Jeongguk was currently sitting backstage at an entertainment company, with some staff ladies who were doing his make-up and hair.
Next to him was his mother, also getting her profound make-up done while she kept restraining the poor girl who was her current stylist.
Jeongguk ignored his mother as much as he could, giving her eye rolls and scoffs once in a while. But Jeon Chie didn't care, she kept talking about the things Jeongguk needed to say during the short interview after the photo shoot for CG magazine, the most buyable magazine in Korea.
The make-up artist who was applying foundation on Jeongguk's fair skin was having trouble finishing because the alpha kept moving his eyebrows and mouth in a scowl every time Jeon Chie demanded something new.
"I'm not lying in the interview mother" Jeongguk scoffed for the ten times in the last ten minutes. One scoff per minute.
"Jeongguk is not lying, it's adorning the facts in a way people would be satisfied" Chie responded with a smirk, eying her son through the big vanity mirror with led lights in the border.
"Then I'll adorn the fact that I have a boyfriend" Jeongguk mocked his mother with a playful grin, making her tsk and roll her eyes.
"Jeongguk, you have to say you are a bachelor, that's the whole point of this interview" Chie deadpanned, an intense furrow on her forehead. "The people will want to see if you match with them, you have to give them hope"
Jeongguk rolled his eyes. "False hope?" he asked raising an eyebrow and his mother just nodded, smirking at him. "Don't worry about it, mother. I know what to do" he said, and Chie just eyed him suspiciously.
The door got burst open and a stressed Hoseok appeared with messy hair and carrying the itinerary for Jeongguk, containing the necessary dialogues and technical indications for the interview with a famous journalist and TV presenter, Jessica Jung.
"Guk, you're up in five" Hoseok announced, eyes darting from the alpha to the papers in his hands. "They are going to be filming the whole photoshoot and after that, the interview will be with both, Mrs. Jeon and you," the beta said and Jeongguk nodded with a heavy sigh.
After an hour of posing for the photographer at the studio, Jeongguk was jaded. And the photographer probably took thousands of photos of him, while he kept complimenting the young alpha saying how painfully handsome he was and how natural for photoshoots he acted for.
Jeongguk just smiled at the guy politely. Of course, he was a 'natural' in photoshoots, his mother had been making him the model for Jeon Enterprises for years.
The crew led Jeongguk to the television studio after the shoot. They gave him a little collation and another makeup touch-up. The show was recorded, but still, there was a small audience watching the interview.
Jeon Chie was already sitting next to Jessica, talking and answering questions. The woman was a natural hypocrite, or smooth talker as she preferred to be called. And was easy for her to gain an audience, consisting mostly of women from eighteen to sixty.
The moment the presenter, Jessica Jung, announced the name of Jeongguk welcoming to the show, a bunch of howls and cheers from the audience were heard. Jeongguk took a deep breath after being encouraged by Hoseok as he entered the studio with a charming smile.
"Please welcome! Jeon Jeongguk!" The presenter says clapping her hands while the audience was euphoric to see the Jeons' heir in person.
Jeongguk waved at the audience, saluted the presenter, and then took a sit next to his mother.
"We love to finally see you in person, you are even more handsome like this" Jessica Jung said smiling. A plastic smile.
"Oh thank you and thank you for inviting us to your show" Jeongguk responded politely with a small bow to Jessica and the spectators.
"Oh and he's humbled too" Jessica offered an amused smile. "You raised your son well Mrs. Jeon," the woman said.
Chie smiled thanking her as well. Jeongguk wanted to scoff, to laugh, to stand up and leave but he maintained the appearance.
Just hold it half an hour... he kept muttering to himself.
"I have a few questions to begin and then the audience will have the chance to ask you a few things, Jeongguk, is that okay with you?" Jessica asked with a warm smile, it was almost impossible to turn her down, even when Jeongguk knew he was getting into a snakepit.
"Of course" the young alpha replied, also offering a charming smile, the people in the studio clapping and squealing for him.
"We want to get a little glimpse of your life," Jessica said with a laugh, trying to act sweet. "Jeongguk is a pure-blood alpha and it's just twenty-one years old" the woman explained to the audience earning some gasps and loud shrieks. "Mrs. Jeon said you just downloaded the lovegen app, did you perhaps already have some contenders that are matching your DNA?"
Jeongguk smiled awkwardly at the question. "Yeah, I did it last week and well I have a lot of contenders and lovegenes applying on my profile," he said scratching his neck.
Jessica cooed at his answer. "You're really adorable," she said with a warm smile. Jeon Chie smirked triumphally at her son's act. "Are you interested in any of your matches?" she asked, and it hit Jeongguk directed into the core.
