#xiaolishan

The low hum of bass pulsed through the walls of Mingi’s house, sending vibrations up Wooyoung’s spine as he stepped through the crowded hallway. Lights flashed in quick, dizzying patterns, casting shifting shadows across a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces.

“Remember,” Hongjoong’s voice echoed in his mind “we’ll be there to keep our heads down and watch. The second anyone sees something suspicious, you know how to reach me. Avoid taking any action if not necessary.”

Right, low profile — he thought, scanning the room anxiously.

With that, Wooyoung slipped into the flow of the party, letting the crowd carry him toward the back. He knew San would be here somewhere, and his heart pounded harder than he’d like to admit — even to himself. Tonight was his chance to settle what had been left lingering for too long.

Should I really talk to him? He wondered, biting the inside of his cheeks as loud music filled his ears. Life was blooming around him, but inside his head — he was all alone with his thoughts even between so many people. It was stupid — and annoying — that just a few weeks ago he’d arrive as a completely different person to one of Mingi’s such parties.

The plan seemed perfect: the four of them arrive at different times, to different locations in Mingi’s mansion, and mingle with the people. Wooyoung was the first one to get there, to test the waters and to avert attention Hongjoong decided it was best if Wooyoung went in first.

Yeah, best for who? Wooyoung felt like a piece of meat on a market in front of starving dogs. Was there really anyone there he could cling onto if things went south?

“If it isn’t Wooyoung of the Jung's!”

The voice came from behind, loud and unmistakable. Wooyoung turned to see Mingi striding toward him, two bottles of beer clutched in his hands. Mingi’s smile was as wide as ever, radiating warmth that was almost infectious.

“Oh, Mingi…” Wooyoung managed, his voice strained. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to push back the storm of thoughts swirling in his mind. Focus, he told himself. He needed to focus.

“What are you doing here all on your own? You got no company to bring with you—if you know what I mean?” Mingi leaned in close, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously. The playful gesture was so typically Mingi, but it caught Wooyoung off guard. He could feel Mingi’s breath on his skin, and when Mingi inhaled deeply, it was as if he was breathing in Wooyoung’s scent. Wooyoung shook off the odd sensation. It’s probably nothing, he thought.

“I just… I just arrived,” Wooyoung stammered, forcing a smile. If I don’t pretend to be confident I should just go home and die in a corner. I need to get this done. “I was looking for you, actually.” He reached out and took one of the beers from Mingi’s hand, though the cold bottle felt foreign in his grasp.

“Well, now you found me, sugar pie!” Mingi chuckled, throwing an arm around Wooyoung’s shoulder. “Let’s go get you some friends.”

Mingi’s arm was a solid weight around his shoulders, grounding him as they pushed through the throng of people. The air grew colder as they ascended the stairs to the second floor, where the crowd thinned out, and it became easier to breathe. Wooyoung glanced down at the beer in his hand, frowning slightly. I don’t like beer, he thought absently, barely hearing Mingi’s chatter as they walked. The noise and the press of bodies made his senses blur; the pheromones in the air made everything feel foggy and distant. They were unfamiliar. Unfamiliar and disgusting.

“You know I’m not looking for a date tonight?” He asked, glancing up at Mingi who was just high-fiving some random people. He peeked at Wooyoung with a frown and smirked.

“Who was talking about a date? You don’t need to date them.”

“Mingi.” Wooyoung said strictly and something seemed to have clicked in Mingi but he sucked the words back before uttering them and just smiled, downing the rest of his drink.

“I was just kidding honey.” He spoke, but something seemed off.

Mingi led them down a corridor, and just as they reached the end, a familiar scent hit Wooyoung like a jolt. He snapped his head up, eyes focusing on the living room they had just entered. It was spacious, with a bar, a pool table and a foosball table, but none of that held Wooyoung’s attention. What did on the other hand, was the broad back of a guy with short black hair, talking to someone near the pool table.

Wooyoung froze.

Mingi noticed, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “Come on in, you got to meet my friends. They don’t bite.”

I know they don’t. Was the only thing that could cross Wooyoung’s mind as he looked at someone who was very obviously Choi San. His lips curled into a smile that he couldn’t quite get rid of, even though he didn’t want to seem like a fool. He also failed to notice Mingi’s curious eyes recording everything he was doing.

“Hey guys, look who arrived!” Mingi announced as he entered the room, his voice booming. The initial response was enthusiastic—cheers and playful barking from his friends—but it quickly died down when they saw Wooyoung. The smiles on some of their faces faltered, replaced by something more guarded. Clearly, at the current time Wooyoung was none other than the talk of the town. Major newspapers wrote about him and he wants to pretend to be a nobody? Foolish.

Mingi noticed the shift immediately. He was more perceptive than most gave him credit for. He caught the way his friends’ expressions changed and how Wooyoung seemed to shrink back, his eyes locked onto San. Mingi had sensed that something was up with Wooyoung, and he’d promised himself — and someone else — that he would keep an eye on the younger man tonight.

Wooyoung averted his gaze from San before their eyes met, and escaped Mingi’s hold to head for the bar, but was pulled back by the wrist. He couldn’t help but turn towards the tall guy and stare him right in the face from rather close.

“What?” He snapped.

“Go talk to him.”

Insecurity slapped Wooyoung in the face. How did he know? Why? What will he do with this information? But his mind changed when Mingi smirked. “The fuck is your problem?” Wooyoung cursed as he pulled his hand free. “I don’t even know who that guy is.” A lie.

“That’s my friend, Choi San. Besides a few one night stands he’s single” the host wriggled his eyebrows and Wooyoung wanted to fucking kill him right there and then, but then he remembered Mingi has no idea he became an omega.

“I don’t care if he’s single. He’s most definitely an alpha we wouldn’t be compatible.”

Mingi let go of him and his smile widened.

“What is it?” Wooyoung asked with annoyance in his voice and he failed to notice that someone was walking over to them, but then he felt a shiver on his nape.

“Hey.”

“Oh fuck me.”

Wooyoung turned over to face San whose left eyebrow was raised in a mischievous way as he eyed him up and down. Wooyoung could almost read his mind saying — Fuck him? I already did.

“Yall stand there like a bunch of virgins” Mingi snorted towards them as he downed 2 shots of something suspicious. “Get acquainted.”

“We know each other, actually” San smiled.

Wooyoung flashed him a look that could only be described as terrified. Worry flashed in San’s eyes as he remembered Wooyoung’s recent scandal, and he reached out to tug on the hem of the other’s shirt but he pulled away his hand.

“Yeah? I didn’t know. How did you meet?”

“It’s none of your business” Wooyoung barked back at him and bit his lips.

“Wow, no need to be so rude to me!”

It was really hard to speak. Anxiety was eating him up from the inside. Hundreds of thoughts filled his head, all on a mission to drive him insane. San? One night stands? Could that be true? Was he maybe also just a one night stand? Am I so blind? He took in a small ragged breath, contracting his fingers and then releasing them.

San noticed. He seeked out Wooyoung’s gaze, and when their eyes met he grabbed his wrist so swiftly the other wouldn’t be able to pull away and started pulling him with him as he left the room.

“Hey where are yall going?” Mingi shouted after them but silence was his answer.

“Let them be, they might have some unfinished business” someone spoke, and he glanced back towards the pool table to see who it was.

He shamelessly looked the other up and down with confidence. He was a tall, brown haired young man dressed rather casually in a party of this calibre. A white T-shirt paired with a blue jean jacket and jeans of the same colour, complemented by white sneakers. He was a refreshing site to see in this jungle of women with barely anything on.

Mingi strode over to where the other was and released his pheromones clearly marking his territory so others will leave from around them and that’s exactly what they did, leaving the two alone around the table.

“Don’t think we’ve met,” Mingi said, leaning just close enough to be heard over the music, but clearly — he just wanted to take a whiff of the other’s pheromones. “You’re one of Wooyoung’s friends?”

“Something like that,” Yunho replied, fighting to keep his usual stoic expression, though he felt a strange pull toward Mingi’s unfiltered self. He reminded him of his master.

Mingi laughed, tipping his drink toward Yunho. “Hope you’re not as serious as you look.”

The other glanced up at him from the table and Mingi was met with the most gorgeous pair of eyes he has ever seen.

“Are you intimidated by serious men?” The brown haired smiled and tossed the ball.

“No, normally not, but—” he started and sat on the side of the pool table “you’re making me quite excited.”

“Oh?” He smirked. “You didn’t even ask me my name.”

Mingi hopped off the table and straightened his knee-length white fur coat.

“Excuse my behaviour. I’m Song Mingi, the host. I hope you enjoy yourself tonight—”

“Yunho.”

“Yunho” Mingi repeated the name, tasting each letter on the tip of his tongue, finding this conversation a new sensation, but a rather stimulating one for that matter. But something bothered him. The man clearly didn’t react to his pheromones in any way, nor did he smell in any particular way. Does he have the same condition as Wooyoung? Maybe that’s why they are friends—

“I’m a beta Mingi, you can stop fucking me with your pheromones.”

Mingi snapped as he came to his senses and immediately pulled them back. A beta? It can’t be.

“You want me to fuck you with something else—”

“Ah please, as if you’d get hard over someone who doesn’t have the inviting scent of an omega.”

Mingi was flabbergasted. The way this stranger spoke so rudely with him stirred something in him.

“Then how did you—”

“How did I know you were releasing pheromones?” Yunho asked coyly as he scored another point. “As you approached me suddenly everyone ran away like dogs with their tails between their legs,” he laughed, then his expression changed to a rather serious one “but isn’t it you who acts like a dog by deliberately trying to mark your territory?”

A vein popped out on Mingi’s forehead as he rapidly approached Yunho to grab him by the throat but before he could manage to do that, Yunho twisted his arm behind his back and pushed him against the pool table with his back towards Yunho.

About 4 men stood up immediately from where they were hanging out and looked like they were about to rush to help Mingi, but he probably signalled them off. Bodyguards?

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” He spoke, trying hard to turn his face back to face Yunho.

“Who do you want me to be?” Yunho replied in a cocky matter and pushed his crotch against Mingi’s ass.

Mingi’s eyes widened and he ceased all the struggling he put up before, and relaxed in Yunho’s hold. Yunho released him with the hopes that he won’t be punched and stepped back. Mingi straightened his back and dusted down his coat while clearing his throat.

“Everyone. Get out.”

With only three words the room was cleared in almost less than a minute, making it only the two of them remaining. Once the last bodyguard left and closed the door behind him, Mingi turned towards Yunho.

Yunho expected a face full of shame and anger but the one he was greeted by put a smirk on his face and sent a shiver down his spine. Mingi’s face yes, was red, but not from shame. His eyes radiated so much lust Yunho never saw anything like it before, all the while his eyes were foggy with desire.

Yunho slid the coat off of Mingi’s toned shoulders, then slid down his hands on said area, until he was holding onto the others hands. Then he mindlessly dropped to his knees and put Mingi’s huge palms on his neck.

“What do you want me to do now, sir?”

Hongjoong's sleep was restless, plagued by memories that haunted him even in his dreams. In the depths of the night, his subconscious replayed scenes of turmoil and conflict, each moment etched with the weight of his past. A nightmare. He tossed and turned, trapped in a whirlwind of emotions.

It was eleven years ago…

“Attention all students, this is the Principal. Would Kim Hongjoong please come to my office immediately? Again, Kim Hongjoong please report to my office as soon as possible. Thank you.”

He remembers the way the announcement echoed through the halls. Hongjoong was used to it. With a reputation preceding him like a storm cloud, he was no stranger to these summons. Whether it was a major or minor mishap, every month, if not every week, he had to pay a visit to their dear principal. That day was no different, however the trouble he caused was rather serious that time.

Three victims. One of them rushed to the hospital.

Chatter spread like wildfire. At that point Hongjoong had definitely become a deviant. It was most definitely worth it, because he beat up the people who gave trouble to his lover. He believed it was worth it.

As he strode down the corridors, his presence was impossible to ignore, as there was a certain style to the way he walked. Each step felt heavier for him than the last. His frequent visits to the principal's office became somewhat of a routine performance. How he managed to evade expulsion was a mystery – but for those in the know, it was clear: the shield of his influential family protected him like an armour.

His face bore a proud expression. He made no effort to conceal the evidence of his shenanigans. Instead, he wore his injuries like badges of honour. His appearance was an open book to his personality. He remembers his shirt being misbuttoned and untucked, hanging off of his frame in a careless manner. Tie? He must have left it home while rushing to school, abandoned somewhere in the chaos of his morning routine, together with his shoelaces, one of which dangled loosely. His whole person just mocked the very idea of conformity.

