Falling for the Omega Idol

EUNJI wasn’t sure how to feel after hearing that. She wanted to say she was surprised, but honestly, she’d seen it coming from a mile away. How she felt about it, though, was another matter entirely.

Haneul was still one of her babies. She wasn’t ready to face the fact that he was growing up and starting to have feelings for other people. She’d thought she had years before she’d have to worry about either of her kids getting into relationships. Okay, maybe "getting into relationships" was a bit dramatic, especially since Haneul had only said he wasn’t completely against Taeyang’s feelings. But still.

She’d probably gotten more protective since Haneul manifested as an Omega. The younger generation might think that shouldn’t matter, but she couldn’t help it. Him being an Omega meant he was more vulnerable in a world where not everyone had good intentions. What happened to him was proof of that.

But she also knew that she couldn’t shield him from everything. Just like this situation now. Her only wish was that he would always be safe, and that whoever he let into his life would never give her a reason to worry.

She’s just not sure that Jung Taeyang is that person. At least, not at this point.

Eunji studied her son’s face. His cheeks were flushed a deep red, the kind of shyness you’d expect from a teenage boy talking about his crush. She winced internally, unsure what to make of it.

"Ahem, so..." she cleared her throat. "Do you plan on accepting his feelings anytime soon?"

She didn’t think it was possible, but Haneul’s face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"I... I mean, not now," he stammered. "Not during the competition. But m-maybe... maybe after..."

He said the last two words almost in a whisper, his shyness bubbling to the surface. He hadn’t expected to have this kind of conversation with his mother. But at the same time, a part of him was glad. Because in his past life, he’d never had the chance to talk to her like this.

Eunji turned the words "maybe later" over in her head. So there was a real chance Haneul might accept Jung Taeyang’s feelings in the future. Okay, she needed to calm down. At least the kid wasn’t a bad choice. He seemed decent enough. If Haneul was going to have his first relationship, she couldn’t ask for much better. Again, but still.

Her own feelings about it were too tangled up to offer him an unbiased opinion. She didn’t want to sound like one of those overprotective, nagging mothers. But she knew that was exactly what would come out if she opened her mouth.

Just as she was trying to figure out what to say, a knock at the door saved her from having to.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief and called out, "Come in."

The door opened, and Eunji expected to see the doctor. Instead, PD Song walked in. She was only mildly surprised. He looked more disheveled than he had yesterday, his clothes slightly rumpled and his hair less neat.

"I’m sorry to bother you so early," he said, closing the door behind him as he walked over to the bed.

"No, it’s fine," Eunji said, waving a hand. "It’s part of your job." She truly didn’t mind the interruption.

Kyungho gave a small smile of thanks before turning his attention to Haneul. The young man was in the middle of eating his breakfast. Unlike yesterday, his skin no longer looked like it was about to burn up. His color was back to normal, and judging by how steadily he was eating, his condition seemed to have stabilized. Kyungho felt a wave of relief wash over him at that.

"How are you feeling, Kang Haneul-ssi?" he asked.

Haneul tried to offer a small smile. "I’m starting to feel human again." Then his face grew more serious. "I apologize for all the trouble I have caused the show."

"No, no, you don’t have to apologize," Kyungho said quickly, guilt already creeping into his voice. "If anything, it’s me who should be apologizing. I should have made sure our contestants were protected better." He ran a hand through his hair, looking tired. "I’m sorry, Haneul-ssi. What happened to you shouldn’t have happened in the first place."

Haneul could see the genuine guilt and regret written all over PD Song’s face. It was clear this whole situation had affected him deeply. Haneul didn’t have it in him to be angry at the man. He could tell the PD was beating himself up about it enough. Besides, it wasn’t entirely his fault anyway.

"It’s okay, PD-nim," Haneul said quietly. "What matters now is ensuring it doesn’t happen again."

"Of course. I’ll make sure nothing like this ever happens again," Kyungho said, meaning every word. Then, remembering one of the reasons he’d come so early, he carefully steered the conversation in another direction. "By the way, I have some good news. Jeon Hyunsik will be put on trial."

Both Eunji and Haneul were surprised by the news. They wanted Jeon Hyunsik to face consequences for his actions, but neither of them expected it to happen so quickly.

"Is the evidence really that solid?" Eunji asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. "They’re putting him on trial this fast?"

"Ah, let’s just say the CEO of JH Entertainment, the company that partnered with Vnet for the show, handled it," Kyungho said, scratching his cheek.

He decided not to mention the part about what the lawyer from Taesung Group had said, that Jeon Hyunsik’s family would likely fight the trial and there was a chance he could end up with little more than a slap on the wrist. But Attorney Cho had also assured him he would make sure Jeon Hyunsik paid for the crimes he’d done.

"Do the police need a statement from me?" Haneul asked. Since there was going to be a trial, he assumed his account of what happened would be important. But would they call him as a witness? Would he have to show up in court? The thought made him a bit nervous.

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