Jeon Chie was of course discreetly glaring at him.
"Actually yeah... My first match, the one I have the most percentage" Jeongguk explained, giving his most sincere smile. The audience cooed at him and some whined, but in the end, they still clapped at him for his honest answer.
"Can we know who your match is?"
"I'm sorry but I would rather keep the person's identity private, I don't feel so good exposing the people I really care about," he said with a slight bow in form of apology.
"That's considerate" Jessica replied with a smile, the public agreeing with her. "But I did my research and you posted a picture of a boy on your Instagram page, of course, his face wasn't displaying but I must ask if he is the person you're interested in?" the woman spoke with ease, probably accustomed to getting the most sensational info about her interviewers.
Jeongguk tensed for a moment, just like his mother. He opened his mouth to speak but immediately close it, seeming to be thinking carefully about his answer.
"You know kids post every little thing on social media these days, Jessica" Jeon Chie tried to dismiss the question saying something just a mother would say, to not give importance but the photo of Jeongguk's insta page was already displayed on the screen behind them.
Jeon Chie wanted to kill Jessica Jung for being such a nosy woman.
The young alpha turned lightly to see the screen and he visibly gulped. But the charming smirk came back fast enough, looking at the audience and chuckling awkwardly. "That's... that's him, yeah" he heard people gasping in the audience.
"A male omega perhaps?" Jessica asked with a grin, a devious look in her brown eyes.
"Yeah, he is my first match so I would appreciate it if you cheer for me so he can give me a chance," Jeongguk said looking younger than he actually is and everyone in the audience cooed at him, clapping their hands.
Jessica Jung also was cooing, looking at him like he was the most adorable alpha in the world.
Well played Jeongguk, well played.
Jeon Chie was not happy with his answer, but she was indeed satisfied, her son was smart. He played the card of sympathy. He had avoided the direct question and got out of it smoothly. Now he had a whole audience and the famous Jessica Jung cheering for him and the mysterious omega boy.
"That's wonderful, I'll be cheering for you then," Jessica said with a wide smile. "Now I really want to know how close you and your mother are, after all, you are the two remaining Jeons, right?"
Jeongguk's shy look disappeared in a second, he looked blankly at his mother who was quick to place a manicured hand on her son's knee, patting softly with a warm smile.
"We are very close, of course, Jeongguk was very close to his father before he passed away but now is just him and me, we are keeping each other company" Chie explained, her face amused and trying to display a bright smile all the time.
But Jeongguk just smiled awkwardly.
"Right... but I'm planning to go live on my own soon, after all, I'm 21 now" Jeongguk smirked with a light shrug to the public who agreed with him.
"Aren't you going to miss living with your mother?"
"I'm going to miss her nagging, her late-night dinners, and having her spying on me like when I was a teenager" Jeongguk replied with an airy laugh, Chie glared at him, but the audience just laughed at his words.
Jessica Jung was also giggling, taking his statement as natural for young boys who want to get a bit more freedom.
"I'm going to still nag you even if you don't live with me, honey" Chie joked back and Jeongguk chuckled at that, wondering how the woman managed to plastically smile for straight fifteen minutes.
"I bet you will" Jeongguk bit back with a grin. "She calls me multiple times a day, please tell her I need some privacy" the alpha joked again making Jessica and the public laugh cheerfully.
Chie couldn't say something back anymore, her plastic smile like a permanent ornament on her face.
"I bet your mother just worries about you," Jessica said. "She must love you very much"
"I do and you know how us, mothers, are. A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. I would die if something happens to my son. He is the only one I have in this life" Jeon Chie replied winning the support of every woman in the audience, and the sympathy of Jessica Jung too.
Jeongguk wanted to scoff but the look on his mother's face was almost sincere. It was a look he had never seen in his mother before, gentle and genuine, it made him feel his heart warm. Something it barely happened when he was a child.
"This is very heartwarming," Jessica Jung said with a smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Jeon and Jeongguk, now can we continue with the question from the public?"
"Of course"
The interview went on smoothly after that. Some fangirls ask embarrassing questions about Jeongguk but nothing he should lie about. But the only thing that mattered to Jeongguk was to protect Taehyung from the media. Keep his identity hidden and avoid speculations.
Jeon Chie on the other hand, took this instance to promote the new features of the lovegen app. Consists of the alarm sound your app makes when they sync their phones together.
That is anyone who had their phones synced can make the alarm ring when they are close. Just what Taehyung and Jeongguk did when they synced up their phones.
____________________________________
Meanwhile, Taehyung was in his omega reunion. And to his surprise, they were acting no different from the people of his university. Except for his friend, Jihoon. But the rest were giving him knowing looks, gossiping behind his back.
