Chapter Text
“I’ll be counting on you.”
Hyunjin had told her with a serious expression on his face, but Yeji didn’t realize the literal implication behind those words until she found herself with the omega behind locked doors for the fifth time.
“…You’re coming to me whenever you’re in pre-heat-” She gaped at him, eyes widening as her jaw dropped at the newfound revelation.
“You said you’ll help me.” Hyunjin’s grip around her shoulders tightened to a smarting discomfort, aroma of spices souring in displeasure at the sudden outburst in the middle of their scenting routine.
“… I never said every single time you’re in pre-heat-” Her protest was interrupted by a rush of provoked smoked cinnamon that crackled in the air, causing her to let out a weak groan.
“I don’t come to you EVERY SINGLE TIME I’m in pre-heat!” He snapped.
Yeji didn’t know whether to believe him or not, but it didn’t matter because his pheromones rendered her helpless anyways. As his scent bloomed into the atmosphere around them, her mind blanked, allowing him to tug her close enough for him to rest his head on her shoulder.
That was another thing – each pre-heat, Hyunjin became more daring, or to put it more accurately, more demanding.
What started off as scenting her wrist and arm from a socially acceptable distance slowly progressed to rubbing against her useless scent gland located in the junction between her neck and collarbone. Hyunjin was like a cat, pressing his body against her as he nosed the side of her neck, his grip like iron shackles on her wrist and shoulders to prevent her from moving away.
“… H-hyunjin-“ She choked when his scent became too domineering, unconsciously attempting to pull away from the suffocation caused by too much sweetness and spiciness melded into one.
He even purred like a cat, letting out a soft low hum from his throat, instinctively soothing her from the overstimulation of smell… all while keeping her close to him.
The end result was always the same – after he had gotten his fill of scenting and the suppressants kicked in, the aroma would dissipate into the air almost instantly. In a matter of seconds, spicy cinnamon was no more and only the musky odor of sweat and dirt in the practice rooms remained.
“… Thanks.” Hyunjin would begrudgingly thank Yeji.
And then he would abandon her on the floor, leaving without a backwards glance as she gasped for air to regain her bearings.
This selfish SUCKER!
It took about 15 minutes for her brain to clear up from the haze caused by Hyunjin’s potent redolence, mainly because while spicy cinnamon was no longer in the atmosphere, it was still stuck on her clothes, her neck, her arm, her wrist, her nose – her entire being. It was as if Hyunjin had branded her as his own, a thought that brought absolute chills down her spine. Because alpha, omega, and secondary gender aside, who wanted to be OWNED by someone else?
She shivered at the thought.
How terrifying…
As her mind slowly pieced itself together, her brow furrowed in confusion as she realized that there was something strange about their current arrangement.
In the past eight months, Hyunjin had been in pre-heat five times around her –more, if she chose to believe that there were a few times he went to someone else during his pre-heat. That was a heat episode once a month, practically the same as a menstrual cycle.
Her blood ran cold.
Heats and pre-heats… were not supposed to occur that often. According to her biology textbooks and Naver, heats were only supposed to happen three to four times a year – five times max.
Why is Hyunjin’s happening so frequently? Why aren’t the scent blockers working? How on earth is he going to survive the entertainment industry if his body is that sensitive? After going into heat that many times in the practice rooms, how did he not get caught yet? Do other people know-
“10,000 won for your thoughts?”
She violently flinched at the water bottle that appeared out of nowhere into her line of sight. But as quickly as she was startled, her recognition towards the friendly face that popped into view was even quicker, a smile warming her face.
“… Huh?” She pushed herself off the floor from her elbows, sitting up to take the drink gratefully.
“Well, the original saying is, ‘a penny for your thoughts’, but we’re in Korea… And your thoughts are worth more than a penny, so I changed it. ’10,000 won for your thoughts’?”
Chan smiled sheepishly as he sat down on the floor beside her.
“It means… Well… You look deep in thought. So I just wanted to ask… what’s on your mind? Only if you don’t mind sharing, of course-”
Yeji was startled into a giggle, cutting off Chan’s rambling as he also chuckled.
He’s so cute… But such a dork… He’s so nice…
She quietly thanked him before taking a sip of water.
“Nothing much… I’m just… just trying to settle down.” She still felt breathless from spicy cinnamon, playing with the now-half-empty water bottle in her hands.
“Yeah, his pheromones can be a bit much… Sometimes I get over-stimulated too… But I’ve gotta say – I was surprised when I heard you volunteered to help him.” Chan chuckled, taking his own swig of water.
“… I didn’t realize I volunteered myself.” She admitted honestly, her voice falling quiet as she stared down at her hands.
