Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 96: HIS EFFORT AND DETERMINATION

HANEUL took a deep breath as the music started, grounding himself before moving into the first step. His movements felt a bit stiff as he followed the choreography he had practiced. He remembered each move, his mind guiding him through each of it, but his lack of experience was evident. Some steps were sharp, while others lacked the smoothness he wanted, his feet sometimes dragging or his arms not quite matching the fluidity of the beat. freёweɓnovel.com

Despite struggling with some of the quicker transitions, Haneul never hesitated. He moved through each part of the choreography, even if his body didn’t fully respond the way he’d hoped. He stumbled slightly on the footwork, missing a beat here and there, but he kept going, determined not to let the pressure throw him off completely. Each time he felt himself falter, he dug in, refusing to let his mistakes overwhelm him.

He smiled as he danced, the expression lightening his face even when his body felt heavy with every movement. Though his form wasn’t perfect, his smile was genuine, almost as if he was trying to show that he was enjoying the moment, no matter how challenging it might be. When he made eye contact with the mentors, he held their gaze with a steady resolve, silently saying he was here to give his best, no matter how shaky his steps were.

As he reached the end, he pulled himself together, focusing all his energy on finishing strong. He threw himself into the final move, still smiling, and landed the last beat as best as he could.

With his breath coming in shallow gasps, he managed to steady himself enough to bow deeply to the mentors.

Dyna was the first to break the silence. "Haneul-ssi, I’ll be honest with you—you’re missing some of the foundational elements in your dancing. Your technique isn’t quite there yet, especially in your footwork and transitions. There were moments where you looked a bit unsteady, and your movements could use more polish to really showcase the choreography." She paused thoughtfully before asking, "How long have you been dancing?"

Haneul met her gaze, answering honestly, "It’s been about a month."

Both mentors exchanged surprised glances. They hadn’t expected him to have so little experience, but it explained some of the rough edges in his movements. With this new perspective, they found themselves further appreciating the determination he had shown.

Dyna’s expression softened, a small smile breaking through the seriousness on her face. "Honestly, I respect that you kept going without a single pause. No matter how challenging it got or how many mistakes you made, you never gave up and still danced with a smile on your face. That’s something rare. There was a sincerity in your performance. Showing us that you’re enjoying each moment despite how hard you’re struggling with the movements. We don’t always see that."

Choi Minhyuk nodded, adding, "Dyna’s right. While you might lack the technical grounding that others have, you make up for it by giving yourself completely to the dance. You didn’t let any mistakes hold you back, and we can see how determined you are through that. Keep building those fundamentals—if you can solidify that base, I think you’ll surprise a lot of people."

Dyna offered an encouraging smile. "Hold on to that spirit, Haneul-ssi. It’ll take you further than you can imagine."

Haneul made another deep bow. "Thank you so much."

Some of the contestants exchanged puzzled glances, wondering why Haneul seemed to be receiving gentler feedback compared to those before him. Maybe the mentors were in a better mood after the impressive performance just before Haneul’s, making them less strict this time. That had to be it, they figured.

There was no way that choppy performance could be considered "good." Most of them had seen Haneul as tough competition after how well he did during vocal practice that morning, but watching him stumble through this dance quickly changed their minds. Yet, the fact that he still received relatively mild feedback from two notoriously strict mentors—who had torn into the previous contestants—left them uncomfortable.

What they didn’t realize was that those contestants had subconsciously given up the moment they made their first mistake. Though they finished the performance, they seemed to be moving mechanically, just wanting it to be over. In contrast, Haneul stayed fully engaged, putting his heart into the dance without getting caught up in his mistakes. He even looked genuinely happy as he performed, unlike some of the previous contestants.

Even if Haneul knew what they were thinking, he wouldn’t care. He was simply glad that his sincerity had reached the mentors. But he understood that sincerity alone could only take him so far. If he didn’t improve after this, no matter how hard he worked, even the mentors would struggle to find something to praise. It would only make him seem truly untalented at dancing. He knew he needed to work hard enough to prevent that from ever happening. At the very least, he wanted to be skilled enough that his efforts wouldn’t be dismissed.

As he walked back to his spot, Haneul’s gaze naturally drifted toward Taeyang, as if seeking him out without thinking. To his surprise, Taeyang was already looking his way. A faint smile played at the corner of Taeyang’s lips, and he gave a small nod, as if to congratulate him on a job well done.

Haneul found himself smiling back instinctively, feeling an unexpected surge of happiness. Realizing how odd that reaction was, he quickly composed himself and continued walking back to his place.

Why did he always have these weird reactions whenever Taeyang was involved? He wished he could just turn off his "fan heart" so he wouldn’t be so affected every single time their eyes met or something.

He shook his head and brushed thoughts of Taeyang aside, focusing solely on what was happening around him.

----------

The day finally drew to a close. With the vocal and dance practice sessions completed, the contestants prepared for the next day—the first mission evaluation, where 40 of them would face elimination by the end of the day.