Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 196: SECOND ELIMINATION ROUND (IV)
TWO more names were called after that, and now they had reached the sixth rank. Haneul was getting nervous because his own name was still not called. When they were still in the top ten, he had thought his name could be called at any moment. He had thought that maybe Yeomra’s "gift" had actually helped him rank this high. But he never truly believed he could break into the top five. A cold thought suddenly struck him. Could it be that he would be eliminated today after all?
He suddenly felt a gentle pat on his shoulder that almost made him jump. He turned to look at Taeyang. The other was looking right at him as if he knew exactly what Haneul was thinking.
"You won’t be eliminated today," Taeyang said. He spoke in such a matter-of-fact way that it sounded like he was just stating a simple truth instead of trying to comfort Haneul.
This made Haneul chuckle a little. "Why do you think so?"
"Because you’re talented and beautiful. The public would be stupid not to vote for you," Taeyang said in a very straightforward manner.
Haneul felt a sudden, warm rush of embarrassment at the direct compliment. Taeyang had been quiet the whole time since the elimination started. So for him to break his silence now, just to tell Haneul he would be safe, made the words carry a lot more weight. Haneul could feel his cheeks grow warm and was sure a light blush was spreading across his face. His stomach did a funny little flip, a mix of pleasant surprise and shyness. He had to look down for a second, unable to hold Taeyang’s straightforward gaze any longer.
"Thank you," he could only mumble in response. "I also believe that you won’t be eliminated either."
"Why?" Taeyang asked, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Is it because you also think I’m handsome and talented?"
The smirk transformed Taeyang’s usual cool expression into something much more charming. The comment was so unexpected and so unlike him that Haneul nearly choked. He managed to catch himself, but the shock, combined with that look directed right at him, sent a fresh wave of warmth through his whole body. His blush deepened, and he felt that light, fluttering feeling in his chest again.
He looked down, turning his gaze away. "You want to be an idol. Of course you’re handsome and talented."
Taeyang smiled a little, his eyes staying on Haneul. Seeing the blush on the other’s face made him feel a small, happy thrill. He found himself wanting to see that flustered look on Haneul just a little longer. He even had the sudden thought he wished he could reach out and gently pinch those warm, pink cheeks.
His hands were actually itching to do it. But thankfully, Lily’s next announcement stopped him from letting his thoughts win.
"And now, for the sixth rank," Lily announced. She held the card in her hand and looked over the large group of contestants still in their seats. The hall was completely silent. No one moved. The only sound was the nervous tapping of a foot against the floor. She let the quiet stretch on, making the wait feel much longer than it was. "The contestant voted by our navigators is..." Finally, she looked up from the card and spoke the name clearly. "Kang Haneul-ssi!"
Haneul blinked. His face was still feeling warm from his conversation with Taeyang. So, the moment he heard his own name, it felt a bit unreal. It was not until Taeyang whispered to him, telling him that Lily had called his name, that he finally snapped out of his daze.
He turned to Taeyang, and the other smiled. "I told you, you won’t be eliminated."
Haneul finally smiled. "Yes, yes, you did."
Seeing Haneul’s radiant smile sent a jolt right through Taeyang. An overwhelming urge swept over him, and he acted without thinking, drawing Haneul into a sudden, close embrace.
He knew this was his only chance to hug Haneul during the elimination without anyone reading too much into it. So he made the most of the moment, holding the hug just a second longer than was probably necessary.
"Congratulations," he said in a low voice.
The words, spoken so close to his ear, sent a pleasant shiver down Haneul’s spine. He could feel his face growing warm again. For a moment, he forgot about the cameras and all the people watching. He just stood there, his heart beating a little too fast, completely caught up in the moment.
And then Taeyang let go, and Haneul found himself walking to the front almost in a robotic manner. Before getting to the number ’6’, he passed by Robin who immediately hugged him in congratulations. The hug from Robin finally made him feel fully aware of his surroundings again.
"Now, before we go to our top five, let us hear what our contestants ranked tenth to sixth would like to say," Lily said to the camera.
Giving the announced contestants a brief speech was something they did every time ten names were called. But since the top five was special, they let the contestants ranked tenth to sixth speak first.
A staff member quickly gave the tenth ranked contestant a microphone. The contestant tearfully thanked the public for voting for him and also thanked his teammates, as well as his family. Then the microphone was passed along to Robin.
"Thank you navigators for voting for me," Robin said in a very energetic manner. "I promise I will work hard to not disappoint you guys. Thank you to my teammates as well. You guys rock. Also, Papa, Dad, Mom, and my younger brother, I miss you guys!"
The microphone was then passed to the contestants ranked eighth and seventh. Then, finally, it was handed to Haneul.
"First, I want to thank all the navigators who voted for me," Haneul began. "I know I still have a lot to learn, but I will work very hard to deserve the trust you’re giving me. To my teammates, I’m so happy that I got to be on a team with you all. And finally, Mom, Dad, Haeun, I miss you all so much!" He finished by making a finger heart. "I love you!"
