Dongwoo was packig up his toiletries in the bathroom. He and Woohyun had really taken over this small hotel room. Every time Dongwoo thought that he packed up the last item, another one would appear. Did Woohyun really need this many facial products? Dongwoo clicked his tongue and shook his head as he put yet another bottle of toner into a bag. Woohyun was taking his prowling seriously, grooming himself the best that he could. Unfortunately, his looks wasn’t what needed work. He should try healing himself first, Dongwoo thought as he walked over to the shower in order to take the bottles from there.

“Uh oh,” Dongwoo mumbled as he pulled a nearly empty body off from the shelf. It was his prescription shampoo, the one laced with a beta scent. Dongwoo chewed on his lips, studying the bottle as he moved it around. If he poured some of Woohyun’s shampoo into there, he could stretch it for a bit longer. “But the smell would be weaker,” he mumbled. His eyes flew to the ceiling as the thoughts sped about his head. He just had his heat, so he should be fine. But the last one was so…pungent. What was his natural scent like now? Dongwoo started to become more anxious the longer he stood in front of that shower. His heart was racing in his chest, and nervous sparks fired throughout his limbs; yet, he was still, just as much as a fixture in the bathroom as the sink or the showerhead.

“Dongwoo-yah!” Woohyun shouted as he poked his head into the bathroom. “It’s moving day!”

“Eung,” the omega grunted in response, barely moving his lips. “You’ve said that a couple of times already.”

“That’s because you’re still not acting excited,” Woohyun retorted, moving closer to Dongwoo and patting him at his sides. “Get excited,” he urged the other, patting him down more roughly and trying to get his friend to move, like Jang Dongwoo was a wind-up toy that needed to be spun into motion. “It’ll be a new start for us.”

“Oh, uh, yea,” Dongwoo muttered, not giving any reaction and tolerating the other. However he did finally move. He then turned slightly towards the other, eyes still fixed on the bottle. “I’ll need more of this, but I don’t have time to pick it up from the pharmacy.” He nodded towards the lone bottle on the countertop. “I’m running low on the cologne too.”

“Oh is that it? I thought something more was wrong,” Woohyun commented as he took the bottle out of the other’s hands. He opened it up and peered inside with one eye open. He then nodded, ascertaining that it was indeed almost empty, and closed it back up. “I can pick you up some more. I can’t get a job without the bastard’s letter, so I have nothing else to do,” he offered. His tone appeared to be casual, but the way he slammed the bottle onto the countertop betrayed him. Woohyun was still aggravated (and rightfully so) about his situation.

Dongwoo gave the other a quick but strong hug, hoping to squeeze out all of his negativity. “Thanks, Nam-goon! I owe you,” he spoke.

Woohyun gave him a glimmer of a smile. “It’s no problem,” he assured.

“I got to go to class. Can you finish up here?” Dongwoo asked as he was already heading out of the bathroom door. He had delayed too much in the bathroom and didn’t get nearly as much packing done as he wanted to. The bottles had been thrown carelessly into the bags, some of them already empty. Woohyun now was kneeling down and sorting through his friend’s haphazardly packed bag.

“We don’t have much anyway. I can do it,” Woohyun muttered as he took some things out of the bag, like the hotel’s toiletries that they didn’t need to take. He sighed and looked up at his friend. “I’ll pick you up at the station and bring you to the complex later. Myungsoo-ssi texted me the location.”

“Good. I’d be lost without you, Nam-goon. Literally,” the omega shared his gratitude towards the beta. He felt a smile spread thinly across his face. Yes, without Nam Woohyun, Dongwoo and his trademark smile would’ve been lost for good. But now, they were slowly being recovered. The omega truly wished that he could do the same for Woohyun. He’d work harder on it, but after he came back from class. Now he even had less time to catch the train to campus. “See you later,” he yelled as he rushed out the hotel room.

“See ya!” Woohyun yelled back just milliseconds before the door closed. He got up and peered out of the bathroom just to make sure Dongwoo was, in fact, gone. He was. A crooked smile flashed his face. “No problem at all,” he mumbled under his breath as he walked back up to the sink and picked up Dongwoo’s special shampoo. He unscrewed the lid and then reached for his own shampoo bottle.

It was really no problem for Woohyun to pick up the omega’s prescription because he was just going to not do it. Plain and simple. He began to fill Dongwoo’s bottle with his own shampoo, and he’d do the same for the cologne. Lately, Dongwoo had been so absentminded and ridden with a cold that Woohyun doubted the omega would notice his change in scent. Not only that, but Dongwoo blindly trusted Woohyun. The beta’s slender smile faltered. Dongwoo trusted him too much, and Woohyunn felt a little guilty for betraying his friend’s trust. But it’s for the best, he reassured himself over and over again in his head as he screwed the lids back on. The both of them, they needed to make a fresh and honest start with this new pack. No more lying, no more hiding who they were or how they felt, no more suffering in silence.

And this, this was going to be the perfect test for those two betas. How will they handle having a male omega in their pack? How will they handle Jang Dongwoo?

Something’s not right, Sunggyu thought. There was something off, something wrong. He swore that he locked the front door of the main house when he left. He had checked it a few times before leaving, even walking back up from the bottom of the stairs in order to make sure. But now, the door was unlocked. Sunggyu scratched between his eyebrows as he looked at the door, still perplexed. Myungsoo shouldn’t be home yet. He had texted Sunggyu that he’d be home later, and Sunggyu’s last appointment for the day had been cancelled.

Did Myungsoo come back for something? He thought as he opened the door slightly. Sunggyu then dragged in a long sniff, but he smelled nothing, like always. He cursed himself in his mind. Why did he even try? He wouldn’t be able to sniff out an intruder, if there was one. Damn. He gripped his bag more tightly, knuckles turning white. He then, tried to clear his mind and perk his ears, straining them to find any traces of sound. “Huh?!”

Laughter, not a hearty, rich laugh, or Myungsoo’s cackling, but it was almost voiceless, like someone was gasping for air. Sunggyu cocked his head. He’d never heard it before, but then a voice that was more familiar drowned out the strange laughter, Shin Dongyeop the famous comedian. “What?” Sunggyu muttered lowly. Someone had invaded his home just to watch a rerun on television? What kind of intruder was this?

In case he was a violent one, Sunggyu gripped his briefcase with both hands. It was the closest thing to a weapon (and a shield) that he had. He took in a deep breath and then ran inside in order to take the intruder by surprise.

