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“Hyoni!! Hyung!! Are you with me???” Jungwoo tried to catch Jaehyun's attention but it seems like his cousin was too distracted. They were at their usual spot at the cafeteria, they had just finished their food but Jaehyun was already savoring his dessert, also known as the famous alphas in their school. They were still in freshman year while the guys who presented as alphas were already in their final year.
“Hyoni hyung, you're drooling!! Aigoo..”
“Maybe that's how things go after presenting.. Well, most people already thought that Youngho sunbaenim and Yuta sunbaenim would present as alphas but it hits way better and harder now that it's the reality..”
“Well, what can we expect? Both of them have strong alpha genes especially their parents are pack leaders and I guess they will be the next generation pack leaders. If I present myself as an omega, I'd love to have a mate like them! How about you, hyung?”
“Who wouldn't want to have a mate like them so of course, I’d be more than happy!”
“Hmm.. which of them do you like better?”
“Personally, I like Yuta sunbaenim!! He has such a strong yet playful aura. Youngho sunbaenim is intimidating and I wouldn't want to piss him off or even get in his way.. Besides, I'm sure he's gonna have a mate that matches him well.. maybe a stronger and bigger omega — if that's even possible! I don't know, I'm afraid he would have a hard time finding an omega who's big enough not to get crushed whenever he hugs them. Anyway, that's not our problem anymore and it's too soon to even think about it, we might be alphas just like them so forget about it.”
“Yeah, we should just wait for the day of our presentation and think of bagging an alpha when it's confirmed that we're omegas.”Jaehyun is the youngest member of Jung's pack and of course, his family and pack members were more than excited for his presentation. His peers told him that he's bound to be an alpha — he has excellent leadership skills, especially since he became a part of their student council even if he's in his freshman year plus he looks like an alpha. His body was big, he's tall and he's very good looking. He's even good at martial arts and he's very flexible so he can defend himself and not get beaten up easily.His cousin, Jungwoo, a fellow freshman may be tall but he was quite clumsy. He preferred to do sports instead of being involved in other activities, he's funny and talkative but he's only comfortable with the people he's close to, and he prefers eating instead of studying in his free time. He himself thought that he's an omega who just really grew tall because of his parents' genes and deep inside, he's already looking for an alpha who doesn't necessarily have to be tall because he's confident that someday, his children would inherit his height.Youngho and Yuta were actually the two grown alphas who oriented them and toured them around school before the academic year started and they've already fascinated the two. Alpha pheromones were no joke but the pheromones of newly-presented alphas were stronger since they're still not used to controlling it yet. Because of that, Jaehyun and Jungwoo secretly admired the two and hoped that someday, they'll be as cool as them if they present as alphas, or they'll have alpha mates like them if they present as omegas. — “Jaehyun ah, Jungwoo, wanna hang out after school? I know a shop that serves amazing spicy rice cakes and seaweed rolls! Ah, I heard they sell giant dumplings too!” Yuta went to his two younger friends and asked them out.
“Oh my gosh, yes! I'm always down for food! I'll go with you after school, Yuta hyung! Hyoni hyung, let's go!!”
“Aw, I still have to sort things at the student council room for a bit! I'll do it fast then I'll just join you afterwards!”
“Alright, alright! That's set! I'll see you two later then!”
“See you, Yuta hyung!!”—“Youngho ya, do you have basketball practice today? Let's hang out with Jaehyun and Jungwoo!”
“We still have a meeting regarding the new basketball jersey design for the upcoming competition. Oh? How come you're gonna hang out with them when you have football practice?”
“Our coach has something to do so the practice will be moved to Saturday. I don't wanna go home right away so I invited them to hang out. You should come so it would be a double date!”
“Double date, huh? If I were you, I'd only invite the one I like so the other won't become a third wheel..”
“Actually, I'm torn between Jaehyun and Jungwoo.. Jungwoo has more omega vibes but Jaehyun is really pretty..”
“Well, you should decide on that.. you must choose only one..”
“But I've already told both of them about it.. I guess we'll see what will happen later on. You really won't be coming with us?”
“I’m sorry, I won't be able to go with the three of you because I still have things to do. Better enjoy your bonding time, okay? And make sure to treat them at a good shop if you wanna score some points from them.”
“Yes, of course I know that!! I'll take care of them.”
“Alright, see you later then. Enjoy your time with the pretty ones.”
“Okay.. see you later! If ever you change your mind, just send me a message and I'll tell you where we're at.” Yuta bid goodbye to his childhood best friend Youngho and happily went away, while the other alpha felt a pang in his chest because it seems like the best friend he had been treating as his brother likes his first love — the prettier one named Jung Jaehyun.Youngho had been liking Jaehyun from afar, but he kept everything inside since Jaehyun's presentation hadn't happened yet. As an alpha, he should look for an omega mate but he didn't want to risk it unless he's sure that Jaehyun is an omega so he just took his time — but it seems like he was too late now because Yuta is on his way to make Jaehyun as his. Youngho loves his best friend, and since Yuta didn't get much from his parents growing up, he decided to give way and let Yuta be happy with his love, especially since he knows that Jaehyun likes Yuta too. The discussion for the basketball jersey lasted longer than expected and Youngho was somehow relieved because he knew that Yuta was already with Jungwoo and Jaehyun, and he wouldn't have to see Jaehyun around. He may have been very intimidating and snobbish but Youngho purposely did that to look tough and cool, even if deep inside, his heart raced whenever he caught a glimpse of Jaehyun. He always tried to maintain a poker face but on that same day, he forgot about it momentarily especially when he saw Jaehyun by the lobby of the school, and it seemed like Jaehyun just finished his meeting as a part of the student council. Youngho tried his best not to get recognised but it's impossible with his height so he tried to pretend that he didn't hear anything when Jaehyun called his name — even to no avail.
“Youngho hyung!! Hi!! Youngho hyung!! I didn't know that you're still here! There's no basketball game today, right?”
“Oh, hello! Yeah, there's no game today but we had a meeting about some stuff.”
“I see. Since our meetings are over, let's go and meet Yuta hyung! I bet he's already with Jungwoo.”
“Actually, I still have to go somewhere. I bet Yuta and Jungwoo are waiting for you, you should go so you can eat with them too.”
“Is that so? It's a pity that you won't be able to go with us. You should come with us next time, okay?”
“I'm not sure about that, I'm quite busy with the team especially we're also gonna get ready for the competition. Enjoy hanging out with Yuta and Jungwoo, then! I'll be going ahead. See you around!”
“Ah yes, see you around!”Youngho sighed as soon as he went out of the school gate and walked home instead of hanging out with his childhood best friend and their two pretty younger friends. He felt really conflicted because he feels sorry for avoiding Jaehyun when the younger one just wanted to hang out with him without any malice, but he thinks that what he's doing is right — especially since his childhood best friend likes Jaehyun. Even if he likes Jaehyun too, he's more than willing to sacrifice things just so his best friend would be happy. Besides, Jaehyun doesn't even like him. Ever since they met, Jaehyun has always laid his eyes on Yuta, and Youngho kept on telling himself that Jaehyun was just nice to him because he is Yuta’s best friend. He thought that it's better to avoid Jaehyun early so stupid feelings won't grow into yearning for someone who's clearly not into him.And Youngho wasn't surprised that Yuta came home really happy. It turned out that Jungwoo had to go home earlier so Yuta was able to spend a lot of time with Jaehyun alone. They went on some street food dates, even had ice cream and talked. Yuta also told Youngho that confessed his feelings for Jaehyun, and the younger felt the same way for him pso they agreed to date. Even if he already expected it and even if he tried to accept the fact that the two most important people in his life liked each other, Youngho's heart ached but of course, as a good friend, he just tried his best to be happy for Yuta. Months passed and the two alphas Youngho and Yuta graduated from high school while Jaehyun and Jungwoo were left behind to study for a few more years. As much as they would miss the two alphas, Jaehyun was more than sure that Yuta would make time for him as his boyfriend.Of course, Jaehyun and Jungwoo were present at the graduation ceremony and the couple took a lot of photos together. Jungwoo focused on taking care of his Youngho hyung though, so he wouldn't interrupt the lovey dovey moments of the couple.
“You're so cool, Youngho hyung!! Hopefully I can pass the entrance exam when it's my turn because I want to be an engineer too!”
“I'll wait for you at the university, then! But for now, just study hard and take care of yourself. Take care of Jaehyun for Yuta too, as we all know they'll be far away from each other.”
“I know right.. I'll look after Jaehyun hyung well!”
“Good luck to you, too, not just in your studies but also in your presentation. I don't know but I feel like you're an alpha who still needs to explore the world.”
“Really? I think I'll present as an omega though..”
“I guess you think like that because you know yourself. Anyway, we're both uncertain about what's gonna happen but one thing's for sure, I can't wait for the day you'll tell me about your presentation. I'll congratulate you, of course, whether you're an alpha or you're an omega.”
“Thank you so much, Youngho hyung.”—Yuta and Jaehyun's relationship got stronger, especially after the day Jaehyun presented as an omega and Yuta officially introduced him to his family and their pack (Yuta and Youngho belongs in the same pack) as his omega. His parents were happy and relieved that Yuta found his omega and were very pleased to have Jaehyun as their future son in law, while Youngho and his family were also there to congratulate them since they're basically engaged. As soon as the engagement dinner was done, Youngho bid goodbye to everyone, even to Yuta and Jaehyun to process everything and rest back in his condo.
“I thought you're gonna stay here tonight? How come it suddenly changed?”
“I still have a lot of things to do, and it'd be better if you'll focus on Jaehyun instead. Get to know your fiancé more, especially because he'll be a part of your family soon. I'll be going ahead! Have a good night!”
“Oh.. I see. See you again soon!”
“I'll see you again but maybe I'll appear on your wedding day. I’ve got a huge university workload.”
“Youngho ya, you should find your own omega!!”
“Of course! One day I'll also just introduce my omega to everyone. Better get ready for that!!”
“Jaehyun and I will look forward to that day!!” Youngho hugged Yuta before he went inside his car, then bid goodbye as he drove past the couple. Johnny wanted to look back, but decided not to and instead, cried as he drove back to his place. “I hope Youngho hyung will find his own omega soon.”
“I don't think it'd be that easy.. Youngho is kinda picky with omegas. His senses are quite sensitive and if he doesn't like an omega’s pheromones, he will not even try to strike a conversation with them. That's why he's been single ever since.”
“You mean, he never had a relationship?”
“None that I know of.. maybe he plays around since he presented? Or I don't know.. maybe he has someone to play with tonight so he decided to go back to his place instead of staying here with us.”
“Maybe that's the case for him, so he can't stay longer here. I wish he would have someone too so he won't be lonely.”—-Of course, Youngho just used excuses but he didn't really have much to do back in his place. He just really needs to be away from Jaehyun so it won't ever try to resurrect any feelings from him. Not now and not anytime soon, as Jaehyun was already engaged to his alpha childhood best friend. He told himself that he was such a great Cupid for helping Yuta and Jaehyun become a couple, and the two wouldn't be as happy as they were if he gets in their way. So before he went back to his unit, he bought a lot of beers and hard drinks so he could celebrate the impending union of his childhood best friend with his own first love, and to drown and kill all the feelings in his heart because it's really the end for him.Youngho drank a lot and just slept through the next few days, as it was his winter break and before his freshman year in civil engineering ended, he took a freshman entrance exam for a prestigious engineering university away from Seoul. Since he passed the admission exam and his grades were good enough, he was admitted to the best engineering university in Beijing even if he would have to start as a freshman again, and decided to study and stay there until he graduates. Everything was done in secret until he arrived in his new dorm in China, so his parents were shocked just like how Yuta and Jaehyun reacted when he told them about it.“Eh?? All of a sudden you're in China??”
“Yup! The engineering university is great here so I tried my luck and fortunately, I passed. And who knows, I might find my omega here. I hope you're rooting for me as I start a new life here in Beijing.”
“Of course!! Youngho ya, come back here with your very own omega, okay?”
“I will!!” While Youngho was in China, Yuta and Jaehyun's relationship flourished until Jaehyun encountered problems in his hormones. He's an omega, he turned 21 but his first heat didn't arrive even if he has his own alpha. It became worse when Yuta went in rut and Jaehyun wasn't affected by it at all. Instead, Yuta triggered another omega’s heat. Of course, Jaehyun was hurt that he wouldn't end up with Yuta anymore because his supposed alpha found his real mate, which was his omega cousin Jungwoo. Jaehyun was devastated because that means their engagement will be called off and he would have to let him go so the alpha could live happily with his real omega mate while he would be left alone. Jaehyun felt so lost after he went back to his family, and just decided to study hard in the university to graduate with flying colors.———Jaehyun took his time in studying and he finished two different bachelor's degrees at the age of 27 — one in Architecture and one in interior design. His 5 years in architecture and 4 years in interior design made him really busy and his plates preoccupied his head. He was able to move on from his broken love thanks to his heavy university workload and he didn't have the heart to be in a relationship again even if there were some alphas who attempted to win his heart.Thankfully, after graduation, his omega best friend Winwin urged him to apply to a company that was originally based in the other’s hometown in Beijing, and also boasted that he knew one of the owners so they would have higher chances of being hired, especially since the company will expand in Seoul soon.“Great benefits and the salary is bigger than I expected.. The downside is that I would have to work in Beijing for the meantime before I'll be transferred to the Seoul branch since it's not completed yet.. but what am I even worried about, right?”
“Working in Beijing would be fine, Jaehyun! I'm sure it will make you forget about —”
“Yeah yeah of course! It'll make me forget things. Okay, let's do it! I hope I'll get the position.”
“That's our Jaehyunnie!! Who knows, you might also find your alpha there!”
“Let's not talk about alphas, okay? Well.. sure, go ahead and look around, you might meet your alpha there but me? I'm not even thinking of looking for one.. And I'm already blind!!”
“Whatever, alpha hater.” Jaehyun's morning job interview and written exam weren't eventful and he thought that he could take his time to relax during the lunch break but he was more than shocked when he saw a very familiar face at the café by the waiting area. It's been so long since he saw Youngho, his former alpha’s best friend and Jaehyun couldn't believe that his senior changed a lot for the better.“Oh, Youngho hyung looks so good! He gained a lot of muscles and he truly looks like a superior alpha now.. well it's been almost 6 years since the last time I saw him and of course, a lot must've changed already. It's nice to see someone I know, even if he is Yuta hyung’s best friend. Has he settled down with his own omega mate like Yuta hyung? That must be the case, since his alpha pheromones are quite strong for an unmated alpha..” Jaehyun just let out a sigh but as Youngho moved his hands, he realized that the older alpha wasn't wearing any ring yet. He thought that it could be the answer to his question even if he was still confused so he just went over to use his phone.
“Jaehyun, how's the interview and the exam??” Winwin arrived from his own interview and because Winwin called his name louder than usual, it caught Youngho's attention to the point that he looked at them in shock, because what are the odds that Jaehyun would apply for a job in his very own company after all these years??“Oh gosh, Jaehyun Jung?”
“Youngho hyung, hello! Long time no see!”
“It's you!! How come you're here? How are you? And wow, you look good! Nice to know that!”
“You look way better than me, hyung. Well my friend and I went for an interview in this company. I just graduated and I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to work and show my skills both in architecture and interior design.”
“Yeah, the company is hiring new people for better ideas in the future. I see.. anyway, good luck on your interview!”
“Thank you, Youngho hyung! You look so good now, such a cool alpha!!” Of course, Jaehyun aced the exams and passed the interview, but he was told to go to a certain office before he officially signs the employment contract. The pretty omega receptionist named Xiaojun beamed at him and led him towards the office where he also came across a handsome alpha named Hendery who was quite busy with different documents. Xiaojun stopped by the office of the CEO and Jaehyun thought it was the office of the owner of the company Winwin knew but he was more than surprised because the man behind the CEO’s table was none other than his Youngho hyung.
“Sir Johnny, he's here!”
“Thanks, Xiaojun! Hello again, Mr. Jung.”
“Oh.. hello, Youngho hyung.. I mean.. Mr. CEO.”
“I hope you won't get intimidated by the title. Anyway, I want to get this straight since I also don't want to waste your time.. putting work aside, I wanna tell you this.. on behalf of my best friend, I'm really sorry for what he did to you. You may not be aware of it but our families talked to him about it as soon as we found out that he went in rut and his mate got in heat, and we're deeply shocked with what happened. I know it's not easy to forgive him because you two were engaged already but hopefully someday, you'll get to do that for him. If not for him, at least, do it for yourself.”
“You don't have to say sorry, sir. You're not at fault at all.”
“I know but still.. and also, the reason why I called you here.. is for you to know that I'm one of the owners of this resort and before you sign the employment contract, you're free to decide if you'll proceed with us or not. I'm Yuta's best friend, and I will understand if you’re going to decline the position we offer as my presence and the fact that I own this company may remind you of him. I'm still affiliated with him because as you know, our families are best of friends, aside from the fact that we belong in the same pack and I know it might be hard for you to work with someone who would remind you of your ex, so please consider everything first. We'll understand if you won't sign the contract, and we’ll refer you to other companies until you get hired as our compensation.”
“If I sign the contract, I would have to work in Beijing too, right?”
“Yes, you would have to work for a month in Beijing before you'll be based at the soon to rise resort here in Korea.”
“I.. I'll sign the contract.”
“Even if I'll be your boss?”
“Yes. It's okay, you're not Yuta anyway.”
“Even if I'm his best friend?”
“Actually, I don't care much.. Jungwoo turned out to be his omega mate and even if things happened, he's still my cousin and there's nothing I can do about it..”
“It must've been hard for you. I'm still sorry. But yeah, hopefully you'll find your alpha mate. Sadly, we can't choose who our fated mates are.. I bet Yuta and Jungwoo didn't mean to hurt and betray you so I hope at least you've accepted it and moved on from it.”
“Yes of course, I've actually been blaming destiny and fate since then. Haha. But I'm okay now, it's been more than 5 years already.”
“It's been that long, damn..”
“How about you, hyung? Do you have an omega mate now?”
“I'm too busy for that and I'm almost 30, I don't think that still works for me. I'm used to being alone ever since and I've grown to like it too.”
“Oh no, sorry.”
“It's fine! I was never ashamed of being single because it's fun! I can focus on my job better since I don't have anyone to take care of or think of.”
“I hope you'll find your own omega mate too, hyung.”
“I'm already too hopeless for that. Haha anyway, thank you so much for understanding and for keeping up with me. You can go and sign the contracts. My secretary Xiaojun will lead you back to HR. Welcome to the company, Jaehyun.”
“Thank you so much, sir Youngho.”Jaehyun and Winwin signed the employment contracts and had a celebratory dinner before they parted ways. On their first day of work, Xiaojun introduced Jaehyun to his temporary office cubicle which was just a few meters away from the CEO’s office. Hendery, the engineering manager opposite his cubicle, welcomed him with a bright smile and introduced him to the team. His new colleagues were quite nice, especially when they found out that Jaehyun has a connection with their CEO as he was his junior in high school, and explained all the things he needed to know for the upcoming Seoul resort.After their lunch break, CEO Suh finally arrived from the site visit and Jaehyun didn't know that Youngho was the one in charge of the project in Seoul as the Chief Engineer so he was totally mesmerized to see him in his work mode.
“Jaehyun hyung, are you okay? You've been staring at nothingness for a while..”
“Huh? Ah yes I'm fine!”
“That's good.”After a few minutes, Youngho went out of his office and called Xiaojun and Hendery before they left, only to return with coffee kits and bags of burgers with fries. Youngho got them delivered so the employees can eat snacks in the afternoon, which Jaehyun found very sweet.
