“How long has it been since we did this?” Donghae wondered aloud, causing the rattan lounge chair to let out a soft squeak as he shifted.

“Since we first brought Hyukjae here?” Zhoumi suggested. “We didn’t get the chance that time to do this though.”

Sungmin brought one hand up from underneath his neck, drawing imaginary lines with his finger to link up the stars lighting up the night sky. He briefly wondered if the image of random lines he had in his head was a recognized constellation, then realizing the probability was way too low. He had always enjoyed stargazing with his friends, but he never found enough time and money to buy astronomy books to study the stars.

“Sungmin,” Donghae called out quietly.

“Hmm?” Sungmin hummed absently as he continued to trace the stars.

“I’m not as sensitive as Mi, and neither can I be as subtle as him, but if there is anything wrong, you know you can tell us right?”

Sungmin dropped his hand, turning his head to the right. Donghae was staring at him with a gaze full of concern. “I know, Donghae.”

“So let me ask you, is Kyuhyun treating you well?”

Sungmin’s face hardened at his friend’s expression, one that was demanding the entire truth. Though he knew that this would come someday – he himself had done the same to Donghae two weeks after Hyukjae and Donghae bonded –, he didn’t know how to prepare for this, or how he would account to his friends.

“He… takes care of me.”

“And?” Donghae prompted.

“I feel… safe.”

“Bull, Min. I think you’re safer if you’re away from him,” Donghae spat and the idea of being away from his alpha almost sent Sungmin running to Kyuhyun, who was inside the café with Hyukjae, separated by the glass sliding doors. “Gosh, I take back what I said about you being lucky to have Kyuhyun. How many times have you been in trouble because of him?”

Sungmin cringed at the statement. He wanted to defend his alpha, to say that he was lucky to be Kyuhyun’s omega, but was he truly so?

“Hae, Kyuhyun is a nice person,” Zhoumi voiced from the far end.

“That doesn’t mean he would treat Min well. I could say that Siwon is a nice guy too. He takes care of his pack as well as Kyuhyun does to his.” Donghae argued.

From the sound of Zhoumi’s following sigh, Sungmin knew his friend had given in to Donghae’s argument. It wasn’t as though Sungmin had thoughts of refuting it. Donghae was right, especially when the experiences with his alpha seemed to prove so.

Kyuhyun was a nice person, polite and considerate to his friends, or ‘pack’ like Donghae had chosen to call, and even to Sungmin’s friends. But that didn’t erase the fact that his alpha was strict on him and he might end up in a punishment any moment. And it definitely didn’t erase the fact that Sungmin was suffering from the negative emotions resulting from his alpha’s affection towards another omega.

“Sungmin, I don’t really want to say this, but Donghae is right. And the way you’re acting lately, with all those… incidents, are making us worried. Tell us, how is it living with Kyuhyun?” Zhoumi asked carefully.

Yet, Sungmin couldn’t neglect the most important fact that his alpha had been treating him nothing less than nicely since Thursday afternoon. He saw how his alpha cared for him – after getting punished by the teacher, when he fell sick, when they were studying earlier in the day, even now, when this precious time with his friends was a reward from his alpha.

“I’m not lying. He takes care of me, like when I had a fever… And he protected me from Hanwoo sonsaengnim. He even… brought me here.” Sungmin recalled the times his alpha had held him when he was afraid. It felt like his efforts had finally paid off, with all the actions of care from his alpha. Or maybe his alpha was just making it up to him. Sungmin didn’t know why, but it was a start – a start to getting his alpha’s acknowledgement.

“But you’re not happy, are you?”

Donghae’s question broke the momentary solace from the valuable memories. Sungmin smiled, but he couldn’t bring himself to say that he was happy. How could he be happy when all he thought about everyday was his alpha throwing him away when the cat was out of the bag? Were the short moments of happiness arising from his alpha’s concern enough for him to say he was happy?

“I am, yet I’m not,” Sungmin admitted, to which both of his friends reacted by sitting up. “I’m really happy today for everything he did for me. But if you’re asking about my life since getting claimed, I can’t say I’m happy like how you are living with Hyukjae, Hae.” Sungmin closed his eyes, releasing a weary sigh. “But it’s because I’m greedy. I… want more than what he’s giving me currently.”

“Min—”

“And I’m selfish. Maybe it wasn’t just because I’m afraid, but I refuse to tell him about my identity because I want to stay beside him. I’m selfish and want this to last as long as it can, and get as good as it can.”

“It isn’t wrong to crave for love, Min,” Donghae said. “I, too, can’t imagine how it would be like without Hyuk.”

“No, it isn’t wrong, Hae,” Sungmin agreed. “But that doesn’t make me a less greedy and less selfish person.”

“Sungmin,” Zhoumi stood up from his seat, walking over and squatting down in front of him as Sungmin sat up. “You’re one of the most selfless person I’ve known.”