Maybe he was being paranoid, but he had already heard them talking about the Jeons' heir and his interview with Jessica Jung. Thankfully everyone shut up when Yoongi appeared in the classroom.
Yoongi gave them another week to present their case project because Joy was facing personal problems and wasn't feeling good, and they needed her to do the presentation since they were focusing on her case.
Park Jihoon was a sweetheart, he only asked Taehyung if he was okay after everything that happened and didn't mention any of the gossips after that.
By the time Yoongi's lecture finished, Taehyung was chatting with Jihoon about college and family topics. Taehyung didn't even realize Jihoon was starting to get red and flushed.
"What's with your face?" the older omega asked raising an eyebrow.
"Uh...alpha," Jihoon said looking down at his feet. Taehyung felt bad about the younger omega, always so frightened by alphas.
"Hi Tae!" a high-pitched honey voice called Taehyung, making him turn around with a smile. He could recognize that voice everywhere. Jimin.
"Oh hey, Jimin" Taehyung greeted back with a wide smile. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to deliver some papers to Yoongi hyung" the small alpha announced with a cheery smile, then he waved to the other omega to be polite.
"Oh, this is Jihoon" Taehyung introduced. "Jihoon, this is Jimin, my friend"
Jimin felt warm-hearted when Taehyung called him his friend, he was making progress with the omega and he felt happy about it. He was glad to be Taehyung's friend.
"Hi, nice to meet you," the younger omega said shily, his eyes never making eye contact with the alpha. "I must go now, bye Taehyung I'll see you next Tuesday... and bye alp-Jimin" he spoke awkwardly. Jimin frowned at him.
"Bye Jihoon" Taehyung waved goodbye with a small smile on his face.
Jimin tilted his head. "Was he going to call me alpha?"
Taehyung scratched the back of his head. "He has alpha issues. He is scared of them"
Jimin formed an 'o' shape with his mouth and nodded, sitting next to Taehyung. "So how are you Tae?"
"I'm better now, I'm not letting people affect me anymore" Taehyung replied in a hushed tone, eyes quickly scanning the room. Some omegas were looking at them.
"Good, and Jeongguk?" Jimin asked, also lowly so no one could hear them talking.
"He was on that Jessica Jung talk show today, haven't you talked to him?" Taehyung asked tilting his head, waiting for Jimin's reaction.
The alpha just smiled weakly shaking his head negatively. "He's been avoiding me"
Taehyung frowned pouting lightly. "What? Why?"
"I don't know, he doesn't answer my texts," Jimin said softly, with a sad tone in his usually jovial voice.
"I can talk to him" Taehyung offered but the alpha shook his head.
"No, is okay, don't worry. He'll come around, he's just salty because he gets a bit insecure sometimes, he's been like this since we were children" Jimin giggled airily, trying to hide the obvious sadness he was feeling for having his best friend angry at him.
"I noticed" Taehyung smiled prettily, eyes looking at his hands while thinking in Jeongguk.
"Hey, you two, let's grab something to eat, my treat" Yoongi joined the conversation with a gummy grin on his face, making the two youngers immediately agree.
That's how Taehyung, Jimin, and Yoongi found themselves sitting on a boot in a Milkshake Shop near the university because Jimin whined and acted cute to Yoongi until the elder agreed to take him to have a delicious and sweet milkshake. Taehyung would smile at their lovable interaction.
Taehyung was having fun with Jimin and Yoongi. He got the chance to meet another side of Min Yoongi outside the university. Soothing, really calm, and discretely kind. While Jimin was the opposite. Loud, wonderfully sweet, and recklessly straightforward.
And Taehyung felt that connection with Jimin again. He felt like Jimin understand him, and he also did understand Jimin. It was a beautiful quality between the two.
And it was undeniable that they feel a magnet in their hearts, attracting friendship and complicity between the two. It was nothing like what he had with Jeongguk. The feelings towards Jimin were friendly and pure. Jeongguk on the other hand was uncontrolled attraction and desire.
When Yoongi stood up to go to the bathroom, the younger males were left giggling at the silliest things and bickering about the same things. It was like they had met since forever.
"I'm not calling you hyung" Taehyung bickered teasingly making Jimin gasp insulted.
"I'm your hyung, you're a baby" Jimin argued back, eyes big and an amused smirk on his usually soft features.
"You're literally two months older than me" Taehyung quarreled, smirking too and throwing a small cookie at him. Jimin grabbed it with ease but mischievously gasped again.
"Kids these days don't have respect for their elders" Jimin complained like talking to himself making the omega giggle.
But Taehyung's smile dropped abruptly when he saw Jaebum entering the shop, along with some teammates and Jennie and other cheerleaders.
