Chapter Text
The members of ENHYPEN were currently at a fan sign event held in a brightly lit large hall decorated with flowers and soft background music. Despite the shiny look of the stage, the atmosphere was buzzing with the high energy of hundreds of ENGENEs.
All seven members were happy to see the bright smiles of the fans in front of them. It was one of the rare moments where they could look directly into the eyes of those who supported them, feeling a wave of real thanks that made the long hours of practice worth it.
The seating order was set. Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, Ni-ki, Heeseung and then Jay. All were now seated, pens ready and smiles fixed, waiting to officially start the event. Jake, being seated first in the line, leaned forward comfortably as the first fan approached.
"Hello Jake! Have you been well? You are so adorable today!" The first fan smiled widely, though her hands shook slightly as she pushed her album toward him.
Jake offered a shy and real smile, the compliment causing his cheeks to turn a light pink. "Oh, thank you! I have been very well and thank you for coming to see us today."
“So…I’m curious about something..." The fan suddenly leaned in, her voice dropping to a sneaky whisper as her initial nerves melted into a more prying excitement. "What is it actually like living with the others?"
Jake looked confused for a second, his pen hovering over the page before the realization hit him. He saw the look in her eyes, the curiosity about a sole beta trapped in a house with six powerful alphas or so what the public thought.
Jake let out a soft, reassuring laugh, though his mind was moving fast. He had to be careful about this since the world saw them as six alphas and one beta. If the public knew the truth about the enigmas, the brand the company built would face a media storm they weren't ready for.
"Oh! Well, we are actually very normal…" Jake lied smoothly, "I guess it’s because they’re all alphas that they understand each other, you know?”
“They don’t bully you or order you around, do they?” The fan teased him, though her eyes held a flicker of real worry for him.
"Oh no!" Jake shook his head quickly, his hair flopping over his forehead as he beamed at her to show he was perfectly fine. “We have our little arguments for sure, but they are all great to me!”
The fan, clearly relieved by Jake’s response, suddenly noticed another handsome figure to his left. Sunghoon’s sharp ears caught the exchange, prompting a playful huff of a laugh.
"Relax, no one’s bullying our puppy." The cool gaze Sunghoon usually wore vanished, replaced by a gaze so sweet it was almost sugary when he turned toward Jake. When Jake met his gaze with a shy, scrunchy-nosed laugh, Sunghoon’s own smile bloomed even brighter, his heart visibly softening at the sound.
The fan could not help but beam as she watched the giggly, close dynamic between the two of them. She then moved toward Sunghoon while Jake immediately turned his attention to the next fan in line with a welcoming wave.
The event continued smoothly for the next hour. A parade of fans passed through. Most were respectful, asking about their favorite foods or upcoming performances. Some asked slightly off questions, but as experienced idols, the members kept up their professional personas with ease.
However, the bright mood began to sour as a new fan stepped up to the table. Her breathing was weirdly heavy and ragged. Her dark eyes even lacked the usual starstruck sparkle, replaced by something dark and scary.
"Jake-ssi... can you tell me how the other members go through their ruts?" The question felt like a physical weight that sent a chill down his spine. Jake leaned back instinctively, his idol smile dropping.
"Uh... well," Jake started, looking away as if he were thinking. In reality, his gut was screaming that something was wrong. His eyes searched the room for help and caught the gaze of a nearby staff member. Jake immediately gave the staff a sharp, subtle nod that usually signaled danger or potential risk.
Jake forced his voice to stay steady again when he turned back to her. "The members... they usually take medicine if things get intense and I can assure you they control themselves very well."
The fan did not seem satisfied. She leaned closer, her body language becoming more aggressive. "Really? Any chance you can tell me if anyone is starting one soon?" Jake felt very uncomfortable with that question.
He backed away slowly, trying to create distance without visibly alerting her. He maintained his deep in thought facade, but in reality, he was analyzing further her behavior. For Jake’s beta nose, the air was still and normal, but he noticed the way the black parts of her eyes grew large and the frantic twitch of her hands.
The other alphas remained unaffected due to their senses not yet sharp enough to pick up a hidden scent that was slowly accumulating. However, Sunoo suddenly stiffened, his breath hitching in his throat.
Jake’s instincts flared up because he knew Sunoo was due for his rut this week, making the younger boy’s senses painfully sharp. When Jake checked up on Sunoo, he immediately caught the distress in Sunoo's tensed body and there he could confirm that his suspicion was right.
This fan was intentionally releasing her pheromones.
