CHAPTER ONE
"You're still the only alpha I'm comfortable with to be around."
Two weeks pulling an all-nighter, piles of notes and tons of coffees and energy drinks later, Jimin is a proud top ranker of the campus for this semester, again. He allows himself a small smile as he stares proudly at his name written atop the bulletin board, claiming the number one spot yet again. His hard work pays off. And knowing that those sleepless nights, rejected dinners and postposed movie marathons with the Kim brothers was worth it. He'll just make up for it later.
He maneuvers himself out of the crowd, ignoring the hungry eyes and malicious whistles of the alphas, whispers of insult and jealousy from omegas and words of judgment about his scent from both. It's only the betas that don't care about all these because their status is the closest to the likes of humans.
It has always been like this and he's used to it by now. He should be used to it by now. Just that the case was, he's not.
He's one of the most beautiful and intelligent omega of their generation, they said. And that's always been a plus and useful when it comes to academe. He always excels in whatever he does. He's good at whatever he does. He's one of the most hardworking you'll ever meet. He always does his best. He's the best. He's almost perfect. His intelligence could be classified of those who have eidetic memories in humans.
It's just that, in this world, nobody's perfect. And it's the truth. Because just like everyone else, Jimin's also flawed.
He's unfortunately uncommonly feisty for his status. Also very independent that half of his generation hated. They don't like the fact that he excels in this and that because he's an omega. They don't want to accept the fact that he's good at whatever he does. They can't believe he's an owner of that kind of intelligence and beauty. Most of them don't appreciate his existence in that way.
He's an omega, they say, and should act like one.
It's just that, he doesn't want to. He doesn't want to stick in that stereotype of his status.
And also, about his scent. Part of their bitterness against him is because of his scent—or rather, the scent he's always wearing. Most of the alphas hate the fact that he's unmated yet has the privilege to walk freely and confidently in front of them with no fear. Most of the omegas hate the fact that he's unmated yet wears such kind of scent; salty beach of summer and fresh lavender, a tinge of musk on the edge.
It's not like it's his fault though. These wolves just don't know anything but are still quick to assume and judge him. It's not his fault that the owner kind of doesn't want to let him wander alone in the campus without him wearing the scent. He's never asked for this so it's not his fault. They should know it's not his fault. But whatever, for all he cares. Now he's done with their judgment he's actually kind of enjoying the way the omegas will glare at him because of his scent and alphas that will growl whenever they recognized the boundary.
The vibrations of his cellphone in his jeans' back pocket halt him in his steps, fishing the electronic and smiling a little at the messages.
From: Your Alpha :)
Usual table, Minnie. Double time, I'm hungry.
From: Your Beta :)
I know you did something excellent again so I've got your favorite, Minnie.
And thus, the only beings he needed in this rather unfair world.
-----
He carefully slides onto the seat next to his alpha friend, the boy automatically wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him against his side closer before burying a nose on a spot below his left ear, gliding softly to his jaw and up his cheek just like the usual. It still tickles him every time, but he doesn't make a move away from the touch. It's almost a normal thing, as normal as breathing, like a second nature, and he's used to it.
Jimin let the boy scent him, knowing Taehyung's large source of happiness and peace of mind is of him wearing the salty beach of summer and fresh lavender scent all over him, branding and putting crystal clear boundary against other alphas and betas. He's not exactly comfortable wearing the boy's scent while walking around the campus and outside, knowing that by doing so, he's lessening the chances of Taehyung's mate to find him by mistakenly thinking he's mated with him, but it does helps him a lot from getting jumped on by rogues—or the rebels of their kinds. And he couldn't deny the fact that deep inside, he's also a little proud to be able to wear such blanket of protection, enjoying rude omegas die in envy but he's still playing it off like it's nothing which what got them a lot envier (if not angrier).
A screeched of the chair's metal leg against the floor snaps Jimin out of his thoughts, looking up and meeting his beta friend wearing an amused look. The scene still got to him every time, just like Jimin himself.
"Enough, Taehyung," Seokjin says from the other side of the table, claiming a seat right across from the aforementioned.
Jimin hears the rumble of low, warning growl vibrates from Taehyung's lips against his earlobe. The boy also doesn't say anything nor does move away from him, and so Jimin takes it in his own hands to tap Taehyung's broad shoulder lightly before pushing the boy away from him gently.
"Come on, Taehyung. I want to eat now, I am so hungry."
There's grumble of protest and a sigh against his skin before the boy finally—albeit begrudgingly—peels himself off Jimin. The alpha turns to his brother with narrowed eyes who only dismisses him merely by waving his chopsticks in the air between them and placing meat on Jimin's plate. That action diverts Taehyung's attention, slight annoyance by the scenting interruption suddenly forgotten as he watched Jimin takes the food in his mouth and hums happily around it.
"Good?" asks Seokjin, smiling widely at Jimin's enthusiastic nods.
"The best!" he exclaims, eyes disappearing as he smiles back at the older boy.
"I saw the bulletin board," the beta starts, placing meat on his brother's plate this time, "And the result's also already around the campus like the usual. Congratulations, Minnie. I know you'd aced it again like ever."
Jimin smiles genuinely, opening his mouth when Taehyung feeds him with another meat. "Thank you."
