"It's like a mansion!" Renjun's papa gasped, stepping into the vestibule.
The moment his eyes landed on his son, dressed prettily and looking like a house owner himself, he gasped and covered his face. The older omega couldn't believe how well he had grown up. That's what he repeated in Chinese as he hugged his son.
Renjun's omega dad was a bit more humble, therefore he just nodded, although his eyes expressed happiness that he had never felt before.
"You look so pretty! Your dad and I may feel like peasants," Papa chuckled, looking at his clothes up and down.
"No, please, don't say that," Renjun's face flushed. "My appearance doesn't change my origin. Please, remember that."
Papa didn't nod. Did he really think his son suddenly turned into a wealthy aristocrat? It didn't matter what training Renjun had gone through and who his alpha was. He remained the same omega.
"Gentlemen," Jaemin cleared his throat. He stood there all the time. "Let me walk you through your son's new home."
"Sure, sure!"
They started the tour, but Renjun's parents were so proud of their son that they continuously interrupted Jaemin and spoke in Chinese. The beta didn't find it offensive, although Renjun could see he wasn't very pleased when he wasn't listened to. Renjun's heart was happy to see his parents, but after a few more interruptions, he asked them to listen and give more attention to the house. They could talk later when they'd drink tea, he added.
The tour was exhausting and unremarkable as Renjun knew every corner of the house, but his parents saw everything for the first time. However, the omega never stopped smiling as he loved to see his parents admiring their surroundings and looking at him in admiration. The best part had to be when they went outside to look at the garden. It was only Renjun's second time seeing all the bushes and flowers, but the further they went, the more new things emerged, so he enjoyed the view just like the guests.
Renjun was glad that Jaemin offered to be the guide as he could tell many interesting things and background about every single piece of furniture. He was also glad to have the beta by his side as Jaemin was very flexible in conversations and could easily convince parents of things, such as why he didn't want to show the bedroom of the two. The reason was obvious to Renjun—there was not even a single corner where his scent could be. To his parents, though, it appeared that the couple protected their intimate space, and therefore, the home economist didn't let anyone inside.
But when the tour ended, and they could finally talk while drinking tea, the beta didn't retreat. In fact, he stayed around, causing a little bit of confusion and annoyance to Renjun. The omega wanted to be with his parents only, but Jaemin never left him alone.
"So, Mr. Lee is the COO of New Technology, right?" Renjun's dad asked when they made themselves comfortable in the living room.
"Yes, that's right," Jaemin replied instead, but at least the question was open, as Renjun's parents didn't expect him to talk about business matters. "Mr. Lee is helping his father with the family company, but at the same time, he's studying architecture," the beta smiled, walking around the armchairs the parents sat in and handed them Jeno's picture. "That's Mr. Lee."
He did that so naturally that the action didn't seem forced. Even though Renjun could tell Jaemin showed the picture so that the omegas wouldn't want to see the alpha personally. They admired their son's mate, whispered and spoke in Chinese, but much more awaited them.
"I forgot to mention it when we were outside, so listen, gentlemen, this house was designed by Mr. Lee himself with just a little help from an engineer!" Jaemin proudly announced. "Yes, gentlemen, he's that talented."
The guests gasped, then turned to Renjun. The latter just nodded, smiling subtly.
"He's so gifted!" his papa commented. "Oh, what a perfect alpha! It's only natural his future mate is Renjunnie."
It seemed that mentioning mate thing rang something in their heads as both parents turned to their son.
"Have you two thought about an assurance collar, sweetie?" Dad asked in curiosity.
Renjun feared this question. His neck was open for them to see everything, and they saw neither a bonding mark nor an assurance collar. Such a sight was weird, and it was only expected they were curious because everything they heard so far should've led the two to a closer relationship.
"Mr. Lee has already ordered one. Actually, I did it at his demand, a few days ago," Jaemin replied instead. "The collar is planned to have an expensive fabric with golden letters sewn on it. Mr. Lee is still debating which fabric, and he'll have to reach someone abroad as they're not selling the one he wants in the stores. Moreover, the aquamarine color is unique, so higher paint costs are expected, which means the fabric will be much more expensive. It'll take a while."
Again, Renjun's parents gasped, and their son wasn't surprised. Jaemin knew how to convince people that even for a brief second, the omega believed him, too. Especially when he mentioned so many details. But the second later, Renjun knew it was a lie. He would've known it before his parents, wouldn't he? Besides, it was hard to believe Jeno, who didn't speak to him at all, wanted something as fancy as a collar with unreachable fabric.
"It's a pity we couldn't see Mr. Lee," Dad said. "We'd love to meet him after hearing so many things about him."
"I'm very sorry, but he's in a lecture right now, and after that, I'm afraid, he has a meeting. Very busy alpha, indeed!" Jaemin kept sweet-talking.
