Falling for the Omega Idol

BIFF Square was the official hub of the Busan International Film Festival, though it only saw red carpets and celebrities for about two weeks each October. The rest of the year, it belonged entirely to the crowds.

As Haneul stepped into the bustling square, he immediately felt the energy of the people. The shouts of food vendors selling hotteok, the sizzle of oil from fried snacks, the constant flow of tourists weaving between stalls. Faded film murals and handprint plaques of actors lined the streets, reminders of its glamorous side, but the real show for Haneul was the chaos of everyday life he was seeing now. Students clustered around tteokbokki stands, aunties haggling over accessories, and the occasional street performer drawing crowds.

"Where do you all want to eat?" Soojin asked. "Don't worry about the cost, just pick anywhere you like."

"Why don't we try different stalls?" Robin suggested. "That way we can sample more kinds of food."

Joonhyuk grinned, already bouncing on his heels. "Perfect! We can hit every stall together and try everything!"

Seongwoo gave a small nod. "It'll be fun."

Haneul glanced at Taeyang, a flicker of worry crossing his face. If the guy didn't know how to ride a bus, had he ever even tried street food before? He felt like the answer to that was pretty obvious.

But since the others were so obviously excited by the idea, and if he was being honest, he also really wanted to try the food stalls around them, he couldn't bring himself to suggest picking a proper restaurant instead. Well, Taeyang would probably manage with street food just fine. Surely his stomach wasn't that sensitive. Right?

Taeyang, standing to the side, didn't need to look to know Haneul glanced at him worriedly when the others suggested eating at different food stalls. He could easily guess what the other was thinking. That this was his first time trying street food. And he couldn't blame Haneul for assuming that. After all, he had just admitted he hadn't ridden a public bus since he was a kid. Haneul likely thought he was some kind of sheltered rich kid.

Was he sheltered? Not really. Was he rich? His family was. But he couldn't exactly claim their wealth as his own, especially since he barely considered most of them family. Still, it was true that because of who the woman who gave birth to him was, he had missed out on normal things people experienced. Just like the old man always reminded him, he might not carry the Lee name, but half his blood was Lee. No matter how much Taeyang wanted to distance himself from that family, it wouldn't be easy.

He barely managed to do that in his previous life. But this time, he would make sure things turned out differently. That was exactly why he'd joined this survival program in the first place. Gaining worldwide popularity as part of an idol group would be the fastest way to secure his independence.

Truthfully, Taeyang could have achieved the same thing in his past life if he'd really tried. But back then, he'd still been naïve enough to hold on to that foolish hope, the belief that the woman might one day treat him like an actual son. That version of him no longer existed. He refused to waste another second clinging to a 'mother' who never wanted him in the first place.

But there was no way he could tell Haneul the truth. How could he explain that he hadn't ridden a bus since he was four, and with this being his second life, what should have been just ten years ago felt more like twenty to him. It's only natural he didn't know what to do when riding one.

Taeyang sighed and dropped his gaze to his hand, the one Haneul had briefly covered earlier. The memory sent another wave of warmth to his face. He hadn't expected that small gesture to feel like comfort, but it did. The weight that had settled in his chest moments before had vanished, replaced entirely by the lingering warmth of Haneul's touch.

He couldn't help but wonder how Haneul had even thought to comfort him. Had his discomfort really been that obvious?

He lifted his head and watched Haneul chatting with Robin. He knew he'd told himself to keep some distance between them, but how was he supposed to do that when Haneul kept breaking through his defenses without even trying?

Taeyang's thoughts cut off when Haneul spoke up.

"How about we buy all the food we want first, then eat at the nearby park?"

"That's a great idea," Robin agreed.

No one objected, so it seemed the others liked the plan too. But since Taeyang hadn't said anything yet, all eyes turned to him. He smiled slightly, especially when he noticed the faint worry on Haneul's face. The other was probably still concerned he couldn't handle street food.

But unlike Haneul assumed, he had eaten street food before. Not in this life, but in his past life. Did that even matter though? Either way, he wasn't picky about food. He'd be fine. Still, he couldn't deny that the small, selfish part of him was happy that Haneul cared enough to worry about him.

"I'm fine with that," he said.

***

The group moved through the crowded square, stopping at one stall after another to buy food. The first stall had hotteok, golden pancakes oozing with melted sugar. Next was a tteokbokki stand where they got two large portions. They added odeng skewers swimming in broth, then moved on to crispy pajeon folded into wax paper sleeves. They bought gimbap and sundae sausages. They also couldn't resist buying chicken skewers, and finally picked up bungeoppang fish-shaped pastries stuffed with sweet red bean.

For drinks, they went simple and just bought cans of different flavored soda. The mingled smells of fried dough, spicy sauce, and caramelized sugar followed them as they shuffled through the crowd.

When they could carry no more, they turned toward Yongdusan Park, weaving through tourists with their arms full of food and drinks.