Yu-jun

“Welcome, Young Master,” the staff at the Yoon Group headquarters greet me as I stride toward my father’s office on the top floor of the fancy and modern skyscraper.

“Young Master, Mr. Yoon is waiting for you inside,” one of his secretaries informs me, her flirtatious smile and sparkling eyes irritating me more than the sudden summons itself.

Ignoring her entirely, I push the door open and step into the spacious, elegantly decorated office, only to find my younger sister, Ji-yeon—a world-famous singer, actress, and model—chatting casually with our father.

“Yu-jun, you are finally here,” Father says, gesturing for me to sit beside Ji-yeon on the white couch in the middle of the room.

“Father. Ji-yeon.” I nod lightly in greeting before settling next to my sister.

“Why are you always so cold? We haven’t seen each other in almost a year, for God’s sake. I missed my big brother,” Ji-yeon pouts, wrapping her arms around me and resting her head against my chest.

Hugging her back, I ask, “When did you get back from South Korea?”

“Last night. I finished recording my new album earlier than expected. I wanted to stay longer to hang out with my friends, but Grandfather and Grandmother Yoon kicked me out of their villa,” she replies, her tone turning bitter.

I chuckle. “What did you do to piss them off?”

Father scoffs, “She threw several parties at the villa in Seoul, resulting in the cops being frequently called for noise complaints. In addition, her friends destroyed your grandmother’s favorite carpet and your grandfather’s vase collection.”

“Oh, I see.” I chuckle again.

After two knocks, the same irritating secretary from earlier enters, carrying a tray with glasses of water and mugs of coffee. She places them on the coffee table before flashing me a broad smile and releasing her pheromones—nauseating Omega pheromones. My expression hardens as I cover my nose with a hand, disgusted by her audacity to try seducing me in front of my father and sister—both Dominant Alphas, just like me.

“What the hell is this?” Father barks, slamming a fist onto the coffee table. Within seconds, his raging Dominant Alpha pheromones flood the room, thick and oppressive with the scent of Carolina Reaper hot peppers, making the air unbearable for anyone who isn’t a Dominant Alpha. 

As a result, the secretary instantly collapses to her knees, gasping and sobbing. 

Father rises to his feet, towering over her trembling figure. “How dare an Omega work for me as my secretary?” he snarls. “Did you lie on your résumé? Did you claim to be a Beta or an Alpha?”

Unbothered, I watch the scene in silence. Although the Yoon Group has hired Omega employees over the past year due to modernized Omega rights—since society isn’t as openly discriminatory as before—Father still refuses to have them work directly under him. He is far too cautious to risk sexual scandals or unwanted entanglements. As the head of the group, he cannot afford even the slightest controversy. Besides, Mother would cut his dick off if he ever cheated on her.

Ji-yeon smirks, “Yuu, why don’t you take her to a hotel and give her what she wants? It’s obvious she is dying for you to bang her.”

Crossing my arms, I grimace in pure disgust. “No.”

She snorts. “Why not? You are a playboy, aren’t you? I didn’t know you were picky about your sex partners.”

Ignoring her, I pull out my phone, wondering if Sota has posted anything new to his social media. Just the thought of seeing a new picture of him makes me smile, proving yet again how much I adore him.

“You are fired, effective immediately,” Father thunders, his voice echoing through the office—and likely the entire floor.

I glance up to see the Omega woman dragging herself out, still sobbing and trembling like a leaf in a storm. Indifferent, I exhale in relief and return my focus to my phone, scrolling through the posts on Onstagram. My thumb pauses on a picture of Sota and his friends in their medical intern scrubs, holding coffee cups and grinning at the camera. He looks so professional and happy that pride swells in my chest. He is determined to become one of the best doctors in Japan, and I admire that.

“What are you beaming like a fool in love at?” Ji-yeon teases, peeking at my screen. Her lips curl into a sly smile as she lowers her voice so only I can hear her. “Are you ogling your official boyfriend again? You are so obsessed with him—it’s ridiculous.” She laughs mockingly.

Closing the app, I shove my phone back into my jeans pocket and retort, “Sota isn’t my boyfriend.”

“Yeah, right. Do you think I don’t know how you go out of your way to see him at Elite Chikara? You two are the most popular couple on campus.”

“How do you know that when you don’t even attend Elite Chikara? Regardless, Sota is a close friend, nothing more,” I scoff. 

Ji-yeon tilts her head, clearly surprised. “Huh? Really? Haven’t you been in love with him since you were fourteen? I thought you were trying to win him back.”

Frustrated, I lean my head back against the couch. Yes, I initially sought Sota out when I first entered Elite Chikara, determined to rekindle our romance. But as he let his guard down and accepted my friendship, every time I even considered making a move, I felt inexplicably guilty. Some annoying voice in my head kept telling me not to cross that line. I have asked myself countless times why I cannot just act stubbornly like I usually do, but I have no answer.

“Sota and I are just friends,” I repeat firmly.

Ji-yeon eyes me suspiciously. “Hmmm… I doubt you haven’t fwopped-fwopped him at least once in the past two years.”

I frown. “Fwopped-fwopped? What the fuck does that mean?”

Smiling, she makes a crude gesture with her hands—she forms a circle with her fingers and thrusts her index finger through it—prompting me to laugh in amusement.

Father, still irritated from earlier, finally turns his attention back to us. As he sits down, he mutters curses about the Omega secretary before letting out a deep breath and changing the subject. “So, why are you here, Ji-yeon? You said you wanted something.”

Perking up, my sister grins. “I want you to contact a video game streamer and force him to be in my next music video.”

Father scoffs, “Tch. And here I was, thinking you were going to ask me to arrange a marriage with a famous Alpha or Dominant Omega. How disappointing.” He shakes his head, clearly unimpressed.

Horrified, Ji-yeon gasps, “Me? Marriage? As if. I will only get married when I am fifty and cannot party until dawn anymore. You know, when I need geriatric meds, hearing aids, diapers, and all that old people crap.”

Father clears his throat, glaring daggers at his daughter. “Your mother and I are fifty, and we don’t need any of those things you just mentioned,” he remarks dryly.

My sister covers her mouth with the palm of her right hand and giggles. “Oopsie. I spoke too much.”

“So, who is this streamer you want in your music video so badly that you are asking me to intervene? Why not just ask your agent to do it?” Father asks while typing something on one of his three smartphones.

Curious, I look at Ji-yeon, waiting for her response. I want to know who this streamer is too—it’s the first time I have seen her ask Father for help with something like this.

Ji-yeon folds her arms across her chest, complaining, “My agent already contacted him through Yoon Talent Agency, but he rejected our offer and made it clear he isn’t interested in getting involved with the agency. That’s why I came to you, Father. I need you to force him. The Yoon Talent Agency is part of the Yoon Group, and you are the head of the group—what you say is law.”

“Who dares turn my daughter down?” Father seethes. “Doesn’t he know that being in one of your music videos and being tied to Yoon Agency is a priceless honor? What an idiot.” He slams his fist onto the coffee table, releasing more of his ferocious pheromones.

“From what I learned from my agent’s investigation,” Ji-yeon starts, tapping her lips with her index finger, “he is a twenty-year-old Recessive Omega video game streamer who gained over a million subscribers in just two years.”

“Name. Now,” Father demands, the vein in his forehead nearly popping out.

“Aoto Kikuchi,” she declares.

What?

I immediately freeze, the mention of his name making my heart skip a beat. 

* * *