Chapter Text
The clinic smelled like sterile air and lemon disinfectant. Sunoo sat on the edge of the padded exam table, his fingers twisting the hem of his school uniform.
His heart drummed against his ribs, too fast, too loud. He could almost hear the second hand on the wall clock syncing with his pulse.He’d laughed with his friends earlier that morning, pretending he wasn’t nervous.Everyone was getting tested today their classification day. Eighteen years old, old
enough for the system to decide who you’d be for the rest of your life. Alpha. Beta. Or…
the one no one wanted to be.
The nurse returned, tablet in hand, her expression unreadable.
“Sunoo Kim,” she said, voice clipped and professional. “Your results are in.”
He smiled automatically. “So? What am I?”
He expected Beta. He wanted Beta. Safe, invisible, normal.
But she hesitated. That tiny pause, that flicker of pity in her eyes and suddenly he knew.
“No,” he whispered before she even said it.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, tapping the screen. “Omega classification confirmed. The hormone markers are unmistakable.”
The word Omega crashed through his mind like shattered glass.
His ears rang. His stomach twisted. Omegas weren’t free. Omegas were… owned.
He forced a shaky laugh. “That’s not right. Maybe there’s a mistakecheck again.”
“Sunoo,” the nurse said softly, “the system is never wrong.”
Her words dissolved into a blur. He barely felt his legs as he stumbled out of the room,past the rows of students waiting for their turn bright-eyed, nervous, full of dreams. He didn’t stop until he reached the back of the building, pressing his palm to the cool brick
wall as if it could anchor him to reality.His phone buzzed. A message from his best friend Hojin: ‘Got my results! Beta!! You??’
He stared at the screen, tears burning behind his eyes.
He typed, deleted, typed again.
Finally, he sent back:
‘Same.’
And right there, Sunoo made his first lie.
He didn’t know yet that it would become his entire life.
Sunoo stood there long after the message sent, watching the tiny check mark appear beside it. His fingers felt numb.
The world suddenly sounded too loud laughter from the courtyard, the low hum of voices, the rhythmic footsteps of students heading home.
All normal sounds, but they pressed against his skull like thunder.
Omega.
The word looped in his mind, bitter and heavy.
He’d grown up hearing what happened to Omegas.
How they were escorted out of mixed dorms, transferred to “special care” facilities. How recruiters stopped calling, how dreams just… ended.
But what scared him most wasn’t losing his future it was losing himself.He could already see it: the soft pastels, the delicate clothes, the gentle tones people used when they spoke to Omegas as if they were children, too fragile to understand the world
around them. He’d seen how teachers patted their shoulders instead of shaking their hands. How people cooed at them, sweet little things, like they weren’t grown, like they weren’t capable.
The thought made his stomach twist.
He imagined the day someone would call him pretty instead of talented, obedient instead of smart.
He imagined being told what to wear, how to talk, how to smile as if his worth began and ended with how softly he could exist beside an Alpha.
His throat tightened.
No.
He pressed his hand to his chest, willing the panic to stop, but the pressure only grew heavier.
He’d wanted to be someone. Someone who mattered, who worked hard and earned things, not someone who was given a place out of pity.
The air around him felt thick, suffocating. His body was reacting strangely heartbeat fluttering, temperature rising. Panic mingled with something else, something unfamiliar and frightening.
He stumbled to the bathroom rushing to the sink, turned on the tap, and splashed icy water onto his face until his skin burned. His reflection stared back at him, pale and trembling.
“Beta,” he told the mirror hoarsely. “You’re a Beta. You always were.
But even as he said it, his voice broke soft, trembling, unconvincing. A knock on the bathroom door startled him. “Sunoo? You okay in there?” It was one of his classmates a boy who’d just been declared an Alpha. His tone carried that easy confidence, that subtle authority that made Sunoo’s
stomach twist.
Sunoo forced a smile he didn’t feel. “Yeah! Just washing my face!”
His voice cracked halfway through the sentence.
He waited until the footsteps faded before gripping the edge of the sink again.
He couldn’t let anyone hear that tremor.