From the corner of her eyes, she could see Chan stiffen in alarm, his eyes narrowing into slits.
“… Did he force you?”
His voice rumbled in a way that was unmistakably ‘alpha’, causing her to freeze.
“You can always say no Yeji.” His brow furrowed in concern, his voice as serious as death. “I meant what I said. I’ll stop him. In fact- where is he?! He needs a talking to if he’s trying to force others to be his scenting-”
And once again, Yeji found her heartbeat quickening for the older alpha.
Why does Chan Oppa have to be so sweet? And cool? And a gentleman? And an alpha? He’s perfect…
She probably could’ve listed a hundred things about what made Chan so perfect, but seeing him get up from the floor caused her to panic.
“-It’s ok!” Her voice went up by three pitches as she lurched forward.
The loud outburst caused him to pause, stern eyes staring down at her in confusion. She fought back a blush.
“… It’s ok.” She repeated in a softer tone. “If it helps his heat pass by painlessly, I don’t mind… It’s just scenting.”
No, it wasn’t just scenting since there were times Hyunjin’s clinginess was downright suffocating. And no, Yeji didn’t exactly volunteer to be Hyunjin’s scenting buddy.
BUT! Yeji would rather treasure this rare moment and have Chan next to her, all to herself for a little while longer, than have Chan leave her and find Hyunjin. (Even if she would never admit it out loud).
Chan hummed as he sat back down, leveling a small smile at her, but didn’t say anything else.
“… I’ve never been able to do anything.” Her finger drew circles on the floor, as she purposefully looked away from his curious gaze. “… I was in the hospital for so long… all the sicknesses and surgeries completely dulled my senses…”
Yeji had to close her eyes as the memory of being rendered useless in a bed, surrounded by scents of chemicals and medicine, hit her full force. A stray tear escaped her loose tear ducts and trickled down her cheek.
“… I was planning to pass off as a beta for the rest of my life-“ Her voice cracked at the quiet confession, a reflection of her fractured heart, wounded from countless disappointments at failed attempts to activate a secondary gender that was too damaged to ever materialize.
She felt a warm hand cover hers and her eyes fluttered open.
Chan had such a kind look on his face as he pressed soft tissues into her hand. His soft eyes and sympathetic smile were as warm as the hand he placed on top of hers, causing her to smile back shyly at the gentle face.
“Anyways-“ She dabbed the corners of her eyes, “-I’m not used to it… but I’m happy I can help… I didn’t know it was possible for me to do so… since I don’t have pheromones anymore… but if I can help even one person… then it’s worth it.”
She reached for her water to take another guzzle.
“… But you have pheromones.” Chan tilted his head to the side, his brow furrowed in confusion.
Yeji almost choked on her drink.
“I-I… do?” She felt as if she had been hit by lightening, a jolt of shock running through her entire body.
At first, she thought he was just kidding. Or worse, lying. But Chan didn’t lie and he certainly didn’t look like he was joking the way he stared resolutely at her.
I have pheromones? How? What? Since when? What do I smell like? How strong are they? Do I need scent blockers now?
Yeji’s mind started racing a hundred miles an hour as a thousand thoughts filled her head.
“I have pheromones… I do? You can tell? W-what do they smell like? Can you scent me?” She eagerly launched herself towards him, bringing her face close to his without a second thought.
“Well it’s not necessary a smell.” He chuckled nervously, leaning away from her overeager advances.
At the sight of his visible discomfort, she blushed with shame and immediately backed off.
“… Sorry.” She mumbled, looking down in embarrassment.
“No! No… I was just surprised.” He reassured her, again in that kind voice that made her heart flutter. “It’s fine… But for your pheromones, there’s not really a strong smell, but it’s there…” He let out another chuckle. “In the beginning, I thought you were trying to show off your alpha status so no one would mess with you.”
Show off? Alpha status? Huh?
“I-I didn’t- I don’t… but I don’t have a scent-” She gazed at him helplessly, her eyes widening as her lips curled into a pout. “I don’t… I don’t smell anything… how come I don’t smell anything? How come I don’t have a scent?”
“You do, but even if you didn’t, not having a scent is perfectly normal.” He grinned boyishly, causing dimples to form. “Pheromones are chemical markers that the body produces so it doesn’t always produce a physical smell.”
Great. Handsome and smart.
Yeji quickly averted her eyes, trying to shake the thought from her mind and focus on the topic at hand.
“Really? Wait… Then how come Hyunjin’s is so strong? It is because he-“ She stopped herself, looking around wildly to make sure she didn’t accidently give away the other boy’s secret.
