‘Urghh…’ Opening his eyes, Mingyu threw the pillow away and rubbed his eyes with his right hand, his head hurt from over-thinking. Why did this have to happen to him? He was still a student who had loads to learn, why did something this complicated had to be thrown on top of all those things. How the hell should he learn when he couldn’t get enough sleep to concentrate in class, and enough focus to revise back in his room?

He really feel like hitting something right now. Anything would be great. If he can just break a glass or two, kick the desk to pieces, he might feel better. Sighing, he got up, opened the fridge and drank straight from the water bottle. Mingyu decided to sit on the colder floor, just because he wanted to cool down. He really needed to see his therapist or he would start hurting himself again. A few minutes passed with him just closing his eyes, leaning against the fridge and focusing on the soft vibration of the machine, the sound so close to a purr it helped calm him. Releasing a long breath, Mingyu got up and moved to his desk to stare at the sky. His head was in a mess he needed an escape.

…. This was almost impossible. The memory of them hiking suddenly popped up in his head - Wonwoo offering him that piece of bread, the blue sky above him, looking like an angel. ‘Dammit!!!’

Hitting his fists on the desk, Mingyu bumped his head a few times before grabbing a fistful of hair. Now he remembered how scared the omega was when he followed him to the woods, how he was taking steady steps backwards, ready to run with every step Mingyu took towards him minutes before he asked to tag along. Wonwoo was already claimed back then! He was claimed a year ago.

'I'm bonded with someone. I didn't know who... I do now.’

‘They hurt me. It hurt so bad... I don't want them... please...'

'It's okay if it's you... Mingyu. I want it to be you...'

'I hate alphas. You're okay.'

‘You’re okay.’

‘Shut up. Shut up!! !!!’ Realizing he was screaming to no one, Mingyu grabbed his bag and took out something he never thought he would have to take again - antidepressants. He really didn’t want to, but he was desperate. Too desperate. He felt like running amok right now. Settling with half a pill, Mingyu closed his eyes and rest his forehead on the desk, taking slow, rhythmic breath to aide the effect.

One year ago…

He was drugged and out a year ago…

But he didn’t bond with anyone. Kris assured him nothing happened. His family didn’t notice anything different with him accept for the random aggression which they thought were caused by him trying to adapt to his new life. He would already be killed by his grandmother if he mated without her approval.

Mingyu let out a soft laugh. He knew what this was. What he had thought earlier during Wonwoo’s heat - the pack’s amateur plan to extort money from him. They were probably planning to threat him later with police reports to blackmail him. Which was stupid it was almost funny. The only ones accusing him with marking Wonwoo was his friends, without any proof nonetheless. They even gave him a stupid excuse as to why Mingyu didn’t carry Wonwoo’s scent with him. It was like a very bad high school play, filling loopholes with stupid explanations. So, so stupid Mingyu’s stomach almost hurt from laughing. To think that he fell into it like a fool…

. This was so funny he couldn’t breath. He needed to relax. Taking deep breath, coughing harshly from trying to force himself to shut his mouth, Mingyu finally laid silent on the floor, his cheeks wet from tears. So funny…

It was funny because nothing like that would ever happen in real life.

That would never happen.

It was too stupid.

…too stupid to be a mere excuse…

Frowning, he sat back up and supported his back against the bed, bringing a knee up to hold his head. Maybe he should consider the extremely low possibility of his involvement in any of the bull they were sputtering.

Not liking that idea himself, Mingyu clicked his tongue and forced himself to try to remember. It was almost impossible, that night was supposed to be forgotten. He had already tuck it away deep inside, it should stay that way. Nothing happened that wasn’t taken care of, that he was made aware by Kris. At least up to the point where he stopped the man from informing him about that incident because it reminded him of the one time he messed up. But now, he needed to know what happened that night. He needed to be sure. Not just assurance, he needed to know the truth.

Kris should know. If anyone could prove his innocence, it was that Chinese man who was as cold as ice. his lips, Mingyu contemplated whether he should consult the other or not for two reasons. One being the fact that he might hear something he’d regret, and two, his grandmother might caught him because who knows what was happening in that house right now? Why his grandmother needed to hire a bodyguard for him in the first place was weird enough as it is. Hiding his face between his arms, Mingyu lifted his head back up and touch the phone icon besides the name. It took four rings before he heard the low voice he hadn’t heard in a while.

Getting straight to the point as he knew the other didn’t have time to entertain him either, he proceeded, ‘You said everything was taken care of that night?’

‘Yes.’

‘What did you do to them?’

‘They’re locked up.’ That was it? Mingyu sighed at the simple answer given by the stern man. Should he tell the man to elaborate? Unless, that night happened as he was informed, and nothing more, which made him innocent. That was goo- ‘They’re a part of a syndicate. I took care of everyone in the group. Rest assured.’

