“Hyung, I think he’s an omega.”

Sunggyu’s eyes studied Dongwoo, from top to bottom. Woohyun backed up, his back pressing against Dongwoo’s front. The omega’s hands went up to his friend’s shoulders and gripped them tightly. Was this the end? The leader’s gaze was intense, and behind those eyes, Dongwoo couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but he was thinking long and hard. Then Sunggyu frowned. His glare shifted over to Myungsoo. “Myungsoo, stop fooling around. I’m starving,” he grumbled lowly and then left the house. The remaining three watched the door close behind him.

Once the door closed, Myungsoo moved again. First his eyes, they flew over to the duo again. Then his mouth, “I know what I smelled.” Lastly his feet, as he opened the door and ran out of it to follow after the other. “Hyung! I’m not kidding.”

“I guess this is it, Dongwoo,” Woohyun declared as he stepped away from the other and craned his neck back to look at him. He then turned fully towards him. “Let’s go!” he urged him and patted him on the shoulder, but Dongwoo remained still, frightened stiff. What’s going to happen? Dongwoo was too afraid to find out. Things always changed when people found out that he was an omega, always. And as nice and welcoming as they were, Sunggyu and Myungsoo wouldn’t be an exception. Dongwoo knew it. I liked the way things were. Maybe if I stay here, they will stay that way.

“Dongwoo,” Woohyun called out to him, breaking into his thoughts. While Dongwoo was drowning in his fear, Woohyun’s hand had left his shoulder and was now holding onto Dongwoo’s. “Let’s go, together.”

Dongwoo looked down at their hands and squeezed the other’s. That’s right. Things never changed with Woohyun. Woohyun never changed. He’d always been Dongwoo’s best friend. They were always together. The omega smiled. “Yea, let’s go.”

“What are you two doing?”

Their heads snapped over to the entrance, through which Sunggyu was poking his head. He was frowning more deeply than ever. “I’m hungry, and you two are just standing here holding hands. Let’s go! Come on, come on! Move it! I wanna eat!” he kept yelling at them until they made their way outside.

“That hyung is weird,” Woohyun whispered to Dongwoo as they were walking down the driveway and onto the street. Sunggyu was trailing behind them, and Myungsoo was in front of them.

The omega glanced back at their leader. Sunggyu had his hood pulled up over his head and his eyes were lowered to the ground. He looked tough, but Dongwoo had a feeling that the only thing on the beta’s mind was food. In fact, Sunggyu was his lips and muttering something to himself about chicken. The omega grinned. “Weird could be good,” he concluded. “We’re weird too.”

Woohyun shook his head. “Not me! I’m not weird,” he argued. He then jogged up to Myungsoo, who was sulking slowly in front of them. “I’m not weird, right? Tell Dongwoo that I’m not weird.”

“I know what I smelled,” Myungsoo was still fixated on that and how no one was willing to acknowledge it. “I still smell it.” He crossed his arms over his chest, stopping in the middle of the street, and was staring at Dongwoo more fiercely than he ever had. It sent a shiver down the omega’s spine. Myungsoo then looked past them to Sunggyu behind them. “He’s an omega. Why don’t you believe me?”

“Are you, Dongwoo?” Sunggyu asked directly. He came up to Dongwoo’s side and stared him straight in the eyes. “Are you an omega?” Dongwoo had been dodging this question for long enough. He finally gave his answer, barely nodding with an uneasy smile. Sunggyu responded, narrowing his eyes, “You told us that you were a beta.”

“No! I let you assume that. We didn’t lie!” Dongwoo tried to wiggle his way out of it, but he was hardly able to convince himself. He kept trying nonetheless, kept talking until he could see the other soften, “We just never said the truth. I mean, I didn’t tell you I was, but I also didn’t tell you that I wasn’t…”

“Okay okay,” Sunggyu muttered and covered Dongwoo’s quick-moving lips with his hand. “I got it.” His eyes darted all over, scanning their surroundings. They weren’t alone on this neighborhood street. Other packs were out prowling and going out to eat. “Let’s continue this conversation somewhere a little more private,” Sunggyu suggested as he removed his hand from the other’s mouth and wiped it on Dongwoo’s shirt, but Sunggyu turned the wiping into a hardy pat and then continued to walk down the street, while the other three were still standing still.

“I didn’t mean to,” Dongwoo raised his voice, as the leader walked farther and farther away. “I can’t help it. I can’t help what I am.”

Sunggyu stopped and turned towards the rest. Then, he sighed. “Dongwoo, it’s fine,” he insisted in a strong voice, shutting the matter down for the time being. “Let’s talk about this later.” He then pulled his hood forward and continued to walk down the street.

Fine? Fine wasn’t something that Dongwoo was used to hearing. Special, unique, strange…weird, that’s what he typically heard after confessing his type. But fine? That made him feel almost normal. And then there was Taehwan who had been anything but fine with Dongwoo’s condition.

“Is it really okay?” Dongwoo muttered softly.

“Whoa! I can’t believe it. An omega?!” Dongwoo slowly turned his head over to Myungsoo who was now shouting, but luckily, he had a broad smile on his face (probably happy that Sunggyu finally believed him and Dongwoo confirmed it). Myungsoo went to Woohyun. “Did you know?”

Woohyun nodded, his smile gradually growing to match the other’s. “I did,” he confessed.

“Whoa! That’s cool!” Myungsoo exclaimed, shaking his head and then opening his eyes wide again, as if to check that he wasn’t dreaming. Once he found out that he was indeed awake, Myungsoo grew even more excited. He hopped over to the omega and put his arm around him, shaking him. “This is really cool! No alpha, a male omega. Our pack is different. Cool!”

Woohyun gave an uneasy smile as he responded, “We really are a little band of misfit toys.” Dongwoo looked over Myungsoo and over to his friend. Their gazes met and they raised their eyebrows at each other. They were both apprehensive, waiting for the other foot to drop. Myungsoo’s reaction was almost too good to be true.

“Yah!” Sunggyu snapped once again as he stomped towards the other three. “What part of ‘let’s not discuss this in public’ did you all not get?” He began pulling Myungsoo off of the omega, once again. “And aren’t the rest of you hungry? Am I the only one?”

“I am!” Dongwoo shouted. Sunggyu’s head snapped towards him. The omega gulped and lowered his voice, “I’m hungry too.”

Sunggyu nodded, fiddling with his hood again. “Then let’s eat.”

They all finally obeyed their leader and followed him faithfully and wordlessly into the restaurant, Jungyeop’s place, where everything had started. Now, it could either be a place of new beginnings or the end of everything because now, in a comfortable and semi-private space and with food in front of him, Sunggyu was finally ready to breech the issue. And he dove right into it as soon as the food was placed on the table: “So I assume that your reason for leaving your former pack has to deal with the fact that you’re an omega.”

Dongwoo had been drinking at the time, and so he sputtered a bit. He quickly put down the glass and wiped his mouth as he answered, “Yea, it does. It has a lot to do with it, in fact. I wouldn’t say it was entirely the reason, but…it was a lot of the reason.” His voice petered out at the end, losing confidence in what he was saying because he wasn’t so sure in what he was saying anymore. He just knew that his omega nature wasn’t entirely at fault. There was more too it, but he didn’t know what.

“Tell him,” Woohyun urged him while patting the omega on the back. He had taken Dongwoo’s silence as hesitancy. “It’s okay. You can tell them.”

Dongwoo took in a deep breath. Even though he didn’t know the entire reason, the omega knew what he had to say next, no matter how hard it would be: “I…I was our alpha’s mate.”

“Mate?” Sunggyu repeated, scrunching his face in confusion. He narrowed his eyes on Woohyun. “But Woohyun said that you didn’t have one!” He pointed at the beta. “And didn’t you say that girl was…”

“That’s all true too,” Dongwoo cut the elder off. Sunggyu’s sharp eyes snapped over to him now, but Dongwoo didn’t flinch. He guessed that he was getting used to it. Sunggyu stared at them like that a lot, a whole lot. “The bond broke, when he mated with her, even though he was still, you know, mine.”

The gaze softened, and his eyes grew wide. “He cheated?” Sunggyu asked.

Dongwoo nodded and admitted, “Well, I guess you can call it that.” Both Sunggyu and Woohyun scoffed, shaking their heads. Dongwoo sighed and dropped his eyes to his hands, fingers playing with his rings. “It’s all really complicated. I don’t think I could explain it if I tried. Or at least explain it well. It just wasn’t a good situation. Because I was who I was and he was who he was. And because Nam-goon is Nam-goon,” he turned it into a joke, looking up at his friend and giggling nervously. Woohyun then gave him the support that he was silently asking and hugged his friend around the shoulders. That gesture gave Dongwoo enough strength to continue, “So we left and dissolved the pack. We legally dissolved recently so that they could be together and so that the child would be legitimate.”

“And so that we could join a better pack too,” Woohyun added.

“Right, so we could find one too…and move on,” Dongwoo spoke the last part with a heavy sigh. He then finally raised his eyes to look at the other two across from his at the table. Sunggyu and Myungsoo were speechless. Sunggyu’s lips were opening and closing, scrambling for words to say but not finding any. Myungsoo, on the other hand, left his mouth hanging wide open. His eyes were almost as big, and scared too, like he couldn’t believe that the world could be so cruel and be that cruel to Dongwoo. The omega smiled, touched by their pity and at the same time, feeling undeserving for it because he’d lied to them. “So…that’s why. That’s why we’re here, like this,” Dongwoo spoke, filling the gaping and oppressing silence, trying to spur the others to move.

Then Sunggyu finally did. He cursed. “. I can’t believe it.” He met the omega’s eyes. “How?” But before Dongwoo could answer, Sunggyu shook his head and swallowed his words. The question had come out on its own; apparently (and luckily) Sunggyu wasn’t interested in the details of Taehwan’s affair. “I’m sorry,” Sunggyu apologized as if he were to blame for everything.

