Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 79: OUT OF CONSIDERATION

"JUNG TAEYANG," Taeyang introduced himself briefly, his eyes already shifting back to the dance practice video playing in front of him.

Haneul felt a twinge of unease. Taeyang’s curt introduction came off a bit dismissive, and Haneul worried about how it might be perceived. They were still in front of cameras, after all. What if someone in the editing room decided to spin the moment, painting Taeyang as cold or rude? Haneul realized he needed to ease the tension and create a more relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

It wasn’t that Haneul was particularly worried about Taeyang. His real concern was the potential backlash from Han Seojun’s future fans. Given Han Seojun’s inevitable rise in popularity, Haneul knew how easily fan bases could twist narratives and unfairly target someone like Taeyang, launching smear campaigns. The last thing he wanted was for Taeyang’s immense talent to be overshadowed by negativity or, worse, cause him to be eliminated from the show for reasons beyond his control.

So, Haneul smiled brightly and said, "Hi, I’m Kang Haneul."

Taeyang, still focused on the dance practice video, instinctively glanced at Haneul when he caught the obvious forced cheerfulness in his voice. The smile on Haneul’s face made Taeyang furrow his brows slightly. It was a smile that seemed welcoming, almost too happy to greet the guy who had just walked in. But Taeyang knew better. He’d seen Haneul’s genuine smile before, and this wasn’t it. The smile he wore now was nothing like the warm one he reserved for Robin, or even the polite one he had given him earlier. It felt off, rehearsed, and that subtle difference caught Taeyang’s attention.

This made him turn to look at the new guy. He didn’t really pay much attention to the other earlier. His brain just automatically branded him as one of the many contestants in the show. But Haneul’s reaction made him take a second look.

He didn’t see anything particularly special about the new guy. Sure, maybe he looked a little better than some, but that was about it. Then a sudden thought struck him. Wait—was this just how Haneul acted around everyone? If that were the case, then maybe the fact that Haneul treated him a little differently meant something. Did that mean Taeyang wasn’t just like everyone else to him? Well, okay, maybe he was still below Robin, but at least he was a step above a complete stranger, right?

Convince that he was right, Taeyang turned back his attention to the dance practice video in a much better mood.

Han Seojun smiled at Haneul, seemingly unaffected by Taeyang’s short introduction.

After that, the four of them all watched the dance practice video.

Haneul focused intently on the video, determined to match the choreography. He did his best to mirror the dancers on the screen, but each time his feet touched the ground, they landed just a beat too late, his timing slightly off. Just when he felt like he had mastered a step, the next one arrived, and his body lagged behind, unable to keep up with the rhythm.

He watched as the dancers flowed effortlessly from one move to the next, while his own movements felt disjointed. He shifted his weight, trying to mimic their smooth transitions, but his legs didn’t cooperate the way he needed them to. His arms, too, seemed out of sync, moving through the air just a fraction too slowly or missing the angles by a bit.

Haneul’s frustration grew with every misstep, his movements becoming more rigid as he struggled to match the dancers on the screen. His jaw tightened, and he exhaled sharply through his nose each time his body failed to follow the rhythm. The harder he tried, the more out of sync he became, his muscles tensing as the irritation built inside him, making it harder to focus and even harder to let go of his mistakes.

But he forced himself to push the frustration aside, knowing that if he let it get to him, learning the steps would only become harder. It was natural to struggle—after all, it hadn’t even been a month since he started learning how to dance properly. Expecting to nail the choreography this quickly would be unrealistic. If he could, he’d be a genius. Unfortunately, and quite obviously, he wasn’t.

Haneul paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself. There was no need to rush—he could do this. He had to.

If there were a choreographer guiding him through the steps, Haneul probably wouldn’t be struggling so much. But they were left to figure it out on their own. Clearly, the program wanted to see them struggle. It was also a way to filter out those who lacked the resolve to push through. After all, anyone without enough determination would find it nearly impossible to master this choreography in just a day and a half.

Unless someone was a dance genius. Those with plenty of dance experience would probably fare well too. Unfortunately for Haneul, he was neither. All he had was the determination to work hard.

Haneul was trying to figure out how to learn the choreography faster when Taeyang suddenly spoke.

"Should we lower the speed so we can see each steps in more detail?"

Haneul’s eyes brightened when he heard that. Yes, that could definitely work! Why didn’t he think of that?

"Yes, let’s do that." Haneul paused, realizing they should also consider Robin and Han Seojun’s opinions. He quickly added, glancing at the two, "I mean, if you’re both okay with it?"

Han Seojun nodded. "Yeah, I also agree." He gave a sheepish smile and added, "I’m actually not that good at dancing, so lowering the speed will really help."

Robin shot Jung Taeyang a meaningful glance before nodding in agreement. He had noticed how easily the other kept up with the choreography, so it was clear the suggestion wasn’t for his own benefit. And it definitely wasn’t for Han Seojun’s sake either.

It was obvious that Jung Taeyang had made the suggestion out of consideration for Haneul.