Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 85: A LITTLE WARNING

THE next morning, many of the contestants emerged from their rooms with noticeable dark circles under their eyes. Exhaustion was evident, as most had stayed up late practicing, while some had even woken up at the crack of dawn to squeeze in more practice time. Those concerned about their appearance tried to mask their fatigue with makeup, but the weariness etched on their faces was impossible to fully hide.

Haneul woke up early, not only to squeeze in more practice but also because he was scheduled for the 7 AM ’Song’ block with the mentors, along with nine other contestants. He headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. Since he had already showered the night before, it took him only five minutes to finish.

As he was about to leave the bathroom, his eyes caught his reflection in the mirror above the sink, causing him to pause. Despite the dark circles under his eyes, he didn’t appear haggard as he expected. Instead, he looked... vulnerable? There was a kind of fragile, almost pitiful quality to his appearance, the kind that made people instinctively want to protect him. This unexpected image stopped him in his tracks for a moment longer.

Shit.

That damn Yeomra.

Was this also part of his ’curse’? That he would never look tired or haggard in his life ever again?

Haneul let out a frustrated sigh. No, this was fine. Everything had its pros and cons. If he kept seeing Yeomra’s "beautification" gift as a curse, it could eventually become one. Dwelling on negativity had a way of manifesting it. Instead, it was better to focus on the positives, to reframe his perspective. After all, how he chose to view things could make all the difference.

Having finished convincing himself with his internal pep talk, he stepped out of the bathroom.

He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly found himself face-to-face with Song Jiwoo, who looked like he had just woken up. His hair was slightly messy, and without the usual layer of makeup, his features appeared softer, less sharp than usual. There was an unexpected purity to his face, a natural innocence that wasn’t as noticeable when he was all done up.

Haneul was a little surprised. Because this showed that Song Jiwoo intentionally used makeup to cover up his natural, pure aura. It was an interesting choice, especially considering how others were trying so hard to achieve that exact innocent look. Case in point: their other roommate, who was still currently asleep, Park Mirae.

"Good morning," he greeted with a smile.

Instead of responding, Song Jiwoo stared at him for a few seconds before saying something Haneul didn’t expect: "You better not show your bare face in front of Park Mirae. Or that annoying bastard might just try to ruin your face."

Haneul blinked in confusion. His bare face? Was it because he wasn’t wearing his glasses? Was Song Jiwoo suggesting he should always keep them on around Park Mirae? Did that mean, after seeing him without the glasses, Park Mirae would feel so threatened that he wouldn’t hesitate to ruin his face?

He couldn’t help but think back to his brief conversation with Park Mirae the day before, and how he behaved around Song Jiwoo. Park Mirae had been passive-aggressive, masking his hostility as "concern." It was easy to conclude that the two shared some kind of history—one that seemed far from pleasant, if he had to guess.

By that logic, it would be easy to assume Song Jiwoo was just talking badly behind Park Mirae’s back. But somehow, Haneul had a gut feeling that wasn’t the case. It seemed more like Song Jiwoo was genuinely telling the truth, giving him a warning rather than simply badmouthing Park Mirae.

He probably felt that way because his opinion of Park Mirae wasn’t that positive to begin with. At first, he assumed Mirae was the type who liked pretending to be kind but was actually mean inside. But if he was truly capable of ruining someone’s face, that was a whole different level.

It seemed wise to avoid interacting with Park Mirae any more than necessary. Thankfully, they’d be leaving the hotel after tomorrow, and with any luck, he wouldn’t have to be roommates with him anymore.

"Thanks for the warning," Haneul said to Song Jiwoo.

Song Jiwoo just scoffed. "Yeah, whatever."

Song Jiwoo headed toward the bathroom without a word, leaving Haneul staring at his back. Haneul had briefly considered inviting him to join them for breakfast, especially since they shared the same schedule. The two of them being in the same ’Song’ and ’Dance’ block. But judging by Song Jiwoo’s indifferent attitude, it was clear he probably wouldn’t be interested.

So, Haneul just walked over to his bed, put on his glasses, and began drying his hair. Once he finished, he headed out of the room. It was only 6:00 AM, leaving him plenty of time. He planned to grab breakfast before heading to the room where the ’Song’ mentors would be.

Just as he walked out, the door to the next room on his right opened. When he saw Robin coming out of the room, he let out a sigh of relief. Haneul was actually wondering whether to knock on the door of the next room or not. Although he and Robin had made an appointment to eat breakfast at this time, he wasn’t sure if the other was already awake or not.

"Good morning, Haneul," Robin energetically greeted.

Haneul smiled and greeted him back. "Good morning."

Together, they began walking towards the elevator.

"By the way, what time did you leave the practice room last night?" Robin asked, glancing over.

"Hmm... around 1 or 2 AM? I’m not really sure," Haneul replied, thinking back.

Robin turned to him, eyes wide in disbelief. "Haneul, I get that you want to do well, but don’t overdo it. We’re only on the first mission. It won’t do you any good if you burn out or collapse this early in the competition."