The door of the principal’s office closed with a loud bang as he swinged it shut after entering. The dean clearly despised Hongjoong and his entire family, but she couldn’t act carelessly and just kick him out of the school, due to his family. They pumped loads and loads of money into the school in attempts to present themselves as heroes in the local community – but it was all a lie.

Hongjoong was defiant. His every movement dripped with resentment and bitterness towards his father, the man who had abandoned his family. He was strong. He had to be. He just had to. To show them, to show everyone he wasn’t all just talk, that he wasn’t a pussy like his father… He wanted to be better but just rolled deeper in the dirt.

In the end, all he got was a week of detention after all of his classes were over. So foul. All through his life Hongjoong was treated like a prince, and never fully got to understand how to stand up for his mistakes. This all repeated up to one point, from where there was no going forward.

It was by the end of the week of his detention when the incident happened.

Hongjoong’s then long-time lover was Seonghwa, who he considered the epitome of perfection. He was there every time Hongjoong needed a shoulder to cry on. He was beauty and he was grace, Hongjoong found absolutely no fault in him. Seonghwa was the man of his dreams, his tender sweetheart and also someone to feed his passions. He was his muse.

They were in love for a few years already when they underwent their secondary gender examinations. The results of Seonghwa being an omega and Hongjoong being and alpha never really affected them. They never cared. Up until the time when Hongjoong’s first rut came.

It was seven in the morning. They had a test later that day but Hongjoong awoke with a terrible headache and symptoms similar to a fever. He never got sick. Something he also never did was care about skipping school. If he wanted to, he would just do it. That wasn’t the issue. The issue was that T-shirt Seonghwa left over at his house and the moment he smelled it he became erect and got a nosebleed. Now that was an issue.

He spent the whole day cooped up in his room, not letting anyone enter. The bigger issue was his lover being overly worried and rushing over to his house the first thing after school. Hongjoong’s closed door couldn’t keep him out as he had a spare key for whatever reason made Hongjoong give him one. When he entered he was overwhelmed by Hongjoong’s raw pheromones.

One thing led to another, and Hongjoong pounced on him.

He still remembers the feeling in his bones. Yes, he was excited, but above everything he was terrified. Terrified of this new nature of him, terrified of hurting the person he treasured the most.

They had slept together before so it wasn’t unusual for them to be in such a compromising situation. But this time it was different. Instead of his usual self it was as if he went crazy and couldn’t hear anything Seonghwa had said to him.

He loved him. Seonghwa loved him so dearly, he would have spent the rest of his life with his boyfriend if it wasn’t for this night. He had no idea what overcame Hongjoong. They ended up sleeping together, and when the morning came the bitemark was already on his nape.

Nothing was the same after that.

---

Suddenly, a jolt of fear ripped through Hongjoong, tearing him from the clutches of sleep. His eyes snapped open, the darkness of the room enveloping him like a suffocating blanket. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, heart pounding in his ears like a drum.

For a moment, he lay there, disoriented and trembling, trying to shake off the terrible, terrible dream that kept coming back to haunt him throughout the years, over and over again. But the memories lingered, haunting him like ghosts in the night.

With trembling hands, he reached out, fumbling for the familiar shape of the light switch. Panic was a tight knot in his chest refusing to loosen its grip. But instead of the switch, his fingers closed around the cold surface of his phone, resting on the nightstand.

With a shaky exhale, he glanced at the screen, the harsh glow illuminating the darkness. An alert from one of his employees flashed urgently, demanding his attention. The words blurred together in front of his eyes for the first few seconds of him looking at it, but after the message settled into his brain his eyes popped open and he shot up from the bed.

The word “URGENT!” written in all capital letters settled somewhere in the back of his mind, sending a warning signal to his brain. At first he decided whatever it is, could wait till his working hours start, however before closing his phone he saw the 47 call notifications from two of his managers, and the more than two-hundred other unread emails and messages that he got while being asleep for not more than 4 hours. It was the middle of the night. Something had happened.

He opened the first letter he got from his manager with a groggy demeanour, rapidly blinking away tears that fogged his eyes from the sharp light his phone emitted. He was slow at deterring the message first, but after reading it again and again several times, he broke out in cold sweat.

His first journey that day lead to Wooyoung’s room, but to his surprise when he entered there was no one inside. He even spent the night. Hongjoong walked up and down inside his half-brother’s room, when a dishevelled Yunho bust the door open and burst into the room. They looked at each other for the first few seconds before Hongjoong’s brows furrowed. With quick steps he approached the other and grabbed him by the collar.

“What the fuck is this?” He gritted his teeth, showing Yunho the emails he got. Both of them were pretty unnerved, on the verge of bursting.

“Sir, I…”

“Your sole job was to protect my brother from situations exactly like this one! This is why we pay you this is why we trust you! How could you have betrayed us, no him like that? What if the next thing I know after he left with that unknown man is that they found his body in a gutter?”

Hongjoong was fuming. Yunho never saw him like that. He was usually composed no matter what happened. This made it clear for Yunho just what kind of relationship the two of them had. Hongjoong really did care.

“In this next few hours we will try to find Wooyoung and come up with a plan to respond to the rumours. You can be sure most of the magazines picked up on the topic already and are busy preparing the prints.”

“Sir, if it’s about the family’s name…”

“Are you fucking stupid? I don’t care about that shit, I can restore the name with a single thing I do for the public, the only thing I care about is Wooyoung! What if he end up getting…”

He didn’t finish the sentence. He couldn’t. But before any of them could respond his phone rang with the most unexpected name popping up on it. Hi picked it up with trembling lips.

“Yes, Dr. Park?”

As Hongjoong held the phone to his ear, his mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions. Dr. Park's voice on the other end sounded urgent, cutting through the haze of panic that clouded his thoughts.

“Mr. Kim…” He stopped to take a deep breath. “It's about Wooyoung.”

“I know” The tone Hongjoong used unknowingly sent shivers down Seonghwa’s spine, momentarily bringing back memories he pushed to the back of his mind. “Is there… a problem at the clinic?”

“Not exactly. It’s about the… news. As you know he left a… well, an alpha” Hongjoong could feel Seonghwa’s voice tremble. His heart dropped to the floor. All this suspension, why couldn’t he just cut to the chase? But behind it was Seonghwa silently pointing out a fact that already lingered in Hongjoong’s thoughts. Fear and dread twisted in his gut, threatening to overwhelm him. Without hesitation, he bolted from the room, his mind a flurry of questions and worst-case scenarios.

Yunho followed close behind, his expression mirroring Hongjoong's concern. They rushed through the empty corridors of the mansion, the darkness of the night pressing in around them like a suffocating shroud.

As they reached the waiting car, Hongjoong's thoughts raced with a million possibilities. What had happened to Wooyoung? Was he hurt? Was he in danger?

The drive to the hospital felt like an eternity, each passing moment filled with uncertainty and fear. When they finally arrived, Hongjoong's heart hammered in his chest, his hands trembling as he pushed open the doors to Seonghwa’s clinic.

Inside, the sterile scent of antiseptic assaulted his senses, mingling with Seonghwa’s painfully familiar fragrance. At first, he instinctively wanted to ask his employee to stand outside, but when Seonghwa saw Yunho his eyes darkened.

“You fucking asshole” was the only thing that came out of his mouth, shocking Hongjoong to the core. Since when did the neat and perfect Seonghwa curse? “How dare you!”

“Well it was you who…”

“Excuse me, both of you can you shut up just for a second and quit the bickering?”

Seonghwa nodded, crossing his arm in defence, deciding to be the bigger person.

“Tell me everything both of you know, this is getting way out of hand!”

“Well then” Seonghwa started. “I have a confession to make.”

“We are listening.”

He wanted to roll his eyes so bad but had to keep his composure.

“It was me.”

Hongjoong and Yunho both answered in unison with a what? The shorter was about to go and grab him too by the collar and shout at him when Seonghwa continued.

“No, not the rumours, I didn’t spread the rumours. The one thing I did was… well, I asked Choi San to take Wooyoung out of there.”

Hongjoong was so angry he almost collapsed on the floor like a whiny child.

“You did what? Whatever for would you do that???”

“Well, I wasn’t in the know that they would go straight to a hotel?” Seonghwa retorted. They bickered like an old married couple.

“You could have told Yunho to go with them!”

“Are you serious? Obviously, you are unaware but Wooyoung was emitting pheromones the moment he saw San at your opening ceremony, what was I supposed to do? Let someone randomly pounce on him, or let the public know your brother is an omega?”

Seonghwa’s words cut like knife. They hit exactly where it hurt the most. He directly targeted his and Hongjoong’s past besides his current conscience.

“No…”

“Right.”

“But you should have notified me? The problems we have with each other should not have stood in the way of my brother’s wellbeing!”

Seonghwa gritted his teeth and glanced at Yunho who pretended not to have heard anything. Hongjoong held eye contact with him for way too long for any of the three to feel comfortable in the room.

“Get out.” Was the first thing that left his lips. Yunho blinked twice before he registered the words, then turned around abruptly, bowed and left in a hurry. The two were now alone in the room, tension so thick one could find it hard to breathe.

“What do you want?” Seonghwa spoke and turned around, showing his back towards Hongjoong. His first instinct was to glance at his nape, and he was ashamed that he felt disappointed for not being able to see his neck, for it was being covered by the clothes he wore.

“There was something else you wanted to talk about, right?”

“Oh, how nice of you for being so keen” Seonghwa added sarcastically.

“So?”

“You know what might happen if Wooyoung went into heat from the pheromones of that alpha and they ended up sleeping together?”

Dread overcame Hongjoong.

---

The following events of the day could be describe as chaotic. They did everything they could to find Wooyoung, and when they did Yunho gave him a stern scolding while Hongjoong had to take care of some of the scandalous paperwork that he had to deal with. His main concern was their father getting wind of this. It was hard to conceal the evidence, based on how it was everywhere. But he could manage up to a point.

When he was notified of Wooyoung returning the first thing he did was rush over to his room. When he entered, he saw his brother, safe and sound, Yunho and… a third person. Blood rushed to his head. His mind immediately associated that it was the alpha Wooyoung had slept with. He rushed over with bloodshot eyes and without a word, punched him in the face. Wooyoung shot up from the ground and flew towards the two.

“What the hell are you doing Hongjoong!?”

“It was you, wasn’t it?” He asked looking at his victim, voice hysterical. Memories of the past flew by in front of his eyes, how he used to beat people up for hurting his Seonghwa. Now it was his Wooyoung.

“Sir?” Yunho asked in a panic as he held Hongjoong back from pouncing on Yeosang.

He glanced at Wooyoung’s state. He had only a bathrobe on, hickeys and bite marks clearly showing how much fun he had the previous night. He trembled in anger. How could he let this happen?

“Turn around Wooyoung” Hongjoong ordered, snapping his arms out of Yunho’s hold.

Without having time to properly register the command Wooyoung was turned with his front towards Yeosang who still lay on the floor holding his hurt face, and his back was towards Hongjoong.

It was a swift motion. A quick move, and Wooyoung’s bathrobe was dropped to the ground. Red sneaked up on his face, shoulders and chest as he stood stark naked in front of his best friend, brother and confidante worker.

“What are you doing?” He screamed back at Hongjoong who grabbed his head to keep it in place. “’Joong’ah?”

“Keep still, I have to check something” he said, and everybody froze watching him. Especially Wooyoung, who shivered when he felt his brother’s cold fingers on his shoulder.

It was painful. Keeping eye contact with Yeosang in this situation. Wooyoung swore he could feel those eyes clawing into his soul. He lay on the floor, holding his face, his nose bleeding subtly, his huge, glistening eyes watching Wooyoung.

Yunho could see Hongjoong inspecting every bite mark that littered Wooyoung’s skin around his neck. It dawned on them, just why he is doing that.

“I wasn’t… marked” Wooyoung dropped his head hesitantly, his hands covering his private parts.

“That’s right, I doubted this fucker could’ve done that.” Hongjoong smirked, and raised the bathrobe from the ground, handing it to Wooyoung.

“What? Who? Yeosang?”

Hongjoong blinked twice at the man on the floor and twice at his brother.

“Yes.”

“He isn’t an alpha.”

Wooyoung’s addition settled dead quiet in the room. Such a mistake from his brother’s part could only be done if he himself is unable to smell pheromones, since Yeosang clearly wasn’t emitting any, and even if he were, those were definitely not alpha pheromones. So for Hongjoong to mess up this bad, meant that he used his judgement rather than his instincts. It also would mean that for some reason he was unable to sense pheromones. He was clearly healthy, so that couldn’t have been an issue. The last thing Wooyoung could think of as in why Hongjoong acted so out of character looking for a bite mark on his neck, was that he also had on of his own. His own bite mark, on somebody else.

