Chapter Text
“A promise is a promise, even when the winds turn cold.”
The conference room felt too quiet for the stakes at hand.
The X1 agency sat across from the representatives of each member’s home agency, stacks of papers outlining budgets, projections, and proposed schedules. Coffee cups steamed, untouched, as the discussion turned sharp.
“The world wants to see X1,” one executive said, tapping his pen. “The numbers speak for themselves.”
But numbers were not the problem.
“You’re asking for three months of world tour promotions during the opening of the non-exclusivity period,” one executive from a member’s agency said, voice clipped.
“You’ve had them exclusively for two years already,” another added.
Seungwoo, seated beside Seungyoun and Wooseok, kept his jaw tight, eyes focused.
“With respect, the world tour isn’t about us staying in the agency,” Seungyoun said, his voice calm but steel beneath it. “It’s about maximizing what we’ve built. The attention, the momentum—”
“Your members can prepare solo content during the tour,” the X1 agency’s rep interjected, “staged content, teasers, pre-recorded interviews. We drop them during the tour, building buzz for your solo plans while the members are on the biggest stages of their careers.”
The financial projection slides returned to the screen:
- Merch sales projections in the millions.
- Streaming spikes following concerts.
- YouTube growth.
- Local media coverage for each stop.
But the home agencies were cautious, unwilling to commit, wanting their idols back under their management, preparing group comebacks or solos.
For the younger members, the meeting was an echo of frustrations they thought they had left behind.
Dohyon, seated beside Seungyoun with his laptop open, waited for a moment to present the live production plans he had drafted, showing how the tour could be adapted with VCRs to allow solo teasers.
When he finally spoke, it was quiet but confident.
But when he raised his hand, some representatives from his home agency exchanged glances, eyes sliding past him to look at his manager instead.
“I have the production plan here. If you look, there’s space in each concert for individual stages that could preview upcoming solo music.”
“Your manager can send it to us later.” Said an executive of his agency dismissively.
Dohyon’s eyes flickered, but he swallowed his frustration, glancing at Seungyoun, who gave him a supportive nod.
Minhee and Hyeongjun exchanged a look, frustration bubbling in their chests. They were used to being heard in X1 meetings, their voices valued, their ideas considered. Here, with their home agencies, they felt like children again, spoken over, decisions made around them.
Eunsang placed a steadying hand on Minhee’s knee under the table, a reminder to breathe.
“Hyung,” Minhee whispered to Wooseok during a break, “why does it feel like we’re not allowed to be adults outside of X1?”
Wooseok squeezed his shoulder.
“Because they’re afraid of how strong your voice really is,” he replied.
The debate raged for days.
“We can do Asia only, keep it contained,” one agency insisted.
“We owe it to the fans who waited for years during COVID to go global,” Seungyoun countered.
Logistics, travel restrictions, profit margins, staff scheduling—every reason to keep it small.
But every member felt the weight of the Hold My Hand Challenge videos, thousands of voices from all corners of the world singing their chorus, waiting.
“They believed in us,” Wooseok said quietly during a late-night meeting, “the least we can do is try.”
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Late one evening, Minhee, Hyeongjun, and Eunsang went live on Instagram, sprawled on the dorm sofa hair damp from showers, faces fresh, laughter easy as they answered fan questions.
“We’ve been working really hard lately,” Minhee said, eyes glinting.
“On… something,” Eunsang added cautiously, shooting Minhee a look.
“Something big?” a fan commented.
Minhee smirked, playing with the drawstring of his hoodie.
“Maybe.”
Eunsang bit his lip, shaking his head with a small laugh.
“Minhee-hyung,” he warned.
“What? They deserve to know something,” Minhee shrugged.
“Are you going to say it or should I?” Hyeongjun teased.
Fans flooded the chat:
“Comeback?”
“WORLD TOUR?!”
“TELL US!”
Hyeongjun glanced at Eunsang, then leaned in with a mischievous grin.