“A-ah!” the intruder fell off of the couch in shock and onto the floor. Sunggyu chanced stepping closer as the stranger slowly gathered himself and sat back up on the floor. This wasn’t a stranger at all, but Sunggyu wished that he was.

“Y-yah!” Sunggyu stammered at the other, as he put his briefcase on the floor. This person was harmless. He was just a pain in Sunggyu’s side and was stuck there like a thorn. “How did you get in here?”

“Myungsoo-ssi gave me the code to the building,” Woohyun answered as he clambered back onto the couch. He was rubbing his chest roughly with his hand and closing his eyes tightly, still not over the shock. He laid across the couch, like an ailing patient, and took in a deep breath before opening his eyes and looking at the doctor. “He told you that I was moving in today, right?”

“He did.” And Sunggyu had forgotten about it throughout the course of the day. But he wasn’t going to let his new “packmate” know. The doctor didn’t want to seem like he didn’t care about them. He just didn’t know how to care about them is all. “But I didn’t expect to make yourself at home so quickly,” he lied.

Even though Sunggyu hadn’t made up his mind about these two betas, this wasn’t a good start. Nam Woohyun had started their trail period off on the completely wrong foot. Sunggyu looked about the couch. First of all, Woohyun should’ve been at work, but he was slacking off in front of Sunggyu’s face. Second, Woohyun had invaded his home and pantry in his absence. Sunggyu groaned as he picked up an empty bag from the coffee table. And he’d eaten all of Sunggyu’s favorite chips. The doctor glared at the other, only to see that Woohyun was staring back at him with a gaze just as piercing.

“Why not? This is my home,” Woohyun challenged as he sat up again on the couch.

“For two weeks,” Sunggyu remarked as he crumpled the bag in his hands.

Woohyun scoffed. “That’s awfully pessimistic.”

“Well, you’re not off to a great start,” Sunggyu snapped back.

Woohyun jumped off of the couch suddenly, Sunggyu reflexively bent down to pick up his briefcase/shield again, preparing for the beta to lunge at him, but Woohyun didn’t. He stood still, looking the doctor up and down but never meeting his eye. His fists were shaking. He didn’t lunge at the other, but he was holding himself back. He sighed. “Excuse me for thinking it best not to put up a front for two weeks, tricking you into thinking that I’m something that I’m not,” he spoke through gritted teeth. It wasn’t a snarl, but he was trying his best to keep his tone steady. He then unfurled his fist and raised his gaze to the other. He raised his arms. “This is me, Sunggyu-ssi. Take it or leave it,” he spoke in a resigned voice. The doctor stared at him curiously. Woohyun was yielding to him but not without friction; however, he still did. After a few seconds of staring at each other in silence, Woohyun dropped his gaze and nodded over to the duffle bag by the couch. “Where should I put my things?” he asked.

“Oh, right,” Sunggyu muttered as he put his own bag back down. “Myungsoo and I agreed that it would be better for the four of us to live in the main house for the time being, so that we can get to know each other,” he explained. Woohyun nodded along, agreeing but reluctantly so. He was chewing on his lips and still avoiding looking the doctor in the eye. Sunggyu put his hands in his pockets and shifted awkwardly in his place. “You guys don’t have mates, right?” he asked in a tentative voice.

“No,” well, that did nothing to allay Sunggyu’s worries. The ‘no’ was long and drawled out. Sunggyu waited because it sounded like Woohyun was about to say something else, but he never did. How strange!

Sunggyu would just have to assume that the other was being as truthful as he promised he’d be, in spite of being dodgy. “Good,” he tried to move forward. Woohyun sniggered at that remark. Sunggyu tried to brush past that too, but he still pouted and he spoke: “Then we all can fit in the main house just fine. There are two open bedrooms, one on this floor and another on the second. Take your pick.”

Woohyun picked up the bags and walked up to Sunggyu. “Dongwoo and I will take the one on the second floor,” he replied.

Sunggyu half-smiled. “You can have your own room, you know,” he offered. They should at least spend the trial comfortably, and things might be easier if they all had their own space to escape to.

But Woohyun thought otherwise. “It’s fine,” he insisted.

“Okay,” Sunggyu yielded, eyeing him suspiciously. Who wouldn’t want their own room? But seeing how firm the other was, Sunggyu knew that he couldn’t change his mind. His eyes dropped to the four bags that Woohyun was carrying. “Can I help you carry something? Do you have more in the car?” he asked.

Woohyun shook his head. “No. There’s nothing more,” he revealed. “This is all we have.” He gave the other a sad smile. And Sunggyu was about to give the other some pity in exchange, but then Woohyun threw the heaviest bag at Sunggyu, who just barely managed to hold onto it before it fell onto the floor. “But you can carry this. It would be nice to see if the leader could carry his own weight around here,” there was a teasing lilt in his voice and he did his best to not smile. “Where’s the room?”

Sunggyu scoffed as he put the bag properly on his shoulders. “You’re really strange,” he remarked, but led the way regardless. He shot a glare back at the other as he led the way up the stairs and to the bedroom. “It wouldn’t hurt if you could try to up to me, just a little, so that I don’t feel like throwing you out right now,” he offered Woohyun some advice.

Woohyun walked past him and into the bedroom. He threw the bags onto the bed. Then he faced the doctor again and gestured vaguely at him. “Nice tie,” he ‘complimented.’

“Thanks,” Sunggyu muttered, tugging at his tie. “Now was that so hard?” he added. He was about to turn around to leave but Woohyun called to him.

“Sunggyu-ssi, thank you for giving me and Dongwoo a chance. I really appreciate it.” Now that was a compliment. Sunggyu grinned. Maybe he won’t throw them out today.

The doctor then dropped his smile. He wasn’t going to let his guard down around them just yet. “Thank Myungsoo,” he corrected the other. Truth be told, it was Myungsoo who arranged all of this. The real compliment belonged to him. And all Sunggyu had was a nice tie. The doctor should at least return the effort, try to eliminate this friction between them so that they could travel down this road smoothly. “Oh, Woohyun-ssi? Thank you for being honest with me,” he said, before going across the hall into his own bedroom (his nice tie was quickly feeling like a nice noose). He didn’t wait to see how the other reacted. This whole encounter had made him feel awkward enough.

