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Sieun had been used to loneliness his whole life. His days followed the same dull routine—wake up early, get ready, go to school, study, go back home, study again, and sleep. That was all there was to his life. He didn’t complain about it most of the time. His parents had divorced when he was little, and Sieun had stayed with his omega father. But his father was often away on overseas tournaments and rarely came home. That was the biggest reason for his prolonged solitude.
The whole friendship thing… well, that was something Sieun never really paid much attention to. Until high school, most people didn’t even want to hang out with his. And honestly? He didn’t blame them.
Why would anyone want to spend time with someone who did nothing but study and lacked basic social skills?
But things started to change when he entered high school. Annoying people started to creep into his life. Like Yeongi. Sieun couldn’t even remember when they became friends. The alpha girl had simply sat down in front of his one day while Sieun was eating lunch alone—like always—and after a few one-sided conversations, Yeongi suddenly announced they were now best friends.
At first, Sieun thought Yeongi must’ve had some hidden agenda, but over time he realized that the girl had no ill intentions. They began spending more and more time together, and eventually became inseparable.
Sieun liked to believe it was all thanks to Yeongi’s ridiculously good social skills, but Yeongi always said it was fate—that they were soulmates meant to find each other.
Of course, Yeongi wasn’t the only one who barged into his life. Along with his came her older brother, Ahn Suho. Two years older than them, the alpha showed up out of nowhere during one of their usual meetups and, in the blink of an eye, became a fixed member of their little group.
Suho could be infuriating and nearly impossible to argue with, but he was surprisingly fun to be around. He joined them for most of their hangouts, and on top of that… the guy was really good-looking. Even Sieun had trouble tearing his eyes away the first time he saw him. With his handsome face and gentlemanly manners, Suho was one of the most popular alphas in school.
Omegas—and even some betas—would get close to them just for a chance to go on a date with him. Naturally, Yeongi loved messing with her brother and gave his number to every single one of them.
Of course, Suho would get mad at Yeongi for doing that but he still talked to some of them. And when he went on those dates and later shared the stories, Sieun would always feel something rotting inside his. But he never stopped to think about what that feeling really was.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Suho’s best friend—a beta named Beomseok—always wore an unreadable expression whenever he listened to Suho talk. Sieun had seen that same look on Beomseok’s face whenever an omega tried to ask Suho out. And sometimes... he even made that face when Suho got too close to Sieun.
Beomseok had joined their group not long after Suho. Though the two were complete opposites, they were surprisingly compatible. The beta was friendly toward Yeongi and Suho, but with Sieun? Not so much. Maybe Beomseok just didn’t like his best friend making new friends. But Sieun wasn’t trying to “steal” anyone.
Besides, who would even want to be close to a beta? Someone with no scent, no presentation, and a weird aura. No one—except Yeongi, who was completely out of her mind.
Sieun had never presented. He didn’t have a sweet, alluring scent like most omegas. Sure, he had expressive eyes, plump lips, a delicate face, and a slender frame but even with all those traits, he still hadn’t presented as an omega.
And that… was one of the reasons his high school life had turned into hell. Despite looking like an omega, he didn’t act like one. Every time he looked at Yeongbin, it was defiant. And that infuriated the bully alpha. Most people assumed Sieun was an omega, and Yeongbin couldn’t stand the thought of one looking at him like that.
One time, after gym class, when the locker room had emptied out, Yeongbin and his gang cornered him. The knot-head alpha had said he wasn’t even sure if Sieun was really a guy, then reached out and grabbed between his legs. If someone hadn’t grabbed Yeongbin by the scruff of his neck and punched him in the face, things could’ve gone way further.
That someone was Suho.
Sieun could never forget the scent of rain-soaked earth that clung to Suho’s uniform that day. When Suho had finished beating the bullies and pulled Sieun out of the locker room, he didn’t even realize he was shaking.
“You’re trembling.”
"Huh?”
Sieun lifted his head to meet Suho’s gaze—eyes red with rage and filled with concern. His blank stare focused on the alpha in front of him, reeking of fury and anxiety.
