Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 99: NEARING THE FIRST ELIMINATION

"AHEM," Choi Minhyuk cleared his throat, his expression serious as he addressed the room. "Has anyone here ever seen him without his glasses?" The other mentors glanced at one another, then shook their heads in unison. "I see," he said thoughtfully, folding his arms. "I suppose he took them off to unleash the full force of his face."

"Well," K-Beat said, his tone carrying a hint of reluctant acknowledgment, "I have to admit, it’s definitely effective."

"I nearly forgot how lackluster his dancing is," Dyna said, her voice dripping with schadenfreude. "It’s hard to focus on anything else when his face is doing all the work."

Yoon Jihoon might have agreed with Dyna’s jab if Kang Haneul didn’t also have the vocal talent to back it up. But he did, and Jihoon felt compelled to defend him.

"That’s not fair," Jihoon said firmly. "His singing is just as strong as his visuals, if not stronger. It’s not like he’s coasting on his looks alone."

Dyna still looked unconvinced. "I’d agree with you if he hadn’t deliberately hidden his face by wearing glasses before. The fact that he chose to take them off now shows he knows exactly how to use his visuals to his advantage. He must have realized that his dancing skills alone wouldn’t cut it, so he played to his strengths. By delivering a visual impact strong enough to distract us from his weak dancing, he ensured he’d stand out and make it through. Can’t say I hate it though."

"There’s nothing wrong with using your strengths, especially in a competition like this," Choi Minhyuk said, adjusting his glasses thoughtfully. "And as Yoon Jihoon-ssi pointed out, it’s not like he’s lacking in talent. His vocals are undeniably a strong asset."

Choi Minhyuk’s gaze shifted back to the paused video on the monitor, lingering on Kang Haneul’s face. He had to admit, the contestant undeniably had the visuals to be the center of an idol group. After Jung Taeyang, Kang Haneul was likely the next contestant he could genuinely envision as part of the final debut lineup. If he continued to improve his dancing skills, then Kang Haneul would be damn near perfect.

The four mentors then gave their scores for Kang Haneul.

The mentors continued watching and evaluating the contestants’ performances, one after another, offering critiques and scoring each with careful deliberation. Finally, they reached the 100th and last contestant. With all performances reviewed, it was now time to tally the scores and determine the top 60 contestants who would move on to the next round.

*** ƒrēenovelkiss.com

At exactly 1 PM, all 100 contestants assembled in the ballroom, just as they had two days earlier. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, tension, and a mix of hope and dread—it was finally time to reveal who among them would move forward in the survival program.

Haneul sat between Robin and Seojun, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. Like most of the contestants, he felt a wave of nervousness washing over him. But mixed with that was a flicker of excitement—probably because he knew that once this was over, they’d finally board the ship where the rest of the competition would unfold.

Of course, this was under the assumption that he passed.

"Ugh... when is this going to start? I’m sweating bullets over here," Robin muttered, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"It’ll probably start any minute now," Seojun replied calmly.

Robin glanced over at Seojun. Even with Haneul sitting between them, their height difference—both of them being half a head taller than Haneul—gave Robin a clear view of Seojun’s expression. He looked completely unbothered, almost indifferent, as if the outcome didn’t matter to him at all.

This made Robin furrow his brows slightly. "You seem awfully calm."

Seojun chuckled, about to respond to Robin, when his attention shifted to Haneul, who had turned to look at him. Seeing Haneul’s face up close, even with his glasses on, brought back the image of how he looked without them. The memory overlapped with reality, and for a brief moment, Seojun felt his heart skip a beat.

Seojun instinctively looked away, awkwardly scratching his cheek as if trying to cover his momentary distraction. Forcing himself to refocus on Robin’s comment, he finally replied, "My motto is simple: ’que sera sera—whatever will be, will be.’ If I’m eliminated here, so be it. At least I can say I gave it my best effort."

Both Haneul and Robin were slightly surprised when they heard that. Although what Seojun said might sound careless, it was actually thoughtful in its own way—a reflection of his calm acceptance and confidence in doing his best without obsessing over the outcome.

Robin let out a sigh. "Man, I wish I had that kind of mindset. Life would be so much easier."

Seojun grinned at that. "Right? It’s the best way to keep your peace of mind."

Haneul couldn’t help but agree with Seojun’s motto. It wasn’t just relevant to their current situation—it could apply to so many aspects of life. For instance, he found his gaze drifting to Taeyang, who was seated a few rows ahead. No matter how much he told himself not to let Taeyang’s distant attitude bother him, it still got to him. Maybe adopting Seojun’s mentality—accepting what he couldn’t control—was exactly what he needed to stop feeling this way.

Even as he thought about it, he knew it wouldn’t be easy to adopt that mindset. He let out a quiet sigh. Whatever. Who was he kidding? It wasn’t his style, anyway. Instead, he decided to focus on what he could do right now and leave the rest for later.

Haneul pushed those thoughts aside just in time for the side door near the makeshift stage to open, pulling everyone’s attention. The four mentors entered the ballroom, their presence instantly silencing the room.

They walked to the front, standing on the stage with calm, unreadable expressions. All 100 contestants watched them intently, the tension in the air growing thicker as everyone waited for what would come next.