Yu-jun

“Yuu, Eiji-kun,” our friends exclaim as soon as we approach their table in the VIP section of our favorite hangout spot—the exclusive nightclub Odori, nestled in the heart of the city.

“What’s up?” Eiji raises a hand in greeting, while I simply flop down onto one of the three couches surrounding the table.

“Yuu, you’re the most handsome Alpha in the world.” One of the girls clings to me immediately, wrapping her arms around mine.

“Yeah, the most handsome and charming man alive,” another chimes in, settling on my other side and placing a hand on my thigh.

“Wow, calm down, girls. Let the man breathe. He just got here.” One of my male friends laughs, shaking his head in mock disapproval. “Tsk tsk. Yu-jun always steals the spotlight and everyone’s attention wherever he goes. It’s frustrating to watch.”

Indifferent to the chatter around me, I grab my smartphone and open one of my social media apps, my fingers gliding over the screen as I check Aoto’s feed for the tenth time today—a shameful habit I have developed since confirming he’s the Omega from three months ago.

“Are you checking Chocolate Omega’s social media again, Yu-jun?” Eiji asks, accurately guessing my activity.

Frowning in frustration, I retort, “Tch. It’s not my fault he keeps his profile public for everyone to see his posts. It’s like he is trying to attract rotten flies or something.”

“Chocolate Omega? Who’s that?” our friends ask almost in unison.

“Are you interested in him, Yuu? What about Sota?” one of them pries further.

Ignoring their questions, Eiji presses on, “Why don’t you just follow Chocolate Omega? It’s not like you two are strangers.” He hands me a beer from across the table.

“I cannot just follow anyone and give gossipers more material to pry into my personal life. Besides, my parents would question my motives and interest in him,” I scoff dismissively.

“Who is this Chocolate Omega?” the group insists, their eyes gleaming with curiosity.

“Yuu!”

The voice I despise the most rings out, prompting me to close my eyes for a moment to rein in my irritation.

“Yuu, you’re here. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming tonight? We could have come together,” Ai Sato—a Dominant Omega and famous actress—whines, standing in front of me with her entourage, who squeal and giggle when I glance their way.

As I don’t respond, Eiji says, “Long time no see, Ai. When did you return from America? Has the shooting of your new movie ended?”

Without taking her blue eyes off me, she replies, “It ended last week, and I returned the day before yesterday. How come you didn’t know? I posted a photo on my social media announcing my return.” She glances at me out of the corner of her eye and adds, “I made sure to get tonight off when Ji-yeon told me Yu-jun was coming here with you guys.”

“No wonder Ji-yeon called me today and pestered me about my plans for tonight,” I grumble, a deep frown forming on my face. “This habit of yours, using my sister to worm your way into my life, is annoying and disgusting,” I state, the anger in my eyes causing Ai to flinch and take a step back.

After a few seconds, she recomposes herself and throws her head back, laughing sarcastically. “What am I supposed to do, then? I’ve been your fiancée for three years, and you still refuse to acknowledge me despite my efforts to please you,” she sneers, oozing arrogance.

Matching her confidence, I clap back, “And you know the only reason you are my fiancée is that you and my mother tricked me and forced Sota to break up with me.”

“How exactly did we trick you? It’s not my fault I went into heat, and my pheromones triggered your rut, and you attacked me.”

With my blood boiling, I state through gritted teeth, “Your pheromones triggered my rut? You know that’s a lie. Do you really think I don’t know you bribed the school nurse to inject me with an illegal drug to force me into rut? Do you think I don’t remember you locking the infirmary door and trapping me with you? Do you believe I am oblivious to the truth?” I rise to my feet. “You know we didn’t do anything because I escaped through the window. Yet you and my mother spread the lie that I deflowered the youngest daughter of the famous Sato family. You forced me into this engagement despite my protests and my love for Sota.”

Feigning innocence under the watchful eyes of our friends, Ai starts crying. Everyone but Eiji glares at me before rushing to comfort her, convinced I am bullying an innocent young woman who has loved me since childhood.

I sit back down and take a sip of my beer, unbothered by the drama. This isn’t the first time Ai has used such tactics to get what she wants and paint me as the villain. It has always been like this, and it has always worked. Even so, I felt deeply disappointed when her lies worked on Sota too. He refused to believe me when I told him I hadn’t slept with Ai, that it was just a scheme to break us apart.