“Sieun-ah, if anything like this ever happens, you should tell me.”
Suho’s large hands settled on Sieun’s shoulders. The next thing he knew… Suho was hugging him.
Suho. Was. Hugging. Him.
What?
Sieun snapped back to reality and tried to push him away, but failed. The alpha didn’t budge. He was like a boulder. Sieun struggled not to inhale the comforting scent Suho was releasing, but it was nearly impossible. He squirmed in the embrace, then finally spoke up.
“Hyung… could you let go of me?”
He tried his best to hide the stiffness in his voice and in his pants.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. After seeing what those bastards did to you…”
The alpha’s eyes somehow turned even redder if that was even possible. Suho froze, pulling back before he could finish his sentence. Sieun didn’t understand why he suddenly stopped, but then he heard Yeongi’s panicked voice from behind.
“Sieun-ah! Oh my god, are you okay?! Fuck, I swear I’m gonna kill those son of a bitches.”
He turned to see his friend rushing over, her scent thick with rage. Her red eyes scanned his body rapidly, searching for any sign of injury. When she found none, she let out a relieved breath. Trying to ease her worries, Sieun quietly told her that he was fine.
After that, both alphas seemed to realize they were overwhelming him. They stopped asking questions, and the aggressive undertone in their scents faded.
By the end of the day, Sieun found himself at the siblings’ house. They sat down at the table with warm, comforting food prepared by their grandma so good it made him almost forget the terrible morning. He watched Suho and Yeongi bicker like always, a small smile playing on his lips.
“Oh my god, Suho, slow down you’re not in a famine. You’re gonna make my pretty baby lose his appetite.”
“Pretty ba—what?”
Suho immediately raised his head from his plate, staring at his sister. Then, as if they were telepathically linked, both turned to look at Sieun whose smile had vanished.
“YOU’RE LOSING YOUR APPETITE BECAUSE OF THIS PIG, RIGHT EUN-AH?”
“WHO ARE YOU CALLING PRETTY BABY?!”
They both shouted at the exact same time, equally obnoxious. Sieun tried to ignore the heat creeping up the back of his neck, looking to their grandmother for help.
"Aigo, kids, enough with the yelling and bothering Sieun-ah.”
She gestured toward the food with a firm look.
“Eat.”
Suho, still confused and flustered, returned to his meal. Yeongi shot Sieun a ridiculous wink before digging in too. The table fell into a peaceful silence as they continued eating.
And for the first time in a long while, Sieun felt… safe. At ease.
----
After that confrontation, Yeongbin and his gang kept their distance from Sieun. Sure, there were still mocking looks and snide comments, but none of them dared to get too close. Well… that might’ve had something to do with Suho.
The alpha had cornered them not long after and warned—no, threatened—that if he ever saw them near Sieun again, he’d rip their heads off. Despite all their bravado and ego, none of them dared to challenge an angry, dominant alpha like Suho.
Unfortunately, that peace only lasted until Suho graduated. Once he was gone, the bullies came back with a vengeance—and at the front of the line was Yeongbin. Already full of spite, the alpha seemed to grow even more bitter, like he was hell-bent on taking it out on Sieun.
It started with words—humiliating, probing comments meant to break him down. Yeongi was ready to fight them the moment she heard, but Sieun stopped her. He didn’t want those bastards dragging her into it too. He promised her he could handle it.
Two whole years passed. Two years of verbal jabs, some physical harassment, and lies to Suho every time he asked how school was going. Sieun always said it was fine. And Suho… seemed to believe him.
But during those years, something changed in Sieun. He had a realization. A painful, quiet one that bloomed too late to ignore.
He was in love with Ahn Suho.
Once Suho graduated, Sieun started noticing the warmth, the teasing sincerity, that radiant smile… and how deeply he loved all of it. Realizing this only made him more nervous around Suho—so much so that he started avoiding him. Even when Yeongi asked what was going on, Sieun brushed it off, and thankfully, she didn’t press.
