Eyes on Me

by Cheolcherry

Summary:

Jeonghan had been an alpha his whole life. He was a professional volleyball player in a team which consisted of alphas. He never thought that there was even a possibility of him turning into an omega. Not until Seungcheol came and ruined his life.

Chapter 1: One Hell of a Reunion

It's almost summer and Jeonghan hated it. Normally, he loved summer. Summer was the national team season, but this summer was different. He could already see it coming.

It was when Jeonghan saw the news this morning covering a certain Superlega volleyball player coming home for the national team season. One look of the person with his face hidden under a cap was enough for Jeonghan to recognise. It's someone he despised with all his might. 

Choi Seungcheol. Choi fucking Seungcheol.

Superlega was the highest ranking volleyball league, hosted in Italy. No matter how much Jeonghan hated to admit it, Seungcheol was a great volleyball player, proven by how he played in Superlega.

It smelled like a disaster already. Jeonghan and Seungcheol could never stay within two meter radius of each other without fighting. Both of them were alphas and for some unexplainable reason, they both couldn't exist in the same place at the same time. Their instincts to dominate were too strong. None of them wanted to back down or tolerate each other's existence.

It was quite a rare occurrence, because Jeonghan was capable of being in a team full of alphas just fine. But not with Seungcheol. He was an exception. There's something about Seungcheol that didn't sit well with him.

Which made Jeonghan wonder what the hell was the coach thinking when he recruited Seungcheol to join the national team, fully aware that Jeonghan was a part of the team too. Was he that desperate to win that he would risk their teamwork? Jeonghan made a mental note to interrogate the coach later when he met him.

His phone rang and he saw the caller ID. He already knew what the call was about before he picked it up.

"Yes, I saw the news and I'm thoroughly pissed off right now, thanks for asking," Jeonghan answered although the person on the other end of the line hadn't said anything yet.

"Whoa there. Is it that bad already? You haven't even met him." Jisoo sounded calm, as if he had expected this would happen. Then again, Jisoo and Jeonghan had been friends since forever. He probably knew the latter better than he knew himself.

"If I could back out, I would."

"But then you would be the nation's traitor."

"Exactly." Participating in the national team for international matches was pretty much serving the country. Refusing to join the team was basically refusing to enlist in the army.

"Enough about Seungcheol. Have you done packing? We're supposed to be at the dorm an hour from now."

Jeonghan glanced at the empty luggage on the floor next to him. He hadn't even started. The shocking news of Seungcheol joining the national team had ruined his mood and distracted him. But since Jisoo would nag at him if he hadn't, he said he'd done with it.

"Don't forget your suppressant. We don't want you going into a rut in the middle of a match."

"What are you? My mom?"

"I'm your mom at the court." Jisoo said something to someone next to him. "Alright then. I've got to run an errand for the coach. I'll see you later at the dorm."

"Sure. Bye."

Jeonghan actually felt guilty for lying to Jisoo, so he started packing immediately after hanging up the call. He even remembered packing his suppressant, because Jisoo had got a point. Going into a rut in the middle of a team full of alphas would only end up in chaos.

He lived alone in an apartment provided by the professional volleyball team he had signed with. However, he had to admit that living alone was lonely. There's a part of him that was looking forward to the national team season, because it allowed him to stay in a dorm during the whole season with the other national team members.

Well, that was before the news. Now that Seungcheol was also one of the members, Jeonghan wasn't sure if the dorm would be bearable to live in. He couldn't imagine staying under one roof with him. 

They had fought all the time during high school because of their incompatible pheromones. Their alphas couldn't stand each other. Both had a dominating presence and neither was backing down.

Jeonghan had a feeling that something would go very wrong once they all gathered.

Exactly an hour later, Jeonghan arrived at the big house which would accommodate the national team during the season. It was near the volleyball arena that was rented for their training camp to prepare for the world championship.

The country was generous in providing them with high quality facilities. But it also served as a constant reminder that they represented the country and everyone expected them to perform well. 

The pressure was intense, but the honour was worth it.