“Oh, thank you, sir!”
“Welcome, architect Jung. I hope you'll enjoy it.”
“I will, of course! It's my favorite burger.”
“Oh really? That's good then.” Youngho smiled and went on his way just before he was cornered by Xiaojun.
“Sir Johnny, sir Kun is online.”
“Oh, finally! Thank you, Junjun.” “How’s the site visit, hyung?” Kun asked as soon as Johnny appeared on the screen.
“It's fine, we've measured the area well and maybe after 2 weeks, we'll start with the foundation. I still need to discuss the design with our new architect.”
“Oh yeah I heard! Our new architect is also an interior designer, right?”
“Yeah.. and actually.. uh Kun? Do you remember the reason that I told you.. on the day I flew to Beijing?”
“Hmm.. is it about the reason why you left Korea? Didn't you say that you wanted to forget someone so you went far away?”
“Yeah. Guess what? The person I ran away from is our new architect.”
“Oh my gosh.. I hope you're okay, hyung..”
“I'm fine, I'm old enough for this anyway. Haha. Just need to keep my guard up. Besides, it's not like he feels the same way for me. I should move on, I'm too old for this.”
“You'll never be too old for love, hyung. And let's see if you can escape your first love this time around..”
“But seriously, I shouldn't let it affect me because it won't do anything good.. so I'll stay professional. I won't think of anything much but work.”
“Okay, if you say so. By the way, Ten’s gonna be there soon so get ready.”
“Oh gosh, chaos is on the way..”
“Yeah better get your ear plugs ready, hyung. Haha. I'll just call you again.”
“Okay, take care there and enjoy your quiet time while Ten is here. Soon, we'll go back too so you won't have any quiet time anymore.”
“I'll take note of that, hyung. Thanks! Bye.” — Jaehyun learned that the employees call his Youngho hyung Engineer Suh when he's at the site or Sir Johnny when he's at the office instead of CEO Suh, and it amazed him because his hyung's English name suits him a lot.
“He told us before that he used the name Johnny when he moved to Beijing back in his college days. We know that he's Suh Youngho but he told us before to call him sir Johnny instead so it won't be too formal. He said he wants to be friends with everyone in that way so yeah.”
“I see.. that's cute.”
“Cute?”
“Yeah, it's cute because I never thought he'd be like that.. back in high school he was quite cold and reserved. I'm glad he's trying to be more open to people now.”
“He does!! Actually, we have a monthly team dinner and they buy us food! With “they” I mean sir Johnny, Sir Kun or Sir Ten.”
“Oh.. who's the other two?”
“Sir Kun is the President of the company, but he's the same as Sir Johnny. He's in charge of the Beijing resort as the chief engineer. Sir Ten is the CFO, he's the interior designer plus the operations manager of the Beijing resort. They've been friends since college and the three of them founded the company.”
“That's amazing. Three friends established a resort and now it's growing overseas..”
“They worked hard for this and thanks to that hard work, the business flourished. They also treat the employees right so even if other companies wanted to hire some, they stay at the company. Most of the employees here are very loyal and thanks to them, our ranking went up. We're very thankful for the big three too, for not letting us down because they also brought a lot of business partners and shareholders so the company is stable now. All we need to do is to maintain its status and build another legendary establishment here in Seoul.”
“It's like they're building their own pack.. that's good. And I admire them for keeping the company intact.”
“That's right. By the way, it's your first week at the company, right? We should celebrate and officially welcome you with drinks!”
“Will that be okay?”
“Of course! We do it to all new hires. It's a tradition now! And don't worry, it's on sir Johnny’s tab because we'll go to his friend's restaurant.”
“Friend? May I know what the name of his friend is?”
“Ah yes of course! Sir Johnny's friend is Sir Jeonghan Yoon. Him and his husband sir Mingyu Kim own the restaurant and we believe sir Johnny has some shares there, too so it's totally fine to go and eat there.”
“Oh so it's them! Thank goodness..”
“Were you expecting a different friend?”
“Huh? Ah no, I'm actually thrilled because I know Jeonghan hyung was Youngho hyung's friend, and Mingyu was actually my batchmate though we're not that close..”
“I see. After our shift, we'll go to their restaurant and have drinks, okay?”
“Is he coming with us too?”
“I'm not too sure about that but I'll ask Xiaojun later. Do you want him to come?”
“If it's possible then why not, right? It's also been a while since I spent time with my friend.. even if it'll be different now because he's our boss.”
“Outside this office, he's not our boss so don't fret! I'm sure he'll want to spend time with you, too.”Jaehyun, Winwin and other new hires were welcomed at a dinner by their senior employees led by manager Hendery, as well as Johnny's secretary Xiaojun. They enjoyed the dishes personally cooked by the restaurant owner Kim Mingyu, and they drank some beers, makgeolli and soju in between.
“Welcome to our company!! I hope you'll enjoy your stay with us and we aren't that many so it'll be better if we'll all grow close. Besides, we'll all live in the same company condominium when we go to Beijing so I hope you'll be comfortable with everyone as soon as possible. Cheers!!”
“Cheers!! Ah, it would've been better if Johnny hyung was with us!”
‘Xiaojun, why isn't Johnny hyung here?”
“Ah, he said he still has to finish something, and he also has to attend an online meeting so he had to stay behind. I'm not sure if he'll make it tonight but he said that he told sir Mingyu our limit for tonight. We can still order as long as sir Mingyu allows it!”
“It’s a pity that he's not here, Jaehyun must've wanted to catch up with his friend!”
“Well, uhm.. What can we do? He's busy and I understand that since he's working for the company even after working hours. But is he really this workaholic?”
“There were times that he is, there are times that he's not. Maybe he just really needs to finish things before we go to Beijing.”
“I see. Let's just enjoy the rest of the night then! Cheers!” “It's the welcome dinner for the new hires, why are you still at the office? You should go there so they'll be comfortable with you!”
“I.. I don't think I should be there. Jaehyun is there..”
“Jaehyun? Is that the name of your first love?”
“Sadly, yes..”
“Oh.. oh, he's beautiful! What a pretty omega! I don't know why but I think Ten will like him. I hope they can work well together.”
“It's more like ‘I hope Jaehyun could tolerate Ten without filing an early resignation’ hahaha.”
“But seriously, he's beautiful. For a handsome alpha like you, a beautiful omega is what you deserve.”
“Please stop, that'll never happen.”
“Why though? You're single.. I'm just not sure if he is.”
“He's single too.. That's what he told me when I talked to him before he signed the employment contract.”
“Oh! Both of you are single and very available so what's stopping you? It might be your chance! It's fate and destiny's way of telling you that it's the right time for the two of you to be together!”
“Nah, that can't happen. That shouldn't happen. He's.. he's my best friend's ex..”
“If your best friend has moved on from him then it shouldn't matter anymore!”
“He's my best friend's ex-fiancé, an omega he was supposed to get married with and an omega he was supposed to mate with. And as much as I like him, I'm pretty sure that he doesn't feel the same way for me. Ever since, he's been all eyes on Yuta.”
“How sure are you that's still the case for him? They broke up and I'm sure he had a change of heart already. It's been years, there's a huge probability that he doesn't like or love your best friend anymore.”
“I've already decided to keep everything the way it is. Anyway, I'll get going. I'm tired..”
“If you're decided to stay as Jaehyun's boss then you should go and make the new hires comfortable! There's a lot of other new hires, focus on them instead of being pressed by your first love’s presence. If you really want to stay as only friends, you better get used to him around and maybe, the feelings you've tried hard to get away from will eventually disappear.”
“Fine, I'll go and treat the new hires at Jeonghan and Mingyu’s restaurant. I'm kinda hungry too so I'll go get something to eat there.”
“That's my hyung! Drive safely and enjoy!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Johnny found himself driving to his friends’ restaurant even though it was already past dinner time but he didn't care, he was also hungry and he used that reason to go there instead of going home. The restaurant was still packed but it's not too chaotic for a Friday night, and he immediately caught Jeonghan’s attention to order his food.
“Hanni!! Hi!!”
“Youngho!! You're finally here! You must be hungry, it's already late..”
“I am! Thankfully I finished everything so I can rest for the weekend.”
“That's a relief, then! By the way, Xiaojun and the rest of your crew are upstairs at the izakaya room with Gyu. I'll get the ingredients ready for your order and make him cook it for you there.”
“Alright! Thanks a lot, Hanni.”
“By the way, John, isn't that omega the one Yuta was with back then?”
“Yeah, he is.”
“Oh.. and he still worked with you even after they broke up?”
“Yeah, he said he doesn't mind working with me since I'm not Yuta. I've told him that working with me may trigger painful memories for him but he shrugged and accepted the job. It's been a week and I don't think he's bothered by it. He does his job well and he's a great architect.”
“I see. By the way, your sandalwood pheromone smelled a bit strong when you were talking about him.. do you, by any chance, like him?”
“He's my first love, but it's been so long, I've moved on from him.”
“The musk is taking over, you're lying. Hahaha.”
“Ah why do I have a friend with a super sensitive nose? Ugh.”
“You still like him, huh? If he's single, go for it! Maybe it's your time to be together!!”
“That shouldn't happen, he's still my best friend's ex and as a good friend, I won't do that.”
“Even if the coconut notes are coming out and you feel sad because of it??”
“I.. yeah. I'll be fine. Besides, he doesn't like me. I've been through this before, I'm sure I'll be able to get through it again. Maybe I'll just need some distraction or whatever then I'll be okay in no time.”
“Okay, whatever you say, mister gardenia.” Jeonghan shook his head as Johnny let out a huge sigh before he went to the 2nd floor of the restaurant. “I'm still not too late for the party, right?” Johnny walked inside the izakaya room and caught everyone's attention, and they eventually went crazy as soon as they realized that their boss made it to the new hires welcome party.
“Oh yeah Johnny hyung is finally here!! Come here, hyung! Ah, sit here!” Hendery said as he told Johnny to sit by the end of a long table beside Jaehyun.
“Youngho hyung, you're late! You should've gone with us!”
“Sorry, I still finished work so I could rest for the weekend. Anyway, I'm here so go ahead and drink up! I'll just eat dinner first.”
“Johnny hyung, you're finally here!! Ah, it's nice to see you and Jaehyun together. It reminds me of our school days.”
“Cut it out, Mingyu. Haha.”
“I didn't know that you're friends with Mingyu too.. he's my batchmate..”
“I know him because of Hanni of course, but I've always known a lot of people in your batch, especially— nevermind.”
“He knows Yugyeom!!”
“Yeah, Yugyeom.”
“It's okay, you can mention Jungwoo's name.”
“Sorry.”
“It's fine, he's my cousin anyway. Youngho hyung, let's drink!”
“I'll pass with the alcohol, I still have to drive.”
“I see. I'll be your black rose then!”
“No, please don't do that! You might drink more than you can handle. Decline if you don't want to drink anymore.”
“Johnny hyung, it's fine! Hanni and I can drive your car instead. Go ahead and drink with your team.”
“Heard Mingyu? Come on, hyung! Let's drink!”“It's weird, yknow? We've known each other for so long yet I think this is the first time we drank together.”
“I only drank with my basketball teammates back then and only after our games.”
“But Yuta told me back then that you two go out for drinks, or you drink at each other's place?”
“Yeah but it's.. you know, a pack thing. And he's my best friend so I go drink with him whenever he wants.”
“Did he tell you about my condition back then? Was he ever frustrated with me because I didn't experience heat even if we're together?”
“No, he didn't talk about it. He just drank while he asked himself things.. Are you okay? You might be drunk already..”
“I'm intoxicated but I'm still in my right mind.. and maybe the alcohol gave me courage to ask things and talk about him. But did he ever regret that I wasn't his mate?”
“Of course, he felt super guilty after you two broke up. He was very sorry he hurt you, especially because his mate turned out to be Jungwoo. He didn't expect that to happen, he even told me a lot of times that he's excited to marry you. Yuta loved you so much, in case you're wondering.”
“Yuta must've loved me but he still chose to break my heart.. I wasn't his mate so he let me go..”
“Sadly, we can't do anything about that and I'm sorry if it dampened your mood.”
“No, it's totally fine! It actually feels some kind of a closure for me. At least I know that he wished that I was his mate.. but I gotta move on and leave everything behind since he's already happy with Jungwoo. I guess it's just right to bury my first love and forget about him.”
“I'm sorry, you had to experience those things..”
“Youngho hyung, you have your first love too, right?”
“Huh? Me? How come I'm suddenly put on the hot seat?”
“I just wanna know.. did you also let go of your first love?”
“Uhm.. yeah, I did.”
“You have your own first love? Oh my gosh, who was it?”
“I won't be dropping names but he was a beautiful omega.. too beautiful but also too far for my reach. I've only admired him from afar and stayed in my place so he would be happy.”
“Were you at least friends?”
“I don't think so.. I don't think we're that close. We're just acquaintances because I held back. I did my best not to be close to him so I can still save myself from falling hard in love, but I still failed.”
“But why? You should've fought for your first love!”
“Jaehyun, I shouldn't fight for someone who already loves someone else. And it's fine, he was already happy with his alpha so I just let that first love go.”
“Was he the reason why you studied in Beijing??”
“You can say that.. yeah, I left so I can move on from him.”
“Maybe that's what I should do.. I guess all of us should just bury our first love away and move on.”
“You're so right. Haha. Let's bury our first love and forget about them.”Jaehyun and Johnny drank with their colleagues but after some time, the employees went home one by one until it was only Hendery, Jaehyun, Johnny and Xiaojun who's left at the izakaya room with Jeonghan and Mingyu.
“Xiaojun?? You're Youngho hyung's cousin?”
“Yes! Isn't it obvious? We're both good looking!!”
“Oh my gosh Xiao Dejun shut up!!”
“Fuck off, Huang Guanheng!”
“Ya you two, don't fight!! That's enough! I think I should get going.”
“Okay hyung, let's go home.”
“Wait.. you three live together?”
“We live in Itaewon but we're a few streets away from Johnny hyung's place.”
“You moved? You don't live in Cheongdam anymore, hyung?”
“Nope, I only visit my parents there sometimes.”
“Johnny hyung owns a big suite!! Ours is just a normal studio type room.”
“You two live together??”
“Nope! But we're neighbors.. mine is also a normal studio type but I hang out with Xiaojun when I'm bored.”
“I see. I thought you two were—”
“Oh no no no we're not! We're just best friends.”
“Best friends.. hmm..”
“That's true! And we're the same age so we hang out together. Back in Beijing, we took care of Xiaojun's dog Bella.”
“I miss my daughter, aw.”
“It's fine, he's with Kun anyway. But I miss Bella too.”
“How about you, Jaehyun hyung? Where do you live?”
“Do you still live in Gangnam?”
“Yeah, but I got a condominium unit a few streets away from my parents’ house.”
“I see.. by the way, please send regards to your family and please tell them our pack is sorry..”
“It's okay, my pack moved on quickly from it. I was just the one who took time from moving on.”
“Hopefully you'll fully move on from him. I wish you healing and happiness, Jaehyun.”
“Thank you so much, Youngho hyung.”
“Johnny hyung, do you want me to drive you home? I'll just drive your car later and drop by your unit to return your keys.”
“Should we drink a few more bottles? It's the weekend anyway.”
“Jaehyun, are you sure you can still drink?”
“Of course! I've been trained to drink, I've done it for so long, haha!”
“Okay! Let's join Jaehyun hyung then! Let's drink!”Jaehyun, Johnny, Xiaojun and Hendery drank a few more bottles while Johnny ordered premium hanwoo steaks much to Jeonghan and Mingyu's delight, and Mingyu opened a special alcohol for them before they left the restaurant. Jaehyun gave his address to the couple and he sat beside Johnny who was leaning against the window, not really in his right mind especially he could smell Jaehyun's peach pheromones while Xiaojun and Hendery went at the farthest seat while slapping each other's arms so they could stay awake until they arrive home.
“Jaehyun, are you okay? Your peach scent is so strong now..”
“I'm just happy, maybe also because of the alcohol? And also because I'm with friends. It's the first time in a while that I felt happy after drinking.”
“I'm relieved, then. Are you all okay there?”
“Yup, let's get going!”The drive from the restaurant to Gangnam was painstakingly slow because of the late night traffic by the Han river to the point that Jaehyun fell asleep with his head by Johnny's shoulder. Jeonghan noticed the change in the atmosphere as he inhaled Johnny's coconut notes again, so he comforted his sad friend with his own alpha pheromone until they arrived at Jaehyun's apartment complex.
“John, wake him up.”
“Jaehyun? Jaehyun ah, we're here at your apartment.. wake up.”
“Still too gentle to wake his first love up.”
“Jeonghan, please..”
“Okay okay, I'll keep quiet!! Why don't you accompany him to his unit? He looks like he needs help..”
“Fine, I'll do it. Wait for me here, okay?”
“Make it fast!”“Jaehyunnie, please wake up! We're already here at your apartment. Which floor is your unit?”
“Haaaaaa..”
“What's your unit number?”
“2014”
“2014? Oh, so it's the same as your birthday.. wait up, let me help you. Hold onto me tightly!!”
“John, we'll go ahead since those two have already passed out! I'll tell Gyu to just fetch you here tomorrow using your car!!! Take care of Jaehyun first, he needs that! And you need that too.” Jeonghan said as he rolled the windows of the passenger seat, before he winked at Johnny whose face looked shocked even after his friends drove away.
“Youngho hyung?”
“Uh.. huh?”
“They left you with me? Aigoo.. you're drunk too, so just stay at my place for the meantime. You can go home tomorrow.”
“But Jaehyun, I'm an alpha! I shouldn't—”
“It's okay, you're my friend anyway..” Jaehyun said before he sneezed loudly, the cold air of the dawn made him feel chills so Johnny helped him as they went inside Jaehyun's condominium.Jaehyun was sleepy so he had a hard time opening the door of his unit but he was enthusiastic enough to let his guest in, even if his home wasn't as tidy as he wanted.
“Sorry, I haven't cleaned up yet so my architectural books and interior design magazines are still scattered out. Take a seat first, I'll get you something to drink.”
“You don't have to, Jaehyun. It's okay..”
“No, I insist! You should at least drink a glass of water. I'll also just get the guest room ready so you can sleep comfortably on the bed.”
“I don't want to risk leaving my pheromones on your bed, will it be fine if I'll sleep on the couch instead?”
“That’s a sofa bed too but that's not comfortable to sleep on though.. and I don't think you'll fit..”
“I'll be more than fine to sleep sitting down, don't worry much.”
“Okay..” Jaehyun disappeared again and went back with a big loose shirt that looked fitted to Johnny, and a track pants that looked short for his long legs. Johnny wanted to decline but it's the only way to get comfortable since he's still wearing dirty work clothes.
“The bathroom is there, you can use the shampoo and the body wash though it might be a bit sweet for your nose. I'll just wash up first then you can do so after me, I'll be back!”Johnny felt like he was slapped as soon as the water from the showerhead fell upon his body. He realized that he was at his first love's home, in his first love's bathroom and he was about to use his first love's toiletries. As much as he wanted to stop, he couldn't and he had to accept the fact that he would have to go on while trying his best not to get affected by it. Jaehyun's shampoo, as he described, was too sweet for his nose yet it smelled lovely, and using the body wash felt like Jaehyun's peach pheromones were poured on him. He knew it was wrong, taking everything his first love could offer but he just gave in thinking that it would be the only chance he'd get. “Youngho hyung, do you want some hot milk? It's quite chilly..”