“Eh, it's not your fault. If anything, I’m sorry that I wasn't up front about it,” Dongwoo replied and reached over, quickly patting the leader’s arm before his hand retreated quickly into his lap. He began to feel sorry for even that. Sunggyu’s own hand laid over where Dongwoo had touched.

“But we had our reasons,” Woohyun reminded him, squeezing Dongwoo’s upper arm in his hand.

“That’s true,” Dongwoo agreed quietly, nodding.

“They’re pretty damn good reasons,” Sunggyu raised his voice. He then lifted his arm and ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. “I understand now. This changes everything.” His hand fell onto the table. Dongwoo stiffened and stared down at that hand, whose fingers were now rapping against the table anxiously. He’s thinking, but about what? How exactly does this change things? I’m still me. He said that everything was fine before, and now…everything’s different. How? “Dongwoo.” The omega raised his head gradually and his eyes even more slowly, dragging them away from the hand up to the beta’s fierce eyes, or Dongwoo had expected the leader to be still looking at him with his (increasingly less) menacing glare. Sunggyu’s normally sharp eyes were soft, almost blunt. “How are you managing?”

Dongwoo grinned and answered simply: “Nam-goon.”

“Eh.” Woohyun let go of him and gave Dongwoo a playful shove.

“No, it’s true,” Dongwoo insisted and nudged him right back. He then turned towards the others and explained, “Woohyun left the pack, even though his brother was in it too, which must’ve been hard. He also got us enough money for us to move and for me to enroll in school.”

“I didn’t leave just because of you,” Woohyun admitted sheepishly. “I told them about Sojin too.” Dongwoo cocked an eyebrow at his friend. When did he tell them? Dongwoo’s eyes drifted towards the others, and Sunggyu was nodding knowingly and Myungsoo was reaching over to pat Woohyun’s hand sympathetically. So they do know? Huh. Woohyun had really opened up to the other two, which was strange. Normally Dongwoo was the more extraverted of the two, but now Dongwoo was the one with secrets, meanwhile Woohyun had told these two, whom he knew for a little more than a week, something that it took him years to admit to Dongwoo, his feelings for Sojin, his most guarded (yet most obvious) secret.

Dongwoo was somewhat proud of Woohyun for telling them that. He now was the one hugging a deflated friend. “Still, you helped a lot, even before we left,” the omega pointed out.

“That’s true,” Woohyun concurred, slowly grinning up at his friend. He then turned towards Sunggyu and his grin faded into a frown. His anger built as he spoke, “You wonder why I don’t like alphas? I’ve seen ours abandon his mate almost right after they bonded. And then I’m the one being accused for having no loyalty.”

“Eh, you’re loyal,” Dongwoo assured him, trying to calm him down.

“Damn straight, I’m loyal!” Well, calming down Woohyun didn’t work, but the beta was trying to cool down his own temper by drinking. Dongwoo patted his back as Woohyun guzzled it down.

“Dongwoo, why didn’t you tell us earlier?” Sunggyu asked. Dongwoo tilted his head, wondering. “Not about the break-up, but about your type. Why didn’t you tell me from the very beginning?”

Dongwoo pulled his hands back into his lap as the other spoke. He felt like he was getting lectured. “I guess I was used to hiding it,” he tried to defend himself. “And…”

“Hiding it?” Sunggyu interjected and then sputtered, “Pbft! So you’re an omega. What’s the big deal?” He shrugged, showing off how ‘cool’ he was with it. It made Dongwoo laugh and he mimicked the other. Sunggyu didn’t notice and continued his ‘cool’ act, “I see a lot of male omegas.”

“Yea, but you’re different,” Dongwoo argued, growing serious. “For most people, I’m the only one that they ever meet. I’ve never met another one myself,” he confessed softly. “There are also prejudices against people like me. You know that.”

“We don’t have them!” Myungsoo interjected.

Dongwoo nodded, accepting that but not backing down. “Most people don’t notice that they have them, but once I tell them, how they act towards me changes,” he told them. “They act like I’m fragile, weak. They probably won’t even treat a regular omega that way, but they act like I’ll break, as if a male being an omega was a chronic disease rather than…me just being me.” This time, he shrugged, feigning casualness, but it was hard not to when Sunggyu and Myungsoo were looking at him like that, like they were trying to convince him with their stares.

“You aren’t,” Sunggyu fought back. “You aren’t weak at all.”

That’s strange. “Why do you say that?” Dongwoo asked, fingers fidgeting at his pants.

“How long has it been since the bond broke?” Sunggyu returned with a question of his own.

“Almost two months, right?” Dongwoo looked over to Woohyun for confirmation, and the other nodded while filling his mouth with food.

“Wow!” Myungsoo exclaimed. “I heard that having your bond break felt like dying.”

“From your dramas?” Sunggyu asked with a sneer and a shake of his head.

“Eung,” Myungsoo hummed, ignoring Sunggyu’s chiding. Instead, his eyes stayed fixed on Dongwoo, twinkling in amazement, and he continued to explain, “It happens a lot, but those people, they are normally in the hospital for the first few months and then after that…they’re just broken people, in body and in spirit. But you! Whoa! Jang Dongwoo, you’re amazing!” he praised the omega while clapping. The beta then looked over to the leader, while still talking to Dongwoo, “You’re actually…fixing yourself instead of breaking.”

Dongwoo’s eyes followed his and fell on Sunggyu, who was thinking again, thinking too hard. And it made Dongwoo think himself, about everything, which he hadn’t done since the break-up. That’s right. I should be worse off, but I’m…fine. Aren’t I? “I…I don’t want this to break me,” Dongwoo concluded. He nodded firmly at that. That’s right. “I won’t let it. My will is stronger than my body. It will carry me through.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. You might kill yourself,” Sunggyu warned him. Dongwoo nodded and finally indulged in the food in front of him. “I’m serious,” Sunggyu insisted, apparently offended by the omega’s lack of care. “You could die,” the doctor repeated as gravely as he could. “I wouldn’t want that to happen.” Dongwoo looked up from his food, and Sunggyu looked away, at the beta besides him. “Myungsoo likes you a lot,” he commented, pointing at the beta.

“I do,” Myungsoo admitted freely. “So be careful, hyung.”

It all warmed the omega’s heart until it felt like it was burning. His cold body wasn’t used to it; it hurt a bit, but it still felt nice. He was smiling broadly. “I will. I will be very careful,” Dongwoo promised and then returned the compliment, “I like you guys too.”

“Really?” Sunggyu sounded genuinely surprised.

“Yea, really. I like you,” Dongwoo repeated, still smiling. “I know I haven’t really shown it because I haven’t been as…open as I should’ve been, but…” his voice drifted off and his finger dragged along the grain in the table as the guilt dragged him down.

“You had your reasons,” Sunggyu reminded him and alleviated him of the guilt (partly), justifying his actions.

“Yea, I had my reasons,” Dongwoo echoed, feeling his smile pick up again. He then looked around the table and admitted, “I feel…comfortable here. I really do.” I want to stay here, like this. Can I? he swallowed that down, unasked, along with the food in his mouth.

“You’re comfortable because you’re not the only weirdo at this table,” Myungsoo declared with a cheeky grin on his face.

“Why are you all looking at me?” Woohyun joked. Honestly, no one was looking at him, and almost no one laughed, except Myungsoo.

“No, not you,” Myungsoo replied with a chuckle. He then patted the doctor next to him. “Hyung, tell them about you.”

“What about me?” Sunggyu grumbled, looking away and drinking from his glass.

But Myungsoo wouldn’t let him off the hook. He nudged the elder until Sunggyu looked over at him, with an extra sharp glare. “You know, with the…” Myungsoo didn’t finish the statement, wanting Sunggyu to divulge the secret. He, instead, tapped his nose.

Sunggyu groaned. “Do I have to? Now?” he argued. The accountant nodded happily. But the doctor wasn’t willing to give in. He waved the other off. “Eh, they don’t need to know that,” he tried to brush the matter aside.

“But I told you everything about me. I opened up,” Dongwoo pointed out, pouting purposefully. He was interested in hearing the doctor’s secret and was doing whatever he could to convince him. “It’s only fair. Just tell us. Tell us a little bit. Please,” Dongwoo urged him in a sweet tone.

“Fine!” Sunggyu snapped, giving in. He then propped his elbows on the table and covered his mouth with his hands. “I…I can’t smell,” he muttered lowly, muffled by his hands.

“Oh,” Woohyun mumbled. “I forgot about that.” He then looked at the omega besides him, nudging him softly with his elbow. “Don’t you remember?”

“Oh, yea,” Dongwoo mumbled below his breath as his eyes darted all over, searching through the air like he was searching through his mind. In the hotel room, where Woohyun showed him an article of a premiere doctor, and then in the office, where the doctor,r red in the face, yelled at the both of them and threw them out, when Dongwoo was too afraid to admit that he was an omega for the first time in Busan, that had all been Sunggyu. But now, Dongwoo raised his gaze to his pack leader, with his hood still drawn over his head and was pecking through the food, chewing with his mouth wide open. Kim Sunggyu surely seemed like an entirely different creature now. I almost forgot that you were…you.

“You knew?” Sunggyu challenged in disbelief. “About my nose? How?”

“It’s not so much of a secret when there’s several articles written about it,” Woohyun remarked. With a cheeky smile, he bragged, “I did my research.” He then took a large bite.

Sunggyu pulled back, leaning back into the chair. “Ah, right. You guys came to see me about the surgery,” he muttered, remembering everything with his eyes rolling back. And when they rolled forward, they fell onto Dongwoo. They grew to twice their size. Sunggyu pointed at him. “That was for you? You were the omega!”

“Right, that was me!” Dongwoo answered with a chuckle, amused by Sunggyu’s shock. “It was supposed to be my consultation. The surgery was for me. I wanted it. But…” Dongwoo paused and cocked his head before continuing. “Did you forget about all of that already? When you kicked us out?” I almost did, Dongwoo kept that confession inside and instead busied himself by mixing the sauces and his and Woohyun’s drinks into a spare glass.

