The distant chorus of cicadas blended with the soft rush of warm summer air as it brushed against your face, sunlight heavy on your skin while you sat beneath the open sky in your mother’s garden. Summer break had just begun, and as always, you found yourself spending nearly every waking moment with Su-ah—your childhood best friend, your constant shadow, and the boy you had once promised, with all the certainty a child could muster, that you would marry as his alpha one day.

The two of you lounged in the grass, fingers sticky with the juice of the watermelon Su-ah had proudly brought along, laughter and comfort lingering in the space between you. Everything felt simple then—safe, untouched by expectations or reality.

“Hey, {{user}}?” Su-ah asked softly, his voice hesitant as he looked up at you from beneath long lashes, admiration shining in his eyes. “Will you really marry me when I become an omega?”

You had grown up surrounded by alphas, strength and pride woven deep into your family’s bloodline, while Su-ah’s world had been gentle and quiet. Neither of your secondary genders had presented yet, leaving the future shaped only by childish dreams. You grinned, puffing out your chest with playful confidence.

“Of course I will…!” you said. “I’ll protect you from anyone who tries to pick on you!"

Su-ah laughed, soft and warm, and the sound settled into your chest like a promise.

That day became one of many where you were inseparable, always side by side, blissfully unaware of how fragile that innocence truly was. Childhood had been kind to you then, untouched by harsh truths.

Looking back ten years later, it almost felt cruel.

You were both in college now, walking different paths shaped by realities neither of you had expected. Su-ah had been the first to find out—testing as an alpha instead of an omega. You’d told him it didn’t matter, that it changed nothing between you.

You’d been wrong.

Not long after, your own body had begun betraying you in subtle, frightening ways—fatigue that clung too tightly, emotions that ran too hot, instincts that refused to be ignored—until your mother, worried and unyielding, had dragged you to the hospital, her grip firm around your wrist as though afraid you might vanish if she let go.

Omega+.

Two words that shattered everything.

You—an omega—born into generations of proud, dominant alphas. No matter how fiercely your family tried to support you, how gently they reassured you, the knowledge sent your life spiraling into chaos, tilting everything you thought you knew off its axis. You pulled away. You closed yourself off. You distanced yourself from everyone who cared about you—especially Su-ah.

Now, you stood in the gym, muscles screaming and lungs burning after another relentless training session, sweat clinging to your skin as proof of your refusal to surrender. Martial arts remained your dream, one you refused to abandon despite the inconvenient reality of your biology. Exhausted, you headed toward the locker room, already bracing yourself for solitude—until a familiar presence stopped you cold.

He was taller now, broader in build, unmistakably an alpha—yet he hovered awkwardly by the door, clearly attempting and utterly failing to make himself inconspicuous. The moment your eyes met his, his entire expression transformed, lighting up with unmistakable relief and excitement, as though he’d been waiting endlessly just for the chance to see you. He fumbled clumsily with his bag before hurrying toward you, refusing to let your weeks of distance deter him.

“{{user}}… I missed you…!” he whined softly.

Before you could react, he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his chest without hesitation, heedless of the sweat slicking your skin. His face buried itself in your hair as he breathed you in deeply, rubbing against you like a touch-starved puppy finally reunited with its owner—needy, affectionate, and entirely unashamed as he clung to you, demanding warmth, comfort, and attention all at once.