If Jaemin was a magician or an illusionist, which was exactly what he looked like, the more he spoke, Renjun was sure the sweetness of the beta words would be like honey dripping down the guests' ears, and their brains would flood with this sweet and sticky crap.
But Renjun's parents weren't stupid. They noticed that the beta talked way more than their son, just like his constant presence. They were a little upset about the latter not joining the conversation. Papa spoke to him in Chinese, "Let me ask you the most important question. Are you happy?"
Jaemin flicked his eyes on the omega, but the latter ignored him.
"Yes," Renjun replied. "I like it here so much, I'll do everything to make my alpha happy."
"Does he treat you well?" Dad asked.
"He does. He's a little quiet, and we still need to get closer to each other. But I'm looking forward to that..."
The parents exchanged their glances.
"Is there something wrong?" Jaemin asked and bent down to check their expressions.
"Well, we're glad to see our son happy and would've wanted to stay here a bit longer, but it's time for us to go, sadly," Dad spoke and stood up.
"Call me more often," Renjun said, suddenly upset that he couldn't tell the truth to them as the illusion that he was living in a perfect house with a talented mate was way better.
"You too," Papa smiled. "Let's contact each other weekly."
The Huangs stood up, thanking for the tea. Jaemin smiled at them and offered to walk them to their car, joking that sometimes guests lost their way. Renjun wanted to cherish his last minutes with his parents, so he also went outside. But even there, he had no privacy. Jaemin was right next to him, continuing his jokes and politely helping them to leave even though it wasn't that necessary. The Huangs almost forgot to hug because Jaemin kept them busy with distractions.
As the car left a wealthy yard, and Jaemin clicked the button to close the automatic fence, Renjun waved to his parents and instantly flicked his eyes to the beta, "There's no assurance collar, right?
"That's right," the beta said, not even batting an eye, obviously exhausted after lying so much that he chose to be honest. "But I did look into them. I'll make sure to pick the prettiest and the most expensive as an apology gift. It shouldn't have been like this."
Renjun wasn't sure. He felt that Jaemin knew this would happen with Jeno. After all, most of the things he said about the alpha wishing for an omega were lies. It was like he tried to convince Renjun so the latter would have hope and not plan to run away. Meanwhile, the pureblood was still interested in freedom and had no desire to be stuck to one omega.
"Let Mr. Lee buy it himself as an alpha should," the omega said dryly, before heading inside.
ꕥ
Jeno returned from a lecture and turned the house into an excitement and anxiety mess. He spilled everything that happened during his day, with all the details. He disclosed who argued with whom, what grade he got, and what further projects awaited him. Renjun didn't understand a thing, but it seemed Jaemin was well-enlightened about Jeno's classmates as he knew their names and understood the severity of projects the alpha had to do. The beta listened to him patiently this time, participating in their conversation more actively as he rested overnight, and could finally endure the pureblood more effectively.
Renjun watched the two of them talk, distancing himself while eating in silence, and wondering if the thought of his parents visiting had ever crossed Jeno's mind. Because neither Jaemin said anything nor did the alpha ask what happened, even though the house was filled with unfamiliar omega scents. They toured, right? Almost every corner smelled of Renjun's parents!
"There's a party this weekend, but I'm not going..." Jeno said, suddenly playing with his food.
"Why?" the beta asked in surprise. "Students' parties must be fun," he added enthusiastically. "I never had a student party. Junnie, did you? You and your omegas—"
Renjun took the opportunity that Jeno had his eyes on food and glared at the home economist. With all his might. He still couldn't understand why Jaemin tried to include him in their conversations when every time he did, it killed the atmosphere and made Jeno less talkative.
Surprised by the glare, Jaemin leaned back in his chair. He raised his brow, questioning Renjun's wrath, which only annoyed the omega even more. Was he not aware of what he was doing?
"I don't think they're that fun. Just alcohol, noise, and embarrassing mistakes," Jeno shrugged his shoulders. "I'd rather stay home..." he added shyly, glancing at the beta, then looking down on his food again.
The atmosphere turned weird. The only difference from how it normally went was that Renjun wasn't at fault this time. He didn't even open his mouth, but something happened and made it awkward.
The omega lowered a spoon down to a plate as quietly as he could and looked at one, then another, noticing that the two had their eyes darted to the table, and for once, neither talked. Jeno spread no pheromones, and Jaemin couldn't even if he tried. For this reason, it was even harder for Renjun to understand what was happening before his eyes. In his opinion, nothing really happened, right? Jeno just said the most homebody thing one could say, but why did everyone suddenly go silent?
"Renjun," Jaemin spoke, breaking the silence and startling the omega, especially when he unexpectedly looked up and their eyes met.
It was one of the rare times Jaemin didn't call him his nickname.
"Y-yes?" Renjun said, glancing at Jeno but not seeing anything particular that could let him know about the severity of the situation.
