Episode 20: A Stage Lined with Sirens
The dressing room door slammed open, and time seemed to slow.
Uniforms. Badges. Cold commands.
"Han Seon. You're being summoned for questioning in relation to obstruction of contract and defamation under media influence."
Seon blinked.
"What?" Jaewon stood up so fast his chair toppled. "This is a mistake."
The officer didn't even flinch. "The warrant is valid. Any interference will result in obstruction of justice."
Minho grabbed his phone. "We'll call our lawyer—"
But Seon held up a hand.
"No. I'll go."
"But—"
"I need to face this. All of it."
He walked toward the officers like it was a second debut stage. Back straight. Eyes clear.
They cuffed him.
Phones were already out. The venue staff whispering. Recording. Spinning.
And outside?
Fans.
Thousands.
---
Meanwhile — Social Media Madness
#JusticeForSeon trended in 23 countries within an hour.
Fan accounts switched from fancams to livestreams of the chaos. Footage of Seon in handcuffs flooded TikTok. Old friends from his trainee days started speaking up.
A manager from another company posted anonymously:
> "I worked with Orion. I saw the Seon blacklist. They're trying to finish what they started."
The hashtags multiplied:
#FreeSeon
#OrionCollapse
#AX1Forever
AX1's official account was silent.
But the boys weren't.
Jaewon posted a photo of Seon's mic on the dressing table, captioned: "He sang through hell. Let him breathe now."
---
Interrogation Room
Fluorescent lights. No windows. A plastic cup of water.
Seon sat alone, listening to the click of the recorder.
"State your name."
"Han Seon."
"Do you know why you're here?"
He met the officer's gaze. "Because I told the truth. And people listened."
They began questioning him about leaked songs, contracts, messages.
But Seon had answers.
Calm. Measured. Iron-willed.
He'd been through worse in practice rooms at 2AM, being told his voice wasn't enough.
Now, it was everything.
---
Flashback: After the Kiss
Two years ago.
Seon didn't sleep for three days after Jaewon kissed him.
He tried to pretend it never happened. Avoided him. Stayed longer in practice. Took solo vocal sessions.
But Jaewon never brought it up again.
Until one night, Seon came back to the dorm late, drenched from the rain.
Jaewon stood in the hallway, eyes dark.
"You hate me?" he asked.
Seon shook his head. "No."
"Then why—"
"Because you gave me something I didn't think I deserved."
"And now?"
Seon didn't answer.
He walked past him, heart in his throat.
---
Present Day — AX1's Dorm
The boys sat in silence.
The television droned with pundits and panelists. The media had turned Seon's arrest into spectacle.
Jun stood. "I can't watch this. We're just sitting here like puppets."
Seo-jin nodded. "We have a platform. Let's use it."
"Music?" Minho asked.
"No," Jaewon said. "A statement. From all of us."
They filmed it on their phone. Simple. Honest.
Jaewon read:
> "If Han Seon is guilty of anything, it's surviving a system that tried to erase him. We stand with him. As his group. As his brothers. As the voices who won't be silenced anymore."
The video was posted without agency approval.
Within an hour, 10 million views.
---
Court Documents Leak
A journalist released documents showing Seon had tried to terminate his contract quietly three years ago.
It had been denied.
A handwritten note from Seon attached:
> "I can't sing under someone who tells me who I'm allowed to be."
Fans printed it on banners.
---
Midnight — Police Headquarters
Jaewon waited in the lobby for six hours.
Finally, a lawyer came out. "He's being released. No charges. The judge intervened. Not enough evidence, and too much public pressure."
Jaewon exhaled like he hadn't breathed all day.
When Seon walked out, his hoodie up, Jaewon ran to him.
But didn't hug him.
He waited.
Seon looked up. Eyes rimmed red.
"Why are you always here?" he whispered.
"Because you never had someone who stayed. Until now."
Seon lowered his forehead to Jaewon's shoulder.
The city was quiet around them.
For once, no cameras.
Just them.
---
Teaser: The Scandal Isn't Over
The next day, a former CEO of Orion was arrested.
But that wasn't the shock.
The shock was the video he released from his holding cell.
It showed a conversation from years ago.
Two figures. Blurred.
But one voice unmistakable:
Director Yoo.
> "If that boy ever becomes more popu
lar than our frontman, I'll ruin him. I don't care who he kisses."
Jaewon's eyes widened.
Seon's phone lit up with thousands of alerts.
And somewhere, Director Yoo was boarding a private jet.
---
To be continued…