"For this project, you will be in pairs..."
Some students groaned, while others just sighed.
Hoseok was more of a groaner.
He laid his head against the table, the brightness from the computer building up his headache.
The lecturer went ahead and explained the gist of the assignment.
"Make sure the main project is prioritised. You have time to work on your explanation, and that can wait after your project. Any other questions?"
No one said anything.
"Okay. If there are questions you can come to me or email me."
After that, time was spent with people just finding their partners.
What was Hoseok going to do?
This was an elective class. Not that it was not important, it was that he managed to sign up for a class full of music majors, while he was more to the dancing side.
To summarise, he does not know anyone.
And even if he did want to get to know someone, most of the people in this class already had their own cliques.
Or prefer staying alone.
Like this guy walking up to the lecturer.
The man was an omega, which he found out only when he happened to sit close to the lecturer.
The man passed by him to get something for the lecturer, and Hoseok was about to walk out when the scent of the omega caught his attention.
The omega smelled like warm chocolate, sweet and thick.
But there was also another scent. More nutty.
It would have gone well together, the scent of chocolate and nuts, but the nutty scent was more... alpha.
Which got him confused.
The alpha scent seemed to mold, not very intimately but...
It stood out, rather than being a part of the sweet scent, it was more of like a cover. A protection.
Hm...
His own alpha was confused.
Because the omega smelled unclaimed but... claimed.
And he wondered why his alpha felt like that. He understood the confusion, but why confused? Why bother?
Why...
"Excuse me? Jung Hoseok-ssi?"
He looked up to see the lecturer.
"Yes sir?"
"You're the only one who has not signed up with a partner yet. Do you have one?"
Oh shit he forgot-
"Oh- no I- I haven't..."
"Ah... then would you be okay with being paired with this student here?"
The lecturer gestured the student behind him and...
"Oh..."
"Kim Namjoon-ssi does not have a partner yet. Would you be okay with him?"
Hoseok gaped at the sight of the omega.
He was swaddled in a fluffy sweater, looking calm and cold.
But Hoseok was able to pick his scent out.
Which was shrouded with fear and anxiety.
"Um..." he looked at Namjoon instead, "Do... do you want to? You don't seem... like you want to uh..."
Namjoon's brows furrowed at his question. The lecturer turned to look at him, but the omega was looking away by then.
And then he looked up to Hoseok, and nodded.
"Okay..."
Hoseok doesn't know if he could fully trust Namjoon, seeing how the omega's scent have not changed from before.
It still has the anxiousness in it.
Was he scared something would happen if he rejected?
"Alright. I'll put your names together."
The lecturer left the two of them, and Hoseok quickly moved his bag to the side so the omega could sit next to him.
He pulled a chair and patted, "Sit. We can discuss about this."
Namjoon nodded and sat, of course, putting space between them.
If that makes him comfortable, then whatever.
Hoseok pulled up the document on the computer.
"So. What are you thinking?"
"Um..."
The omega cleared his throat, looking at the alpha nervously. But Hoseok was busy focusing on the computer.
"I don't really have an idea yet but... I heard you're really good at this."
"Oh... you... know about me?"
Hoseok looked at him.
This was... the first time he actually get to hear his voice properly.
"Of course. You're a music prodigy, no?"
"I..." the omega blushed, making Hoseok's heart beat. His alpha huffed in pride when he realised the omega's scent sweetened a bit.
"I'm not the genius. My uh... hyung. Is."
"Oh- uh..."
Hoseok's confusion seemed to be obvious, to which Namjoon bit his smile back at.
"My roommate. Uh... his name's Yoongi. Min Yoongi."
Hoseok froze. Mouth agape. Eyes wide.
His hyung- Kim Namjoon's roommate- is-
Is- Is Min Yoo-
The omega giggled into his hands, covering his face from the alpha.
"Damn. Two prodigies."
That got the omega's attention again and he shook his head.
"No... I'm not- he is. I'm just-"
Hoseok held a hand up, face serious.
His alpha hated that the omega was putting himself down in his presence.
"You. Are."
"Oh-"
Oh-
Hoseok froze again, realising what he had done.
Sometimes, he forgets his alpha is quite dominant. Not that he was the type to posture and brood threateningly like a lot of the alphas, he does have those moments but only to those who matter to him.
Like his family.
Like the omega before hi-
Wait.
"Shit-"
His scent had spiked a bit, and the omega before him seemed taken aback by it.
"I'm so sorr-"
"Hoseok-ssi its okay-"
"No I-"
They both went silent, and the alpha was still horrified.
And the horror was so obvious on his face, Namjoon began giggling, turning to hide his face in his arms on the table.
Hoseok panicked for a second, thinking he made the omega cry, but then the chocolatey scent turned sweeter, overpowering the nutty alpha scent.
The alpha in him huffed and growled lowly, trying to soothe itself from the sudden panic.
"I'm sorry, Hoseok-ssi. But-"
"No I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to uh... um... my scent I mean-"
"I get it Hoseok-ssi. It's okay."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You just reminded me of Yoongi-hyung. And it's quite funny, because he was quieter about it, but you're more... obvious."
Hoseok groaned at that, laying his forehead on the table.
"My face loves betraying me I swear to god."
It got Namjoon to chuckle and pat his back.
Hoseok felt his skin heat up at that.
Wait-
Why-
Isn't this omega taken?
"I appreciate it Hoseok-ssi."
"I... so you're not mad?"
"No. Why would I be?"
"Ah..."