He couldn’t let anyone know.
Because the moment they did, he’d stop being Sunoo Kim and become someone’s decoration. Someone’s delicate little Omega.
The bathroom lights buzzed faintly overhead, too bright, too white.
Sunoo gripped the edge of the sink until his knuckles turned pale. His breathing had steadied, but his thoughts hadn’t.
He couldn’t stay frozen like this.
If the registry uploaded his results before he did something… it would all be over.
His phone screen blinked awake in his hand. His student ID app was still open — a tiny green indicator at the corner, meaning his file hadn’t refreshed yet.
A narrow window. Maybe minutes.
The idea hit him like a spark in the dark.
He didn’t have to accept this. He didn’t have to be what they said.
His stomach twisted at the thought forging government documents, lying to every system tied to his DNA but the alternative was worse.
Being coddled. Owned. Dressed in soft colors and gentle words until he forgot who he was.
He opened the settings tab, thumb trembling as he scrolled through menus he was never
meant to touch.
The registry system’s Beta filter was simple — a single toggle line of code. It wasn’t supposed to be editable, but Sunoo had always been good with tech.
He’d spent nights tweaking practice apps, debugging sound files for the school’s music club.
Now that same instinct whispered: You can do this.
The cursor blinked, waiting.
He hesitated for one last second the final breath before the fall then tapped override.
The screen flashed red, then green. Status: Beta. Verified.
His heart skipped. For a moment, disbelief tangled with relief.
It worked.
He was safe for now.
He exhaled shakily and looked up at his reflection again.
Same face.
Same trembling lips.
But behind his eyes, something colder had taken root.
He wasn’t an Omega. Not anymore.
Not ever.
Present
The practice room smelled faintly of sweat, smoke, and citrus cleaner.
The mirrors reflected seven figures scattered across the floor, all catching their breath after another long rehearsal.
Sunoo sat cross-legged near the corner, towel draped over his shoulders, trying to steady his heartbeat. His glands itched faintly at the base of his neck underneath his scent patches a phantom reminder of what he really was but he forced himself to ignore it.
He was a Beta.
He had to be.
Sunoo forced a shaky smile. “Just tired. Long day.”
Jay narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced.
“Tired? You barely said two words during rehearsal today.” His grip tightened slightly on Sunoo’s shoulder not painful, but firm, a silent reminder
of who held power in this room. “We’re a team, Sunoo. If something’s wrong, you talk.”
Sunghoon chuckled, slinging an arm around Sunoo’s shoulders in a mock-casualgesture that felt heavier than it looked.
“Or maybe our beta finally realized how much better we Alphas really are,” he teased, smirking. “No pressure, right?”
A ripple of laughter followed. The kind that wasn’t cruel on the surface just thoughtless, soaked in privilege.
“Seriously,” Jake added from where he leaned against the wall, flicking ash from his cigarette. “You ever think about how easy Betas have it? No ruts, no dominance crap todeal with. Must be nice not to have instincts trying to control you.”
“Yeah,” Sunghoon said, eyes glinting. “At least they’re not Omegas. Those poor things don’t last long out here. The system pampers them like babies I mean which they are , but come on ‘stay safe,’ ‘stay pure,’ all that garbage what they should be telling them is to be cuter tired of ugly omegas they shouldn;t look bad .”
“Or think,” Jay snorted. “They’re raised to submit, not lead.”
“Dude imagine an omega leadeing” Heeseung laughed.
The laughter grew, casual and cruel all at once.
Sunoo felt it like acid on his skin. He kept his head bowed, pretending to check his phone, pretending the words didn’t hit so close. He’d heard people talk like this before,but it never stung like this — not until he became the target without them knowing it.
He forced a quiet laugh to blend in. “Yeah, omegas should stay at home”
“Exactly,” Jay said, satisfied, clapping him on the back. “You’re one of us.”
Sunoo nodded, smiling faintly.
One of them.
If only they knew.
From the far end of the room, Jungwon glanced up from tying his shoes. “Hey,” he said suddenly, “you guys think… maybe I’ll present soon? My mom keeps asking.”
