Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 199: TINGLES
IT’S a good thing Taeyang had a natural stoic expression and that whenever he smiled, it’s just the corner of his lips going up. Because of this, it wasn’t so obvious when his smile almost disappeared after Lily announced that Han Seojun had taken the first rank.
He’s competitive, but he’s not a sore loser. At least, that’s what he’s always believed about himself. And yet, he couldn’t help the sharp, hot dislike that flared up inside him over how Han Seojun had managed to outrank him.
And he had a feeling it had nothing to do at all with this competition.
He glanced over to where Haneul was standing. The other was looking right at Han Seojun with a clear look of wonder on his face. Taeyang gritted his teeth. Shit. Yes, this was the real reason he’s feeling so competitive over Han Seojun. It’s because of Haneul.
Even though he had little romantic experience, it was still obvious to him that Han Seojun was interested in Haneul. Sure, the guy was ’kind’ and ’gentle’ to every Omega he interacted in the program, but Taeyang could see he acted differently around Haneul. Wasn’t that the whole reason that Choi Yujin guy tried to embarrass Haneul? It was because he liked Han Seojun, and even he could see that Han Seojun liked Haneul that way.
He was more attentive to Haneul than to anyone else. He was always looking at Haneul with a bright and admiring expression in his eyes. He would go out of his way to stand near Haneul or start a conversation with him. He listened more closely when Haneul spoke, and he was quicker to offer help if Haneul seemed to need it.
Taeyang noticed every single one of those small actions. And that was exactly why he felt so intensely annoyed right now. Han Seojun outranking him did not just feel like a simple loss in a competition. It felt like he was losing ground in a much more important, unspoken contest for Haneul’s attention.
He took a deep breath. No, it’s fine. When it came to feelings, Taeyang was sure he’s miles ahead of Han Seojun. He had even confessed his feelings. He doubted the other could ever do that. With that overly thoughtful personality, Han Seojun wouldn’t dare make a move that might affect Haneul’s place in the competition. Did that mean Taeyang was thoughtless and selfish for confessing? Maybe. But at that time, it felt like if he didn’t tell Haneul honestly what he felt, it would be the end for them. The two of them might not have any future. So, how could he not confess?
Besides, he believed Haneul was strong enough that his confession wouldn’t affect him. At least, not with how he moved forward in the competition. It was clear how much Haneul wanted this. He wouldn’t risk his own dreams just because Taeyang said he liked him. And Taeyang was genuinely glad about that.
Maybe he should be sad that Haneul wasn’t as affected by his confession. But honestly? He was just too happy. Now that his feelings were out in the open, he could talk to Haneul without his own overthinking brain getting in the way. It was a pure and simple kind of happiness.
"Jung Taeyang-ssi, do you have any message for our navigators?"
Lily’s voice pulled Taeyang out of his thoughts. He put his smile back on his lips and took the microphone that one of the staff members offered to him.
"I want to thank all the navigators who voted for me. I promise I will do better and I will never disappoint you," he said, looking straight into the camera. "I will do my best to take the number one rank on the next elimination." The other contestants whistled and cheered at his bold statement. He ignored the noise and went on, now speaking in English. "And to all the international navigators who voted for me, thank you. Please keep walking with me on this journey. I hope you will continue to support me."
Some contestants looked surprised to hear him speak in fluent English. He could not help himself and he glanced over to where Haneul was standing, hoping deeply that the other was also impressed by it. His gray eyes met Haneul’s amber ones.
That single look made his heart tingle with a sudden, warm feeling. Then, Haneul’s lips curved into a smile and he raised his hand to give a small, encouraging thumbs-up just for him. That simple gesture was all it took. The little tingle in his heart immediately exploded into a full-blown gymnastic routine, doing flips and turns.
And just like that, all of his earlier annoyance and frustration completely disappeared.
"Thank you, Jung Taeyang-ssi," Lily said. She then turned to face Seojun. "Now, let us hear the message from our first ranked contestant, Han Seojun-ssi."
Seojun held the microphone the staff handed him, his hand shaking just a little. He still couldn’t believe he was really the one in first place. The whole thing felt completely surreal, like he was walking through a dream while he’s wide awake. A part of his mind whispered that maybe this was all just a trick, that his brain was making up this whole scenario because he wanted to stay in the program so badly. He kept waiting to wake up, but no matter how long he stood there on that stage, the feeling didn’t fade. The bright lights were still on him, and the result was still the same. He was still the number one ranked contestant.
He knew he couldn’t speak as smoothly or as confidently as Jung Taeyang just had. But he really wanted to share his honest thoughts as best as he could. So, he took a deep breath and tried to arrange everything he wanted to say in his head before he started speaking.
"Thank you to everyone, the navigators, who voted for me. I know I don’t deserve this spot. I’m lacking in so many ways. But I will try my best to be deserving of the trust you gave me." He bowed deeply to show his gratitude. "Thank you!"
