Chapter Text
The practice room hummed with a different energy today. The always chaotic atmosphere somehow felt even more intense. Members of the group Cortis were scattered around the room, exhausted and worn out after their practice.
Martin sat in a corner minding his own business, scrolling on his phone. James sat in the opposite corner, sipping his water while eyeing the maknaes, who were huddled close to Juhoon, wafting protective pheromones.
James was amused.
Juhoon was nearing his heat. His pheromones were significantly more intense than during his previous heats, which was affecting the two youngest, newly presented Alphas. It made them both restless and fueled an instinctive need to protect their hyung. Juhoon’s pheromones were leaking everywhere.
To the pack, his scent was screaming one thing: comfort me.
"Hey," Keonho said, looking at his phone. "I just saw a tweet; fans are arguing about the 'mom and dad' of the group. Most votes are for Juhoon hyung and Martin hyung."
Seunghyun nodded, wiping sweat from his forehead. "That fits. Martin is like a reliable dad, and Juhoon hyung is soft and caring like a mom. He fusses over our outfits and makes sure we sleep."
Martin looked up, a mischievous glint in his eye. He decided to tease Juhoon a bit, unaware of how fragile the Omega’s hormones were today.
"The mom?" he snorted. "I don't know. Shouldn’t James hyung be the Mom? He’s the oldest, after all. He’s actually responsible. Juhoon is way too much of a brat to be the Mom. He’s more like the spoiled kid who needs to be taken care of."
The whole room went silent.
Juhoon, who had been leaning against the mirror, felt those words like a physical blow to his heart. His eyes immediately welled up with big, fat tears. His scent spiked, turning from sweet jasmine to a rain-soaked, lonely forest.
"So," Juhoon’s voice trembled. "You think I’m not the mom? You think I wouldn't make a good mom for this pack?"
Martin’s smile faltered. "Juhoon, I was just joking—"
"Is that what you think, Martin? You think I’m just a brat? You think I wouldn't be good enough for you?" Juhoon’s voice rose, his lower lip wobbling. "So you don't want me? Is that it? You want to replace me with James hyung?!"
Because the maknaes were young Alphas, their brains practically short-circuited seeing their pack Omega in distress. Their protective instincts flared toward Juhoon and turned into aggression toward Martin.
"Hyung! How could you say that?!" Keonho yelled, jumping up and standing in front of Juhoon in a protective stance. "Look at him! He’s crying! You made hyung cry!"
"Mom! Divorce him!" Seunghyun shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Martin. "We don't want him as our Dad anyway! We have you and James hyung; we can survive! Divorce Martin right now!"
"Yeah!" Keonho added, hugging Juhoon’s arm. "We’ll move out! We’ll find a new dorm! We don't want a Dad who’s mean to our Mom! Divorce! Divorce!"
Martin was completely dumbfounded, staring at the chaotic scene. "Divorce?! We aren't even married! Why are you guys acting like this?!"
James, meanwhile, was leaning against the wall, recording the whole thing on his phone, laughing so hard he didn't even try to help. Why should he? This was much more fun. Seeing Martin getting ganged up on was his favorite genre.
Suddenly, Juhoon’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out and saw the caller ID. It was Martin’s mom. He immediately hit "Accept" and "Video Call," holding the phone up with a trembling hand.
"EOMMA!" Juhoon wailed into the camera, big tears rolling down his puffy cheeks.
On the screen, Martin’s mom appeared, looking confused until she saw Juhoon’s tear-streaked face. "Juhoon-ah? Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?"
Juhoon sniffled loudly, pouting at the camera. "Eomma, Martin is being so mean to me! He told me I’m not the Mom! He said he doesn't want me and he’d rather have James hyung! He told me I’m just a brat!"
"HE WHAT?!" Martin’s mom shrieked.
Martin scrambled over, trying to see the screen. "Wait! Mom! Since when do you and Juhoon video call each other?!"
"Don't you 'Mom' me, Martin!" she scolded, her face turning stern. "I raised you better than this! How could you say such things to a precious Omega like Juhoon? Especially when he’s sensitive! You should be a good Alpha and take care of him!"
"Mom, he’s not my Omega!" Martin yelled, his face turning bright red from embarrassment.
"With that attitude, he’ll never be!" his mom snapped. "Juhoon-ah, don't listen to him. If he keeps being mean, you come stay at my house and I'll make you your favorite soup. Let that silly boy starve!"
Martin stood there, paralyzed by the betrayal of his own mother and his pack, while Juhoon stuck his tongue out at him behind the phone screen.
"I don’t care if you’re tired, Martin!" his mother’s voice crackled through the speaker. "I promised Juhoon’s mother faithfully that when you two debuted together, you would look after him. I gave her my word! And here you are, breaking that poor boy's heart because of some 'logic' about who is the Mom? You’re acting like a pup, not an Alpha!"
Martin’s face was so red it practically glowed. "Mom, please! I’m a professional! And for the tenth time, he is not my Omega! We are just friends! We are the same age! He’s actually older than me by months!"
"Age doesn't matter when you're being a bully!" his mom snapped back.
Juhoon, meanwhile, leaned into Keonho and Seunghyun, who were acting like human pillars for him. He sniffled, looking into the camera with big, watery eyes.
"Eomma, it's okay... maybe I'm just not what he wants in a pack mate. I’ll just... I’ll just be the 'troublesome brat' in the corner."
