Episode 10: The Audition
Just as the dust from the press conference began to settle, the agency threw a curveball: an open audition.
"Why now?" Minho asked, holding the announcement poster with a frown. "We're already six. We just went viral. Why add someone new?"
Jun narrowed his eyes. "Unless they're trying to shift focus away from the scandal."
Seon stayed quiet, but his gut told him something else. Something calculated.
Later that evening, Seo-jin confirmed their suspicions.
"They're not just adding a trainee," she said. "They're adding him."
"Who's 'him'?" Jaewon asked.
She dropped a photo on the table. A smiling boy, probably around 19, with clear eyes and striking features.
Seon's heart dropped.
"I know that face," he whispered.
Jaewon's expression darkened. "That's… your ex-roommate from training days. He tried to get you kicked out, didn't he?"
Seo-jin nodded grimly. "Yoo Ha-joon. He's back. And this time, the agency's giving him a debut spot—inside AX1."
The room fell into silence.
Minho scoffed. "This isn't an addition. It's sabotage."
Jun shook his head. "No. It's war."
---
The agency held an "audition showcase" in a sleek black studio with media, fans, and even sponsors invited.
Six chairs lined the stage.
AX1 sat as if on trial.
Ha-joon entered with a confident smile, waving like he already belonged.
Fans clapped—but some didn't.
Seon's eyes locked with Ha-joon's. For a second, neither flinched. History rippled between them.
During the evaluation performance, Ha-joon sang a slow ballad. The lyrics were hauntingly pointed:
> "If I can't be you, I'll break you…"
The room picked up on it.
Jaewon whispered, "That song was no accident."
Seon didn't answer.
He just stood when the host asked AX1 for feedback.
"We're not a group that welcomes threats," he said. "We're a group that earns trust."
Ha-joon smiled wider. "Then let me earn it."
---
After the show, the agency called them into a private meeting.
"Ha-joon will be joining as a probationary seventh member," the CEO said coldly. "Final decision: one month from now."
They left the room fuming.
"This is ridiculous!" Minho said.
Jun paced. "This is manipulation. They're setting us up to implode."
But Seon had gone silent again.
Jaewon touched his arm. "What did Ha-joon mean back then? What happened between you two?"
Seon closed his eyes.
"He didn't just want me gone. He wanted to replace me. He always has."
---
That night, a post appeared anonymously on a gossip forum:
> "What if Seon's the real villain? A secret scandal in training days with another boy—who mysteriously got cut days after."
The internet bit down hard.
Comments flew. Screenshots resurfaced.
Seon stared at his phone, breath shallow.
And that's when Jaewon stepped in—live.
He opened his phone and started a broadcast without asking anyone.
>
"This ends now. I'm Jaewon from AX1. And you all deserve to hear it from me."
---
To be continued...