Aoto

“Are you sure you want to do that? What if Kenzo has a heart attack and dies?” I ask Junko, who’s hiding behind my bedroom door, patiently waiting for Kenzo’s arrival.

She waves me off with a dismissive gesture, a smirk playing on her lips, and rolls her eyes. “He’ll be fine,” she replies.

Before I can argue, footsteps echo in the hallway, signaling Kenzo’s arrival.

“Hey, I’m here,” he announces, stepping into the room.

Junko leaps out from behind the door and yells, “Kenzo!”

The poor guy lets out a blood-curdling scream, shaking like a leaf caught in a storm. Even though I knew it was coming, the sudden noise startles the hell out of me. I tumble off the bed in a dramatic display, like one of those fainting goats, landing hard on my back. A guttural groan escapes me as pain radiates up my spine.

“Ao, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Junko rushes to my side to help me up.

“Are you okay?” Kenzo joins her, his pale face etched with worry.

“My back hurts,” I mutter, wincing as I sit up. Then I glance at Kenzo. “What about you? No heart attack or anything?”

Kenzo shoots Junko a sharp glare before answering, “My heart’s about to leap out of my chest, and I can’t stop shaking, but I’m more concerned about you. You look like you’re in serious pain.”

Ignoring the death glare Kenzo is throwing her way, Junko crouches beside me, her hands already tugging at the hem of my hoodie. “What if you broke a rib or something? Let me check.”

Panic floods me as I clutch my sweater and T-shirt, yanking them down. There’s no way I’m letting them see the hickeys and bite marks littering my skin. 

“What are you doing? Stop it,” I bark, my voice sharp and strained.

“Kenzo, help me out here. Ao’s being stubborn as hell,” Junko says, her determination gleaming.

Kenzo, ever the pushover, obeys immediately. He grabs my arms and pins them above my head. Before I can process what’s happening, my hoodie and T-shirt are pushed up, exposing the undeniable evidence of my steamy weekend with a certain Dominant Alpha. Heat rushes to my face as I hang my head in defeat, cheeks blazing.

Here it comes—the interrogation. How am I supposed to explain this to my best friends? How will they react when they find out I spent my first heat with my brother’s ex-boyfriend?

Kenzo and Junko know all about my unrequited, forbidden love for Yu-jun. They hate him with every fiber of their being. Just hearing his name is enough to set them off on a tirade of curses and death wishes. If they find out the truth, they’ll scold me until my ears fall off.

Junko gasps, her voice sharp and accusatory, “What are these marks on your back, chest, and neck? Who did this to you? Was it an Alpha? It was an Alpha, wasn’t it? Were you attacked?”

What do I do? Do I spill the truth, or do I lie? Hmm… Perhaps I should do both—confess about my heat and sleeping with an Alpha, but omit his identity. If they press me for a name, I’ll just make something up, and that’ll be the end of it.

“So? Who’s the bastard who attacked you?” Junko demands, her impatience written all over her face.

I glance at my friends and sigh, “I had my first heat after we parted ways Friday night, and an Alpha noticed it.” I pause, biting my lower lip before averting my gaze. “I think my heat triggered his rut, and… well, we ended up spending the weekend at a hotel satisfying each other’s urges.” I scratch the back of my head, embarrassed.

Junko and Kenzo gape at me in stunned silence before exclaiming in unison, “You’re not a virgin anymore?”

“That’s the part you’re surprised about?” I scowl.

Kenzo shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah. I mean, you were the only Omega I knew who made it to eighteen with their ass still unexplored.”

“Tch. What’s wrong with that?” I grumble, rolling my eyes.

“What Kenzo means,” Junko interjects, noticing my irritation, “is that you were one of the most popular students in school. Practically all the Alphas—and even some Omegas and Betas—asked you out at least once, but you turned them all down without hesitation. Even the most handsome and beautiful ones didn’t stand a chance.”

“That’s because I was focused on studying above all else. My chances of being successful in any profession are slim because of Omega discrimination, so I have to work extra hard to get where I want to be.”