“We are excited to meet all of you” Minhee blurted.
“MINHEE!” Eunsang yelped, whacking his arm.
The chat exploded, hearts flooding the screen.
“A TOUR?!?!”
“WORLD TOUR OR ASIA???”
“IS THIS REAL????”
The boys grinned at the camera, eyes dancing, ignoring the barrage of Kakao messages flooding from their managers in real time.
When the live ended, they were promptly reprimanded by the staff, but the excitement that ignited online was undeniable.
Later that night, Minhee turned to Eunsang.
“Worth it.”
“Yeah,” Eunsang sighed, smiling despite himself. “Worth it.”
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The following morning, back at the dorm, the members gathered in the living room, tension still hanging in the air.
“This tour needs to happen,” Seungwoo said firmly, looking at each of them.
“We’ve worked too hard to let it end like this,” Seungyoun added.
“If they won’t believe in us, we’ll show them,” Wooseok said.
“We need a name,” Dongpyo said, sprawled on the floor with a notebook.
“Something that matches Phoenix, Rise, and everything we’ve built,” Eunsang mused.
“It should feel hopeful,” Yohan added, “like it’s for the fans.”
“What about… Odyssey?” Dohyon suggested quietly “Like the journey ?”
There was a silence, then Minhee’s smile broke.
“I like it.”
“Odyssey: X1’s Journey,” Seungwoo said, nodding. “It’s decided.”
They divided tasks naturally, like they always did:
- Seungwoo, Seungyoun, Yohan, and Dohyon would handle the setlist and remixes.
- Hyeongjun, Hangyul, and Dongpyo would adapt the choreographies and stage designs for concerts.
- Wooseok, Minhee, Eunsang, and Junho would oversee concepts, visuals, outfits, and VCR preparation.
They were exhausted, but in that moment, with the decision made, they felt alive.
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With rumours swirling online, the members dove into preparation.
Seungwoo, Seungyoun, Yohan, and Dohyon gathered in the studio, headphones on, songs playing as they scribbled notes. Seungyoun adjusting live arrangements, Seungwoo and Yohan testing transitions.
“Let’s open with Phoenix,” Seungyoun suggested. “Hit hard.”
“And we can rework Red Echo with a live band,” Dohyon suggested. “It’ll give it more power. ”
“And close with Hold My Hand, let the fans sing it with us,” Yohan added.
They crafted a narrative through their songs, telling the X1 story in stages.
Hyeongjun, Hangyul, and Dongpyo took over a practice room, mirrors fogging as they rehearsed, testing wide formations and interactive crowd moments.
They sketched stage designs on whiteboards, discussing LED screens showing sunrise visuals and moments where fans’ voices could be integrated into the show.
“We’ll need wider formations here,” Hangyul noted.
“And more dynamic lifts,” Hyeongjun added, demonstrating a spin that Dongpyo immediately tried (and failed) to copy, dissolving into laughter.
“We’re going to make this unforgettable,” Dongpyo said, sweat shining on his forehead.
Wooseok, Minhee, Eunsang, and Junho surrounded themselves with colour swatches, mood boards and visual references.
“Red, gold, and white for the sunrise concept,” Minhee suggested.
“We need to film the VCRs like it’s a movie,” Wooseok said, his eyes bright.
“Flowing fabrics for Hold My Hand and the calmer songs” Eunsang added, eyes shining.
They planned moments for fan interactions, solo stages hinting at each member’s future while celebrating who they were together.
They debated VCR storylines, wanting to capture the journey of X1 from their first stage to now, a story of hope and endurance.
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As January turned to February, the final decisions from agencies loomed.
Would it be Asia, or the world ? Or worst nothing at all ?
They didn’t know.
But as they stood in the practice room, sweaty and laughing, preparing the final formation for Hold My Hand, they looked at each other and knew:
They were ready.
Ready to rise, ready to meet the fans who had waited so long, ready to remind the world who X1 was—
No matter where the Odyssey would take them.