“Ah, no. I'm okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes I'm fine. You should go to sleep, I know you drank a lot earlier..”
“I.. okay. If you need something, please don't hesitate to tell me, okay? Good night, Youngho hyung. It's already early in the morning but it's fine if you'll wake up a bit late.”
“Thanks for letting me stay! Good night, Jaehyun ah. Don't forget to lock your bedroom door for your safety.”
“It's okay, I know you're a good person, I know you won't do anything.”
“Just.. just lock your doors to be sure. Go ahead now and sleep!”
“Rest well, Youngho hyung! See you later!”Johnny was tired from a full day of work and he drank a lot of alcohol but he couldn't sleep much — maybe because of the cold shower but he also knew that it was because of the fact that he's literally in his first love's territory. He was uneasy because he could smell Jaehyun's omega pheromones around him, even in his hair, skin and clothes. He didn't know how it all ended up that way but he had no energy to think about it so he eventually fell asleep on the couch.Meanwhile, Jaehyun might've passed out on their drive home but his senses were all up after he showered. He was in his home, but something felt different and he figured that it was because an alpha was with him, sleeping over on his couch. It was the first time he brought an alpha home but Johnny's presence made him feel comfortable so he wasn't much bothered.
“Hope he's having a good sleep there, but I doubt that'll happen since he's sleeping on the couch. Oh shit, I forgot to give him a blanket!” Jaehyun jolted up from his bed and immediately looked for blankets but he couldn't find any that would fit his Youngho hyung so he eventually lent his own king size microfiber blanket and draped it over Johnny's body. But of course, Jaehyun stayed by the couch, just a few inches away from Johnny and he looked at the alpha sleeping soundly. Jaehyun admired him in his most vulnerable state, and he couldn't help but look at his hyung's face closely.
“I've never seen you this close before.. you're really handsome, did you know that? I mean, you've always been the handsome and popular basketball team captain when we were in high school but you look a lot better now than before. I guess you grew up, matured and became a fine man. Such a handsome alpha.. but how come you don't have an omega yet? It's such a waste that you're spending your years working your ass off when you could've been an amazing alpha to an omega..” Jaehyun sighed as he felt bad for his friend, and just stayed there since he was also cold and he needed the blanket (and Johnny's body warmth) too. Johnny was used to waking up early in the morning to make his own coffee but he opened his eyes feeling heavy in his chest and little did he know, it was Jaehyun who's sleeping against him.
“Oh sh— how come you're here?? You have your own bed and this is your house yet you chose to sleep beside me. You should've not done that..” Johnny's heart raced but he tried to calm himself by looking at Jaehyun's beautiful sleeping face. It didn't help him though, so he tried to distract himself by closing his eyes again. He was able to take a whiff of jasmine from Jaehyun and he fell asleep again.Jaehyun felt warmth and he was sure it wasn't just his blanket and realized that his face was by Johnny's neck, getting a whiff of the sandalwood scent which came out of the alpha's nervousness while he was almost hugging the alpha like it's a huge pillow. The moment Jaehyun moved, Johnny woke up and of course, he tried his best to give space to Jaehyun who fell back on his couch.
“Jaehyun..”
“Sorry hyung! I fell asleep here too because it's cold in my room and I only have one blanket. Anyway, good morning! I'll just prepare some breakfast..”
“Ah, there's no need for that! Jeonghan said that Gyu will be picking me up using my car so I gotta go.”
“Is that so? How about a quick coffee??”
“I have to decline, I'm sorry! Also, I'll borrow your clothes first and I'll just return these once it's dry cleaned. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable with my presence!!”
“No, I don't really mind! Actually, I felt so comfortable with you around! Your pheromones calmed me down, and that's good for me. I hope I did the same thing to you..”
“Yeah, you did that's why I also woke up late.. as much as I wanna stay, sorry Jaehyun but I really have to go! Sorry for the intrusion again, I'll treat you somewhere else as compensation instead!!”
“You don't have to, it's fine!”
“I'll see you in the office then. I'll go ahead. And thank you for letting me sleep in your place. I appreciate it!”
“Thanks for staying!”Johnny rushed down to the café by the lobby entrance and saw Mingyu waiting for him, smiling as if implying something.
“Mingyu, I know that face. Nothing happened between us, Jaehyun just lent me some clothes to wear before sleeping.”
“Oh shoot, a big chance wasted. Anyway, let's go get you some hangover soup so you have something to eat when you get home.”
“Sure. Let's get that hangover soup at your restaurant.”Johnny finally got to fall asleep in his very own bed after washing up but his heart was still beating fast, especially because he remembered what happened to him in his first love's home. It was too good to be true for him, but he also tried to restrain himself and said that he shouldn't let anything like that happen again or it'll be really hard for him not to fall in love with his first love again. He planned to keep everything professional with Jaehyun, even though he knows that it might be hard to do because they're working hand in hand and they usually have different breaks than anyone else. —A few weeks passed and Johnny was thankful because he was busy with on-site visits as the chief engineer though he spent time working with Jaehyun during and after the site visits. As much as he wanted to keep distance from Jaehyun, he couldn't because they're closely working as partners and he didn't have any choice but to let it happen. It's come what may for him.
“Sir, here's the floor plan for the ground floor including the lobby, the reception area, the grand staircase, the café, the buffet restaurant and the specialty shops. I'll finalize the plan for the saunas, jacuzzis and massage pools with our landscape architect just in time before the ground floor is done.”
“Yes, thank you. Is the plan for the 2nd floor approved already? How about the interior design?”
“The plan for the 2nd floor was already approved while interior designer Lee hasn't responded to the design yet..”
“Oh don't worry, your amazing interior designer Lee is here!! Ah, finally I'm free from Qian Kun!!”
“You should've told me that you're gonna arrive today! I should've fetched you from the airport!!”
“It's okay, you know that I love surprising people. How are you, Johnny hyung? It's been a long while!!”
“I'm doing good!! Nice to see you too and oh, you look better now that you're not too skinny! Seems like Kun has been taking care of you well.”
“Excuse me??? I'm taking care of myself! He never did anything good to me and all he gave me was stress! Oh by the way, hello! You are?”
“Hello, I'm architect Jung Jaehyun but I'm also the interior designer of the Seoul branch. Nice to meet you!”
“Ah really? You're both the architect and the interior designer?? But where have I heard that name? Hmm.. ah! I think Kun mentioned you to me. You're the new one, right?”
“Yes, I've been working with the company for almost a month..”
“I see. Not bad, I never thought such a pretty omega would be able to do both tasks. You must be working with Johnny hyung all the time! Is he treating you well?”
“Ten..”
“Why? I'm just asking!!”
“Yes, Engineer Johnny has been treating me well.”
“He better do that especially for our new hires. Right, hyung? Anyway, I'll just go bother Xiaojun for a bit. See you later, Jaehyun! Hyung, let's go have some steak and wine after work!”
“Your boss will call me later though..”
“Ugh Qian Kun always ruins my plans. Anyway, I'll go around Seoul and maybe see you two tomorrow instead.”
“We'll be here in the afternoon after our daily site visit.”
“Seems like you two have been busy together, huh? Fine, I got it. I'll see you when I see you, then.” Ten rolled his eyes to Johnny then left the CEO’s office, leaving Jaehyun dumbfounded.
“I'm sorry for that, Ten is just insane.”
“It's okay, I don't mind..”
“Sometimes he goes overboard, I hope you'll just let it pass. But he's a nice guy, just really mischievous.”
“It's fine. He's an omega too, right?”
“Yeah, he's an omega.”
“I hope we get along well.”
“I hope so, too! Anyway, I'll just get another run-through on these. Thanks for your hard work, architect Jung.”
“Thank you, Engineer Suh.”“Uhm, hyung? We're gonna leave for Beijing next week, right?”
“Yes, why?”
“Can I ask for a favor? I wanna talk to Yuta hyung before we leave.”
“Oh. Yeah, sure! I'll help you with that.”
“It would be great if he's available for dinner. And it's better if he’ll take Jungwoo with him.”
“I see. I'll tell him about it.”
“Another favor, hyung. Can you stay somewhere and wait for it to be over? I.. I'm sorry for this but I might need a rescue after that. Just someone I can be with in case I break down.”
“No worries, I can do that and I'll wait for you.”
“Thank you, Youngho hyung.”
“You're always welcome, Jaehyun.”“So, what do you wanna talk about?”
“Jaehyun wants to talk to you in person.”
“What?? Who?”
“Jaehyun, your ex-fiancé.”
“What's with the sudden invitation.. and how come he told you that? Did you two see each other somewhere or what?”
“We're working in the same company. To be honest, we've been working together for almost a month now.. I'm the engineer while he's the architect and the interior designer.”
“Oh wow, small world..”
“Anyway, when are you free during dinnertime? Most preferably as soon as possible since we'll be leaving next week.”
“Why are you leaving? Where are you going?”
“We'll be based here in Seoul but we will stay in Beijing first. Our company is established there so yeah..”
“I see.. I'll tell Jungwoo about it..”
“Jaehyun said you should take Jungwoo with you.”
“Oh. Okay. I think it's fine to meet on Friday night since I have work on weekends.”
“Alright, I'll tell him about it and I'll just send you the location of the restaurant.”
“Thanks. By the way.. how is he?”
“He looks okay, he's good with his job and he enjoys his time with his colleagues. But one week after he was hired, he asked me about you. Nothing much though, and he said he wants to move on so maybe facing you two is the last step he wants to take so he could move on completely.”
“Has he found his alpha yet?”
“I don't think he has found him yet, he said in his interview that he's single..”
“I see. I guess it can't be helped.. we really need to face him, at least before you leave.”
“Yeah, maybe that's what he wants so he can really move forward. Hopefully he'll leave without heavy baggage.”
“Thanks for that, bro. How about you, have you found your omega?”
“I've long stopped looking and it's fine. I don't have plans to be in a relationship or get married anyway. I'll just be your baby’s handsome and rich uncle. Haha.”
“Fuck you hahaha.”
“How's Jungwoo? Is he already pregnant?”
“We're still trying but hopefully we'll be able to conceive on our next rut and heat. Our previous attempts were unsuccessful because he was still pretty stressed.”
“Stop stressing Jungwoo out! Aigoo.”
“I'm not stressing him out, I'm even his stress reliever! But yeah, we're trying hard and don't worry, I'll tell you when you're gonna be an uncle.”
“I'll look forward to that.” Of course, Friday came and as much as Jaehyun was nervous, Johnny was nervous too because his first love will face his ex-fiancé and his cousin after a very long time. He wasn't quite sure how it'll go, but something about Jaehyun's nonchalant actions and sweet Jasmine scented pheromones eventually calmed him down a bit.
“Youngho hyung, are you tense?”
“Kinda. I don't know what will happen to the three of you but I also know that I'm out of the picture so I shouldn't really care. I'm not involved in this in any way but then, that guy's also my best friend. I'm worried about you too because you're my friend and no matter how I see it, you're at a disadvantage.”
“Don't worry much, I'll be okay. Let's go?”
“Seems like you've already decided. Okay, let's go.”It was the first time Jaehyun got to ride on the passenger seat of Johnny's own car because they only used the company car whenever they did site visits. Of course, Jaehyun was amazed because the car looked sophisticated and tidy. Johnny's natural sandalwood alpha scent was also mixed with a gardenia car perfume and Jaehyun thought it smelled amazing.
“Your car is so handsome! It's also very big.. just right for you. I mean, your car before was good but this suits you better.”
“Thanks. Are you ready?”
“More than ready.”“We're here.. Tell the receptionist that your reservation is under Johnny Suh and they'll accompany you to a private room.”
“You're not gonna come with us, hyung?”
“I'll just stay here inside the car. I respect your privacy and it'll be better that way so Yuta won't hesitate to tell you his sincere feelings. I bet he'll find it hard to express it if I'll be listening.”
“Are you sure? But we would be eating dinner though.. how will you eat if you're not gonna go with us?”
“I'll be fine. I ate a cup of ramen just before we left.”
“So you've planned to really not join us..”
“Come on, this isn't about me! I'll be fine. Go ahead because I'm sure they'll arrive soon.”
“You'll really let me go there alone?”
“You're brave, it's fine. You can face them alone. Fighting, Jaehyun ah!”
“I'll make it quick—”
“No, please. Take your time with them. I'll be okay here. I'll wait for you in case you need someone to talk to later on.”
“I'm nervous.. but okay. I'll be back, hyung!”
“Don't rush it or I'll go home and leave you here. Haha. Eat well!”
“Thanks.” Jaehyun took the paper bag he was carrying and went out of the car. Jaehyun looked at Johnny again just before he went on his way to the restaurant entrance while the scent of coconut filled the air inside his car.“Oh, is there anything wrong? Why the sudden call?”
“I'm here at a restaurant’s parking lot. Jaehyun will be meeting Yuta and Jungwoo tonight. My best friend Yuta was actually his ex-fiancé while his cousin Jungwoo is Yuta's omega mate.”
“Wait.. don't tell me you arranged that.”
“He asked for that favor.”
“Johnny hyung, I never thought you're this masochist..”
“I know, right? But yeah.. it's kinda painful though.. I never thought I'd still be hurt like this.”
“Are you on your way home now?”
“No, he asked me to wait for him.”
“Damn. I'm sorry to say this but I'm not okay with what he's doing to you.”
“I'm okay with it, and it's fine since he doesn't know. And he doesn't have to know. I don't want to look pitiful.”
“You're acting pitiful though.. I know he's not aware of your feelings but damn.. and you're seriously insane for letting things happen.”
“I must really be insane. But it's okay.. when I get back to Beijing, I'll be a changed person.”
“How will you be a changed person?”
“I’ll be preoccupied with work and I'll go home as soon as I can.”
“Johnny hyung, have you forgotten that you're working together for the Seoul branch?”
“No, I haven't forgotten about it but I should really move on this time. I should be immune to him and I should just completely ignore the feelings I have for him until it becomes a routine.”
“He's inside the restaurant, are you gonna join them for dinner?”
“Nah, I already finished a cup of ramen earlier so I won't have to eat dinner. Besides, I don't think I have the appetite to eat. Maybe I'll just go and take a nap here inside my car.”
