Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 146: SILENT ENCOURAGEMENT

TAEYANG turned toward the door when he heard it open. Seeing Haneul standing there, he had to concentrate hard to keep his expression neutral. Luckily, Robin appeared right behind Haneul, giving Taeyang a reason to shift his focus away.

"Taeyang, why are you here?" Robin asked, stepping further into the room. "Did you forget something?"

Taeyang kept his gaze averted as he responded, his voice carefully even. "No. I just thought I’d get some extra practice in."

Which was a complete lie. The truth was, when Taeyang had overheard Haneul and Robin talking earlier—about how Han Seojun had specifically checked on Haneul, about how they practiced together last night. He didn’t stop to think. He just came straight here. Because he’d known that Haneul and Robin would show up eventually. Why? He heard them say so, that they would return here to practice together.

But the real question was—why the hell was he even here? Taeyang didn’t have a clear answer for that either. His brain screamed that this was a terrible idea, but his heart, currently running on some kind of idiotic impulse, had decided this was exactly where he needed to be right now. Especially when his stupid, traitorous mind kept flashing images of Haneul and Han Seojun together.

And so here he was, lying through his teeth for reasons he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—name.

But were those reasons really so mysterious?

Taeyang’s gaze flickered sideways toward Haneul before he could stop himself. Didn’t it all circle back to this guy? To those stupidly pretty amber eyes, that distractingly sweet caramel scent? He clenched his jaw and forced himself to look away. Shit. What was he even thinking? freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Robin clapped his hands together. "Well, since we’re all here to practice anyway, might as well do it together."

Taeyang gave a silent nod of agreement.

Haneul wasn’t sure how to feel about this sudden development. There was an awkwardness to it, sure - but also a strange, fluttering warmth he couldn’t quite ignore. The contradiction irritated him. Not that he had much choice here. Changing his mind now and telling them he no longer wanted to practice would make no sense, especially when he was the one who needed practice most.

So he let out a quiet sigh, resigning himself to the situation, and began doing his warm-up stretches.

Robin walked over to the monitor mounted on the practice room wall and scrolled through the music options. After selecting a track, the upbeat rhythm immediately filled the space, its pulsing bass vibrating through the floor.

Haneul moved into position as the first notes played, falling into the basic choreography Haru had taught him. His movements were clean but simple—well-executed foundational steps interspersed with moments where he’d hesitate slightly before transitioning. There were still turns that made him stumble and sequences where his timing lagged, but his footwork had become more confident compared to before. When the chorus hit, he even managed the body roll properly, though his shoulders remained stiff.

Taeyang, leaning against the mirrored wall under the guise of stretching, tracked every improvement—and every lingering misstep—with far more attention than he’d ever admit.

Robin opened his mouth to offer pointers, but before he could speak, Taeyang suddenly stepped forward—positioning himself beside Haneul and mirroring his movements exactly.

Haneul was startled as Taeyang suddenly appeared beside him, falling into perfect sync with the choreography. His breath hitched for a split second before he understood what was happening. Taeyang seemed to be guiding him. Something warm and fragile unfurled in Haneul’s chest at the other’s unspoken support.

The practice room’s mirrors reflected them both perfectly: Taeyang’s sharp, polished execution alongside Haneul’s earnest but rougher form. It wasn’t correction, not exactly—more like a silent demonstration, his body highlighting where angles could be cleaner, where breaths should sync with hits. When Haneul faltered on a pivot, Taeyang did it slower beside him, the motion broken down into its parts without a single word spoken.

Robin observed the two with a raised eyebrow. This Jung Taeyang really... He shook his head slightly. Well, this was a matter between the two. As long as Taeyang wasn’t giving Haneul trouble, it was better to let them figure things out on their own. Meddling might just make things awkward. So Robin focused on his own dancing, leaving them to their silent practice.

For the next few hours, Taeyang began demonstrating simpler dance steps—basic footwork, easy turns, foundational moves that were easier to grasp. He performed each one slowly, deliberately, like an unspoken invitation for Haneul to follow.

At first, Haneul’s movements were stiff and awkward, unsure if he should really be copying Taeyang like this. But as they kept going, he stopped thinking so much and just moved. His body gradually loosened up, following along without hesitation.

After finishing another song’s choreography, Haneul automatically turned toward Taeyang with a happy smile—then stiffened when he realized the other was already looking at him. That spark of satisfaction instantly morphed into nervous warmth under Taeyang’s gaze. Being this near, Haneul suddenly noticed the faint honey-wood scent clinging to him, so distracting he took an unconscious step backward.

He hurriedly focused on the floorboards. "Thank you," he muttered, throat oddly tight. "Showing me how to do those moves... it really helped."

Haneul risked another look at Taeyang, only to see the other wrinkling his nose like he’d caught a whiff of something unpleasant. "No need to thank me. I didn’t really do anything. I— I think I should go back and rest. Good night."

Then he spun on his heel and bolted from the practice room like something terrifying was after him.

Haneul stood frozen, staring at the door where Taeyang had just disappeared. What was that about? Before he could process it, Robin’s laughter cut through his confusion.

"That guy really is such a riot." Robin wiped tears from his eyes, still chuckling. "Don’t worry your pretty head over it, Haneul. Taeyang probably just really needed to use the bathroom."

Haneul frowned slightly. He had a feeling that wasn’t the real reason at all.

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