“Raise your hands higher” Yunho exclaimed as he stood over the kneeling Wooyoung who had both of his hands in the air as punishment.

“How long will I have to do this?”

“For as long as you’ve been away from me – your personal body guard whose life depends on your stupid ass’s safety!”

“But that was like… from late afternoon to the next day’s afternoon! My hands will fall off from the poor circulation!” Wooyoung whined.

“I don’t care. Do you have any idea what I got first from your brother, then from Dr. Park and then from your father, for loosing you?” Yunho argued back, sitting on a comfy armchair in front of Wooyoung so he had to ache to sit there too but would get yelled at if he even tried.

“My brother talked to you about it?”

“I’m more curious about the fact that he and Dr. Park were cozying up to each other behind the building in a parking lot smoking and shit. Stood too close to each other for mere acquaintances” Yunho wondered aloud.

Wooyoung frowned. Yes, he noticed too that they might know each other, but he thought it was only because he was Wooyoung’s new doctor so evidently – they would get to know each other based on the fact that his older brother was really protective of Wooyoung. But their relationship seemed off from the start. Seonghwa didn’t notice, but Wooyoung noticed the way they looked at each other. The way they stood next to each other tensely, like they had so many things to talk about but could just never quite get there. There was definitely more behind the formality they presented towards each other then what they were letting on. He tried to ignore it but now that Yunho reminded him of this fact, it made him bitter. Hongjoong used to tell him everything even things he really didn’t want to know about, but never a word of Seonghwa. It was all too suspicious.

“Just forget that. Hongjoong’s business has got nothing to do with us. He’s an adult man, heir of the family too, if he has or had an affair with a renown rare second-gender disorders doctor whose exceptional in his field then he did” Wooyoung muttered under his breath and picked on his thumbnail with his index finger.

“You’re so natural with it” Yunho sighed. “But how can he be the heir of the family when you’re the only legitimate son of Mr. Jung, besides he’s not even connected to your family by blood and—”

Wooyoung glared at him.

“You’re going overboard with this free thinking of yours, disrespecting the future leader of Jung Group” he uttered in a domineering tone, making it clear for Yunho who the master is. He might have disregarded Wooyoung’s abilities just because he seems like a natural air-head and because he’s a “frail omega” but he really should not have done that. Rookie mistake.

Yunho fell forward onto his knees in front of the still kneeling and hands raised Wooyoung, and bowed down to the floor.

“I beg for your forgiveness Sir, I forgot my place.”

Wooyoung eyed him for a while, but couldn’t keep his laugh inside. Even though he was now laughing, Yunho didn’t dare to raise his head.

“Come on man, get up, it’s not like I’m the mafia, I won’t shoot you dead for talking down on my half-brother” Yunho nodded and stood up, but he still didn’t dare to act like before, so he just sat on the floor in front of Wooyoung.

“Still… sir… I mean Wooyoung, I should not have said something like that I’m so stupid.”

“We could say that. You’re lucky it was me who heard it, and not one of those posh employees my father treasures so much – I have no idea why.”

Yunho nodded. He had to agree. Their employees were more like servants in the royal court, and the daily life felt like a week on the battlefield in this huge mansion. They never said a word to each other, never even nodded or side eyed each other, just kept on working like robots or soldiers. Amongst all of them, Wooyoung considered only him to be a real person and was glad they got to spend so much time together and he didn’t have to stare at an asshole kind of person all day long. The only times he wasn’t so glad about it were the ones such as now, when he was being punished for being stupid. You got to be tough if you’re going to be stupid.

Yunho was still in his pajamas. When he got notice of Wooyoung arriving home – basically his phone went off after the motion and face detection sensors activated and sent him the signal of Wooyoung trying to sneak in by climbing trough the fence, so he was woken up from his late afternoon nap, which was mandatory after staying up all night and searching through a bunch of security footage to find his master – he had no time to change so he just ran through the whole house until he found the criminal: Wooyoung. That being said, Wooyoung on the other end was now in bath robes and underwear, because when the two met and Yunho noticed there were alcohol, saliva and other substance stains on his clothes besides them being torn apart or disheveled, they stared at each other very obviously awkwardly for an uncomfortably long time. So before the punishment set in, he had Wooyoung take a quick and tepid shower – that lasted about an hour and a half because Wooyoung was a mermaid in his previous life and once he gets under the water, time stops, and Yunho was too embarrassed to enter and yell at him to stop raising the water bills – and only after he finish, did Yunho make him kneel on the ground and raise his arms, combined with a colorful scolding in which he didn’t use any curse words because at the end of the day Wooyoung is still his boss after all. Not soon after that, the conversation took a dark turn because Yunho was careless.

It was known around the mansion that Kim Hongjoong was an illegitimate heir to Jung Group. In fact, he wasn’t even the son of Mr. Jung by blood. Hongjoong’s mother was married to another businessman, and after they divorced due to his criminal background, he fled the city so she came to Seoul with his then 10-year-old son, Hongjoong. After a few years of raising him alone, she met Wooyoung’s father due to work related reasons and they started having an affair while he was still married to Wooyoung’s mother. If rumors are to be trusted, they never planned on getting married, it only happened because she got pregnant. Once the cat was out of the bag, their scandalous love life stirred such a huge ruckus that reporters even tried to interview the then middle-schooler Wooyoung. Once his mother found out about the affair, she disappeared without a trace and hasn’t been found ever since. Not like Mr. Jung cared, guess he was just happy she was out of the picture.

Wooyoung resented her on his behalf. Everyone thought he’d resent his stepmother and stepbrother, but how could he? No one saw into their family like he did. No one saw how nothing worked out at home, how his parent’s marriage was not the seal of love, but a business plan. A business, that’s fruit was supposed to be another dominant alpha son, who’d be able to take on the company. However, Wooyoung’s results of his secondary gender never arrived. Whatever he was, his father was sure he was not a dominant alpha, or else everyone would’ve known by that time. Little by little, he started letting go of Wooyoung, and ever more of his mother who failed at the only task she had. That’s when Hongjoong and his mother entered the picture. And just like that, Mr. Jung forgot he had his own family, his own son by blood and just because of sheer disappointment he turned to the son of someone completely else. It was convenient.

So, they thought Wooyoung would resent them for ruining his life. But did they ruin it? He never wanted to be the heir of the company. He was comfortable with his own little life that didn’t need so much responsibility in it. How could he resent Hongjoong? The guy barely had a say in it, similarly to himself, and he never said a bad word to Wooyoung as well. On the contrary, from the first second they met – which was an awkward introduction dinner ordered by his father – they got along well, and Hongjoong treated him as if they were blood-related brothers who’d known each other for years. He was the epitome of a good older brother. And he had talent for business, not like Wooyoung. He was totally blind at it, while the other treated difficult business plans as if they were a child’s play. Naturally, Mr. Jung also noticed. And as how time passed, Hongjoong became the successor. Wooyoung was fine with it. He really was. This gave him a little more freedom and time to pass to his heart’s content. He couldn’t hat Hongjoong’s mother either, no one could control who they fell in love with.

He instead resented his own mother. When shit kicked in, she just fled like a rat.

“Young Ma- Wooyoung? Are you okay?” Yunho inquired, worry evident in his voice.

“Yeah. Just the poor circulation in my hands” Wooyoung responded with a life less tone.

Before Yunho could respond, someone kneeled onto the doorbell and rung it frantically, like a maniac.

“What in the fuck… Yunho, go get it!” Wooyoung ordered and got a look from the other. As a response, he just opened his already raised hands as if signaling that he couldn’t’ possibly go as he’s serving his punishment.

The doorbell rang frantically, the sound echoing through the mansion. Yunho hesitated for a moment. With a resigned sigh, he rose to his feet and hurried to answer the door.

As Yunho disappeared from view, Wooyoung remained kneeling on the ground, his hands still raised above his head. The uncomfortable position was starting to take its toll on him, but he refused to lower his arms, determined to endure.

Minutes passed, each one feeling like an eternity as Wooyoung struggled to maintain his posture. Finally, the sound of hurried footsteps approached, and Yunho reappeared in the doorway, a look of urgency etched on his face.

“It's...” Before he could finish, a familiar face popped up at the side of the room and made their way inside.

“Yeosang?” Wooyoung exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

The other was about to speak but his eyes stopped on Wooyoung’s body. The white bathrobe he had on slid up on his thighs from how his hands were raised, parted on his chest, one of his nipples showing, love bites and marks clearly visible on his soft skin. Yeosang gulped. They exchanged an awkward glance before he cleared his throat and decided to banish those thoughts from his mind.

“What’s up ‘Sangie?”

“This… it’s really bad” Yeosang spoke and pulled out a colorful magazine from his backpack. Based on how he looked Wooyoung could guess that he ran here straight from wherever he was before, not even stopping to take a breath as he was disheveled, out of breath and sweaty.

“What is… what’s that?” Yunho asked and took the papers from him. Yeosang brushed his hair back, brows furrowed. He tried not to peek at Wooyoung’s form.

“What is it Yunho? Show your master” Wooyoung said teasingly, but when he saw Yunho’s face freeze and life seemingly leave his body he got worried. He jumped up and walked over, snapping the page out of Yunho’s hands and taking a look at it himself.

It was the most recent article of one of the leading newspapers in town. The design was exquisite, the paper of the highest quality, but it was the bold, attention-grabbing headline that captured their attention. Wooyoung couldn’t help himself, he muttered the words aloud.

“Scandal rocks the Jung Family: Prince caught in compromising situation with mystery man!” Wooyoung couldn't help but mutter the words aloud, his voice tinged with shock and disbelief. “Breaking! Jung Wooyoung was left with hickeys all over his body after emerging from the depths of a hotel!”

Yeosang pulled out three or four other newspapers from local to regional, all of them bearing the same news he read aloud.

 “Spectators claim the youngest of the prominent family reeked of Alpha pheromones. What are the stances of the Jung Family on the matter?”

Article followed article with the same topic in all of them: him and San. They delved into the details of Wooyoung's alleged rendezvous with a stranger, painting a scandalous picture of his actions. Hickeys, hotel stays, and the unmistakable scent of Alpha pheromones all featured prominently.

Shit. This was truly, really bad.

With each word he read, Wooyoung’s heart sank deeper into his chest. This was beyond bad—it was a disaster of epic proportions. The Jung Family's reputation was on the line, and Wooyoung knew he had to act fast to mitigate the damage.

“At this point maybe I should just kill myself shouldn’t I?” Wooyoung asked as he dropped the papers to the ground with a lifeless expression, then plopped next to them with a thud.

Yeosang wanted to run up to him and help but was preceded by Yunho.

“You mustn’t do that; I’d lose my job!”

Wooyoung gave him a dumb smile. Dumb smile for a dumb person saying dumb things… oh all of this was just so stupid.

“Fuck, Yunho, I respect you… but are you serious right now?” Yeosang snapped at him, not realizing it was just a joke.

Wooyoung raised his eyes to look at his best friend.

“’Sangie, just calm down and—”

“Calm down? I ran over here from school once I heard it, but only after taking off all the posters around school that had your face on it saying you’re a dick sucker omega bitch anyone could just use around! If you are not, I am fucking terrified Wooyoung!” He shouted, voice breaking. There was a visible tremble in his hands as he gripped the now crumbled pieces of newspaper.

The weight of Yeosang’s words hit Wooyoung like a ton of bricks, the reality of the situation sinking in deeper with each passing moment. He had never seen Yeosang so distraught, so shaken to the core. It was a stark reminder of just how dire the situation had become.

Yunho, too, seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation, his expression reflecting a mix of concern and urgency. He knelt down beside Wooyoung, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“We'll figure this out, Wooyoung,” Yunho said, his voice firm and determined. “We'll find a way to clear your name and salvage the family’s reputation.”

Wooyoung couldn't shake the feeling of despair that threatened to overwhelm him. The headlines, the accusations—they were like a dark cloud looming over him, casting a shadow on his life that seemed to be blooming recently, but maybe he was just too stupid and shallow minded to realize how thin the ice he walked on was.

“What are we going to do?” Wooyoung murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. It wasn’t evident that he even registered what Yunho had just told him.

Yeosang took a deep breath, his hands still trembling as he tried to steady himself. “We need to get ahead of this,” he said, his tone resolute. “We need to find out who's behind these rumors and put a stop to it before it spirals out of control.”

Yunho nodded in agreement, his mind already racing with possible courses of action. “We'll start by gathering any evidence we can find,” he suggested. “Witnesses, security footage—anything that can prove your innocence.”

