Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 106: WAREHOUSE STOPOVER (II)

HANEUL blinked and instinctively turned to look at Seojun, who was already watching him, his expression calm but expectant. Should he admit that he didn’t know? Despite being an avid viewer of Boys Odyssey, he had never quite crossed the line into becoming a fan of the final debut group. It wasn’t for lack of effort; he had tried. But their music just disappointed him. So, when it came to personal details, like the members’ ages, he’d never paid enough attention.

Well, except for Haru. That one was impossible to forget, given how often it was mentioned that he was the maknae—the youngest in the group.

Haneul sighed and decided to just be honest. "I actually don’t know. I’m sorry."

Seojun’s smile faltered for the briefest moment, but he quickly replaced it with his usual easygoing smile. "It’s fine. It’s actually natural to not know, since we’ve never really talked about it."

"Then, how old are you two both?" Haru asked, leaning forward slightly. "Let me start. I just turned 17 last March."

"I’m 19," Seojun said with a faint smile.

Haneul was slightly taken aback when he heard that. He hadn’t expected Seojun to be a year older. On second thought, though, if he had been paying closer attention, he might have picked up on the fact that Seojun never called Robin ’hyung’. That alone should have been a clear hint that they were either the same age or Seojun was older.

"Now I feel a little bad," Haneul said with a slightly awkward laugh. "I’m 18."

This time, it was Seojun’s turn to be caught off guard. He had always assumed they were the same age. Thinking back, if he hadn’t been so distracted by staring at Haneul’s face, he might have heard him calling Robin ’hyung’, which would have made it obvious that Haneul was younger. Still, being older than Haneul wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

"Well, if you call me ’hyung,’ I’ll let it slide," Seojun said with a teasing smile, though there was no denying he genuinely wanted to hear Haneul call him that.

Haneul turned to Seojun again, feeling conflicted. He couldn’t say no—it might come across as if he disliked Seojun, which wasn’t the case. After all, he had no trouble calling Robin ’hyung’, so why hesitate now? But deep down, it didn’t feel quite the same. He wasn’t as comfortable with Seojun as he was with Robin. Then again, his dynamic with Robin and Seojun was entirely different, so perhaps it was only natural to feel this way.

If Robin were here, he would probably be confused about why they were even having this conversation. He might even ask why it mattered that Seojun was older than Haneul. To a foreigner, it might seem trivial, but in Korean culture, age and seniority carried a lot of weight. Even a year’s difference in age often shaped how people addressed each other. Calling someone ’hyung’ or using formal speech was a way to show respect, especially to someone older.

Using formal speech with Seojun now might come across as setting a boundary, and that wasn’t the kind of impression Haneul wanted to give. Worse, the viewers watching the program might over-analyze the interaction, spinning baseless rumors about an imaginary feud between him and Seojun. That would be a hassle to deal with later.

After a brief moment of consideration, Haneul smiled at Seojun and said, "Seojun hyung." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Seojun blinked, momentarily caught off guard. His posture stiffened slightly, and he quickly glanced at Haneul before looking away, his lips pressing together like he was trying to suppress a smile. He cleared his throat, a weak attempt to mask the sudden, unfamiliar warmth spreading through his chest. Instead, he gave a small nod, his ears tinged faintly red.

Haneul missed it entirely, his focus shifting when Haru suddenly clapped his hands, drawing his attention away.

"Alright, now that’s settled, let’s grab some snacks!" Haru exclaimed, his usual energetic tone bubbling over.

The three of them then walked to the table filled with snacks and drinks.

After a few more minutes, the contestants ranked 11th to 20th arrived at the warehouse. Out of the ten who walked in, Haneul only recognized two familiar faces—his former temporary roommates, Song Jiwoo and Park Mirae.

Haneul was genuinely glad to see that Song Jiwoo had made it through. He had witnessed firsthand how much the other had improved in just a single day. The mentors had advised him to bring more energy and liveliness to his performance to enhance his stage presence. To Haneul’s surprise, Jiwoo had taken their feedback to heart and delivered a performance that reflected the change. It wasn’t surprising that his efforts had earned him a high rank—it was well-deserved.

Park Mirae, on the other hand, he didn’t really care much. As long as he stayed out of his way and didn’t cause any trouble, Haneul was content to ignore his presence entirely.

"Robin’s still not here... Do you think he will make it?"

Seojun’s question snapped Haneul out of his thoughts. When he looked at him, he noticed the genuine concern etched on his face. It wasn’t surprising—after all, Seojun and Robin had been in the same group during the vocal and dance practice sessions, and it was clear they had grown closer because of it.

He smiled. "Don’t worry, Robin hyung will surely get a high rank."

Haneul wasn’t saying that out of blind overconfidence in Robin. He said it because he genuinely knew Robin’s skill level. There was no way someone as talented as Robin would be eliminated in the first round—unless the PD of Boys Odyssey in this world was somehow worse than the one in his previous life. And Haneul seriously doubted that.

Seojun seemed visibly relieved by his response. Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he added, "Oh, and Jung Taeyang? I don’t think he’s here yet either."

It didn’t surprise Haneul to hear Seojun mention Taeyang so casually, almost like a stranger. After their brief practice together on the first day, the two hadn’t interacted again.

Wait— didn’t Taeyang started acting weird after that?