“Okay. Whatever the result of this absurd set-up, feel free to tell me about it, okay? And I hope you'll feel better soon, hyung.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Ah, I wish Johnny hyung accompanied me here..” Jaehyun felt so nervous as he waited inside the private room and he was about to call Johnny for backup when the receptionist ushered his guests in. He immediately made eye contact with Yuta, but he also saw how Yuta held Jungwoo’s hands tightly. It hurt him a bit but he expected it already, and just greeted the two so it wouldn't be awkward.“Hello, long time no see! Yuta hyung, Jungwoo ya..”“Good evening, Jaehyun hyung.” Jungwoo may be taller than Jaehyun but he continuously looked down, feeling small and still guilty for ‘stealing his dear cousin's alpha’.“Hello, Jaehyun. I.. I guess it's nice to see you again. Babe, please calm down..”“You two, why are you so tense? It's just me. Please take a seat and join me for dinner.”“Youngho said you wanted to talk?”“Yeah but let's do that later. I'm starving so let's eat first!”Jaehyun needed more courage so he ordered a bottle of soju to calm his nerves and eventually washed his shyness away after a few shots. As soon as the food arrived, Jungwoo immediately served some stew to Jaehyun's bowl while Yuta grilled some meat. The mated couple served Jaehyun but they also took care of each other. Yuta peeled some grilled shrimp for Jungwoo and made his omega eat well, which inevitably made Jaehyun the third wheel. Yuta was about to give some to Jaehyun too but he declined.“I'm okay, help yourselves first! No worries.”“Is Youngho gonna join us?”“I told him to join us but he said he wanted to give us privacy to talk sincerely. By the way, how are you two doing? By any chance, am I gonna be an uncle soon?”“Actually, we've been trying to conceive but Jungwoo was stressed so we haven't been successful yet.”“Aw, you better calm down, Jungwoo! I hope you two will have your own baby soon.”“You're.. aren't you angry at us?”“Me? Angry? For what? Past is past, Yuta hyung. And it's been so long.. I've moved on already from it and I'm okay now even if I'm alone.”“So you haven't found your mate yet?”“Sadly I haven't found him yet, but maybe I'll find him in Beijing soon.”“Oh yeah, Youngho mentioned that to me. I wish you all the best, Jaehyun.”“Actually, I wanted to meet you personally again because I want to tell you that I've forgiven you. I know you thought that I'm still angry and hurt but at least, I want to be free from anything else before I leave.”“You're leaving, hyung?”“Yeah, I'll be going to Beijing for work soon.”“I see. I hope you'll find your alpha there and you'll be happy too.”“I hope so. While I'm there, hopefully you two will get to relax. Surprise me with good news, okay?”“Jaehyun hyung, I'm really sorry..”“To be honest, you don't have anything to be sorry about. I mean, those things happen with omegas like us. We really can't control who our alphas are because we're destined to be with one mate ever since we were brought to life in this world. I'm happy you've found each other, even if it hurts back then because your mate was my former alpha. I can't do anything about that, and I had to accept our fate that we're not meant to be. Yuta hyung.. to be honest, I'm fine that Jungwoo is your mate because you look happy and in love. You take care of each other well and I'm relieved to know that you two get along.”“Thank you so much, Jaehyun.”“Ah by the way! I have gifts for you! And Jungwoo, can I ask for a favor?”“What is it, hyung?”“Since you're Yuta hyung's omega, I think it would be better if you're the one who would burn these.” Jaehyun gave the paper bag to Jungwoo and of course, the younger omega looked sad.“But hyung, these are your memories together..”“I know, but I can't keep them with me anymore. I loved Yuta hyung so much but in order to move on completely, I have to get rid of our tangible memories. I respect you as Yuta hyung's mate and this is the only way I know to put an end to the feelings I had for him before. This is for the three of us, so we could all move on from the past.”“If that's your wish, I'll do it.”“Yuta hyung, thank you for everything and even if we didn't end up together, I have those memories in my heart and that's enough for me so you can burn all that. Jungwoo, please don't ever try to save those photos and never give any to Yuta hyung, okay? An alpha shouldn't save a photo of him and his former flame because that's very disrespectful to your omega mate.”“I won't, don't worry.”“Send me a video of you burning it all, okay? I just wanna make sure.”“I'll do that, Jaehyun hyung.”“Thank you, Jungwoo ya.”The three continued to talk and Yuta also ordered some makgeolli while Jungwoo stayed sober as he'll drive their car home. Their dinner lasted a few hours and they enjoyed their time catching up, but of course they had to stop and go home or they'll pass out on the tables.“Jaehyun hyung, are you still okay? Do you have your car with you? I'll go call for a chauffeur service..”“Wha.. oh fuck!! I forgot about Johnny hyung!! Oh my gosh!!”“Johnny? Who's that?”“Youngho hyung!! That's the name he uses at work! Fuck, I totally forgot about him, oh gosh!!”“Oh, so Youngho hyung is Johnny now?”“That bastard changed his name just because he's based in Beijing huh? Aish..”“Why are you calling him now, though? He's your boss, right?”“Yes, he is my boss but he's waiting for me at the parking lot!! Ah shit, I feel so bad for forgetting about him!”“Youngho won't get mad, don't worry. He's just probably asleep on his seat. But I think we should go because it's— damn, it's already 2am??”“Yes, time flies fast when you're having fun with friends!! Anyway, we should bill out.” Jungwoo pressed the bill out on the tablet menu and waited for it, while Jaehyun was still struggling in his seat. He kept calling Johnny's work phone but it was just ringing. He thought that his boss left it in the office and sadly, he didn't have his personal phone number yet so he couldn't call him.“Everything is settled, sir. Thank you for dining at our restaurant.”“What do you mean settled?”“The bill for the meals under Johnny Suh’s reservation is already paid by Johnny Suh himself.”“Is he outside? Fuck I should go then! Ah, wait, let's all go so you two can meet Johnny hyung too!”Yuta was drunk and very clingy to his omega but he was also holding Jaehyun's hand so they wouldn't get lost in the parking lot. Jaehyun tried his best to remember how Johnny's car looked with his hazy memory and finally, they found it just beside Yuta and Jungwoo's car. Jaehyun immediately knocked at the driver's seat window but the door at the backseat opened.“Johnny hyung, sorry!! I forgot the time!”“Hello, it's okay! I slept well I guess. Haha. Oh? Ya that guy's wasted!! Hello, Jungwoo!”“Hello, Youngho hyung! Ah, my bad! Johnny hyung!”“You can call me by any name you want, it's fine. Haha. Oh gosh, will you be able to drive safely with that drunkard beside you?”“Shut up, ‘Johnny’! Haha. Why did you change your name though? And why use an English name when you're in Beijing?? You're so weird.”“Oh don't worry, our employees in Beijing also call me CEO Xu Yinghao if that makes you happy.”“You're really weird..”“Anyway, did you all have fun? I hope you liked the food..”“Yes hyung, I ate a lot!! Thank you so much! Ah hyung, can you hold Yuta hyung first? I'll just place Jaehyun hyung's presents in the car.”“Yes, sure! Ah Nakamoto Yuta you're pushing 30 yet you're still acting like a highschool student!”“No, I'm grown up now!! I even have a mate and our Jaehyunnie has grown up too.. and very beautifully!! I'm just sad that his alpha mate is a bastard and he's making Jaehyun wait for so long! I mean, who wouldn't fall in love with him? He's beautiful, he's smart, he's nice, he's kind, he's very affectionate and he's full of love! Our Jaehyunnie is growing old, he should be enjoying life and sex with his alpha mate but where the fuck is he?? And you!! You giant.. Why are you still single?? Who are you waiting for? Why are you waiting for so long? Are your standards that high, that no omega around you could pass that? Come on, you're pushing 30 years old too! You're even 9 months older than me so why are you keeping your dick to yourself? I promise you, life's better with your omega mate!! So you two, I hope you'll find your mates in Beijing! Or if you're too busy for that, why don't you date each other instead?? You two look good together, to be honest! Right, babe?”“Actually, yes! You two are friends and you've known each other since high school so you already have a common ground and it means you can go past getting to know each other. You work at the same company and most probably you'll spend a lot of time together so it won't be that hard to go on dates too.. Youngho hyung is a very handsome alpha and Jaehyun hyung is a very beautiful omega, I'm sure your future kids would look amazing!”“That's right!! My babe is right! And wouldn't it be great if we'll have double dates? Besides, Jungwoo and I would be more than relieved to know that you're Jaehyun's alpha mate instead of him having a random alpha out there. I know you'll treat our Jaehyunnie right so we won't be worried!”“Aigoo, all of a sudden I'm the target. Sorry to burst your bubble but I’m not Jaehyun's mate, and I don't want to take him away from his real alpha mate, okay? Besides, he's not my omega too. Who knows, my omega might be waiting for me in Beijing so let's not get carried away, okay? Anyway, it's getting late and the parking lot is gonna close. We should all go..”“Think about it, Suh Youngho, Johnny Suh or Xu Yinghao!! I'll give you my blessings! I'll be more than relieved and happy if you'll be Jaehyun's alpha mate because he deserves someone who would take care of him! And I know what kind of man you are.. you deserve each other so give it a try, huh?”“Jungwoo, drive safely okay? Call me once you've arrived home. Thank you for coming and talking to Jaehyun.”“Thank you for this opportunity too, Youngho hyung! We'll go ahead, take care of our Jaehyunnie hyung too, okay? Thank you so much and see you again soon!!”“Suh Youngho, I'm serious! Try dating Jaehyun before completely giving up on love, okay? Love you bro!! See you when you get back! And give me good fucking news okay?? I'll give you one soon, too!”“Bye, hyung!!”“Drive safely, you two!! Aish.. those punks.. oh damn! Jaehyun, do you want some water?” Johnny immediately checked on Jaehyun who looked weak in the passenger seat. He gave him his water bottle that's already half empty but Jaehyun took it and drank everything.“Are you okay?”“Head's spinning but I'm okay.. ah why did I drink so much?? I'm sorry, I totally forgot about you.. and you waited for me..”“It's okay! I offered to wait for you so I could also drive you home. Don't worry much, it's no biggie..”“Okay.. sorry again..”“It's fine, I don't mind.”“He loves Jungwoo so much.”“Hmm?”“Yuta hyung.. he loves Jungwoo so much and I'm happy because Jungwoo loves him too. They're so lucky they love each other.”“I guess that's how mated couples are.”“Hyung, have you ever thought of your own mate?”“Just sometimes..”“Why though? So you are completely giving up on love just like what Yuta hyung said?”“Kind of. Haha.”“Seriously? You're not even gonna try to go out on a date?”“I'm fine with how I am now.. I don't think I need someone—”“But how about your omega? What if they're waiting for you? What if they're thinking that one day you're gonna stay with them? Isn't not trying to look for them a bit too selfish, hyung?”“Maybe. Aigoo, you're so drunk..” silence filled the air as Johnny drove Jaehyun home, until Jaehyun remembered something.“Ah, hyung! Do you remember what you said when you stayed at my house?”“What?”“You told me that you'll treat me somewhere next time.. for rejecting my offer of coffee and breakfast when you stayed over..”“I didn't expect that you'll remember that.. especially at this time..”“Can you stay with me for the night again? My head hurts and it's hard to be like this alone..”“Okay okay, I'll stay with you. You might pass out on the floor if I leave you alone.”Jaehyun might be too sleepy when they first drank soju at Jeonghan and Mingyu’s restaurant but Johnny was surprised to see a different Jaehyun as he accompanied his omega friend to his unit. Jaehyun was zoning out because of the soju but he giggled from time to time that if some people saw him like that, they would've thought that he's going crazy with the way he acted. Johnny stayed behind and let his friend open the door wide for him to come in before turning the safety lock.“Are you okay, hyung? Ah your body must've been in pain as you slept inside the car. Do you want some ramen?”“I'm fine, thanks. How are you feeling, Jaehyun? I know you're intoxicated and such but you look so pale too..”“I'm okay, it's just normal for me to look pale.”“Is your head hurting? Do you need help?”“Head’s still spinning around to be honest..”“I see. Go ahead and wash up so you can sleep as soon as you can.”“No, I still need to make your bed in the guest room.”“I'm fine, I can sleep on the couch just like before.”“Nooooo.. you already slept there last time, and you slept inside the car and it must've hurt your body!!! Letting you sleep in my guest room is the best I could do..”“Jaehyun, I'll be more than okay here. Your couch is big and it's comfortable here..”“Okay.. but can I sleep beside you again? I feel lonely, hyung.”“Sure, do whatever you want.” Johnny wanted to resist but he didn't, knowing that Jaehyun might be really needing someone to feel better as he just had a long talk with his former alpha who is his best friend, along that alpha’s mate who was Jaehyun's own cousin. Johnny thought that Jaehyun must be feeling pain or at least feeling pitiful when he thought he had an alpha only to be left alone so he didn't give a fuss about what Jaehyun wanted to do. Jaehyun and Johnny washed up and they settled at the couch as they dried their hair but it somehow felt relaxing for Jaehyun. He also felt how the scent of Jasmine filled up the air and eventually calmed him down. Their silence was quite comfortable and even if it was just the second time they got to spend time together outside work, Jaehyun felt like he had been with Johnny all his life that it felt like home. Of course, he was confused because how did it all suddenly become like that? But he thought that maybe the fact that they knew each other since high school was more than enough reason.“Youngho hyung..”“Um? Do you need something? Is your head hurting?”“I'm fine.. are you sleepy?”“I woke up just a few minutes before the three of you arrived so no I'm not sleepy yet.”“I know I shouldn't be demanding anything from you but will it be okay if you'll stay with me until tomorrow? I mean, it's the weekend.. I'm not sure if you have something to do but.. please?”“Want me to distract you? I'm fine with that..”“Uhm.. maybe I'm just really in need of company? Sorry, I'm not usually like this but.. ugh. I just really don't want to be alone at this time.”“I don't think a little company would hurt so I'll stay as long as you want. Besides, friends do sleepovers. I just hope you're comfortable too, since I'm an alpha but you can always go to your room and lock it if you wanna be safe.”“No, I don't feel any threat from you. I'm fine. But hyung, I just wanna ask.. how did you let your first love go?”“Oh, so we're gonna do this? Haha. Hmm.. as far as I remember, I let my first love go as soon as I found out that he already has an alpha. I was fine back then, but somehow seeing them together still hurt me so I tried my best to just focus on my studies. When I graduated in high school, I thought I'd moved on from him but when I knew that he got engaged with his alpha, it still hurt.. we may not be close but since I was the only one affected, I went out of my way to really forget him. I think I've told you this before but yeah, he was the reason why I changed universities and the reason why I decided to stay and study in Beijing.”“So that was the reason you suddenly left back then.. I'm sorry, we didn't know that you were struggling..”“It's fine, it's a matter I have to take care of alone anyway. I went to Beijing and studied while I tried my best to forget that omega. I was successful, I was able to forget him while I was there as I worked hard to build our company.”“Wait, I'm just curious.. have you had any relationship in college and after you graduate?”“There were a few omegas who wanted me to be their alpha but I wasn't interested. I went on some blind dates my friends scheduled but everything ended after eating. I haven't dated anyone else aside from that and I've never been in a relationship because I chose to focus on working. In the end, I just became Kun and Ten’s third wheel.”“Oh? Are they a couple?”“They’re not a couple but they act like one, yet sometimes they bicker more like married couples. I know they like each other but are just too prideful to pursue each other. I enjoy watching them like that so I didn't feel that lonely. Haha.”“I see. Seems like they distracted you from your heartache so well.”“Kinda? Haha but yeah since I have friends, I forget that I'm alone and lonely. I don't think I'll ever need anyone—”“Don't say that, your omega would feel sad if they hear that from you..”“To be honest, I don't think I have an omega. I'll be turning 30 soon and I don't have anyone else with me so there's no way I'd get to build my own pack before they select the new pack leader. But it's fine since Yuta will be taking over the pack now that he's mated. I'm fine with it because I know he would take care of everyone including his future family.”“Youngho hyung, when is your birthday again?”“It's a secret! No one in Beijing knew about it so no one would know when I'll be turning 30. It's fun. Hahaha.”“Even your friends don't know about it?”“No, but they celebrate my birthday along with Kun, since his birthday is on January 1.”“That shouldn't be like that though! and it's unfair because you know our birthdays.. you even know my birthday..”“Of course I know when your birthday is, I've been greeting you a happy birthday since we were in highschool. Haha. But yeah, Valentine boy.”“Tss. I hate Valentine's though..”“Why would you hate your own birthday?”“That was the day Yuta hyung had his rut.. and the same day Jungwoo went on his first heat. It all happened during my birthday celebration.”“Oh shit.. sorry if I made you remember that.”“It's okay, it's been a long time since it happened but yeah, they had their heat and rut on my birthday celebration and everyone was shocked to the point that they had to lock them in two different rooms. I was in shock so I ran away from home and stayed with Winwin until Yuta hyung's rut was over. When his rut was over, he talked to me to say sorry because he couldn't stay with me anymore, especially after he found his mate, which was Jungwoo.”“I'm sorry for that.. I'm still sorry for what my best friend did to you..”“It's fine, I'm okay now. But it's a surprise you didn't know about it. You're Yuta hyung's best friend, I thought you already knew.”“He didn't tell me the details, he just told me that you weren't together anymore because his mate is Jungwoo. I didn't know that it happened on your birthday and I'm so sorry for that. That was very insensitive of me to make you remember it..”“No no hyung, it's fine. I'm fine! Promise! To be honest, this is the first time I got to talk about it without feeling anything anymore. I guess our talk earlier helped and our story is truly over now. I also got all our photos together and gave it to Jungwoo to burn.”“Eh? All those photos?? But you took a lot of photos together, right??”“Yeah, I gave it to Jungwoo and told him to burn it all for me. That's how I'll completely take him out of my system. Besides, I don't want to keep a photo of me with my cousin's alpha mate. That's disrespectful to him as Yuta hyung's mate.”“You've been very brave for doing that, Jaehyun. I'm so proud of you.”“Thanks, I needed that so much!”“It's okay, you can cry. I'll get you some tissues, wait here.”“I'll just wipe it with my hands. Haha.”“You'll find your alpha mate someday, I just know you'll be happy again. For now, focus on different things and just take care of yourself. Be healthy and try to enjoy your life even if you're alone.”“Thank you so much, Youngho hyung. Can I have a hug?”“If I could help you feel better with a hug then okay, go ahead and hug me.”
“It hurts me to see you hurting, but I'm also happy that you're finally free from your past. I wish you all the best, Jaehyun, as well as all the love in the world. One day, you'll be happy with your own alpha mate and hopefully when that time comes, we'll be far away from each other so I won't have to leave my pathetic love again. Sleep well, my dear friend.”
 ——— The Seoul branch team went on their way to Beijing with Johnny and Jaehyun seated together at the front row while Xiaojun, Hendery and Winwin in the succeeding rows, excited as they'll be able to go back home and have a taste of Kun’s home cooked meals again. They'll be staying at some office villas within the resort vicinity all winter so Jaehyun was really excited since it'll be the first time he would spend the holidays in a different country. Winwin told him that they'll go out to explore the city during weekends while Xiaojun and Hendery also vowed to take him to the best restaurants they know.After a few hours, Kun and Ten fetched them at the airport and got something to eat before they arrived at their home for a few months.“Hello, Architect Jung! Welcome to Beijing and I hope you'd like your new home. By the way, I'm Engineer Qian Kun.”“Ah yes, President Qian! CEO Suh told me a lot about you.”“Eh? What did Johnny hyung tell you?”“He said that you're a great engineer. And it shows because the resort looks wonderful.”“It's not just my efforts, our architect and interior designers as well as other employees helped to make the best resort we could have here. Also, you can just call me Kun, you don't have to call me president or engineer, let's forget those titles especially when we're not working. Anyway, I'll show you your rooms!”Kun and Ten have their own suite in a two-storey villa then Hendery and Xiaojun were able to go back to their studio type suite wherein they raise Xiaojun's dog named Bella, while Winwin went home at his family house nearby because he wanted to spend time with them after work hours.Kun was talking to Jaehyun when Johnny went to another two-storey villa, quite uneasy since Kun didn't tell him that he would have to share it with Jaehyun, when he thought he would live with Hendery who is a fellow alpha and Jaehyun would be with Xiaojun. The villa Johnny and Jaehyun would share got a common workstation at the ground floor then a common living room, a common kitchen and dining as well as a shared bathroom connecting from their rooms at the second floor — they're technically living in one house, just sleeping in two different rooms. Of course, Johnny got anxious since it would be harder for him to move on from Jaehyun and he felt quite powerless especially when Kun arrived with Jaehyun and helped the omega with all his luggages.“Johnny hyung would be your housemate, I hope that's okay with you.”“Actually, I don't mind! I'm comfortable enough to share this place with him. I mean, I'm fine living with anyone else but I'm also relieved that I'll be staying here with him especially since I've known him from back in highschool. And I'm sure it'll be easier for us to work at the workstations since we won't have to bring our laptops somewhere else.”“Okay, I hope you two will really get along as new housemates. Johnny hyung, please take care of Jaehyun and make him feel comfortable, okay?”“Yeah, I know what to do. Go ahead and I'll show him around!! Bye!! Anyway, the room on the right is yours while the one on the left is mine. We have a kitchen and a huge fridge here since Kun cooks a lot of food and I stock everything inside it. I'm also quite big on beer and wine, you'll see a lot of it in the fridge and if you want, you can grab some too. The laundry area is upstairs, you can use the washing machine and the dryer as much as you need it. You can watch TV of course, though you can also watch Netflix shows with the spare account. We had an early morning flight so I'll leave you to rest inside your room. If you have any questions, just knock on my door and I'll try to help you while I also fix my things. Feel free to also familiarize yourself in your new home and welcome to Beijing.”“Thank you so much, Johnny hyung!!”“Happy?”“Yes! I'm happy because even if it's just temporary, I won't be staying alone at this house! As you know, I live alone and there are times where I get lonely so I'm thrilled to know that I'll be living here with you! Let's be comfortable, Johnny hyung!”“Tss. I got it. Go ahead and take some rest! I'll see you later.”Jaehyun was really happy that he won't be alone in his stay in Beijing even if he and Johnny have different rooms. It's more than okay for him to know that they'll be sharing the common areas of the house and it made him feel like he was back in college with his best friend Winwin. His room was big enough for him and all the things he brought plus the mattress was new and very comfortable so he decided to take a shower in the shared bathroom after arranging his things but he was shocked when he saw Johnny with only a towel wrapped around his waist as soon as he opened the bathroom door from his room. The alpha's broad shoulders, toned chest and chiseled abs were unveiled, his big arms adorned with artistic tattoos were flexed and his long hair still dripping wet, Jaehyun was left breathless.“Oh, I didn't know you were there! You should've told me so I could've showered faster! Anyway, I'll go ahead.” It was evident in Johnny's face that he was embarrassed, especially because he wasn't wearing anything much to cover most of his body so he rushed towards his room while Jaehyun just chuckled before he proceeded to shower.It was dinnertime and Kun went to give them some fried rice, minced pork in tofu skin rolls, beef with broccoli florets in oyster sauce and salted garlic squid for them to enjoy and even if they weren't as hungry, the aroma of the food made their mouths water and they eventually ate.“These are so good!! I think it would've been amazing if Engineer Qian would build his own restaurant because the food he cooks is delicious!”“Well, that's why the resort restaurant was built first.”“Oh. Wow! Does he cook there too?”“Yes and he cooks a lot, including the employee meals. The dishes served at the restaurant were all his recipes.”“That's so nice! Ten hyung is quite lucky to have someone to cook for him.”“Yup, especially since Ten doesn't cook.”“Johnny hyung, do you cook too?”“Sometimes but only when I'm craving some western cuisine.”“Pastas?”“Pastas, burgers, pizzas, tacos, nachos, burritos and the like.”“Really?? That's great!!”“Back then I got sick of Chinese food so I cooked from time to time.”“I hope I can have a taste of your cooking, hyung.”“Breakfast is what I usually cook though, are you okay with toasts?”“Yes!! I'll look forward to having breakfast with you everyday, hyung.” Jaehyun looked so excited with just the thought of having breakfast with him and even if he tried hard not to, Johnny fell in love with his first love all over again. — “How's your first week living with Johnny hyung? Did he treat you well?”“He treats me well and he cooks our breakfast everyday. It feels good to have someone cook for me.. he even makes me a cup of latte! Amazing.”“You know what, at this point, you two are like a couple living together.”“I don't think it's like that, though. We're just friends.”“Really? So you don't like Johnny hyung even for a bit??”“I like him as a friend, and we're just really comfortable since we've known each other ever since. I don't think there is something more than that..”“You mean you don't feel that Johnny hyung likes you??”“Maybe he likes me but only as a friend! Or maybe even like a brother, something like that..”“I don't know if you're quite dense but.. Johnny hyung never cooked for us nor made us coffee.”“Yes! He always told me to just ask for Kun whenever I wanted to eat something. That guy only cooked for himself, and he never even bothered to buy us food whenever he went out!”“Really?”“I don't know if he's being smooth with it or if he's trying to downplay it but Johnny hyung likes you a lot more than you thought. Ah, he wasn't even like that with all his blind dates before.”“Wait, are you being serious??”“If you don't believe us, ask Xiaojun and Hendery if they've received such treatment from Johnny hyung. Haha.” “Really? Johnny hyung cooks you breakfast? Scrambled eggs, toast and fried rice? My cousin??”“Yeah. Is it really that surprising??”“It is surprising because he always told us that he's not confident in cooking..”“Woah.. but he even makes good guacamole! He makes nachos and even burgers!”“Jaehyun hyung, I think Johnny hyung likes you. Ah! What if you tell him we'll go out for a hotpot when he's cooking something?? Let's see if he would feel bad or not.. if he frowns after knowing that you won't eat the food he cooks, then that means he's sad you won't eat his cooking.”“Xiaojun, isn't that mean to your cousin??”“That's what I can think of right now but if confronting him sounds better than that then go ahead. But for us, we think he likes you.” Jaehyun heard what people think of how Johnny treats him but he didn't want to be too sure. With that in mind, he wanted to see if it's real — if Johnny really likes him or if his hyung was just really being nice to him so he purposely tried to request some food for Johnny to cook for him.And the alpha delivered.Jaehyun said that he misses Korean food when they were having lunch and he wanted to eat kimchi fried rice, and Johnny made it for their dinner. When he wanted to have green onion pancakes, even if Johnny had never tried to cook it before, he still made it for Jaehyun. Jaehyun also heard him watching cooking shows on YouTube so he would know how to cook the food he craves for, and that really melted his heart.“Is it really true? Does hyung like me enough to learn how to cook certain dishes just because I wanna eat it?” Jaehyun pouted because no one has treated him like that before, not even Yuta who was his boyfriend since highschool. They used to eat out but with just one request, Johnny immediately learned how to cook such dishes and eventually served it to him as soon as he could.