Sunggyu closed the door to his bedroom as soon as he walked in, and after giving it a second thought, he locked the door. He then let out a deep breath and fell back onto his bed listlessly, like a balloon deflating. He stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. He still wasn’t sure if this whole trail thing would work out. Sure, Nam Woohyun hadn’t been anything but honest with him. But that wasn’t the beta he was worried about. In every encounter he had with Woohyun up to this point, the beta was loud, outspoken. Sunggyu was starting to get a grip on his character already. Jang Dongwoo, on the other hand, they barely had a conversation together, and Dongwoo wasn’t sober for the most of it. And that man’s entire being seemed so shrouded and cold. Plus, he looked kinda scary, despite his size. Sunggyu had a feeling that this whole trial would be dependent upon how he felt about Dongwoo. There was something off about him too.

While Sunggyu was weighed down by doubt (which made him weighed down by sleep so he took a nap), Myungsoo thought that this was the best decision he’d made since finding the complex. After coming home from work, he found Woohyun watching one of his favorite shows, and so he joined him. They began to talk while they watched and realized that they had similar tastes when it came to shows and movies. They talked for so long that Woohyun realized that he was late to pick up Dongwoo from the station. Myungsoo asked if he could come along too, joking that it would be like picking a elementary kid up from school. And Woohyun agreed, saying that it was a good idea and that Dongwoo would like it.

And it was a good idea, all of it. For Myungsoo wasn’t normally outgoing and talkative. He was shy, even around people that he’d known for years. Even around Sunggyu’s parents, Myungsoo would hesitate to start a conversation at times and would be at a loss for how to continue it. In general, Myungsoo was more of an observer than a participant. He had always enjoyed watching stories unfold before his eyes, whether it would be a drama or people who passed him by on the street. But with Woohyun, it was different. When they first met at Jungyeop’s place, the conversation flowed so easily. There was no break, no awkward bump. Things just clicked. The last time Myungsoo felt like this was when he met Sunggyu for the first time. Ironically, it was at Jungyeop’s restaurant as well. And Sunggyu, even though he was three years older, was the only person that Myungsoo could talk freely with, without any worries of offending and sometimes without formalities (in banmal). Sunggyu always thought that Myungsoo liked him because he could easily push him around, and that was partially true. It was a level of comfort that he able to reach with a few people. And Woohyun was at that level too. For that reason, Myungsoo felt like he needed Woohyun in the pack. But he was a packaged deal with Dongwoo. Myungsoo didn’t mind. He assumed that he’d get along well with Dongwoo solely based on the fact that he was best friends with Woohyun. Sure, in the back of Myungsoo’s mind, he knew that they were jumping into all of this too quickly, but he was a believer of Fate. And so was Nam Woohyun.

Myungsoo and ‘Woohyun-hyung’ made their way to the train station in order to pick up the last member of their slapped together pack. Dongwoo was already there, waiting patiently for them, with a textbook opened in his lap as he sat on the bench. Woohyun put his finger to his lips, signaling for Myungsoo to remain quiet. Myungsoo nodded, mimicking the gesture right back, trying to seal his laughter in with the finger pressed to his lips. Dongwoo was so immersed in his book that Woohyun was able to walk up to the bench and then around it, until he was right behind his friend, all without notice. Woohyun then sudden gripped onto Dongwoo’s shoulders, and the student jolted, shaking with fright, and then laughter when he realized it was only Woohyun. But the laughter was short lasting and stilted, leaving behind an awkward silence that even Woohyun didn’t know how to cope with. So he just gestured towards Myungsoo.

Dongwoo’s lips then pulled back into a stiff smile. “Thank you for coming, Myungsoo-ssi,” he said, suddenly getting up from his seat.

Myungsoo waved his hand. “Don’t be so formal. We’re going to be a pack, right?” he tried his best to be friendly, but he was feeling as stiff as Dongwoo’s smile.

“Okay!” Dongwoo’s smile melted becoming smaller but more genuine, and Myungsoo felt himself slacken at it and smile back. Maybe he would be like the other two as well.

However, the decision wasn’t solely up to him. “But I would still use formalities with hyung. He’s strict about that stuff,” Myungsoo seriously offered that piece of precious advice.

“I’ve noticed,” Woohyun remarked.

Myungsoo’s head whipped towards him. “What did you do?”

“Nothing. I swear,” Woohyun answered. He shrugged and said to Dongwoo, “He just seems uptight.”

Myungsoo shook his head. “That would be my hyung,” Myungsoo said and then let out a deep sigh. He hoped that Sunggyu could loosen up a bit for all of their sakes or this was going to be a rough two weeks (or a rough lifetime as a pack). It would have to be Myungsoo’s job then to be the ‘welcome wagon’ (also because Sunggyu was asleep). He smiled again. “Let’s go home, but before we do, let’s get something to eat. I’ll buy.”

Sunggyu stumbled out of his bedroom after taking his nap. It was getting late and his hunger roused him from his sleep. He was half-surprised not hear the television blasting, and was fully surprised when he found himself alone in the house. How did they add two new members to their pack (tentatively) and he was still alone? Sunggyu sighed as he walked into the kitchen, scavenging for food. The loneliness was starting to make him homesick. He was starting to miss his father’s nagging, Hyungdon’s weird jokes…his mother’s cooking. It had only been one day, and Sunggyu was starting to regret everything.

But then noise filled the house again when the others returned. Sunggyu shut the fridge door and walked quickly to the front door to meet with them all (but as he got closer, he slowed his step as to appear more casual). “Where did you guys go?” he asked with a pout.

“We picked up Dongwoo-hyung,” Myungsoo answered with a broad grin and an arm around Dongwoo’s shoulders. Sunggyu frowned. That kid was getting close to those two pretty quickly. The doctor didn’t know how to feel about that. He analyzed the new hyung in question. Sunggyu quirked his head as he took the newbie in. Dongwoo was different this time. Sober, yes, but he was even different from when they’d met at his office. The student was grinning from ear to ear with an arm wrapped back around Myungsoo. He didn’t look scary at all this time, but there was still something cold about him. His eyes, he concluded. It sent a shiver down his spine.

Sunggyu tore his gaze from the student and stared at Myungsoo again. “Did you get lost or something?” he asked.

“Nope, we got bingsoo,” the youngest replied, just as happy as ever.

“Bingsoo? Without me?” Sunggyu whined loudly, covering the grumbling noises of his empty stomach. “Isn’t that something we should all do together?”