But the fragile balance of Sieun’s stressful, tangled life didn’t take long to shatter. Near the end of their final year, Yeongbin ramped things up again. Sieun ignored him, no matter how far the alpha pushed.
Yeongi warned him not to underestimate him, but Sieun shrugged it off. They were graduating soon. After that, they’d never see each other again.
Right?
Well, not everything goes the way you expect. Yeongbin made one last, cruel move. He gave an illegal substance—stolen from his cousin—to one of his cronies. All they had to do was get it on Sieun’s neck. Just a touch. It was a drug that triggered heat in alphas and omegas, but in betas, the effects were worse: nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and in some cases—passing out.
And what better way to ruin someone who only ever cared about school?
Attack his grades.
Yeongbin knew that if he messed up Sieun’s mock exam, he’d finally get the reaction he craved. And he almost did.
Halfway through the exam, Sieun started to feel lightheaded. Everything was spinning. The room felt suffocatingly hot. He tried to breathe, tried to calm himself down—but it wasn’t working. There was a damp, uncomfortable heat blooming beneath him. And then the realization hit like lightning. He dropped his pen with a loud clatter and tried to stand.
He had to get out. Now.
As he tried to stand, a scent spread through the air a soft, sweet vanilla. Sieun froze. He knew this. He knew what this meant. He was in heat. Fuck. He was a beta. This shouldn’t be possible. It had never happened before.
Why now—? The slap to the back of his neck during the exam. Sieun lifted a trembling hand and touched the patch stuck to his skin. He turned around. The boy behind him looked back, eyes wide and brimming with tears, silently begging for forgiveness— the look of someone who had no choice but to obey orders.
Pathetic.
Sieun’s gaze shifted on its own, drawn to the back row. To him. Jeon Yeongbin sat there, looking utterly smug. The alpha’s eyes were locked on him with raw hunger and dominance, dark with lust— and the scent in the air was clearly affecting him.
Sieun felt his face burn.
Shame. Humiliation.
He didn’t know how, but somehow, he managed to stumble out of the classroom.
He ran. Ran and ran, until he found a bathroom and locked the stall behind him. He took a deep breath, hands trembling. Rage was bubbling up inside him, but the shame— the shame was worse.
He cried.
Tears fell silently down his cheeks as he cursed every corner of his miserable life. He was an omega. Not a beta. He wasn’t what he’d always believed himself to be. And the truth hit like a fist to the gut. As the pain in his lower stomach worsened, someone knocked on the door. A familiar, worried voice followed.
“Eun-ah, are you okay? Open the door, let’s go home.”
Hearing Yeongi’s voice grounded him. He took another breath and tried to steady his tone.
“I’m coming.”
He splashed his face with cold water, once, twice, three times. He looked up at the mirror. Red cheeks. Tear-stained eyes. He stared. And stared. And kept staring. The sounds outside became distant. The knocking. Yeongi’s voice. It all felt miles away.
Sieun had always avoided violence. He never believed in it. He thought warnings and words were enough— because people were supposed to be rational, right?
Wrong.
People were monsters out of a horror story. Disgusting creatures who didn’t understand reason. Selfish beings who thought they had the right to claim others like property.
He was ashamed. But not because he was an omega. There was nothing shameful about that. Omegas weren’t weak. They weren’t meant to be controlled. They weren’t meant to be drugged into unnatural heats in the middle of class.
He was angry. Because he never thought Yeongbin would go that far. Because he never even considered using his strength to fight back. And why not? Because deep down, he knew: if he ever did—no one would be able to stop him.
Sieun's hand was twitching. It ached—for a punch, for vengeance, for a release. For the first time in his life, he wanted revenge. He wanted to make them pay. He didn’t want to sit back in silence anymore. He wanted to fight. To defend himself. To show them exactly who the fuck they were messing with.
“Sieun? Are you okay? I’m getting worried!”
But the sound of his heartbeat was louder than Yeongi’s voice. It thudded in his ears, deep and furious.
Thump.
Thump.