Jake’s kind persona dropped instantly, his smile vanished and he looked the fan dead in the eye. "Miss, are you in heat right now?"
The woman did not look ashamed. Instead, she offered a slow, creepy smirk that made his skin crawl. Jake recognized the immediate threat to Sunoo and the group. He quickly reached out to firmly pin the fan's hands to the table, stopping her from reaching toward the younger boy. With a worried but commanding look, he signaled the security team.
"Miss, you know it’s strictly against the rules to attend if you are in heat…" Jake told her in a low, cold voice he rarely used. The fan began to struggle, her expression twisting into something wild as she realized she was being caught but her eyes darted toward Sunoo with a hungry look, noting the effect her pheromones were having on him.
The staff moved in an instant to try and pull the woman away from the artists. As she was resisting hard, she suddenly lost all control, her pheromones exploding into the air in a desperate, sickly-sweet wave.
The shift in the room was violent. Now that the scent was undeniable, the other members snapped into high alert, their instincts roaring at the break of safety. Sunghoon stood up abruptly, his chair screeching against the floor as he moved to Jake's side, shielding his friend.
Meanwhile, Jungwon acted with the lightning speed of a leader, he slid over and threw a firm arm around Sunoo’s shoulders. "I've got you," Jungwon whispered, grounding Sunoo, who was trembling from the overwhelming pheromones attack.
Jay and Ni-ki stood tall, scanning the crowd for any other threats with sharp, protective looks, while Heeseung rushed over to help Jungwon support Sunoo. Then, the music cut out abruptly. The fans in the room began to whisper in a mix of confusion and fear as the peaceful event descended into chaos.
The security guards formed a solid human wall to block the idols from view while the staff members quickly moved to the remaining fans and told them to exit the hall calmly but immediately.
Behind the barrier of guards and staff, the members did not waste a second. They huddled closely around Sunoo to form a protective circle. Jake and Sunghoon led the way while Jay and Ni-ki brought up the rear. Together they guided a struggling Sunoo toward the backstage area.
⬩➤
The van bumped over the road, each vibration making Sunoo’s stomach bad. He leaned his head against the glass, trying to find a patch of cool surface for his skin but he absolutely looked ghostly in the bright light with his face sick with cold sweat.
“I feel like I'm going to vomit..” Sunoo whispered as he squeezed his eyes shut, his insides twisting into a tight, painful knot. Every breath he took was short and shaky due to the fan’s aggressive pheromones which had felt like a punch to the gut for Sunoo.
Ni-ki sat stiffly beside him. He kept a small distance and watched his hyung with deep worry. "Jungwon hyung," Ni-ki called out and with a voice full of self-consciousness, he then asked his hyung, "Do I smell? Am I perhaps making it worse?"
Jungwon sat in the front seat and did not need to turn around to respond to the maknae. "No, we’re controlling our scents well. It’s just that Sunoo’s nose is extra sensitive right now."
In this world, the clash of alpha and enigma scents weren’t inherently bad. It was simply heavy. It felt like thick smoke filling a cramped room as if these were bold declarations of presence. Unlike the sweet magnetic pull of an omega, the scents of a fellow alpha or enigma hit like an overpowering perfume to an alpha going through their rut.
For Sunoo, the scents of the other members were dizzying and oppressive. They crowded around him so much that his nose stung from the strength of what he smelled. Watching from the middle row with a worried look, Jake didn't hesitate to speak up.
"Ni-ki, change seats with me." It wasn’t a suggestion. It was a command. Jake and Ni-ki swapped places quickly and the moment Jake sat down, the air seemed to clear around Sunoo.
Jungwon also caught Heeseung’s eye in the rearview mirror. They both saw Sunoo's breathing even out instantly, a silent confirmation of the peace Jake brought with him. Unlike the others, he didn't carry a heavy biological scent. He was practically scentless because he was a beta, so amidst a sea of crushing scents, Jake was a space of neutrality for Sunoo to breathe.
Sunoo’s shoulders finally dropped. The tight line of his jaw relaxed and the deep furrow in his brow smoothed over. Sunoo leaned instinctively into Jake, where his entire body visibly yielded to the older boy's calming presence.
When they reached the dorm, Sunghoon, Jungwon and Heeseung moved quietly, guiding a tired Sunoo into his room like they were handling something fragile. Then just right outside Sunoo’s room, Jay and Ni-ki stayed back, their eyes fixed on Jake.