“Then you should’ve come pick up Dongwoo with us,” Woohyun teased. He walked past the doctor, heading into the kitchen. “What’s for dinner?”

“Nothing!” Sunggyu yelled back bitterly. “I just woke up,” he excused himself.

“Nam-goon likes to think he can cook,” Dongwoo stated. “I’ll go make sure he doesn’t burned down your house, uh, our house…the house,” he overcorrected himself. He then began to make his way into the kitchen, but he stopped and backtracked until he was in front of the doctor. Dongwoo bowed. “Good to see you again, Sunggyu-ssi,” he said before walking off again into the kitchen.

Sunggyu turned to Myungsoo. “What was that all about?”

“I told him to use formalities with you,” Myungsoo spoke with a slight chuckle. He was finding this amusing.

Sunggyu rubbed the back of his neck as his eyes followed the student’s path into the kitchen. “That’s a little too formal. I’m his hyung and not his grandfather,” he grumbled. He heard Myungsoo struggling to stifle a laugh. “Don’t say anything,” he warned.

“I didn’t say a thing,” but the cheeky smile on his face said it all. “But it’s his first day. It’ll be uncomfortable for all of us,” Myungsoo reasoned. Sunggyu raised an eyebrow. It’s not uncomfortable between you three, he wanted to argue, but he didn’t want to set himself as an outcast just yet, even if he felt like one. “Let’s all sleep together in the Den, hm?” Myungsoo suggested. “That might make us more comfortable.”

Or not, Sunggyu held that back on his tongue. But Myungsoo had a point. Being forced into one room might be good for them. “Okay,” the doctor gave in. “I’ll tell…”

“Hey guys! We’re sleeping in the Den tonight!” Myungsoo exclaimed as he joined the other two in the kitchen.

“…the others,” Sunggyu finished his sentence for no one in particular. He sighed and hung his head, shuffling off to join the rest in the kitchen. But as soon as he stepped inside, Sunggyu heard shushing and the voices died down. He raised his head to see Woohyun at the range with a frying pan in one hand and a finger to his lips. Dongwoo tried to subtly take an egg out of his mouth and hand it to Myungsoo, while Myungsoo looked at his hyung wide-eyed, insisting that they weren’t doing anything wrong. Sunggyu waved them off and took a seat at the island, watching them still gathered around the range talking in hushed tones.

Sunggyu didn’t get it. Those three seemed to instantly click. Was their something magical about the bingsoo they had? Did something else happen? Did they drink? Myungsoo was there, talking as if they’d been friends for far longer than a few hours, which wasn't usual for the accountant at all. That perplexed Sunggyu the most. How did Myungsoo feel so at ease? Whereas Sunggyu felt nothing but friction with Woohyun, and with Dongwoo just now, Sunggyu felt like there was this wall between them. Even worse. Sunggyu rest his head in his hands. He didn’t get it. They were all at the same level. They were all betas.

But…we’re not. Sunggyu’s eyes fell on Dongwoo and then Woohyun. To Myungsoo, Sunggyu was always a hyung, but to those two, Sunggyu was something more: a leader. And Sunggyu was starting to feel the weight of that title.

The Den. Dongwoo had never been scared of that word before in his life. When growing up, he loved to sleep there with his parents and noonas. He’d been the youngest of his entire pack, and the smallest. He remembered squeezing himself in between the bodies of his packmates snuggly, feeling warm and safe. And in his last pack, most of the fond memories Dongwoo had with them happened in that room. Taehwan would tolerate Dongwoo cuddling against him because the room was cold (he’d always too hot for it in their own room). It was some of the few times Dongwoo felt like they were a real pack, and that they were a real couple.

But now, hearing that they’d spend the night in the Den, Dongwoo was terrified. Before going into the room, Dongwoo doused himself with his cologne, masking his natural scent the best he could and then he covered himself from head to toe, even wearing socks and drawing the hood of his sweatshirt over his head.

“Come on, you smell just fine,” Woohyun remarked as Dongwoo asked him to sniff him for the 10^th time. He yawned. “Let’s go. I’m tired.”

“Alright,” Dongwoo finally gave in and then they went to meet the other two in the Den. As for those two, well, Dongwoo really liked Myungsoo. He seemed like a good kid. When they went to eat bingsoo, Dongwoo was rambling on about what he’d learned that day in class. Every so often, Woohyun would ask a question or give some sort of reaction, but Myungsoo didn’t appear to be listening at all. His eyes, his whole body seemed fixated on the bowl of shaved ice in front of him. Dongwoo felt as if he were boring him. But once Myungsoo had his fill of the dessert. He was then as fixated on Dongwoo as he’d been on the bingsoo earlier and asked a question about what Dongwoo had said mid-ramble. Myungsoo had been listening, even though it didn’t look like it. And he was a good kid, albeit a little strange (but weren’t they all). But Sunggyu, on the other hand, he was a little scary, and their first encounter was to blame for that image (and Dongwoo couldn’t remember their second). That impression didn’t fade away as they walked into the Den. Sunggyu was standing there with his arms crossed tightly across his chest.

“Sorry for taking so long,” Dongwoo blurted out an apology.

“We just got here too,” Myungsoo answered for the other. “Come on, let’s get settled.”

Getting settled proved to be difficult for Dongwoo. He tried to keep a safe distance from the others and use Woohyun as a barrier, but Myungsoo had tried to lay down between them. Woohyun, quick on his feet, said that Dongwoo had a tendency to roll around and kick in his sleep (which was quite the opposite, Dongwoo tended to curl up into a tight ball). Woohyun was offering to show the other his ‘bruises’ to Myungsoo, but Myungsoo refused to look and laid down next to Woohyun’s side. Dongwoo breathed a sigh of relief and his eyes searched out the leader, seeing where he was making his bed. Sunggyu was staring right back it him, clutching his blankets tightly in his hands. Dongwoo quickly laid down and hid behind Woohyun’s small frame, away from that gaze. What is that about? Did I do something wrong? The omega thought. His eyes widened. Does he know? Dongwoo slowly raised his head and looked for the leader again. Sunggyu made his bed off to the other side of the room, by Myungsoo and far away from them.

Dongwoo was grateful he did, but also saddened. Sunggyu didn’t seem to be making an effort. Is he even going to give us a chance? Does he even want us? Why are we here?