Chan chuckled at her dramatic reaction, his dimples becoming even more prominent.
“… You’re right.” His voice deepened.
She blinked and slowly turned back to meet his eyes, eyes that usually appeared so light and friendly, yet currently darkened with seriousness as he stared at her solemnly.
“… It’s because of secondary gender.”
He made a show of looking around before beckoning her closer. She could feel her cheeks burn, but scooted closer to him anyways.
“… Omegas always have a strong scent and smell with their pheromones. It’s part of their biology.” He spoke lowly, his warm breath tickling her nose as they huddled close together.
He was so close to her that if she tilted her face up, his face would only be two centimeters away from hers – a distance that could be easily crossed accidentally or intentionally.
“…Then shouldn’t alphas also have strong ones?” She asked, trying to keep her blush down as she forced all hormonal thoughts about ‘accidental’ kisses out of her brain.
“Alphas also have strong pheromones but scent isn’t necessary attached to it… Apparently omegas have a tangible smell because…” He coughed, his voice trailing off awkwardly as he slowly retreated from her space. “It’s due to-“
The embarrassment in Chan’s voice made the answer obvious, causing her to shyly back away as well, cheeks rosy as she nodded to him that she understood without him saying it.
Omegas had a strong scent because of… due to…
Mating.
Fertility played a huge role in an omega’s biology, and in order to maximize that fertility, a sweet scent was attached for an omega to attract a suitable mate.
At the realization, Yeji suddenly felt self-conscious.
She was an alpha, albeit a defective one, but still an alpha, who was assisting Hyunjin, an omega, while he was in pre-heat… taking on a role that belonged to his mate. For a split-second, she had a fleeting thought that perhaps she was taking advantage of his omega in pre-heat. But then she remembered…
HE asked ME – not the opposite way around.
It was HYUNJIN who came to Yeji every time he was in pre-heat or post-heat, or whatever pheromone-induced state he was in. He was the one who would look for her and demand her to take part of his scenting routine until the fury of spicy cinnamon completely disappeared. In addition, he couldn’t have a mate yet – not while he was still a trainee, even less so while he was a high schooler. Also if he became an idol, he couldn’t take a mate – at least not for a while.
So Yeji (and the others he claimed to have) were his temporary solution until his pheromones stabilized to the point that his scent blockers would work well enough to block off any heats.
Gosh, was Yeji glad to live in the 22nd century. She couldn’t imagine living through what her ancestors, her grandparents went through to deal with heats, mating, and life.
“So, as I was saying-” Chan coughed, fanning his own flushed face with his hands, “-pheromones and scents are two different things. They CAN go hand-in-hand, but not all the time.”
“Yep.” Yeji nodded her head emphatically to show that she understood him perfectly, bringing her knees to chest as she wrapped her arms around herself.
“Any questions?” The sudden cheekiness in his voice startled her into a giggle.
“Hmm…” She hummed. “… So you can sense my pheromones… even without a scent?”
“You do have a scent; it’s just kind of faint. But yeah! I can sense your pheromones. Or to be more precise, I can feel your pheromones.”
“Feel?” She tilted her head cutely.
“It’s… it’s kind of like a vibration you get in your body when you’re dancing… or like a… a mild electric shock that just travels from top to bottom.” To illustrate his point further, he did the wave dance move from his head down to his waist.
Yeji’s smile dropped.
“… D-does it hurt?” Her stomach rolled into fearful knots at the prospect of inflicting pain to another, especially to the one she admired.
“Not at all!” Chan shook his head emphatically. “It’s mild! Very mild! It’s more of a clarifying feeling. Like, ‘I’m an alpha and that’s that’ type of vibe?”
“So… everyone knows I’m an alpha-” She let out a horrified gasp as the realization hit her.
“Well… you didn’t really try to hide it…”
That explained the awkward glances she got thrown her way whenever the boys passed by her in the practice hall, or the random giggles that occurred whenever she made eye-contact with some of the girls during practice.
“-you don’t need to worry…” Chan smiled at her stricken face comfortingly. “It doesn’t really bother anyone. That’s probably why no one’s been hounding you about scent blockers. Besides…” He paused, a tensed silence suddenly weighing down the atmosphere.
Yeji blinked at the sudden mood change, even more exacerbated by the hardened look that appeared on Chan’s eyes and the way his hands suddenly curled into fists.
“… It’s probably safer for you to be known as an alpha than anything else.” His dark tone caused a chill to run down her spine.
Safer… Huh?
But as quickly as the tension came, it disappeared, Chan turning back to her with a sunny grin on his face.
“I’d say it’s about time we go back to practice, doncha think?” He said merrily, eyes disappearing into crescent moons as he smiled.
