By Zephyria 
“Seniors?”
Just as they arrived at the school gate, Kim Ju-hwan’s voice was heard from behind.
“Wow! Ju-hwan!”
Young-min detached himself from Jeong-min and quickly ran to Ju-hwan.
“Ju-hwan, long time no see!”
“Young-min sunbae, long time no see. I heard you’ve awakened.”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“The news of you seniors’ awakening is probably the thing everyone in this school is most curious about. Everyone who needs to know already knows.”
“Wow, I see. Oh right! I’m curious about your pheromones, Ju-hwan!”
“Hmm, just a little, then.”
Young-min, who had been raising his hand and smiling brightly, put his nose close to Ju-hwan’s body and inhaled.
“Wow, so this is the scent of an Extreme Alpha. It’s amazing. So cool~”
“So you can perceive pheromones now.”
“Of course. I’m an Omega! But is this all the pheromones?”
“No way. I haven’t even released my pheromones in the first place.”
“What? Then this is you suppressing them??”
“Yes. But since I’m dominant, a little bit leaks out inevitably.”
“So cool. I’m just a regular Omega.”
It was a conversation he couldn’t understand. Of course, he didn’t know the meaning of the words or what they were talking about, but as an unawakened person, Jeong-min couldn’t tell exactly what they meant.
“What do I smell like?”
“Hmm…”
This time, Kim Ju-hwan buried his nose in the crook of Young-min’s neck. Young-min laughed, saying it tickled, but his face showed he didn’t dislike it at all.
“You smell like sweet flowers. It’s close to the scent of lilies. It’s charming.”
“Phew~ I see. So you can’t smell your own pheromones. Even your own relatives don’t know. Now I feel relieved! Jeong-min! I’m a lily!”
Young-min looked back at Jeong-min with a proud expression, smiling brightly as if he were born carrying the light itself. A lily… it really suits you.
“Yeah, congratulations. I’m going in first.”
Jeong-min answered half-heartedly and strode into the classroom. He placed his bag on the desk and looked for Young-min, who hadn’t entered yet. He could see him coming in slowly from a distance with Ju-hwan.
“This is crazy. Look at Young-min. He’s seriously beautiful.”
“I heard he awakened as an Omega? I knew it.”
“If Young-min isn’t an Omega, then who is? I want to smell his pheromones.”
Even the classmates who usually had no interest in Young-min began to praise and admire his appearance. Does time flow differently for those who awaken? Young-min looked even more radiant than he did this morning. Is his hormone level still changing? I don’t know. Why haven’t I awakened?
“Sigh….”
It’s okay. I don’t care if other people are interested in Young-min. As long as Shin-woo hyung isn’t.
Jeong-min stopped organizing his books, threw his bag aside, and ran up to Shin-woo’s classroom. The third-year classrooms were much more relaxed now that the CSAT was over. Those who had been accepted to universities didn’t have to come to school at other schools, but since this school valued attendance, even those who passed had to show up. However, there were times when there were no classes, or they were kept simple… it was truly a leisurely atmosphere.
“I heard the younger of those twins awakened?”
The third-year classroom was also buzzing because of Young-min. Just as Kim Ju-hwan said, it seemed to be the big news of the school. I didn’t know my twins were this famous.
“Shin Yeong-min is an Omega! Yu Shin-woo, was it worth the wait?”
“Right? Shin-woo, you lucky brat.”
As soon as he heard Shin-woo’s name, Jeong-min had no choice but to stop. He pressed himself against the hallway wall and listened to the conversation coming from Shin-woo’s classroom.
“What’s so great about it.”
“We all know you’re interested in Shin Yeong-min. You’ve been waiting for him to become an Omega!”
“What are you talking about.”
“Stop playing hard to get. But I heard the guy next to him is a Dominant Alpha; shouldn’t you be on guard?”
“Good grief….”
Despite pretending to be uninterested and indifferent, Shin-woo looked slightly anxious as he gazed outside and soon rushed out of the classroom. He didn’t even notice Jeong-min right next to him. With a flushed face… and full of joy, he left the room. His friends cheered and teased him from inside, but he seemed not to hear a thing. It was obvious where he was heading without even looking. Jeong-min slid down and slumped onto the floor. He felt like a loser.
✽✽✽
After that day, Young-min became the flower of the school.
