Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 81: DECISION

AS Haneul started to stumble, Taeyang caught the moment in the mirror in front of them. His body reacted instinctively, moving before he could even think. He spun around, intending to catch Haneul and pull him up. But before he could reach him, the other guy—whose name Taeyang had already forgotten—had already steadied Haneul, holding him firmly in place.

Taeyang froze, his hand still suspended in the air. Watching someone else stepped in to help Haneul stirred an unexpected, complicated feeling inside him—like a knot tightening in his stomach. Regret washed over him, frustrated that he hadn’t been quick enough to be the one to catch Haneul. He couldn’t quite understand why he felt this way, and to be honest, he wasn’t even sure where the feeling was coming from.

Could it be that he had some kind of hero complex?

He quickly dismissed the thought. If it had been Robin about to fall, he knew he wouldn’t have cared if the new guy stepped in to help. So why was it different with Haneul? What was it about him that made Taeyang feel this way? What was so special about Haneul that stirred something in him he couldn’t quite understand?

But all the thoughts in Taeyang’s mind quickly vanished when he noticed just how close Haneul and the new guy were. Haneul was leaning back against him, while the new guy was looking down at him, their faces only a few inches apart. The scene made something tighten in Taeyang’s chest, though he couldn’t quite explain why.

Suddenly, the only thought in his mind was to pull Haneul away from the new guy. The urge circled endlessly in his head, growing stronger with each passing second. He knew his body was moments away from acting on its own, and before he realized it, he would find himself doing exactly what he had been imagining—grabbing Haneul and pulling him away.

But before he could really do any of that, Haneul had already pulled himself away from the new guy. That completely stopped Taeyang from moving and doing anything.

He felt an unexpected wave of relief wash over him. If Haneul hadn’t moved just then, he would have actually followed through with what he had been thinking. But then what? How would he explain why he had pulled Haneul away? Could he really admit it was because he felt uncomfortable seeing them so close together? The thought alone was mortifying. It would be far too embarrassing to say out loud!

"Thank you, Seojun-ssi," Haneul said with a grateful smile.

He was genuinely grateful the other had steadied him; otherwise, he would have fallen flat on his back. Though he wouldn’t have minded a little stumble, it could’ve easily resulted in a minor injury. If he had landed wrong, he might’ve twisted his ankle, and that was definitely something he needed to avoid.

Han Seojun smiled back. "It’s fine. And please just call me Seojun."

"Okay then, Seojun."

Surprisingly, calling Han Seojun by just his name wasn’t as awkward as Haneul had expected. It felt much more natural compared to when he tried to say Taeyang’s name. He couldn’t help but wonder why. Both were celebrities in his previous world, and he had followed Seojun’s group for a while, even if he hadn’t become a huge fan. Was it simply because he admired Taeyang’s music more?

He shook his head, dismissing the thought. None of that really mattered at the moment. What was important now was passing the first mission.

Taeyang, on the other hand, furrowed his brows slightly as he watched Haneul smile at Han Seojun—yes, he finally remembered his name. Haneul’s smile seemed much more natural. Sure, a lot of that was probably because he was grateful for Han Seojun’s help, but still. The way Haneul talked to him felt far less awkward than when he interacted with Taeyang.

This made him feel even worse than when he saw Haneul talking with Robin, before he knew Robin was an Omega. It was as if... as if...

Taeyang quickly caught himself. It felt like he was on the verge of realizing something important, but somehow, he knew it wasn’t time for that yet. All he could grasp at the moment was that he had an unhealthy fixation on Haneul. It wasn’t just gratitude for Haneul helping his cousin—no, it went deeper than that. And that’s what alarmed him the most.

At that moment, he finally made a decision.

This fixation couldn’t continue. If he didn’t rein himself in, he might end up obsessing over someone who would almost certainly not welcome the attention. He needed to put a stop to it before it could reach that point.

Besides, they were still in a competition, both vying for one of the five coveted spots in the debut group. There was no guarantee either of them would make it. But whatever he was feeling for Haneul could cloud his judgment, pushing him to do things he shouldn’t—just to ensure Haneul would debut alongside him. That was a dangerous line to cross.

Taeyang took a deep breath. Starting this moment, he would distance himself from Haneul.

Even though he had finally made his decision, a slight twinge tugged at his heart, as if urging him to reconsider. Too bad. Once Taeyang made up his mind, he wasn’t the type to change it easily.

"I’ll go ahead first."

After saying that, he didn’t wait for a response from the others and simply walked out the door.

Robin, who had been about to approach Haneul to check if he was alright, froze at Jung Taeyang’s sudden announcement. He didn’t even get the chance to ask anything before the other was already out the door.

What’s up with that guy?

Given how Jung Taeyang had been acting around Haneul, Robin had fully expected him to be the first to check on him. But instead, he left? It wasn’t just surprising—it was downright confusing.

Choosing to ignore that, Robin turned his attention back to Haneul and asked, "Haneul, are you okay?"

Haneul, still staring at the closed door, shifted his gaze to Robin and answered, "Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little dizzy."