Wooyoung felt a flicker of hope stir within him at Yunho's words. Maybe, just maybe, they could weather this storm together. But as he glanced at the crumpled newspapers strewn across the floor, the weight of the situation bore down on him once more.

“How could you possibly clear my name?” Wooyoung scoffed. “Innocence? Look at me!” He pulled the bathrobe apart on his chest, making it obvious for the two where to look, and what not to miss.

There was no part of his body San’s marks hadn’t covered. What went down in the hotel was clear as day to anyone with a conscience, especially to those who saw those disgustingly well taken photos of him exiting the Hotel.

“Wooyoung…”

“Just tell me, I’m curious, how will you present me as innocent? And the pheromones? You can tell me, I know that both of you can feel it I can see the disgust and remorse it gives you just by the way you scrunch your noses, how you hold your heads and how your torso doesn’t face me. I know all too well you feel repulsed by my right now because even though I showered, I still reek of it.”

Wooyoung's words hung heavy in the air, casting a pall over the room as Yunho and Yeosang exchanged uneasy glances. They had known that clearing Wooyoung's name would be an uphill battle, but facing the harsh reality of the evidence against him was another matter entirely.

Yunho took a deep breath, steeling himself for the difficult conversation that lay ahead. “We'll find a way, Wooyoung,” he said, his voice firm despite the uncertainty gnawing at his insides.

Yeosang nodded in agreement, his expression determined. “And we'll scrutinize every detail of those photos and articles,” he added, his voice tinged with determination. “We'll find any inconsistencies, any holes in their story, and we'll use them to cast doubt on their accusations.”

Wooyoung looked up, his eyes meeting Yeosang's with a mixture of gratitude and uncertainty. In that moment, he felt a glimmer of hope stirring within him.

“Thank you,” he murmured, his voice choked with emotion. “Thank you both for staying by my side and trying to help even though I keep fucking up over and over again all the time.”

Wooyoung couldn't shake the sinking feeling that the worst was yet to come. And with each passing second, the walls seemed to close in around him, the weight of his predicament pressing down upon him like a vice when the doorbell rang again. There were two options and the better one was Hongjoong.

Yeosang pushed him against the table. 

His lips were unsure at first, but once he realized Wooyoung is not pushing him away he became greedy. One of his hands found Wooyoung's waist while the other rested behind him on the desk for support. His mind was going to break. 

There he was, kissing his best friend who he longed for for so long and he was kissing him back. Yeosang didn't care if this would ruin their friendship, if this would be the end of it all, the only thing on his mind was that he could finally have him, taste him, hold him, even if for mere seconds. He had no idea why Wooyoung didn't pull away why he didn't slap him in the face for crossing the line, but instead played along and kissed him back. His lips were just as how Yeosang imagined so many times before. They were soft and plump, juicy and delicious. And he definitely knew how to use them. 

When Wooyoung held up his hands to grab Yeosang's shirt was when he moaned into the kiss and the two parted. Looking at each other with laced eyes they quickly snapped out of it when the realization hit them.

"Oh my fucking god I'm so sorry Wooyoung" Yeosang backed away, a hand in front of his mouth. He was terrified of what was coming next, but Wooyoung just stood there with a weak smile.

"I guess I should've seen this coming" he admitted. That's when Yeosang realized Wooyoung was no longer emitting pheromones. Oh. "I think it would be better for both of us to just forget about this" he said in the end.

Yeosang dropped his hands, eyeing his best friend.

"I'm not sure if I will be able to do that."

Wooyoung gave him a painful glare.

"You better do."

---

Friday came by painfully slowly. Wooyoung stuck to taking his medicine. He wasn't cooped up in his room but started attending University again and catching up with everything he left off on. If it wasn't for his family's prominence, he'd already have been expelled for his extended leave. Guess money do can buy happiness up to an extent.

He got along with people just as how he did before, and nobody seemed to complain about his pheromones, which he was more than glad for. He could finally pretend life was back on its usual track, except the way Yeosang acted. He still kept following him around like before, but his eyes never met those of Wooyoung's.

Wooyoung entered Seonghwa's office, noting the tension etched on his doctor's face. There was an air of disquiet, palpable even in the sterile confines of the room. Seonghwa's troubled expression didn’t go unnoticed by Wooyoung, who furrowed his brows in concern.

"Is something bothering you, Seonghwa?" Wooyoung asked, his voice tinged with worry.

Seonghwa's gaze drifted towards the window, where the city skyline sprawled in the distance. "There's a new business owner across from us," he confessed, his voice heavy with apprehension. "His presence... it's unsettling."

Wooyoung's curiosity piqued at the mention of the mysterious figure. "What do you mean?" he inquired, leaning forward in his seat.

Seonghwa hesitated before speaking, choosing his words with care. "There's something about him... something I can't quite put my finger on," he admitted, his tone laced with unease. It was obvious he tried avoiding stating clear facts. He knew Wooyoung knew the shop's owner as he planned to attend the opening, but Wooyoung didn't know about Hongjoong and Seonghwa's history. 

Wooyoung nodded, understanding the gravity of Seonghwa's concerns. Despite the doctor's attempt to reassure him, Wooyoung sensed there was more to the story than Seonghwa was letting on.

As Seonghwa broached the subject of attending the opening of the new shop - which was the only reason Wooyoung sat so neatly in his chair - Wooyoung's interest was piqued. 

Unbeknownst to Seonghwa, Wooyoung's mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Yeosang, their recent encounter lingering in his thoughts like a persistent whisper. The memory of their kiss sent a shiver down his spine, igniting a flurry of conflicting emotions within him. It was weird. He wanted to forget it. But he didn't know that not forgetting it was what saved his ass.

"After all" Seonghwa started "you are free to attend." He looked at the result of the new tests in his hand while saying the verdict.

"Oh?" Was the only thing Wooyoung managed to say.

"Are you surprised?"

"A little. I didn't trust the medicine to work wonders like that."

"It is experimental" Seonghwa replied, putting down his sheets of documents. "But you're clean. One way or another, your results are spotless. In fact, it seems you haven't emitted pheromones in a few days either. Almost as if your condition has become stable."

A smile lingered on Wooyoung's lips.

"Must be because you're wonderful at your job, doctor!" He chirped and jumped up from where he sat before. "A raise should be in order."

Seonghwa laughed. He managed to hide behind his poker face, but his thoughts were circling. One way or another...

"Will you be attending as well Dr. Park?" Wooyoung asked on the verge of stepping out of the room. He didn't even notice the boy going there. He nodded with a hum and watched as Wooyoung disappeared behind the white door.

The opening ceremony...

As the day of the opening arrived, Seonghwa found himself standing amidst a sea of unfamiliar faces, his senses heightened by the fear of what lay ahead. Across the room, he spotted the figure of Hongjoong, his presence commanding attention amidst the crowd. Although he wasn't tall, he was clad in all the luxurious brands one could imagine, but even if it hadn't been for that, he'd be a sight to behold. Seonghwa shivered. The mark of their bond pulsated uncomfortably on his neck.

The ceremony came to a start as Hongjoong tapped the mic in front of him to speak. Next to him stood the glamorous Wooyoung with a pride smile on his face.

Their eyes met, a silent exchange of recognition passing between them. In that fleeting moment, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, revealing a truth that had remained hidden beneath layers of uncertainty and deception. It all dawned on Seonghwa. How did he not notice it before? How did he miss the signs?

They were not merely strangers bound by chance encounters and fleeting connections. No, they were something more profound, something rooted in the depths of their shared history and intertwined destinies.

Jung Wooyoung, Kim Hongjoong. 

To eyes and ears outside of their world, the two would seem to be total strangers. But to Seonghwa, who knew Hongjoong since they were kids, who knew how his mother married a wealthy businessman later on in their life, who knew that businessman had a son from a previous marriage as well... It was so clear now. They were the so called twin jades of the new generation of wealthy business families, the brothers known by so many. Seonghwa was blind. And now he felt terrified. His most important client was the brother of his bond, the man he swore he'd never see again if it was on him. And now, he was entangled deeply in their family's business. Deep under the sea. 

His worry might have overtaken his senses if it wasn't for a hand tapping him on his shoulder. He instinctually wanted to smell pheromones, but it was a failed attempt. He couldn't smell any, ever since... ever since Hongjoong and him bonded, but the instinct was still there. The only case where this was different was with a few dominant omegas he worked with, one of them being Wooyoung. 

His first thought was whether he had covered up his bond mark with his turtleneck properly. In the past he had to deal with some alphas who'd get a kick out of the fact that the omega they were interested in was already marked. At first they seemed respectful, but later ended up spiraling into madness. They all said they were okay with not sleeping together, that affection was enough because they liked Seonghwa... but in the end they became forceful. They couldn't accept the fact that Seonghwa, an omega's body changes after a bond is made and his body would refuse the pheromones of other alphas, and would make it impossible for them to be intimate. None of them cared.

Seonghwa snapped his head around in an instant.

The man who stood behind him was muscular and handsome, chiseled facial features and thin eyes. He stood firmly, but removed his hand once he saw Seonghwa's frightened expression.

"I beg your pardon. I just thought you were familiar." The man said.

Seonghwa couldn't mask his surprise as he looked him up and down, then adjusted his clothes.

"I should be. Aren't you the man who was at my clinic with Jung Wooyoung a week prior?"

The other's eyes widened and he bowed, then extended his hand for a greeting.

"Yes! Right, I was. My name is Choi San, I'm..." he wanted to say further but stopped upon not knowing how to address his and Wooyoung's relationship.

Seonghwa laughed and accepted his hand.

"No need to say further. I'm Park Seonghwa. Wooyoung's doctor."

The two of them shared a glance of mutual understanding and acceptance until a familiar whiff of pheromones hit both of their noses. Their heads turned in almost an instant.

Time passed, and they hadn't noticed the speech was over and it was now time for the party to begin. But what they did notice was how Wooyoung stared holes into San.

This is bad.

Seonghwa could feel pheromones be released into the air and a few heads turn left and right. He thought Wooyoung was clear, that he was fine, but now that the two of them met all his resolve slipped without him knowing and he just started releasing his scent again? It was way too unusual. He turned to San.

"I know you can also sense it, you two are more than familiar" he stated leaning in close to the other. San locked eyes with him.

"This is bad. I can feel it already affecting me, doctor."

"Leave this place at once." He ordered, but San pulled back. If someone had never seen an obvious no way I'm going to do that face before, they should have seen San's now.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't tell me you can't. You cannot be serious right now. There are way too many spectators, and this is a formal even! If word got out–"

"If word got out of what, Dr. Park?" Called out a high pitched voice.

Wooyoung and Hongjoong stood side by side next to them, a glass of champagne in their hands. Seonghwa's expression darkened.

"I'm afraid I cannot discuss the matter of confidential information about my clients with you." He said sternly.

"Wait the two of you know each other?" Wooyoung spoke, side eyeing San in the mean while.

"Yes! Dr. Park Seonghwa is my..." Hongjoong started but Seonghwa took the word from him with a step on his brand new crocodile skin shoes. His unamused face was a sight to behold.

"We actually just met the other day after your visit when I was closing up the clinic. Mr. Kim stopped by to check on his new office and well, we exchanged a few words."

Whatever Hongjoong wanted to reveal about them, Seonghwa saved them from. Wooyoung eyed them for a bit. The tension in the air was insane and more than a few heads turned, but Seonghwa was afraid it wasn't for their good looks, but for the lingering smell of pheromones. He leaned over to San and whispered.

"Get the both of you the hell out of here as fast as you can." He said in the lowest tone possible, then bowed to bid his farewell.

"I might join Dr. Park on the way out, just to have a quick smoke then be right back. Keep the front for me then Wooyoung." Hongjoong stated, and went after the black haired.

It was a bit uncomfortable. San was just quietly eyeing the shorter one, who emptied yet another glass of champagne.

"I can feel your gaze on me you know" Wooyoung said.

"Sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"

"For staring."

"If you're so sorry, then stop." Wooyoung snapped at him.

San shifted awkwardly, a pout lingering on his lips. Wooyoung snorted, and made the other raise one of his brows.

"What?" San asked.

"You should see your face now. It's hilarious." Wooyoung laughed but stopped when San stepped closer to him. They stood in their closest proximity, maybe a bit too close for casual acquaintances.

"What's on my face, Jung Wooyoung?"

He asked, his smiling eyes forming crescent moons. Wooyoung viewed his face with parted lips.

"Ugliness." He replied with a chuckle then turned away and stepped one back. "Don't stand too close. People are watching."

"Shall we go somewhere else then?" San asked and Wooyoung whipped his head back at him.

