My Ex is in my Idol Group

Episode 32: Echo Chambers and Firelights

1. Two Weeks Later — VOX Headquarters (If You Can Call It That)

The marker-written sign was gone. Now, "VOX ENTERTAINMENT" hung from a real banner — crooked, but defiant.

A receptionist desk that doubled as Jaewon's folding table. A "pantry" that was just a mini-fridge and instant coffee.

But it buzzed like a second heart.

Jun had redecorated with sticky notes of lyrics, fan messages, and blackout poetry.

Seon added one of his own: "They tried to quiet us. We turned it into rhythm."

Minho read it out loud. "You trying to be a Hallmark card?"

Seon smiled. "Trying to be remembered."

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2. Flashback — The Audition That Changed Everything

Seon was sixteen.

He had worn secondhand sneakers. A black hoodie. No makeup.

He had walked into a polished room where fifteen other boys stared at him like he didn't belong.

But he sang. And the world held its breath.

At the end, one person clapped first.

Jaewon.

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3. Present — First Music Show Invitation

A producer from InkStage DM'd them.

"You guys want in? We can't pay, but the theme this week is 'Truths Unfiltered.' And your last song basically kicked the door open."

Seo-jin almost dropped his phone. "Is this real?"

Jaewon confirmed. "Live broadcast. One slot. One song."

Jun: "Let's debut VOX there."

Minho: "What about the lawsuit?"

Seon: "Let them sue us on camera."

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4. The Practice That Broke Them

They practiced for 10 days straight.

Blisters. Bruises. Sore throats.

At one point, Seon collapsed mid-spin, panting.

"I can't... do the bridge if I can't breathe."

Jaewon crouched beside him, rubbing his back.

"You're not doing this alone. We carry each other."

Later, Seo-jin broke down over a harmony.

Jun slammed a wall after missing a cue.

And Minho? He stayed quiet, nursing a wrapped wrist.

But none of them stopped.

Because this wasn't just a performance.

It was a resurrection.

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5. The Return of NovaX

Right before their live show, NovaX dropped a teaser.

A perfect, high-budget MV. Polished vocals. Dazzling lights.

And their center? The trainee who looked like Seon — who even copied his eyebrow slit.

Jaewon scowled. "They cloned you."

Seon stared, blankly. "They'll never copy what broke me."

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6. Live Show Day — InkStage Studios

Backstage was tense.

The staff handed them generic mics. No stylists. No fanfare.

But they walked into the studio like kings reclaiming an empire.

When the lights dimmed, and the first beat hit, the audience didn't blink.

They opened with "Vox Rising" — an unreleased track just for that night.

> "We were ghosts in a gold cage. Now we haunt the silence you gave."

Minho nailed the dance break. Seo-jin's high note cracked on purpose — and the crowd cheered harder for it.

And at the end, Seon walked toward the camera, stared into the lens, and whispered:

> "We're not noise. We're proof."

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7. Social Media Frenzy

#VOXLive trended top 3 in Korea.

Clips went viral. Journalists asked, "Who are these exiles turning into kings?"

Even idols tweeted support.

A rookie girl group reposted their chorus. An actor tagged them.

One bold magazine ran the headline: "The True Phoenix of K-pop."

Seon didn't smile.

He just said, "It's not over."

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8. Nighttime Vulnerability

After the show, they walked by the Han River.

Seon stared at the water. "Do you ever think... maybe I ruined all this?"

Jaewon looked at him. "You saved it."

"But if I had stayed quiet—"

"We'd still be in cages. Bleeding in silence. You broke the chain."

Seon turned toward him. "But you held the key."

They held hands. Publicly.

No one yelled. No one cared.

That was the revolution.

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9. Minho's Dilemma Resurfaces

A producer called him. The solo contract offer was real. Big.

He stared at the message. Then deleted it.

He turned to Seon. "One day, I might leave."

Seon replied, "Then let's make sure they'll still sing your name when you do."

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10. A New Threat — Corporate Sabotage

VOX's studio was broken into.

Files were missing. Tracks deleted. Equipment smashed.

Police came, but no fingerprints. No security footage.

But they all knew.

Orion had claws left.

Jaewon whispered, "We rebuild. Again."

And Seon, without looking away from the shattered monitors, muttered, "And this time, we record it all."

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To be continued…