Discrimination against Omegas is no joke. Most workplaces see us as dangerous nuisances, thanks to our monthly heat and potent pheromones. Even though suppressants can subdue the heat in a matter of hours, we’re still viewed as threats and temptations to Alphas, who dominate high-ranking jobs. This stigma drastically cuts our chances of employment. As a result, many Omegas are forced to sell their bodies just to afford food, shelter, and basic necessities. Some are even auctioned off in underground markets as toys and pets for wealthy Alphas.

“But who was the Alpha? What’s his name? How did you meet him?” Junko presses, her frustration mounting.

“I don’t know his name,” I reply. “I met him on the street. He helped me, but neither of us asked for names. We were just two strangers helping each other through a tough situation. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” Junko grabs my shoulders, her eyes locking onto mine. “Don’t you understand that you lost your virginity to an unknown Alpha you’ll never see again?” she hisses.

I frown, puzzled by her reaction. “And what’s so bad about that? It’s not like I’m in love with him or want to see him again,” I remark, gently removing her hands before she crushes my bones.

“He didn’t mark you, did he?” Kenzo asks, inspecting the nape of my neck. He exhales in relief when he finds it unmarked. “At least the bastard had the decency not to bite you and make you his.”

Suddenly, the door to my bedroom bursts open, revealing a distressed Sota clutching his ringing smartphone.

“Ao, Ao, Ao,” he shrieks, his eyes wide, hands trembling.

“What is it, big brother?”

He freezes mid-step, his gaze landing on my bare chest as Junko and Kenzo scramble to strip me. His jaw tightens. “What are you guys doing to my little brother?” he demands, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at my friends.

Junko and Kenzo instantly drop my clothes and arms, their fear of Sota palpable.

“We weren’t doing anything,” Kenzo blurts, retreating to the back of the room.

“Yeah, nothing at all,” Junko echoes, following his lead.

Sota eyes them with suspicion, his smartphone still blaring in his hand.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?” I snap, irritated by the incessant ringing.

As though snapping out of a trance, Sota blinks a few times. “Oh, right. Yu-jun is calling me. What do I do?”

I’m floored. My heart races with confusion and apprehension. 

Why is Yu-jun calling Sota? Does he want to rekindle their relationship? Confess to him, as he did to me this morning? 

Millions of questions swarm my mind.

“Should I answer?” Sota edges closer, his unease evident.

“Yeah, do it. But if he asks anything about the weekend, don’t tell him I was the one he spent it with. Please.”

Sota nods and answers the call, putting it on speaker. “Hey, Yu-jun. What’s up? Why are you calling me after disappearing for years? I’m surprised you still have the same phone number, even after living in Korea.” His voice drips with resentment, a sharp reminder of how much Yu-jun hurt him.

“Hi, Sota. Yeah, I kept it, but I am back in Japan now. Why do you still have it? Whatever, that doesn’t matter. Anyway, I am sorry for reaching out like this, but…” Yu-jun hesitates.

“But what?”

“Your little brother… Aoto… Did he make it home safely on Friday night?”

I see Sota stiffen, his posture turning rigid. “Yeah, he did. Why do you ask? Did you see him that night?”

“Yes, I met him by chance, and he… suddenly went into heat.” Yu-jun’s words hang heavily in the air, the silence that follows thick with tension.

“Well, Aoto is an Omega, after all,” Sota says evenly, masking his emotions. “And? What did you do to him?” His tone sharpens, probing for details, likely to confirm if Yu-jun remembers the weekend.

“I brought him to your parents’ apartment safely—on Friday night. Right?” Yu-jun emphasizes the last words carefully.

“I don’t know anything about you bringing him home,” Sota replies, his voice steady. “But yeah, he arrived here safely.”

Relief floods through me, and I give him a grateful smile for covering for me. Despite the envy I’ve harbored toward him—his achievements, his status as an Alpha, and being the object of Yu-jun’s affection—I’ve always adored my big brother. I can’t imagine life without him, Mom, and Dad.