Sota Kikuchi, my first and only love. I would give up my social position and wealth to be with him if he gave me another chance. But after three long, painful years of desperate longing, I have accepted that he may never see me the same way again. Even so, now that we are attending the same university, I intend to do everything to regain his trust and perhaps even his love. I am determined to win him back because my life means nothing without him. I don’t care that we are both men and Alphas—the main reason my parents opposed our relationship. Two male Alphas mean no heirs, and Sota’s humble background is another strike against him in their eyes. My parents are selfish businesspeople who only care about their status and blue blood.

“Yuu, I want to spend the night with you,” Ai boldly declares, reaching for my face and tracing my lower lip with her thumb. “I know you hate me, but I promise I can give you what you want.” She leans in to kiss me.

In response, I turn my face away and push her hand aside, cringing with nothing but disgust. As much as I love sex, I would never, ever do it with her because my feelings of revulsion for her take over me the moment I see her.

“But I’m your fiancée,” she yells, stomping her foot like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum for being denied their favorite toy.

“What’s up?” Riku, my and Eiji’s childhood friend, approaches the group with his own trailing behind him. “Hey, Yuu, guess whom I met today at the restaurant where I had dinner two hours ago?” He gives me a smug smile.

“I am not interested,” I say, genuinely uninterested.

Staring at me intently, he smirks, “I met Sota and his younger brother.”

Without thinking twice, I stand up and ask, “Did you really meet Aoto? Did you speak with him? What did he say? Was he okay?”

Visibly taken aback and intrigued, Riku frowns and tilts his head to the side. “Wait. Why are you questioning me about Aoto-kun? What about Sota? I was sure you’d be interested in Sota because you can’t get over him.”

Realizing the truth in his words and overwhelmed by my own eagerness to hear about his encounter with Aoto and not Sota, I stumble back and slump onto the couch, a stunned expression on my face.

Eiji, noticing my confusion, comes to my rescue and offers Riku a beer. “So, what did you and Sota talk about?”

Still drilling a hole into me, Riku replies, “Not much, because he was celebrating his brother’s high school graduation. Besides, Sota and Aoto weren’t alone; they were with a big group of friends. Speaking of Aoto, now I understand why everyone in the university’s medical department talks about him.” His lips curl into a naughty smile.

Hearing Aoto’s name again, I rush to inquire, “What do you mean everyone in the university’s medical department talks about Aoto?”

“Aside from Sota, I have friends in that department, and they told me that most people there have seen Aoto-kun one time or another, and they find him one of the most beautiful Omegas they’ve ever seen. Now that I’ve seen him myself, I can confirm their statements and agree with their opinions.” Riku pauses for a couple of seconds, his gaze glued to me. “The moment I laid my eyes on Aoto-kun, I felt the urge to bite him in the nape and make him mine.”

I curl my hands into fists while suppressing the urge to punch him in the face and announce that Aoto is my Omega.

“But isn’t Aoto-kun a Recessive Omega? How come you wanted to mark him? Did he emit pheromones for you?” Eiji steps in front of Riku, probably shielding him from my rage and jealousy.

Riku laughs and pushes him aside. “No, he didn’t. So what if he’s a Recessive Omega? His looks are everything. Have you seen him? You can’t take your eyes off him. It’s a shame he’s postponing his enrollment at Elite Chikara University for two years.”

Again, I rise abruptly to my feet. “What did you say? Aoto was going to enroll at our university but decided to postpone? Why?”

Riku narrows his dark eyes at me before shrugging. “I don’t know. Sota only mentioned that Aoto-kun was going to study arts, but for personal reasons, he’ll be doing it in two years.”

A mix of emotions swirls in my chest—disappointment at learning that the Omega I have been dreaming about was going to attend the same university as me but isn’t anymore, jealousy that he is desired by most people, even by my childhood friend, and curiosity as to why he has decided to postpone his enrollment. I remember our brief conscious chat three months ago; Aoto was excited to study arts, although, at the time, I wasn’t aware it was at the same university as Sota and me.

Ai places her hands on her waist and, suspicious, snorts, “Why have you gotten so agitated, Yuu? I thought you liked that stupid Alpha Sota, not his brother.”

My friends agree with her immediately, chatting among themselves as to why Aoto’s name has interested me more than Sota’s.