“Eung,” Sunggyu hummed, looking as dumbfounded as he did before. “You guys…seem completely different now from then.” His eyes kept flitting back and forth between the two men across from him as he laid his cheek in his hand.

“You too,” Dongwoo added, laughing at how dazed the doctor looked. But then Sunggyu perked up, after doing had said that, and cocked his head while pouting, probably wondering what Dongwoo’s first impression of him was. The omega smirked. He wouldn’t tell the beta that; there wasn’t much to say in the first place. Instead he joked, “You totally looked like someone who could smell. Can you smell this?” He sniffed at the concoction in the glass, retched, and then forced it under Sunggyu’s nose.

“I can still smell!” the doctor shouted, automatically covering his nose and pushing the glass away. He glared at the omega, arms crossed over his chest and with a deep pout. “I just can’t smell certain things,” he grumbled lowly. But Dongwoo wasn’t fazed by the death glare or the gruff tone. He just continued to put more and more things into the glass, even taking the chicken bones from Myungsoo’s plate and plopping them into the glass.

“Like what?” Woohyun asked with a full mouth.

Sunggyu scoffed and leaned back in his seat. “I thought you said you did your research.”

“I might’ve just skimmed the articles,” Woohyun confessed, but he didn’t back down, “But I got the point: you aren’t affected when omegas are in heat because you can’t smell. Is that right?” He directed the question towards Myungsoo, who he knew would answer more honestly. And the accountant did, grinning widely and nodding like a bobblehead doll.

Sunggyu huffed, not wanting to talking about this but forced too. He even kicked his foot under the table. Dongwoo felt the beta’s leg brush past his own and laughed at the elder’s tantrum. Dongwoo hadn’t laughed this much in a long time. His throat was becoming rough and hoarse. Sunggyu, though, couldn’t hear his laughter above his own whining, but eventually the doctor opened up, “I can’t smell pheromones. That’s why even now I can’t smell that Dongwoo is an omega. I don’t even know what a beta smells like, and I’ve been one all my life. And…” Sunggyu paused and took in a deep breath, crossing his arms even more tightly across his chest, almost like a hug. “And it causes complications.” The laughter stuck in Dongwoo’s throat, like the lump of food he was trying to swallow at the same time. He coughed. What kind of complications? Dongwoo wanted to ask, but Sunggyu was having a hard enough time confessing just that. At the sound of the coughing, Sunggyu lifted his gaze and it met with Dongwoo’s, and lingered there for a moment, then two, before the doctor spoke again, “So I can understand if you don’t want me as a leader.” He then closed his eyes, probably awaiting their ‘imminent’ rejection.

But it wouldn’t come, especially not from Dongwoo. “Eh, don’t say that,” the omega responded sincerely. “Right now, I can’t think of anyone better for the job.”

Sunggyu’s arms loosened around him. “Really?” he asked. Dongwoo nodded. At that, Sunggyu sat up straighter in his seat. A small smile was pulling across his face.

Then it faded when Woohyun interjected, “I can!” He pointed at the man across from him and named him, “Myungsoo.” The two of them leaned over the table and high fived each other, before sitting back down.

“Ah right! Myungsoo would be good. Maybe even better!” Dongwoo joined in the teasing, but after seeing how Sunggyu took the joke seriously, the omega tried to make amends, “I’m joking. But…” Dongwoo dropped his voice and leaned over the table, closer to Sunggyu. His eyes lowered for a second and then he raised them back up at the elder once they were closer to each other, very close. He could feel the beta’s breath against his hand, hot and slightly wet. Dongwoo laughed, causing Sunggyu to pull back in surprised. “Are you sure that pheromones are the only thing you don’t smell?” Dongwoo asked. Sunggyu tilted his head. The omega grinned and then lifted the glass that was in his hand. “I’ve been holding this under your nose for awhile, and you haven’t reacted,” he revealed with a chuckle, raising the rancid glass, higher up and closer to the beta’s nose.

“Get that away,” Sunggyu ordered nasally because he was now pinching his nose. “It smells awful.” He gagged. Dongwoo’s laughter stopped and now he was the one tilting his head to get a better look at the other. Is he…faking his reaction? After all, the glass had been literally right under his nose for a few seconds, and the doctor hadn’t moved. And now, Sunggyu was looking at Dongwoo out of the corner of his eye, nervously. He…he is faking it! Just how bad is his sense of smell? The omega’s stomach sank.

But he felt the glass being tugged out of his hand. Dongwoo glanced over and watched Woohyun sniff at the glass and gagging (for real). “Ugh, what is that? Is it toxic?” he whined while coughing and pushing the glass away, near the edge of the table.

“Hm? Does it really smell that bad?” Sunggyu muttered absent-mindedly, giving himself away. I was right!

“Yes,” Dongwoo answered lowly, making sure that the others wouldn’t hear but revealing to Sunggyu that he had heard it, that he knew.

Sunggyu’s face flushed. He suddenly stood up and reached for the glass. “I’ll get rid of it then,” he grumbled and left the table.

“You’re really getting another drink, aren’t you?” Myungsoo shouted after him.

Sunggyu turned around towards him. “Does it matter?” he challenged with a shrug of his shoulder before spinning back around and walking up to the bar.

“It does,” Myungsoo muttered below his breath, watching Sunggyu for a second more before turning towards the remaining two. “Hyung’s been drinking more lately. I’m afraid that it’s become a habit,” he admitted and cast one more glance over at the eldest.

“I bet it’s not that serious,” Woohyun tried to assure the other, but his eyes too were stuck on the doctor, studying his every move.

But Dongwoo had never been much of an observer. “Another drink sounds good,” he said as he got up from his own seat, following in the doctor’s trail.

“Yah! Jjang Ddong! You know you can’t hold your liquor!” Woohyun shouted after him.

“That’s why I have you! To carry me home,” Dongwoo yelled back with a laugh.

“I’m going to start charging for that!” Woohyun left him with that before leaning over to talk to Myungsoo, probably about all of Dongwoo’s horrible drinking habits. But Dongwoo didn’t care. There was something more pressing on his mind. What is he up to?

When Dongwoo caught up to their leader, Sunggyu already had a fresh drink in his hand, but he was still at the counter, in deep conversation with the owner. He won’t even be able to smell me coming, Dongwoo thought with a smirk. He slid into a seat a couple down from them. They were both so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn’t even noticed the omega sit down. Dongwoo put his cheek in his hand, slightly covering his face, also bringing his ear closer to the other two. Holding his breath, he honed in on their conversation.

“How long has it been since the last outbreak?” Sunggyu asked in a hushed voice, eyes trained on the owner’s stomach.

Jungyeop brought his hand over stomach, rubbing it gingerly as he answered, “It’s been about two years, but these things can come back again.”

“Unfortunately,” Sunggyu responded, raising his gaze up to the other’s. Dongwoo shifted his head in his hand, trying to get a better look at them. Sunggyu’s hands were folded and resting on the counter, thumbs twiddling nervously and what Dongwoo could see of Sunggyu’s face was pale.

“Sunggyu, am I worrying for nothing?” Jungyeop asked. “I’m starting to feel like I did then.”

Sunggyu lifted his hands off from the counter and shoved them into the pocket of his sweatshirt. “There’s no harm in getting it checked on, but there’s great harm in letting cancer progress too far,” he replied. He then smirked. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll run the tests for you.”

The owner laughed. “No thank you. That would make me feel worse,” he declined. Jungyeop then stared down at his protruding belly. “I don’t want you to see all of this,” he mumbled, patting his stomach.

Sunggyu grimaced while he stared at the other’s stomach. “I don’t want to see it either, but if you paid me…”

“You wouldn’t even do the tests for me for free?” Jungyeop cut him off and feigned shock.

“I have to make money somehow,” Sunggyu voice sounded much lighter now. Even some of the color returned to his face along with a smile.

“Forget it,” Jungyeop spat back. “You have your drink. Now go!” he raised his voice, but there was a grin on his face that he couldn’t fight back. Sunggyu obeyed and stood up with his drink in hand. But Jungyeop wouldn’t let the other leave on that note. “Thank you…for the advice, Sunggyu.” The doctor nodded, not making much of it, and turned to leave. But he stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he saw Jang Dongwoo sitting a few seats away. His face paled again and he gripped the beer tightly in his hand.

“How much of that did you hear?” he hissed.

“All of it,” Dongwoo confessed with a smile. It wasn’t a crime to eavesdrop, and in this situation, he was glad he did. He popped up from his seat and walked up to the other. “Myungsoo’s uncle has cancer?” he asked in a low voice.

Sunggyu sighed and fiddled with the edge of his hood with his free hand. “Had,” he corrected the other. “It’s in remission.”

Dongwoo took another step closer to the other. “I heard that…”

Sunggyu’s hand flew over to Dongwoo’s mouth, clamping it shut once again. “Okay so it might be back,” he hissed through clenched teeth. He then dropped his hand from the other’s mouth, wiping it against Dongwoo’s shirt yet again before patting his shoulder. “Don’t tell Myungsoo,” he begged with a friendly smile. He then pressed his finger against his lips.

Dongwoo’s eyes flitted over to the old man at the bar and then over to Myungsoo, who was laughing uncontrollably as Woohyun was poking at his dimple, completely unaware of his former packmate’s suffering. This isn’t right. Dongwoo shook his head at the doctor, refusing to comply. “Don’t you think he deserves to know? It’s his uncle. I’d want to know,” he argued. “Wouldn’t you?”

“He does, but…” Sunggyu yielded, his expression painted with guilt. “We don’t know for certain if it came back, so just…wait,” he tried once again for the other’s assistance, but Dongwoo was even less compliant now. The omega raised an eyebrow, silently challenging the other. Sunggyu winced and stamped his foot. “Aish, don’t look at me like that. I’ll tell him. I’ll tell him. But later. I don’t wanna ruin the mood tonight,” he excused himself and then ran away back to the table.

