Episode 21: All Cameras Point Here
Three days after Seon's release, the streets outside Orion Entertainment's headquarters were flooded—not with fans, but with reporters.
Microphones. Camera drones. Flash after flash.
Reporters screamed questions into the glass walls.
"Is it true Seon was framed?"
"Why hasn't Director Yoo responded?"
"Will AX1 disband?!"
And inside? Silence.
The kind that hides rot.
Behind the gleaming marble floor and the endless corridors of success stories, there was a void—vacant offices, panicked interns, and executives whispering behind closed doors.
Orion's golden empire was cracking.
---
AX1 on Hiatus
Their manager broke the news that morning at the dorm. He didn't even look them in the eye.
"I was told to inform you… All AX1 activities are on indefinite hiatus. No promotions, no schedules. It's not personal."
Not personal.
Those two words echoed through the room like a slap.
Jun kicked over a chair.
"Not personal? We built this group from nothing!"
"Lower your voice," the manager hissed, nervous. "The building has ears."
Seon barely blinked. "They're trying to keep us quiet."
Jaewon leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed.
"Then we make our own stage."
The others turned to him.
"You mean…?"
"I mean a comeback. Independent. Just us. One song. One message. No company. No filters."
Seon met his eyes. "You know they'll come after us."
Jaewon's smile didn't waver. "Let them. We're not hiding anymore."
---
Flashback: Debut Day
White suits. Fog machines. Glitter eyeshadow. Nervous sweat under studio lights.
The five of them stood in the backstage tunnel, hearts pounding like war drums.
Seon had almost passed out. He'd been so afraid of missing the first note that his hands were trembling.
Then Jaewon had reached out, fingers brushing his.
"You're gonna be fine," he'd whispered. "You are the note."
Seon didn't smile. But he breathed.
And when the music started, he hit the first note like it belonged to him.
---
Present — Underground Studio
They pooled their savings and rented a tiny studio in Gangnam for a week. It was tucked behind a convenience store and reeked of stale coffee, but the sound system? Immaculate.
Graffiti on the walls. A broken vending machine. Egg crates for soundproofing.
Perfect.
Minho took charge of the instrumental. He stayed up until 4AM layering distortion over piano chords.
Jun brought lyrics he'd written in the bathroom stall during their debut year.
Seo-jin mixed harmonies like his life depended on it.
And Jaewon? He just watched Seon.
Watched him pace. Watched him rehearse until his voice cracked. Watched him sit in silence for twenty minutes before entering the booth.
Then, finally, Seon stepped up to the mic.
The song title?
> "Noiseproof"
It was raw. Brutal. Their voices stacked like barricades against silence.
The bridge came. Seon exhaled, eyes closed, and sang:
> "You told me silence was safer.
But it never saved me.
So I'll burn with my voice if I must —
At least you'll hear me die singing."
No one spoke after.
Even the engineer had tears in his eyes. "That… that wasn't just a song."
---
Upload Day
They didn't go through official distributors. No Spotify. No Melon. No iTunes.
They uploaded Noiseproof directly to SoundCloud, YouTube, and TikTok.
One tweet. One post. One video.
> "We're still here. And we're loud."
The internet exploded.
In two hours: 2.7 million streams.
In four: Viral fan edits. Crying reaction videos. Hashtags like #Noiseproof and #AX1Uncensored trended worldwide.
But it wasn't just fans.
Other idols started reposting it anonymously. Backup dancers. Stylists. Even old producers.
The silent majority finally had a voice.
---
Director Yoo — On The Run
News broke the next morning.
Director Yoo had allegedly fled to Macau under a fake name, using a private jet owned by an Orion shell company.
Interpol issued a red notice.
But it wasn't the escape that shocked people.
It was the video.
A leaked security recording from Orion's executive floor.
Two men. One clearly Director Yoo.
The other? Blurred.
> "If that boy ever becomes more popular than our frontman," Yoo's voice hissed, "I'll ruin him. I don't care who he kisses. I'll bury him."
The audio spread faster than wildfire.
And in every corner of the web, people asked the same thing:
> "Who was the boy?"
But AX1 fans already knew.
---
Rooftop Conversations
Late at night, the boys gathered on the dorm rooftop. The air was heavy, wind teasing loose strands of hair.
Seon sat beside Jaewon, a hoodie pulled over his head.
"Do you regret it?" he asked, barely above a whisper.
"Which part?"
"All of it. Kissing me. Staying. Speaking out. Losing everything."
Jaewon didn't answer immediately.
He leaned back, eyes on the night sky.
"I'd do it all again," he said. "Even if you never kissed me back."
Seon turned.
And this time?
He didn't hesitate.
He kissed Jaewon softly, like a confession hidden in plain sight.
No flashbacks. No what-ifs.
Just them. In this moment.
Alive. Loud. Free.
---
Announcement Shock: The Asia Artist Awards
Just when fans thought it couldn't get bigger, an anonymous account leaked a stunning document:
> AX1 is scheduled to perform "Noiseproof" as the closing act at the upcoming Asia Artist Awards.
The internet went into meltdown.
"Is this official?"
"Will they actually show up?"
"Will Orion stop them?"
The agency made no statement.
The award show organizers stayed vague.
Security was doubled.
But fans? They planned banners, light sticks, cheers.
And one message echoed through every forum:
> Let them sing. Let them finish what they started.
---
Final Lines
Back
stage at the award show.
Five boys.
One song.
One stage that had tried to forget them.
But now?
All cameras pointed here.
And Seon—standing behind the curtain—smiled for the first time in years.
> "Let them watch me rise."
---
To be continued…