To be honest, I cannot come up with any excuse or explanation for Ai’s question, as I have no idea why Sota’s name hasn’t disturbed me as much as Aoto’s.

“I can’t wait to make my move on Aoto-kun in two years,” Riku comments out of the blue, his expression resembling that of a wolf on the hunt.

Jealousy takes over, and I open my mouth to diss him. However, knowing me too well, Eiji throws an arm around my neck and laughs, remarking to Riku, “You do know that if you dare make a move on Aoto-kun, Sota will kill you, right? Sota dotes on his little brother, and I doubt he’d let a playboy like you get close to him.”

Acknowledging Eiji’s statement, Riku grumbles, “That’s true. Sota always stops his friends at the university from getting close to Aoto-kun. In fact, I believe he’s never brought anyone to his parents’ apartment to avoid unwanted encounters with his brother. That’s crazy, isn’t it? It’s like Sota’s obsessed with Aoto.”

“Can you blame him?” Eiji chuckles. “I’d do the same if my little brother turned out to be an attractive and beautiful Omega with a bunch of perverts targeting him.”

“Hey, Riku. Did Sota say that Aoto will still enroll at Elite Chikara in two years, or will he go to a different university?” I blurt out, not caring about the question marks popping up above everyone’s heads.

In a teasing tone, Riku responds, “Aoto himself said he’ll enroll at Elite Chikara because it’s been his dream university since middle school.”

I nod and smile, relieved to know I will have the chance to see Aoto in two years without raising suspicion. Although I wish it were sooner, I cannot afford to act like a damn stalker. Besides, who knows? My infatuation with him may be gone by the time he enrolls. I may be dating Sota by then.

Fuck. My head is a mess. I love Sota, so why can’t I stop thinking about Aoto? It’s like my heart wants the former, but my body wants the latter. What a shitty mess.

“Hey, Yu-jun,” Eiji whispers, “why do you think Aoto-kun is taking a two-year break from university? You think you’ve impregnated him, and he’s decided to have your baby? The timing fits perfectly, doesn’t it?”

A cold shiver runs down my spine at the thought of Aoto being pregnant with my child. Annoyed, I remove his arm from my neck and sit back between the two women on the couch. “Don’t spout nonsense, Eiji.”

Stomping her feet, Ai whines, “Yuu, I want to spend the night with you. I want to go to your penthouse and sleep in your bed. It’s not fair I’ve never been to your place.”

I open another cold can of beer and down half of it, buying myself time to control my temper and not lash out at her. As much as I want to put her in her place, my parents and younger sister would murder me if I raised my voice at the actress. They treat her like a porcelain doll, and it pisses me off to no end.

“Ai, don’t get sad. Yu-jun doesn’t bring anyone to his penthouse,” Riku cuts in. “He takes all his sex partners to a hotel.”

Ai winces at the mention of my sex partners but quickly forces a smile, retorting, “But I’m not one of his sex partners.” She glances at me smugly and adds, “I’m his fiancée.”

Tuning out of the drama completely, my mind drifts to Aoto and the steamy moments we have shared, causing my body to react and crave the Omega’s touch and chocolate pheromones.

I wish I could kidnap Aoto tonight and lock him in a room with me. I would bite, kiss, and lick him everywhere, marking him with my pheromones and drowning myself in his.

“Yu-jun? Yu-jun? Are you listening?” Eiji’s hands waving in front of my face pull me out of the trance, dragging me back to the noisy nightclub and Ai’s annoying whining.

Sighing, I glance around and randomly pick a young man from a nearby table whose flirtatious eyes and smiles have been directed at me since I arrived. I motion for him to follow me outside. He nods eagerly and grins in response.

Without a word to my friends or Ai, I step out of the VIP section and the nightclub, relieved as the cool night air greets me. As expected, the young man—my hook-up for the night—joins me moments later, his body language making his intentions clear.

The next thing I know, we are in the back seat of one of my family’s cars, and a bodyguard is driving us to the usual hotel. Although my sex partner tonight is a Beta, he will do well enough to relieve me of my unbearable craving for Aoto until tomorrow morning.

Letting out a frustrated breath, I lean my head against the seat and close my eyes.

Two years. I need to wait two whole fucking years to see Aoto again. Will I be able to hold back my lust and not seek him out before then? What about Sota? Why can I control my desire to see him, but when it comes to Aoto, I can’t? Shit. My mind is a whirlwind.

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