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“Happy Birthday, Kun and Johnny!! Happy New Year to us all, too!!” Ten led the toast after they greeted Johnny and Kun a happy birthday as soon as the clock strikes midnight. It's the new year and fireworks lit up the sky as the new day of the year started, and they were feeling amazing especially because they got a lot of food from Kun’s kitchen and some of Xiaojun's favorite traditional dishes to make. Johnny was there drinking his champagne and looking out the window while Jaehyun greeted his pack in Korea via video call even if he was already an hour late.
“Kun hyung, Ten hyung, I'll go ahead since I still have to clean up all the cookware I used. See you tomorrow!!” While everyone was busy, Xiaojun bid goodnight to his friends as he went to poke Hendery.
“Is Hendery going with you, too?”
“Yeah, I'll make him wash some of the dishes. Have a good night!!”
“I'll accompany them outside and get some fresh air!!” Johnny finished the last sip of his champagne and went with the two before Kun and Ten even gotta say anything. Of course, since Kun knew about Johnny's problem, he just sighed and looked at Jaehyun who was still busy on his phone, still unaware of what's happening to his housemate.“Oh? Where did they go??” Jaehyun finally finished the video call and he was surprised because only Kun and Ten were left and they were still drinking wine.
“Hello Jaehyun, Xiaojun and Hendery went home ahead since they still have to wash the cookware they used earlier.”
“How about Johnny hyung?”
“Ah Johnny hyung? He's just outside, he said he wanted to get some fresh air. If you want, you can follow him, he might be by the bridge.”
“Can I go ahead too?”
“Yes of course! We understand that you've been busy so go ahead and take some rest at your home. Enjoy your holiday and don't worry much about work, we will resume operations next week. See you around!!”Jaehyun was thankful he was wearing a thick jacket because snow suddenly fell just a few minutes after the new year started. He was worried about Johnny too, as his friend was just wearing a thin long sleeved shirt. He was only a few steps away from Kun and Ten’s villa when he caught a glimpse of Johnny from the bridge, he was sitting by the side with his legs dangling over the water. His friend looked sad even though it was his proclaimed birthday so Jaehyun immediately went towards him so he could get his hyung's attention and they could go back to their villa.
“Johnny hyung, it's already snowing! Let's go home!”
“Oh, Jaehyun! Why are you here?”
“Kun ge told me that you went out and you might be here.. it's cold, let's go back before you get sick!”
“I'm okay, I'm actually doing cold therapy. You should go ahead! I'll stay here for a few more minutes..”
“Hyung, please?”
“Aigoo.. okay okay, we should head back or you will get sick. You should've stayed inside their villa or you should've gone home ahead..”
“Of course, I can't afford to leave you alone! Not in this cold dawn.”
“I'm used to it though.. I've been living here like this since college.”
“But still.. you shouldn’t refuse getting warm just because you're used to the cold! You have to take care of yourself, hyung. And it's your birthday—”
“It's not my birthday but I'm still thankful for all the greetings. I'll take it as an advanced present.”
“Hyung.. why are you sad?”
“Do I look sad, Jaehyun?” Johnny suddenly smiled but Jaehyun didn't buy it.
“You may be smiling but your eyes are still sad..”
“Let's just say that this is what alphas go through at this age. I mean, I'll be turning 30 soon and I'm worried about a lot of things. I think I'm even terrified by it..”
“I see. I hope your worries will be gone soon.. maybe you're terrified of growing old alone so I also wish that you'll find your omega soon..”
“Jaehyun, who would you choose? An alpha you've known who's clearly not your mate or the alpha mate you're still waiting for?”
“Huh? Uh.. of course I would choose my alpha mate!! I mean, based on experience, I don't want to have someone else's alpha only to be left alone in the end once they find each other..”
“I guessed right. Haha.”
“How about you, hyung?”
“Like if I would have to choose between an omega who I've grown feelings for or the omega who's destined for me? Hmm.. maybe none? Especially if they don't feel the same way for me. Haha. I may be an alpha but I don't want to force anyone to be with me if they don't want to, especially if they want to be with someone else. Anyway, we should hurry or you'll get cold!”
“Johnny hyung.. I mean, Youngho hyung, do you like me?”
“Huh? You're asking if I like you? As a friend, of course! We've known each other for so long and if I don't like you as a colleague then I wouldn't have hired you in our company in the first place. Haha.”
“Johnny hyung.. Not as a friend nor a colleague.. but as a person?”
“You're a good person and a great friend so of course I like you.”
“Oh please.. I just really want to know how you feel about me.. like.. ugh this is embarrassing but.. I wanna know if you like me romantically or not.”
“Oh..”
“I actually do not want to overthink nor give meaning to things that might just be some friendly gestures to you.. Sorry, but I want to know once and for all.. do you like me more than a friend, but definitely not like a sibling or a colleague?”
“So this is what happens to you when you get snowed on? You must've caught a cold already.”
“Hyung, I really wanna know so I won't be confused..”
“I guess I went overboard. I'm sorry, I wasn't able to stop myself from doing such things that I acted up and made you confused by it. I crossed the boundaries I should've not crossed.. but don't worry, I'll be careful next time so you won't ever get confused again. It must've been burdensome, I'm sorry again, my friend.” All of a sudden, a strong coconut scent mixed with musk covered the air between them. Jaehyun was sure it was from Johnny and it wasn't his usual pheromone scent so he got more confused.
“But you weren't like that to anyone! You're not like that to Kun ge, Ten hyung, Hendery or Xiaojun! Not even to Winwin!! By any chance, are you trying to deny things? Are you trying to hide things that you don't want me to know??”
“I was just really trying to treat you right.. my best friend failed to do that so I thought doing such things will make you feel better. Besides, you deserve that and more. Don't worry, I know what to do now. I'm really sorry, it was never my intention to make you feel confused nor burdened to the point that you thought I have romantic feelings for you.” Of course Johnny was lying, but his pride took over him and because of the champagne, he just wanted to end their conversation.
“So you don't like me more than a friend?” Jaehyun didn't know why but he felt disappointed, hurt and sad that Johnny didn't like him when he thought he did.
“No, I just see you as a friend. And why would I do that? You're my best friend's former flame, and it's not appropriate for me to do that because it's like I'm betraying him.”
“Even if he told you that it's okay if we date or end up together?”
“Yes, even if he approves of us being together. I know I'm being such a jerk right now but if what I've said and done has hurt, disappointed or offended you in any way, I'm sorry.”
“Okay, it's clear to me now. But.. are you not gonna ask me if I like you as a man, as an alpha?”
“Jaehyun, my dear friend, as much as I am curious, it's better if I wouldn't know. Haha.”
“But why?”
“There's no point in knowing how you feel for me, we'll only end up as friends anyway. And I believe it's better to stay that way. I'm not your alpha and you're not my omega, so there's also no use talking about it. Just focus on looking for your alpha, okay? Let's.. let's not talk about this again. Haha.”
“Okay..”
“Wash up first so you won't get sick. I insist.” As soon as they entered the villa, Johnny went to his room, leaving Jaehyun in the living room still feeling confused but more hurt than ever.—“Dejun, what did you tell Jaehyun? All of a sudden, he asked me if I liked him romantically or not!” After downing a lot more alcohol when he went to his room the night before and sleeping through the day, Johnny remembered everything he talked about Jaehyun and even if his head was still floating, he went to his cousin's house to ask him about things. He knew that Jaehyun had grown close to his fellow omega friend which is Xiaojun, and Johnny sensed that Jaehyun caught the idea of him liking his housemate by treating him nicely more than a friend would ever do.
“Really, hyung? He asked you that?? That's a nice move for Jaehyun hyung! He's very straightforward!”
“Xiaojun, that's not nice!! It's not good for me at all!”
“Why? How come? Oh gosh, don't tell me you denied it!!”
“Of course! Why would I admit my feelings to him? What's the use of that?”
“So you'd be free from hiding it! Come on Johnny hyung! You're an alpha, be man enough to tell him your feelings!”
“No, I shouldn't.. He's not my omega and I'm not his alpha.”
“Why can't you just take the chance now? I mean, you can just enjoy spending time with each other! I bet you'll have a great time!”
“Then what? One day he'll just tell me he found his alpha? Or one day, I'll find my omega and I would have to break his heart just like what Yuta did? I asked him about it last night and he said he doesn't want to go through the same shit again so no, I'll keep it until the end. I don't want that to happen to him again so it's better this way. He shouldn't know about my feelings and most importantly, he shouldn't know that he's my first love. It's the new year, it's really time for me to bury my feelings for him as my first love just like how he moves on from Yuta so please.. please Dejun.. let me move on completely from him, too.”
“I understand now, Johnny hyung. Sorry.”
“No worries.. just.. pretend you know nothing. If he tells you about the things I did, downplay it and just tell him that I did the same for everyone. That will make him think that I'm just nice to all of you.”
“Even if I'm entirely against this, I'll do it because you also have a point.”
“Thanks, Dejunnie. I'll treat you to that luxury hotpot restaurant you've always wanted to go to when I get back. I'll go ahead..”
“Where are you going?? Work will resume next week for us though?”
“I'll be out for a week so just tell him that I'll be back just in time for work, in case he asks you about it. Bye!” Johnny stormed out of Hendery and Xiaojun's little home, not knowing that Jaehyun heard everything because he was hiding behind the kitchen counter, just beside Xiaojun.“Jaehyun hyung, I hope all of your questions are answered now.”
“Uh.. yeah. So I.. I was his first love? How come?”
“He told me he liked you even before you and Yuta hyung became lovers. He gave way to his best friend, and also backed off since he knew you liked Yuta so much.”
“Shit.. so that means.. I was really the reason why he went here?”
“Yup. Sorry to say this but you're also the reason why he studied here in Beijing when he already finished his first year of college in Korea.”
“But all those things he did for me.. so it was really out of love? Because he loves me? I'm not just imagining things nor putting meanings on everything he did?”
“For sure! All those things, be it small or big, were done because he loves you. But I'm also sorry because as you heard, he'll just set his feelings aside because you're not mates.”
“I understand that.. it's true that I told him I'll choose my alpha mate so I won't be left alone again but.. I don't know why his words hurt me. He said he's gonna move on from me completely.. and hearing that from him hurts a lot. Haha.”
“Jaehyun hyung.. do you, perhaps like Johnny hyung too?”
“After all those times that he helped me and made me feel special.. only heartless people wouldn't fall for him. Even a rock from a cliff would fall for that guy..”
“Oh shoot.. Am I seeing it right? Johnny hyung loves you and you like him but you two would still choose not to be together because you're not mates?? Aigoo, it's become complicated..” — It felt like all of Johnny's energy was drained as he took all the things he needed from his room. His phone, keys, passport, wallet and a backpack were enough for this shotgun trip, but it was what he badly needed.He just went back to his room after going to Hendery and Xiaojun's home and he knew Jaehyun went there so he asked his cousin about things, while also indirectly admitting his feelings for Jaehyun who was hiding beside Xiaojun. Johnny knew that Jaehyun was there, he recognised his peach omega pheromones but he still went to convey his feelings and his decision to move on from his omega housemate who was his first love. He may have wanted to sleep because he was tired after what he did but he couldn't afford to stay longer as Jaehyun might come back to their villa soon so he took his things and eventually drove to the airport.Johnny doesn't really go back to Korea during holidays, not even after new year so his family and pack were more than surprised to see him. They were happy he came to their new year pack dinner and of course, even Yuta and Jungwoo were glad that he came but his expressions instantly changed when they talked about Jaehyun.
“Oh you should've taken Jaehyun with you! I'm sure he wanted to be with his family and pack too.”
“Yuta, as much as he works in my company, I have no control over what he wants to do and where he wants to go. He knew that we would have a week-long holiday before going back to work but I guess he didn't have plans to do that. Let's not get in the way of his personal plans even if we're his friends.”
“But have you told him that you're gonna go back here? I heard you two live in the same villa.”
“Who told you about that?”
“Jaehyun told Jungwoo and Jungwoo told me about it. Youngho, don't tell me you didn't even let him know that you're not gonna be back tonight?”
“I didn't tell him anything but I told Xiaojun that I'll be away and to tell Jaehyun about it in case he asks.”
“Youngho, what's happening? What's wrong with you?”
“Don't mind me, I'm just going crazy. My 30th birthday is coming up so yeah, it makes me go insane.”After dinner, the members of the pack including Yuta, Jungwoo and their parents went outside their mansion to drink. It's been a long time since they've been completed so they're thrilled but of course, Johnny's parents were sad because their alpha son still hasn't found his omega. Johnny's relatives introduced a lot of unmated omegas to him but Johnny politely declined, only to shut everyone out when he revealed that he already likes a certain omega. They tried to give some advice to him on how to court the omega he likes but he just ignored them and continued to drink, especially because he's gonna stay and have a sleepover at Yuta and Jungwoo's guesthouse.—Jaehyun knew that Johnny wouldn't be coming home that night but he still didn't lock the safety bolt of their door just in case, and he went to bed early since he felt so lonely and alone in the villa.
“It's just the first night he's not here but I miss him already.. fuck, do I just like him or am I in love with him already?? Oh gosh..” he couldn't do anything so he just hugged his pillow and distracted himself by watching shows until he felt sleepy, but he was slapped awake by a photo Jungwoo sent to him. It was a selca of Jungwoo with Yuta at the back, and Yuta was beside Johnny who was drinking something in a glass that's most likely a soju bomb.
“Eh? He's there?? He's in Korea??” Jaehyun asked no one even though he already knew the answer and immediately called Jungwoo. Thankfully, his cousin answered.
“Hello Hyoni hyung!! Happy New Year!!”
“Hello Jungwoo, happy new year!! How's the party there???”
“It's fine, they're all enjoying the alcohol. I couldn't relate to them though, so I'm just eating finger foods they prepared. How are you there?”
“I'm alone and quite lonely since Johnny hyung is there.. he didn't tell me he'll be going back.”
“Did something happen between you two?”
“Nothing actually happened! But uh.. I don't know, I think I fell?”
“Huh? Did you get to see a doctor? Where did you fall? Does it still hurt, hyung?”
“Jungwoo, I didn't mean I literally fell but.. I like Johnny hyung and I think I'm falling in love with him.”
“Oh my gosh??? That's good for you!! Finally after a long time, you're in love again!!”
“But then, I think I did a lot of wrong things to him. Like okay, he did a lot of things for me, he was very sweet since the night we went out for dinner, he treated me like I'm special and was so understanding of me when we started to live together in Beijing and he even cooked for me everyday! Our colleagues told me he never did that to any of them but then he was more than willing to go beyond what he could do and learn stuff just because I wanted it. He's such a sweet guy, a very considerate one too and I fell for him because of that but when I confronted him about it, he told me he only thinks of me as a friend because we're not mates. I think he got discouraged though, because I told him that I would still choose my alpha mate more than anyone. I think it was more of my fault that he denied his real feelings for me but it hurts me too..”
“Oh my.. but did you feel that he liked you too?”
“Yes! I mean, Jungwoo, I may have been hurt because of love before but I am not numb nor dense! I am not stupid either.. and I confronted him that night since I was confused plus I don't want to give more meanings to everything he do in case he didn't really mean it that way but sadly, earlier I found out that I was the reason why he left Korea to study here because I was his first love. He left us there because he wanted to move on from me after he gave way for Yuta hyung to be with me before.”
“WHAT??? So Youngho hyung liked you even before you and Yuta hyung became lovers? As in since we were in high school??”
“Yeah, that's what his cousin told me after Johnny hyung himself confirmed that I was his first love. He talked to his cousin while I was hiding, and I heard everything. As much as his denial hurt me, I feel guilty because now I found out that I had been hurting him since, but it also hurts my heart now that I've fallen for him and he's decided to move on from me.”
“Wait! Before anything else, have you told him about your feelings?”
“No, I didn't get the chance to tell him about it because he told me there's no point in knowing my feelings when we won't be together anyway, since we're not mates.”
“Damn, it would've been better if you'll try to date even if you're not mates though.. but I understand you since you've been hurt by being left alone. I'm still sorry..”
“Jungwoo, I told you I've forgiven you already, right? And I'm okay now.. it's just that.. Johnny hyung doesn't want to risk being with me because we're both terrified that one day our mates will come into our lives and we would have to let each other go completely. Woah.. to be honest, I didn't know it would hurt this much.”
“Jaehyun hyung, you're really in love with him.”
“But it's useless because we won't pursue each other anyway! Ah, it's hard to be in this kind of situation..”
“Hyung, how about you come here tomorrow? I'll tell Yuta hyung about it and we'll help you with Youngho hyung!”
“But didn't he go there to move on from me?”
“Are you really gonna let him do that, hyung? For what, to suffer alone? If you love him, you should take the chance! Fuck both of your mates but you love each other so why not be together?? Who knows, it might work!”
“But Jungwoo—”
“Jaehyun hyung, I know you don't want to be left alone again in case Johnny hyung's mate arrives but isn't the fact that you love each other enough to be together? And the two of you haven't had your heat and rut, right? Who knows, love might still trigger it at the same time!! Like, if you're gonna take risk, why not risk it with someone who loves you? And he's been loving you for so long, hyung! Also, sorry for this but if ever the time comes when your mates come into your lives, you can still choose Youngho hyung especially if he treats you well! I may be mated but fuck alphas or omegas who doesn't love their own mates! You can even mark him as yours if you want and that will make the others back off!”
“Ah it's making my head hurt.”