“Hope not as an Omega,” Jake said immediately, grinning. “We’d lose our fearless little leader.”
Ni-ki laughed, tossing a water bottle at him. “Nah, Jungwon’s too stubborn to be one.
But if he is,” he teased, “guess he’ll have to quit, huh? Management won’t keep an Omega in a mixed group unless you wanna be pack omega.”
Jungwon glared “What no thanks pack omega is just a glorified housewife rather diethan be your slut” he said shoving off Ni-ki who leaned on him.
“Aww come on you mean you don’t want this piece of meat”.
The room filled with easy laughter again all except for Sunoo’s.
He forced a smile, but his throat burned.
He couldn’t even look at Jungwon, who just smiled awkwardly and rolled his eyes,pretending not to care.
Sunoo looked down at his towel, fingers twisting in the fabric.
This was what safety looked like pretending to laugh while your heart broke.
And as the laughter echoed around him, he thought, If they ever find out what I am… I won’t just lose this group. I’ll lose myself.
Jake exhaled another slow stream of smoke. “Let him breathe, guys. We’ve all got enough on our plates. Come on, one more run and we’re done.”
The others groaned, dragging themselves up. Sunoo followed, every muscle tense, smile in place his mask perfectly set.
He’d learned long ago that in a world built by Alphas, survival meant learning how to disappear.
The rehearsal ended late that night.
The locker room buzzed with tired laughter, the clatter of shoes hitting the floor, and the hiss of running showers. The boys were relaxed — voices low but unguarded, the kind of talk that never left the walls.
Sunoo sat at the far bench, wiping off his makeup with a towel, pretending to scroll through his phone. His ears, though, caught every word.
Jay leaned against the lockers, half-smiling. “Did you see that new Omega trainee from Belift High? The one with the pink sweater big tits?”
Jake smirked. “Yeah, the one that smells like vanilla all the time. Classic Omega move they know how to get attention. Always pretending to be shy so someone will take care of them.”
Sunghoon laughed, tossing his towel into the bin. “Please. They don’t even have to try.
One whimper and every Alpha in a ten-meter radius loses his mind. It’s pathetic.”
“Not pathetic,” Jay corrected with a grin. “Just… biological. They’re built for that. It’s cute, in a helpless sort of way.”
“Cute,” Ni-ki echoed, snickering. “You mean like a pet.”
The others laughed not mean, exactly, just comfortable in their certainty. Like it was all harmless fun.
Heeseung, quieter but still smirking, said, “You can’t really blame them, though.They’re raised that way. Taught to be soft, agreeable, dependent. I heard some schools don’t even let Omegas take advanced subjects anymore too stressful for their systems
or something.”
“Figures,” Jay muttered. “Can’t have them fainting during exams.”
Jake grinned, leaning back on the bench. “Still, I’d take one as a mate if it looked good. Keep it safe, you know? They like that kind of thing. Having someone strong around to handle the world for them.”
Sunoo’s hand froze mid-motion.
His stomach turned.
He’d heard people talk like this his whole life like Omegas were little glass dolls meant to be admired, protected, owned. But now every word scraped against him like sandpaper on skin.He could almost hear his own mother’s voice from years ago: If you’re lucky, you’ll marry an Alpha who takes care of you.
He’d laughed then. Thought it was an outdated saying.
Now he knew it was law.
“Imagine Jungwon presenting as one,” Ni-ki said suddenly, laughing. “He’d look ridiculous in one of those Omega uniforms pastel collars and all.”
“Please,” Jay groaned. “If he ever did, he’d have to quit before he embarrassed the rest of us.”
“Maybe he’d make a cute little housemate,” Sunghoon teased. “Sweet voice, tiny hands, all that stuff. He’d fit right in with the rest of them.”
The laughter roared again.
Sunoo forced a chuckle too, but it came out thin and wrong.
His reflection in the mirror across the room looked calm, Beta-like. But his nails dug into his palms, leaving crescents in his skin.
To them, Omegas weren’t people. They were roles. Pretty little things to tame, to praise, to pity.