"Could you take care of the dishes tonight?" the beta asked, tilting his head and smiling afterward. "I know it's my turn, but I and Jeno have something serious to discuss."
"Sure..." the omega nodded, but he was more confused.
"Oh, and check the roses. The ones you and your parents liked. Make sure there are no slugs around. They ruin our roses."
Renjun nodded, trying to hide his surprise. Where did all this work come from? He thought that in the evening, they were more into resting than working.
Jeno and Jaemin stood up at the same time, stunning him even more. They didn't even finish eating as they were already leaving the dining room to have that mysterious talk. Was it that important? Renjun finished dining alone, in complete silence, but he couldn't lie—he felt way better than having the same meal with the two present here.
He cleaned the table with no rush, in a relaxed manner, enjoying the silence and loneliness in the kitchen. Renjun washed the dishes, wiped wet surfaces, and made sure there were no drops of water on the floor, so he even mopped it. Then, he buttoned his nude color cardigan and went outside. The weather was very soft, even in the evening. The smells from the garden were sharper as if the later time of the day made them stand out more. Renjun admired the smells even when they sensitized his nose. But still, the natural smells were the best.
He reached rose bushes, those that were at the front, where usually the public eye could spot them. Glancing around and noticing no movement in the neighborhood—he didn't want anyone to see him without an assurance collar—Renjun calmed down and pulled out a flashlight. He checked every single leaf and branch, but he didn't find any slugs. The omega even made sure to check everywhere around the bushes. There were none.
Sighing as he got tired of working at this unusual time, Renjun headed home. Before closing the door, he looked outside, darting his eyes on the fence to see if there were no people—no late-evening guests or robbers. Then he locked the door and walked down the first floor. The omega climbed up the stairs, dreaming of finally dropping all the expensive clothing and wearing his comfortable pajamas. Don't get him wrong, he liked everything Jaemin bought him, but all those pricey fabrics felt weird against his skin.
Just because he was going up very slowly—the slug hunting cost him a little energy—he finally got time to stop and look at the paintings. They all were so pretty, the themes, the colors... When Renjun drew nearer, he saw that these paintings were real. He could see the layers of the paint, and he liked them. That meant Jeno bought the originals!
Renjun didn't even feel it when he reached the second floor. He stopped near the Theatre, in another hallway, to check on yet another painting when he heard the door at the end of the hallway opening up. Curious, the omega stepped back to see who exited, but he suddenly froze, instead of satisfying his curiosity. Jaemin leaving Jeno's room wouldn't be a weird sight if Renjun didn't capture the beta putting on his favorite hazelnut-colored knitted vest over his messily unbuttoned high-collar shirt. As if that wasn't confusing enough, his hair was messy, and his belt was so loose that the omega suddenly forgot how to breathe.
Freaking out and not knowing how to react, he quickly stepped away while Jaemin still dealt with the vest over his head, which blocked his vision. Renjun rushed to hide in the hallway where the Theatre was. Hearing the footsteps drawing near and realizing Jaemin would still pass by him as he seemingly planned to go to the first floor, Renjun panicked and hurried to the home cinema door. Feeling bad for what he was about to do, Renjun pretended that he exited the Theatre just when Jaemin got into the connected hallway. Of course, the home economist saw the movement on his left and wanted to talk to the omega. Renjun tried his best not to scan Jaemin up and down, but even so, he surely noticed the beta fully fixed his appearance.
"Did you find any slugs?" he asked, his eyes inquisitively looking at the pureblood omega.
"No, not even a single one," Renjun said, surprising himself at how normally he sounded, and what he did the following second, was even more shocking. "By the way, were you in the Theatre before? There was a window opened..."
He worked so hard to finish the behavioral training successfully, but it all seemed in vain. Renjun could still lie so easily.
"Oh, I must've forgotten to close it," Jaemin grumbled.
They stared at each other, and then Renjun faked a yawn.
"I'm so tired..."
"Then go and rest, Junnie," Jaemin smiled widely, making the omega feel weird.
"Okay..."
Renjun stepped closer to the connected hall, making the beta quickly leave that spot before the omega could get any closer. Even when he seemingly tried to retreat so Renjun wouldn't feel anything on him, Jeno's scent was so strong that it stayed in that spot, although Jaemin was already in the middle of the two floors. It wasn't hard to comprehend why—the scent was stuck to the beta, his skin, and his clothes. He also smelled of mint...
The omega was scared to let his mind work on what he saw. But he just had too much evidence to conclude that the beta wasn't only a home economist and a great Jeno's friend, but something way more.
No one in Aquamarine House taught him how to deal with such a situation. It's a bunch of hypothetical lessons and rarely about real situations like this. Renjun was lost. What to do if his alpha had an unusual illicit partner, who wasn't even an omega?