“I know right, but someone here is also trying his best to make his head hurt tomorrow. Ah, he's drinking a lot.”
“Is he gonna stay at his parents’ house?”
“No, his things are already in our house. He's gonna sleep in our guest room.”
“I see. Please take care of Johnny hyung for me.”
“We will! Don't worry much about it. But it would be really amazing if he'll wake up to the sight of you. You should wake him up and take care of his hangover tomorrow. I have my own alpha to take care of, and you know well that Yuta hyung doesn't get up early when he has a hangover.”
“Ugh.. I'll see. I'll message you about it later. Just tell me if something happens to him or whatever. I'm still worried about my alpha housemate.”
“The alpha housemate who happens to be your current love. Haha. I got it, hyung. But still, congratulations because you've found a not-so-new love!! I'm happy for you, all you have to do is to go for it so you two will be happy as well.”
“I wish it's as easy as that..”
“I'd still look forward to the day we'll have our double date!! I'll inform you again later, I will check on them first. Bye!!”
“Enjoy the food there and eat a lot, Jungwoo ya!!” — “Yuta..”
“Oh? Already drunk??”
“Drunk in love? Nah. I think I'm drowning.. I.. I wanna stop but my heart doesn't want to..”
“Why? Are you in love with someone who's taken?? Man, you should move on and look for someone else!!”
“The omega I like doesn't have an alpha mate.. yet. But I should really move on because he only wants to be with his mate. And I don't want to risk it because I don't want to hurt him or leave him if I ever find my own mate. It's hard, brother.”
“You know, I may sound mean or heartless for this but I never regretted loving and pursuing Jaehyun back then, even if I felt that he wasn't my omega mate. I'll forever cherish the time we had together because that was what we both wanted, even if it hurt us when we had to part. Even if I've found my own mate, I was still happy because I was able to give him a lot of memories and love. Don't be scared to love someone who isn't your mate, brother. It's normal. Breakups are normal too, and all people in this world will experience the cycle of being in a relationship and breaking up until they find the one they're meant to be with. Who knows, the world wants you to be with the person you love now so you can be loved back and grow to be a more mature alpha. And if it's time to part then that's when you accept the fact that you're not meant to be. On the other hand, some non-mated couples end up being together too because of the strong love they have for each other, especially for those omegas who ran away from their abusive alpha mates and the alphas who took care of them and loved them wholly. Love is enough for those kinds of couples that their mates won't even stand a chance.”
“Wow, since when have you become so mature? You sound like an older brother to me..”
“Well, I had been in a failed relationship but I am a mated alpha now so I can say that I know better because of my experiences. That's why you should date!! And date Jaehyun so we won't be worried about him anymore!!”
“I hope it's that easy to do that but.. ugh.”
“What’s holding you back from dating Jaehyun??”
“I.. as much as I wanna try, I still don't want to hurt him. Brother, I'm sorry but we all know how much he was hurt when you two broke up. And he himself told me that he would want to be with his own alpha mate than be with someone else so yeah. I am not his alpha mate and that's enough for me not to even try.”
“Wait, do you like him?”
“Of course not! I only like him as a friend and as a colleague.”
“Suh Youngho, I've known you since we were tiny babies and I know whenever you lie to me. I'll ask you again and I wanna hear the truth from you. Do you like Jaehyun?”
“Let's just drink, okay?”
“Hey you giant coward!! Answer my question!!”
“I.. I'm sorry.. I've loved him even before you were together.”
“Huh?? That long?? You mean—”
“I loved him even before you courted him. I know he likes you too so I just gave up and let you two become lovers.”
“Oh gosh, thank you for not standing between us but damn.. I didn't know I had a martyr of a best friend!! I'm really sorry for that though, I should've asked you first if you liked him before I courted him.”
“No no no it's totally fine! Besides, I know that he liked you a lot. Had I stood in your way, we wouldn't be together anyway since he doesn't like me. I've accepted that already, it's okay.”
“I'm still sorry, brother. Ah, a lot of things happened without us knowing.. This life is really full of surprises and shock.. may be sweet but it's more bitter. By any chance, do you still love him?”
“I do.. I love him but I'm trying my best to stop. It's time I really need to bury my first love and forget about what I feel since it won't do me any good..”
“Aigoo, what should I do with you, Youngho ya?”
“It's a case of pathetic love, but I'll be okay..” the two best friends drank before they went to the mated couple's house to drink more beer then eventually went to sleep.Johnny may have passed out that night but he still woke up quite early the next day because he was hungry. Yuta and Jungwoo were still deeply asleep so he just went to brew some coffee, and even made fried rice as well as kimchi stew to nurse their hangover. Thankfully, Yuta and Jungwoo got a few pork belly meat too so he grilled some.
“Lovebirds, I know that you still want to sleep but breakfast is ready!!” Youngho said as he knocked on the couple’s bedroom door. He waited for a response but when he heard Jungwoo moan, he decided to leave and eat alone.“You should've slept more, brother. But thanks for cooking us breakfast!! I didn't know you could cook now.. I thought you only ordered food.”
“I've learned how to cook when I lived in Beijing but I learned more as I watched cooking videos online.”
“Aww thank you so much, Youngho hyung!! Ah, the kimchi stew tastes good!”
“Of course, the kimchi papa made is delicious. Hahaha. You two, eat a lot, okay? Thanks for letting me stay here for the night.”
“Are you gonna leave now?”
“Yeah, I'll go back home to my unit and maybe rot there before I fly back to Beijing by the weekend.”
“Stay here with us!! We miss you and it's the only time we'll get to spend time with you!!” all of a sudden, Yuta stood up to hug Johnny from behind and tried to stop him from leaving, which made Jungwoo chuckle.
“Yes hyung that's true!! Yuta hyung missed you a lot so you should stay with us longer!!”
“You two will just interrogate me with things I wanna forget.. ugh.”
“I'm sure your parents would love to know that you'll stay here. And we could always go to your family house because I'm sure Uncle Gong Yoo will cook your favorite foods while you're here!! Please?”
“You still don't have work schedules in Beijing yet anyway so why not stay here with us, hyung?”
“Fine, I'll stay here but you two better behave, okay?”
“Aigoo, is my brother envious? You know, Suh Youngho, this is how we live so you should go pursue Jaehyun if you wanna experience it too! When that happens, you can be lovey dovey like us! Right, babe?”
“That's right! Hyoni hyung isn't that bad! And I'm sure he would be happy to be intimate with someone, especially with you since you two already know each other for so long.”
“We're not mates, and I'm not gonna pursue him because I want to spare him from getting hurt again. He'll just be heartbroken with me in the long run. I'm not the ideal partner he would want to be with.”
“Suh Youngho, Johnny, Xu Yinghao.. whatever name you use, it's still you and do not ever underestimate your capacity to love! My brother, you've been loving him since high school and that alone is a huge thing to consider in looking for a partner! That lasting love is hard to find, and you're the one and only person who could love Jaehyun like that. Try dating him first then if it works, be in a more serious relationship! I know I'm a mated alpha but fuck your mates! If you and Jaehyun couldn't find them then it's better to be together instead! Mark each other and I'm sure that your bond will still be strong as the bonds of mated ones like me and Jungwoo. Don't give up without trying, Youngho ya. Even just once, give yourself a chance to be happy. You've always been looking out for the people around you that you forgot to take care of yourself, of your whole being. It's not wrong to choose to love yourself and make yourself happy this time.”
“My happiness is different from his happiness though..”
“Oh? You can never be too sure about that! You don't even know how he feels about you! Don't assume ahead and don't kill your happiness with your fear. You can do it, Youngho ya.”
“I'm still gonna hold onto his words. I wouldn't ever want to hurt him, and if not being together will preserve his fragile heart then—” Johnny was shocked when a voice he knew so well cut him off, and his legs instantly weakened when he saw Jaehyun's serious face. Still beautiful, but sadness was evident in his eyes.
“You've already hurt me.” Jaehyun pouted since he was hurt but above that, he was more than worried about his alpha housemate.
“Hyoni hyung!!! Oh gosh, what a surprise!!!”Of course, Jungwoo immediately helped his cousin with his things but pretended that he didn't know that Jaehyun would be coming back to be with their Youngho hyung.
“Johnny hyung.. you've already hurt me, why didn't you tell me that you'll come here? How dare you leave me there at our villa alone?”
“Jaehyun—”
“I’ve waited for you last night, and I wouldn't know where you've gone if Jungwoo didn't tell me about it! I was worried I said something wrong since we talked, why didn't you tell me about it, hyung?”
“You didn't say anything wrong, it's me. I'm the weird one, I'm sorry..”
“Jungwoo and I would give you some privacy so you can talk, okay? Say all the things you want to say to each other and do not hold back any longer, think of this as your last chance.” Yuta patted both Johnny and Jaehyun's shoulders before he held Jungwoo's hand and went to their garden, leaving the two standing in the crossroads of friendship and love.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Yuta and Jungwoo gave Johnny and Jaehyun some space to talk by going out of their home and staying by the garden. They may be curious as to what their two friends were talking about but they hoped that it would end on a positive note, especially since they knew their real and true feelings for each other. They believe that it's about time for the truth to be revealed and the perfect momentum to face what's ahead of them as two people who love each other.Johnny sat at the right side of the long couch while Jaehyun stayed by the other side, the air filled with silence and their vetiver-scented pheromones, both of them surprised that they have the same scent when they're nervous and anxious.
“Johnny hyung, before anything else, I wanna say sorry. I'm sorry if my words discouraged you and hurt you, but I'm more than sorry for the things I unintentionally made you feel.”
“Go straight to the point, Jaehyun. There's no turning back for us anyway.”
“I.. I'm sorry if I told you that I would choose my alpha mate no matter what, even if I don't even know if I would ever find them. The truth is.. I asked you about your feelings because more than being confused, I wanted to know if you feel the same way for me, or if you're just really a kind person. I don't want to assume and I don't wanna add more meaning to the things you do when you might just be friendly and caring towards me. On that night we first talked, you told me that you only see me as a friend but as much as that was what I expected from you, it hurt me. The next day, I found out that you lied to me.. because all this time, I was the reason why you were hurting. Johnny hyung, I am your first love, right? The omega you've admired from afar, the one you've pushed away so you won't be close to me, so you can still save yourself from falling hard in love? The one who was your first love that you've let go, and the reason why you studied in Beijing so you can move on, right? So it was me you've been loving from a distance since high school?”
“Yeah, it's you. You're my first love, the reason for everything..”
“By the way, don't be angry at Xiaojun. He didn't tell me anything because I've heard it all. You told him that you'll move on from me so you came here without a word but I'm really sorry, it must've tormented you to see me again, to be with me again and to feel those feelings again while I'm totally clueless about how you feel until I found out all of that yesterday. So as much as I was hurt by your denial, I know you only did that because you're hurting and I understand now why you've been wanting to move on from me..”
“To be honest, I knew you were there with Xiaojun. And I said that because I knew you were listening. That was the only time I had the courage to say my feelings because I know I won't be able to tell you about it directly. But yeah, since you already knew that you're my first love, can I peacefully move on from you now?”
“Wait, I haven't told you about my feelings yet!”
“Huh?”
“I know you lied and denied your feelings for me even if you love me but.. I lied and also denied or at least, tried to forget my feelings for you! I asked you if you want to know about my feelings, right? But you said you didn't wanna know about it since there's no point.. Nevertheless, I still wanna tell you about it now. I don't wanna hide it anymore. Johnny hyung, I like you not just as a friend, not even as a colleague, a boss or whatever! While we were living together, the feeling grew stronger and I'm sorry if you had to leave but when you went away, I realised that I've really fallen in love with you. I was just trying to hold myself back because I don't want to fall too deep when I'm not certain about how you think of me.”
“Eh?”
“When you left, I missed you so much and I was so worried that I couldn't sleep last night! I tried hard to sleep since it was also late but when Jungwoo sent me a photo of you behind him, I felt so relieved and I wanted to see you so I went on the earliest flight today. I wanna be with you, Johnny hyung because I miss you and I love you! I'll say it as early as now, you may think of it as a reckless move but I don't wanna lose you! Call me selfish but I don't want you to move on from me!”
“How.. why.. what—”
“Maybe because we were always together that I also grew very fond of you.. I found your actions endearing, and your presence very comforting. You also never failed to appreciate me and help me when I needed it. You're such a kind and warm person, I've never encountered an alpha who's as loving and as loyal as you! I couldn't imagine loving someone from afar since high school, cutting off ties during college and still loving them after you've become colleagues. Johnny hyung, I am thankful for your love for me! Because of that, I feel like I'm worthy enough. You made me feel safe and you gave me a lot of strength to continue! Your love, even if it was disguised as a friendly gesture, helped a lot in my healing and it also gave me courage to love again!”
“I.. you might just be overwhelmed, Jaehyun. It's okay, you don't have to say those words! And you're always welcome.. I did those things without thinking of anything else, not even expecting anything in return because I’ve already accepted the fact that you're too far to reach. Thank you for your appreciation and that's enough for me.”
“Johnny hyung, are you okay? What are you thinking?”
“I'm.. it feels like I'm dreaming. Haha. I.. I never thought this would happen. Or maybe I'm still dreaming! Well, I drank a lot last night so this must be some hallucinations too—”
“You're not hallucinating! Johnny hyung, I'm here and I love you! Don't think about anything else! I'm real and I am sincere, I love you and I've decided, I want to be your omega!”
“Oh gosh, I'm hearing voices in my head—”
“Johnny hyung!! Look at me please!! This isn't just some random scenario or hallucinations! I'm real, and my feelings are real! Please believe me!”
“It’s unbelievable.. all of a sudden, you want to be with me but I'm not your alpha mate—”
“Whoever my alpha is, fuck him because I'm so tired of waiting! And you know what? I don't care about them anymore! What's important is that you're the alpha I wanna be with! Johnny hyung, I wanna be your omega, will you be my alpha too?”
“I don’t know but you might just be feeling that way because you pity me for loving you ever since and for not being able to move on even after years have passed.. I promise, I'm okay and I'll be okay even if you won't love me back!”
“I know you'll think like that but no, I do not pity you for not moving on from me! Actually, I love the fact that I have that effect on you, as well as the fact that I still have a place in your heart after all these years! I've stayed in your mind too, and even if it's selfish, I'm glad that it's like that. But of course, as much as I stayed in your heart and mind, I can't stop thinking about you too! I was really worried, I didn't know where you went plus you didn't come home.. I thought you went out to drink, or maybe you went around to meet someone else to nurse your lonely heart.”
“I don't play around with other people to forget nor distract myself from frustrations and heartaches. I went here to reflect and think about what's happening in my life.”
“I see.. but hyung, I really wanna be with you. Will it be okay if we start a romantic relationship?”
“Are you really serious about this, Jaehyun?”
“Johnny hyung, I'm really serious. I wanna be with you and stay with you not just as your friend or a colleague. I may have been the love of your life for so long but I want to be the love of your life until the end! And I want you to be the love of my life too, the one I'll choose to love everyday.”
“You still don't know a lot of things about me though.. I don't think you'd still love me if you get to know me more.”
“Let’s get to know each other more while we're in a relationship, then! I'd love to know more about my boyfriend..”
“Boyfriend..”
“Yeah. Doesn't that sound good for us? Boyfriends?”
“Okay..”
“So.. you'll be my boyfriend from now on?”
“I don't know how to be a boyfriend though.. will that be okay?”
“The things you did for me while we're living together in Beijing were actually things that a boyfriend usually does, so just be yourself and don't worry about it! If by any chance you don't know how to respond to things, I won't take it against you.”
“I hope that this is what you really want to do.. I'll never force you to love me if you're not—” Johnny was cut off when Jaehyun suddenly grabbed his face and kissed his lips. Johnny was shocked, his brain short circuiting as Jaehyun continued to give him more kisses.
“I love you! And I don't need to be forced, I loved you on my own so don't worry about such things, okay? Boyfriend. I love you!” Jaehyun smiled against the kisses until Johnny got comfortable with it and kissed back.-“So, how did your talk go??” Yuta raised his eyebrows as Johnny stayed by the couch while Jaehyun was sleeping, his head on Johnny's lap.
“The talk went fine. It still feels surreal though, I never imagined that this would happen because I've always thought that he doesn't like me.”
“Aigoo.. why are you saying that? Everything is possible, my brother! By the way, I'm really happy for you because finally, after countless years, you became Jaehyun's boyfriend! Jungwoo and I are so relieved to know that Jaehyun is in good hands because I know that you will prioritize him. He'll finally experience the love he deserves.”
“I still think that this is just a dream because I've been trying hard not to cross paths with him again. Since I knew that he liked you, all I did was back off because I know I won't stand a chance.”
“But life has twists and turns! Here you are now, with the love of your life sleeping on your lap. Maybe this world is trying to get back at you after making you suffer and making you believe such things for the longest time.”
“Yeah.. but I'm still worried. I mean, we're clearly not mates..”
“Ah, that's hard. I'm sorry brother, I can't answer you about that since I'm a mated alpha. All I can say is your relationship could thrive even if you're not mates, as long as you love each other and choose each other. I've enjoyed my time as Jaehyun's boyfriend back then, but I can safely say that it's way better if you love each other with the same depth. No restraints, no reservations, break out of your comfort zone and love each other like it's the last thing you could do. I know what kind of man you are, Youngho and I strongly believe that even if you're not mates, loving each other is enough so you'd be together.”
“I love him.. I love him so much but if that time comes that he'll want to leave me for his alpha mate, I'll let him go.”
“Damn Youngho, why are you already planning to let him go? It hasn't been long since you've been official! Take that out of your mind and enjoy your time as a new couple. Live in the moment from now on, and don't let your fear of the future spoil your happiness! I know you've always wanted to do the things that make others happy but please, do the things that will make you happy too! As much as I want you to prioritize Jaehyun, I also want you to prioritize yourself, your needs and your happiness. And don't be too scared to love someone who isn't your mate, it's better than not even trying.”
“Ah.. fuck it. Come what may, if it's meant to be, it will be! He must've been so tired that he fell asleep as soon as we finished talking.”
“Maybe he was really worried about you, he might've not even slept during his flight.”
“For sure! Jaehyun said that he took the earliest flight today which was at 8am! He must be already in the airport no later than 6am!”
“He stayed up late then he went to the airport during early dawn just to be with you again.. wow, our Jaehyunnie has changed! I mean, he's not a morning person, he usually sleeps through until afternoon but he went on his way early in the morning so he could be with you as soon as possible! I don't think he was lying when he said he likes you.”
“I really hope he does.. I also hope that he won't regret this.”
“After so many years, Jaehyun finally opened his heart and had the courage to love again. I don't think he would have decided to come here if he wasn't serious with you. He loves you, I can feel it!”
“I hope I won't fuck things up.. oh gosh, how should I do this..”
“Wait. Youngho, have you been in a relationship before? I mean, I don't know if you had a boyfriend in Beijing back then or what..”
“I've never been in a relationship before, but I went out on blind dates my friends set up for me, only to end it within that one meeting. I've liked a few but the feelings never lasted long.”
“Oh gosh.. does that mean you're still a virgin?”
“No comment.”
“Uhm.. actually, Jaehyun was—”
“Yuta, I’d rather not know about the things that happened between the two of you back then. I'm your best friend and you tell me a lot of things about you but I don't think I have to know that.”
“Okay, I understand that. Anyway, I think you should carry Jaehyun to the bed at the guest room so he could sleep comfortably and so your thighs won't sleep.”
“I guess that's what I need to do, take a rest too. See you later, then.”
