They had finished studying for the day and were happily relaxing before classes started again tomorrow.

"Because they're easier to arouse. Well, that's your problem, not mine. I'm a Recessive Omega," Yeonjun replied as he sprawled across Taehyun's bed.

Taehyun swallowed nervously and checked his Heat calendar. His Heat always came around the middle of the month, but he couldn't remember the exact date.

He rummaged through his suitcase, pulled out several boxes of injectable Suppressants, then tossed one toward Yeonjun.

"Take it."

Yeonjun looked at the Suppressant before tossing it back.

"I use pills. You're honestly kind of terrifying, you know? Stabbing yourself with injections all the time." He held up his own medication.

"These are different. I take pills every day because I never know when my Heat will hit. Besides, I'm always around Alphas. But why injections? Aren't you worried your skin will end up covered in needle marks?" Yeonjun asked curiously.

"Because nothing else works. This is the only thing that does."

Yeonjun's eyes widened.

"Creepy..."

"But that's a high-dose Suppressant, isn't it? You should be grateful you're a Dominant Omega with a regular Heat. Using injectable Suppressants like that can actually mess up your Heat cycle." His voice sounded casual, but he was genuinely worried.

Taehyun frowned.

"Huh? Really? You're lying, aren't you? You're just jealous because mine costs more."

"Taehyun, could you say something nice for once? Your mouth is always so sharp."

"I'm serious. Those injections are supposed to be used when your Heat starts, not all the time like pills. It's risky."

Before Taehyun could argue again, Yeonjun quickly climbed onto the other bed and covered both ears.

"Don't blame me when your Heat suddenly goes completely out of control."

With that, he closed his eyes.

...

The moment Taehyun stepped into the classroom the next morning, Hueningkai greeted him with a desk piled high with food.

"Good morning, Princess. You like that?"

"Flowers?"

Kai handed him a bouquet. Taehyun accepted it without a word before immediately passing it to Yeonjun behind him.

"Chocolate?"

"Peanuts?"

"Coffee?"

"Kimbap?"

Taehyun accepted every single one.

Then he promptly shooed Kai away from his seat.

Unfortunately, Kai had absolutely no intention of giving up.

He kept hovering around Taehyun anyway.

Suddenly, one of the jelly desserts Kai had given him rolled off the desk toward Beomgyu.

Beomgyu accidentally stepped on it.

Taehyun immediately bent down to pick it up.

As they crouched at the same time, their shoulders brushed.

A sharp jolt shot through Taehyun's body.

"Ah!"

He jerked backward so hard that his head slammed into the edge of the desk.

Beomgyu flinched as well, grimacing even though he didn't cry out.

"What was that?" Beomgyu asked, confused.

Taehyun quickly shook his head.

He hurried back to his seat, rubbing his arm uneasily while trying to calm himself down.

Then he quietly started eating the snacks Kai had brought him.

Kai remained beside him, gently rubbing Taehyun's arm.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked.

Being a Beta, Kai had no idea what had just happened.

He was the only person in the room who couldn't sense anything unusual about Taehyun's condition.

He couldn't smell the overwhelming scent pouring off the Omega he liked.

Even Yeonjun, who shared Taehyun's desk, couldn't clearly detect the pheromones.

Then—

His eyes flew open.

Taehyun suddenly collapsed from his chair.

Kai reacted instantly, catching him before lifting him into his arms.

He rushed past the teacher.

"Ma'am! Taehyun fainted! I'm taking him to the infirmary!"

Kai's quick thinking kept the situation from turning into complete chaos.

Meanwhile, Beomgyu stared at his own hand.

The spot where he'd touched Taehyun still burned.

Soobin knew exactly what had happened.

He noticed Beomgyu's hand turning red.

A tattoo slowly appeared across his skin.

"Beomgyu... what's wrong with your hand?" Soobin asked deliberately, hoping Beomgyu would notice.

Beomgyu looked down.

Silence.

"A Soulbond?"

"With who?"

Whispers immediately spread throughout the classroom.

"Taehyun...?" Yeonjun muttered before rushing out after them.

...

Unable to smell scents, Kai could never truly understand what Taehyun was experiencing.

But he did notice the tattoo on Taehyun's hand.

"Soulbond..." Kai whispered.

Even after the doctor injected him with medication, Taehyun remained unconscious.

Kai gently took his hand, tracing the newly formed mark with his fingertips.

"A snake tattoo..."

"In love, snakes symbolize loyalty."

He couldn't accept it.

He refused to.

Just then, Yeonjun burst into the infirmary.

His eyes immediately landed on Taehyun's tattoo.

It looked exactly like Beomgyu's.

"So... Beomgyu is his Soulbond?" Yeonjun murmured, unable to hide the worry in his voice.

Then his gaze shifted toward Kai.

Kai was drawing something on his own fingers.

Was he...

Trying to deceive Taehyun?

Pretending not to notice, Yeonjun quietly stepped outside when he heard Taehyun beginning to wake, claiming the teacher had called him.

Instead...

He stayed hidden behind the blue curtain.

Silently listening.

Yeonjun didn't make a sound as Kai told Taehyun that he was the Soulbond fate had chosen for him.

Still dazed, Taehyun looked back and forth between Kai and the matching tattoos.

The designs weren't exactly the same...

But...

Could it really be?

"From now on, I'll protect you," Kai said confidently.

"From now on, rely on me."

"I'll keep you safe and accept this responsibility as your future head of the family..."

Taehyun rubbed his aching head.

"If you're really my Soulbond... then why doesn't your scent feel special to me?"

'I almost forgot how ridiculously observant he is.'

Kai lowered his head.

Even so...

Kai had always been reckless.

Always the type to cross every line without hesitation.

Before he could second-guess himself—

He leaned forward and kissed Taehyun.

Just a soft kiss against his lips.

He only wanted Taehyun to believe...

That he was his Alpha.

...

Beomgyu returned to the dormitory.

He tossed his bag aside before collapsing onto his bed.

Taking out a mirror, he examined the second tattoo that had appeared on his body.

His fist clenched instantly.

He wanted to be angry.

This wasn't supposed to happen yet.

"Taehyun's Soulbond."

Soobin walked into the Alpha dorm room.

He tossed a report onto the bed.

"I stole it from the doctor covering the infirmary today."

"Where is he now?" Beomgyu asked, his irritation barely restrained.

He hated this.

This Soulbond meant he could no longer live however he wanted.

"They've both gone back to their rooms," Soobin replied.

"When I snuck into the infirmary, everyone was already gone."

"Except for that American guy."

"His lips were bleeding."

"Bleeding?" Beomgyu frowned.

...

Kai's hand trembled as he touched his lips.

"Fierce..."

He quietly wiped the blood from his mouth once more.