"What? Where?"

"Let's leave this place. All this hypocrite bullshit is suffocating." San's face held an expression of adventure and Wooyoung found it amusing. At first he wanted to clap back at what the other said, but then actually realized he had to agree. Although he loved glamorous events, everything about this one screamed Hongjoong, and not Wooyoung.

He gave his glass to a passing server and allowed San to lead the way. They were on the corridor in less than a few seconds. Not many people were there, maybe those who escaped from the party, talking in small groups.

Wooyoung stopped to stand by the wall but San grabbed his wrist and started leading him somewhere else.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

San didn't answer. Soon, they were in the closed off staircase of the building.

"I wanted to have some peace and quiet." San said once they were there.

Wooyoung giggled. He was tipsy.

"Thought you wanted to kidnap me." He laughed.

San admired him.

"I wouldn't want to do anything that could ever hurt you. At least I don't plan on doing it."

Wooyoung scoffed.

"You already did."

His answer made San go rigid.

"Wooyoung..."

"Don't give me that bullshit again. That you this and that" he was blabbering complete nonsense in his state of frustration. "You... I... ever since then, I changed. And it's because of you, because of what we did. Ever since I inhaled your pheromones I go crazy every time I think about them, and you."

San's eyes widened. A tear rolled down Wooyoung's cheek and he was next to him in a millisecond, cornering Wooyoung between the wall and himself. He wiped the tear away.

"I'm the same!"

"What do you mean?"

"That night, I went to the party because of my friend who was the host. He said, as a freshman it'd be best I attended, so I did. I wanted to go home but stopped by the washroom before doing so, and that's when you came in. When I smelled you, I had to bite my arm as to not jump on you instantly, I went crazy." San started. One of his hands held the wall while the other Wooyoung's cheek. "I pulled together all my strength as to leave without butting into your business but you... the way you were... you..."

"Don't say anymore" Wooyoung stopped him. His voice was low.

"I didn't want to do it, in fact, it was... actually my first time."

They stared at each other for awkwardly long.

"What?"

"It was. You were my first."

"You mean, the first man you fucked."

"No. I've never slept with anyone before you."

"WHAT?"

Wooyoung fell to the ground and San reached after him with worry.

"What's wrong? Are you sick? Do you feel bad?"

"Yes? Yes! I'm sick! My goodness" he slapped both his hands to the side of his face several times.

"Wooyoung what's going on?"

"What's going on is that all this time I kept whining about how you used your good looks and charms to seduce me and took advantage of my first heat and now I find out I was your first? And I kept crying for how you were my asshole's first?"

The obscenity of his words made San both shocked and cackle. He found this side of Wooyoung utterly adorable, but something in what he said got caught in the front of his mind.

"Wait... that was your first heat?"

"Yes the fuck it was!"

"Well how should I have known? Wait so... we were both each other's firsts... in that way..." the words got stuck on his throat. They glanced at each other than blushed.

Oh this was awkward.

"I guess we were... but don't you dare assume I'm inexperienced! I got plenty of experience just... not with men. I mean, before you I didn't even think about doing it with men. I mean, I didn't think I'd do it with you either it's just that... you know what? Let's forget it, what's done is done, what's gone is gone."

Before Wooyoung could slip away San grabbed his cheeks and turned his face towards him.

"I don't want to forget it."

Wooyoung's lashes fluttered.

"What do you mean..." his voice was so low San almost missed it. He leant in and brushed their lips together.

"Just give me one more chance to prove how interested I am in you. Then we can part our way's and I'll never see you again if you wish that. I want to show you how I can make love to you if given the place and time. I don't want that bad memory to be our first and last time together." His words were sincere even if his whole face was bright red. Wooyoung blushed. The heat radiated off of him in waves.

"Why should I accept the offer?"

"I want to make that time up to you. If you wish, you can do whatever with me. I'm all yours."

That was more than enough for Wooyoung to pull San in for a kiss.

“Sir, the young master's secondary gender examination papers arrived from the hospital.”

Mr. Jung kept looking at the documents on his desk, seemingly uninterested, but a from appeared on his aged forehead nevertheless. He flipped the papers and signed some of them, eyeing the infinite amount of business proposals presented to the company. After several minutes of silence, he lifted his pen from a contract. 

Mr. Jung kept his eyes on the documents scattered across his desk, fingers tracing the edges of contracts and business proposals that had been submitted for the company’s consideration. He didn’t glance up, but a furrow appeared on his aged forehead. His unspoken words built tension as the silence stretched. Finally, with a sigh, he lifted his pen from a contract.

“What does it say?” His voice was clipped, and he gestured for the man to present the results.

The employee hesitated, but eventually pulled out the papers. He maintained a stoic expression as he read the familiar results aloud, masking his own curiosity.

“It remains the same. His secondary gender is still classified as undetermined.”

The sound of a fist slamming against wood echoed through the room. Mr. Jung’s face twisted in anger, eyes narrowing.

“Useless child... just like his mother.” The words dripped with venom, but the outburst was brief. He exhaled sharply, running a hand over his face, and leaned back in his chair, adjusting his tie in an attempt to regain control. “Keep this information hidden. Nobody shall be informed about his condition. We cannot let this tarnish the family name or the Jung Group’s reputation.”

“Understood” the butler responded, sealing the envelope before placing it among the many others gathering dust on a nearby shelf. He then returned to his position in front of the desk, waiting for further instructions.

Mr. Jung resumed to looking at the papers on his desk, and after a long pause, he spoke again, voice quieter this time, though no less cold. “Where is he anyway?”

“I believe he’s attending a University Freshmen welcome party at his campus.”

“That brat...”

---

"Wooyoung! Man, it's great to see you! Where have you been?" Mingi opened his arms in the heat of the moment and enveloped Wooyoung in a tight hug.

"Just some regular health check. You know how my father is." The black haired replied, snatching a red cup from a nearby guy's hands then sipping into it.

"Oh" Mingi started, sipping his own. "Anything new?" He asked with a sly smile plastered onto his stupidly handsome face, eyes glancing at Woo trough yellow shaded sunglasses.

"Nah. It's all good, I'm still me" Wooyoung laughed and looked around, the loud music seeping into his bones, engulfing him in the spirit of the party.

Mingi scoffed and started leading them away from the entrance, into a different area where the hustle and bustle of countless people thickened.

"Enjoy it while it lasts" he replied, grabbing a bottle of unmarked liquor and poured into both of their cups. "If it turns out that you're an omega, let me have a taste of that ass" he laughed and gulped it all down.

"You wish" Wooyoung replied with a disgusted face, and downed it all just like Mingi. He was surprised by the funny taste, he never quite had alcohol like that before, but the aftertaste washed over him with a shiver. "I know what I am, and it's definitely not that." He continued. "My father's side has a strong bloodline, all of them being dominant alphas, every son, for generations on. I'm just a late bloomer." He shrugged with a self centered grin.

"Ah sureee sureee" Mingi smiled, mirroring the grimace. "But your mother is an omega."

Woo's smile dropped, a glint of annoyance between his brows. He reached to pour another drink.

"Sure, but I'm nothing like my mother" he replied. Mingi's facial expressions also changed as he noticed Wooyoung tensing. "After all, I know how to use this well" Woo hinted at his crotch with his hands "a useless omega wouldn't know."

"Yeah man" Mingi agreed, high fiving him. "So what's the plan for tonight?" He asked, winking.

Wooyoung looked around eyeing the countless girls swaying in rhythm with the music, their short and tight dresses showing just enough for Woo to lick his lips. Of course he came here with a plan, that being hooking up with the hottest chick. And maybe, getting his best friend Yeosang with someone but he vanished the second they arrived.

Isn't it hot in here?

"The usual" he replied, and Mingi knew what he meant right away. After all, they were friends for a while now, and partied together on several occasions.

Mingi was an alpha, and he was annoying enough to let everyone around him know this fact. Wooyoung has no idea how many times he heard the story of how his secondary gender developed so early in middle school, and how he's been a king ever since. To everyone, it seemed like Mingi was winning in life. He was tall, handsome, came from a wealthy and powerful family. He aced all his exams and in sports as well. All the girls wanted him, from all genders. Mingi relished in his popularity. But Wooyoung was sure there was more behind that 2000 Watt smile of his. 

"Talking of the usual" Mingi started "there are some fine chicks glancing our way, and they are definitely eyeing you" he smirked and dapped Wooyoung. "Go get them, I already got my eye on someone for the night" he said, pushing Wooyoung on the back a little as he licked his lips glancing over to the side at a red haired girl. 

Wooyoung rolled his eyes, and after downing yet another drink that was just lying around on the counter, he made his way over to those girls.

God it's hot in here.

"Hello Ladies."

"Wooyoung! We though you weren't coming" one of them said, tucking her blonde hair behind her ears. 

Wooyoung laughed, putting a hand trough his hair.

"You kidding? I'd never miss a party you attend" he smirked, leaning closer, and he saw a hint of pink dust the cheeks of the girl. 

Jackpot. 

---

After making out against a pillar in the hallway where they were visible to everyone, Wooyoung led the girl to a more secluded area, still on the ground floor. The music was loud, pumping inside their chests and he could feel it's vibrations resonation on the tongue of the girl as he was sucking on it. He wasn't shy to explore her body, his experienced hands sliding under her short skirt, gripping her ass and pulling her closer. Victory seemed sweet. She was so easy. They all were. That's why Wooyoung didn't care to date them and just fucked them. Some people even came back for seconds, claiming there was just something about him that captivated them. This made Wooyoung proud, as he was able to achieve this without the bewitching pheromones those emitted and absorbed who had developed their secondary gender. It felt nice to be normal not tied down by those senseless and ridiculous instincts that overcame several of his acquaintances on many occasions. He found it ridiculous to be driven crazy like that. He thought those who succumbed were nothing less than pathetic. 

"Whoa, you seem really into this" the girl said panting while she parted from him, a string of saliva connecting their lips. Wooyoung was drunk on the kiss and his brain didn't even register what she said at first. 

"What do you mean?" He managed to speak but he just felt so hot, his mind was foggy. He wiped away the heavy sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. GOSH it was hot in there.

"I mean you're rock hard" he laughed awkwardly, 

"What?" Wooyoung asked surprised, looking down. And indeed he was. He felt how awkward the  air got between them and quickly tried to save it. "Yeah. 'cus you're so pretty." He smirked stepping closer but she pulled away. "What?"

"I- I think I'm just gonna go. This might just be too fast for me" she spoke and already turned around to leave.

"The fuck you mean too much? Didn't you just want to fuck?" He shouted after her, annoyed. She went up to the second floor and Woo after her, but when they reached the top of the stairs she turned back to shout at him.

"Just fuck off will you? And do something about your smell, you stink" she spitted. 

His clothes and hair were sticking to his sweaty body and with this bullshit he just had enough. He tried storming into the bathroom on this floor but as he opened the door he spotted some people making out so he just made his way out and went to the 3rd floor. He wanted needed to be alone. The heat and dizziness was making him mad. Maybe he had too much to drink already. Fuck this situation was just too embarrassing for him.

Luckily, no one was in the washroom when he stormed in, immediately leaning on the sink, ripping his shirt open and splashing cold water all over his face and neck. Once he was soaked he glanced at himself in the mirror and he almost didn't recognize the person who was staring back at him. His face was flush, lips parted, chest heaving heavily up and down, eyes so clouded he felt his vision go blurry. There was no way merely kissing would get him into such a state. He glanced at his crotch and indeed, he was rock hard. But he also noticed how there was a stain on his pants. He grabbed a handful of napkins from the dispenser and started rubbing it on his pants furiously, ignoring the shivers the movement sent down his spine. After a while of rubbing he wanted to throw out it out but when he glanced at the napkins they were dry. His eyes went wide and he resumed the wiping, put it was the same. So he didn't pour anything on himself? Then why was there a stain? He definitely didn't piss his pants, that was a given. As he was furiously trying to get off the stain he suddenly got dizzy and steadied himself on the sink once again. Breathing heavily, he glanced in the mirror once again and saw someone exiting one of the stalls. His blood ran cold. The man wore all black, baggy clothes. He stood awkwardly there, gripping the door handle so hard his knuckles went white. He eyed Wooyoung for a second then turned to leave when Woo started sobbing. The man stopped and give him a worried look instead of speaking.

"I can't- I can't get it off" Wooyoung sobbed as he slumped on the ground hand still on his crotch. 

The person who initially wanted to leave hurriedly swung the door open, then picked up Wooyoung princess style and hurried out of the room. With no better idea popping up in his mind, he barged into an empty classroom and locked the door behind them. 

