Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 109: WELCOME ABOARD

THE four mentors stood on the deck, looking down at the contestants. The group waited silently, unsure of what to expect. After a moment, Yoon Jihoon stepped forward.

"Congratulations on making it through the first elimination," he said. "You’ve all worked hard to get here, but this is just the beginning. The competition will get tougher, and you’ll need to keep improving. Use this opportunity to grow and show us why you deserve to debut."

The contestants nodded, but there wasn’t much time to dwell on his words before Dyna moved to the front. She crossed her arms and scanned the group.

"Don’t get comfortable," she said. "Making it through one round doesn’t mean anything. The next stages will be harder. If you’re not ready to work twice as hard, you’ll fall behind. Excuses won’t get you anywhere. If you can’t give everything you’ve got, you might as well leave now."

The atmosphere grew heavier, but Dyna didn’t wait for a reaction. She stepped back, and K-Beat took her place. He adjusted his cap, speaking in a casual tone that broke some of the tension.

"Good job making it this far," he said. "It’s not easy to get here, but like they said, this is just the start. You’ve got talent, but that’s not enough. You’ll need to stay focused and work hard every day. It’s going to get tough, but remember to keep pushing forward. That’s how you’ll make it."

"Passing one round doesn’t mean anything yet," Choi Minhyuk added next. "Every decision you make from now on will matter. You’re being judged on everything—your performances, your effort, your attitude. Treat this like your last chance, especially since for most of you, that’s certainly the case. If you want to debut, prove it."

The silence that followed his words was heavy. No one moved until Yoon Jihoon spoke again, his voice calm but firm.

"This ship will play a key role in the next phase of the competition. From this point on, The Argo will be your training ground, your performance venue, and your home. You will live here for the next few months."

The announcement hit the group like a wave. Whispers erupted almost instantly, contestants turning to each other in disbelief.

"Live here?" someone murmured.

"For months?" another voice echoed.

Haru grabbed Haneul’s arm. "Did he just say we’re staying on the ship?" he asked, his voice a mix of confusion and surprise.

Before Haneul could answer, Dyna stepped forward, silencing the murmurs with a single glance. "Enough talking," she said sharply. "If you want to understand what’s happening, get up on deck. We’ll explain everything there."

The mentors stepped aside, gesturing toward the boarding ramp. The staff motioned for the contestants to move, and the group hesitantly started toward the ship. The murmurs didn’t stop, but they grew quieter as everyone began filing onto The Argo.

Haru leaned closer to Haneul as they walked. "Do you think they’re serious? Living here? For real?"

Haneul didn’t look at him. His eyes stayed fixed on the ship ahead, its pristine white exterior gleaming in the sun. "Looks like it."

One by one, the contestants stepped aboard, most of them still confused.

The contestants moved in their six orderly rows, just as they had been instructed earlier, with ten contestants in each row. The staff guided them up the ramp and onto the deck, ensuring they stayed in formation by rank. Once on the wide, open deck, the contestants remained in their rows, some glancing around at the pristine ship while others exchanged quiet whispers, their uncertainty clear. The mentors stood at the front, waiting for everyone to settle before speaking.

"You’re probably wondering what I meant when I said this ship will be your home for the next few months," Yoon Jihoon began. "Let me clarify. The Argo will not just be where you live—it will also serve as your training ground, your stage for performances, and the venue for evaluations and eliminations throughout the program. Everything you do from this point forward will happen here."

Dyna’s voice cut through the silence. "But don’t think this ship is just going to sit here. The Argo will sail to three specific stops during the program. At each stop, you’ll be given missions designed to test different skills. How you perform will directly impact what happens next."

K-Beat continued, "After completing the missions, you’ll perform for a live audience. And here’s the kicker—eliminations from now on won’t be decided by us. Instead, it’ll be up to the public. Voting will be split fifty-fifty between domestic and international viewers. So, your connection with the audience is going to be just as important as your skills."

Choi Minhyuk spoke next, his expression serious. "This process will continue at every stop until we reach the finale. By then, only five of you will remain. Those five will debut as the final group. From this point on, every choice you make, every moment you spend here—it all matters. If you’re not ready to give it everything, this is where your journey ends."

The deck remained silent for a moment before quiet whispers started to spread through the rows of contestants. Some exchanged uncertain glances, while others leaned toward those beside them, murmuring questions and concerns about what they had just heard.

"Three stops? What kind of missions do you think they’ll make us do?"

"I didn’t know international fans would have a say too."

"Living on a ship... How are we supposed to focus like that?"

"How do they even calculate votes between domestic and international?"

"What kind of performances are we even going to do at the stops?"

"Five debut spots... That’s almost nothing compared to how many of us are left."

"I hope the living conditions on this ship aren’t bad."

Yoon Jihoon waited for the whispers to die down before speaking again. "And lastly," he said, looking over the rows of contestants, "welcome aboard The Argo."

The contestants stood quietly on the deck. For many of them, it felt like the competition was finally beginning.