“Drink up,” said Doctor Yoon as he handed YooJin a small hot bottle that he instantly recognized as a popular medicinal drink.

YooJin thanked him and took a big swig, grimacing at the strong taste of ginseng.

He was now sitting on a large bed, still in his suit which was now dry thanks to a charm the doctor had placed on his clothes, in a nearly empty room. In addition to the bed, the only other pieces of furniture he could see was a nightstand, a chair, and a desk, all obviously made of high quality material but free of all decor.

“Where am I?” asked YooJin, placing the now empty bottle on the nightstand.

The doctor placed his hands on either side of YooJin’s neck as he answered. A warmth suddenly spread throughout his body from where the doctor touched him. "In TaeHyun's room."

YooJin nodded as he settled back down into the sheets. “Where is he?”

“TaeHyun? He’s with Nao and Chief Tak.”

“Chief Tak is the old woman I saw earlier?”

The doctor pressed his thumb on the area right beneath his jaw. “Yes, she is one of the seven chiefs here at the Academy, they are responsible for the management of it and the affairs of all Saerims. Chief Tak is the eldest and arguably the most powerful.”

YooJin rubbed the base of his neck when the doctor released him. “I’d like to thank her.”

“You can do that tomorrow,” said Yoon, settling back down onto his chair. “I’ve finished my examination and thankfully, everything seems to be fine but make sure to let me know if you feel anything unusual at all. An illness or the like could manifest later.”

“Do you know anything about what that–” YooJin began to ask when the doctor physically stopped.

“Do not speak of it here,” he said firmly. “A dungeon break occurring within the Academy grounds is quite significant. Instead, Chief Tak has requested that you and TaeHyun stand in front of the Council to explain what had happened.”

“The Council?”

“The Saerims who study here and decide to become hunters must join one of the class guilds: range, magic, assassin, blade, and fighter. There is a sixth but its nature differs from the others so I will let TaeHyun explain it to you himself. Each of these guilds has a guild head and these heads make up the Council. The Council is responsible for all major decisions regarding the Academy, hunters, and dungeons. They will need to hear about this event directly from you two.”

YooJin nodded and began to lean back against the headrest when the door to the room opened and TaeHyun walked in, his suit too now somehow dry as a bone.

“Ah TaeHyun,” said Yoon as he stood, allowing him to sit on the chair he just vacated. 

Instead of sitting however, the alpha held his hand out to him and demanded the doctor examine it.

YooJin peered curiously at the hand and could clearly see teeth impression on the skin right below the thumb.

The doctor raised a brow at the alpha. “Were you bitten in the dungeon?”

“No,” he tilted his head in YooJin’s direction. “He said he has rabies.”

The doctor turned to look at YooJin who conveniently was now reading the label on the empty bottle. He sighed. “It’s not bleeding and you do not have rabies,” said the doctor dryly.

TaeHyun turned to glare at YooJin who was now mumbling to himself about how he hadn’t expected prunes to be part of the ingredients list. “You said you carried it.”

YooJin looked up. “Hmm?” He then shrugged, giving the alpha his best innocent expression. At first, he had not planned on replying but then thought better of it upon gazing at his face. “Better safe than sorry. I thought maybe I got it after getting bitten by one of these huge monkey dogs that I came across while foraging in the mountains. I was sure it had rabies. It was this big–” he raised his arms wide “–and its eyes were darting from side to side, white foam spilled from its mouth and gray vomit–”

“Enough,” the alpha shouted, his face having turned slightly green.

YooJin settled back down with a smirk. He hadn’t planned on lying to him but when they had gone through the portal earlier back into the Academy, YooJin had ungraciously fallen on top of TaeHyun upon their landing. The alpha had then literally kicked him off as though he had some disgusting disease and YooJin, without much thought, told him that he should get his bite checked out since he had recently been tested positive for rabies.

Doctor Yoon sighed. “There are no monkey dogs, TaeHyun,” he said. “I can’t believe you just believed him like that and after I had just examined his sister’s bite as well.”

“She bit you?” asked YooJin as he looked up in surprise.

The doctor chuckled. “Before we dropped her off at the club, TaeHyun demanded the children receive a medical examination. TaeHyun was holding onto her as I administered a few prevention shots. She bit him out of pain or surprise, I would guess.”

YooJin peered at the alpha curiously. That was… unexpected. Why did the alpha care so much for children who were not his responsibility?

TaeHyun moved toward the bed and began to shove YooJin out. “What kind of siblings bite people?”

Irritated, YooJin shoved him back with his shoulder and rooted himself to the spot, refusing to move. “Apparently our kind.”

The alpha’s grimaced as he grabbed YooJin's arm and physically pulled him to the ground before smoothing out the wrinkles in the sheet. “Why am I not surprised? An ill-mannered omega like you.”

YooJin rolled his eyes as he stood up. “Yeah, that’s right,” he said, dryly, “I’m an ill-mannered omega.” He then made a show of sniffling and wiping his nose on the back of his hand before extending it toward the alpha.

TaeHyun, horrified, inched backward until he fell on top of the bed he had just recently tidied.

“Enough,” said the doctor, though he looked amused and a bit perplexed. He turned to YooJin. “It’s rare to find someone who talks to him like that and while I find that amusing, I think, for now, it might be best if you don’t agitate him too much.”