He put Wooyoung down near the cathedra, then left to stand in the other end of the room, and put his hand over his mouth and nose. Why didn't he leave? Even he wasn't sure. Wooyoung managed to prop himself up but was about to fall back, completely lost in his trance. His eyes were clouded from lust and tears that couldn't stop falling, and his jeans seemed painfully tight over his hard on. He kept squirming, helplessly crawling on the floor towards the other.

"Why are you so far away? You smell so nice" he spoke with a broken voice, sound whiny and needy.

"You can't come near me, you are not of sound mind right now!" The stranger spoke sternly, but his voice was also getting weak.

Wooyoung cried out and slumped on the floor.

"Please... it hurts so much, I'm so scared I don't know what's going on... please I need to smell you again I need it." He cried, unbuttoning his own shirt because the heat was unbearable.

No noise came from the stranger, he stood still in the other side of the room and watched Wooyoung without a single blink of his eyes. Wooyoung couldn't manage to unbutton all of his shirt, only the upper half, exposing his toned chest, but he was way too eager so he just went and started unzipping his pants too, grinding against his hands in the process, breathy moans leaving his puffy lips. His hands struggled with the button of his jeans, making him cry again in sheer frustration from not being able to get release. His sobs and moans echoed trough the room.

"Please... I need you."

It was as if Wooyoung's words worked wonders, the man opposite him took one trembling step forward. His hard on was visible even from so far away and he struggled to walk properly. It looked like his brain was keeping him back but his body still wanted to go, the two being in a wrecking disagreement against each other. Slowly but surely he was inching closer to Wooyoung who lay on the floor with half undone clothes, a messy hair and an even messier face. When the stranger reached Wooyoung, he was on the floor next to him in an instant, and gobbled Woo into his arms like a baby. The stranger sat on the floor with open legs and pulled Woo into his arms, holding him close to his body. He begun pulling off Woo's pants while inhaling his scent deeply from his neck. Wooyoung moaned into the embrace and shifted his his hips in an attempt to straddle him. The attempt was desperate, and could only happen with the help of the guy. Once fully seated on his lap, Wooyoung kept kissing and licking the other's neck, as the hands of the other slowly worked down to squeeze Woo's delicious ass cheeks.

"Ah!" Escaped a high pitched moan Woo's lips, and he grinded his hips against the other's, earning a groan in response. "Take off your clothes" he managed to blurt out in a broken voice.

"You sure you'll be okay?" The stranger spoke but didn't get an answer. Instead, dozens of kitten licks and sucking on his soft skin was the reply from the one he held so carefully in his arms. It was painfully hard to hold back. The sight before him... the smell of sweet sweet pheromones, the sheer presence of this omega... it made him feel like he was about to go crazy.

"Don't hold back" Wooyoung grinned, licking his lips. "And tell me the name I shall moan tonight". He spoke, not even realizing the situation he was in. It was as if his brain failed to register the seriousness of the events that were about to play off.  

The sentence sent shivers down the other's spine as he stared into those beautiful black eyes, while his hands started undoing his own pants and ripping apart Woo's soaking wet underwear.

"San" he said softly as he pulled out his hard cock. Wooyoung was so lost in staring at his face, that he only noticed a dick was by his ass the moment it touched his rim.

"Wa– wait wait wait wait wait Sa– ah!" He couldn't finish his pleas as he felt the shaft slide into him.

The pleasure was unthinkable. Nothing like he ever felt in his life before, and he was sure around a lot. Neither of them could comprehend the feeling, their minds going completely blank with fog as they tried to gasp for air. It was way too much and it was dangerous. They tried to stay still to catch their breath but Wooyoung's hips involuntarily started moving. He had no idea how to use them in this way, he was never on the receiving end and much less has he been with men. He thrashed his hips forward, his motions resembling that of thrusting into someone but it wasn't fulfilling. San let him be, and groaned on every movement of his, his brows furrowed and lips pursed tightly. It wasn't fulfilling for either of them. San lifted Woo's hips with both of his hands and pummeled into him from below. Wooyoung's entire body trembled and he fell apart in San's hands. He held onto those wide shoulders for dear life as he screamed his lungs out. San tilted his head back, all resolve slipping from him as he dipped is dick in and out of that hot, soft, velvety heat sucking him in. He couldn't stop his hips no matter how much Wooyoung was moaning, he held his hips and moved them in an opposing rhythm to his own.

"Sa– Sannie! Wait!" Wooyoung cried out as he felt an orgasm closing in on him. He never experienced a feeling like that before and he didn't know what to do. It was too much. The other groaned after hearing the nickname, and if possible, pulled Woo closer into him.

"You make me go insane" he managed to say trough gritted teeth, and laid Woo on the floor on his back.

San held Wooyoung's hips from under, and hovered over him as his stiff cock found it's way back into him. His thrusts were out of this world. Each one rough, hard, and deep, scratching exactly where they both needed it.

"Don't call me... you" Wooyoung whined "call me Wooyoung."

Without a single more second to think San blurted out out his name with the biggest moan that ever left his chest.

"Wooyoungie~" he sighed, almost whining. "Your ass is so perfect, you're so beautiful, you make me go insane."

Wooyoung's eyes widened despite his brain being scattered all over the place. His eyes watered again, tears rolling down the side of his face bye his ears. Sure, they called him handsome, they said he was great in bed, that he was a wonderous rainbow child, but nobody ever looked at him with eyes so endearing, so loving and amused, not even his own family. He felt his chest tighten, then a soft kiss landed on his cheek. At this point he was just bawling his eyes out. 

"Don't cry Wooyoungie, I'm here, you're okay, it's all right" he whispered against his cheek and started rolling his hips into Wooyoung at a slow, sensual speed.

"Hold me" Wooyoung moaned and lifted his arms for the other to pull him close and to fit into the shape of  his chest – and he fit perfectly. As if they were two pieces of puzzles, meant to be attached.

Once San fitted Woo's arms around his neck and he leaned in and held Wooyoung's whole body in his arm, his thrusts became faster and deeper once again. He felt every fiber of velvety smooth skin throbbing around his sensitive cock nestling deep inside the other body. He felt his toes curled and his muscles flex as he tried pushing in deeper and deeper, having a sense of satisfaction when he bucked his hips upward, fitting his whole member inside and saw them connect without an inch of space apart. He loved the shivers that went down his spine when his balls slapped against Wooyoung's ass, and he loved the squelching sounds Woo's body obscenely kept making. He was so lost in the moment. His hands travelled down onto Wooyoung's fat asscheeks again and he held them in place as his thrusts quickened, pummeling into Woo's unused hole with speed and force.

"Oh god" Woo breathed shakily, barely able to form words.

"You're thanking the wrong guy babe" San hissed back, leaving a trail of open mouthed wet kisses on Wooyoung's neck.

His hands had such a strong grip on Woo's ass and hips that it was sure there will be a mark left. He couldn't help bucking forward, chasing his and his partner's high doing so, his hips stuttering and thrusts' getting sloppy as he got closer to his release. 

"Oh fuck, Youngie~ baby~ I'm gonna cum" he moaned needily into Wooyoung's ears who was already seeing stars from the pleasure.

"Come! Come into me please fill me" Woo cried out grabbing a handful of San's hair.

"No– not– inside" San moaned heavily and managed to pull out just in time as he reached his high and came all over the other's abdomen, his thighs shaking and head tilting back. The muscles on his arms went limp and he let Wooyoung slowly down on the floor as he was trying to overcome his high, panting and grunting. 

When he looked down, Woo lay before him, head tilted to the side, mouth agape, eyes rolled back. His chest was heaving heavily up and down, legs open and fallen to the side, shaking and trembling relentlessly, red, swollen cock leaking cum onto his stomach, asscheeks rosy and plump, and his hole clenching over nothing. San felt another wave of heat overcome him but it was quickly knocked out by his rational thinking. He collected Woo into his arms, sitting him onto his lap, and held him like a baby once again. His hands kept petting Woo's back and hair, soothing him, while he planted soft kisses onto every spot of his face.

"Shh 't's okay baby, everything's all right" he cooed, aware of the fact that Woo was close to passing out, cock drunk.

They sat there for a while when someone's phone rang.

"Woo, it's yours" San spoke.

"Jeans, back pocket, left" Wooyoung replied barely able to open his mouth. San reached for the phone in the pants littered close to them, and took out the phone. "Whos' it?"

"Yeosang" San answered, reading out the name on the screen. 

"He's probably worried. Tell him to come here" Wooyoung said still hugging San like a bear.

San raised his eyebrows. The problem wasn't that they just fucked in a classroom, yes that was a problem as well, but the bigger issue was that the room was filled with omega pheromones. He couldn't risk someone else pouncing at Wooyoung. 

As if hearing San's thoughts, Wooyoung continued in a reassuring tone.

"Yeosang's a beta. He's my best friend of 9 years, it's okay" he spoke and San picked up the phone.

"Hello? Wooyoung, where are you! I've been looking for you everywhere you can't just run off like that you motherfucker, I swear to god if I find you I–"

"Hello, this is San, Wooyoung is with me." San spoke so awkwardly it made his reality check even greater.

"San? Who are you? I never heard this name before."

"Wooyoung accidentally took a heat inducer pill probably put into his drink by someone, and he went into heat. I'm in building C floor 3 room 102 with him."

The other line of the call got quiet for a second, making San feel all the more worried so he continued.

"I'll clean him up, I won't remain here until you arrive as his pheromones are really strong and I'm afraid I cannot control myself properly if I stay in his presence any longer."

"Alright got it. I'm on my way. What should I expect?"

"A mess" San laughed nervously, looking around. "And a whole dozen of raw omega pheromones. Even if you're a beta this might just be too much."

Yeosang hummed weirdly on the other end.

"I'll be taking my leave then. Please take care of him for me."

"Sure will." Yeosang replied curtly.

San stood up and peeled Wooyoung off of him, who groaned in disagreement. He took off his black hoodie and pulled it onto Wooyoung, together with the jeans he tossed aside.

"I'm sorry I couldn't clean you up better. Please be careful next time, and have your heat suppressants on you" he said, and gave the confused looking Woo a kiss on the forehead before disappearing from the room.

What heat suppressants? 

“Let’s set this straight,” Wooyoung declared, his voice a mix of hysteria and disbelief as Yunho practically shoved him into the car. Inside, Hongjoong was already seated, eyes glued to his phone. “You want me to attend a blind date? Seriously?” Outrageous, really.

Hongjoong glanced up, catching Wooyoung’s furious expression in the rearview mirror, and sighed. “I already told you, it was Mr. Jung who requested that.”

“Ah, great! So now you’re kidnapping me so that I won’t miss my precious date? Hongjoong, I’m not marrying some random alpha!” Wooyoung’s frustration was palpable.

A few hours earlier, Wooyoung had been yanked from his bed by Hongjoong and Yunho, who hastily dolled him up while he was still half-asleep. He only got to his senses when they were halfway to the car as Hongjoong half-heartedly explained the situation. Apparently, Wooyoung was set up on a blind date with a prominent alpha from an aristocratic family. This was meant to clear Wooyoung’s name and possibly secure a future spouse. Wife. Or maybe husband. Gender didn’t matter as long as they were an alpha. Their father’s meddling completely shat into the middle of their plans.

“We don’t have a say in this.” Hongjoong said, looking at Wooyoung through the rearview mirror. “Just attend the event, stay an hour, be a good little lapdog, and we’ll continue with our arrangements for later today, as if you are up for that still.”

“I can’t believe you’re selling me out like this,” Wooyoung muttered.

“Selling you out? Are you serious? Yunho, stop the car; I wanna beat his stupid ass up.” Hongjoong’s patience was wearing thin. “This wasn’t my decision, Wooyoung. Father ordered it. And the least you can do after all the trouble you’ve caused is follow his orders, which I’m stuck to carry out.”

“So I just have to obey because I’m a useless omega,” Wooyoung said bitterly.

“No…” Hongjoong replied, his tone softening a bit. “You have to obey because you caused this mess, and you need to take responsibility. This is just a meeting. You don’t have to sleep with them. Just do what Father wants, and we move on. You might not even have to marry them, really, just show your face.”

“I can’t marry that person,” Wooyoung insisted.

“Why? You wanna marry that Choi San?” Hongjoong shot back.

Wooyoung hesitated. “I– we’re not like that.”

“Yet.” Hongjoong said with a knowing smirk.

“Shut up, he’d never even date me.” Wooyoung snapped and crossed his arms in front of his chest with a pout on his lips.

“Guess you’re right. Considering the kind of person you are, nobody would willingly date you,” Hongjoong retorted, chuckling.

“Are you on my side or are you not? Seriously.”