Dongwoo heaved a great sigh and shook his head at their ‘leader.’ Sunggyu wouldn’t tell Myungsoo, not tonight, not tomorrow. He probably wouldn’t tell Myungsoo until the very last possible moment. But what was Dongwoo supposed to do? Scold Sunggyu for not being more open, more honest? No, that’d be hypocritical. Dongwoo hid his true self for years. But Sunggyu was hiding this for Myungsoo’s benefit, or for what he thought would be Myungsoo’s benefit. For whose benefit did Dongwoo hide? Not for his own surely. For Taehwan. It was all for Taehwan.

“Yah! Omega Jang Dongwoo! What are you doing?”

Dongwoo snapped up his head, seeing the other three staring straight back at him. He grinned. Omega Jang Dongwoo. That was him. He wasn’t hiding anymore and his pack wouldn’t let him either. Hell, Woohyun was proudly shouting it in the middle of the restaurant for the whole world to hear, and he looked just as happy as Dongwoo felt.

This was his new beginning for all of them but also an end, the end for the ‘beta’ Jang Dongwoo. This omega wouldn’t mourn that loss; no one would. Dongwoo couldn’t contain his glee and skipped over to the table and slid next to his best friend, hugging him tightly. Woohyun returned it just as fiercely. Dongwoo knew that the both of them were feeling the same thing at this moment: This is it. This is home. This is our pack.

And in this pack, Dongwoo would make sure that there wouldn’t be any secrets. If Sunggyu wouldn't tell Myungsoo soon, he would. It was only right.

And omegas always had the final say.

But Sunggyu was right about one thing, now wasn’t the night to tell Myungsoo. It was too premature, and they were celebrating. All of them came back home, slightly drunk and hoarse from talking and laughing all night long. But before Dongwoo could follow Woohyun up the steps into their bedroom, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Sunggyu. The leader was looking up at him from underneath the lip of his hood. “Come with me,” he commanded, waving at the other to follow him. Curious, Dongwoo did, and the both of them ended up in the kitchen. Sunggyu walked over to the fridge, opened it, and took out a bottle of water. “Drink,” he urged, offering the bottle to Dongwoo. The omega took it and drank from it while watching Sunggyu get one for himself. What is he up to? What does he want?

“Thanks, hyung,” Dongwoo muttered before taking another swig. He then stared down at the bottle. I’m being too suspicious, Dongwoo concluded. He seems like a good guy. This is a good pack. He’s giving me water to grow…and not to be dehydrated. Dongwoo rubbed his eyes. I didn’t drink that much, but why do I feel like this? Why is everything hazy?

“Sit down,” Sunggyu urged the other. “Don’t push yourself.”

Dongwoo opened his eyes, blinking a few times, until he could see the other clearly. He thinks I’m going to kill myself. The omega plopped down onto a stool, and when he rested his feet against the railings, he noticed his legs shaking and twitching. Maybe I am, he thought as he rubbed his legs and took another drink.

“The surgery, to remove the glands.” Dongwoo sputtered, spitting water all over the countertop, and Sunggyu. The doctor groaned and wiped his face with his sleeve, but Dongwoo was too shocked to apologize. He wants to talk about that? Now? Sunggyu did. “Do you still want it?” he mumbled while wincing at his now wet sleeve.

“I don’t really have time to think about it right now,” Dongwoo mumbled. And he really didn’t. School was his priority right now, and then after that, Woohyun, and then the pack, and lastly, himself. But now that Dongwoo could afford to think about it…I do. I do still want it. Although I want to live as an omega now, it’s dangerous to stay like this. It wasn’t about him pretending to be a beta anymore. There was another reason why he wanted the surgery. It’s too dangerous.

“Don’t get it.”

“Huh?” Dongwoo gasped. Sunggyu was looking at him, deathly serious.

The beta then looked away. “At least not now,” Sunggyu added. “You’re in bad shape because of the bond breaking. Your immune system is shot. You’re exhausted. I don’t even want to think about the state of your hormones.” He shivered and then looked at Dongwoo again. “Not just…you know…the ual kind, but up here too,” he clarified, pointing towards his own head. “And…your heat…” he took a swig from his water before continuing. As a doctor he could say it, but as a potential packmate, as a leader, it was hard. “It’s probably irregular until your body rebounds,” his voice was small.

Dongwoo laughed. “Yea, I’ve noticed how irregular it is.”

Sunggyu grinned. “It’s one of the few times that I’m glad I can’t smell,” he joked. “No offense.”

“Next time can you lend me your nose? I don’t want to smell it either,” Dongwoo asked. Sunggyu started to chuckle but it soon stopped, when Dongwoo reached over and pulled at his nose. The omega pretended to take Sunggyu’s nose and place it onto his own face, and then giving his nose to Sunggyu, by flipping over Sunggyu’s hand and ‘plopping’ it into his palm. Sunggyu stared down at the ‘nose’ in his hand speechlessly. Dongwoo then looked at his reflection in the window, checking out his ‘new nose.’ “Nah, I like mine better. Fits with my other features better. I’m handsome just the way I am,” he concluded. He then switched their noses again, pressing Sunggyu’s back onto his face. “You too. Handsome.”

Sunggyu studied the other carefully as he rubbed his nose. “You drunk?” he asked in all seriousness.

“No, I’m happy,” Dongwoo replied. But the spark of happiness dimmed and his stomach turned. That’s right. He’s never seen me like this. He doesn’t know how I normally am. Dongwoo looked down at the bottle in his hands, rolling it about. Or how I used to be.

“Good. Happy is good,” Sunggyu broke into his thoughts. Dongwoo raised his gaze to see Sunggyu with a tired but genuine smile. “I’m glad.” The spark flashed again, warming Dongwoo again. The omega grinned back. Sunggyu walked up to the other’s side and patted him on the back. “I’m going to bed. Night.” And with that he began to leave the kitchen.

“Night, hyung,” Dongwoo whispered back at him. “I’m just going to stay down here a little longer,” he said to no one in particular.

Or had someone heard him? Dongwoo heard feet padding quickly into the kitchen. He looked up. It was Sunggyu again. “Wait, there’s one more thing!” the doctor exclaimed, slightly panting.

“You noticed that I put your nose upside down?” Dongwoo retorted.

Sunggyu’s hand reflexively flew to his nose, feeling it out. Realizing that he fell for a lame joke, Sunggyu dropped his hand and sighed heavily. “Stop. I’m serious,” he growled.

“Okay,” the omega relented with a chuckle. “What is it?”

Sunggyu took in a deep breath and then made his way up to Dongwoo’s side, talking all the while, “If I remove the glands, it’ll take away the heat, yes. But you won’t be able to bond with someone again, or at least not as strongly as before. The parts of the reaction won’t fire off because you’ll be without some crucial hormones.” He paused and leaned against the counter next to Dongwoo, He put his hands in his pockets, facing away from Dongwoo, staring at the wall. “It’ll be weak and can be broken easily…if it forms at all.” He then rolled his head over towards the other, slowly raising his gaze. “That’s why I normally do it on patients who already have a mate,” he ended with a shy smile.

“Eh, you don’t need to worry about that, hyung,” Dongwoo tried to assuage his worries. He sighed and flipped the bottle in his hands. This was it. This was the real reason: “I’ve been thinking. Maybe I don’t bond well anyway, as I am now, or else it wouldn’t have broken so easily. Taehwan was just fine. He didn’t even break a sweat. And then there’s me.” He faced Sunggyu, with an awkward smile to match the other’s. “Myungsoo was right, I should be in the hospital right now, but I’m perfectly fine.” Sunggyu scoffed, and Dongwoo yielded, “Okay maybe not perfectly, but…what if I’m not as strong-willed as I think? What if it was just weak? I should still be in worse shape, right?” He spun towards the other, searching for an answer. Sunggyu should know. He’s an expert at this. He’s seen this before. He’d tell me, right? Like he did for Jungyeop?

But Sunggyu didn’t dare to look at him. Instead, he was staring at the wall again, playing with the strings of his hoodie. “I don’t know,” he muttered below his breath. Dongwoo scoffed. He’s treating me like Myungsoo. He doesn’t want me to know. Then Sunggyu stepped and faced the other. “But I also don’t doubt how determined you are,” he reasoned. “People cope with break-ups differently.”

Does he really not know? Or is he just protecting me? Dongwoo wanted to know, so he prodded the other, “It wasn’t just a break-up, doctor. You know that.” But it didn’t work. Sunggyu didn’t flinch. He just stared at Dongwoo, strong and steady. Dongwoo sighed and stood up from the stool. He didn’t know what to make of that, what to make of anything. “I think, I’m better off solo,” he didn’t know what to make of that thought that just slipped through is mouth. But it sounded more appealing than it should.

The only sound that could be heard for the next few seconds was Sunggyu rapping his fingers against the counter and the bottle crunching in Dongwoo’s hands. Maybe Sunggyu didn’t know what to make of all of this either, but he knew one thing: “It’s too late to be talking about something like this,” he said. He then took a step, and another, closer to Dongwoo and hugged him. It was one of the stranger things to happen that night. Hugging wasn’t strange. Dongwoo was a hugger. He loved hugs and gave them freely. Heck, he and Myungsoo began hugging each other as a greeting after his first day as a ‘pack.’ What was strange was the fact that it came from Sunggyu. Sunggyu…he knows how to hug? He did. It nice, warm, and quick. He let go of Dongwoo almost as quickly as he latched on. “Good night. Get some sleep, okay?” Sunggyu said before scampering back out of the room.

“Oh, okay. Good night, hyung,” the omega wished his fleeing leader. Dongwoo sighed, which slowly turned into a yawn, and he rubbed his eyes. Why did he do that? Did I look like I needed it? When he opened his eyes again, he glanced over at his reflection in the window. I do. I do look like it. “It’s too late for this. I need to go to bed.”

Tomorrow, or the next, later, much much later Dongwoo would let himself think about his again, whether he was capable of falling in love again, but for right now, this omega would sleep.

