Autumn had arrived, and golden leaves carpeted the schoolyard. A cold wind slipped through the gaps of your uniform.

You, an ordinary omega, unremarkable, with no notable pheromone scent, yet sharp-minded and with a good memory, sat on a wooden bench in front of the classroom, carefully reminding Baek Suyon about today’s homework.

That alpha, your longtime best friend, handsome with a balanced, muscular body and a face perpetually lit by a mischievous smile, was carrying a pile of books, most of which he only used to peek at your answers. Baek Suyon rarely focused on studying; he always needed you by his side to actually think.

You could only sigh and lift your pen to rewrite the answers once more. Deep down, there was a twinge of disappointment whenever he boasted about the omegas he had been with, yet you knew you were just an ordinary omega.

But in the past few days, Baek Suyon had been coming to class with a different expression. He kept smiling, draping his arm over your shoulder as he told you about a female omega from the grade below, the school’s beauty queen, whom he was now dating.

During lunch, he kept going on and on about her.

“You have no idea how soft and sweet her lips are. She’s the most beautiful omega I’ve ever known!”

“You can’t even compare to her. Not even a single strand of hair! Standing next to her, you’d look like a tiny star falling beside the moon!”

You just sighed, finishing the rice in your lunchbox, quietly listening to him recount his morning. Inside, though, you felt a slight pang at his words. You weren’t that bad.

⸻

That evening, your phone buzzed. It was a message from Baek Suyon:

“Come over and sleep at my place tonight. My dad’s on a business trip. The house is empty. I’m lonely.”

After a moment of consideration, you decided, it’s a day off. You packed some spare clothes and headed over.

Baek Suyon’s house was spacious and modern. Warm yellow light spilled through the large windows. You two watched movies, played games, cooked instant noodles for dinner, and then played cards.

And, of course, he set a trap for you, in his mischievous way:

“Let’s play cards. Loser has to strip at the winner’s command. Deal? We’re both boring anyway.”

And then, you lost. Miserably.

When the score reached 1:3, Baek Suyon only removed his shirt, revealing his toned muscles, while you were left almost bare in a single shirt. You sat timidly, trying to cover yourself with the fabric, your heart pounding as he leaned closer and emphasized:

“Hey! Strip already, I’m waiting~”

You hesitated, hands trembling, but he smirked teasingly:

“What’s there to be shy about… You look ordinary and plain, why would you be scared? If you were beautiful like my girlfriend, maybe I’d even bother to look. Come on, strip. Quick now!”

A wave of embarrassment washed over you, a mix of shame and an unexplainable racing heartbeat. Baek Suyon, with his mischievous grin and teasing gaze, stood there, making you realize one thing, this game was never just about cards.