“It’s okay,” Mihoshi said, forcing a smile onto his lips. “To be honest, it's quite a blur for me. Final year was crazy for everyone. I'm sure there must be some kind of misunderstanding and we probably…didn't talk about it.”

If only Mihoshi could slap himself.

“But it's all in the past, yeah. Let's just leave it and move on. We're adults now! So hey, it's great to see you!”

At that, Sora’s despondent face lit up. “Thank you, Mihoshi. I’m so glad to see you again, really.”

The throbbing inside Mihoshi grew louder, and heat spread across his cheeks and down his neck. The apology came years too late, but seeing that warm smile was enough to wash away all the suffocating anxiety, just like it always used to. After all, things changed. They grew up. It was time to move on from a teenager’s mistake.

Maybe if he forgave himself slowly, it would be easier to come clean.

Mihoshi relaxed his shoulders and his smile softened. “I miss you too, Sora.”

Sora’s dark eyes sparkled.

As the meal continued, they chatted about things they had been up to. While Mihoshi skillfully evaded questions about his family situation and why he was stuck working at an omega club, Sora wasn’t shy in sharing his story, as though he wanted Mihoshi to know.

Even when he was still in high school, Sora was quite prolific. So it wasn’t a surprise that the moment he returned to Canada, he continued his job as a model. With his impressive build and perfect face, he appeared in magazine covers by the dozens, but once he graduated from university, he flew to Japan to start his ventures in acting.

“Why Japan?” Mihoshi asked. “If you’re serious about being an actor, wouldn’t Hollywood be more sensible? Its market reach is larger and it’s closer to you.”

Sora paused. His eyes curved into a smile, so soft and gentle.

Mihoshi’s heart skipped. Heat rushed to his cheeks again.

“The thought that you hated me never left my mind. I grew to resent myself for what I did back then, told myself that this was punishment for hurting you. But even so, I couldn’t forget about you. About us. It was selfish of me, but I desperately hoped that you still thought of me somehow. I didn’t want to disappear from your memory, and yet, I was too afraid to make one phone call.” Sora offered a small smile. “I branched out into acting. You always said I’m a good actor. You said I shone the brightest under the spotlight. An opportunity came up here, and I didn’t hesitate. If I couldn’t be by your side, I wanted to still be in your eyes.”

“...So you wanted me to see you on screen.” Mihoshi mumbled.

“I thought that you might not want to see me, but I couldn't let go. I wanted you to see me, to remember I exist, remember I'm waiting for you. Even if it's just a passing thought, like acknowledging a public figure, if I occupied a tiny bit of your mind, I would be happy.”

Sora gave a lopsided smile.

“I had this grand plan, you know? Show up on all the billboards, get featured on prime TV, have my face plastered all over buildings that you couldn't miss. Then maybe, you would call me. We'd hash through whatever issues we had and get back together.” He let out a nervous laugh. “But see, somehow we ended up running into each other much sooner. Absolutely not in the setting I thought of. I'm still a nobody here. I don't have much to win you over. But still…”

Mihoshi held his breath.

“But I'm glad that among the many people and places, we found each other. This must really be fate.”

Again, that word.

Why were people so hung up on fates and miracles? If fate really did exist, why did it make Mihoshi an ordinary beta who was incapable of standing by Sora's side?

A predetermined fate?

No.

When life decided that Mihoshi couldn't interfere with alphas and omegas, he learned how to identify the signs of pheromone release. He couldn't experience the effects for himself, but as long as he knew what was going on, he could take appropriate action. So even as a beta, he could pick up what was going on between alphas and omegas.

Mihoshi used to believe in Fated Pairs.

Now, not so much.

When they finished their lunch, Sora suggested they get coffee and have a stroll at a nearby park.

It had been a while since Mihoshi walked under such intense sunlight. Working from the evening till the early dawns, his sleeping schedule was the complete opposite of most people. He often slept through the day and woke up in the late afternoons, so the brightness around him was a welcomed change.