A loud sigh of relief comes from the phone. “That’s good. I just needed to be sure. I went into rut this weekend and spent it with an Omega, but that’s all I remember. When I woke up this morning, I was alone in a suite at one of my family’s hotels.”

Yu-jun’s words strike like a dagger to my chest—he doesn’t remember having sex with me. My breath catches as reality sets in. I expected this, but the confirmation stings more than I imagined—an ache that’s both physical and emotional.

“How do you know you spent your rut with an Omega if you don’t remember anything?” my brother presses the Dominant Alpha, the anger in his voice revealing that he's both mad and jealous.

“Their pheromones smelled like chocolate,” Yu-jun remarks.

I gasp and recoil, shocked and worried that he remembers the smell of my pheromones.

Chocolate? But I absolutely detest it—always have. What kind of joke is that? Is the Universe telling me I’m a joke of an Omega? Shit.

Sota glances at me and mutters, “And you love chocolate, don’t you, Yu-jun?”

“Yes, I do. I eat chocolate every day. It’s the best thing in the world—along with sex, money, power, and fame, of course,” Yu-jun smirks smugly.

Sota scoffs, “Is that all? If so, I’m hanging up. I’m busy.”

“Wait, don’t hang up. How have you been?”

“I’ve been fine. You? When did you get back from Korea? How long are you staying in Japan?”

“I returned last week, and I’m staying for good. My father and grandfather want me to graduate from university here, so it will be easier for me to work at the main company of my family’s group and prepare to inherit the business.”

“That makes sense. Where are you going to get your degree? A business one, I assume.”

“Actually, I’m going to start attending Elite Chikara University this year, and yes, you guessed it—I’m getting a business degree,” Yu-jun declares.

Sota freezes in place, breathing out, “Elite Chikara University? But I’m attending there too…”

“I know you are. I have heard it from our mutual friends. You are studying medicine, right?”

While my brother and Yu-jun talk, I can’t help but feel static and anxious at the news that the Dominant Alpha will be studying at the same university I’ve worked so hard to attend since middle school. I don’t blame him—Elite Chikara University is one of the most prestigious in the country, and only the best get in.

Wait a minute. If Yu-jun and Sota attend the same university, that means they’ll have more opportunities to meet. Sure, they'll be in different departments and buildings, but still… The campus will be the same, and they’ll probably have more friends in common. That sucks. To avoid more heartbreak, I could enroll somewhere else, but I adamantly refuse to do that. Elite Chikara has been my goal since I was a kid, and no Alpha in the world is worth making me give up on my dream.

“Hey, what do your brother’s pheromones smell like?” Yu-jun suddenly asks.

Without thinking twice, Sota replies, “Aoto’s? They smell like cho—”

“No, no, no,” I whisper, shaking my head and arms.

Understanding what I’m conveying, Sota coughs twice and says, “Garlic. Aoto’s pheromones smell like garlic.”

Garlic?

“Garlic?” Yu-jun repeats aloud, sounding surprised. “That’s… peculiar,” he adds, chuckling. “Although, I shouldn't be surprised because yours smell like fried chicken, your father’s smell like barbecue, and your mother’s smell like cotton candy, if I remember correctly. Your family is like a feast.”

“Garlic?” I mouth to my brother, disbelief stamped on my face.

Ignoring me, Sota focuses on the call. “Why are you asking me about my little brother’s pheromones?”

Letting out another audible breath of relief, Yu-jun asserts, “Because, for a minute, I was worried he was the Omega I spent my rut with. Thank heavens he wasn’t—because if he had been, it would have been the worst mistake of my life.”

Yu-jun’s statement makes me feel like absolute shit—more so than before.

“And why would it have been the worst mistake of your life?” Sota asks, eyeing me.

“You know why, Sota; because I still love you,” Yu-jun declares without hesitation. 

The Dominant Alpha’s words land on me like a punch, officially making the past weekend and today the worst days of my life.

* * *