Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 143: A LITTLE PEP TALK

WHEN Taeyang volunteered to get the lunch boxes for everyone, Kim Joonhyuk stepped up to join him, not wanting him to carry everything alone. With the two gone, the three Omegas were left behind in the practice room.

Haneul glanced at Park Seongwoo. The other kept his head down, his whole posture screaming that he didn’t want to talk. Even during their team discussion, he’d barely spoken - just nodding along to whatever was decided. It was like he’d built an invisible wall around himself, shutting everyone out.

Haneul remembered Robin’s words about pheromone match rates - how Park Seongwoo might have had a high compatibility with Lee Minjae, especially since the other’s pheromones had triggered his heat. Was that why Park Seongwoo looked so down? Was this some kind of pheromone withdrawal? Haneul couldn’t be sure. Once this show ended, he really needed to learn more about secondary genders, pheromones, and just how everything worked.

But for now, he should at least try to cheer up Park Seongwoo. If he stayed like this until their performance, it could hurt their whole team. And honestly - as someone who had to work closely with him for the next two weeks - Haneul couldn’t just ignore that miserable aura surrounding him. It would feel wrong to act happy when one of them was clearly drowning in unhappiness.

Haneul hesitated before asking, "Are you really okay, Seongwoo-ssi?"

Park Seongwoo kept his eyes down. "I’m fine," he muttered, the words barely audible.

Haneul kept his voice gentle. "If something’s bothering you, we can listen."

Robin nodded in agreement, his usual playful tone softened. "Yeah, we’re here. Maybe we can even give some advice. Only if you want, of course."

Park Seongwoo’s head snapped up, hands tightening into fists on his knees. "I said I’m fine!" he yelled, the outburst startling them both.

The other’s eyes widened the moment the words left his mouth, as if even he was shocked by his own outburst. His tense shoulders slumped immediately, and he looked down at his clenched fists. "...Sorry," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper now. "I didn’t mean to yell."

"It’s okay," Haneul said quickly. "We’re sorry too - we didn’t mean to push you."

Robin nodded in agreement, raising his hands slightly in a peaceful gesture. "Yeah, Haneul’s right," he said, his usual easygoing tone returning.

An awkward silence settled between the three of them after that.

Surprisingly, it was Park Seongwoo who broke it first.

"He’s not really that bad, you know? Minjae-ssi." A shaky breath escaped him, like the words had been trapped inside for too long. "He was... he is a good kid. Or at least, he used to be."

His eyes grew distant, as if staring straight into the past. "The two of us—we started in the same agency as trainees when we were just 13. Back then, there was this group of older trainees who... who loved making the younger kids miserable. And me?" A humorless laugh slipped out. "I was small. Weak. An easy target. They’d corner me in the practice rooms, hide my things, mock me for crying. But Minjae-ssi..." His voice softened, something fragile and aching in it. "He’d always step in. Shove them away. Tell them to back off. He didn’t just protect me—he stood up for all the other bullied kids. Even when it meant getting punished instead."

A long silence. His next words came out rough, scraped raw. "I couldn’t take it, though. My parents pulled me out. I never saw him again after that." His throat worked, like the memory was something physical he had to swallow down. "But later, I heard rumors. That he’d finally gotten his chance—a debut spot in an all-Alpha group. But at the last minute... they replaced him. Said he wasn’t dominant enough." The word twisted bitterly in his mouth.

Another pause, longer this time. When he spoke again, his voice was barely there. "I’m not saying it excuses what he did. The way he treated Taeyang-ssi, the way he acted here—that wasn’t the boy I knew. But I think... somewhere under all that anger, he’s still there. The kid who shielded me when no one else would." His fingers curled into his palms, nails biting skin. "Even if he doesn’t remember me at all."

That was the last thing Haneul expected to hear. He’d guessed they might know each other, but never imagined this kind of history between them. So it wasn’t just about pheromones - there were real emotions tangled up in this, too. No wonder Park Seongwoo had been so upset.

Robin let out a long breath, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Damn. That’s... okay, can I just be real for a second?"

Park Seongwoo blinked at him, clearly thrown. "Uh... yes?"

"I know you’re probably feeling bad for what happened to Lee Minjae," Robin said. "With all that history, plus the pheromone match rate, it’s gotta be messing with you. But remember—none of this was your fault. And it’s not like you’ll never see Lee Minjae again. Sure, he might still be an asshole later. But still."

Haneul slowly turned his head toward Robin, fixing him with a look that screamed ’Did you really have to phrase it like that, hyung?’

Robin caught the look and immediately shrugged. His expression showed he knew exactly what Haneul was thinking and found it hilarious. ’What?’ his entire posture seemed to say. ’I just told the truth.’

Haneul could only shake his head. So when Park Seongwoo just stared at Robin, he quickly added;

"What Robin hyung was trying to say was you shouldn’t let this weigh on you to the point that it would affect the future you’re workin so hard for."

"Exactly. Isn’t that what I said?" Robin said with a playful expression, obviously trying to lighten up the mood.

Park Seongwoo’s eyes flickered between them, lingering on Robin’s playful grin and Haneul’s earnest expression. Then, unexpectedly, a soft laugh escaped him.

"Thanks," he said, shaking his head slightly. "It’s not the most polished pep talk I’ve ever gotten, but... it helped. Really."