“Why am I here?” Sunggyu grumbled to himself as he sat down on the bench. He played his this thumbs nervously, twiddling them and on occasion, biting them. “The others better come soon.”

After his appointments were done, Sunggyu went to the station. You should’ve come to pick up Dongwoo with us, those words followed him for the entire day, and although he felt strange picking up a grown man from school, at the same time, Sunggyu didn’t want to miss out on any fun…or food. He wanted to show those two that even though he was the ‘leader,’ he wasn’t above them. To be honest, Sunggyu felt like he was only a leader in name. And he’d only acquired that title because he was the oldest. But not by much, he pointed out.

Sunggyu sighed. He had a feeling that the other two weren’t coming. In trying not to be an outcast, he casted himself out even further. He stood up as was about to leave. But then he fell right back into his seat. There was still Dongwoo. Dongwoo would come, eventually. Maybe, I could chip away at that wall, he thought as he tugged on his thumb with his teeth.

“Oh! Sunggyu-ssi! Are you here for me?” Dongwoo suddenly appeared right in front of him, startling him slightly.

Sunggyu tried to catch his breath as he stared incredulously at the other. Who else would I be waiting for? But instead of saying at, all he could manage was an “Eung.”

“Did Namu tell you that I was bad with directions?” the student asked, still standing in front of the doctor and his hands wound around the straps of his bag. Now Sunggyu really felt like a parent picking up his child from school. So he stood up.

“No,” the doctor answered with a small shake of his head.

“Oh,” Dongwoo muttered. “Well, I am.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes,” Dongwoo replied and dropped his gaze to his feet. “Should we get going then?” He gestured behind him. He then spun around, getting ready to leave.

“Ice cream!” Sunggyu blurted out. He walked up to the student’s side. “Let’s get some ice cream before we go home.”

“Okay,” Dongwoo happily agreed.

So now here they were, sitting at a small table at an ice cream shop. Between the gaps of awkward silence, a few words were exchanged. “Can you hold this please?” “Is that you favorite flavor?” “Oh, this isn’t my favorite either. I was just in the mood for it.”

Sunggyu huffed. He’d never put a crack in the wall this way, not with casual conversation. Time to make a stronger attack. “I don’t really know much about you,” Sunggyu confessed. “Last night, after dinner, you locked yourself in your room.”

“Uh, well,” Dongwoo stammered as he held the ice cream cone in his hand. The dessert was melting and dripping down his hand. That cold feeling seemed to wake him up and he finished, “I need to study. Sorry.” He then tilted his head so that he could the stream of ice cream dripping down his hand. Sunggyu handed him a small stack of napkins.

“There’s no need to apologize. You’re working hard,” Sunggyu said as the other took the napkins from him. He stared at his own ice cream, melting slowly in a cup. “If anything, Woohyun-ssi should apologize for staying home all the time,” he grumbled and took a large bite of ice cream.

“He has a reason to,” Dongwoo was quick to protect his friend. The student must’ve seen Sunggyu swallow the dessert quickly, getting ready to ask about it, because Dongwoo quickly added, “But it’s complicated. And it’s really not my place to say. I mean, it is sort of my place because it involves me, but he also has his own personal reasons for why he’s like that. Yea.”

“Okay,” the doctor muttered after a harsh swallow. His eyes darted all over the other. His mind was lost in Dongwoo’s words. But there was one thing that he could pull from this mess: Woohyun. Those two had a curious relationship. Woohyun refused to have his own room and then chased Myungsoo off when the accountant wanted to sleep between them. There was something strange about them. “Woohyun and you…what kind of relationship do you have?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Dongwoo asked.

Sunggyu folded his lips inside of his mouth while he thought about how to put this delicately. He hummed for a few seconds before finally speaking, “If we’re to be a pack, we need to get our pack dynamics in order. So what’s your…dynamic?” his confidence waned as he continued on. He ended with a slight laugh. It was awkward, the question, this situation, all of it.

“We’re best friends,” but Dongwoo didn’t seem awkward about it. He answered the question quickly and with a great grin on his face.

“That’s it?” Sunggyu blurted out. His skepticism got the best of him.

“Yea, that’s it,” Dongwoo replied more coldly this time. It was a shut and closed case. “Can I try some of that?” Dongwoo quickly changed the subject and pointed to Sunggyu’s ice cream. The doctor raised an eyebrow. The smile had returned to the student’s face, looking approachable once again. Sunggyu sighed as he scooped a portion of ice cream out. Let’s try this again. A new attack. He raised his spoon and fed the other. Well, that made Dongwoo happy. Sunggyu figured that he managed to make a dent in the wall. But he was too embarrassed to do anything more, even if he had an opening. He quickly took the spoon out of Dongwoo’s mouth and lowered his heated face, fixing his eyes on his cup. But he could hear Dongwoo laugh (at him). “This is what being a real pack is like, huh? Sharing food, eating together, cleaning up after my mess,” the student spoke through his laughter.

Sunggyu raised his head. “Was it not like this in your old pack?” he challenged.

Dongwoo coughed, choking down the laughter. His face became stiff again. “Not really. But every pack differs, you know,” he replied. He then stuffed the rest of the cone into his mouth, but he continued to talk, “It wasn’t like my old pack was bad. It just wasn’t good. But when your roots are bad, it’s difficult to grow well. Sometimes the plant just dies. Especially when there isn’t enough sun or water. It’s not like it’s a weed. More like a fickle plant that needs a lot of care and the right conditions.”

“Dongwoo-ssi, what are you trying to say?” Sunggyu cut the other off. He rubbed his forehead as he tried to sort through the words. “Are we talking about packs or plants?” he asked, chuckling slightly.

“Weren’t we talking about botany?” Dongwoo answered back with a question of his own. His face still blank and stiff. “I’ve been readying a lot about medicinal herbs lately. Is it okay if I start growing them at home?”

“Oh, sure,” Sunggyu replied slowly, trying to follow this quick-turning conversation. “I think there’s a garden bed in the backyard.”

“Awesome! Thanks!” Dongwoo exclaimed and that strange smile appeared on his face again. “Can we go home soon? I have to study.”