“Sieun, please! Open the door!”
Thump.
Thump.
Suddenly, he stormed to the door and yanked it open.
“Sieun, you’re—!”
Yeongi froze mid-sentence. Sieun’s usually tidy hair was a wild mess. His uniform—always crisp and buttoned to the top—was wrinkled and open, revealing the pale skin of his neck, now slick with the soft, sweet scent of vanilla.
But it was his face that made Yeongi go silent. The eyes that once drew people in were now bloodshot and dark, shouting with rage. His full lips were swollen and red from biting down too hard. His cheeks were flushed. He looked like a storm disguised as a flower.
A beautiful, chaotic carnation blooming in the heart of destruction.
Before Yeongi could speak, Sieun stormed off with steady, furious steps, cutting through the crowd forming in the hallway. He threw the classroom door open. Every head turned. Without saying a word, he walked to his seat.
Calm. Methodical.
He picked up his favorite pen and turned around. Everyone stared at him like an animal on the verge of snapping— a lion behind glass that was about to shatter. He walked straight to Yeongbin’s desk, grabbing a book along the way.
The pen trembled in his fist, his anger radiating off him like static. Just before reaching Yeongbin, he stabbed the pen into the shoulder of the boy sitting in front. The reaction was instant— Yeongbin lunged forward, trying to stop him— but Sieun was faster. He slammed the book into Yeongbin’s face.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
When Yeongbin tried to cover his head, Sieun yanked the classroom curtain and wrapped it around his face. He kept swinging. The light green fabric was soaked in red. Finally, Sieun let go. Yeongbin dropped to the floor like a sack of meat. Sieun crouched beside him, staring at his bloodied face. And whispered,
“How many times did I tell you not to?”
He raised his fist, ready to punch when a sharp pull from behind stopped him.
“That’s enough. You’ll kill him.”
The scent of earth filled his lungs. Even through the chaos, he could breathe clearly for the first time. It wrapped around him like safety. Like gravity. He had to fight not to fall into it.
“Hey… Breathe.”
Everything was blurry—except for that soft voice behind him. When the grip on his neck finally eased, he turned around. And blinked in disbelief.
Standing behind him was Go Hyeontak. Star player of the basketball team. A towering alpha, looking right at him.
He was standing right in front of Sieun—wearing that same blue sweatshirt he always did, those familiar curls bouncing slightly with each breath. His eyes lingered on Sieun longer than they probably should have, before flicking to the bloody, unrecognizable mess that was Yeongbin behind him.
Then… back to Sieun.
"Holy shit… did you do this?"
Sieun didn’t understand the words at first. But the surge of anger returned anyway. That alpha scent—strong, unfamiliar, too close—still filled the air. Before he realized it, his fist was rising to punch the alpha square in the face. But the alpha reacted smoothly, dodging the blow like he’d done it a hundred times, and catching Sieun’s wrist in a firm grip.
“Hey! Calm down. I’m not here to hurt you.”
He spoke the way someone might talk to a crying child on the floor patient. Grounding. Kind. Hyeontak’s eyes searched Sieun’s face and when he was sure there wouldn't be a second swing, he gently released his wrist.
Sieun was just about to say something but a sharp, stabbing pain bloomed in his stomach, and the omega doubled over with a soft gasp. Hyeontak caught him immediately, pulling him close to keep him from collapsing.
For a moment, all he could think of was the pain, the overwhelming scent of stress and vanilla and heat and then Sieun did something he didn’t expect.
He pressed his face against Hyeontak’s scent gland. Breathing him in. The alpha froze. Don’t judge him. There was a pretty, trembling omega practically in his arms, trying to soothe himself by inhaling his scent.
“Let’s get you out of here…”
Hyeontak’s whisper echoed in Sieun’s ear. And as the omega’s scent thickened in the air, the hungry stares around them multiplied.
Priority one: Get him out. Somewhere safe. Somewhere private.
As the two of them left the classroom, a visibly worried girl appeared in the hallway. She looked like an omega but her dominant alpha energy said otherwise. Her eyes locked on Sieun with hostility.