It’s too late to be talking about something like this, Sunggyu had just said that just a few minutes prior, but now as he was lying in bed, he couldn’t stop thinking about this: “I think, I’m better off solo.” Sunggyu said that out loud as he squirmed in his bed, trying to get more comfortable. “Aish,” he cursed. “What’s with us?” He had one member of his pack who was crazy about finding a mate and was going on blind dates and prowling constantly. And then there was Dongwoo who was starting to think that he was better off without a mate. Myungsoo wasn’t any better. He was probably worse because he wouldn’t even think of mating until Sunggyu had found one. And finally, there was himself, Kim Sunggyu, to round out this miserable, lovesick (in their own rights) pack.

Sunggyu wished that he could be like Dongwoo and realize his limits, accepting that being ‘solo’ might be for the best. Or even being like Myungsoo would be fine. But instead, he was like Woohyun. Sunggyu wanted a mate. He wanted one really, really badly, maybe even more than Woohyun did. And there was a point in his life when he tried just as hard to find one, going on dates with perfect strangers, prowling at bars and clubs. All of it was fruitless and lasted no longer than one night of conversation. There were no follow-up phone calls. No second dates. They all stopped at the same point, when they all learned about his defect.

Sunggyu wished that he could tell them that his defect didn’t matter, that it wouldn’t affect their relationship or their bond. But that would be a lie. Sunggyu witnessed it firsthand, because there was one encounter he had that didn’t end after a night. No, there had been a second date, and then a third, and many many more. It was a full-fledged relationship, lasting for a little over a year.

Her name was Boram. She was a female beta and was a classmate of Sunggyu. Then later, they became coworkers at the Hospital. While they were both practicing medicine, Boram was studying how to make female betas fertile. It had been a point that she was passionate in (for both personal and professional reasons) and one that she later pursued, but before she did, they started dating after years of being ‘just classmates.’ And they had been serious. She had met his pack, and he had met hers. And they were on the cusp of starting their own.

The night started with a dinner at a romantic and elegant restaurant with a price tag to match, but it was the place to do the sort of thing Sunggyu had planned: proposing. And he did propose. She accepted. And then they proceeded towards the next step, going to the equally pricy hotel across the street so that they could cement their relationship with a bond.

For Sunggyu, it was like going through a procedure. After monitoring their relationship for so long, he noted it was time to take the plunge, and she agreed, giving her full consent. She knew full well that the proposal was coming that night. So they went out. He gave her flowers. They ate an expensive meal, drank expensive wine. He proposed without any flourish, just pulling the ring box from his pocket. And she accepted by putting it on. They then walked over to the hotel in silence. Sunggyu checked them in. They rode the elevator to their floor and then went into the room. Right as the door closed, they began kissing. They took all the necessary steps, followed the procedure exactly, precisely.

But there’s nothing y about following procedures.

It was while they were both on the bed, in their underwear, with their clothes carefully discarded, Boram rolled away, right as Sunggyu was about to kiss her again. She laid there on her stomach, face pressed into the pillow, still. Sunggyu sat on his knees, waiting for her to move, for her to come back. He’d thought she was being uncharacteristically shy, but what they were doing was something that they’ve never done before. And he was a bundle of nerves himself. He thought that all she needed was time. But then she screamed into the pillow.

“Y-yah!” he yelped. He crept over towards her, putting his hand on her back. “Are you okay?”

“No,” her voice was muffled by the pillow, but he could still hear her loud and clear. But In case he hadn’t, Boram lifted herself up and faced him, with wet eyes. “No, I’m not okay,” she repeated in a quivering voice. She then slid off the bed and began to pick up her clothes from where she placed them over a chair. “We’re not okay,” she mumbled, slipping her skirt back on. After putting her shirt back on, she continued to talk to a stunned Sunggyu. “This isn’t working.”

Sunggyu regained sense of mind and jumped off the bed. “What do you mean?” he demanded of her as he walked over.

“Gyu, you were second in our class. Don’t play dumb,” Boram replied distractedly, looking at her reflection as she put her necklace back on. She then spun to face him, an apologetic smile on her lips. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to be,” she had a hard time admitting that. Her voice was cracking. It was like she didn’t want it to be true.

“But you knew about my…condition,” he argued, crossing his arms over his chest, all too aware of how he still was. “We knew that this would be…different. You were okay with that.”

“I was, yes,” she yielded. Her face paled, and she leaned against the wall with her eyes fixed on the floor. “But I’m not anymore. I…I don’t want to settle.” Boram sniffed and wiped her both of her cheeks with her hands. She then lifted her head, showing her tears to Sunggyu. “How can I settle when I know full well what it’s supposed to be like?” she argued, voice breaking. “I want a real bond. I’ve always wanted a real bond. It might’ve been naïve of me, but I thought that if I got you to this point, everything would’ve somehow worked out. But look at us!” she exclaimed, gesturing between them. “We’re this far long and neither of our instincts triggered! We were supposed to lose control by now. Go wild and…well, you know as well as I do,” she lowered her voice near the end. Sunggyu scoffed and sat on the bed, shaking his head. He might’ve been shaking his head, but she was right. All of this was wrong. He’d followed the procedure exactly but it still ended up as a disaster. “We never lost control,” Boram repeated, thinking that he still needed convincing. “Do you want to know what I was doing? Hm? While we were kissing, I was thinking of new iterations of a fertility experiment. I came up with about thirteen of them.” She sputtered into a short laugh at that, but more tears spilled down her cheeks. “I was thinking of work while we were trying to have and that isn’t right!” She took in a shaky breath and then looked up at Sunggyu again. “I’m sorry, Sunggyu, but this isn’t going to work. I don't think I can do it.”

Sunggyu huffed. “What if it isn’t because of me?” he argued. He then narrowed his eyes on her. “Maybe it’s because you’re a beta.”

“Yah!” Boram snapped and threw the nearest thing (which thankfully was Sunggyu’s sweater) at him. “Kim Sunggyu! Don’t act like that! Don’t pin this on me!” she shouted, heaving. She looked for something else to throw at him and settled for the rest of Sunggyu’s clothes, throwing them at him one by one as she spoke (shoes included): “You know it’s not because I’m a beta. We can still bond like everyone else, even though we can’t…re-reproduce.” She whimpered, letting out fresh, hot tears. She covered her face and fell back against the wall. “We’re still given a chance to find love. Like we deserve.”

“Don’t I deserve it too?” Sunggyu grumbled, looking away. He didn’t like seeing her cry, and he hated making her cry. But now he was on the verge of tears himself. “I deserve love too!” he raised his voice, this time, looking at her straight on.

Boram shook her head, which almost made Sunggyu shout again, but his throat was too tight. If he spoke now, he’d surely cry. So he held it in. However, Boram was shaking her head for another reason: “I never said you didn’t, Sunggyu. I just meant that…we’re not…in love. Not like we should be.”

“I didn’t notice that there was a difference,” Sunggyu mumbled as he put his shirt on.

“Of course there is,” Boram retorted as she slipped her heels on. She then faced him again. “Just because I’m a scientist, doesn’t mean that I think love is something that can be artificially created under the right conditions or something that can be…injected or whatever,” she blubbered and stepped over towards Sunggyu, crouching down to his level. Boram placed a hand on his knee. “Look at us. We had all of the ‘right’ conditions, followed all the steps, and we still failed because we’re missing something in here,” she said, now laying her hand over her heart. “And that’s something that all of the science in the world could never replicate.”

Sunggyu turned away, with his back facing her. “Whatever,” he grumbled. “We didn’t fail because of me.”

“Yah!” He felt a sharp slap on his back. He swung his head back around to glare at her. “I didn’t say we did. I was pointing at my heart, not your nose,” she pointed out. “But…” she paused, biting her lip as she stood back up. “It could’ve been your nose…”

“Y-yah! You just said…”

“OR…” she cut him off, “…it could be me. Sunggyu, I don’t know what’s wrong here, which is why I don’t know how to make it right.” She walked over to the door, taking her coat off of the hook next to the door. As she was slipping it on, Boram kept talking. “I want things to be right, for the both of us. I want each of us to mate with our true loves.” Sunggyu scoffed at that. He never knew Boram had thought such things. She’d always seemed so rational. But true love? Did such a thing exist in a world like theirs? “Scoff all you want, Sunggyu. I probably deserve it. But I hope you understand me. Do you?” Sunggyu answered with nothing but silence. So Boram walked over to him, not allowing him to ignore her. “You’re a sweet guy, Sunggyu. You’ll probably meet your true love before I do,” she said and pressed a kiss to the side of his head, as if it was any comfort to him now. He knew what it meant. It was a goodbye.

“Fine, I understand,” he relented in a gruff voice, shrugging her off and scooting down the bed. “Now get out.”

“Okay,” she said in a low whisper and walked towards the door. “You’ll find someone, Sunggyu. I just know it.” And with that she left.

When the door closed, Sunggyu was left alone in the dimly lit room. He fell back onto the bed, arms stretched out, finally letting his tears free.

“I thought that someone was you.”

The next day, Sunggyu checked out of the hotel and returned to his pack, who were all surprised to seem him return and unmated. Reluctantly (days later), he told them the truth, and that’s when his parents concluded that he was aual, which was only ‘confirmed’ when Hyungdon performed his ‘experiment’ with Minyoung days later. The alpha wanted to prove to everyone that his nephew had nothing wrong with him, but instead proved all of their suspicions as correct. Something was seriously wrong with Sunggyu.

This was all before Myungsoo joined the pack. Whether Myungsoo knew about Boram or not, Sunggyu didn’t know. But he did know that his former pack had loose lips and Myungsoo had more tact than to bring up such a sore subject. And because they never talked about it, Sunggyu hadn’t thought of that night in the hotel room in a long, long while.

And Boram, even though they run into each other frequently at conferences, he hadn’t thought about her like that for just as long as time, as someone he loved. But as time passed, he questioned if it truly was love back then. Boram had never been happier than she had been recently. And as for Sunggyu himself, if he was still with Boram, he would have probably never opened the clinic, never performed the landmark surgery on the male omega. So he guessed that things turned out for the best, even if he was still single.