“Oh, yes. Of course. Let’s go,” Sunggyu yielded and stood up. He was about to pick up his empty cup, but Dongwoo grabbed it before he could. The student had also gathered up the rest of the trash, before scurrying off to throw it away. “Oh thank you,” Sunggyu called out to his back. A corner of his mouth picked up into a sad, half-smile. Cleaning up after my mess…like a real pack. Sunggyu tapped his fingers against the edge of the table. Real pack? Sunggyu didn’t even make a dent in Dongwoo’s wall. The student had fortified it, making it stronger after Sunggyu’s ‘attacks’ and not weaker. Yes, Sunggyu knew well that Dongwoo had diverted the conversation away from what happened to his former pack, and about the pack in general. He even still kept the nature of his relationship with Woohyun under a veil. Sunggyu sighed. There was nothing wrong these days with male betas getting together. Sunggyu himself had gone on a couple of dates with men (which all failed miserably, all for different reasons). What was Sunggyu supposed to do? Outright say that he and Myungsoo don’t care if they were together? But suppose that his assumption was wrong, and he offends the both of them, and then they leave. Myungsoo would never forgive me. Sunggyu groaned. Everything was so complicated. He couldn’t get along with either Woohyun or Dongwoo. He couldn’t understand them either. They wouldn’t let him.

Too many secrets. This isn’t the kind of pack I wanted.

“Clear my afternoon. There’s something I need to take care of,” Sunggyu told Minyoung.

His secretary shook her head. “No need,” she chirped back as tidied up a stack of papers in front of her. She then put the papers down and waved at the doctor to come closer. “Look,” Minyoung said as he pointed at his calendar on the computer’s screen. “Your mom told me to keep your schedule open every Friday afternoon so that you and Myungsoo could go prowling for mates. She even suggested haunts for you to visit here,” she revealed in a distracted voice as she pulled up a list. “Aha! I recommend this place. The atmosphere there is fantastic,” she said, giving him a thumbs up.

“Mom!” Sunggyu whined. He then focused his aggravation on the girl in front of him. “Yah, when were you going to tell me about this?”

Minyoung looked at him with an innocent expression. “I just did, didn’t I?” she fought back. “Besides, your mother doesn’t seem to know about the two strays that you picked up.” The secretary looked at him with a sly smile.

Sunggyu dragged his hand down his face in frustration, covering a groan. “I hadn’t told her,” he admitted after a few seconds. “I was going to tell her if it worked out.”

“You seem awfully pessimistic about this,” Minyoung retorted, returning her gaze to the screen. She pouted. Sunggyu might’ve been done for the day, but she still had work to do.

“Well, I am,” Sunggyu replied, leaning against her desk.

Minyoung glanced over at him. “It’s not over yet. You still have one more week,” she pointed out.

“Right. Only one more,” the doctor said with a sigh of relief. He lifted himself off of her desk. “I’m going home,” Sunggyu announced before walking away. I have a stray to kick out.

Unsurprisingly, when Sunggyu came home, Woohyun was on the couch. That unemployed jerk had been on the couch every day this week, watching mind-numbing hours of television and eating the house’s entire pantry of snacks. Sunggyu could’ve sworn that he’d put on weight since he’s been here. The doctor narrowed his eyes on the other, who was laying on the couch, eating chips. His cheeks are definitely bigger.

“Still on the couch, I see,” Sunggyu sneered as he stepped inside of the room. Woohyun glanced up at him wordlessly but letting his sharp glare speak for him. He stuffed another chip in his mouth and returned his glare to the screen, which immediately softened as he laughed at whatever happened on the screen. Sunggyu huffed. He would not be ignored like this. He stomped over to the couch. “You were like that when I left. Did you even leave?”

“I did,” Woohyun confessed as he wiped crumbs from off of his chest before sitting up. “I had a lunch date but…” his voice drifted off and his eyes back to the screen.

“But?” Sunggyu repeated.

“It didn’t work out,” Woohyun answered with a shrug. But then he smirked. “That’s okay. I have another date tonight.” He stood up from the couch. “I should start getting ready for it.” Woohyun tried to make his escape, but Sunggyu was hot on his trail.

“Is that all you really do with your life? Sit all day in front of the tv or in front of a woman?” Sunggyu chided as he followed Woohyun up the stairs.

“Of course not,” Woohyun snapped back. He looked back at the doctor with a cheeky smile. “I’m not always sitting with a woman. We stand and do other things,” he joked.

This isn’t the time to be making jokes. Sunggyu stopped the other in the hallway with his question: “How about sitting in front of an interview panel and trying to get a job?”

Woohyun stopped in front of his door and turned to the doctor, but his gaze didn’t reach him. “I can’t,” he admitted.

“Why not?” Sunggyu wouldn’t let the issue drop.

“I’m waiting on something,” Woohyun put it vaguely and began to open his door.

“Waiting on what?” Sunggyu raised his voice. He had enough of this, enough of their dodgy answers and their secrets. And Woohyun, at least Sunggyu knew that he could push around Woohyun more easily than Dongwoo. “What on earth are you waiting for?”

Woohyun had opened his door, but didn’t step inside. He let go of a long and shaky breath before meeting Sunggyu’s gaze. “A letter from my old alpha,” finally, a definite answer.

“Huh?” But it left Sunggyu confused. It hardly shed any light on the issue.

“I can’t get hired because companies don’t think I have any loyalty since I left my pack,” Woohyun explained. “And that’s why I’m willing to put up with you because even though you’re…you, you’re still better than that bastard or any other damn alpha.”

“Woohyun, I tired of running circles around this issue,” Sunggyu admitted in a small voice. He rubbed his temples, closing his eyes, before opening them up again and staring down the other. “You’re going to have to tell me what happened, back then. We can’t…move forward. We can’t become a family, unless you tell me.”

Woohyun seemed to understand, or at least he was nodding. He shifted in this spot. He then looked up Sunggyu with a small smile, begging him: “It’s not enough if I said that we left for a really good reason?”

“It’s not,” Sunggyu shut him down. Woohyun’s plea was weak against this, and Sunggyu’s curiosity. The doctor would not just overlook this, especially since it violated a promise that Woohyun made with him earlier. “The first day you came here, you said that you wouldn’t be putting up a front. But right now, all I feel is a wall between me and you two.” One last push. “You said you’d be honest with me.”

“Fine! Fine.” Woohyun was defeated. He raised his arms as he leaned back on his doorframe. He lowered his arms, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “But it’s complicated, and it’s not really my place to tell you about Dongwoo. He had his own reasons, and they’re…”

No, he wasn’t going to let Woohyun talk circles around him too. Sunggyu interrupted him, “Then just tell me yours.”