“By the way, your dad said that they'll cook your favorite potato and mushroom chops tonight so we should be there for dinner. Hope you and Jaehyun won't be late for that.”
“I'll set an alarm then. Thanks for telling me!”
“Rest well, I'll play with Jungwoo in our room so better not interrupt us, okay?”
“Yeah sure, do whatever you want!! I'll take this sleeping beauty to the guest room too. Enjoy your time then!” Johnny just chuckled before he stood up, only to carry the sleeping omega like a bride, and went to the guest room so that they could sleep comfortably. Jaehyun laid on the bed while Johnny stayed and sat by Jaehyun's feet until he was willed by his drowsiness to sleep with his back against the wall. Jaehyun woke up a few hours after he fell asleep but he was surprised that he was already on the bed, and Johnny was sleeping by his feet with his back against the wall. He smiled at the sight of his boyfriend who looked so handsome even when he's asleep, but he just chuckled because he found him cute for still maintaining personal space between them when they could've slept side by side on the same bed. Since he didn't want to interrupt the alpha's sleep, he just crawled over and hugged Johnny's waist, his body and chest against the mattress and his face by Johnny's thigh before he went back to sleep.The alarm blasted off after some time, and the new couple were awakened even if they still wanted to sleep. Johnny opened his eyes and was surprised that Jaehyun's face was already by his crotch while hugging his waist as if he was his pillow.
“Jaehyun, it's time to wake up! We need to get ready for dinner.”
“I still wanna sleep hugging you..”
“I'll let you hug me later. Yuta said dad would cook our dinner tonight so we should go there. I mean, only if you're okay to see then again. Yuta’s parents won't be there, in case you're curious. I'll understand if you won't want to join us though, I'll just buy us food here.”
“No no, I'm totally fine with it! I mean, it's been a long time since I last saw them. It'll be great to greet my boyfriend's parents formally. Uh, are you gonna tell them about us?”
“I'm not sure.. Do you want me to tell them?”
“I'm sure they'll be shocked but yeah, I don't mind if you tell them or not. I don't think you're ready for that though, so maybe let's do that after a few months?”
“Sorry..”
“Johnny hyung, don't be sorry! It's okay, I understand you. I mean, we just became boyfriends for a few hours, I bet you'll need more time to let things sink in. I don't mind acting like we're just friends, but you have to give me something in return later on.”
“Oh.. what is that?”
“Hmm.. how about you drive me home later? I.. as much as I want to spend time with Yuta hyung and Jungwoo, I want to be alone with you. Is that okay?”
“Okay, I'll drive you home later. I'm gonna go home tonight anyway. I'm already tired of those two. Haha. Go ahead and take a bath, I'll go get your towel.”
“Let's shower together!!”
“Huh?? I'm..”
“If you don't want it now, how about we do it later?”
“Later is fine. We might take a long time showering so let's do it separately.”
“Okay!! Better do that later or else!! Haha. I love you, Johnny hyung.”
“Thank you, Jaehyun.”
“Oh? You don't love me back?”
“I love you more than anything else, Jaehyun.” “Our big baby is finally here with us for dinner!! Ah, we miss having dinner with you, Youngho ya. And it might be unexpected but we're happy you'll join us for dinner, Jaehyun! It's been so long! We missed you!”
“Ah yes, it's been a long time! Thank you for allowing me to join you.”
“Of course! You've been close to us ever since and you're always welcome in our household. We're glad that you're here just in time that our Youngho came home. It's a great start for the new year. Anyway, let's eat! We cooked Youngho’s favorite dishes, I hope you'll like it too! Yuta, Jungwoo, help yourselves!”
“Thanks uncle! Babe, have a lot of these, that's good for you!”
“Not too much, I still want to eat other things!”
“Okay okay!” Yuta served Jungwoo a lot of dishes on his plate while Johnny's parents looked at them lovingly. Johnny just passed the platters to Jaehyun who looked touched because he thought that his boyfriend would just really treat him like a friend.
“Thanks, hyung!”
“Eat a lot okay! By the way, Jaehyun, we know that it's been so long but we want to know.. do you have a boyfriend?”
“Huh? Boyfriend? Yes, I have a boyfriend.”
“Oh you already have a boyfriend? That's good! When you're not busy, take him here and let's eat dinner again. We’d love to meet the man who made you fall in love again.”
“He's quite busy with work so I don't think we'll have time but I'll try my best! It may not be soon but I'll keep that in mind.”
“How about you, Youngho? When are you gonna introduce a boyfriend to us? You'll be turning 30 soon, you're not getting any younger!”
“I'm too busy with work, I don't have time to date.”
“Ah, it would've been better if you'll be with Jaehyun but sadly, he already has an alpha. You missed your chance!”
“Papa, dad, let's just eat. We won't stay long since I will also have to drive Jaehyun home so he can rest.”
“Thank goodness you've thought of that! Anyway, go ahead and eat up!”The dinner was over so the new couple went back to Yuta and Jungwoo's house to get their things.
“As much as we want you two to stay with us, we know that you need your alone time. Better enjoy that! Youngho, my brother, fighting!!”
“Shut up! We're gonna go home so you two could enjoy more of your time together!! But for goodness sake, don't tire Jungwoo out always!!”
“I'm the one who gets tired though??”
“Enough of that, let's just wish them well, okay? Yuta hyung, take care of our Jungwoo well!!”
“Are you two gonna come here before you go back to Beijing?”
“Not sure but probably not. So take care of yourselves, okay? See you when we get back!!”
“Really? Then I'll just send your birthday gifts to your address in Beijing then. Advanced happy birthday to both of you, February babies!!”
“Yuta hyung, I'm a February baby too!”
“I know but everyday is your birthday for me so it's fine.”
“Oh gosh that's gross!! We'll be going ahead!!”
“Drive safely, you punk!! And enjoy the rest of the night!!”
“Take care of Jungwoo!! See you whenever!!”
“Jaehyun hyung, fighting!!”The drive from Yuta and Jungwoo's house to Jaehyun's place was quite awkward, the new couple didn't even utter a word until just before they reached the driveway and Jaehyun told him to park the car at the tenant garage.
“Hyung, can you stay over tonight? Please?“
“Why?”
“I just want to spend time with my boyfriend alone. No interruption from Yuta hyung and Jungwoo. Please?”
“Okay, I'll just go home tomorrow.”
“We should sleep in my bed, okay?”
“But Jaehyun, isn't it a bit too fast? It hasn't been a day since we talked..”
“Oh, so my boyfriend is quite conservative? I didn't see that coming. Haha. But it's fine, we'll just sleep side by side. I also just want to hug you while we sleep and see you as soon as I wake up. Is that too much for you?”
“That's fine with me.”
“Why? Are you thinking of doing something else instead?”
“No.. ah, I'll be going home.”
“I'm just joking, hyung!! I'm okay with just sleeping beside you. I love you!”
“I love you the most, Jaehyun.”It wasn't the first time Johnny had a sleepover at Jaehyun's place so he was already comfortable, but it was the first time he would sleep at Jaehyun's bed so he made sure that he was fully clothed, he even wore his hoodie and pajamas while Jaehyun just wore a loose shirt that looked like a dress on him. He was wearing shorts, and Johnny thanked the heavens that his boyfriend wouldn't tease him that much because he's sure he would have a hard time in the morning.
“Ah, finally I'll be sleeping with you!!”
“Disclaimer, I snore a lot and it's loud!”
“It's fine, I snore too. Let's snore together!” Jaehyun looked happy and he hugged Johnny before he pulled the alpha towards the bed.
“Let's sleep, I know you haven't slept much yet and it's time for you to recharge.”
“You feel so warm, you're charging me up a lot, hyung. Thank you.”
“You have a lot of things to say, let's just sleep.”
“Goodnight kiss?”
“Good night, Jaehyun.” Johnny only gave Jaehyun a smack and of course, the omega pouted because he wants more.
“Why? What's with the face?”
“I want more kisses!”
“One kiss. Two kisses. Three kisses! Goodnight, baby.”
“Baby?”
“Um. You're as cute as a baby.”
“I like being called baby. Okay, from now on, I'm baby. And you're my honey.”
“Honey? That's so sweet, haha.”
“But you are sweet! You should only be sweet to me though.. I get jealous easily.”.
“Okay, I'll keep that in mind! Good night, baby.”
“Good night honey.”The new couple spent their days in Seoul having different kinds of dates — movie date, park date, musical date, shopping all while having lunch and dinner dates. Johnny felt more comfortable being with Jaehyun, and he became open to more things like holding hands in public, hugging and sometimes kissing.Of course, they had to go back to Beijing for work after their mini vacation in Seoul. Everything became natural to them, they took care of each other while they're at their villa and stayed professional during work hours. Everything went smoothly in the first week but everything shifted when Ten announced that he was pregnant and Xiaojun went on heat by the third week of January. Johnny didn't have a secretary since Xiaojun wasn't around, but Hendery was on leave too because it turned out that he was Xiaojun's alpha mate. While Johnny struggled to schedule everything by himself, Jaehyun also had to adjust and do some of the things Hendery needed to do. They couldn't rely on Kun that much especially since Ten was at the hospital because his pregnancy was sensitive and Kun had to be there to look after his omega mate. In the end, Johnny and Jaehyun only had each other but the things that happened around them made them anxious, especially the fact that their friends went on heat and they might have their own heat or rut anytime soon. Johnny sometimes had mental breakdowns while working, then Jaehyun was too distracted that he couldn't finish his meals so they can't even have time for themselves.It was only February when they were able to breathe. Finally, Xiaojun and Hendery reported back to work though they came back as a mated couple while Kun and Ten worked even in their bedrooms so Ten won't have to go around. Johnny and Jaehyun accomplished a lot of tasks in the few weeks their coworkers weren't around and they finally had time to go on a dinner date away from the villa, especially since they only had food from the resort restaurant for the past few weeks. They enjoyed their date but when they went back to the villa, the couple looked worried, most especially Johnny because it seemed like their omega friends had their heat and the only one who hadn't got that was Jaehyun.
“Honey, calm down. Happy monthsary! It's been a month since we became official and I loved every single day spent with you even if we've been through a lot in the past few days! I'm really thankful that we worked efficiently even if they weren't around..”
“Me too.. Happy 1 month to us! I.. ah it's hard. To be honest, I'm worried that you might have your heat soon but I promise I will respect whatever your decision is. Just don't forget the fact that I love you so much and I would still love you even if I had to do it from afar again.”
“Honey, don't say that! You know that I love you and even if that day comes, I'd still choose you!”
“Jaehyun, we can never be too sure! Please don't make it hard for us! But seriously, I love you and if I could, I'd stay by your side. If one day you'll be in heat and your alpha would want to take you away from me, I'll let you go. It's fine, I'll be fine. I'll remember our memories as a couple even if it didn't last long.”
“Let's not think about that, okay? I love you, Johnny! Whatever happens, I'd still choose you. Fuck my alpha, I don't want him!”
“But Jae—”
“I know who I want and whoever my alpha mate is, he should just go away! I don't care about them anymore, I only want you! Believe in me, okay? We'll get through this..”
“I love you.. I don't want to lose you, Jaehyun!” Johnny's tears fell and because of that, Jaehyun's heart sank. His boyfriend looked devastated so he immediately hugged him tightly, assuring him that he wouldn't leave him.“Honey?”
“Um?”
“Can I mark you?”
“Huh? Mark? What do you mean mark me?”
“I'll mark you as mine! So whatever happens, even if we're not mates, you're still mine.”
“Is that possible?”
“We can try! Besides, you're the one that I love.”
“But Jae, you might regret that..”
“It's the only way for us to at least be connected! Just to be sure, I want to mark you as mine before my heat comes..”
“Baby, can we decide on this once we're stable enough? I don't think we're in our right minds to do that. At least, not tonight..”
“I.. I understand.. but can I have you tonight instead?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It's been a month since we became lovers but we haven't done anything past kissing and hugging.. I think it's about time for us to do it."
“But.. shouldn't you experience that with your ma—”
“I want to do it with the one I love, and the man I love is you! I wanna do it with you, honey!”
“Uhm.. I.. I don't think that's appropriate though..”
“But why? We live together here and we love each other! And I think it's better to do it with the one I love than do it with anyone else!”
“But I might hurt you..”
“You? Hurt me? Nah, I know you'll never hurt me. And I trust you a lot, honey!”
“I'm.. I'm not ready for that yet..”
“What do you mean you're not ready for sex?”
“I.. I don't.. I don't know.. how. I don't have any experience yet.”
“Oh. That's okay! It's okay, honey! Actually, I'm thankful that I'm gonna be your first. Don't worry about it, I'll guide you on what to do.”
“Sorry to ask this but have you done it before?”
“Nope! Uhm, I've only watched videos before.. and back then I had some toys.”
“Toys?”
“I have those silicone dicks and such.. I've given some blowjobs back in college though. Want me to try it on you?”
“But—”
“It's fine, honey! Don't be shy, it's just me! And I'll love your dick as much as I love you. Let's take a shower together, I feel sticky.”It was the first time Jaehyun took a shower with someone else but he was more than happy because he showered with his boyfriend. He wanted to go inside the bathroom ahead but because Johnny was hesitant, Jaehyun held his hand and accompanied him first and they just stripped at the same time.
Jaehyun knows how good Johnny's body was — it was the first thing he noticed on the day of his interview on Johnny's company but reality was way better than he imagined. Johnny was big but not too bulky, his shoulders were really wide, his abs were toned and his arms looked so strong but toned down with a Jaguar tattoo. He also got some more tattoos on his left collarbone and Jaehyun was instantly blown away. It was his first time to see Johnny's tattoos and he found them beautiful.
“Your tattoos look good on you, honey! May I know when you've gotten them?”
“I got them after we established the resort. It may be too much for you, sorry.”
“Do not be sorry, it looks sexy on you! Really! I like it!”
“Thanks.” Johnny smiled before he took his shorts and boxers off while Jaehyun watched him. The omega was more than happy because his alpha finally felt comfortable baring his wonderful body.
“I'll open the shower, your clothes might get wet so throw them in the bin.” the alpha ordered as he got their toiletries, while Jaehyun took everything off his body to join Johnny under the shower. They shared the mild but refreshing ocean scented shampoo and body wash as they lathered it through their hair and body. Of course, they didn't forget about their facial wash (Johnny got into skincare thanks to Jaehyun) before they patted the water off each other’s bodies with the towels.

“You ready?” Nervousness was evident in Johnny's voice but Jaehyun happily and excitedly nodded so they immediately went to their shared bed. The couple slowly kissed but they gradually picked up the pace until they were making out messily.
“Honey, please! I'm already wet with slick.. oh!” Jaehyun was getting frustrated so he touched Johnny's abs down to check if he was already hard enough but he was more than shocked when he felt a big tent underneath the towel wrapped around Johnny's waist.
“Throw the towel away, baby.”
“Honey.. it wasn't that big before! You are big!”
“Yeah.. sadly I was too gifted down there. Uhm.. you must've been startled by the size, you can still back out because I know it will hurt you.”
“No, I'm not gonna back out. I can take you.”
“Really?”
“Yes honey! I'll take all of you so come on, give it to me!”
“Are you sure about that? Baby, I know you're getting frustrated but I think I need to stretch you out more.”
“I'm already so wet with slick, it'll slide in!”
“Wait here, okay? I love you!” Johnny kissed Jaehyun's lips again before he went down to eat him out. Johnny found Jaehyun's slick so sweet and he also pushed his tongue in, which made Jaehyun moan.
“Johnny!! Aaahhh!!” Jaehyun felt his hole stretch more as Johnny added his fingers one by one. Jaehyun reached his climax for the first time and squirted as Johnny continued his ministrations.
“Baby, are you okay?”
“Yes.. please fuck me now!! I can't wait any longer!!”
“I love you, Jung Jaehyun. More than anything and anyone in this world. Tell me if it hurts or if you want to stop, okay? And if you want it faster or slower.”
“Okay, I love you Johnny Suh Youngho Xu Yinghao!! I love all of you and I will choose you until the end.” Jaehyun grabbed Johnny's face and kissed the alpha, and he slowly felt the head of his alpha's dick against his hole. The kiss got deeper and Johnny pushed it deeper, the head finally inside Jaehyun.
“Are you okay, baby?”
“That's.. damn big!”
“It's only the head! Do you want me to stop?”
“No no no honey please continue!! I want it deeper! Come on, stretch me more but slowly, please!”
“I got it, baby. I love you!” Johnny kissed Jaehyun's lips again to distract him as he continued to push more of his cock inside. After a few minutes of messy kissing and moaning, Johnny has finally settled inside the omega and Jaehyun really took everything like a champ.”
“You're such a good boy, you really took all of me!”
“I.. I feel so full. Can you move now?”
“You want me to move?”
“Yeah. Aaaaahhhhhhhh fuck!!”
“Does it hurt?? Sorry!”
“No it's not like that.. It feels good!! More, please!” Jaehyun was getting so used to it so Johnny gave him more. He started slow until his boyfriend told him to do it faster, until Jaehyun was a moaning mess.
“Baby, can we do it in a different position?”
“Uh.. how?”
“On all fours, baby.”
“Okay.. oh shit!! You're so deep!!”
“I think you'll like this even more..”
“Yes.. I still want to kiss you though..”
“Let's do that later. I'm close.”
“Give it all to me, release it inside!”