When the tall alpha made eye contact with Taehyung, the omega couldn't help but feel the guilt creeping into his heart.
Jimin noticed Taehyung's sudden change of behavior and turned around to see what was going on, he gulped and furrowed his eyebrows at seeing Jaebum. He did not feel compassion toward the alpha, actually, it was the opposite. After all, Jaebum hurt Jeongguk physically badly.
Taehyung looked away from Jaebum, his pretty blue eyes looking at the empty cup of strawberry milkshake on the table. Jimin was quick to place a hand on top of Taehyung's one, giving him a light squeeze to comfort him.
The omega lifted his gaze to look at the brunette alpha in front of him. Just a smile coming from Jimin was enough to make him feel better.
Because for Taehyung, Jimin's smile was the cutest, gentler, and more sincere. One smile from him can make your soul warmer and your mood jauntier.
Jaebum was frowning at the duo but didn't say anything. He just passed right by their table, followed by two teammates who Jimin recognized as the sidekicks who were also in the fight against Jeongguk.
No one say anything, and everyone avoided staring at each other. Until Jennie saw the scene in front of her and scoffed loudly.
"Look at him now, flirting with Park Jimin," the small girl said with a disgusted look on her face like Taehyung had some kind of disease. "Doesn't he have enough with Jeon Jeongguk?"
Taehyung sighed heavily, feed up with that girl's comments and hate towards him but he knew she was not worth his time. Not before, not now, and not ever. She was evidently jealous of him since she joined the cheerleader squad and got a crush on Jaebum.
But Jimin didn't know so he was about to snap, cheeks red in anger and eyes small because of his glaring at the girl. Taehyung grabbed his hand this time, squeezing it and shaking his head negatively with a pretty smile.
And Jennie was evident angry because Taehyung was ignoring her like she didn't even exist. The girl scoffed again and was about to say something when Jaebum called her from their table right in the back of the shop, away from Taehyung and Jimin. Jennie was quick to run towards him like a puppy, and her minions followed her behind.
"I think she's jealous of you," Jimin said with a grimace, eyeing the girl walking to the back of the shop with quick steps.
"She's been like that since we first meet two years ago" Taehyung replied not really giving importance to the matter. "Don't worry about it, girls tend not to like me" the omega said with a quirky smile making Jimin let out a chuckle.
"Why? You're really sweet" Jimin said, hazel eyes looking at the omega tenderly.
Taehyung blushed lightly looking down at his hands again. "I'm not that sweet, they think I'm cold and self-centered or something..."
"You're not, you may appear unapproachable at first but you're nothing like that, trust me" Jimin replied giving him the warmest smile, plump lips gaping lightly showing his teeth.
"I may be a bit aloof. I mean I have no friends" Taehyung chuckled at his own words.
"Am I a joke to you?" Jimin gasped again making the omega smile widely, a pretty boxy smile adorning his equally pretty face.
"No! You're my friend" Taehyung said again looking down and biting his lips and shy blue eyes hidden with his long eyelashes. He then lifted his gaze again to look at Jimin. "I do think those girls will eventually fund an 'I hate Kim Taehyung club' or something, Yoongi's stepsister probably will be the president of it"
Jimin was taken aback, a deep frown forming on his pretty features. Hazel's eyes darkened "Mai Lee? Did she do anything to you?"
Taehyung looked surprised by Jimin's change of mood, never used to seeing him enraged. "She just came to me to threaten me about Guk but then he came and shooed her away. I must admit she is kind of a scary basket case"
Jimin growled at that. "I think of myself as a very nice person but if someone is capable of driving me nuts, irritated with the need to kill something is her," the alpha said still growling, Taehyung was looking at him in surprise, big round eyes blinking more often. "I swear if she wasn't Yoongi's stepsister I would slap that bitch. She is so annoying I..." Jimin stopped talking when he smell Yoongi coming closer.
The minty and sweet scent of Min Yoongi soothed his anger.
"Do you know this place has separated the bathroom from omegas? I had to go back to find the damn omega bathroom, they made me walk like three miles!" Yoongi whined grumpily while the other two boys just look at him awkwardly at their previous conversation. "What?"
"According to the new law bathrooms has to be separate by genotype, hyung," Taehyung said with a smile "Is for the best, alphas can't harass omegas in public bathrooms anymore"
"Yeah, I know... still, they should do alphas to walk three miles! Not omegas! Don't take it personally Jimin" Yoongi said patting Jimin on the head and messing his hair.
"I don't" Jimin pouted, rolling his eyes.
"Let's get going," Yoongi said taking his leather jacket from his previous seat "I drive you home, Taehyung" he offered and Taehyung nodded smiling.