Hongjoong laughed, then his expression turned eerily serious as he turned to Yunho. “Is that car tailing us?”

“Seems so.” Yunho replied, glancing at the rearview mirror. “Probably the media. They must have seen us leave and decided to follow, put their hands on the topic. Some annoying reporters...”

“Can we lose them?” Wooyoung asked, his voice tinged with worry and desperation.

“I’m not sure we should.” Hongjoong responded nonchalantly, his eyes flicking back to his phone. “Let them see if they want to see.”

They arrived at the venue, the car pulling up smoothly. Wooyoung looked out the window at the grand entrance, his heart pounding with anxiety and frustration.

“Okay, brother, we are here.” Hongjoong said. “Stay for exactly one hour, then walk out. Yunho and I will be waiting here, and we have guards inside if anything goes wrong.”

“Am I going on a blind date with the head of a cartel? Why are you all so worked up?” Wooyoung scoffed, trying to mask his nerves with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes.

“It’s all about your safety,” Hongjoong replied, dead serious.

“Right...” Wooyoung muttered, stepping out of the car.

“Take care. And don’t disappoint fa—us,” Hongjoong called after him.

Walking inside the building Wooyoung easily got overwhelmed. The opulence of the venue weighed heavy on his chest. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the elegantly dressed waiters and guests. He felt like a lamb being led to the slaughter, every step heavy with reluctance.

His eyes scanned the room, noting the muscular men sitting conspicuously around, clearly bodyguards. None seemed familiar, though – definitely not his. Employees of the Jung Group wore distinct brands, unlike these men. In the centre of this watchful circle sat a young man dressed in conservative attire. Wooyoung mentally scoffed at the traditionalism exuding from every tailored crease and controlled gesture; such a clear display of high status.

He flopped into the chair opposite, causing the bodyguards to straighten instinctively. The man across from him didn’t flinch, calmly continuing his meal. It was a man after all. Another male alpha. He seemed rather young, roughly around his age or even younger. Wooyoung couldn’t resist sighing audibly, twitching at the dissonance between their appearances: his ripped jeans, Hawaiian shirt, and tousled hair versus the other’s poised sophistication.

Unable to bear the torturous silence any longer, Wooyoung spoke up. “Glad you’re enjoying that sumptuous meal,” he quipped, signalling his displeasure at being ignored.

“The noises you make seem to diminish its flavour,” came the curt reply, prompting Wooyoung to raise an eyebrow and thump the table. He quickly realized he needed to feign interest, so he cleared his throat, adjusted his hair, and forced a strained smile at his date.

“How gracious of you to speak,” Wooyoung began, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “I was beginning to wonder if you were mute.” The other man visibly bristled, setting down his utensils and dabbing his mouth with a fancy napkin.

Posh, Wooyoung thought, unimpressed.

“You certainly know how to make an entrance, Mr. Jung,” the man remarked coolly.

“Oh, let’s dispense with the formalities; I’m Wooyoung,” he retorted.

A hum of acknowledgment. “I know,” came the arrogant reply. “I suppose we can drop the pretences, considering our impending marriage.”

Wooyoung struggled to hide his annoyance. Impending marriage? Just who is this brat? “You knew my name? How unfortunate; I didn’t catch yours, and it seems you forgot to introduce yourself. But don’t worry, nerves can get the best of us.”

“You should have known you were meeting an alpha from the bigger families,” the man continued, undeterred. “With the Yeoh and Kang families lacking an eligible alpha heir and Choi Group’s main family having only one, you should have deduced your counterpart. Me. Choi Jongho.”

Wooyoung gulped. This person was proving to be far more challenging than anticipated.

“You win,” Wooyoung sighed, opening his arms in mock surrender. “I did come unprepared, trusting fate to do me favours. We’ll certainly make a wonderful pair,” he chuckled, batting his eyelashes at Jongho, who only frowned in response.

“Refrain from entertaining such nonsense,” Jongho retorted, his voice dripping with disgust. “If you think I will ever accept you as a partner you are foolish. This marriage is purely political. You don’t fit my preferences,” Jongho chuckled, finally gazing up at Wooyoung.

Jongho exuded an air of effortless elegance and authority. His suit, a fine wool in a deep charcoal hue, draped impeccably over his broad shoulders and lean frame. The jacket was expertly cut, narrowing at the waist with sharp lapels framing his chest with precision. Beneath the jacket, a crisp white dress shirt peeked out, its collar neatly pressed and secured by a tasteful navy blue tie, perfectly knotted to showcase his attention to detail. His trousers matched seamlessly, tailored to his legs with a clean line down to his polished black shoes, which gleamed softly under the ambient light. His hair was styled neatly, hinting at a balance between control and ease, while his features, though refined, were rather round.

“Are you finished staring? It’s quite rude,” Jongho blinked at Wooyoung, who flushed and backed away. “You are an interesting person. How can someone of your title sweep so low?”

Wooyoung bristled. “How do you even know I’m an omega? How was this all arranged?”

“Seems you’re not trusted enough to be informed,” Jongho sneered. “But we lack time for a detailed explanation, as I trust we both only planned to be here for an hour, right?” His words hit Wooyoung like a slap.

“Then elaborate swiftly, Jongho.”

“Why should I humour your requests?”

“Want me to hit you? You need some sense knocked into you. Talk.” Wooyoung was gripping his knees in anger under the table. The bodyguards tensed, but Jongho waved them off.

“Not keeping up appearances anymore? I can go along with that,” Jongho said. “I have spies in the Jung mansion. My father was against this, but I liked the idea and did it anyway. Look where it got me? A good-for-nothing slut omega of a wife. A recently developed one, too. What if your body doesn’t even work as it’s supposed to? What if you can’t produce the heirs you’re meant to?”

Wooyoung was stunned. “Spies?”

“How else would I know? Your brother did a good job trying to hide it. He’s quite a respectable man. But he couldn’t hide that petty scandal you got into, with my dear cousin, no less..”

“Cousin? What do you mean?”

“You don’t even know who you open your legs to? How pathetic. The alpha you slept with was my cousin, San. How small is the world, eh?”

Wooyoung felt faint. “What are you trying to say?”

Jongho chuckled. “I’ll make it clear. If you don’t marry me or screw this up, I’ll make sure the world knows about your second gender, sexual orientation, and escapades. Half the city’s printing presses are in our family’s hands. It’ll be child’s play.”

Wooyoung clenched his jaw. “Blackmail doesn’t suit you, Choi Jongho,” he retorted, trying to maintain his composure. “I do as I please.”

Jongho’s gaze hardened, his expression unreadable behind a veneer of polished manners. “You don’t seem to understand your place. You are a nobody, and your wishes don’t matter. However, I trust you understand the consequences if this information surfaces,” he murmured coolly.

Wooyoung leaned back, matching Jongho’s steely stare with defiance. He had to act tough, he couldn’t let go of this façade and show off just how terrified he was. “And I trust you understand the consequences of crossing me,” he shot back, his voice laced with a daring edge.

The tension crackled between them, the restaurant’s din fading into the background.

“Let’s not make enemies, Wooyoung,” Jongho finally spoke, his tone softening slightly, though the threat lingered. “If you’re to stay by my side, I wouldn’t want you to harbour hatred. Fruit goes bitter if it’s scared before harvesting.”

Wooyoung smirked, a calculated glint in his eyes. “How arrogant can you be? Isn’t it a bit late for that? This marriage won’t happen, Jongho. I have no intention of binding myself to you, no matter what you threaten. Start seeing me as your equal, not a pawn.”

Jongho’s jaw tightened, his grip on the napkin firming before he composed himself. “Very well, Wooyoung,” he conceded with a curt nod. “Let’s see where this takes us.”

Wooyoung nodded in return, aware their hour was almost up.

The moment the hour was up, Wooyoung bolted from the venue, his hands trembling and his voice caught in his throat. He stumbled into the car, collapsing on the back seat behind Yunho and Hongjoong, teetering on the edge of a panic attack. His breaths came in rapid, shallow bursts, eyes wide and brimming with tears.

Hongjoong immediately noticed his distress. Without hesitation, he climbed out from the front seat and slid into the back next to Wooyoung. “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he murmured, wrapping an arm around Wooyoung’s shoulders. “Breathe, Wooyoung. Just breathe.”

Wooyoung’s chest heaved, each breath a struggle as he fought to regain control. Hongjoong’s presence was a lifeline. “Shh, it’s alright. Focus on my voice,” Hongjoong continued, his tone soothing. “In and out, slow and steady.”

Yunho glanced back, worry etched on his face. “What happened in there?” he asked softly, trying not to add to Wooyoung’s anxiety.

Wooyoung shook his head, unable to speak. His hands gripped the fabric of his jeans, knuckles white. Hongjoong kept his voice low and comforting. “It’s over now. You did great. We’re here for you.”

Gradually, Wooyoung’s breathing slowed, the panic receding with each comforting word from his brother. He leaned into Hongjoong’s embrace, tears finally spilling over. “He knew everything,” Wooyoung whispered, his voice trembling. “About San, about me… everything.”

Hongjoong tightened his hold, anger flashing briefly in his eyes before he refocused on calming Wooyoung. “We’ll handle it,” he promised firmly. “You’re safe now.”

He shook his head. “You’re a liar, Hongjoong.”

The other backed away, shock on his face. “Whatever do you mean?”

“You’ll handle it? How? That’s plain delusional. And about me not having to marry him? He talked like it’s already been set in stone. Or is there something else you have yet to tell me?”

Both others remained silent. Cat’s out the bag now, isn’t it? Hongjoong took a deep breath and grabbed Wooyoung on both sides of his face.

“I’m not allowing you to marry him, if you don’t want to,” he spoke, emphasis on every word. “We have a plan, a great plan, and we will go through with it tonight you understand me? No matter what that posh brat told you, we’re doing this!”

Yunho nodded, his face a mix of determination and concern. “You’re right Sir. Wooyoung, did he give any indication of how he found out?”

“He mentioned having spies in the mansion. He knew about San and everything. It was like he had all the cards.”

Yunho frowned, deep in thought. “If he has spies, we need to root them out. We can’t let him keep that advantage. There’s no tell what else they might know, Sir.”

Hongjoong looked at Wooyoung. “What did you say he knew about San?”

Wooyoung hesitated, eye darting between the two. “That he is whom I slept with.”

Yunho glanced at Hongjoong. “How did he know who San is?”

“They are cousins.”

Once Hongjoong and Yunho left, the only two remaining in the room where the two of them. The silence that fell over them was somewhat comforting and somewhat uncomfortable. Their relationship was the same lately. Neither of them knew what was going on between them. That is only natural after what happened last time…

Yeosang sat in silence on the ground, his usually serene face etched with pain from Hongjoong’s punch. He just stared off into nothingness, still trying to cope with what just happened. Did Wooyoung’s brother really just mistake him for an alpha? One that Wooyoung would sleep at that. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it; be confused or happy or neither.

Wooyoung on the other end knew how to feel. He was pissed off. He hastily covered himself with a bathrobe, brows knitted with concern as he approached Yeosang and moved to help him up from the ground. Being naked around him was something Wooyoung had experienced more lately than he wanted to. Yeosang took his hand calmly and stood up from the ground. Wooyoung’s expression softened as he saw the bruise on the other’s face now up close.

“Yeosang” he murmured, reaching out to gently touch his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Yeosang glanced up, flinching from the touch. His eyes reflected a mix of hurt and frustration. “I’ll be fine” he replied, his voice tight with emotion. His eyes searched Wooyoung’s.

The latter sighed, a pang of guilt twisting in his chest. “I’m sorry.”

Yeosang scoffed as if saying ‘what are you sorry for?’ then sidestepped him. “Let go, I’ll just leave” he muttered the words, attempting to pull away from Wooyoung’s grasp but the other’s glare stopped him short, the intensity of it making him gulp nervously.

He unconsciously glanced at his bare chest trough the slightly open bathrobe. A drop of blood trickled from Yeosang’s nose, landing on his swollen lips. As if instinctually, he tried to lick it away but when he felt the irony taste his face flushed fully.

Wooyoung’s eyes widened. He pulled Yeosang closer, gently wiping away the blood with his thumb. They stood mere inches apart.

“Are you crazy? Like hell I’m going to let you go like this! I had no idea he hit you that hard” Wooyoung whispered so low Yeosang could feel his breath on his skin. A shiver ran down his spine, spreading all over his body. It successfully sent another drop of blood falling from his nose.

Wooyoung watched it drip down as neither of them moved, then finally wiped it away with his thumb when it was about to reach Yeosang’s lips. “Let me clean you up.”

