Episode 33: Ghost Stage
1. Flash Forward — Six Months Later
A single spotlight.
One mic stand.
And a voice — cracked, trembling, full.
Seon stood alone on the stage of the Seoul Olympic Hall. Not as part of AX1. Not under Orion.
But as Seon.
"I was supposed to be a product," he said, voice quiet but steady. "But now I'm here. Not because I sold well — but because I survived."
The crowd erupted.
Then the story snapped back—
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2. One Month Ago — VOX HQ, Still Half-Ruined
The glass had been swept up. New locks installed. Walls still bore the scars.
But Jaewon stood in front of a whiteboard with "COMEBACK STRATEGY" in bold red letters.
Jun: "We only have two working mics."
Minho: "I have a backup mixer from 2014."
Seo-jin: "And fans who think we're gods now."
Seon: "Then let's act like gods."
They outlined the next release:
A concept MV filmed with phone cameras.
Guerilla-style performances in underground train stations.
An unsanctioned fanmeet tour — free entry, location shared one hour before.
It was risky. Illegal in some districts. But viral?
Absolutely.
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3. The Nova X Infiltration
At the second fanmeet in Daegu, the boys wore simple black hoodies, no logos. Seon was performing a solo acoustic version of "Vox Rising."
That's when he saw him.
The Nova X center.
Standing in the third row. Watching with sharp eyes. Not clapping. Just... observing.
After the show, Jaewon pulled Seon aside. "Did you see him?"
Seon nodded. "He's good. Too good."
Jaewon: "They're not just copying you. They're studying us."
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4. Inside Nova X's World
Scene shift — clean white dorms. No posters. No personality.
Nova X rehearsed choreography drilled to perfection.
Their leader, Daejin, questioned nothing. Ate protein bars. Slept four hours. Repeated routines until someone bled.
But the center boy? He stared at his reflection longer. He watched Seon videos late at night.
He wanted to know why Seon could make people cry.
He couldn't.
And it drove him mad.
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5. Minho's Solo Test
A label offered him a test-stage.
No strings. One song. One night.
The others told him to go.
He performed under stage name "M1N." An electronic set — shimmering synths, chopped vocals, and a surprise appearance by Seo-jin on backup.
They exploded on Twitter.
Minho returned to VOX studio with glitter still on his jaw.
"I want to stay. But on my own terms."
Jaewon nodded. "That's what VOX is for."
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6. The Secret Interview
A journalist DM'd Seon anonymously:
> "We're running an exposé. Not on you. On Yoo."
> "We've uncovered offshore accounts. Hidden documents. We need a testimony."
> "You can be anonymous — but your voice is enough."
Jaewon warned him. "This could put a target on your head again."
Seon replied, "Then I'll be loud enough they can't miss."
The audio was aired nationwide. Seon's voice trembled. Cried. Stopped mid-sentence.
But he spoke.
And Korea listened.
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7. The Storm That Followed
Orion's stocks plummeted. Three staff members were arrested.
Idols from other groups began speaking.
Hashtags like #LetIdolsLive and #TraineeTruths trended.
But VOX received threats. Their building was egged. Jun was followed home.
Still, they prepared the next single.
Title: Ghost Stage
Lyrics included:
> "You silenced me / But I still scream / In echoes / You can't erase."
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8. Recording the MV
They snuck into an abandoned train station at 3 AM.
Filmed everything in one take.
The final shot: Seon walking barefoot through shattered glass, lit only by phone flashlights. His voice cracked on the final line:
> "If I vanish, let this haunt you."
The video went up on YouTube the next night. It was taken down by bots within three hours.
It re-uploaded 300 times.
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9. Rooftop Realities
That night, Seon cried.
Not because of fear.
Because he remembered the first time he sang for no one.
And now he sang for everyone.
Jaewon lay beside him, shoulder brushing.
"Still scared?" he asked.
"Yes," Seon whispered. "But I'd rather be scared here than safe there."
They kissed under a busted neon sign.
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10. Cliffhanger — Anonymous Package
Three days later, an envelope arrived.
No return address.
Inside was a USB.
They plugged it in.
Seon turned pale.
It was a raw video — behind-the-scenes footage from Nova
X's rehearsal.
But then...
A hidden camera feed.
Nova X's center crying. Alone.
Muttering something under his breath:
> "They made me be him. I don't even know who I am."
Cut to black.
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To be continued…