“Oh,” Sunggyu muttered as he bolted up straight in his bed. He rolled over, picking his phone up from his nightstand. “I wonder…” he mumbled under his breath as he scrolled through his contacts and made a phone call.

“I know, I know. It’s late, but I have a favor to ask.”

“Oh! Dongwoo, it’s you! Are you free tomorrow?”

“Me?” Dongwoo asked as he pointed at himself. He’d just come back from classes, looked around for anybody nearby to greet them, and saw the doctor laying on the couch with his eyes closed. Dongwoo was about to back out of the room as quietly as he could, but then Sunggyu suddenly sat up straight, giving Dongwoo a fright, and asked the question. “Yea, I can make time,” Dongwoo stammered out an answer. “Why?”

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Sunggyu replied as he got up from the couch with a creaking back and groans. Yawning and rubbing his back, he walked up to the omega and continued, “He’s agreed to have lunch with us, if you’re up for it.”

“Okay,” Dongwoo responded quickly. He didn’t need to think much about it; he wanted to grow closer to his other packmates, especially since the trial was almost over. “But who is it, hyung? Who are we meeting with?” Dongwoo asked with a slight chuckle.

Sunggyu sniggered with a cheeky smile on his lips. “It’s a secret,” he replied, putting a finger to his lips. The doctor then scurried past the other, running up the stairs.

“Hyung!” Dongwoo called after him and followed him up the stairs. “Who is it?”

“Secret!” Sunggyu chirped back and went into his bedroom. Dongwoo stood in the hallway for a few seconds, staring at the closed door. What is he up to? The omega clicked his tongue and cocked his head, going into his own bedroom.

“What’s with the weird look on your face?” Woohyun remarked from his bed, looking up from his phone’s screen up to his roommate.

“Sunggyu-hyung asked me to have lunch with him tomorrow,” Dongwoo answered as he put his bookbag down and plopped onto his own bed. “He wants me to meet someone.”

Woohyun rolled over onto his side to get a better look at him. “Who is it?” he asked.

Dongwoo shrugged. “He won’t tell me.”

“Hm? That’s weird,” Woohyun replied, sitting up on his bed.

“That hyung is a bit weird,” Dongwoo retorted with a chuckle.

“He is, but…” Woohyun paused to look down at his phone. “…we are too.” He looked up and smiled. “You know, for just stumbling into a pack, we stumbled into a good one.”

“We did,” Dongwoo agreed. I really hope that we can stay, the omega wished. The end of their trial was coming up in two days. Myungsoo liked them, and Sunggyu seemed to too. But just because they made good friends, didn’t mean that they’d be a good pack. Liking each other wouldn’t be enough. Taehwan liked me too.

“Don’t be so nervous,” Woohyun comforted the other, walking over to Dongwoo’s bed and sitting down next to him. “I’m sure he’s introducing you to someone completely normal tomorrow,” he said, patting the other on the leg. Dongwoo chuckled. That wasn’t what I was nervous about. Woohyun then joked, “If it’s a pretty girl, give her my number. If she isn’t pretty…give her my number anyway.”

“Yah! Nam-goon!” Dongwoo exclaimed, playfully showing the other. “If it’s a girl, I’m not introducing her to you. You have enough.”

“But none that I like,” Woohyun retorted, with a whine and pout. Then he smirked. “You know, hyung’s secretary wasn’t bad looking. She was funny too. What was her name again?”

“You touch Minyoung, you die.”

The both of them whipped their heads towards the door. “O-oh, Myungsooo,” Dongwoo stammered. The accountant was in the doorway with his eyes fixed as a deadly glare onto Woohyun. “You’re home?”

Myungsoo’s eyes then quickly softened as he looked over to the omega. He smiled and nodded. “Eung. It’s time for dinner too! Let’s eat!” he announced and left the doorway. Dongwoo could hear him going down the stairs and enter the kitchen.

“When did Myungsoo get so scary?” Woohyun mumbled, still looking at the doorway.

“You,” Dongwoo replied, nudging his friend. “You’re the scary one.”

“I am. I am,” Woohyun readily agreed and got up from the bed. “Yah, come on. Let’s go eat.”

“Don’t you have a date?” Dongwoo asked as he got up too.

Woohyun shook his head. “Nope. I need a break,” he answered. Then a weird, unsure half-smile flashed across his face. “I’d rather spend the night with you guys. Who knows how long we can be like this?”

Ah, so he’s nervous about it too. Dongwoo put his arm around the other’s shoulder. “I’m sure for a long, long time,” he was trying to convince himself as well as the other at the same time.

“I hope so. I really do.”

Me too. I hope we can too.

Dongwoo was still holding unto that hope the next afternoon, as he and Sunggyu were sitting in silence at a café. The doctor had asked him to eat lunch, but now they weren’t even talking with each other. It was awkward. Why is it still awkward between us? Dongwoo stared out the window and sighed. Can we really continue like this? Fed up with the silence, Dongwoo finally broke it, “Why did you ask me here, hyung? Just to eat in silence?” He cut his words with a laugh.

“Ah no,” Sunggyu stammered, waving his hands. “I wanted you to meet someone.”

“Ah, right,” Dongwoo had forgotten about that. “Who is it?”

Sunggyu smiled proudly. “Remember how you said that you didn’t know any male omegas besides yourself?” Dongwoo nodded curiously in response. “You won’t be able to say that after today,” the doctor revealed.

“Wh-what?”

“The guy that I performed the surgery on, I asked him to talk with you,” Sunggyu responded, grinning as if he’d just successfully performed the surgery moments ago.

“O-oh,” Dongwoo stuttered, suddenly growing anxious but also excited. Someone like me?

“Good idea, right? I’m full of them,” the beta bragged. He then sat up straighter in his chair, looking at the door, awaiting the guest. “He should be coming soon,” Sunggyu announced.

“What’s his name?” Dongwoo asked, bouncing in his seat.

“Oh!” Sunggyu gasped. “There his is!” He stood up and waved at the incomer to join them. “Over here!”

Dongwoo jumped up too, grinning broadly, and turned towards the door. This was it. Dongwoo would finally not feel alone in the world, and there was someone else like him. And he was tall, slender, with long hair brushing against his eyelashes. Dongwoo walked up to him with his arm outstretched, ready to greet hi. “Oh, hello! My name is Jang Dongwoo. You must be…”

“Lee Sungjong,” the other cut him off, taking Dongwoo’s hand and shaking it warmly. Sungjong then nodded over to the man just a few steps behind him and announced. “I’m his alpha.”

Dongwoo grew flustered. “Oh, you’re not…” his voice dropped. He could hear the beta snigger at his mistake and feel him hitting his back.

But the embarrassment was soon replaced with elation when the other man introduced himself, “I’m Lee Sungyeol, fellow male omega. Nice to meet you.” Dongwoo looked over and took the other in for the first time, his fellow omega. Sungyeol, he was even taller than Sungjong, with a toothy grin to match Dongwoo’s. I wonder if that’s an omega trait? Dongwoo wondered as he studied the other in amazement. He smells like me too. But…how is he so tall? Sungyeol must’ve felt uncomfortable by the other’s intense gaze. He slipped his hand out of Dongwoo’s grasp and asked, “Uh, so we should sit down?”

“Ah, right,” Dongwoo blubbered and plopped down in his own chair. His eyes followed the omega sit down across from him, but then he caught the alpha out of the corner of his eye, who sat down next to his packmate. “Excuse me, but why are you…” Dongwoo didn’t want to finish the question and seem rude.

Luckily, Sungjong didn’t seem to take offense. “I thought it would be nice to hear a perspective from a supportive alpha,” he replied. He then leaned closer to Dongwoo and whispered, “They do exist.”

“Of course,” Dongwoo chirped. “It’s good to meet you too, Sungjong-ssi.”

“So how do we do this? What do you want me to say?” Sungyeol asked, wanting to get down to business. He pointed over to Sunggyu. “This guy calls me up randomly in the middle of the night and asks if I can talk about ‘omega stuff’ with you. Completely vague.”

“Aish,” Sunggyu cursed, face growing red. “You know what I mean.”

“I assure you, I have no idea,” Sungyeol argued, shaking his head frantically as he leaned back in his chair comfortably. He then shifted his gaze over to Dongwoo. “I’m sure you already know enough about ‘omega stuff.’ You’ve probably been one longer than I have,” Sungyeol remarked. “He made it seem like you just got your Type Test back. How old are you?” After Dongwoo told the other his age, Sungyeol clapped his hands together and exclaimed, “See. That’s older than me!” Sungyeol looked over at the doctor. “He knows full well.”

“But Dongwoo’s never met another omega like him,” Sunggyu argued.

Sungyeol’s eyes grew wide. “Really? Never?” he asked the omega.

“You have?” Dongwoo turned the question around. “Do you know other omegas?”

“Eung,” Sungyeol hummed, answering casually as if it were a matter of course. “I know a few. I’ll introduce you to them.”

“Great!” Dongwoo exclaimed, bouncing again in his seat. He couldn’t contain his excitement any longer. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot,” he added, laughing. “Are they all tall like you? I’d thought you’d be more like my height,” Dongwoo finally asked, straightening himself up, trying to measure himself against the other.

“It varies, just like with all guys,” Sungyeol answered simply.

“Oh,” Dongwoo muttered, slipping back down in his seat. He suddenly felt silly after asking the question. I guess it makes sense. Of course it would be like that.

But now Sunggyu sat up straighter. “See. Omega stuff. He’s lived his whole life as one, but there’s still things he doesn’t know,” he explained to Sungyeol and defended his omega. Sunggyu then nudged the other in the arm. “Do you have any questions for him?” he prompted Dongwoo.

“I do,” Dongwoo responded with a nod. He then faced the other omega. “Why did you get the surgery?”

“The heat,” Sungyeol answered, while slamming his hand against the table for emphasis. He then leaned against his elbows and came closer to Dongwoo. “It’s kind of useless for us, isn’t it?” Sungyeol declared. “It’s not like we can have kids. It gives us nothing but trouble.”

“Right. I agree!” Dongwoo exclaimed, clapping his hand. “There’s no point in having it. No point at all.”