Not only Alphas but even Betas began to shower Young-min with gifts and confessions. Shin-woo watched that scene, and Jeong-min watched Shin-woo’s back.
On the first day Young-min attended school after awakening, Shin-woo told him congratulations and asked if he would accompany him home. Young-min joked that Shin-woo’s behavior was unfamiliar, but naturally said he would go with his hyung.
However, Jeong-min was not part of that. It was because Shin-woo hadn’t called him.
By the time Jeong-min found out that night that the two had spent time together, a sadness that went beyond jealousy had already dominated his entire body.
Unaware of Jeong-min’s heart, an excited Young-min set down the luxury shopping bags he was carrying on the floor.
“What is all this?”
“Shin-woo hyung bought these to celebrate my awakening as an Omega!”
Shin-woo always took good care of the twins’ birthdays. He had given them many gifts, but this was the first time he had given such expensive ones. Moreover, there was a wide variety. Bags, clothes, watches, even shoes… it felt like he had received a whole dowry, lacking only roses.
“Do you know what Shin-woo hyung said to me?”
“…What did he say?”
“He said my pheromones were so fragrant that he couldn’t breathe! Ugh, so cheesy!”
Young-min scratched his arms vigorously while holding up the gifted clothes in front of the mirror, turning this way and that.
He spoke of it as being “cheesy” and insignificant, but Jeong-min knew that was Shin-woo’s confession. He was a kind hyung, but not someone who used such sweet words… the fact that he said it must have taken immense courage, and he must have waited. For the day Young-min became an Omega….
“So, what did you say?”
“I told him his pheromones are like warm sunlight! They were incredibly cozy, just like Shin-woo hyung!”
So that’s what hyung’s pheromones are like. Must be nice. I’m dying of envy. Young-min… I want to smell hyung’s pheromones too. I want to be intoxicated by them. I want to spend the night together, look into each other’s eyes, and imprint. Why won’t I awaken?
“So… are you two dating?”
Jeong-min asked, summoning all his courage. He prepared himself for his heart to tear apart. Even so, he needed to know… even if the two felt the same way, he had no intention of giving up, but he felt he could decide his own direction if he knew.
Young-min’s reaction was unexpected. His expression distorted as if he had chewed on something foul.
“Why does it lead to that?”
“What do you mean… it sounded like you two confessed to each other.”
“No way. That’s not it~ Hyung and I are like brothers, so how could that be!”
“You… you said before that if you became an Omega, you could marry hyung.”
“When did I?”
“Huh?”
“When did I ever say that~ And even if I did, it was a joke. Did you really think I meant it? I just became an Omega! No matter how rare Alphas are, hyung isn’t the only Alpha. I’m going to meet this Alpha and that Alpha and decide who will be with me for the rest of my life. Who knows? I might meet my destined one!”
Those words were a shock to Jeong-min as well. Back in middle school, in that moment when Young-min had casually brought up the topic of becoming an Omega, he had definitely said so. That he would marry Shin-woo. That was why Jeong-min had been more anxious. He thought Young-min liked Shin-woo. He thought that if their feelings aligned, it would be a good thing.
But it wasn’t. Did that mean it was Shin-woo’s one-sided love? If it was a one-way street, wouldn’t the possibilities increase? He couldn’t help but think that. Suddenly, half of the hatred, resentment, and jealousy toward Young-min vanished. He had never liked Young-min’s frivolous nature, but not as much as today.
“Right, go meet this Alpha and that Alpha. You’ll probably be introduced to good Alphas through Mom or Dad too.”
He felt sorry for Shin-woo, but Jeong-min couldn’t help but cheer for Young-min.
“Of course! I shall enjoy the Omega life!”
Young-min clenched his fist in determination, and Jeong-min clapped for him from the side. He thought now he just had to turn Shin-woo’s heart. He thought it would be easy. He thought Shin-woo would give up on Young-min… he thought. But he was wrong.
Shin-woo’s feelings were deeper and more sincere than expected. Despite hearing Young-min’s declaration to enjoy the Omega life, he remained by Young-min’s side. Jeong-min could never forget the look of shock on Shin-woo’s face when Young-min dated another Alpha for the first time.
As they grew through a love that left only scars, inflicting pain and a sense of loss on one another, Yu Shin-woo graduated from school first and entered university.
And the twins became third-years. Jeong-min… still had not awakened.