Woohyun looked up at him, scared. “Mine?”

“Yea, yours.”

Woohyun let out another deep breath as he slumped further against the wall. His eyes were on his feet. He then closed them tightly. “There was this girl…Sojinnie,” he spoke her name in a pained voice. “I…loved her, a lot, for years, but she didn’t love me. She loved him.”

“Your alpha?” Sunggyu filled in the blank.

“Eung.” Woohyun hummed. He then threw his head back, hitting against the wall. “Aish,” he cursed his fate more than the pain. “It’s a really complicated,” he repeated. Woohyun rolled his head along the wall and looked at Sunggyu. “I…I want her to be happy, but she can’t be if I’m still there, you know. She knew how I felt. They knew,” he revealed. He bit his lips and the tips of his ears were growing red. Sunggyu crossed his arms over his chest as he slightly listened. It seemed like admitting all of this for the first time, even to himself. “I had to let go so we could all move on,” Woohyun continued. He smiled sadly at Sunggyu. “They’re having a baby.” He scoffed and looked over at the other side of the doorframe, hitting it with his knuckles. “I really lost her to him, didn’t I?” he muttered. “I just can’t see her with him or when it comes…I just couldn’t.”

“That…is an okay reason,” Sunggyu finally spoke after hearing the other’s story.

Woohyun looked over at him, shocked. “Really? Because it’s embarrassing,” he confessed with a chuckle. “It’s childish. I just ran away from it all.”

“Yea, like I said, it’s an okay reason, but it isn’t great,” Sunggyu retorted. Woohyun glared at him, which for some reason, made Sunggyu laugh. He was bearing with Woohyun’s friction easily now. The glare didn’t even burn him now. “Did you really have to leave because of that?” the doctor asked.

Woohyun lifted himself off of the doorframe. “It’s more complicated than that,” he repeated once more. “The rest of it involves Dongwoo.”

Sunggyu put his hands up and gave in. He’d pushed Woohyun enough for the day. “Okay okay. I got it. I’ll talk to him.” Dongwoo, on the other hand, Sunggyu needed to crack down on him more. That was a difficult task. “But I don’t know when, since he’s always locked up in your room ‘studying’,” he hoped that Woohyun would give him an opening, or they could at least ambush Dongwoo one of these days.

“He really is studying,” Woohyun gave an excuse instead. He laughed. “What do you think he’s doing?”

“I don’t know,” Sunggyu replied. “He’s acting really suspicious though. It’s warranted!” he defended himself, raising his voice. “He’s so guarded and…gloomy. He gives me the chills.”

“Dongwoo? Jang Dongwoo gives you the willies?” Woohyun challenged, bursting in laughter as if it were ridiculous.

“Yea,” Sunggyu reluctantly admitted.

Woohyun tapped the other on the shoulder, rather hard, as he continued laughing. “I’ve known Dongwoo my whole life, and this is the first time I’ve heard of someone being scared of him. It’s like being terrified of a bunny,” he teased the other.

Sunggyu brushed his hand off. “Well, bunnies look innocent but they have powerful hind legs, teeth, beady red eyes…” he tried to reason.

“Okay, I get your point,” Woohyun cut him off. His expression then grew serious. “Dongwoo isn’t like that. He’s a good person through and through.” He then cocked his head, looking worried. “But I’ll agree. Dongwoo’s changed. Ugh, he isn’t usually like this, locked up in a room, spending so much time by himself. But he’s making up for lost time,” Woohyun stumbled around trying to answer, but he ended up at the same place where they started: “He…he has his reasons.”

I’m not getting anywhere. “Okay. I’ll talk with him tomorrow,” Sunggyu told Woohyun, and himself. No matter how awkward it was, they had to have this conversation again. If he talks about plants again…Sunggyu shook his head. “Good luck on your date tonight, Woohyun,” Sunggyu wished him before letting him go.

“Thanks…hyung,” Woohyun responded and went into the room, closing his room.

Sunggyu stared at the shut door and an amused smile slowly spread across his face. He and Woohyun were getting more comfortable with each other. Who knew? (Well, maybe Myungsoo did.) It gave the doctor enough confidence to try again with Dongwoo. Tomorrow, tomorrow we’ll talk.

“Huh?” Dongwoo took another whiff of the opened shampoo bottle. “This isn’t right?” he said as he took another, much longer sniff. He noticed lately that the shampoo had been sudsier than usual, but just this morning, he noted that the smell was off too. “Woohyun,” he growled as he popped the lid back onto the bottle. That jerk didn’t pick up his prescription. He probably didn’t even place an order for it. Woohyun had been planning this entire time to expose his secret (whereas Dongwoo was hoping to tell the truth after they registered). Dongwoo turned off the shower and grabbed for a towel. It was his secret, and he should be the one to decide when he’d tell it. Woohyun had to understand. Dongwoo ran out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. “Humph!” The omega didn’t get very far. Sunggyu. The beta’s eyes weren’t even open (or didn’t seem like it). And so it was no surprise that they had run into each other like this. “Oh, sorry. Excuse me,” Dongwoo apologize. He pulled his towel tightly around his waist and tried to skirt around the other.

“Are you done in there?” Sunggyu asked as Dongwoo walked past him.

The omega stopped and turned towards him. “Me? Yea,” he stammered.

The beta opened his eyes fully and took a step closer to Dongwoo, who took a half-step back. Sunggyu took another step, and he smiled knowingly. Dongwoo gulped. Can he smell…Sunggyu reached up and put a finger through Dongwoo’s wet hair. “You forgot to rinse,” he revealed, bringing his finger down and showing that it was in fact covered in suds.

“Huh?” Dongwoo was confused.

Sunggyu chuckled. “You still have suds in your hair,” he repeated. “It’s not easy waking up this early, is it? I need coffee just to walk straight,” he joked with the other. But his face fell when he noticed how panicked and confused the other looked. “Go on. I’ll wait. I’m a patient person. I can wait,” the beta said, gesturing towards the bathroom.

“Oh okay,” Dongwoo mumbled as he quickly ran back into the bathroom. He turned the shower back on and heaved a great sigh. That was a close one. Dongwoo would have to be really careful from here on in. Maybe I can wake up an hour earlier, he thought as he rinsed off. After he thoroughly rinsed off, he tried again to escape. He poked his head out of the bathroom door in order to see if the coast was clear. It was. “Assa!” Dongwoo cheered to himself. He tried to dart back into the bedroom but…

“You done?”