“You should get it too then!” Sungyeol concluded, acting as if it were a done deal right then and there. And for Dongwoo, it almost was, almost. Sungyeol then said something which made him immediately reconsider getting the surgery done: “Right after I mated, I realized that I really didn’t need it anymore. We made the bond. Why else did I need it? So I got rid of it, and I feel great.”

“Ah. You have a mate,” Dongwoo muttered under his breath. He then glanced over at Sunggyu out of the corner of his eye. Of course, he said that he wouldn’t perform the surgery on someone without a mate. Recollecting that, Dongwoo sighed heavily.

“Yea, and she’s great,” Sungyeol answered, his voice suddenly getting higher. He looked down, picking at his silverware. The tips of his ears were becoming red. He then gestured over to the beta. “I actually met her through this guy.” Dongwoo glanced over to the doctor, who was focusing on the glass in his hand, swirling it around as he nodded. The omega cocked an eyebrow, studying him. Why isn’t he bragging about it? He brags about everything.

Dongwoo shook that question out of his head and replaced it with another: “Did anything change between you and your mate after the surgery?”

“No. I can answer that for them. Nothing changed,” Sungjong cut off his packmate from responding. He then grimaced. “They’re gross.” He must’ve seen Sungyeol scowling at him out of the corner of his eye because Sungjong quickly amended his statement, “Gross in the best way possible. Lovey-dovey! I meant it like that.”

Pleased with that, Sungyeol turned his attention back to Dongwoo. “Honestly some things changed,” he commented. “But I think things are better now. She’s a beta, and I used to feel guilty when I had it. She really wanted to have kids of her own.”

“Did she know?” Dongwoo asked vaguely.

“Know what? That I was an omega?” Sungyeol guessed at what he meant.

Dongwoo nodded. “Yea.”

“Of course! I told her right up front,” Sungyeol stated proudly. “Lee Sungyeol. Omega. You don’t like it? Then leave!” he ‘reenacted,’ waving his hand as he ‘dismissed’ the imaginary person. Dongwoo laughed as he clapped his hands at the other’s performance. Yea, that’s how it should be done.

Sunggyu snorted. “It’s a miracle that she didn’t leave right then,” he teased.

“This face, this kept her around,” Sungyeol retorted, waving around his face and gaining a sputtering laugh from everyone, including himself. “Ah, I’m just kidding,” he admitted after the laughter died down. He then looked over at Dongwoo. “What else do you want to know?”

“Everything,” Dongwoo replied. And indeed he wanted to know everything, but unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time. After filling up the rest of their time with one question right after the other, no matter how silly they might have been, like “What’s your favorite color?” or “Can you do this? No? Then how about this?” Luckily, Sungyeol found the conversation just as amusing and fruitful as Dongwoo did, and he invited Dongwoo to join his club of male omegas. While he was giving Dongwoo the details of their ‘meetings,’ Dongwoo noticed something out of the corner of his eye, Sungjong. It was good that Sungjong came along. Dongwoo, like Woohyun, had formed a bit of a prejudice against them after Taehwan, but Sungjong cleared those all away. Just like Sungyeol was tall and Dongwoo was short, alphas differed from person to person too. Sungjong, yes, was a bit of a pushover, easily knocked around and teased by his packmate. But Sungjong was more of an alpha in subtle ways, like clearing the table as everyone was talking and reminding Sungyeol that they had to get going. They had a schedule to keep, and Sungjong kept them on task. He really is a supportive alpha.

Sunggyu grinned proudly to himself as the four of them the left restaurant. Dongwoo and Sungjong were in front of him, making plans to meet each other again. Look at that, Sunggyu thought to himself as those two exchanged phone numbers. Who would’ve thought that the kid could make friends so easily? This was a really good idea. Sunggyu then recalled Woohyun telling him that Dongwoo had changed. Because of the break-up probably, he concluded. The doctor smiled, seeing Dongwoo laugh boisterously at something that the alpha had said. Is this how he normally is? He’s not gloomy at all.

“Noona says hi, by the way,” Sungyeol said as he came up to Sunggyu’s side.

Sunggyu sighed and asked, “How is Boram?”

“Good. But busy,” Sungyeol replied. He then screwed his face with worry and revealed, “I think she’s losing her mind a bit with all of her research at the lab. Look!” He yanked up the sleeve of his shirt and showed the doctor his forearm. It was bruised, and Sunggyu could see small indents littered about in an arc shape. A bite mark. “That was her!” Sungyeol exclaimed, looking as shocked as if it had just happened. “We weren’t even doing anything, just watching t.v., and she picked up my arm, bit me, and put it right back down as if she did nothing. She’s weird,” he remarked, pulling his sleeve back down.

She was never like that with me, Sunggyu thought, his eyes still fixed on the arm. We were always in control. She was right. Sunggyu forced a smile onto his face, which felt tight and slightly painful. “I’m glad to see that you two are getting along,” he told the other.

Sungyeol genuinely smiled, patting his arm tenderly. “Yea, things are really good,” he said. “Really good.”

Sunggyu averted his eyes and settled on his new packmate, who was now shouting something about being an omega. The beta smirked. And this was the kid who was hiding it? He’s practically telling the whole world now. He then felt warmth spread through his chest. He was proud, proud of Dongwoo making such a change in such a small amount of time. I helped him with that…and Sungyeol too…and of course Woohyun…Myungsoo…okay it was a group effort. Sunggyu shook his head and looked over at Sungyeol again. “Thanks for talking to Dongwoo for me,” he expressed his gratitude with words and with a light pat on the other’s shoulder.

“No problem. Us omegas have to stick up for each other,” Sungyeol responded. He then searched for his fellow omega. “Dongwoo-ssi!” Dongwoo perked up and looked over at the other. Sungyeol grinned and raised his hands over his head, creating an ‘o’ shape. Dongwoo squared up to him and did the same. “O-code!” they both exclaimed in unison and laughed shortly afterwards. Sunggyu frowned at that, not liking being excluded. Sungyeol noticed it. “Eh, it’s an omega thing. You won’t understand,” he explained. He then jogged up to Sungjong. “Come on, Jjong. Let’s go. We’re already late. Bye, everybody!”

“Bye!”

When they all said their goodbyes, Dongwoo came up to the beta’s side. “Thanks for introducing me to him,” he said. “It’s nice to have someone to talk to about this.”

“Yea, I thought it would be,” Sunggyu boasted slightly. He then put his arm around the omega’s shoulders and brought him in close. He still felt proud of Dongwoo for being able to be so open like this. “Let’s go home.”

“Home?” Dongwoo repeated. “Home sounds good!”

Sunggyu’s smile shrank but still remained as they walked home. Dongwoo was able to be completely open about his omega-ness now, but would he be able to be open with his heart again? Sunggyu wanted him too. You’re a nice guy, Dongwoo. You’ll probably meet your true love before I do…just like Boram did. Just like everyone will. Sunggyu glanced over at the omega and sighed. Don’t be like me. Don’t give up.

Woohyun slowly, hesitantly walked down the stairs the next morning. It was Sunday, and this particular trial brought the end to the two-week trial. Woohyun stopped at the last step, taking in a deep breath. What’s going to happen now? What’s going to happen to us?

“Oh! Good morning, Woohyun-hyung!” Woohyun perked up his head and saw Myungsoo stopping right in front of him with a bag in his hand. “What are you doing?” the accountant asked him.

Woohyun sighed. “I don’t know,” he replied honestly.

Myungsoo chuckled. “Okay, well, whenever you’re done with that, let’s eat. I bought us breakfast,” he said, showing off the bag with a great grin. He then left the other on the stairs and went into the kitchen.

“What am I doing?” Woohyun asked himself when the other was gone. He descended down the final step and entered into the kitchen as well. Myungsoo was happily setting the table for the four of them. Woohyun puffed his cheeks. Well, that’s a good sign, isn’t it? He took in a deep breath and breeched the subject, “So, um, it’s Sunday.”

“It is!” Myungsoo replied as he sat down and began to make his own dish.

Woohyun pulled out a chair and sat down in it. “The trial is up,” he reminded the other.

“Oh,” Myungsoo gasped. “That’s right.” He then began eating.

“So…” Woohyun drawled out as he watched the other eat. “…what’s the verdict?” he pressed him.

“Well…” Myungsoo swallowed his food and wiped his mouth. “If hyung hasn’t kicked you out by now, I’d say that you passed,” he finished his reply.

Woohyun finally relaxed, deflating in his chair. “We’re a part of the pack?” he wanted someone to explicitly say it, to put his worries to rest.

“Yup,” a gruff voice answered in Myungsoo’s stead. It was Sunggyu, who made a beeline for the coffeepot. After pouring himself a mug, Sunggyu raised it to Woohyun. “Congrats,” he spoke, voice still tired and lifeless. And then he walked over and joined them at the table.

Stunned, Woohyun watched the leader, his new leader, sit down with wide eyes. “Thanks,” he replied back in a voice just as tired.

“Good morning, everybody!” Dongwoo shouted as he entered the kitchen, too cheerful and loud for a Sunday morning. But it seemed like he’d already been up for awhile. He was wearing jogging clothes and was coated in sweat. Hm? He hasn’t run in awhile, Woohyun noted as the omega pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Dongwoo exclaimed to the others, but all he got in reply was a vague grumble from Sunggyu and satisfied hum from Myungsoo, who had his mouth full. So he looked towards his old friend for a response.

“Dongwoo, we passed the trial,” Woohyun told him.

“Oh cool!” Dongwoo cheered and then took a drink from his bottle.

Woohyun groaned and hung his head. “This is all very anticlimactic,” he muttered lowly.

“I think it’s exciting,” Dongwoo argued as he walked over to Myungsoo’s side and put his hand on the back of his chair. The omega smiled as he looked down at his new packmate. “I like it.”

Myungsoo gave him a smile right back. He then leaned forward, looking past the omega to their leader. “Hyung, should we register now? We’ve got enough members for it,” he asked.