He was starting to stand up, when Yeji’s voice interrupted.
“S-scent-“
He halted, eyes widening in surprise.
Yeji could feel her cheeks burn and she bit her lower lip nervously, but still mustered the courage to repeat her request.
“… Can you tell me what my scent smells like? Please…” Her voice trailed off, but she bravely kept her face up.
You... I want it to be you who tells me… I want my first scenting person to be you… You… Please.
She was sure her face was as scarlet as a sun-dried tomato and a part of her wanted to die inside as she stretched out her arm, but she still held his gaze, refusing to look away. Even while she could see Chan hesitating, she stubbornly kept her hand out, her scent gland on her wrist tingling with anticipation.
Chan hesitated, but not for long. Drawing in a deep breath, he slowly lowered his head. With every inch he drew closer, she could feel her heart slowing by the second, thumping painfully in her chest. But she stubbornly held out.
In just a few minutes, she’d finally know what her scent was, what she smelled like. And by a person she trusted and held deep affections for. She wouldn’t trade this moment for the world…
At least that’s what she believed before the door swung open with a bang.
Yeji let out a startled scream as she and Chan jumped apart. She zoomed her attention at the door, wondering who on earth was the menace that prevented her from finally figuring out her scent. She was so frustrated she could scream and when she saw who it was, she almost did.
Because it was Hyunjin.
I’m gonna cry. I’m going to ACTUALLY cry! Darn you, Hyunjin!
She stared at him resentfully, but he wasn’t even looking at her, his vexed expression honed in on Chan.
“Jisung’s starting up again.” Hyunjin stormed into the room. “I swear, he says one more thing I’mma take his head off!”
“Hyunjin-“ Chan started, frowning in disapproval.
“I haven’t done squat! I removed myself from the situation! But Hyung! You better go in there! He’s starting up with Seungmin. SEUNGMIN! Seungmin, who never TALKS! Hyung! DO SOMETHING!”
Chan let out something between a groan and curse before he stood up. Then shooting Yeji an apologetic look, he swiftly left the room to go find Jisung before he could get into another fight.
Fighting… Again?
Yeji sighed and shook her head.
She didn’t understand, she really didn’t.
Ever since she’d known Jisung, there were two things painfully apparent – 1) he was an extremely talented boy, and 2) he had a knack of stirring up nonsense.
Jisung fought with all the boys. ALL OF THEM. She couldn’t think of a single person he didn’t get into an argument with. He even fought with Jeongin; JEONGIN! The MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILD! The only exception to his brawls and disputes were girls. He was very nice to girls. Heck, he was Yuna’s favorite by a long shot.
But the worst of fights he ever had were always, ALWAYS with Hyunjin. They hated each other. You didn’t need to sense pheromones to tell their emotions – hatred radiated from their body temperature the moment they glanced at each other! What made it even more frustrating was that it was obvious Hyunjin and Jisung were going to debut together. There was no doubt about it. Yet rather than getting their act together, their arguments seemed to grow progressively louder and their fights, gradually worse.
Yeji thanked the good heavens she didn’t have anyone like that in her group. All the girl trainees got along well, no fight lasting more than two hours.
But Jisung’s and Hyunjin’s feud lasted days, months; heck, they were hitting the one year-mark.
Chan had the patience of a saint, dealing with their petty fights the way a caring older brother and leader would.
(Yet another thing that made him extremely attractive).
Yeji pouted and let out another sigh.
She was so close to finding out her scent, even closer to having her crush (yes, she admitted it. She did like the older boy) scent her. But of course, Hyunjin had to come in.
This jerk can’t even give me ONE moment to myself? Darn you, Hyunjin! I already paid my dues! I scented you today! I should’ve been free from you after that! I was so close! Chan Oppa was going to scent me! I would’ve found out today! Now I need to figure out another time!
She was so into her inward lament, she completely missed what he said the first time.
“… ask me.” His voice was oddly quiet.
“Huh?” She rolled her neck in a circular motion distractedly.
“… I said, ‘Why didn’t you ask ME?!”
His thunderous voice caused her to stiffen, blood turning cold.
Against her will, she found herself slowly turning her head in his direction, only to regret it instantly.
Hyunjin was staring at her with stormy eyes, eyes so dark they were as black as night, with hands balled tightly into fists and he exhaled heavily.
What?
She slowly got up on her feet, really slowly as if she were cornered by a predator, which he was. Thin wisps of spicy cinnamon quickly thickened into the atmosphere, flooding the room within seconds, choking her.
“H-hyunjin-“ She let out a keel as she fell over, covering her nose with one hand while wrapping her arm protectively around her stomach with another at the sudden burst of pheromones.
