Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 136: TAEYANG’S ARRANGEMENT

THE next morning, Haneul sat up the moment he woke, the cabin floor chilly under his bare feet. Without hesitation, he began the shoulder rolls Haru had taught him—slow, deliberate circles that made his stiff muscles ache. The cabin air hung still, faintly stale from the night, as he focused on matching each movement to his exhales, just as Haru had instructed. Like pushing through honey, he reminded himself, gritting his teeth when his right shoulder resisted.

By the fifth repetition, the motion came a little easier. There’s some progress, at least.

After finishing his morning skincare routine, Haneul stepped into the hallway and headed toward the dining hall. The moment he entered, the rich aroma of food greeted him. The space hummed with subdued activity—trays clattered, chairs scraped against the floor, and among the scattered groups, he spotted Robin by the window, elbow on the table and chin propped on his palm as he listlessly poked at his meal. Their eyes met, and Robin raised his chopsticks in a wordless hello.

Haneul acknowledged the greeting with a slight smile before making his way to the serving area. After selecting his meal, he settled into the chair across from Robin.

"Why the long face, hyung?" he asked.

Robin sighed. "I was thinking of our group’s little assignment, but I can’t come up with any good arrangement. How about you?"

"I have nothing as well," Haneul admitted, spearing a piece of fish with his chopsticks.

Robin arched an eyebrow. "You don’t seem bothered by that?"

Haneul shrugged. "Music arrangements aren’t my strength. No matter how hard I think, I doubt I’d come up with anything useful for the group. It’s better to focus on what I can actually do well."

Robin nodded. "That’s a good point. I’m just worried our dear leader would think we’re not doing our part."

Haneul paused, chopsticks hovering over his tray. "Taeyang probably wouldn’t care. He’d likely prefer us not being a nuisance over pretending we can do what we clearly can’t."

"Like a certain someone, you mean?" Robin said meaningfully.

Their eyes locked—a split-second understanding flashing between them—then both promptly looked away, mouths shut. Any further words risked being picked up by the ever-present cameras, and neither needed the ’backstabbing teammate’ label hanging over them.

"Should we head to the practice room after this?" Robin asked after a moment, steering the conversation elsewhere.

"Sure. But could we go to the phone booths first?" Haneul suggested. "I’d like to call home."

Since it was still early, her parents likely hadn’t left the house yet—calling now shouldn’t be a problem.

Robin nodded. He’d actually been wanting to do the same, but it was probably close to midnight in France right now. The only one who might still be awake at this hour was his Omega dad—but even he’d likely be asleep by now unless he’d gone out to some late-night event. Still, since he hadn’t managed to speak with his Omega dad yesterday, he might as well try calling, anyway.

***

After calling their families, Haneul and Robin made their way to the practice room their group had agreed to use yesterday. They assumed they’d be the first to arrive, but as soon as they opened the door, the strains of a keyboard melody floated out to meet them.

Haneul turned toward the sound as the door clicked shut behind him. In the corner, Taeyang sat at the keyboard, playing a slow melody on a minor key. His right hand moved through the middle register with a deliberate pace, each note held just long enough to create a sense of lingering sorrow before moving on to the next. The phrasing was simple, almost bare, with subtle shifts in dynamics that gave the line a quiet emotional weight.

Underneath, his left hand played sustained root-position chords and open intervals—mostly fifths and octaves—that added a low, somber foundation. The rhythm was steady but unhurried, the kind of slowness that didn’t drag but felt intentionally subdued, like a voice singing its heart out in sadness.

There was something familiar about the tune—the way certain phrases curled at the edges, the particular rise and fall of the chorus line. Then it clicked. The rhythm was different, the tone completely changed, but the bones of it were unmistakable.

Haneul recognized the song after a moment. It was their group’s assigned track, but stripped down to its barest bones, the rhythm stretched and reshaped into something entirely different.

Neither he nor Robin spoke—they simply stood and listened until Taeyang’s fingers stilled on the keys.

Taeyang turned toward them. "You’re early."

"Is that the arrangement you came up with?" Robin asked.

Taeyang gave a short nod. "It still needs work, but yes—this is the basic framework."

Haneul absorbed the last echoes of the melody—Taeyang had reworked their track’s pulsing synths and driving beat into a piano-centered arrangement, trading electronic intensity for something more expansive. The melancholic feel of the original was still there, but now it came through in the way the melody rose and fell and how the chords lingered. The rhythm kept pushing forward, but it felt more natural now, less mechanical.

He didn’t say it aloud, but in his opinion? It was already polished enough to perform as-is.

Only then did Haneul realize Taeyang’s gaze was fixed on him.

A sudden self-consciousness hit him. Had Taeyang noticed him staring? But before he could decide how to react, Taeyang spoke first.

"Haneul, try singing along to this arrangement. Hearing a vocal might help me refine it further."

"That’s a good idea," Robin agreed, then gently nudged Haneul towards the keyboard. "I want to hear how the vocals fit with it, too."

And so, Haneul found himself standing beside the keyboard with Taeyang still seated before it.

"Do you need a copy of the lyrics? I printed some here," Taeyang said, giving him the paper with the lyrics on it.

Haneul accepted the paper mechanically. His eyes dropped to the printed lyrics of [Falling For You] staring back at him.

Taeyang’s fingers then pressed down on the keys, and the opening notes of [Falling For You] spilled into the room—slower than the original track, each note given space to breathe. Haneul inhaled deeply, his grip tightening slightly on the lyric sheet.

Then he sang.