Once they bought their drinks from a mobile coffee truck, they walked along the pathway around the park. Freshly-mowed grass covered the vast span of flat land. Pedestrians and dog-walkers meandered. As they continued their idle chatters, Mihoshi couldn’t help but notice the curious glances thrown their way.

Even with plain clothes and a cap, Sora’s physique stood out and attracted the attention of many, just like at the restaurant. He might have only been modelling overseas, but a striking visual like that was hard to ignore anywhere. Whether Sora moved to Japan or another country, he would no doubt steal the show.

In comparison, Mihoshi looked like a discarded cardboard box. The server uniform gave him a stylish look befitting of Red Lotus, but this morning, he had thrown on whatever clothes he found before rushing out. Mihoshi at night and Mihoshi in the morning looked nothing alike.

So, as they stood under the shade of a tree, Mihoshi couldn't help but be reminded how effortlessly popular Sora was. A handsome dominant alpha on the path of stardom. It was a path where Mihoshi couldn't see himself walking alongside. They might have been lovers in the past, but the present was different.

Mihoshi turned his attention away.

Just then, Sora's hand brushed against Mihoshi's.

It was merely a slight touch, but when their pinky fingers intertwined, heat bloomed. Mihoshi swallowed, his cheeks flushing red. Loud heartbeats echoed in his chest. Pulling every drop of courage he held, Mihoshi chanced a glance at Sora.

He flinched in surprise when he caught Sora openly gazing at him.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” Mihoshi unconsciously rubbed his cheek.

Sora smiled with his eyes. “You’re still as cute as ever.”

A blush spread across Mihoshi’s face. “Stop joking around.”

“Mihoshi.” Sora lowered his voice to a gentle tone. “Do you still have feelings for me?”

Leaves rustled in the cool breeze. The sound of people and children blurred in the background. In the large park, only the two of them existed in their world.

Like a flash flood, the memories and emotions rushed into him in tidal waves.

They held hands, they hugged.

They kissed, they laughed.

They promised they were each other’s Fated Pair.

Young at heart and giddy that he was the only one who knew Sora’s real face behind the mask, Mihoshi embraced their budding relationship.

Sora believed Mihoshi was his omega.

Mihoshi wanted to be his omega.

And on the day of their secondary trait test result, Sora surprised the entire school again. On top of being the perfect student, he was a dominant alpha. A trait that came with intense rut cycles and instincts that resembled more of a beast, but it was still a rank above alphas in terms of intelligence and physique.

Soon enough, people, regardless of gender or trait, swarmed and hung around Sora more than before. Their goal was obvious—get closer to him. It was the reason why Sora put on the nice-guy mask in the first place, and this time, it intensified, forcing him to double-up his acts.

And when Mihoshi saw Sora’s delighted face filled with joy, his stomach sank. He crumpled his test result behind his back.

Sora’s hands on his shoulders were warm. His voice, light and cheery.

Though manifesting as a dominant alpha might appear to be a curse, especially when he hated the way people buzzed around him with unhidden agendas, Sora was glad of his test result.

Because it meant he was one half of a Fated Pair.

And for that, he would endure all the unpleasant social interaction he forced himself to return.

So, how could Mihoshi shatter that hope?

How could he take away the one thread Sora was holding onto?

The feelings Mihoshi harbored for Sora was a burning passion that took over his entire body whenever he thought about Sora. Day after day, they basked in the freedom of their secrets, hiding away from the crowd, sneaking into empty classrooms, stealing kisses from each other, a playful puppy-dog love that highlighted their young innocence.

Mihoshi didn’t want to lose what they had, didn’t want to give up their colorful future. In hindsight, he shouldn’t have done that. But Mihoshi could never refuse Sora.

The genuine smile that reached those obsidian eyes, revealing his pearl-white teeth. The way those arms wrapped around him in a comforting embrace. The warm lips pressed against his, a proof of their love, of their promise.

Mihoshi loved Sora.

That’s why he lied.

“...I’m an omega. A…recessive omega.”