"Better last year's dorm, huh?" Jisoo suddenly popped up next to Jeonghan, helping him carry his things from his car to the house.

Jeonghan snorted in disbelief, because Jisoo said the most obvious thing. "Are you kidding me? Last year's dorm is nothing compared to this mansion."

"You shouldn't let your guard down, though. The budget for the volleyball team is no joke this year. They even went as far as bringing a Superlega player here. They expect you guys to bring some medals home."

"What a nice manager you are. Giving the players such great pressure," Jeonghan said sarcastically.

"It's called motivation."

"Is that how they taught you in the US?"

"No. This only works for you. You're the most unmotivated person I've ever met. If being a part of the national team is no longer somewhat mandatory, you'd leave straight away." Jisoo gave him an accusatory look.

Jeonghan quickly defended himself. "Of course. I'm busy enough with the V-League. I want some time away from volleyball."

"I'll never stop wondering why you decided to be a professional volleyball player when you have that kind of mindset."

"Don't. You'll hurt your head."

Even if V-League, the volleyball league in Korea, was lower in scale when compared to Superlega, it's still a volleyball league. Both of them were equally tiring for the players, since there were so many matches they had to compete in. Jeonghan didn't understand why people made it sound like Seungcheol had it harder than him.

The moment Jeonghan entered the building, the strong scent hit his nose first. It's a given since there were thirteen alphas—including him—who slept here. There's no way the place wouldn't stink of dominating pheromones.

Jisoo must have noticed Jeonghan scrunching his nose upon entering, because he chuckled. "The scent is strong, right? Although not everyone is here yet. You can imagine how strong the scent will be once they're all here."

Jeonghan frowned. "What do you mean not everyone? I thought gathering here was mandatory."

"Seungcheol will be here later," Jisoo explained. "The coach and someone from the Korean Volleyball Association are still briefing him on the things he needs to know since this year is his first time participating. But everyone else is here already."

As if on cue, Seokmin ran out to the front door to welcome him. He looked elated when he saw Jeonghan and quickly pulled him into a hug. Jeonghan felt the same, too, as he tapped Seokmin's back, equally pleased to see him again after a year.

Meeting the members from the national team somehow made him happier. They only stayed together during the national team season and then they would go back to their respective teams when it was done. Which was why the national team season sometimes felt like summer camp for him.

The fun Jeonghan had with the members was probably the only thing that kept him going during the season. The national team season started right after the V-League season. There was no rest in between if he was a part of the national team. It was honestly exhausting to play volleyball all year long.

"You cut your hair?" was the first thing Seokmin said to Jeonghan.

Last year Jeonghan had straight, shoulder-length hair that he tied into a ponytail when he played. The hair was in the way, so he decided to cut it before the season started, and since then he kept his hair short.

"Yeah. It's a hassle to tie it everytime," Jeonghan answered simply. "Can I room with you again this year?"

"Sure. I was thinking of rooming with you, anyway. Come on. I'll show you our room."

Jeonghan was relieved when Seokmin agreed. He had always been a sensitive sleeper. The slightest noise and light would wake him up, so the other members were too loud for him. Seokmin was the only member he could put up with.

Seokmin took Jeonghan's belongings from Jisoo's hands to let Jisoo go back to his work and help Jeonghan settle in. Jeonghan looked around while Seokmin led the way to their room. He was in awe with the scale of their accomodation. This place could even be considered too spacey for thirteen people.

The other members were scattering around the place, arranging their things so it would feel like home for them since they would be stuck here for quite a while during the season. They greeted excitedly when they saw him and asked him to join them at the living area later to hang out.

Jeonghan was familiar with all of them because even if the members slightly changed every year, he had probably known them from the V-League. Fellow pro volleyball players tended to hang out together a lot after matches. Jeonghan occasionally joined them when he wasn't too fatigued.

The room was amazingly large. There were two queen beds instead of a bunk bed. One of the beds was already occupied, so Jeonghan took the other one, placing his belongings on top of it, planning to unpack later at night. 

"Awesome, right? Can you imagine how much money they spent on us this year? The KVA is clearly going all out," Seokmin said as he waited for Jeonghan to put down his things in the room.