The alpha does not know how to answer that.
"Anyways, c'mon. Let's get our work started. I do have an idea of what to do."
"Oh... yes. That's good. Since you're much more knowledgeable in this, you lead."
Namjoon looked shocked a bit.
"Really?"
Hoseok raised a brow. "Yes? I mean- if you know more, then... you should be the one in charge. You're a music major, yeah? This is just an elective for me. So I'll just... contribute whatever I can for this project."
"Oh... oh, okay."
"Why?"
"Huh? Oh- uh..."
The alpha was confused. Did he say something wrong?
"It's just that... uh... every time I get paired up with an alpha, or a beta... they uh... you know, try to take control?"
"...Like, because they're more experienced? Or because of their sub gender?"
Hoseok sounded a bit irritated when he asked the latter question, to which got the omega to press his lips together and look away.
Hoseok sighed, calming himself down.
"Fucking idiots, they are."
Is that why...
Oh...
He looked at the omega, a bit sadly as he realised.
"Is that why you were anxious just now?"
Namjoon looked back with wide eyes.
"Because you were worried that I might... do that to you?"
"You... how..."
"I smelled you. NOT- Not in a creepy way- but- yeah... I understood you were a bit anxious and afraid."
"Oh... you can... smell me?"
"Yes? You smell like milk chocolate. But you also have this uh... nutty scent to it, which smells more like an alpha. I mistook you for one at first but- but that day when you passed by me, I smelled your chocolate scent and-"
"You can smell my scent?"
The omega looked shocked at the fact that Hoseok can, in fact, smell him.
"Yes?... Am I not supposed to?"
"No. I mean- my scent is uh... very muted."
"Oh."
Hoseok blinked. Namjoon blinked back.
"I smelled it when you passed by my table. I wouldn't say it's muted though, it's more... dampened. Like you're controlling your scent output. But yeah, it's there, I can smell it."
"Oh... I didn't... uh..."
"...I'm sorry if it seemed like I was being privy or something-"
"No of course not! Just... alpha's brood and posture over me thinking I'm a docile alpha. And then when they find out I'm an omega..."
The omega lamely gestured, looking solemn. That was enough to let Hoseok know about everything.
"Oh... I'm... sorry, that happened to you."
"It's okay. Really. Not everyone is like that but... they tend to be everywhere- they tend to do that to me a lot."
Hoseok went quiet for a moment, before speaking.
"I think it's because- not that I'm standing up for them or anything but, you know alphas can be uh... they like challenges, yeah?"
"Yeah..."
"So when a wolf is holding back their scent, sometimes, they feel like they're being fooled."
Namjoon raised a questioning brow.
"Like- alpha's take pride in how they're able to pick out scents or, you know, be able to understand another by scent?"
"Yeah?"
"So when they're not able to smell you, they'll think either you're docile, or you just like hiding away your scent. And because they don't understand you, they try to lure you into releasing your scent so they can read you better."
"Oh."
"Yeah. But that's usually when the scents are dampened. Once they figure out your status, then it's a whole other thing. If they smell a docile alpha, they would probably want to be dominant and whatnot. And if it's an omega... well..."
"Yea... potential mate."
"Yep. It's much more serious if it's an alpha-omega, and maybe, even more, when it involves a person they like."
"Serious in what way?"
Hoseok pursed his lip, wondering how he should word it. But the omega seemed interested, so he tried formulating words quickly.
"When an alpha... hm...let's take it to a more... primal setting."
Joon nodded, encouraging him to go on.
"So, it's common knowledge that a mate's scent affects the other mate, yeah? So in a sense, when wolves try to scout mates, their scent, along with status and posture help in securing a good mate. And since alphas are alphas, they're much more dominant, stronger, blah blah blah... basically, they have a bigger pride."
"Okay..."
"And when an alpha knows its worth, y'know, like- it's an amazing hunter, or a great leader, or something- surely the potential mates would get affected and would want that wolf to be their mate."
The omega nodded.
"So when a wolf, mainly an omega coz... that's how it was back then... when a wolf appears to be unaffected, in the sense where they don't get affected by the alpha's scent, nor do their own scent smell like they like it, it hurts their pride."
Namjoon seemed to realise a great secret, and the alpha just nodded, knowing the understanding behind the omega's shiny eyes.
Oh...
"So yeah... they try to brood and posture to get them affected somehow, to the point they don't care if it's a good reaction or a bad one."
"I see..."
"Yes. And it's even hard because, we've evolved, yeah? There's not much danger anymore and a lot of our primal instincts calmed down. But not everyone's wolves are. Some very potent wolves take time to grow into their new setting, which is why it's a bit troublesome. We're yet to get out of the social stigma."
"You're right. It makes... much more sense this way."
"It is. I had trouble with mine because my alpha is quite dominant, but I had a talk with my therapist, and she was a fellow alpha. She explained to me all about this."
"You see a therapist?"
"Um... yes?"
Namjoon just looked, then huffed out a laugh.
"Wh-Why? Can't I?"
"No- I didn't mean that way. Just... you're just something..."
Hoseok felt his wolf howl at that. Was that a... compliment?
Even the omega was smiling at him, not covering his face.
Such a nice, sweet smile.
Hoseok would like to-
What-
"So uh... shall we?" Namjoon gestured to the computer.
Hoseok shook off from his stupor. "Yeah... yeah, let's..."
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I'm trying to post this chapter nicely but Wattshit is being Wattshit, as usual 😀🔥🔥🔥