Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 126: TEAM FORMATION

HANEUL nodded to himself. This was exactly the same as the vocal mission from Boys Odyssey in his previous world. But with contestants who hadn’t been part of the original lineup now here—and others missing—the outcome of this mission was bound to be different from what he remembered. Especially with the current ranked one.

Speaking of which, Haneul glanced toward the front of the room, where Taeyang stood up after Yoon Jihoon called his name. Taeyang walked to the stage with his usual confident stride. The room fell silent, all eyes on him as he prepared to make his first pick.

"So, Taeyang-ssi, who are the five contestants you’ll choose for your team?" Yoon Jihoon asked, handing Taeyang a tablet.

Haneul raised a brow, curious at first about the tablet’s purpose. But then it clicked—the program must have anticipated that not everyone knew each other well enough to make informed choices. Over the past few days, most of their time had been spent practicing the theme song, not mingling or learning names. How could anyone pick teammates if they didn’t even know who was who? The tablet likely contained profiles or a list of contestants, making it easier for Taeyang and the rest of the top five to make their selections.

Haneul wondered how they would edit this part. In every idol survival program he’d watched, the contestants always seemed to know each other perfectly, as if they’d been friends for years. But in reality, most of them barely had time to learn each other’s names, let alone their strengths or weaknesses. Maybe PD Song was going for a more realistic approach this time, showing the genuine awkwardness and uncertainty that came with forming teams in such a high-pressure environment.

He waited for Taeyang to make his first pick, expecting the other to take his time scrolling through the tablet. But to his surprise, Taeyang didn’t even glance at the screen. Instead, he looked straight ahead, his voice steady and clear as he spoke into the mic stand in front of him.

"My first pick is Kang Haneul-ssi."

Haneul jolted in his seat, his eyes widening in surprise. Hearing Taeyang say his name first was the last thing he’d expected. Given the other’s hot-and-cold attitude toward him, he hadn’t thought Taeyang would pick him at all, no matter how skilled he was.

"I knew he’d pick you."

Robin’s quiet mumble snapped Haneul out of his daze. He quickly stood up, plastering a shy smile on his lips as he made his way to the stage. He stood beside Taeyang, offering a polite smile as he tried his best to appear genuinely happy about being chosen by the contestant ranked first. Taeyang, however, frowned slightly, as if something was bothering him. But the expression was fleeting, disappearing almost as quickly as it had appeared. Without a word, Taeyang turned his attention back to the tablet in his hands.

Haneul bit the inside of his cheek. See? Hot and cold. He wondered how the two of them could possibly work together as teammates if Taeyang kept acting like this. Resisting the urge to shake his head, he glanced at the tablet Taeyang was holding. His eyes nearly widened when he saw what was displayed.

The contestants were arranged according to their vocal ability, as judged by the mentors. And there, at the very top, was his name—ranked first. Now that he’d been chosen, his profile photo was grayed out.

So, this was how the program team was handling it. Haneul thought, a mix of amusement and realization dawning on him. It made sense—this way, the top five could make informed choices based on skill rather than guesswork. But doing it this way would significantly lower the chances of the remaining thirty contestants who weren’t chosen. With the top five strategically picking the strongest vocalists, the others would be left to form teams randomly, putting them at a clear disadvantage for their first performance in front of a live audience.

Taeyang proceeded to name three more contestants: Kim Joonhyuk, Lee Minjae, and Park Seongwoo. Each pick was strategic, clearly chosen for their vocal strengths. But when it came time to select the final member of the team, Haneul felt a bit nervous. During his quick glance earlier, he’d noticed that Park Mirae’s name was ranked fairly high on the vocal list.

"The last member I’ve chosen for this team is..." Taeyang paused, looking up from the tablet. "Robin Leroux-ssi."

Haneul secretly let out a sigh of relief when he heard Robin’s name. Surprise quickly followed the relief, though—Taeyang and Robin didn’t exactly get along, so the former picking the latter was unexpected, to say the least. But Haneul wasn’t about to question it. Having Robin on the team was undoubtedly better than the alternative, especially when the other option could have been Park Mirae.

As Robin made his way to the stage, his surprise was evident, mirroring Haneul’s own reaction. But it didn’t take long for a grin to spread across his face. He gave Taeyang a playful thumbs-up before taking his place beside Haneul.

"Now, we have Team 1," Yoon Jihoon announced. "The six of you can head down and maybe start to get to know each other. Next, please come up to the stage, Baek Eunwoo-ssi."

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After an hour, all ten teams were finally assembled. The top five contestants had handpicked the first five teams. The remaining 30 contestants, who hadn’t been chosen, were then grouped randomly through a computer-generated system that shuffled their names and assigned them to the last five teams. This process left some feeling disheartened, as if they were the leftovers no one had wanted.

But no matter how they felt, the show had to go on.

"Now that we have our ten teams," Yoon Jihoon began, "it’s time to reveal the songs you’ll be performing."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the two large screens behind him lit up, displaying the titles of the six songs in bold, eye-catching fonts. The room fell silent, all eyes glued to the screens as the contestants took in the list.