He let go of the other and hurriedly left to the bathroom, leaving Yeosang to ponder at his words. More than pondering he was fanboying, really. He couldn’t help but remember the last time they were alone like this.

“Hey, so… If this is about last time I—”

“What last time?” Wooyoung interrupted swiftly, twirling on his heels to look at his friend. “There is no last time you could be talking about.” He spoke so fast Yeosang took several seconds to play it back in his mind and process it.

“Wooyoung…” he paused, considering his words carefully before responding.

Said person pondered for a second then walked back up to Yeosang with a quick pace just as his brother did a few minutes ago. Yeosang instinctively pulled back but Wooyoung grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back. Yeosang anticipated to be hit on the other side of his face from where he was hit before by Hongjoong – just as God intended.

He braced himself, expecting another blow, but instead Wooyoung spoke, his voice tinged with confusion. “What are you doing?” He asked, trying to decipher the face his friend was making. Yeosang opened his eyes and peeked at the other.

Yeosang’s gaze met Wooyoung’s, his expression a mix of many things. “What are you doing?” he shot back, his voice trembling slightly. Wooyoung rolled his eyes.

The air between them crackled with tension.

“Obviously I—”

“Wait, let’s both say on the count of three what we thought the other was trying to do” Yeosang suggested, his tone way too serious to allow Wooyoung a hearty laugh at his friend.

Still, he couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the absurdity of the suggestion, but Yeosang’s expression remained resolute. “Okay. One, two, three.”

“Hit me.”

“Kiss you.”

Dead silence fell over them, broken only by the sound of Yeosang’s laboured breathing. His eyes widened so far off he had to blink a few times from the pain he caused himself. He couldn’t help but cough nervously and cover his burning face with his palm.

“Whatever do you mean you thought I was trying to hit you?” Wooyoung screamed at him with his hands on his hips as if the other’s idea wasn’t reasonable.

Yeosang met his gaze, his eyes shimmering with confusion and hope. “You think my idea is nonsense? Look at you! Trying to kiss me? What are you on?” He retorted.

Wooyoung side eyed him and grabbed his hand to pull him into the bathroom. He walked so fast Yeosang almost fell over trying to keep up the pace. Wooyoung sat Yeosang on the side of his bathtub and opened the medical cabinet near the sink for some supplies to treat his wounds.

“Aren’t you going to answer me” Yeosang nudged him, wincing as the antiseptic Wooyoung pressed onto his swollen face stung him.

“Shut up” Wooyoung muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. He pretended to focus but the way he was biting the corners of the inside of his lips gave away that he was in fact not calm.

Yeosang refused to back down. “What do you mean shut up? You just confessed you were going to kiss me and you want me to just keep calm when you are aware of my feelings?”

Wooyoung clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. Again.

“You kissed me first.”

Yeosang let out a frustrated, dramatically elongated oh. “And so you were just trying to give back the favour, wonderful, classic Wooyoung” he muttered sarcastically, a bitter edge to his tone. “Took me under the same umbrella as all of your one night stands didn’t you?”

Wooyoung’s grip tightened on Yeosang’s face. He sucked in a sharp breath and did something – honestly – neither of them expected. With a swift motion he leaned in and kissed the other. Yeosang let out a yelp as he was totally unprepared for this type of – or any kind, really – intimacy. The red ‘warning light’ in his head didn’t even have time to light up before Wooyoung slipped his tongue into his mouth and caressed his own with it. Yeosang’s brain short circuited. He couldn’t even kiss back, he just sat there with eyes wide open, receiving the intense kiss from his friend. Everyday friendship scenario.

Yeosang could feel a rising vibration make its way into the deepest parts of his body as Wooyoung nibbled on his lower lip, and he could feel a moan escape his lips from the action. The kiss was only broken when Wooyoung pulled away and glanced at the other who was insanely kiss drunk, eyes glistening foggily. He quickly resumed to treating the other’s wound, who needed more than few seconds to come down from the ecstatic high he felt. He was left breathless and numb. When he opened his mouth no sound came out, so Wooyoung spoke instead.

“You kissed me first. Remember that” he whispered, his voice barely audible above the pounding of their hearts.

Yeosang felt something flutter in his stomach as he gazed into his friend’s eyes from that close. They were dark brown, a stark contrast to his red lips. He felt his body go numb, mind becoming hazy as Wooyoung held his gaze without breaking it. There it went, another drop of blood escaping from his nostril. He embarrassedly turned away to wipe it down, his flushed face an eerily similar shade to it.

“Did my brother hit you that hard or are you just happy to see me?” Wooyoung spoke with a raspy voice, trying to lift the mood and Yeosang couldn’t help but chuckle nervously, not sure how to decipher his own emotions, nonetheless the other’s.

“You did sound like an absolute pervert saying that you know” he replied, too shy to meet Wooyoung’s gaze.

For the next two minutes they refused to talk to or look at each other. On Yeosang’s par this behaviour could be considered normal; he didn’t have much experience, especially not with people he’s head over heals in love with. The only time he kissed someone was his middle school crush on Valentine’s Day, and it was rather a quick peck then a kiss. But now this, oh he was going crazy. Having Wooyoung so close and he smells interesting and he only wears a bathrobe and he has hickeys all over his body and he’s being so gentle with him and they just fucking kissed? What does this all even mean? Does he make a move? Does he pretend it never happened? But why would Wooyoung do so? None of it made sense. Then he glanced up at the other and saw his eyes again. They were eyes he never knew. They were Wooyoung’s eyes, but the expression he made… the only time he saw it before was when he rescued Wooyoung from the club the first time he had slept with San. San.

It all dawned on Yeosang. This wasn’t about him. Not even the kiss he and Wooyoung shared was about him. It was all about Wooyoung and San. In fact, the reason why he smelled so peculiar once again was because besides his own pheromones that he was gently emitting there lingered San’s strong musk he just couldn’t wash off. All those hickeys on his skin were perfect proof of how far off the two of them were and just how little chance Yeosang had to even think of belonging in their world.

“Oh” he whispered with a broken voice and it was enough to catch Wooyoung’s attention. “So you are just playing with me…”

It was Wooyoung’s turn for his eyes to widen in shock. He pulled up his shoulders as if about to attack, but then slumped them down. Yeosang was right. What was he even doing? This is not something he can just take back after saying ‘sike’, this was an other persons life and another person’s emotions…

Yeosang inhaled a huge breath and allowed his muscles to relax.

“What’s going on with you?” he asked gently despite how conflicted he felt. “I doubt you would just ‘repay the favour’, not with me” after he finished he started fidgeting with his cardigan.

Wooyoung sighed, running a hand through his hair as he struggled to find the right words. “I don’t know,” he admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. “Or maybe I know, fuck, I’m just so confused.”

“Spit it out dude.”

“It’s just… San.”

Yeosang hummed. He tried to play it cool not to let the other know he already knew that. Still, he wanted to hear it from Wooyoung.

“San?” he echoed. “What does he have to do with this?”

Wooyoung hesitated, his gaze flickering away for a moment before returning to meet Yeosang’s eyes. He was blushing again.

“Well I…. hmm it’s so confusing.”

“Come on it’s definitely not rocket science” Yeosang sighed frustrated.

“I’m actually not sure,” he confessed. “There’s something about him that draws me in, something I can’t explain. I keep thinking about him and the time I spent with him and I keep wanting to do that more well not just the sexual stuff I just enjoy his presence and he just draws me in and I—”

Yeosang’s eyes widened in surprise, a myriad of emotions flickering across his face. “You mean... you have feelings for San?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Wooyoung shook his head quickly, his expression pained. “I don’t know,” he repeated, his voice strained with uncertainty. “That’s what’s been driving me crazy. I can’t figure out what I feel.”

Yeosang reached out, placing a comforting hand on Wooyoung’s arm. “It’s okay to be confused,” he reassured, his voice gentle. “Feelings are complicated, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. But what does your uncertainty got to do with why you kissed me? I definitely need an explanation for that. Especially for a kiss like… that.”

Playful panic flashed across Wooyoung’s face as he grinned uncomfortably. “Well you see uhm… I had a theory going around in the back of my mind and I had to put it to practice.”

Yeosang raised a brow.

“You see, I thought kissing you might clear up my head about these so called ‘feelings’ I might have or feel or whatever, so I wanted to kiss you to see if it was any different than with him or if it was the same and—”

Yeosang’s eyes widened in surprise, his heart skipping a beat at Wooyoung’s words. “And?” he asked, his voice shallow.

Wooyoung hesitated. “It didn’t. It didn’t feel the same as it does with San.”

Yeosang’s heart clenched, a surge of conflicting emotions flooding through him. He wanted to be angry, to lash out at Wooyoung for hurting him and playing with him. But beneath the pain, there was understanding, a recognition of the turmoil that Wooyoung was going through.

“I see,” Yeosang murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside him, Yeosang wrapped his arms around Wooyoung in a tight embrace, seeking solace in his warmth. He buried his face in Wooyoung’s chest, allowing himself a moment to collect his thoughts. He couldn’t help but think about the fact that Wooyoung kissed him in the exact same way he kissed San, and the fact that San was probably deep inside him in such a moment…

“You’re an asshole,” Yeosang muttered, his voice muffled against Wooyoung’s shirt.

Wooyoung chuckled softly, his arm instinctively wrapping around his neck while he pet his head with the other. “I know,” he replied, “I’m sorry, Yeosang. I never meant to hurt you. I was just fucking impulsive.”

Yeosang pulled back slightly, meeting Wooyoung’s gaze with a small smile. “I know,” he murmured, his voice gentle. “I know you didn't mean to.”

They shared a moment of understanding, the weight of their shared experiences hanging between them. And then, unexpectedly, they both burst into laughter, the tension melting away like snow in the sun.

“It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?” Yeosang said, his laughter echoing through the room. Oh the taste of masking.

Wooyoung nodded, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Completely ridiculous,” he agreed, his laughter mingling with Yeosang’s.

Yeosang’s laughter faded into a gentle smile as he looked at Wooyoung, his eyes filled with sincerity and understanding. “You know, Wooyoung,” he began softly, “I think it’s time for you to explore your feelings for San. You can’t keep going on kissing randoms to find out if they make you feel the same as he does.”

Wooyoung’s expression softened, his gaze meeting Yeosang’s with a mixture of surprise and gratitude. “But what about us? I mean you and I— fuck, you know. Your feelings. For me.” he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Yeosang reached out, gently placing a hand on Wooyoung’s arm. "I care about you, Wooyoung,” he said earnestly, “but I also know that I can never be enough for you. And if exploring your feelings for San is what it takes for you to find happiness, then I want to help you.”

Wooyoung’s eyes widened in disbelief, his heart swelling with emotion at Yeosang’s selfless offer. “Yeosang, I can’t ask that of you,” he protested, his voice trembling with emotion.

Yeosang shook his head, a determined look in his eyes. “You're not asking, Wooyoung,” he insisted, “I’m offering. I would do anything to see you happy, even if it means giving up my own feelings.”

Tears welled up in Wooyoung’s eyes as he looked at Yeosang, overwhelmed by his friend’s unwavering support and love. “Thank you, Yeosang,” he whispered, his voice choked with emotion.

Yeosang looked at Wooyoung with a determined expression. “So, how do we move forward from here? I mean, this was pretty awkward” he asked awkwardly.

Wooyoung took a moment to collect his thoughts before responding. “I think we need to own up to our mistakes,” he said slowly, “but I can’t do that yet. Not until I have a relationship with San. I mean, besides my possible feelings, I will have to say something to the ones curious about my private life in the media. I can’t just randomly go public with a statement out of the blue.”

“Then the two of you should appear in public together. Again. But this time, in a clear setting, all planned out and not just something random.”

“Anything in mind?”

Yeosang nodded, his mind already racing with possibilities. “What about Mingi’s party?” he suggested, “San and his cousin will be there, and it’s bound to be packed with people. Maybe that’s the perfect opportunity for you to go public.”

Wooyoung’s eyes lit up with excitement at the idea. “You’re right,” he agreed eagerly, “that could be the perfect place to make a statement. Whether it’s about being an omega, or dating San, or even not dating him at all. It all depends on how the night goes.”

Yeosang agreed with a weak smile.

An hour later, Wooyoung pitched the idea to Hongjoong, Yunho, and Dr. Park Seonghwa over a video call. After a lengthy discussion, they all agreed that it was a risky but potentially effective plan.

“We’ll go undercover and infiltrate the university party of Song Mingi,” Hongjoong concluded the plan, “Dr. Park will search for the party drugs, Yunho will keep Wooyoung safe and I will keep an eye out for any potential rumour starters. The kick-off is ours.”