"They want some medals, obviously," Jeonghan said flatly, refusing to think that the KVA provided them all of these for nothing.

Seokmin suddenly looked very determined. "Let's win some. With Seungcheol on our side and you as our setter, it's possible. You can use him as our weapon to the fullest. We'll be invincible then."

Jeonghan mentally groaned at the mention of Seungcheol. Thinking that he had no choice but to work together with him as a team irritated him—his alpha most likely, because their pheromones constantly tried to dominate each other and the discomfort caused them to become aggressive.  It couldn't be helped, since it was their nature.

But then, he was a professional athlete. He shouldn't let Seungcheol's existence affect his play in any way.

"What are you talking about? You're a great setter, too. Don't lose your confidence." As a setter, Jeonghan was used to boosting the team members’ morale, so that he could set the balls to them and they would spike the ball down to the opponent's court. It would be bad if they relied on Seungcheol too much, because it would only limit Jeonghan's choices.

After leaving the things in the room, Jeonghan and Seokmin went to the living area to join the other members. Some of them were playing video games and some others were lazing around on the couches. Jeonghan and Seokmin naturally went to sit on the floor with their backs against the couch.

"So all of us are here. Minus Seungcheol," Seungkwan noted as he silently counted their heads. "I'm curious. Who knows Seungcheol personally? I have never met him before."

"Me, too. I only saw him on TV, " Chan answered as he tried to remember.

"Same," Hansol agreed. "Seungkwan and I started high school right after he graduated and went to Italy."

"Most of us here have known him since high school. His school won every national high school championship for three consecutive years during his time attending." Wonwoo turned to look at Jeonghan. "The finals were always between this guy and him. In the end, Seungcheol always won. It's boring and predictable."

Soonyoung clapped his hands excitedly. "Right! I remember their schools were always seeded so that they wouldn't get matched up in the early rounds. Ah! Youth!"

Equally excited as Soonyoung, Mingyu added, "It's like a youth drama. Who would have thought that they would fight together in a team now?"

"Their rivalry is no joke. They're basically archenemies. I wonder what the coach is trying to do by putting them together," Jihoon piped up.

Even Seokmin, who was sitting next to Jeonghan, joined them. "Well, I think the coach is a genius. I can't wait to play with them. Imagine how strong we'll become with both of them on our team."

Pouting, Jeonghan protested, "Hey, guys. I'm still here."

The members were talking about Jeonghan as if he wasn't here. He didn't really mind, but then he wouldn't be able to join the conversation. He didn't like feeling left out.

This was his summer camp. He came here to hang out with his friends, not to listen to them talking about Seungcheol. He wanted to enjoy this as much as possible before Seungcheol came and ruined everything.

They eventually stopped talking about Seungcheol and discussed what they would do during their free time. The training camp would start next week, so they would have this week to rest. Some suggested going on a vacation and some others wanted to play soccer.

However, they couldn't reach an agreement. It's a given. There were eleven of them at the moment. Complaints were heard here and there.

"But it's too much of a hassle to unpack and pack out things again!"

"Why would we play soccer and risk ourselves getting injured right before the important matches?"

What they lacked was a captain to organise their thoughts and make a fair decision. The previous captain had announced his retirement and now they were one member short, which was why Seungcheol was recruited. The captain position was still unoccupied.

Jeonghan was the oldest member in the team, but he wasn't exactly someone who fit to be a captain. He admitted he's too lazy for that. To be a captain of a whole volleyball team must be crazy difficult.

While they were debating about what they should do in their free time, Jisoo returned to the dorm and announced that he'd reserved a restaurant for them tonight. They would have a welcome party for Seungcheol and he would meet them there before going to the dorm. Jisoo had rented two cars for their transportations, volunteering to drive one of them since he would be staying in the dorm with the members as well.

With only around two more hours to spend before going to the party, Jeonghan decided to take a quick nap. A welcome party sounded pretty exhausting. He would need to recover his energy before tiring himself out at the party.

