Episode 39: The Song They Tried to Erase
1. Seon's Recording
Minho transferred the file into the VOX studio system.
The track began softly — rough, unfiltered, almost like a lullaby.
Then Seon's voice, younger, strained.
> "You made me rehearse until I forgot how to breathe. This song is a memory. If I disappear, this is my name."
It was haunting.
Not polished.
But unmistakably Seon.
He sat in silence, then whispered: "I wrote this at 16. The night they locked me in that rehearsal room for 14 hours."
Jaewon placed a hand on his knee. "You want to finish it?"
Seon nodded. "Not alone."
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2. Reconstructing the Past
The file had fragments — verse, chorus, humming, sobs.
Minho pulled up vocal stems.
Seo-jin layered new harmonies.
Jun wrote a rap verse — a first.
Even Jae-min contributed backup vocals, his tone soft like a whisper behind Seon's raw notes.
They named the track: Unforgotten.
> "You tried to mute me. I grew louder in silence."
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3. VOX's Live Announcement
They scheduled a livestream.
The thumbnail was black.
No hype. No teasers.
Just this caption:
> "Tonight, we sing the song they erased."
500,000 tuned in.
Seon appeared first. Alone.
"I wrote this in darkness. Tonight, I finish it in light."
The screen faded to the live performance.
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4. The Performance
One mic. One spotlight. No filters.
As Seon sang, footage of his 16-year-old self played behind him — blurry rehearsal footage, stolen clips, security cam fragments.
Then each member joined.
Jaewon, Jun, Minho, Seo-jin, and finally, Jae-min.
At the bridge, Seon fell silent.
The crowd, watching online, began flooding the chat:
> "Sing for us." "We're still here." "You're not alone."
He looked up.
And sang the final line:
> "I remember me."
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5. Reaction
Fans called it VOX's most personal work.
Critics called it "a resurrection in real time."
Former idols wrote blog posts. Teachers played it in classrooms. Parents cried with their kids.
Hashtags trended:
#Unforgotten
#VOXMemoryProject
#SeonRemembers
And trending beneath them:
#ProtectOurVoices
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6. Jaewon's Confession
That night, in the quiet of their apartment, Jaewon stood at the balcony.
"I used to think you were stronger than me," he said.
Seon joined him.
"I wasn't. I just hid better."
Jaewon turned. "No. You kept singing. That's strength."
They kissed. No fireworks.
Just breath. Just truth.
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7. Fan Mail Spotlight
VOX began a weekly series: "Letters We Sing With."
Each week, they read a fan letter live and responded in song.
This week's letter:
> "I was abused by my coach. I thought I had no voice. But your music made me scream. I'm okay now. Thank you."
They sang Unforgotten again — this time, with tears in their eyes.
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8. Cliffhanger — The Voice That Wasn't Theirs
A legal team contacted VOX.
Subject: "Regarding stolen vocal training archives."
Within the attached folder were dozens of voice files.
Some labeled "Seon — Draft 1."
Others: "Clone Material."
Jaewon read aloud:
> "Voiceprint replications complete. Subject Seon used as benchmark."
Minho stared in horror.
Jae-min whispered, "They were never trying to create idols. They
were manufacturing replacements."
Seon stood.
"This wasn't just abuse. This was theft."
And this time, he didn't tremble.
He turned to the mic.
"Then let's write a war song."
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