And Sunoo who’d once thought being discovered would mean shame now realized the truth was worse.
If they found out, they wouldn’t hate him.
They’d pity him. They’d dress their disgust as affection and call it care.
That thought terrified him more than anything else.
The next day the morning sun streamed through the practice room windows, painting the floorboards gold.
Excitement buzzed through the air Jungwon had just received his classification results.
“Alpha,” he announced, practically bouncing in place. “I’m… officially an Alpha!”
Cheers erupted from the rest of the group. Jay clapped him on the back. “Finally! About time someone around here got the title we all know you deserved.”
Sunghoon grinned, spinning around to face the room. “You know what this means, right? Party time!”
Ni-ki pulled a small stack of streamers from a locker. “PARTY PARTY YEAHHHHHHHHH.”
Sunoo sat quietly near the corner, towel draped over his shoulders.
His smile was polite but tight.
Inside, his stomach twisted.
Another Alpha in the group meant more scrutiny, more attention and the inevitable pressure that came with it and a small part of him had
wished Jungwon was an omega if he had been one maybe Sunoo would have helped him and they would have become closer friends.
Sunoo’s thoughts were interrupted as the group quickly transformed the practice room. Streamers draped over the mirrors, balloons scattered across the floor, a small cake waiting on the table. The boys laughed, congratulating Jungwon nonstop.
“So,” Jake said, lighting a cigarette near the door, “now that you’re officially an Alpha… you know the rule, right?”
Jungwon’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Rule?”
Sunghoon leaned in, mock-serious. “Go bag yourself an Omega. Don’t just sit there like a rookie.”
“Yeah,” Jay added, nudging him playfully. “You’re an Alpha now. You gotta prove yourworth find the fattest ass you can find and dive into it.”
Jake smirked, tossing a balloon at Jungwon. “Not that we’re saying you have to, but…come on you’ve got a knot now.”
Sunoo’s fingers tightened around his towel.
He could hear the casual tone in their voices, but the meaning was clear. Alpha status wasn’t just a title it was power, ownership, and expectation.
The party continued, light-hearted on the surface, with snacks, music, and laughter but every joke, every teasing comment carried a sharp edge.
He smiled politely as Jungwon blew out the tiny candles, clapping along with everyone else. But inside, his heart thumped with quiet dread.
Later that evening, the group lounged in the common room after the party. Jungwon was still buzzing from the celebration, recounting every detail to anyone who would listen. Laughter floated through the air, but Heeseung sat slightly apart, a notebook in hand, ostensibly reviewing choreography.
Sunoo was nearby, quietly folding his jacket, careful to keep his movements small and calm. He laughed at a joke Jay made, nodded at Jungwon’s exaggerated retellings, allperfectly Beta-like.
But Heeseung’s eyes lingered on him a moment longer than usual.
It was nothing obvious a subtle tremor in Sunoo’s fingers when he reached for his water bottle. Barely noticeable, but the kind of thing that drew Heeseung’s attention. His mind ticked through possibilities: nervous habit, cold, tension from rehearsal.
And yet… something about the way Sunoo laughed, so carefully controlled, so almost too neutral, didn’t sit right with him.
Heeseung closed his notebook slowly, pretending to focus on the pages, but he couldn’t shake the feeling. His instincts, honed from years of leading and reading people, whispered that there was something Sunoo wasn’t saying. Something beneath the surface.Sunoo wasn’t an Alpha as if anyone would want to hide being an alpha.
But… not quite the Beta he claimed to be either.
Heeseung’s lips pressed into a thin line. He let the moment pass, not wanting to alarm anyone especially Sunoo. Yet the unease lingered, curling in his chest like smoke he couldn’t shake.
He watched Sunoo for a few more seconds, noting how careful he was with every gesture, every glance. Every laugh measured, every word tempered.
And then, just like that, the moment ended. Jungwon’s loud voice pulled everyone back into the room’s chaotic energy, and the subtle tension faded… for now.
But Heeseung didn’t forget.
Something about Sunoo was off, and the thought left a small, persistent knot in his gut.