The other members seemed to think of the same thing, because the living area suddenly grew quiet as they returned to their respective rooms. Seokmin was also lying around on his bed, watching something on his phone. Jeonghan asked Seokmin to wake him up when it's time before shutting his eyes.

It's understandable why they were all tired. The V-League season had just ended. They barely had any time to recover from the fatigue before the national team season started. 

Jeonghan could feel his body aching everywhere. It was the downside of being an athlete. They constantly overworked their bodies, potentially injuring themselves in the process.

Volleyball athletes had to jump a lot. Normally, human's legs shouldn't be used to jump that much.

Around two hours later, they got into the two cars, ready to attend the welcome party. Some of them looked like they're going to attend a gala and some others seemed like they're going to a frat house. 

Jeonghan was lucky that he wore something not too formal and not too informal. They should have discussed the dresscode earlier, so that they would seem like a team. He regretted not bringing up the topic to them.

Since Jeonghan was the oldest member in the team, he volunteered to drive the other car. He didn't plan on drinking alcohol, so he didn't mind driving. The others would probably get too wasted to drive home, anyway.

Jisoo had booked the whole restaurant for them and decorated the interior. Jeonghan had to applaud his dedication. This was why he'd gone out earlier.

The coaches were already there, but Seungcheol was still nowhere in sight. Not that Jeonghan deliberately searched for him. It's because he found it weird that the main reason they gathered here wasn't present.

"He'll be here," Jisoo reassured, although it was nothing but reassurance for Jeonghan. "The KVA needed him for something. But he'll join us soon."

"I didn't ask," Jeonghan grumbled, annoyed at the fact that Jisoo thought he wanted to know.

"I know. I was just saying. No need to get riled up," Jisoo teased, barely dodging Jeonghan's elbow.

The two coaches began with a speech that Jeonghan simply tuned out. It was the same boring speech, anyway. They only asked the same thing everytime—winning.

The members divided themselves into groups to sit. They ended up occupying four tables. Jeonghan chose to sit down with Seokmin and Jisoo, because he's comfortable with them.

Jisoo and Seokmin began talking animatedly about every single thing while they were eating. It started from the V-League and somehow the topic turned into their favourite music. Jeonghan weirdly felt like he was third-wheeling. He was basically invisible there.

Jeonghan was about to stand up and move to another table when someone suddenly sat next to him. The scent was so strong that Jeonghan scrunched his nose instinctively. It was a scent that he would recognise anywhere.

"Seungcheol," Jeonghan said through gritted teeth. Nothing had happened yet, but Jeonghan already felt his blood boil. He felt really hot inside. He's burning.

"Jeonghan. It's been a while." Unlike Jeonghan who was really hostile in his greeting, Seungcheol offered him a warm smile.

It's really been quite a while. After Seungcheol had graduated high school, he'd gone straight to Italy, so Jeonghan hadn't met him again since then. It'd probably been around ten years.

Jeonghan hated to admit it, but Seungcheol looked so fine right now. His body was built with muscles. His jaw was more defined and his face was somewhat more manly now that he'd grown up. He's much more handsome and attractive now, unlike how Jeonghan had remembered.

Jeonghan was feeling hotter and hotter as time passed and he was sure that it's not anger like how he would usually feel around Seungcheol because of their incompatible pheromones. However, instead of despising Seungcheol's scent, he grew to like it. 

This was really odd. Jeonghan was an alpha. He shouldn't be attracted by Seungcheol's scent. They were both alphas and they hated each other. Their alphas were incompatible.

Seokmin noticed that something was wrong with Jeonghan. He frowned as he asked, "Jeonghan, are you okay? You don't look so good."

"I feel weird," Jeonghan said honestly. "I feel like I'm burning."

Seungcheol sniffed the air and widened his eyes. "Did your scent somehow change? You smell really good. It's sweet. Just like…" he trailed off, as if he didn't dare to finish the sentence.

Jeonghan felt weaker now. Seungcheol's scent made him dizzy. He smelled really good and Jeonghan was intoxicated with it. Unconsciously, he sniffed the air around Seungcheol and he hummed in satisfaction.

