Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 155: DAYS LATER

THE next day, Boys Odyssey was still blowing up online. Fans kept arguing about performances, making side-by-side clips of contestants, and replaying their favorite moments. Even days later, the hype didn’t die down—new viewers jumped in as debates about who deserved to advance kept threads alive.

After the second episode, the show launched its social media accounts. They began posting two types of content: polished introduction videos where contestants showcased their talents, and casual clips of them doing the theme song’s dance challenge in groups of two or three.

But what truly sent engagement soaring was when Lily—the show’s host—posted her own dance challenge video of the theme song. She tagged the show’s official account, and within the first hour, her video had been watched and shared thousands of times. With her following in the millions, it’s only natural that her post brought even more attention to the show. And, in turn, gave attention to the contestants.

A couple of contestants stood out from the rest. The top two with the most attention were Jung Taeyang and Han Seojun. Taeyang was the perfect example of an ’Ace’. He could dance, he could sing, and he was handsome. His whole indifferent and cool attitude surprisingly worked well on viewers. On the other hand, Seojun was the classic visual. Even though his skills weren’t as good as the others, his charisma alone made people cheer for him.

Another contestant who started getting attention was Kang Haneul. After barely being noticed in the first episode, everything changed when the second one aired. His stunning face and angelic voice were more than enough to captivate people. Normally, with looks like his, that would be all anyone talked about. But his voice? It stood out even more than his face—and that was saying something. freёweɓnovel_com

Other contestants were getting noticed too. Unlike past idol survival shows where only a few stood out early, this time more trainees were gaining attention. Some for their skills, others for their personalities. Although the gap between the top picks and the rest was still considerable, at least a lot of contestants were given an opportunity to shine.

This was all thanks to how the show was edited. Instead of adding drama where there was none or making one of the contestants into some kind of villain just for the sake of views, the show took time to introduce as many contestants as they could. It was refreshing, in a way. And maybe that’s why many people still watched the show despite being tired of idol survival programs.

But aside from the contestants, most of the discussion centered on the notice posted by the official account of Boys Odyssey. It’s about the selection of 200 people to attend the first performance of the contestants as a live audience. Interest was immediate, with countless applications submitted as soon as the notice went up.

However, the limited number of spots drew criticism. Many questioned why only 200 people could attend, arguing that the production team should have accommodated more. Regardless, the announcement kept people talking.

***

Haneul looked at the stage. The main lights were on at half brightness, evenly lighting the wooden floor. Rows of chairs were set up in front for the audience, all neatly aligned. Microphone stands stood in their marked positions, cables secured with tape. A large LED screen at the back displayed the show’s logo. Speakers were positioned on both sides, silent but ready. Everything was in place—the stage was fully prepared for tomorrow’s performance.

Today was for rehearsal and sound check. All the teams wore their prepared outfits for tomorrow, each with a large name tag pinned to the front—meant to help the mentors identify them easily. The four were currently seated in the front row, giving feedbacks to the groups performing.

On stage now was Park Mirae’s group. Though calling it his group wasn’t entirely accurate, since the third-ranked contestant was technically the leader. But Haneul remembered Park Mirae most clearly out of them all, so his mind defaulted to thinking of them that way.

Listening to the group sing, he could reluctantly admit that Park Mirae was a good singer. He was never out of pitch and his tone was crystal clear. Too bad his attitude sucked.

Case in point, after the mentors gave their feedback and the group walked offstage, as they passed by where Haneul and his team were sitting, Park Mirae glanced at him. In a blind spot where the cameras wouldn’t catch it, he sneered—like Haneul was beneath him. Then he quickly looked away.

Haneul almost laughed. It was so juvenile that he didn’t even bother reacting. But that didn’t mean no one would. Robin, who sat beside Haneul and had seen everything, frowned.

"What the heck was that guy’s problem?" Robin asked in a low voice that only the two of them could hear.

Haneul shrugged. "It’s just a childish power play. Ignore him."

And it’s the truth. Park Mirae had the attitude of a narcissist used to being the center of attention. The only reason he disliked Haneul? They were both Omegas, and Haneul just happened to be more attractive. Ugh. Admitting that himself made him want to cringe.

"Still, try to be careful," Robin reminded him. "That guy might seem harmless now, but who knows what he’ll do under pressure?"

Haneul nodded. He understood why Robin said that. People act differently under stress. When their pride gets hit, some lash out just to feel in control again. Park Mirae was most likely that type. The kind who couldn’t stand being overshadowed, and stress would only make that worse.

As they were talking, another group finished their performance—the one competing against Park Mirae’s team. But unlike the earlier group, this one got much tougher feedback from the mentors. Haneul was certain Park Mirae must be smirking right now over that. Never mind that this group was made up of contestants with low vocal rankings. What was there to feel proud about beating them?

Haneul shook his head. Now, he’s just being judgmental. But with the way Park Mirae had acted towards him so far, could anyone really blame him?

And then finally, it was their group’s turn.

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