She had to get away. He was going to strangle her with his scent if she stayed with him for a minute longer. But to her fright, he locked the door behind him, keeping that dreadful gaze on her.
“Why didn’t you ask ME about your scent?” He repeated in a downright menacing voice, stalking closer to her.
His black eyes were glittering with something she hadn’t seen before and something she certainly didn’t WANT to see. Keeping her hand over her nose and mouth, she backed away, trying to get away from his threatening form. But that proved to be a grave mistake, as she backed herself into the wall, legs starting to give out at his intense pheromones. And before she could blink twice, he was in front of her.
“I can tell you if you’re that curious-” His arms came up along either side of her, caging her against the wall.
“Wh-what… H-hyunjin?” She stuttered, tears filling her eyes and blood rushing to her head at the intensity of his scent as well as the close proximity between them. He was so close to her, he might as well have been sharing the same breaths she took.
Before she could say another word, he dipped his head to bury his nose against her neck. Any other protest was promptly disposed by the intense pressure against her most vulnerable scent gland, her mind going blank at the intimate nature of the gesture.
Her eyes rolled and the muscles in her legs slacked, but his arms were immediately strong around her waist, holding her up firmly as his nose traveled down her neck, searing her thoroughly in his scent. His pheromones rapidly sweetened from a spicy vengeance to a more soothing aroma, the room smelling like freshly baked cinnamon rolls. She let out a content sigh at the delicious fragrance, muscles and mind relaxing as warmth filled her up.
Cinnamon… Omega… Hyunjin… Cinnamon… Omega… Hyunjin… Cinnamon… Omega… Hyunjin… Cinnamon… Omega… Hyunjin… Cinnamon… Omega… Hyunjin… Cinnamon… Omega… Hyunjin… Cinnamon… Omega… Hyunjin… Cinnamon… Omega… Hyunjin…
Hyunjin.
Yeji’s eyes shot open.
She was currently laying on her side with a firm pillow tucked underneath her head. Despite the lack of blanket or cover, she was gloriously comfortable, a pleasant warmth snugly embracing her body.
How long have I been sleeping?
Probably a while, indicated by her growling stomach, which she soon realized – was the reason she woke up in the first place. Her stomach grumbled once more, signaling to her that she was indeed, hungry, and had waited way too long to eat.
I need to eat…
But did she? Did she really?
She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, snuggling closer into the warmth.
Did she really need to eat when she was so comfortable and warm and snug against the soft, comfortable inclined wall-
Wait, WHAT?!!
She jerked her head with a gasp, rolling unto her back wild-eyed, only to see a pair of brown eyes staring down at her, the warmth around her tightening, not painfully, but deliberately.
Somehow while she was intoxicated by his pheromones during their scenting haze, Hyunjin had lowered them to the floor. He was leaning back against the wall as he acted as her makeshift recliner… all while keeping his dark gaze on her with even darker eyes.
She froze, her eyes fluttering as she realized that the enclosing warmth around her was due to the fact that she was on top of a human heater.
She was seated in front of Hyunjin, her back against his chest, head placed underneath his collarbone, close enough for her to feel his heartbeat. His arms were wrapped loosely around her, not to shackle her to him, but to provide more warmth through body heat, substituting a jacket or a blanket.
Her cheeks slowly flushed a pretty pink, but she didn’t move away, nor look away from his gaze.
Had it been anyone else, Yeji would have immediately pushed them away, cheeks burning in embarrassment at the romantic position she was in, practically cuddled against Hyunjin’s chest. But she was so warm, and so, absolutely so comfortable, that she couldn’t bring herself to move; never mind her upset stomach. She refused to move from her comfortable napping, not when she hadn’t had such wonderful sleep in weeks. She was so comfortable she could fall asleep against him.
Also, a selfish part of her believed she deserved this. In their usual scenting routines, Hyunjin didn’t care about her levels of comfort or discomfort, eagerly seeking his own relief at the expense of her own. And on top of that, he would discard her like a used toy in a sandbox after each session. But for the first time, she felt comfortable, dare she even say, satisfied, by the result of the scenting ritual. In fact, her eyes were starting to close once more as sleep threatened to overtake her again. And she didn’t care.
You’ve been selfish all this time… Let me be selfish for now.
She found herself drifting off, a pleasant dream starting to take over once again. She was so sleepy that she almost missed the quiet words in his voice.
“…”
“Hmm…” She mumbled drowsily as she unconsciously snuggled deeper into him, her face turning to rest upon his steady heartbeat.
“… Rice… You smell like rice...”
Rice... My scent is rice?
Rice.