Then, without hesitation, she reached out to pull the omega toward her. But Hyeontak stepped in, instinctively tugging the omega behind him, a protective reflex he hadn’t expected to feel for someone he just met. He was an alpha too, yes— but he wasn’t a threat. Still, there was no way the girl—or any other omega in this state—could know that.
"Hey! Don’t touch him, you disgusting bastard.”
The growl in her voice seemed to jolt Sieun back into focus. Despite the pain, the omega straightened up and blinked at his eyes still glazed.
“Yeongi…?”
“Huh, You know her?”
“He’s my best friend, you idiot. Now let go of him.”
At that, Hyeontak released his hold and let her reach for Sieun again. Of course— his best friend. It made sense that he’d be safer with her. But then Sieun didn’t let go. His fingers gripped Hyeontak’s uniform tighter, resisting Yeongi’s pull.
“No…”
The word came out weak, cracked with pain— but sure Yeongi froze. Surprise flickered across her face.
“Sieun-ah… He’s an alpha. And you’re—You’re not okay right now—”
“No!”
This time, it was loud. Firm. There was no room for misinterpretation. Sieun had made a choice. Yeongi stared at him—then at Hyeontak, who stood there just as stunned— the realization that he had been chosen clearly unsettling her.
“Fine. I’ll call Suho. You take him to the infirmary.”
She narrowed her eyes at Hyeontak.
“If you try anything swear I’ll hang you from your knot.”
She looked like she meant it, too. Before Hyeontak could even react, Sieun’s knees buckled slightly, and the alpha caught him again, eyes wide with concern.
“I’m just trying to helpwe’ll be at the infirmary, don’t worry.”
Yeongi gave them one last look—long, unreadablethen pulled out her phone and started dialing.
Wthout thinking, he slipped an arm around Sieun’s slim waist, still hidden under the wrinkled school uniform, and guided him toward the infirmary. Every time Sieun whimpered in pain, Hyeontak clenched his jaw to keep his eyes where they belonged.
They arrived. The beta nurse immediately helped Sieun onto the bed and turned to search for painkillers. Assuming he was no longer needed, Hyeontak turned to leave—only to be stopped by the light tug on his sleeve. He turned.
Sieun’s big, teary eyes looked up at him. Like he didn’t want to say it but needed him to know anyway:
"Don’t go… Please."
Okay. If the omega felt safe with him, he’d stay. Simple. Maybe he paused too long. Because more tears welled up in Sieun’s eyes.
“Hey! No—okay, okay, I’m staying, please don’t cry!”
Panicked, he sat down right beside him. And the moment he did, Sieun leaned into him, nestling close like it was the most natural thing in the world. Aside from the soft sniffles, there was only silence until the nurse returned.
"Ah… You two are—?"
The beta’s gaze went straight to the way Sieun was pressed against Hyeontak’s side. Hyeontak caught the look and coughed, red creeping up his neck.
"We're actually just… friends."
It was a lie, they had just met but the nurse didn't need to know. He blurted it out before she could ask anything else. Thankfully, she didn’t press. Instead, she focused on Sieun, asking questions about his first heat and helping him swallow the pills. Then she turned to Hyeontak with some instructions and left.
The silence that followed was warm, almost drowsy. Eventually, Sieun closed his eyes, falling into sleep…but his small hand still clutched at Hyeontak’s uniform like he was holding onto the last lifeline in a storm. Hyeontak watched his tear-streaked face for a long, quiet moment.
Then his phone buzzed. He tore his gaze away, quickly silencing it so it wouldn’t wake the sleeping omega. New messages from Baku.
Baku
> Hey! Declining my calls is RUDE, Gogo 🖕🏿🖕🏿
Hyeontak rolled his eyes. Didn’t bother replying. He looked back at the pretty boy asleep on his shoulder. And tried to ignore whatever the hell it was that bloomed in his chest.
And this is how future best friends Go Hyeontak and Yeon Sieun met.