Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 130: END OF THE MORNING EVENTS

HANEUL glanced subtly at Lee Minjae. The other was doing his best to mask his dissatisfaction, but the slight downturn at the corner of his mouth betrayed him. It’s quite obvious that he wasn’t fully convinced about their team’s decision to pick a stronger opponent.

But what could he do? They’d decided this through a fair vote. No matter how much he disagreed, he needed to at least control his expression better. Had he already forgotten they were being filmed? Did he really think the production team would ignore this conversation? If so, he clearly didn’t understand how idol survival programs worked. Any hint of conflict, any moment of tension—especially if it could be spun into a dramatic storyline—would absolutely make it into the final show.

Haneul could only hope things wouldn’t escalate further—but he knew that was wishful thinking. If Lee Minjae was already this displeased over a simple vote, there was no way he’d stay quiet once actual practice began. Given his clear dislike for Taeyang’s leadership style, tensions were bound to rise and different problems would surely come right after.

"Taeyang-ssi, has your team decided who to compete against?"

Yoon Jihoon’s question snapped Haneul back to the present. The five successful teams now stood on the left side of designated stands, each marked with their chosen song title. As explained earlier, the teams they selected as opponents would stand on the right side. And since Taeyang’s team had arrived first, they would be the first to choose which team to face.

The six members of each team stood in formation, with those who had raced earlier positioned at the front. Taeyang, having secured their song first, now stood at the head of their group.

"We choose Eunwoo-ssi’s group," Taeyang responded.

Baek Eunwoo barely reacted—just a single raised brow and the faintest tilt at one corner of his lips. It’s as if he was already expecting Taeyang to choose his team. Without much fanfare, he simply nodded and motioned for his team to follow, leading them to the right side of the stand where Taeyang’s group stood.

"You better be ready to get your ass kicked," Baek Eunwoo said, his lips quirking in amusement.

Taeyang just snorted. "You can try."

Baek Eunwoo chuckled. "Naturally. And you’d better bring your best too. I won’t accept anything less."

The exchange made Haneul frown slightly. Although they spoke in quiet tones, he still heard them. Their ease with each other was obvious - too obvious for people who’d supposedly just met days ago. The way they bantered spoke of a familiarity that shouldn’t exist yet.

A quiet suspicion took root in Haneul’s mind: had they known each other before the show? The possibility settled uncomfortably in his chest, though he couldn’t quite explain why it bothered him so much.

Haneul forcefully pushed the thought aside. What was wrong with him? Getting worked up over someone who couldn’t decide whether to befriend him or pretend he didn’t exist was pathetic. With a quiet exhale, he simply refocused his attention on Yoon Jihoon.

"Taeyang-ssi, may I ask why your team chose Eunwoo-ssi’s group?" Yoon Jihoon inquired like any good emcee would.

"We believe Eunwoo-ssi’s team would be the best match for us," Taeyang replied simply.

Haneul heard a quiet, derisive snort from behind. He didn’t need to turn around to know it was Lee Minjae. Ah, seriously, this guy.

After a brief exchange with Baek Eunwoo, asking him about his reaction to what Taeyang had said, Yoon Jihoon moved on to Seojun’s team next. Being the second group to secure a song, it was now their turn to select their opponents from the remaining groups.

Haneul glanced toward Seojun’s group. Like Haru, Seojun had been placed on a randomly assigned team after not being picked by any of the top five. It made sense - with limited spots, the leaders had naturally gravitated toward contestants they knew could deliver vocally. Despite that, Haneul wasn’t particularly concerned about them.

Because in his previous world, both Seojun and Haru had made it into the final debut group. Even with all the changes happening now, he was certain they wouldn’t be eliminated in the next round.

And so, the selection process continued until all teams had been matched.

Yoon Jihoon clapped his hands together, drawing everyone’s attention. "The live performance will be in two weeks," he announced. "How well you prepare could determine whether you stay in this competition or not." He continued, "I’ll return next week with K-Beat to check your progress. So, use this time well." With a final nod, he concluded, "That’s all for today. Do your best."

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Haneul stood in the practice room, surrounded by staff members adjusting cameras and lighting. After the morning’s team selections, the production crew had informed everyone they’d be filming individual interviews and introductory videos that afternoon. Since it wasn’t yet his turn for the interview, they’d directed him here first to film his introduction.

Their group hadn’t actually discussed anything since the morning’s events. Or more accurately, they couldn’t - Lee Minjae had left immediately after announcing he would work on his introductory video first. With one member absent, there wasn’t much they could accomplish as a team. Still, Taeyang had made it clear they would have to meet in the evening to finally talk things through. Even Lee Minjae couldn’t argue with that.

"Are you ready?" one of the staff members asked.

Haneul snapped back to the present and gave a quick nod. "Yes."

The countdown began. "We’re rolling in 3... 2... 1!"

The camera light blinked on, signaling that he should start.

Haneul smiled at the camera, a natural, unpolished charm in his expression. "Hi, I’m Kang Haneul—18 years old, third year high school student, and older brother to the most adorable little sister in the world. Hi Haeun-ah!" He chuckled before his tone softened. "I’ve dreamed of being an idol since I was a kid, but it took me until last month to finally take the leap. I’m still figuring out the dancing part, but... well, here’s a song that I would like to share with you all."