Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 233: DANCE CHECK (II)

HANEUL stopped as soon as the chorus ended. He breathed in and out, trying to catch his breath. After a deep inhale, he let his muscles relax. While they were dancing, he hadn’t thought about anything else. His mind was completely focused on the choreography, on hitting each move the way they’d practiced. Thankfully, he hadn’t messed up. He’d kept up with the rest of the team the whole way through.

He glanced at his teammates. They were all breathing hard, just like him. But there were small, satisfied smiles on their faces. That probably meant they thought they’d done well. Haneul turned his attention forward and waited for Dyna to speak.

Dyna was quiet for a moment before nodding in approval. "Your choreography is creative. It fits the mood of the song well. You clearly put thought into the transitions and how each part flows into the next."

She turned to Jeon Hyunsik. "Hyunsik-ssi, the way you’re moving doesn’t match the rest of the group. You’re adding extra hip rolls, lingering on poses longer than everyone else, putting in these little gestures that aren’t in the choreography. It throws off the synchronization and makes the performance look messy. Stick to what you all agreed on."

Then she looked at Haneul. "Haneul-ssi, you’re hitting all the marks. I can see that. But I can also see you thinking through every step. It’s like you’re counting in your head the whole time. You need to stop calculating and just let your body move more naturally."

She paused and turned to Eunwoo and Suho. "Eunwoo-ssi, Suho-ssi, you both did well. Your timing was consistent, your movements were clean, and you stayed in sync with each other the whole time. You provided a stable foundation for the group."

Haneul wasn’t too bothered by Dyna’s feedback. It wasn’t like she’d told him he danced badly. She just said he looked like he was thinking too much. That was fixable. He could work on that. Practice more until the moves became second nature, until he didn’t have to count anymore. Compared to being told he had no rhythm or that he was holding the group back, this was nothing.

On the other hand, Hyunsik felt annoyed after hearing what Dyna said. Not that he’d ever show it on his face. Wasn’t this song supposed to be danced sensually? Did they want everyone to move like they were doing some kind of street battle? What was wrong with leaning into the vibe of the song? But despite feeling that way, he kept his expression pleasant and smiled like he was grateful for the feedback.

Eunwoo and Suho smiled too, both of them looking genuinely pleased. Then the four of them bowed together to thank Dyna.

"Alright," Dyna said, clapping her hands once. "Let’s look at you eight dancing to the chorus together."

The eight contestants moved into formation, spreading out across the center of the practice room. They found their spots, spaced evenly, each one facing the mirror. A few adjusted their stances. Others rolled their shoulders or shook out their hands. Then the music hit the chorus. They all moved at once. Eight bodies flowing through the same choreography, hitting the same beats, turning and dipping and rising together.

Dyna raised an eyebrow as she watched. She’d expected them to be a mess. The last two groups she’d seen today had completely fallen apart when they tried to dance the chorus together. They moved at different speeds, hit poses at different times, ended up in the wrong spots. It made sense, really. They were competing against each other. Why would they practice together? But these eight didn’t have that problem. They all moved at the same speed. They hit every pose at the same time. Nobody drifted out of place. It’s obvious that they’d actually practiced together.

"Very good," she said once they finished. "Did you all practice together?"

The leader of the other team spoke up. "Yes. Eunwoo-ssi suggested it, so we made time to practice the chorus together."

Dyna glanced at Baek Eunwoo. He stood there with his usual gentle smile. This guy was thorough. She gave a small nod of approval. It was good to have someone with that kind of foresight around.

"Good. Keep working the way you have been," she said. "The live performance is on Monday. We’ll have rehearsal and sound-check on Sunday. Make sure you’re ready and do your best."

***

After Dyna left, Eunwoo walked over to the other team’s leader. He asked if they planned to stay in this room. If they did, then he’d take his group somewhere else. Working on the chorus together was one thing. They had to get that right for the live stage. But their individual parts, the parts they’d be competing with, that was better kept separate.

The other team’s leader glanced back at his members. After a brief discussion, they nodded and agreed to move. They gathered their things and headed out, leaving Haneul’s group alone in the practice room.

Their group got back to work right away, focusing on the things Dyna had pointed out. Haneul took the feedback seriously and worked on it. Hyunsik didn’t feel the same. In his mind, there was nothing wrong with how he’d danced. So he just pretended to take it all in, nodding along like he understood, with no actual intention of changing anything. With how observant he was, it’s difficult for Eunwoo not to notice it. But he still stayed calm on the surface. Underneath, though, his patience was already wearing thin.

After another run through, Eunwoo called for a quick break. He walked over to where Hyunsik was standing and leaned against the wall next to him, positioning himself so the cameras in the room wouldn’t pick up what he was about to say.

He kept his voice low. "Look, between us, I actually think the way you move has its own appeal. It’s bold. It catches attention. In a live performance, that kind of thing can really work in your favor. If the audience vibes with it, you could end up getting a lot of votes."

Hyunsik looked at him, listening.

"But here’s the thing. Dyna’s feedback wasn’t just for us in this room. The cameras were rolling the whole time. If that footage makes it into the episode, viewers are going to see her telling you to tone it down. And then when they watch the actual performance, they’ll see you didn’t change a thing."

Eunwoo let that information sit for a moment.

"I’m not saying you have to change. You know your own style better than anyone. But if viewers see you ignoring a mentor’s advice, some of them might take that the wrong way. They might think you’re stubborn or that you don’t work well with others. It could affect how they vote. On the other hand, if you show you can take feedback and adjust, that would look good on you."

He pushed off the wall. "You can do as I’ve said or continue what you’re doing now. It really depends on you."

Then he walked back to the center of the room.

Hyunsik watched Baek Eunwoo walk away. If the other had said all that out loud where anyone could hear, he’d have assumed Eunwoo was just trying to make him look bad. But keeping his voice low like that, making sure the cameras didn’t catch it, felt more like actual advice. Hyunsik wanted to brush it off, maybe even sneer at the concern. But Eunwoo had a point. He didn’t like it, but he could see the logic. So he shrugged and decided to go along with it.

If Baek Eunwoo wanted to play the saint, fine. Hyunsik could be generous and play along.

What Hyunsik didn’t realize was that Eunwoo didn’t actually care about him one way or another. His concern was purely practical. If one member stood out too much, dancing in a way that didn’t match the rest, it would throw off the entire group. With only four of them on stage, any mismatch would be obvious. Eunwoo would not let one person’s ego ruin the performance they’d all worked hard for.

Haneul watched the whole exchange without saying a word. Inside, he gave Eunwoo a silent thumbs up. The guy really knew how to lead. He’d steered Jeon Hyunsik exactly where he wanted him with no yelling, any arguing, any drama at all. That was genuine talent.