“Can’t,” Sunggyu curtly replied as he got up from his chair.

“Why?!” Woohyun exclaimed. “Why not?” Don’t they want us?

“No alpha,” Sunggyu left them with that and walked out of the room.

“Wait!” Woohyun commanded and jumped up from his seat, but Sunggyu kept on walking and went up the stairs. So Woohyun followed him, shouting all the while, “What do you mean? Hyung!”

Dongwoo shook his head as he watched Woohyun stalk the other up the stairs and began laughing when he heard Sunggyu scream loudly, “Don’t follow me into the bathroom! Get out!”

Dongwoo bit back his laughter and looked down at Myungsoo, his new packmate in name only. Suddenly, it wasn’t funny anymore. “Right, we’ll have to be an unofficial pack,” he thought aloud. “We won’t have any privileges as one, if I were to get sick or…”

“We’d still help you,” Myungsoo assured him, patting the hand that was still resting on the back of his chair. But he soon retracted it, and propped his elbows onto the table, cupping his chin and though aloud himself, “I’m more worried about taxes. Packs get deductions. But since we all are technically strays…” He started to run the calculations in his head, spewing out numbers and letters that made no sense to Dongwoo. The omega sighed and sat down in the chair that Woohyun had just left.

What are we going to do?

“Rude.” Woohyun was now back downstairs, but was glaring up them, at Sunggyu. “He didn’t even answer my question.” He then huffed and shook his head, walking back into the kitchen. “I guess one of us will have to mate with a nice, docile alpha,” he announced to the other two. Well, he announced it to them, but was mainly addressing Dongwoo, as he was staring down at him.

“Don’t look at me,” Dongwoo declined the job. “I gave up on love. Pass!”

Myungsoo stopped reckoning accounts and was now pondering about the missing, crucial type in their pack: “Female alphas are pretty rare. And they tend to be lone wolves.”

“And scary,” Woohyun added with a shiver. He raised his hand. “I call not it!”

“Not it!” Dongwoo repeated, not even a second later.

“Looks like you’ll have to find the alpha,” Woohyun gave the charge over to Myungsoo. He then left the kitchen, declaring, “I’m moving into the free room, okay?” Dongwoo watched his friend leave. That’s right. There was no point in them sharing a room anymore. And now that they were staying, they could establish some space for themselves. Dongwoo’s eyes flicked over towards the window. Maybe I should work on my garden now.

“Find the alpha, huh?”

Dongwoo’s eyes fell back down to the beta who was seriously considering the charged that Woohyun had graciously given him. “I think he was joking,” Dongwoo clarified. “Plus, I like it the way it is, even if it is unofficial. It’s more comfortable. And I like Gyu-hyung leading. He’s good at it. I’d follow him for 10 years, no 100 maybe a 1000 years.” He laughed and stood up from the table. “Yes, it’s good to be home. I’m gonna clean up. I smell.” With that, he left the kitchen too and clambered up the stairs, which now left Myungsoo alone in the kitchen, still stuck on one thought:

“Find the alpha.”

“An alpha. Where would I find one?”

Myungsoo shuffled his feet, kicking at the pavement as he walked down the street. He knew that Woohyun was joking, but the truth of the matter was that they did need to find an alpha. They were naïve in thinking that they didn’t. However, Myungsoo was probably still naïve in thinking that he could find an alpha that would be willing to have Sunggyu as a leader and not be a leader himself. Or herself, Myungsoo corrected himself. Maybe a female alpha is the way to go, but…Minyoung…Myungsoo stopped in his tracks at a busstop and slumped onto a bench nearby.

He closed his eyes and encouraged himself, “I found Woohyun and I found Dongwoo. I can find an alpha too.” He then gulped. “I’ll do whatever it takes, even if that means…”

“Sir?” Myungsoo opened his eyes and whipped his head towards whoever had called him. It was man, slightly smaller than he was, but with a bigger frame. And by the smell of him, he was an alpha. I wonder, Myungsoo pondered to himself as the alpha shifted nervously and pulled down the cap on his head. “Can I ask a favor from you?” the alpha asked.

“Sure,” Myungsoo replied with a forced smile.

“Great!” he exclaimed, looking very relieved. “Can you hold onto this for like…an hour? And then meet me back here?” he asked as he handed over a brown leather briefcase to Myungsoo.

“Uh, sure. I can do that,” Myungsoo took up the task, bringing the briefcase onto his lap. It was easy enough to do. And then maybe later…Myungsoo took in a deep breath, girding himself, before asking, “Can I ask you something?”

“Yea, whatever,” the alpha gruffly responded. “Just make it quick.” Myungsoo scrunched his face. He didn’t like how the alpha said that. It was too rough. Too authoritative. I’m doing him a favor and he isn’t being very nice. That isn’t a good sign, he concluded. “What is it? Ask!” the alpha spat.

“Um…” Myungsoo started but he was soon interrupted but the screeching wheels of the bus braking at the stop, followed by a blast of a whistle. “Hm?” Myungsoo whipped his head around and saw man sprint towards them with whistle in his mouth. The beta stood up instinctively, clutching the briefcase in his hands. “What’s going on?”

“Meet you back here in an hour!” the alpha shouted at him before jumping onto the bus with the other riders.

“Wha-where?” Myungsoo sputtered, looking around anxiously and noticing that the running man was almost upon him. The accountant took a step to the side, getting ready to run himself.

“Stop right there!” the running man spat out his whistle and yelled. But Myungsoo didn’t stop. He kept going, taking another step before he broke out into a sprint. Who is this guy? Why does he want me? What did I do wrong? Myungsoo craned his neck back to get a better look at the man. Crap! He was much closer than Myungsoo thought he would be. The man had fierce eyes, killer eyes. Gangster? “Stop!” the man growled again, and tackled Myungsoo down onto the pavement.

“Ow!” Myungsoo yelped as he was pressed down onto the ground. A knee was digging into his back. “What? What’s going on? What did I do?” he demanded an answer from the other.

The man scoffed. “What did you do wrong? You’re a thief!” he stated as if it were a matter of fact.

“Huh?” Myungsoo immediately stopped fighting the man. He felt the briefcase being torn out of his grasp. “Aish,” he cursed and wanted to melt into the pavement. Don’t tell me…

“See!” the man exclaimed as he opened the briefcase and put it into Myungsoo’s face, showing him the glittering jewelry inside. There were only a few pieces, but quickly judging by how much they shined, it was easy to tell that they were expensive, incredibly expensive. “You’re nothing but a dirty thief,” the man growled as he reached behind him and took out his handcuffs. “You’re coming with me. You’re under arrest.”

“I’m sorry for calling you a dirty thief,” the man apologized. The man was a detective named Lee Howon, or that was what the plaque on his desk read. And Myungsoo had read it over and over again as he spent an hour sitting at the detective’s desk, handcuffed, under the careful watch of a rookie cop as the detective left to sort out the situation. Eventually, the detective concluded, based on the evidence and Myungsoo’s story (as well as eyewitnesses at the stop),that Myungsoo wasn’t, in fact, a dirty thief. He walked over to Myungsoo’s side and unlocked the handcuffs, freeing him. “I’m sorry about all of this, but I’m sure you understand. In my line of work, it’s better to err on the side of caution,” he excused himself as he walked back around and sat behind his own desk.

Myungsoo grinned in relief as he rubbed his wrists. “It’s alright, detective. I’m sorry for running away,” he apologized in turn. “I didn’t know you were the police. You were just trying to do your job.” He hung his head. “I wasn’t being helpful.”

“Eh, you were acting out of instincts, and I’m not in uniform. I probably would’ve run too,” Howon dismissed his worries.

“You’re lucky that you have me to cover your ,” someone spoke up from the side. Myungsoo looked over and saw a tall, middle-aged man who was dressed similiarly to Howon, but he had a cocky smile on his face. Whereas, right now, Howon appeared to have lost all confidence in himself. The newcomer swaggered over to the desk and sat on the corner of it, facing Myungsoo. “Let’s keep this in between us three. My partner doesn’t need to be reprimanded by the Chief again,” he teased, casting his cheeky smile back to Howon.

Howon sighed, hanging his head and pretending to go over a form on his desk. “No, I don't,” he grumbled and set the paper aside.

“What are we going to do with you?” his partner lamented, standing back up and walked up to Howon’s side. When he was close enough, he put Howon into a headlock, pressing his cheek onto the other’s head. But it wasn’t a gesture of affection. The man was patronizing his partner. “Not only did you arrest the wrong guy, but you also lost the scent of the criminal. The thief was an alpha, and this kid is obviously a beta,” he revealed, swinging himself and Howon from side to side. He then let go of his partner and gave him a slap. “Yah, I thought alphas were supposed to have a better sense of smell than betas!”

“I’m not as experienced as you, hyung,” Howon reasoned, trying his best to ignore the other. But Myungsoo noticed that he was biting the inside of his cheek. He’s so…Howon forced a grin, with clenched teeth, and told his partner, “I just need more practice.”

“You’re an alpha?” Myungsoo asked in disbelief.

Howon turned his attention towards the accountant and was blinking, dumbly. “Um, yea,” he muttered.

“He doesn’t smell like one, does he?” his partner jumped in. He looked over at Howon with a bright smile. “He doesn’t act like one either.” He then began to prove it by hitting Howon’s cheek, progressively harder every time, and praised, “This kid is very patient.”

“Please,” Howon politely begged as he pulled himself away from the partner. He then squirmed in his seat and raised his gaze up to Myungsoo. “I should probably see him out.”

“Right,” the partner agreed and let Howon be. “Give him a ride home too. It’s only right.”

“Ah, of course, hyung,” Howon readily agreed, watching his partner leave. And once he was out of sight, Howon finally relaxed. Myungsoo couldn’t fight back the grin forming on his face. This is it! Howon stood up and gestured over to Myungsoo, silently asking him to do the same. “Would you like a ride home?”

But instead of answering his question, Myungsoo blurted out one of his own: “Detective, do you have a pack?”

Myungsoo had found their alpha. He was sure of it.