“Okay baby. I love you!!” Johnny started to thrust harder and faster but Jaehyun enjoyed it a lot, and the position made everything better so it didn't take long until Jaehyun's walls tightened and Johnny released his seed inside his boyfriend. Jaehyun loved it so much, the hot liquid mixed with his own slick slowly oozed out of his hole much to Johnny's delight.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The couple was preoccupied with work so they usually spent their time eating and sleeping. Their schedules were packed, but Jaehyun was puzzled because February 9 was blocked on Johnny's scheduler. Since they were at the main office at Kun and Ten's villa, Jaehyun asked Xiaojun about it.“Xiaojun, does engineer Suh have a lunch meeting or dinner meeting on February 9?”“Huh? Ah no, that's his fixed annual leave and he'll be back on February 16.”“That’s a whole week, right?”“Yeah. Last year he went on a trip to Paris, I just don't know if he will be going back there or if he will be going somewhere else this year.”“I see. Thanks for the information, Xiaojun! By the way.. can I ask you about things? I mean, about your heat. How did it started, what were the symptoms, what did you do as soon as you knew you were in heat and how did Hendery knew about it?”“Uh, actually I didn't see it coming. It just happened like one day, my body felt so heavy that I wasn't able to get up and make breakfast. I felt lightheaded and my body temperature spiked up. My slick also uncontrollably oozed out of me that my underwear got soaked. I panicked and I screamed until Hendery heard me but when I saw him, everything changed all of a sudden. When he came inside my room, his scent smelled so good for me, and his presence really helped make my mood better. It didn't stop my slick from coming out of my body though, especially when he went on his rut at that same moment wherein his body temperature was hotter than me. It turned out that my omega pheromones while I was in heat triggered his rut, and we found ourselves kissing. It felt so good, and it would've been great if we didn't hold back since our bodies were ready for mating but we tried hard to fight it, until he found his emergency rut condoms. We couldn't risk it even if we're best friends, but we're happy to know that we're each other's mates.”“I see..”“But I think the heat symptoms vary? Because I asked Ten hyung if he felt lightheaded and he said he didn't, and when he went in heat he vomited a lot until Kun ge went in rut and comforted him with his rut pheromones. He also said that they didn't use protection that time so now they're having a baby.”“That's super unexpected, but I'm happy for them. Like I know they're close because they live in the same villa but I thought they hated each other's guts with the amount of bickering they do everyday yet it turned out that they're mates.”“I guess that's how weirdly mysterious things happen. I hope you'll find your alpha soon so you won't suffer alone when your heat comes.”“Actually, I've come to the point wherein I've already given up looking for my alpha. If he's not looking for me hard enough too then I have to continue without him.”“Oh? How come? To be honest, it's a huge relief that my mate is my best friend because I won't have to go through a phase of getting to know another person. Since it's Hendery, we can continue with what we've had as best friends but we can also take it to the next level when we're both ready since we're mates. By the way, how was your trip to Korea? How did it turn out with Johnny hyung?”“It's fine I think? We didn't get to talk a lot because his best friend, my cousin and Johnny hyung's family were also there. I ended up going home to my condominium after I had dinner with their pack.”“I see. I'd still be rooting for you two because I know my cousin loves you a lot.”“To be honest, I'm terrified especially after you and Ten hyung had your heat. I'm afraid I'll be the next one to experience it. Like okay, back then I badly wanted it to come but now, I feel totally different. I don't want it to come because when that time comes, I'll just be focusing on my alpha mate and I won't give attention to other people. I'm afraid I would also have to move out when it happens. I don't know how I'll talk to Johnny hyung about it, knowing that I'd also break his heart for the nth time.”“It's getting really hard for the two of you. I wish things would be solved soon, but I only thought of one thing..”“What is it?”“Marking. But it's risky too, because it may be unfair for Johnny hyung if you mark him and you find your alpha soon. He'll never be able to get over you more than how he hasn't moved on from you for the past few years. I think it's still better to wait for the day of your heat before doing anything else.”“I think I'm going crazy.. anyway, thanks for sharing your experience with me, Xiaojun.”“You're always welcome and if you feel something unusual, don't hesitate to call me!! I'll help you when you're in heat, and let's find who your alpha mate is.”“Are there instances wherein an omega goes in heat while their alpha mate is far away?”“To be honest, I don't know but based on experiences, like with me and Ten hyung, we went on heat because our alpha mates ate close to us.”“So if I won't meet anyone new, I have a lower chance to be in heat, right?”“That could be, especially if your alpha mate isn't close to you.”“I think I know what to do now. I'll just stay at the villa and not go out so there'd be no chance to meet my alpha mate. Thanks for the idea, Xiaojun!!”“But are you serious? Are you really gonna try hard not to meet your alpha?”“For now, that's the only way to not hurt Johnny, and for me to not get in heat. — Jaehyun's mind was preoccupied with a lot of things, some because of work but mostly because of his worries about his mate and how he wanted to stay with Johnny.The sudden snowfall didn't help either, as it made everything gloomy and Johnny also caught a cold so the alpha told him they should maintain distance or else he might also get infected.“Baby, your ramen is ready! Let's eat.”“Oh. Yeah. Thanks honey!”“It seems like you're deep in thought. Wanna talk about it?”“I was just thinking about.. things.”“Things like?”“I.. I asked Xiaojun about it. I mean, how he experienced his heat and all.”“Oh, I understand. It's not something I have to know. Sorry.”“It's okay. I also asked him one thing though, about your schedule. You're on leave starting February 9 then you'll be back on the 16th?”“Ah that one? It's my annual fixed leave. I've scheduled it like that ever since we established the company so I could spend Valentine's day rotting at home.”“I see. Haha. Xiaojun said that you went to Paris last year though, did you have an amazing Parisian Valentine's date?”“Ah, last year I decided to start my Europe trip, to get away from work and to get some good quality wines and cheeses. Haha.”“I see. Are you gonna go somewhere in Europe this year too?”“Actually, I've planned to go to Italy but I won't push through. Maybe next time.”“Oh? Why are you not going to Italy this year?”“I'd like to spend your birthday with you, so I'll stay here at home. It's the first Valentine's I'll spend with a boyfriend so I might as well enjoy it.”“Awww, that's sweet!”“It might not be sweet though, because we have to keep our distance since I have a cold. But knowing that I'll spend it with you is enough to make me happy, especially since it was a dream I've wanted to come true ever since.”“You love me that much, hmm?”“I love you more than you can ever imagine, Jaehyun. Maybe even more than I thought I could. So I'll spend time with you as much as I can.”“To be honest, I never thought I could ever love like this too. And thank you, because I got to know that I was more than capable of loving someone so much even after what I went through before. I'm lucky I've got to meet you again after years have passed..”“I thought you were someone too far to reach so I didn't even bother trying but things went crazy and now we're here.. turned out that the feelings I've felt before would defy time and distance. I love you, Jaehyun. Always. I hope you’ll remember that fact no matter what happens. That is enough for me.”“Honey, is it okay if I stay with you here while you're on leave?”“Oh? Why is that? Do you want to rest too?”“Well, like you, I also want to spend time together. I wanna be with you! I wanna cuddle with you, make love with you, everything!!”“I don't think that's possible baby, you still have a lot of things to do at work. Besides, I don't want you to catch colds since you'll be more prone to that if you stay with me all the time. Kun, Ten, Xiaojun and Hendery might think that there's something suspicious between us. Also, sorry to say this but we have to at least sleep in our own beds until my cold is gone.”“Huh? Does that also mean no kisses??”“No hugs or kisses. Sorry baby but I have to do this for you.”“Noooooo, I need my hugs and kisses!!”“I'm taking medication, let's just sacrifice a bit so that we won't end up both having colds. I can't risk you getting sick too, okay? I promise, we can hug and kiss and do whatever you want when I get better.”“Okay, better make that promise. I'll look forward to it!!”“Of course! I'll only do things that would make you happy.” — It didn't last long until the day of Johnny's leave started. Their villa was unusually quiet and Johnny wasn't up yet making his morning coffee, and Jaehyun thought that his boyfriend just slept in because of the cold medicine that must've made him sleep longer so he just went to their kitchen to whip up something quick to eat.“Ah, I'm still so sleepy. I hope he's feeling better now..” Jaehyun said as he fried some bacon strips and eggs then made kimchi fried rice for breakfast but he was confused when he heard Johnny's phone ringing inside his room. Of course, Jaehyun was worried so he went inside to take the phone since he still wants his boyfriend to sleep, and was surprised when he saw that it was Yuta calling.“Eh? What's up with Yuta hyung? Why is he calling Johnny early in the morning, out of the blue??” He thought that there was an emergency in Seoul so Jaehyun immediately picked up as soon as it rang again.“Hello? Yuta hyung?”“Oh? Hello Jaehyun!! Where's Youngho?”“Ah, he's still sleeping since he caught a cold. Why? Did something happen there??”“Nothing happened! Actually, I called because I just wanted to wish him a happy birthday. My brother is finally 30 years old today and I hope you two will spend his birthday well. And another birthday gift from him, he's gonna be an uncle soon! You'll be an uncle soon, too!”“Oh my gosh, Jungwoo is finally pregnant??”“Yes!! We just got checked yesterday and we found out that he's already 6 weeks pregnant. I'm sure Youngho would be so happy because he had been pressuring me more than our parents. Haha!”“Congratulations to you and Jungwoo, hyung! Where is he?”“He fell asleep because he woke up early only to vomit. Morning sickness.”“He must be having a hard time. Take care of my cousin well or else!!”“I'm taking care of him well, don't worry. I even cook for him and buy him all the food he wants to eat!! And of course, help him whenever he vomits. I know it's hard but it's the start of our rough family life and the start of us being parents even if our baby is still very tiny.”“I'm really happy for the two of you. Congratulations again.”“I hope I'll hear good news from the two of you next time. Make something out of today!! It'll be an amazing birthday gift for the two of you.”“Wait, is it really his birthday today?”“Yes, his birthday is February 9. Why? Jaehyun ah, don't tell me you didn't know about it??”“Huh? Ah, actually I didn't know and all of us here celebrated his birthday last January 1, though he admitted that it wasn't his birthday. I wasn't aware that today is the day. Anyway, I gotta do something for my boyfriend then!! I'll tell him you called so he can send you a message once he wakes up.”“Alright, thanks Jaehyun!! And good luck with planning something for the birthday boy!!”“Haha yeah, good luck to me since I have to rush. Thanks and take care of Jungwoo for us. Bye!!”“I'll call him again later. Bye!!” Yuta hung up and of course, Jaehyun placed Johnny's phone back by the bedside table then went out to buy a birthday cake. He was able to get a strawberry chocolate torte and a happy birthday greeting written on a thin chocolate block but when he arrived home, Johnny was still asleep so he got worried.“Aigoo, my honey mustn't have gotten any wink of sleep that he's still passed out. I hope you'll feel better— oh shit!!” After watching his alpha boyfriend sleep, Jaehyun brushed Johnny's hair up from his forehead only to feel how hot it was. Looked like Johnny had a fever too, and Jaehyun was worried so he immediately went to get a glass of water and fever medicine.“Honey, wake up! You got a fever, take this so your temperature will go down.”“Hmmm..”“Johnny hyung, come on. Just take this and you can go back to sleep. Please?”“Jae.. why are you here?”“You're sick and you need to take medicine so you'll feel better! Take it.”“Oh. Okay, thanks.” Johnny immediately sat down to drink the fever medicine and the glass of water Jaehyun got for him.“You must be feeling weak. Do you wanna eat something? I made some kimchi fried rice with bacon and eggs..”“I'm fine, maybe later. I'll sleep a bit more first.”“Aigoo, how could we celebrate your birthday when you're sick? Get well as soon as possible so you can eat your cake!!”“Cake?”“Yeah, I bought a cake earlier. Happy birthday, honey! Yuta hyung called earlier and wanted to greet you a happy birthday but you were still asleep so he will just call again later. Anyway, happy 30th birthday to the love of my life!! I love you!!” Jaehyun badly wanted to kiss Johnny and he did, but Johnny immediately moved away from him after a smack.“Jae, you shouldn't do that! You might get sick too!!”“It's just one kiss, I'll be fine! And it's your birthday, I won't let this day end without kissing you of course!”“Okay.. but that's enough! I really don't want you to get sick. And I'll be fine, just place the water jug here so you wouldn't have to come inside the room frequently.”“Fine, I got it, you don't want me near you so I'll go ahead. But if you feel hungry, don't hesitate to tell me, okay? I'll also make you some porridge so you have something to eat if you're not in the mood to eat solid food.”“Thanks, even if you don't have to do this.”“Johnny, I'm your boyfriend—”“Yeah. Anyway, I'm feeling sleepy again..”“Whew. Okay, I'll go ahead so you can sleep again. Get well soon, I love you!!”“Um.” Johnny covered himself with the duvet so Jaehyun just sighed before he went out of his boyfriend's room. ————— Johnny slept throughout the day since he had fever and colds, and only got awakened when it was almost dinner. His body still felt heavy, but he was hungry so he washed his face in their shared bathroom only to see that his eyes were glowing honey gold. His eyes have always been light colored to the point that it looked like honey when exposed to the sun but he saw how light it was even if it was already nighttime. His nose wasn't clogged anymore thanks to the medicine Jaehyun gave him and his fever was gone, but he felt like there's still something weird happening to his body. All of a sudden, he felt hot and horny when he only experienced that when he had morning wood.And it made sense, he must've felt it because he had a morning wood because he had been asleep for a long time so he just tried to relieve himself when he went back to his bed.He was more than used to jerking off, but he never thought that he'd have to do it since Jaehyun became his boyfriend but he decided to take care of it alone as he was still worried that Jaehyun might get sick too.“You turned 30 and yet you're acting like a teenager who wakes up with a boner. Damn.” He sighed as he got some tissues to wipe the cum off his hand, then washed up to make himself feel better. Surprisingly, his body was covered with body wash foam when Jaehyun entered their shared bathroom.“Oh, you're finally awake! Are you feeling better now?”“Yeah, I feel better now. Thanks for taking care of me. I'm taking a bath so I won't feel hot again and hopefully I won't get chills this time since I don't use hot water whenever I wash up..”“That's good to know. Ah, I'll get you another fever medicine so you'll completely recuperate. I'll leave it by your door!!”“Okay, thanks.”“Uhm, Johnny?”“Yes?”“I’ve cooked some beef trip porridge, you should go and eat something so you'll recover well. I hope you'll like it. Haha. I'll go ahead so you can calmly take a bath.”“I see. Thanks.”“Also, call Yuta since he has big news for you.”“Big news huh? Let's see. I'll call him later, thanks for reminding me.”After eating the big bowl of beef tripe porridge Jaehyun made in the middle of the night and after taking the fever medicine Jaehyun gave him, Johnny tried his best to calm down but to no avail since he had already released a second load and yet he still felt horny.“This is just a morning wood, how come I'm not finished yet??” Johnny felt frustrated because he had already cum twice yet he didn't feel satisfied and his body became hotter — his temperature rose again but not because of fever, but because of his raging alpha pheromones. He saw that his eyes were glowing honey gold, and he immediately locked all his doors and windows so his pheromones wouldn't seep out of his room. He knew what he was in; he knew well that he was in his rut for the first time after he presented and he felt like the world crumbled onto him because he experienced his adult rut on his 30th birthday, just a few months after him and Jaehyun finally became lovers.It was already past midnight and Jaehyun was already asleep in his own room and Johnny cried because he never thought he would go into rut again when he thought he was past the age wherein he would get to know his mate. He was in his rut, and that means his omega mate must be experiencing his own heat — which made his heart drop even more because that means he's fated to mate with someone else that isn't his boyfriend. He thought that Jaehyun would have his heat soon because Ten and Xiaojun both went through it, and he thought that he's a mateless alpha because it never came after waiting for it through the years. His mind was still clear for an alpha who's in his rut, but he didn't know what to do and how to tell Jaehyun about it because he knows that his omega boyfriend will get hurt again with the same pain he experienced with Yuta.As hours went by, Johnny became more dizzy because of his own pheromones — a mix of lavender, clary sage, bitter almond, vanilla, orris, tonka bean, cashmeran, white woods, amber and leather that smelled sexy but at the same time very dangerous for his omega mate so even if it was still really early in the morning, he went to take a shower again to at least wash off some of his intense pheromones and also ate a heavy meal so he could fall asleep easily. He did everything quickly and quietly so he finished everything even before Jaehyun woke up. ——————Jaehyun wasn't a morning person. He wasn't the type of person who would rise up before their alarms in the morning nor someone who would wake up to welcome the sunrise and have a bright day. He was the type of person who would sleep through the morning and only wake up when it's past lunchtime — but his senses were awakened early enough to know that something's going on around him, and to him as well.He wasn't hungover but it felt like he drank 2 bottles of soju in one sitting with how hot his body felt; and he was sweating like he was in a sauna room even if it was still winter.“What's happening, why is it so hot?? Uhhh..” the omega yawned but his nose caught a fragrance he had never smelled before, and it smelled sophisticated and sexy. He thought someone, or maybe Johnny sprayed a perfume-scented antibacterial room mist so they won't get sick more but the smell slapped him awake as soon as he entered the bathroom where the perfume seemed prominent.“My honey must've really wanted to cleanse the air. I hope he's doing okay..” it was still morning and the cold air from the bathroom window blew in and made Jaehyun sneeze, but he was surprised when he felt that his underwear got wet as if he peed on it. He cursed to himself because he had to change underwear because of it but when he checked, it was a pool of thick, clear liquid which was clearly his slick. He just released a huge amount of slick after sneezing and it was the first time he experienced that so he was puzzled.“Jaehyun, it's not the right time to miss Johnny hyung's cock, he's sick and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't give in since he doesn't want you to get sick so just wait for the day he recovers from it, okay?? But damn, that smells so good!!” Jaehyun sniffed and he realised that the stronger smell came from Johnny's room, and he was lucky enough because Johnny left it unlocked so he went inside his alpha boyfriend’s room.“Oh? John hyung..” Jaehyun was shocked to see his sleeping alpha boyfriend all naked with his cock still throbbing hard. Johnny was breathing heavily, he looked like he was having wet dreams and his face was full of sweat. Jaehyun checked the temperature of his forehead and found out that his fever was gone, but touching the sweaty forehead made him realise that the sexy perfume scent wasn't from a perfume-scented antibacterial room mist but it was actually Johnny's alpha pheromones.“Oh my gosh.. wait here, okay??” Jaehyun crossed their shared bathroom and rushed back to his room to get his phone, and he confirmed that Johnny was in his alpha rut.“Honey.. I love you!! No matter what happens, I love you okay?? I'll accept whoever your omega mate is and as long as you'll choose me, I'll stay with you!!” Jaehyun's tears streamed down his cheeks and his sniffs made Johnny flinch.“Honey?? Are you awake??”“Jae? Baby?”“I love you Johnny!!” All of a sudden, Jaehyun threw himself to Johnny who's still laying down the bed and hugged him tightly.“Jae, why are you here?? I'm still sick—”“You are not sick anymore, hyung! You're in your rut! And your eyes.. it looks more beautiful than ever!” Jaehyun looked at Johnny's glowing honey gold eyes and he slowly felt something in his chest. His breaths got deeper like he was trapped in a very tight hug, but every inhalation of Johnny's alpha rut pheromones made him feel good.“Jaehyun, are you okay?? Oh fuck, you should've stayed inside your room, my pheromones might suffocate you!!”“No honey, I'm more than okay! You smell so good! Oh—” Jaehyun felt Johnny's hard erection against his crotch and another huge glob of slick came out of his underwear. He wasn't wearing any shorts so the thick clear liquid instantly soaked his underwear and it also covered Johnny's hard cock, making it slippery enough for Jaehyun to pump.“Jaehyun—”“Johnny hyung.. you smell so good! What's happening.. it feels like I'm floating even if I'm totally on top of you.” Jaehyun moved his hips and grind his own growing erection against Johnny's hard on.“Jaehyun, please calm down!! Look baby, it's dangerous for you to stay here! Let's talk when my rut is over, okay? You should go back to your—” Johnny was stunned when Jaehyun grabbed his face with his hands and kissed him. They were both feeling aroused and high as their pheromones mixed in the air. Johnny pulled away from the kiss and he saw that Jaehyun's eye color changed and how his body released his omega pheromones that smelled like a mix of pistachio and white peach.“Jaehyun, your eyes!”“Why? What's with my eyes?”“It turned gray! Wait, what's happening?? By any chance, are you—” Johnny stopped on his tracks when Jaehyun released another glob of slick, only for the omega to smile at him sweetly.“Johnny Suh Youngho, Xu Yinghao in this country.. you bastard! How could you make your mate wait for so long!!!”“Huh?? Wait!! What??”“I'm going crazy!! All this time, we were worried about how we'll end up when my heat comes but now that it's here, it's all clear to me now. Your alpha rut pheromones affected me a lot to the point that I went in heat in just a snap! And honey, you smell so good!!”“Wait wait wait!! Jaehyun, are you serious about that??”“Yeah, I'm serious about that. Johnny hyung, we're mates!! You're my alpha mate and I'm your omega mate! Can you smell my pheromones??”“I do.. you smell delicious!”“How do I smell that makes you say that I smell delicious??”“You smell like pistachios and white peach combined, along with other notes that's too many, I won't elaborate much. But really? We're mates??”“Yeah, we're mates and now that we're in our heat and rut, let's do what we have to do.” The omega in heat winked before he completely took all of his clothes and kissed his alpha in rut who was more than relieved that the one he had been loving ever since was actually the one he had been waiting all his life. They may have been separated by distance and time but because they are mates, they found their way back to each other. Now that they're sure that they're meant to be together, they didn't hesitate to claim each other, marked each other's necks and bonded with each other happily.