"No!" Keonho shouted, leaning into the frame. "Don't say that, Juhoon hyung! Auntie, tell him! We love Juhoon hyung! We don't want Martin hyung if he’s going to be like this!"
"That’s right, Keonho-ya," Martin’s mom cooed. "You boys keep him safe. If Martin doesn't step up, I’ll personally come down there and pull his ears."
Martin looked around, desperate for an ally. He looked at James, the eldest. James was sitting on the floor, his back against the mirror, typing furiously. He looked up, gave Martin a wink, and went back to his screen.
"James hyung, help me!" Martin hissed.
"I am helping," James said calmly. "I just called the manager. And the doctor."
Martin froze. "The doctor? Why? I’m not sick!"
"You're not," James said, his eyes flickering to Juhoon, whose scent was now becoming so heavy it felt like walking through a cloud of perfume. "But the pack dynamic is definitely 'sick.' Look at the kids, Martin. They’re vibrating."
A minute later, the heavy door to the practice room swung open. In walked Manager Hyung, followed by Dr. Kim, the agency’s specialist for secondary gender health.
Manager Hyung took one sniff of the air and immediately covered his nose. "Woah. It’s like a jasmine bomb went off in here. Martin, out. Now."
"But—"
"No 'buts.' The doctor needs to talk to you," Manager Hyung said, dragging Martin toward the hallway.
Juhoon watched them leave, letting out a soft, mournful whine that made the maknaes tighten their hold. "He's leaving... see? He's leaving me..."
In the quiet hallway, Dr. Kim looked at Martin. The Alpha was disheveled, frustrated, and still vibrating from his mother's scolding.
"Alright, Martin," Dr. Kim started. "James said things were getting chaotic. Describe Juhoon’s behavior over the last forty-eight hours."
Martin groaned. "He’s been... off. Sensitive. Lately, he’s been clingy. And then today, I teased him about a tweet, and he just... exploded. He started crying, saying I didn't want him. Now the maknaes think I’m a villain and they’re demanding a 'pack divorce.' Even my own mother is on his side!"
Dr. Kim didn't laugh. "And how are the other Alphas reacting?"
"Keonho and Seunghyun are acting like his personal bodyguards," Martin said, throwing his hands up. "They’re ready to bite me. It’s ridiculous."
"It’s not ridiculous, Martin. It’s biology," Dr. Kim said, showing a graph on his tablet. "Juhoon isn't just having a normal heat. His Omega instincts have entered a 'Nesting and Bonding' phase. This happens when an Omega’s inner instinct senses a potential Alpha it wants to mate and form a permanent bond with."
Martin’s heart skipped a beat. "A... potential Alpha?"
"Yes," Dr. Kim continued. "The reason his pheromones are so intense is because his body is trying to establish his role as the Pack Omega. When you rejected the 'Mom' title, his instinct-driven brain felt you were rejecting him as a mate."
"But... who is the 'potential Alpha'?" Martin asked, feeling a pang in his chest. He felt a sudden urge to find this person and tell them to stay away.
Dr. Kim gave him a look of disbelief. Are you seriously this dense. "Martin, think. Who is he crying for? Who is he looking to for validation? Who is his scent trying to trigger? It’s not the maknaes, it’s you."
Martin leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor. "Me? But we’re friends."
"The heart doesn't care about debut dates," the doctor said kindly. "I’m not suggesting a full mating bond right now, that’s a PR nightmare. However, you must comfort him. If you continue to act cold, his heat will become physically painful, and the maknaes will become aggressive to protect him. The pack balance is broken."
"So... what do I do?"
"You go back in there," Dr. Kim said. "You apologize. Don't use logic; use scent. Provide him with Alpha Security. The best thing is a 'Pack Huddle.' Cuddle with him. Let the maknaes pile on too, it helps ground the Omega. But you, Martin... you have to be the anchor."
Martin took a deep breath, thinking of Juhoon’s teary eyes and his mother’s words. He stood up, determined. "Okay. I can do that."
He pushed the door open. Juhoon was still on the phone with Martin’s mom, showing her a picture of a stray cat, while Keonho fed him a granola bar like he was royalty.
Martin walked straight to the center of the room. He didn't say a word. He gently pushed Seunghyun and Keonho aside, ignoring their protests and sat right next to Juhoon.
Juhoon froze. "What are you doing? I thought you went to find James hyung a 'Mom' outfit." He threw a glare that looked more like a soft kitten's pout.
His twinski was so freaking adorable! Martin cooed internally.
Martin didn't argue. He wrapped a strong arm around Juhoon’s waist, pulling him firmly against his side. He tucked his face into the crook of Juhoon’s neck and took a deep, grounding breath of jasmine.
"I’m sorry," Martin muttered against Juhoon's skin. "I was being a stupid Alpha. You’re the only Mom of this group. And you’re... you’re my favorite person. Stay here."
Juhoon’s entire body went limp. The bitter scent of burnt sugar vanished, replaced by a surge of sweetness.
"Oh," Juhoon whispered, his phone slipping from his hand. "Oh... okay."
"Group huddle!" James cheered, finally putting his phone away. "Come on, kids. Pile on."
Within seconds, the five of them were a tangled mess of limbs and hoodies on the floor, with Juhoon safely tucked in the middle, a content smile stretched across his face.