"You smell really good, too, Seungcheol," Jeonghan mumbled, leaning slightly closer to Seungcheol.

His mind was making him say things he didn't want to say and do what he didn't want to do. He felt his consciousness slipping away. What was happening to him? He hadn't drunk any alcohol, so he couldn't be drunk.

Jisoo suddenly looked terrified as he seemed to realise what happened. He finished Seungcheol's sentence in horror. "Just like an omega. That's impossible. I need to take him to the doctor."

That was the last thing Jeonghan heard before everything turned black.

Chapter 2: Unwanted Miracle

Jeonghan was jolted awake at the sound of his phone ringing. His head hurt and he was burning up. Was he sick? Something was definitely very wrong with him. He had no idea why.

The ringtone was blaring in his ears. It wouldn't stop ringing, so he was forced to pick it up before his head hurt even more.

"Yeah?" Jeonghan answered weakly, his voice hoarse. He tried to look for water and fortunately, someone put a water bottle on the nightstand. And then he realised that he wasn't supposed to have a nightstand back at the national team's dorm. Where exactly was he now?

"Jeonghan? You're finally awake! How are you feeling?" Jisoo's voice was heard from the other end of the line. He sounded really worried. It made Jeonghan even more curious about his condition.

"I feel like shit," Jeonghan groaned, his head throbbing every time he spoke. "What's wrong with me? Where am I? Where are you?"

Jisoo was taking a deep breath before he explained, "I need you to calm down and listen to me very carefully. You are now in a hotel room because the doctor advised us to isolate you for the time being."

"Why? Am I sick? Is it infectious?"

"No," Jisoo quickly answered before Jeonghan had a chance to panic. "You're fine. You're not sick. Actually, the doctor called it a miracle."

Jeonghan couldn't help but snort at the ridiculous diagnosis. "Miracle? Me feeling like shit is a miracle? What kind of shitty doctor did you bring me to?"

Jisoo took his time answering, seemingly hesitating to explain. Jeonghan almost lost his patience right when Jisoo said, "The chance of it happening is very low. And you just happen to be one in a thousand."

Sighing, Jeonghan said impatiently, "Can't you just tell me what happened to me without all the sugarcoating? I know it's bad. Just say it."

"The doctor said you might have experienced a shift in your second gender. It's very uncommon, but it's not entirely impossible. A very strong alpha's pheromone might be able to affect a fellow alpha to submit. And, although very rarely, sometimes it's not just submitting. Under the overwhelming influence, the fellow alpha might unconsciously shift their own second gender to another that suits the strong alpha's needs. In this case, an omega."

Jisoo went quiet as he let Jeonghan take his lengthy explanation in. It took Jeonghan a whole minute before he realised what Jisoo was implying. He couldn't believe it. How could this happen to him out of all people?

Jeonghan laughed bitterly as he found it unbelievable. "Are you saying that I turned into an omega because Seungcheol's scent is too powerful for my alpha to handle? Do you expect me to believe that bullshit?"

"I'm sorry, Jeonghan," was the only thing Jisoo said. And it's all Jeonghan needed to know. Jisoo was being serious.

The hotness Jeonghan felt inside him didn't help at all. He raised his voice at Jisoo, even if Jisoo did nothing wrong. "You've got to be kidding me! I can't afford to be an omega, Jisoo! What about my job? I have to be an alpha to stay in the team!"

It was a well-known fact around the world that the most capable people were alphas. Whatever betas and omegas did would never hold a candle to them. They were superior in everything. They had talents from birth that betas and omegas could only dream to have.

Jeonghan was a born alpha. He believed he had the talent to play volleyball from birth. There's no way that this was merely a result of his hard work, just like how betas and omegas could achieve. He believed he was way above them. He was chosen to represent Korea in volleyball, for goodness' sake!

"You won't suddenly suck at playing volleyball, Jeonghan," Jisoo reassured him. It's scary how it felt like Jisoo could see through his mind sometimes. "It doesn't work that way. Which is why it's a miracle. You get to have an alpha's capability while being an omega."

"I don't want this miracle," Jeonghan muttered under his breath. "I want my old life back."

