a live broadcast. His mic wasn't working.
Director Yoo didn't blink. "Mime it."
Seon shook. "But—"
"You're not here to be heard. You're here to look good."
Seon lip-synced that night.
He'd never forgiven himself.
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3. Present — Rehearsals Begin
They borrowed a local community center's dance room.
It smelled like sweat and lemon cleaner. The mirror was cracked.
But it was theirs.
Jaewon hit play. A synth-filled beat pulsed through the room.
> "Track 01: Oxygenproof — a companion to Noiseproof.
The choreography was sharp, unfinished.
Seon stumbled.
"Again!" he barked.
They restarted. Again. And again.
On the sixth run-through, Jaewon collapsed into a heap.
"Bro. We're not 18 anymore."
Seon wiped his brow, smiling for the first time all day. "Then let's move like we've earned it."
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4. Intimate — Late-Night Walk
After practice, Seon and Jaewon wandered through Hongdae.
No makeup. No masks. No fans.
They passed buskers, bubble tea stands, a girl group filming TikToks.
Jaewon nudged Seon. "Ever think we'd come back as rookies again?"
"I thought we'd never come back at all."
They stopped at a vinyl shop. A slow jazz record played.
Seon whispered, "Do you regret... loving me in front of the world?"
Jaewon didn't hesitate. "I regret hiding it for so long."
He kissed Seon. Right there. No crowd. No cameras.
Just music.
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5. Trouble — The First Lawsuit
The next morning, a letter arrived. Official stamp. Legal Korean.
Orion was suing them.
"Defamation. Copyright theft. Breach of contract."
Seo-jin dropped the letter. "But we're free agents."
Jun's jaw tightened. "They're bluffing. But they want to scare us."
Seon folded the paper neatly. "Then we give them a reason to be scared."
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6. Behind Closed Doors — Secrets Among Members
That evening, Minho didn't come to practice.
They found him alone on the rooftop.
"I got an offer," he said. "A solo debut. With a real label."
Silence.
Seon asked, "Do you want it?"
Minho's eyes were glassy. "I want to sing. But I also want us. I don't know how to want both."
Jaewon put a hand on his shoulder. "Then don't choose. Ask them to wait. Or record with us first."
Minho nodded. "One last track with VOX. Then I'll see."
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7. Studio Night — Writing a Warcry
They stayed up 'til dawn composing the chorus.
> "If silence was survival, then song is salvation."
The lyrics came in waves. Jun scribbled entire verses between ramen bites. Seo-jin beatboxed transitions. Jaewon harmonized.
Seon sang lead.
When the final note hit, even the walls felt like they were holding their breath.
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8. First Teaser — Going Viral Again
The teaser dropped the next evening.
Black and white. Grit. Glitch. A single shot of Seon's eyes.
Voiceover: "This time, we wrote the script."
#VOXREDEBUT trended worldwide within an hour.
YouTubers made reaction videos. Former idols stitched the teaser on TikTok. Journalists speculated.
Could this be the rebirth of K-pop?
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9. Twist — The Return of an Old Rival
A new boy group debuted that same day. Slick. Clean. Rumored to be a rebrand of AX1, created by Orion.
They were called "NovaX."
Their center looked eerily like Seon.
And one of their members?
A former AX1 trainee who had once confessed to Jaewon.
The media exploded.
Seon: "They're trying to erase us. Replace us."
Jaewon: "Then we burn brighter. They can't copy the fire."
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10. Performance Day — Underground Showcase
They rented an abandoned theater and filled it with 200 fans who had pre-registered through QR code invites.
No management. No makeup team.
Just five boys, one stage, and a song that cut through bone.
"OXYGENPROOF" opened with silence. Then heartbeat sounds. Then:
> "You muted me. You buried me. But I'm not soil—I'm a seed."
Seon's voice cracked on purpose at the bridge. Raw. Vulnerable.
And at the end, when the lights flared, AX1 stood tall.
Five voices. One message:
> "We never needed permission to exist."
The crowd screamed. Phones filmed. But no one uploaded.
They respected the moment.
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11. Late Night Rooftop — After the Show
The group huddled together. Sweaty. Exhausted. Alive.
Minho whispered, "We did it."
Seo-jin was crying. "We actually f—ing did it."
Seon looked at Jaewon. "We're more than survivors."
Jaewon held his gaze. "We're the architects now."
They leaned into each other.
No camera needed to make it real.
Just the sound of their laughter finally echoing off walls that no longer tried to silence them.
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To be continued…