Jay’s shoulders were tight, his voice dropping to a low, cautious whisper. "Jake... are you sure you’re okay with this?" He reached out as if to comfort him but hesitated. "You can tell us if you don’t want to. We don’t want to force you into being... Well, this."
Jake let out a short breathless laugh, reaching up and giving Jay’s shoulder a reassuring tap, "Don’t worry, Jay-ah… It’s not like I’m doing much. I can only do so much you know… being a beta." Then Jake’s gaze suddenly dropped to the floor, he began to nervously pick at a loose thread on his shirt, his fingers moving restlessly.
"Having an omega would be easier for you all... wouldn't it?" Jake muttered, the words were so faint, they were barely audible. Jay and Ni-ki looked at each other. Ni-ki shrugged his shoulders while Jay sighed.
They both knew what Jake was implying here. In fact, the members knew it was hard for Jake being the odd one. He was the only one without a powerful second gender in a group of alphas and enigmas.
Ni-ki stepped closer, his voice dropping to a serious, low tone. "Sure, hyung. An omega would be a solution for most people. But hyung, we aren't most people. We’re idols." He gestured toward Sunoo’s door. "An omega’s scent is a constant temptation for us. A scandal like that doesn't just hurt one of us… it breaks the team’s synchronization. It puts the last five years of our hard work at risk.”
Jay also added in, reminding Jake and trying to snap him out of his thoughts, “We chose the stage over our biological desires a long time ago, Jake."
Then, a sudden soft click of a door broke the silence and made Jay jump on his spot. Jungwon stepped out of Sunoo’s room, his face calm and unreadable again. "Everyone, Sunoo is settled—oh? What’s wrong?" Jungwon paused when he felt the heavy, thick atmosphere in the hall.
Ni-ki suddenly sighed, realizing something upon seeing Jungwon. “Right… well, it might be different for enigmas."
Ni-ki was implying here that enigmas can suppress their ruts, they do not have the same need as alphas, so basically enigmas have more choice and are more likely to retain and control themselves when exposed to omega's intense pheromones.
This caused Jungwon to catch the topic immediately. "Ah. You’re talking about ruts? I heard someone mention an omega. It is a no for me." He spoke with the authority of a leader who had already weighed the dangers.
Jungwon knew the risks, bringing an omega into the dorm would introduce too many potential problems. Besides, they had lived this way since the beginning. Well sure, it hadn't been easy for them. The early days were filled with sweat, frustration and long talks but they had made a choice, it’s their dreams that were more important than their biological needs.
The group had learned to lean on each other in different ways to survive the stress. Jay let out a long sigh, shaking his head to clear the tension. "Let’s just move on.." He advised, offering a small, tired smile. "The most important thing is that we work well together, our group fits and that’s enough for me."
"Exactly." Ni-ki added, then he leaned into Jake. He even began to softly massage Jake’s shoulders and reminded his hyung again, "It has been years already. We managed every challenge together. We did it with no omega needed, hyung!"
Jungwon nodded and looked down the hallway. "There’s a reason why there are no cage rooms here for ruts. The company trusted me when I explained we could handle ourselves. We have proven them right for five years now. The staff knows how unique we are so we are absolutely more than fine as the seven of us."
Then suddenly, another click echoed through the hall. It was now Sunghoon that stepped out of the bedroom, then he quickly saw the lingering nerves on Jake’s face. Sunghoon can’t help it, but a small and genuine smile broke across his lips.
"You nervous, Ikeu?" Sunghoon teased softly.
"Huh? As if…" Jake huffed, the tension slowly left his body when he saw Sunghoon being casual to him.."Yah, I’ve basically cuddled everyone in this room. This is nothing, you know."
Sunghoon suddenly reached out his arm and ruffled Jake’s hair with a grateful touch. "That’s right, you are a great help, Jake." Sunghoon gave a soft smile, which made Jake smile too. Jake nodded his head to the rest, then he slipped inside the room.
The room was dim, where the only sound was Sunoo’s heavy breathing. Heeseung stood by the bed, watching the younger boy with a serious gaze. Jake also noticed a cooling pack had been placed on Sunoo’s forehead to fight the rising fever.
"It would have been dangerous if that fan managed to jump on him…" Heeseung murmured then turned his head to Jake. He patted Jake’s shoulder firmly. "I leave him in your care, Jaeyunie."
Heeseung left the room without further statements, now Jake was alone in the silence. A few moments later, Sunoo opened his eyes where he tried hard to see who was beside him.