"You won't have a different life. Aside from the fact that you'll have to go through occasional heats instead of ruts. Which is probably what you're going through now."

"Yeah. I can put two and two together. No need for you to spell it out. That's why you put me here right?"

"Only until the end of your heat. Just call me if you need anything, okay? I'm in the room next to yours."

A realisation struck Jeonghan. The possibility horrified him, but he still had to make sure. Even if Jisoo was his best friend, he was still an alpha, through and through. Why else would he stay at the hotel with him? 

"What? Are you going to spend it with me?"

"God, no!" Jisoo groaned in disgust. "I'm not going to fuck you if that's what you're worried about. You wouldn't even let me get close earlier."

Jeonghan had no recollection of this. And it's kind of alarming. "What do you mean? If I'm an omega, don't I crave for alphas during heat?"

"You didn't remember?" Jisoo sounded surprised. And it made Jeonghan feel even more antsy. "You kicked and punched any alphas who got close to you. Everyone except Seungcheol. He's the one who carried you all the way here. Your omega only wants him."

The fact that he didn't remember Seungcheol carrying him was also disturbing. Was he that far gone? "Figures. It's his stupid alpha's pheromone that turned me, after all. Good to know he's being responsible."

Suddenly, Jeonghan felt a sharp pain in his stomach and it hurt like hell. It was so sudden that he couldn't help but yell in agony. The pain was so intense he thought he would pass out.

"Jeonghan? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Jisoo asked worriedly.

"Fuck, it hurts," Jeonghan swore through gritted teeth. His whole body was trembling and his breathing was uneven from enduring the pain. He curled up on the bed, gripping on his stomach. "How long will this last? I thought heats were supposed to be basically like ruts. All horny and stuff. No one told me about the pain."

"Well, normally a week. But since your case is nowhere near normal, we have no idea. The doctor also said your first heat would be very painful—more pain than sexual arousal, because of the shifting—so it's recommended to have an alpha by your side. An alpha's scent might be able to ease your pain."

"So I basically have to deal with the pain myself, huh? You said I went violent against you alphas."

"Not all of us. Do you want me to call Seungcheol here?"

"Hell, no. I'd rather be in pain." A stabbing pain in his head came abruptly and Jeonghan groaned, regretting what he'd just said. "My head hurts. I'm going to sleep it off. Talk to you later."

"Sure. Call me if you need anything."

Jeonghan hung up the phone and closed his eyes, trying hard to ignore the pain in his head and stomach. It was impossible to ignore, of course, with how intense the pain was. He kept trying because he refused to ask help from the person he hated. He didn't want to be indebted to him.

A few hours passed and he still couldn't sleep. The pain was too much for him to handle since it escalated gradually, until to the extent where tears began to form in his eyes. He was whimpering, letting himself cry, too exhausted from being in pain for so long.

It was the next day, early in the morning, when Jisoo called him again. Jeonghan only realised it was already morning once he saw the time on his phone. He was too preoccupied with his pain to be aware of the time. He hadn't slept at all last night. It was torture.

Jeonghan picked up the phone, still sobbing because it hurt so much that he wanted to deliberately lose his consciousness, so that he wouldn't feel anything.

"Jeonghan? Are you crying? Does it hurt that much?" Jisoo asked, obviously alarmed after hearing Jeonghan's muffled sobs.

"I'm tired, Jisoo," Jeonghan said weakly in between his sobs. "The pain is too much. I couldn't sleep at all."

"Is it that bad? God, I'm so sorry, Jeonghan. Let me go get one of Seungcheol's shirts really quickly, okay? You don't get to say no this time. I'll bring you food as well. Wait for me, okay?" 

Without waiting for Jeonghan's response, Jisoo hung up the phone, presumably hurrying back to the dorm to fetch Seungcheol's shirt. Jeonghan didn't even have the energy to refuse. He's that desperate. 

This was far beyond what he could handle. He hadn't expected heat could be this excruciating, although this particular kind of painful heat only happened to him because of his uncommon condition. Even so, he would never imagine that it was anywhere near this. His ruts had been annoying but bearable. But this was simply torture.