“Ah, now, yes. It’s all yours, Sunggyu-ssi,” the omega answered, as he slowed his step to a ‘casual’ walk as he moved past the other. Where did he come from?

“Dongwoo, hold on.” Apparently, Sunggyu had been lying in wait for this moment, and he wasn’t going to let it or Dongwoo pass him by.

Dongwoo stopped. “What is it? Did I forget something else?” he asked.

Sunggyu took a step in closer, and then another. The omega tried his best to remain still and not to run away with his tail between his legs. “No, it’s that…” Sunggyu began but he stopped. He sniffed. Then he sniffed again. He moved his head to the side and sniffed even more deeply. Dongwoo closed his eyes tightly. This is it. I’m done for. “ACHOO!” Sunggyu sneezed loudly. “Sorry. I have allergies,” he apologized. Dongwoo opened his eyes to see Sunggyu wipe his nose roughly. “Anyway, I want to know if we can talk, if we can all talk as a pack. There’s a lot of things that we don’t know about each other that we should know. This is a major decision, and I want to make sure that it’s good for everyone,” he spoke as he rubbed. He sounded congested.

“But…” Dongwoo started.

“I know you have to study, but don’t kill yourself with it,” Sunggyu cut him off. “Your brain needs a rest. Look! You couldn’t even wash up properly today,” he teased. “So just…take a break with us.”

He won’t let me leave until I agree. Dongwoo forced a smile on his face. “Okay. I can do that,” he agreed. One night without studying wouldn’t kill him, but spending more time with them was getting riskier by the passing day. My own scent must be getting stronger. He pulled the towel up higher on his body. He was lucky that Sunggyu was congested.

And the beta finally let the omega go out of his clutches. Sunggyu grinned and patted Dongwoo on the shoulders before going into the bathroom. Now that omega was free, he could sink his claws and maybe his teeth into his so-called best friend. He barged into the bedroom, and that’s as far as he wrath took him. Nam Woohyun was fast asleep. Dongwoo sighed and shook his head as he took off his towel and began to change into clothes. It was written all over the beta’s face, when he came home late last night: his date had been rough. His blind date had been named Sojin too. Woohyun acted as if it were a funny thing, but Dongwoo could see that it disturbed him, especially after he joked that the real Sojin would be jealous after seeing him going out with all of these girls. “Three in one day,” Woohyun bragged. “I set a personal record.” Dongwoo glanced over at his sleeping friend. Woohyun wasn’t a playboy, and acting like one was putting him through some identity crisis. But the beta just wanted a happy ending and he wanted it quickly. Dongwoo sighed again. He hoped things would change once the letter came, and he’d be just as focused on finding a job as he was finding a mate.

But there was also another change in his friend. Dongwoo had noticed that last night Woohyun started to refer to Sunggyu as “Sunggyu-hyung.” They’d gotten closer. That was a good sign. Maybe running away to Busan was the best decision that they two of them had ever made.

However, it probably wasn’t the greatest decision to let his prescription run so low. If Woohyun would refuse to do it, then Dongwoo would have to get it himself. But until then, he had to make do with what he had. Dongwoo grimaced as he wavered in front of their hamper full of dirty clothes. The only way he could smell like a beta now was if he stole Woohyun’s dirty clothes. Dongwoo chuckled sadly as he dug through the hamper. It was a sad, his fate. He’d rather smell like an unwashed beta than an omega.

But things are better this way, Dongwoo told himself as he pulled on Woohyun’s sweatshirt. It’s much better.

And dressing like a stinky beta seemed to do the trick. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No one gave him strange looks or sniffs. He went to classes in peace and his classmates were none the wiser. This could work, Dongwoo thought as he walked back home from the station with a spring in his step. Now he could get through dinner without fretting if he was too close to the others. Tonight is going to be a good night. He had a strong feeling about it.

And his feeling seemed to be right. As soon as he walked into the door, Myungsoo gave him a hug, welcoming him home. Dongwoo chuckled as he hugged the beta back. Myungsoo must’ve been used to receiving hugs often from his former pack because this quickly became how they greeted each other. Myungsoo must’ve been able to sniff out a fellow cuddle bug. But he could also sniff out another thing. Myungsoo suddenly stuck his nose at the rim of the sweatshirt and sniffed deeply. “Why are you wearing Woohyun-hyung’s clothes?” he asked with his nose still pressed to the fabric on his shoulder.

Dongwoo stiffened in fright. “I thought they were pretty,” he lamely excused himself.

Myungsoo let go of the other partially, keeping an arm around Dongwoo’s back. With his free hand, he waved it back and forth in front of his nose in order to get rid of the smell. Myungsoo grimaced. “Yea, but they smell like they haven’t been washed. You must have a bad nose like Sunggyu-hyung,” he teased.

“What bad nose?” Dongwoo looked up and noticed Woohyun and Sunggyu approaching them. They all must have been waiting for Dongwoo to come home so that they could leave. Woohyun was the one to ask the question.

“I’ll tell you later,” the leader promised. “Myungsoo!” Sunggyu suddenly snapped. And to be honest, Dongwoo almost snapped at him as well. Myungsoo brought his nose back down to the omega’s shoulders. His one hand gripped the shoulder tightly, painfully, not letting Dongwoo move. Sunggyu stepped closer and tried to tug Myungsoo away. “Let go of Dongwoo, so we can get going,” Sunggyu spoke at the other through his teeth, but Myungsoo didn’t listen. His nose had traveled up the length of the omega’s shoulders and he was now inhaling at the base of Dongwoo’s neck. “Soo, stop sniffing!” Sunggyu yelled as he yanked Myungsoo away. “You’re making Dongwoo-ssi uncomfortable.”

Myungsoo allowed himself to be pulled away this time, mostly because he was too in shock to fight against Sunggyu. The accountant’s eyes were wide as he looked Dongwoo up and down. “But the smell,” he muttered beneath his breath.

“My dirty laundry?” Woohyun tried to joke, inching closer and closer to Dongwoo and placing himself between his friend and the other two. He knew it. They all did. The jig was up.

“No,” Myungsoo denied. He turned to Sunggyu and pointed straight at Dongwoo. “Hyung, I think he’s an omega.”