YooJin paused and wiped the back of his hand on his suit, savoring the look of disgust on the alpha’s face. “Alright,” he said.

The doctor turned back to TaeHyun. “Like I said, you don’t have rabies but your pheromones are extremely unstable, even now I feel a significant leak coming from you.”

He then turned to YooJin. “While you are standing, I’d like you to please lift up your arms.”

Confused, YooJin did as instructed.

“I’d like you to jump ten times while moving your arms up and down.”

YooJin raised his brow but performed the exercises.

Doctor Yoon pulled out a small notebook from his coat and quickly jotted down a note. “And you said that you were exposed to TaeHyun’s pheromones along with the two alphas in the room?”

He nodded. “Are they okay? Who are they anyway?”

The doctor didn’t look up from his notebook as he responded. “Yes, they are fine, currently resting in the infirmary. They are hunters, alpha wizards, who go into dungeons for damage control and raids.”

“Raids?”

“Missions to defeat monsters or search for rare materials not found in our world. TaeHyun also participates occasionally but he outranks those two.”

“I’ll report them,” said TaeHyun suddenly and YooJin turned to look at him in surprise. He had just expected that there would be no consequences for those alphas, after all, they were alphas. “What can you even do about it?”

TaeHyun gave him a look as though he thought him brainless. “Who do you think I am?”

The doctor took that moment to cut in. “Yes, behavior like that shouldn’t be tolerated. Though based on my examination of their omegas, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was not the first time.” He turned back to YooJin, whose eyes were still on them with a dubious expression. “And tell me exactly what happened after TaeHyun let out his pheromones. I would ask the man in question myself but TaeHyun has always been notorious for not being very detailed.”

YooJin scoffed. That was an understatement, thinking back on the alpha’s apparent dislike of explaining anything. “They fell to the ground and their eyes rolled back into their heads.”

The doctor nodded. “I figured as much, his pheromones are extremely potent.” He looked up, meeting YooJin in the eyes. “What is curious is that you didn’t, though you were in the same space as the alphas and now you seem perfectly fine.”

YooJin blinked. “Well – it wasn’t as though I was completely unaffected. Actually it was kind of weird. I almost felt drunk.”

“Well that isn’t so unusual. Some omegas and alphas start to experience feelings akin to inebriation before becoming sexually aroused.”

YooJin paused. “What?”

“Hmm?” the doctor looked up then met his eyes. “Ah… have you never experienced–?”

“I’m… normally not affected. You’re telling me that I was” he cleared his throat, “attracted to his pheromones?”

The doctor set down his pen. “Perhaps, the reason you reacted was simply because TaeHyun’s pheromones are potent. It is actually quite surprising, most omegas simply faint when exposed to them. The fact that you not only retained your consciousness nor experience full arousal meant that you’re quite resilient.”

“Idiots usually are,” TaeHyun mumbled softly from beside the bed and YooJin made a show of running his hand over his nose, sniffling while maintaining eye contact.

TaeHyun’s expression immediately turned to one of disgust.

The doctor chuckled again as he stood. “Well it is getting late. I must get going. I had some clothes delivered for you to wear.”

“Wait” said YooJin in surprise. “I’m staying here?”

The doctor nodded as he opened the door. “Yes, while we get a room prepared for you, you’ll have to stay with TaeHyun. I will take you out for a tour of the grounds tomorrow.” He then promptly walked out, closing the door quietly behind him.

YooJin blinked then looked around briefly. Other than a bed, desk, and chair, it was practically empty. He would have never guessed anyone even lived here.

“Hey, don’t you have anything to say about this?”

TaeHyun shrugged. “Since you’re to be my omega, I suppose I can tolerate having you here with me for a day or two though you’ll sleep on the floor.”

YooJin stood, deciding to ignore that as he began to remove his tattered jacket. He paused then turned back to the alpha.

“Hey,” he said slowly. “Thanks… for– you know, saving me back there and for getting my sister back safely.”

The alpha gave him a look. “I wouldn’t have guessed you knew how to thank people.”

YooJin briefly closed his eyes and clenched his teeth before releasing the breath he held. This alpha really knew how to get on his nerves. “And you’re welcome.”

Silence. Then, “for what?”

He raised a brow. “For saving you back there. You needed my pheromones right to do that thing you did.”

Silence again.

Irritated, YooJin suddenly plopped onto the bed.

“Get off,” said TaeHyun, his eyes narrowing into a glare as he stared down at him from beside the bed. “How dare you go back in with your dirty suit.”

YooJin shrugged then made a show of closing his eyes and letting out a loud snore.

He could almost feel the annoyance radiating from the alpha above him and he was just about to respond when he felt arms suddenly lift him from the bed.

YooJin’s eyes quickly opened. “Hey– What are you–”

But the alpha was already walking quickly to the adjoining bathroom. Then without uttering a single word, he plopped YooJin unceremoniously into a large porcelain tub.

A moment later a jet of cold water rained down on him.

YooJin rose from the water, sputtering angrily while rubbing a hand over his face, and opened his mouth to curse at the alpha only to hear the click of a door, signaling that he had been left alone in the bathroom.