Around ten minutes later, Jeonghan's phone rang again. It was Jisoo. Feeling hopeful that Jisoo might come up with a solution to his pain, Jeonghan picked up the phone.

"I put your food and Seungcheol's shirt right outside your door. Can you get it yourself? Tell me if it's too much and I'll ask Seungcheol to bring it to you." Jisoo spoke really fast and went straight to the point, as if he didn't want Jeonghan to suffer longer than necessary.

"Let me try. Thank you, Jisoo."

Jeonghan braced himself and took a deep breath, getting ready for the intense pain that would hit him once he got up from the bed. However, the pain had become unbearable for him and he ended up crawling on the floor, using all the power he had left to reach the door. 

His vision was blurry from his tears and his whole body was shaking. He felt like dying already. But he had to endure it for a little longer, because right behind that door was Seungcheol's shirt. Something that would ease his pain. It motivated him to push himself over his limits and open the door.

Jeonghan quickly snatched the plain white t-shirt and inhaled its scent. Seungcheol's rain-like scent. He didn't really know how to describe Seungcheol's scent precisely. Seungcheol smelled like a forest after rain and it was embarrassing for Jeonghan to admit how much he liked that scent. 

It's calming and comforting. He felt alive again. Like magic, the pain vanished right away. He was now even strong enough to stand up and bring his food inside his room. Finally, he could eat without feeling like he would throw up if he did.

Excited to share the news, Jeonghan dialed Jisoo's number. "It works."

Jisoo gladly said, "Oh! You sound better. Good! I was worried when I heard you sob earlier. You're not someone who would cry that easily. Did you eat the food I brought you?"

"Yes, I just finished eating. I'm going to sleep now."

"Alright. Go sleep."

Jeonghan wore Seungcheol's shirt to sleep, thinking that it might be more effective that way. Seungcheol's shirt was one size too big for him, but it somehow made him feel more comfortable. Nothing made sense ever since last night, so he stopped trying to make sense of everything.

Sleep came easier this time, although he disturbingly dreamed of Seungcheol being his alpha. It was probably because of the scent that enveloped him in his sleep that made his omega misunderstood their relationship.

However, the misunderstanding proved to be quite a problem when he woke up. He unconsciously woke up and his omega expected that Seungcheol was sleeping next to him because of his dream. When he realised it was just a dream and Seungcheol was nowhere in sight, he couldn't help but tear up.

His omega felt abandoned by his alpha and it pained him, feeling more alone than ever. The pain was slowly coming back again. He burst into tears because the feeling of being abandoned was the worst. He felt unwanted, like he wasn't enough. 

Although he tried to be rational and convince himself that Seungcheol wasn't his to begin with, his omega refused to believe that. His omega was sated with Seungcheol's scent already. Seungcheol was his alpha, his omega made him believe. Rationality went out of the window. His heat certainly had made him crazy.

Jeonghan didn't even hide that he was crying when he was on the phone call with Jisoo. "Seungcheol, please. Seungcheol."

He was begging. He didn't even know what he was begging for, but he needed Seungcheol or he would feel even worse than he already did.

Jisoo must have handed his phone to Seungcheol, because Jeonghan heard Seungcheol's low voice instead of Jisoo's. "Yes, Jeonghan. This is Seungcheol. What's wrong?"

Jeonghan took a shaky breath, relieved to hear his voice. He never knew that there would come a time when he would be relieved to hear Seungcheol at all. Life surely liked to play jokes on him.

At the moment, he couldn't afford to think about his hatred for the alpha. His wellbeing was his priority for now. He would do anything to make himself feel better. He didn't want to suffer any longer.

"Please. I need you here, Seungcheol," Jeonghan begged, swallowing his pride. He would certainly regret this later once his heat subsided. But for now, he couldn't think of anything else.

"I'm coming," Seungcheol said with a low voice before hanging up the phone, no questions asked.

It was unbelievable. Why would Seungcheol agree to help Jeonghan? They had been hating each other for as long as he could remember. So why would he bother? 