"..Jake.. hyung?" Sunoo’s voice was a weak thread.
"Sunoo-ssi… don't worry, I'm here." Jake softly responded as he climbed into the bed.
"Sorry, hyung...I have to borrow your body heat again." Sunoo murmured, his eyes blinking slowly, trying to encourage himself to stay awake. "It’s because I failed to control it..."
"Ani, it was not your fault." Jake hummed in assurance. He turned on his side to face him and soon ran his fingers through Sunoo’s soft hair. It was a rhythmic and soothing motion. "You were just caught off guard, Sunoo-ssi."
Sunoo let out a soft and contented sigh. He tilted his head into the touch like a cat, then shifted closer to Jake. Now, he wrapped his arms around Jake in a tight and desperate hug. Jake hugged him back too. He provided the steady and unchanging warmth that only a beta could give.
Sunoo pressed his face into Jake’s neck, taking deep, shaky breaths. As Jake pulled the blankets up for the both of them, a small, sad doubt gnawed at him as he looked at Sunoo’s pale face.
Jake honestly felt like a placeholder, a mere cooling pack for a fever he couldn't truly understand. Jake moved closer anyway, unaware that while he felt like a temporary fix, to Sunoo, he was the only thing that felt like home.
⬩➤
The scent of the unwanted pheromones had long since faded, leaving behind a cold and empty silence in the dorm’s living room and there, the members were gathered in a loose circle. Only the low accent lights were on, casting shadows across their faces and making the room feel smaller than usual.
Some sat on the couch, while others sat on the armrests of the sofa or stood just outside the circle. Jay was the first to break the silence. He leaned forward, elbows planted on his knees, his fingers interlaced so tightly his knuckles were white.
"Sunghoon-ssi, you really didn’t notice anything? Before it escalated?" Jay’s eyes shifted toward the end of the sofa. Sunghoon was leaning back against the cushions, his gaze fixed on a distant point on the wall.
Sunghoon didn't look up at first. He reached down to pick at a loose thread on the sofa's fabric, his movements slow and bored. "I’m really not that sensitive to an omega's scent, you know." He muttered, finally flicking the thread away with a sharp snap of his finger. He looked at the floor as if the very idea of that specific omega was beneath his notice, which was uninteresting, annoying and irrelevant.
Ni-ki, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, let out a dry, knowing huff. He shifted his weight, his shoulder blades digging into the drywall as he tilted his head to catch Sunghoon’s eye.
"Come on, Sunghoon hyung... you’re blocking it on purpose, aren't you?" His gaze then drifted to the other enigmas in the room. "The same goes for Heeseung hyung and Jungwon hyung."
"No, I didn’t hold mine back." Heeseung clarified. He rubbed the back of his neck, a look of genuine disgust pulling at his features. "It’s just that the scent wasn’t that strong yet. Not until that fan—no, that omega—started releasing her pheromones like crazy."
Sunghoon clicked his tongue, his jaw tightening. "She had no shame." His voice was laced with a sharp venom that showed just how much the incident had truly angered him.
Jungwon nodded, "I agree. I only detected her scent when she had that outburst. By then, it was already too late to stop Sunoo's exposure."
"The chance of encountering a maniac was never zero." Jay commented, then he looked down at his hands, his chest heaving with a suppressed, shaky breath. "Honestly, it smelled sweet... but for Sunoo, in that state, it must have been... too tempting." He slammed a fist lightly against his thigh, the frustration boiling over.
"Overly sweet," Sunghoon clarified, the memory clearly making his stomach turn. He rolled his eyes, a sarcastic smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "So sweet it made Sunoo want to vomit."
"The scent was disgusting." Heeseung stated flatly, "It was such a desperate scent." A heavy silence followed, but everyone agreed on what the eldest meant. A loud and forced biological pull of an omega wasn't a romance to them, it was an intrusion, a foul violation of their space.
"Sunoo hyung clearly didn't like it," Jungwon sighed, his eyes reflecting a deep frustration of the situation. "Yet his body reacted anyway. His instincts didn't care about his opinion at all." He looked toward Sunoo’s door, his jaw tightening until a muscle leaped in his cheek.
"The instinct of being an alpha... it’s truly pathetic." Jay stated, the self-loathing tone was clear in his voice. "How easily we lose our freedom to an omega in heat. It’s like we aren’t even human anymore, just pure animal instinct that is left."
Ni-ki bit his inner lip, his eyes wide and restless. "We’re lucky that fan didn't bring anything that could have physically harmed Jake hyung..." His voice trembled slightly with the realization of what could have happened.
