Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 215: DANCE MISSION (II)
HANEUL took his hand back and took a subtle step backward. He kept his smile in place so it would not look like he was purposely putting distance between them. The move seemed to work, because Jeon Hyunsik’s expression did not change at all.
He didn’t want to be judgmental, but the way the other had looked at him just felt... icky. It was like having worms crawl over his skin. He didn’t want to think that Jeon Hyunsik was a creep based on one look, but he also could not ignore his own gut feeling. So, the best thing to do was to just stay away from Jeon Hyunsik as much as possible.
But there was a problem. They were in the same room now, which meant they were probably in the same group. How could he stay away if that was the case? No, wait. There had been eight cards on each table. Since there would be ten teams total, maybe not everyone who took a card from the same table ended up on the same team. Thinking about what Dyna said about two teams dancing the same song, there was still a chance they could be in different groups. Hopefully, that was the case.
"Do you feel nervous about this dance mission?" Jeon Hyunsik suddenly asked as he walked closer.
Haneul forced himself not to step back. The other guy was acting friendly. If he acted uncomfortable just because they were near each other, it might look rude on camera. He bit the inside of his cheek before answering Jeon Hyunsik. "Yeah, but there’s a bit of excitement as well."
This was one thing he disliked about being in this kind of program. He always had to watch his actions so the audience would not hate him. No matter how much he did not want to seem calculative, it could not be helped. Especially when he needed people’s votes.
"I feel the same way," Jeon Hyunsik said, giving him a sheepish smile. "Honestly, I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while now," Jeon Hyunsik admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I’m kind of shy, so I didn’t know how to approach you. That’s why I’m glad there’s a chance we could be in the same group."
He was shy? Haneul had a hard time believing that. But he just sighed to himself and made sure none of his thoughts showed on his face. Instead, he gave the other a friendly smile. He didn’t really know how to respond, so he just gave the most generic answer he could think of.
"Thank you. That’s kind of you to say."
Jeon Hyunsik looked like he was waiting for him to say more, but Haneul was simply drawing a blank. Because what else could he say? It’s not like he could act moved by what the other just said. He could hide his true feelings if he needed to, but he wasn’t a skilled actor who could convincingly fake an emotion he didn’t feel. So, really, that’s the best response he could give.
That’s why he started looking around the room, like he was searching for a place to sit. But Jeon Hyunsik did not seem put off at all and quickly picked the conversation right back up.
"Can I ask how old you are?" Jeon Hyunsik inquired, leaning in a little with a friendly, curious expression.
"I’m 18," Haneul answered, taking another subtle, almost invisible step back as he spoke.
Jeon Hyunsik’s face brightened. "I’m 20. Is it okay if I just call you Haneul? And you can call me ’hyung’."
Haneul let out a small, awkward laugh. How many minutes had it even been since they started talking? Did this guy really think he would be comfortable calling him ’hyung’ so suddenly? But then again, maybe Jeon Hyunsik was just a friendly person. It was not really that rare for older guys to want to be called hyung. It had happened quite a lot in the many different jobs he had worked in his previous life.
But Haneul was still hesitant to call Jeon Hyunsik ’hyung’.
Thankfully, the door opened at that moment, before he was forced to give an answer. Haneul turned toward the person who walked in and was slightly surprised to see who it was.
A tall, handsome young man stood there. His jet-black hair fell neatly around his face, and his dark eyes held a gentle, reassuring warmth. His expression was calm and open, giving him an instantly likable and quietly sincere kind of charm.
It’s Baek Eunwoo.
The other man also seemed a little surprised to see Haneul standing there. But he quickly recovered and gave him a friendly smile before walking the rest of the way into the room.
"Hi, I’m Baek Eunwoo," he introduced himself, extending his hand first to Haneul and then to Jeon Hyunsik. Both of them shook his hand and also introduced themselves.
With Baek Eunwoo there, Haneul breathed a small sigh of relief. At least he was no longer alone with Jeon Hyunsik. He felt a little guilty thinking that way. After all, the other guy hadn’t really done anything to him, aside from giving him the ick. But he couldn’t force himself to like everyone he met. There would always be people he’s not comfortable with right away. A good example was Park Mirae. And now, it seemed, Jeon Hyunsik.
So, Haneul looked around the room again. When his gaze landed on the big practice mirror, he pretended to notice something. He walked over to it and acted like he was adjusting his glasses. Then, as if it was nothing, he walked back to the other two. When he sat down cross-legged on the floor, he made sure that Baek Eunwoo was standing right between him and where Jeon Hyunsik was.
He didn’t bother to look at Jeon Hyunsik. No matter what the other’s reaction was, he should act like he didn’t know anything. He should just act like an oblivious person whose only focus was their current mission.
