Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 212: DELUSIONAL TAEYANG

TAEYANG’S usual cool expression was gone. In its place was a look Haneul had never seen on him before. His eyebrows were drawn together just a little, and his eyes had a soft, wounded look to them. He looked like a puppy that had just been scolded and didn’t understand why.

"Do you feel uncomfortable with me picking you up?" he asked. If he had dog ears on top of his head right now, they would probably droop down.

Haneul stopped and just stared. This was the first time he had ever seen this kind of expression on the other’s face. He had never even imagined that Taeyang could look like this. It was so unexpectedly adorable that Haneul felt his heart do a funny little squeeze. He suddenly had the urge to pull the other to me and hug him tightly. If not for his self-control, he would probably do just that.

So, instead, he just cleared his throat. He decided to clear up the misunderstanding right away, before Taeyang got it in his head that Haneul really hated being picked up by him.

He lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear it. "It’s not that, Taeyang. It’s just... you know there are cameras everywhere. If you’re constantly seen picking me up like this, someone on the production staff might decide to create a storyline about you and me. I don’t want that. I don’t want it to be the reason people support us."

When Taeyang heard Haneul say that he didn’t want the production to make a storyline between the two of them, he felt like he’d been suddenly stabbed in the heart. For a moment, it felt like Haneul was rejecting the idea of them having any special connection at all. But hearing Haneul’s next words, he quickly understood that the reason wasn’t what he’d thought. The tight knot in his chest unraveled, and a deep, quiet sigh of relief escaped him.

As Haneul said, he didn’t want people voting for them just because they looked cute together. He probably wanted the public to see their talent first. Taeyang understood that point, but if he was being honest, he didn’t really mind if people thought of them that way. In fact, he would prefer it if the audience started pairing them up. That way, if they ever ended up together for real, it wouldn’t come as a complete shock to anyone.

Maybe once they debuted, he should start doing that fan service thing his old manager from his previous world was always telling him to do. He said that was how you gained more fans. Of course, he never did it back then. At that time, he thought his music alone should be enough. But now, he could finally see the point of it. If he and Haneul did a lot of fan service and people liked it, then if they ever went public as a couple, there would be a lot less outrage from the fans.

Taeyang shook his head. What the heck was he doing, acting like a delusional fool and assuming things that hadn’t even happened yet? What if he jinxed everything and none of the things he imagined came true? He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He should focus on what was happening right in front of him first, before thinking so far ahead into the future.

"Okay. Then, let’s just meet in the dining hall," he said. "We should probably set a specific time to go for each meal, so we don’t miss each other."

The idea of making a schedule just so they could eat together made Haneul chuckle a little. It felt a bit over the top, but it was probably the best solution they had. So, he didn’t argue and simply agreed. "Okay."

***

Just as Haneul expected, when he and Taeyang arrived at the dining hall, a few of the other contestants glanced his way and whispered to each other. They were probably talking about what happened with Choi Yujin. But at least it was not as bad as it had been during dinner the night before.

He and Taeyang had breakfast with Robin and Seojun. Haneul didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but there seemed to be a clear tension between Taeyang and Seojun. They kept throwing dark looks at each other, like one of them owed the other money. He felt a little worried watching it, thinking the two were still angry about the standoff they had yesterday. Taeyang being like that was understandable, but this felt out of character for Seojun. Unlike Haneul though, Robin seemed to find the whole thing quietly amusing. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

After they had finished eating, Joonhyuk and Seongwoo came over to their table to ask Haneul if he was alright. After they left, Haru, who had woken up late, arrived and joined them. So, even though the four of them had already finished their own breakfast, they stayed at the table to keep Haru company.

While they were still sitting in the dining hall, an announcement came over the ship’s speakers.

[Good morning to all contestants. We hope you had a good night’s rest. In light of recent events, production has decided to ask all of you to wear hormone monitor watches. The watches are already set to sound an alarm if your hormone or pheromone levels rise above the normal threshold. Of course, you do not need to wear them when you are alone in your room. But when you are in common areas, we strongly suggest you wear them at all times. Please report to the performance hall later to receive your watch. Thank you, and have a nice day!]

The four of them looked at each other after hearing the announcement. Haneul was a little surprised by the move, but he also understood why production decided. After what happened with Lee Minjae, and then again with Choi Yujin, there really was a need for this kind of control.

"Thank god they decided to do something," Robin said. "I honestly don’t want to deal with another pheromone related incident."

Haneul couldn’t agree more.