The air in the room seemed to drop a few degrees. The thought of Jake being caught in the crossfire of a situation he shouldn't have been involved in made everyone's instincts flare dangerously. The shadows in the room seemed to deepen as their collective protective aura spiked because just the thought of Jake in pain was a cord that, if snapped, would send them all into a frenzy.
"Jungwon," Heeseung suddenly called out, "What’s the update from management?"
"They’re canceling the event completely. We're given two days of rest." Jungwon pulled out his phone, the cold blue light reflecting off his eyes as he scrolled. "Security protocols are being overhauled. That person has been permanently blacklisted. No exceptions."
"What about the fans who didn’t get to the line yet?" Ni-ki asked, his voice softening with guilt as he stared at his feet.
"They're unfortunate." Heeseung replied, his tone firm and final.
"This is necessary, everyone." Jungwon insisted, his gaze sharp as he looked at each member. "Safety comes first before the fansign." He tossed his phone onto the table with a definitive thud.
Sunghoon's gaze drifted toward Sunoo's room, where both Sunoo and Jake were currently resting, then his sharp eyes shifted back to Jay and Ni-ki upon remembering something.
"Jay. Ni-ki." The pair turned, startled by the sudden change in Sunghoon's intensity. "Mind sharing what conversation you had with Jake while we were settling Sunoo down?"
Ni-ki sighed, kicking the edge of the carpet. "Ah... it's just that Jake hyung thinks he doesn't do anything to help us. He thinks he's useless because he's just… a beta."
Sunghoon’s brow furrowed in genuine confusion. He tilted his head to the side, looking at Ni-ki as if the boy had just started speaking a foreign language. "What? He's been a great help... I don't get why he'd think something like that." He let out a sharp exhale, visibly baffled.
Jay let out a long, weary sigh, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of the day had finally settled on him. "The only one not getting the situation is Jake himself."
"To make it worse," Ni-ki added, his voice dropping to a low, cautious whisper as if the walls themselves might be eavesdropping. He then looked toward the group nervously and said, "He was also implying that an omega would have been better around us."
"What?" Heeseung’s voice cracked like a whip through the room.
"Don't worry, hyung. I shut that idea down quickly." Jungwon assured, which made the older member regulate his emotions immediately.
Sunghoon looked around the room, his expression softening from his earlier annoyance into something pained and deeply worried. "Jake... what has gone through his mind to make him feel that way? We absolutely don’t need an omega." He looked directly at Heeseung and Jungwon, his eyes searching theirs for validation. "We have everything we need. Jake is—"
"Sunghoon, don't get too hasty now." Heeseung interrupted, his voice a sharp, low warning. It wasn't just a request, it was a command.
Sunghoon bit back his words so hard his jaw visibly ached. He realized he had almost blurted out something that couldn't be unsaid once it touched the air. He went quiet for a long second, the silence stretching uncomfortably but then, his face hardened into a look of stubborn defiance.
"Right… my bad, Heeseung hyung." Sunghoon leaned forward, his shadow stretching across the coffee table until his gaze locked onto the leader and the eldest. "But it’s the truth, isn't it? Heeseung hyung, Jungwon-ssi... you’ve realized it by now. You’ve felt it too, when you’re near him. That... pull and scent. It's different."
Jay and Ni-ki shared a look of pure, flickering confusion. They looked between the three enigmas, feeling a sudden, cold wall rising between them. In an instant, they were suddenly like outsiders, excluded from a secret that seemed to click between the other three like a heartbeat.
"Huh? What’s this about?" Ni-ki asked, leaning so far forward, his curiosity burning in his eyes.
"Come on, fill us in now, guys." Jay demanded. He didn't just ask, he stood up, looming over the coffee table as well. "Don't tell me this is some enigma-only information? We’re a team. If something is going on with Jake, we have a right to know." He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing as he scanned their faces for a slip-up.
Jungwon looked at his two older members, his gaze lingering on Jay’s defensive stance, then drifted to Heeseung, who gave a nearly imperceptible nod. A small, enigmatic smile played on the leader's lips, a smile that was chillingly calm and didn't reach his dark, focused eyes.
"Of course, Jay hyung." Jungwon said softly, "It has been five years, after all. It was only a matter of time before the truth started to leak through the cracks of what we've been told." Jungwon turned his head slowly, his gaze landing on the closed door of Sunoo’s room, where their beta was currently the only person capable of providing them peace.