"I'm proud of you, Minnie," Taehyung says beside him, eyes soft as he gently combs Jimin's hair with his free hand, "Always, always so proud of you, Minnie. Congratulations." And then there's a peck on his temple, so soft and light, just as expected from the boy.
He allows himself another genuine smile, making sure it's directed only to the alpha, "Thank you, Taehyung."
And there's the boy, practically glowing right on his face just like the first time he sees it, signature rectangular smile making its appearance and solely directed to him. Seokjin and Jimin thinks it's Taehyung's special smile, only showing when he's purely happy and genuinely pleased about something.
Giving his solid attention to Taehyung, he quickly discovered, was the boy's happiness. He remembered the first time they'd met 3 years ago, it was a rather gloomy Friday afternoon, heavy rain pouring outside, and the sound of raindrops hitting everything that's solid drowning any other audible sound around the whole campus. Jimin's standing in front of his locker, transferring most of his books and done assignments inside the metal box from his backpack to save them from possible soaking because in this weather, you can never tell; though he has folding umbrella with him.
He's standing just outside their building, umbrella ready in his right hand and backpack slung on his left shoulder. He's peacefully walking across the quadrangle, careful to not get the inside of his shoes wet (because he rather not walk the whole way to his apartment with shoes continuously squeaking with every step, thanks very much) until he reached the main gate when a bucket amount of water from a puddle right beside him hits his black slacks, completely soaking the material from around his knee down to his black shoes, halts him instantly from his steps.
He slowly looks down, squinting at his now wet slacks, wriggling his socked toes inside his shoes and frowning deeply in utter annoyance because sweet hell they're totally wet and he's sure they're going to make this annoying squelching sound once he starts walking again. And then his eyes move from the puddle beside him, large black shoe still planted in the water like the owner didn't even notice (or maybe he thinks his shoes are freaking submarine, whatever), moving his eyes up until he saw a boy standing on his left, half a head taller than himself, looking at him and completely drenched—the while polo of their school uniform sticking onto the golden skin of his chest and giving Jimin an eyeful of snippets of what's probably behind the now translucent fabric. Goodness.
Unmoving in the middle of sidewalk, they just stayed facing each other without a word. Jimin wonders what the boy is thinking until a particular gush of wet air hits their skin and they both withdraw their gazes from each other. Jimin drags his eyes back down his own shoes—wet, squeaky, annoying—watching how raindrops bounced against the black leather before disappearing into the air. And also getting a waft of something musky, salty beach and lavender mixed in the smell of rain.
An alpha.
His hands automatically tighten its grip around the handle of his umbrella and strap of bag. Instinctively. He has to get out of here.
He had only managed a couple of step away from the stranger of a schoolmate when a deep, unfamiliar voice calls his name, "Park Jimin," rumbling through the cold air between them, the hair on the back of his neck standing. His body freezes on reflex, mind swimming with the repetition of how the stranger knew his name when he remembers his name's actually quite popular around their campus, if not in their generation, and cursing inwardly.
He bravely turn around to face the owner of the deep, unfamiliar voice, knuckles turning bone-white, willing himself to stand in full height and not let the other boy to see how his limbs are starting to slightly shake (a sign of anxiety attack or the cold rain around them, he's not quite sure).
"What do you need?" he asks in flat tone, attempting to hide his shaky voice behind the mask of nonchalance.
The other boy is an alpha and Jimin, as an omega, should not talk to an alpha that way. Not ever. But that was also one of the reasons why his name's famous around their generation, because of his guts to actually talk to an alpha and beta that way. Sure, Jimin is an omega, a supposed to be soft and pliant and careful, but he isn't fan of mainstream. So.
He's so ready for the alpha to impose on him because his tone was rather disrespectful but instead, the boy actually beams on him, wide rectangular smile painted on his face as he bounced towards Jimin, a complete opposite to what he was expecting.
"Hello, I'm Kim Taehyung. I don't know if you recognize me but we're sharing classes in Economics!"
Jimin slightly gapes, completely thrown off his own gutter as he stares at the boy, who actually slid under his umbrella and slouching a little bit because of his giant height. The alpha—Taehyung as he introduced himself—meets his eyes, dark brown specs littered around the irises and twinkling before he snatched the umbrella from Jimin and started gushing something about height difference and that would save us both from being drenched further.
"You're like dumped through and through from roots to toes, what's the use of using umbrella now?" Jimin says still alert, guard up as he tries his best to ignore the way his shoulder brushes against Taehyung's arm.
"I am trying to save myself from drenching more than I already am," shrugs Taehyung followed by heartily chuckles.
That time, Jimin swears the boy's glowing like the sun in clear sky this morning under the heavy rain around them now.
Jimin secretly smiles at the memory, watching the Kim brothers interact with each other, bickering over the last piece of meat Seokjin apparently snatched before Taehyung could, the alpha burying his face on the crook of Jimin's neck as he grumbles to himself. After all these years, Jimin still couldn't believe how lucky he was to have these two in his life.
"You know, Taehyung," There's a low hum against his skin as he leans his head against Taehyung's and murmuring; "You're still the only alpha I am comfortable with to be around."
"Glad to hear that, Minnie."