Sungmin let out a disbelieving snort. “No, I’m not, Mi. All I’ve done was always for myself. I protected people around me because I wanted to appear strong. I wanted people to see that I was strong, past whatever this worthless identity I was born into.”

“Even so,” Donghae moved to sit beside Sungmin, throwing his arm over Sungmin’s shoulder. “I know deep down here,” Donghae tapped at his chest, where his heart was. “You care, sincerely, truly. That makes you a much better person than ninety-percent of the population.”

“Ninety?” Zhoumi stood up, taking the seat on the other side of Sungmin. “It’s probably like ninety-nine point nine nine nine nine nine percent.”

“Stop flattering me,” Sungmin chuckled softly. “It won’t get you two any new game console you’re craving for though I’m supposedly rich now.”

“Hyuk will buy me any game console I want,” Donghae retorted, then shaking his head. “That’s not the point. Don’t try to change the topic, Min.”

“We just want you to recognize your own worth. Kyuhyun will recognize your good too, Min. I know you’ve been changing a lot for him.” Zhoumi brushed Donghae’s arm away, making space on Sungmin’s shoulder for him to lower his head to. “Actually, isn’t he already starting to do so? He planned this gathering for you.”

“Maybe,” Sungmin muttered unconfidently. “Hopefully it will be so before everything is out.”

Donghae followed Zhoumi, dropping his head on Sungmin’s right shoulder. “It will be. You made sure I was in good hands with Hyukjae, and I’ll make sure you are the same with Kyuhyun. No matter when you decide to tell him, we’ll be here to support you, okay?”

“I know.” Sungmin held his friends’ hands in each of his. “Even if the world gave up on me, even if Kyuhyun…” His voice cracked at the thought. “…doesn’t want me… I have you two.”

“Kyuhyun wouldn’t do that, Min.” Zhoumi squeezed his hand. “But you’re right, you have us two, just like how we have you, always.”

“Always,” Donghae echoed.

“Always.” Sungmin repeated in his broken voice, unable to stop himself from breaking down in tears as his friends wrapped him in a warm hug, one that he knew he could always trust.

~--~

“You sure you’re well enough to go for Taekwondo?” Dongwoon asked concernedly.

“I’m fine, Dongwoon-ssi,” Sungmin folded his school uniform, placing them neatly in the plastic bag before depositing it into his backpack.

“You don’t have to work so hard to please Kyuhyun, you know.” Yoseob cut in, adjusting his own jersey in the mirror.

“I’m not doing this to please him or anything,” Sungmin replied, slinging his backpack onto his shoulders. He took one last look in the mirror to check that his Taekwondo uniform was in place, before walking out of the washroom with Dongwoon and Yoseob following behind.

“Master,” Sungmin called out to his alpha, who had already changed into a white jersey of a similar design to Yoseob’s and the rest of the group.

His alpha looked over, dropping the conversation he was having with Doojoon.

A loud smack on Sungmin’s back made him jump around at the two alphas laughing at him. “Kikwang-ssi!”

“It wasn’t me!” Kikwang held up his hands in the air.

“Junhyung-ssi…”

“Sorry, sorry. Couldn’t help myself. The uniform really does look good on you!” Junhyung praised and Hyunseung elbowed him hard in his side.

“Sungmin.”

He turned back at his alpha’s call.

“Wait for us at the front of the school after practice, understand?” His alpha said, eyes sweeping down on his uniform.

“Yes, Master.”

“That means no roaming around the school even if you end early.”

“Yes, Master,” Sungmin answered again, unfazed by the cold, commanding tone of his alpha. He decided that he didn’t mind his alpha dictating his actions with several warnings as though he would deliberately break a rule, though he would have liked it if his alpha placed some trust in him. He didn’t mind, especially not when the orders were accompanied by small acts of affection, like how his alpha’s hand just swept a fallen strand of hair off his uniform, tugging at his already neat collar.

“I’ll see you after practice then,” His alpha dismissed, hands leaving his uniform.

Sungmin gave a bow, before looking up once more at his alpha with a bashful smile. “Thank you, Master.” When his alpha raised an eyebrow, he quickly added, “For yesterday.”

His alpha stared at him for two seconds, before his expression turned cold. “The reward was for completing that three calculus questions and studying history. If you don’t get an A for the test on Wednesday, you can forget about getting any more rewards for the next few months.”

At his alpha’s reprimand, Sungmin lowered his head, pressing his neck into his omega collar. It wasn’t like he was upset about not getting ‘rewards’, but the way his alpha put it – as though he was an arrogant kid that would demand for rewards – upsetted him.

“Yes, Master,” Sungmin muttered, before giving another quick bow and turning in the opposite direction. He hastened down the corridor towards the training hall, ignoring the tears that were pricking his eyes. All he wanted was to show his appreciation, but it still turned out wrong. 

~--~

The moment Sungmin entered the training hall, the strange atmosphere broke his train of thoughts regarding his alpha. There was no usu