Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 224: LIKE SLIME

SONG KYUNGHO listened as one of the assistant PDs updated him. The ratings for this episode were far higher than the last one. In fact, the numbers had been climbing steadily since the very first episode aired. It wasn’t just the ratings either. The show’s online presence kept growing bigger and bigger. They were trending not just domestically, but internationally as well. All things considered, everything was going very well.

If the momentum kept going like this, they might actually succeed in producing a group that would be truly successful. The public was invested. The ratings were solid. The online engagement was massive. All the pieces were falling into place.

His only concern now was making sure that the ones who ended up debuting truly deserved their spots. He didn’t agree with rigging votes, not really. But sometimes, he had to admit, rigging could actually save a project group. Because the public didn’t always vote with the big picture in mind. They voted for whoever they liked, even if that person didn’t really fit with the others. And at the end of it all, you could end up with a group that had no real chemistry. Just individuals standing next to each other instead of a team that worked together.

Kyungho wanted to avoid that at all costs. Especially since the group this program was trying to build wasn’t just a temporary project group. But a permanent one. He already had certain contestants in mind, people he believed should end up in the final lineup. But since he wasn’t willing to rig the votes, the best he could do was to give those people more screen time, more focus, more chances to be seen. He just had to be careful about it. Not too obvious. He didn’t want the public to catch on and start accusing him of favoritism or evil editing.

"Uncle, aren’t you going to show what happened with Choi Yujin?" his niece asked once all the staff had filed out of his office.

He glanced at Soojin. His niece had gotten up from the couch she was sitting on and was now leaning against his desk. "There’s no need. He’s already eliminated, so what would be the point? Even if I wanted to add more drama to the show, the person the audience would be angry at isn’t even here anymore. I could use that screen time for something more useful instead. Besides, if I could give a pass to an Alpha who forgot to take his suppressants, then I can do the same for an Omega who’s clearly just emotionally messed up."

Soojin nodded. She could understand where her uncle was coming from. Choi Yujin was already getting hate online just for the way he kept clinging to Han Seojun. If people found out about what he actually did, online hate would be the least of his problems. He might end up getting bullied in real life. And with the bullying culture in this country, whatever violence came his way would probably be way worse than what he actually deserved for what he did.

She just hoped Choi Yujin wouldn’t do anything stupid after this. Because if he did, whatever happened to him after that would be on him.

***

The next day, all eight groups gathered in their preferred practice rooms. Since there were enough rooms for every team, no one had to share. In one of those practice rooms, Haneul’s team was working on creating the choreography for the part of [Over the Edge] they would be performing.

They had already discussed yesterday that the choreography they would make shouldn’t be too close to the original. That way, when they faced off against the other team during the performance, their version would feel fresh and distinct instead of just a copy.

Haneul seriously had no talent for making up choreography, so he kept his input very minimal. Instead of getting in the way, he focused on memorizing the chorus part of the original dance. Luckily, he had an excellent memory, so that wasn’t too hard. The actual issue was actually executing the moves correctly. But he figured he could fix that by just repeating them over and over until his body caught up.

So right now, while Baek Eunwoo and Lim Suho were deep in discussion about choreography, Haneul was standing in front of the practice mirror trying his best to dance through the chorus. He looked incredibly awkward. Especially during the parts that required body rolls, and even worse when he had to push his hips forward. He was trying so hard not to make it look sexual that his movements ended up stiff and even more uncomfortable to watch.

He was so focused on his own reflection that he didn’t notice Jeon Hyunsik walking over. It wasn’t until he caught a glimpse of the other standing right beside him that he realized the other was there.

Jeon Hyunsik smiled at him. "You’re a little stiff. You just gotta let your body follow the beat more. Here, watch me."

Haneul watched Jeon Hyunsik. The other man angled his body toward the mirror and started moving through the chorus. He rolled his shoulders back one at a time, then let his hips move in a slow, circular motion. When he finished, he lifted his gaze and looked directly at Haneul’s reflection in the mirror, his eyes half-lidded and his mouth curved into a slow smile. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Haneul felt a cold, unpleasant crawl go down his spine when he saw Jeon Hyunsik looking at him like that. It was the same feeling he got when he accidentally touched something slimy. His skin prickled and he had to fight the urge to step back. He kept his face still for a second, then forced himself to smile.

"Do you want me to guide you?" Jeon Hyunsik asked, still watching him through the mirror.

Before Haneul could figure out what Jeon Hyunsik meant, the other moved and positioned himself right behind him. Haneul’s eyes went to the mirror. He saw Jeon Hyunsik raising his hands, about to place them on his hips.