. And he thought Kris was just a normal bodyguard. Bringing down a whole syndicate? The man is one crazy er. The story about him having friends in the Chinese mafia must be true. Mingyu shivered just thinking about it. Hanging up, he stared at the windowpane.

This couldn’t be it. It still didn’t make any sense. He was still accused of biting Wonwoo last year. If nothing happened to him, how the hell did Wonwoo managed to get his scent stuck on him? Unless… they were not amateur after all. Maybe they were a part of the syndicate Kris was talking about, and what happened to him, and to Wonwoo, was carefully planned from the start. If he did actually marked Wonwoo like they said, then it was possible the omega was another victim of the syndicate, just like him. Doping him with drug, and somehow placing Wonwoo in front of him, like putting a piece of meat in front of a hungry predator. Then they waited for the right time to get settlement fee by suing him or something. He could really imagine Seungcheol or Jun doing that because they had already began threatening him.

Maybe they wanted to go with Mingyu violating their friend but as it involved the police, and their group had already fallen, they went with forced-marking instead? This made much more sense. If this was the plan, then maybe they were not amateur after all, just desperate conmen.

If that was the plan from the start, he was the dumb one for trying so hard to get Wonwoo’s attention all these time. If he knew they would push the omega towards him anyway, he would’ve just waited silently instead of chasing the man around like a madman.

And… since they already accused him of claiming Wonwoo anyway, he wouldn’t be blamed if he take what is his, right? He could just bite Wonwoo again, just to be sure, and they wouldn’t be able to do anything to him. He could make the man his, finally.

. That was so messed up. Why did he even consider doing that??

And Wonwoo… he shouldn’t be a part of the ed up scheme. The man’s trauma was real. His panic attacks, his crazy eyes, his tears… Heck, nobody can pretend to have nightmares for a week straight. No omega’s strong enough to control his pheromones and increase it like Wonwoo did when he was in tremendous fear. That was not something one have control over.

Wonwoo could also be a victim. Someone might have did the same thing to him too. He might have been drugged as well that night.

And Mingyu could have him like they said…

Panicking by his own thoughts, the alpha redialed the first number in his call history. The other did not answer it the first time, and the second, but after the third try, Mingyu finally lost his temper and coincidentally screamed curses the moment Kris answered. Not bothering to hide his anger anymore, Mingyu continued, ‘Tell me the exact thing the happened the moment you found me. What the happened? Did I do anything to anyone?’

He heard a sigh which was very unsettling to hear, ‘They took you out from the club and I was waiting outside. I told you to run while I dealt with them. I found you on the street a few blocks away, throwing up, so I took you home and called the doctor.’

‘That’s it?’

‘You were shaking, you told me not to tell.’

‘Did I hurt anyone?’

’No one else was with you. I’m positive nothing happened.’

Mingyu bit his lips, wanting to trust the butler of his. Wanting to trust his innocence. But he needed to know how he was related to Wonwoo too… ‘Hey Kris. Find out what happened to Jeon Wonwoo last year.’

‘Young Master, I’m not a detec-’

‘You brought down an entire underground gang. Don’t tell me you can’t find something on a college student, Kris.’ He emphasized on the man’s name, showing how serious he was. He knew this was illegal, but if his butler couldn’t do it, he would hire a private detective to do it for him anyway. He was desperate. He wanted to claim his memory back. He wanted to prove to Wonwoo he didn’t do it. And he wanted proof that Wonwoo was not a part of the messed up scheme he was thinking about.

*****

Basketball practice didn’t do it for him right now. He thought sweating out would help release some of the stress, and since jogging around campus was out of the question, he had been looking forward to bouncing balls and hitting his seniors head on. If he was lucky, he would get to bicker with Seungkwan and annoy the out of him but none of that happened.

He sweated, got a bit too aggressive, and almost broke one of the senior’s wrist. So much for stress-relieving…

‘You okay?’ He felt a hand squeezing his shoulders and turned to look at Seokmin, their captain. Ignoring the question, he leaned back towards the rail, trying so, so hard not to scream and throw tantrum right now. He felt a cold sensation on the cheek and quickly grabbed the canned soda. ‘Someone in the team would always crack a wrist, it happens once a year. Club curse.’

Lifting an eyebrow to give a weird look at the other, he was greeted with the familiar bright smile where the man’s eyes disappear completely. ‘I cracked mine first year. Still working.’ And Seokmin slapped him a few times, ‘See? Still usable.’

‘Yah!’ A can was shoved onto his forehead. ‘Calm the hell down. So noisy.’ He heard a scoff and turned towards Seungkwan who only made an appearance after all the chaos wa