Jeonghan should stop trying to make sense of everything that happened today. He was not himself. And probably, Seungcheol was not himself, too.

Not even a minute later, the doorbell rang. Jeonghan almost sprinted to open it. As soon as he saw Seungcheol from behind the door, he was overwhelmed with a wave of relief and happiness that he was at a loss for words. His alpha scent was all that he could smell, making him numb to everything else. Seungcheol was the only one he could focus on.

"Are you sure about this?" Seungcheol asked warily, still standing outside the room. His mere voice sent shivers down Jeonghan's spine.

Jeonghan nodded impatiently as he crossed the threshold to remove the gap between him and Seungcheol. "I need your scent."

Without warning, Jeonghan wrapped his arms around Seungcheol's neck and buried his nose in his scent gland, taking a deep breath as he inhaled. He could feel the other freeze on the spot when he did so. The alpha was standing awkwardly still, trying so hard not to make any movement, letting the omega scent him as he pleased.

"God, you smell so good," Jeonghan mumbled to Seungcheol's neck, trying to inhale his scent as much as possible. His scent was addictive and Jeonghan was intoxicated. It felt heavenly. Like finding water in a desert. Like he could finally breathe again. The pain was no longer there.

Jeonghan was so overwhelmed with the alpha's soothing pheromone that his knees buckled. Seungcheol supported his weight right before he fell, placing a strong hand on his lower back. And Jeonghan became all too aware of his touch, sending tingles down his spine.

"Let's get you to bed. You need rest." Seungcheol used his other hand to effortlessly scoop Jeonghan up and carry him to the bed.

Jeonghan couldn't really describe what he felt. He felt like he's in a trance, as if he's high on something—that something was Seungcheol's scent. But he couldn't say he hated the feeling. His omega also liked it, albeit a bit too much.

Seungcheol tucked Jeonghan into bed and he was about to climb down when the omega stopped him by straddling him. The alpha stiffened, surprised by how close they were to each other. Jeonghan could feel Seungcheol's breath on his face.

"No, don't go. Please." Jeonghan was begging again, not caring how it would seem to Seungcheol because he was desperate. He was horrified at the memory of him waking up alone earlier, feeling abandoned and worthless. He didn't want to feel like that again.

Seungcheol let out a shaky breath before he spoke, "I can't, Jeonghan. You're an omega in heat. And I'm an alpha. Trust me. I'm literally hanging by a thread here. I'm really close to losing my self-control. I'm sure you can feel it."

Jeonghan could feel Seungcheol's growing hardness against his thigh, but that was the last thing he cared about at the moment. Just like the doctor had said, he felt more pain than sexual arousal during his first heat. 

All alarms blared in his head. Seungcheol was going to leave him. His alpha was going to abandon him. He didn't want him. Jeonghan was not enough.

His vision was blurry. He was tearing up again. The wave of sadness hit him like a truck. This was ridiculous. He's not someone who cried this easily, but he couldn't even stop the tears from flowing. 

It's embarrassing. Seungcheol was not even his to begin with. He must have gone crazy.

Seeing Jeonghan crying must have alarmed Seungcheol, because he seemed panicking and quickly said, "Alright, I'll stay. But let's keep some distance, okay?"

Nodding, Jeonghan immediately got off Seungcheol's lap. After making sure the alpha would be here when he woke up, he was at ease immediately.

Seungcheol hurriedly climbed off the bed and took a seat on the nearby couch, rushing to widen the gap between them. It hurt Jeonghan to watch how badly Seungcheol wanted to get away from him. But he couldn't help it. He'd already asked a lot of things from him. He couldn't possibly ask for more. He didn't want to be more indebted to him than he already did.

They're supposed to be archenemies. Forever rivals. This was not something enemies did. The heat had clouded both their judgment. Jeonghan didn't even want to think how to face Seungcheol after his heat ended. This was all ridiculous.

"This doesn't change anything. I wasn't being myself," Jeonghan said now that he calmed down, and could think rationally for a short moment. He wanted to make things clear before the next wave of his heat attacked again, so that he wouldn't be too embarrassed.

Seungcheol was playing some game on his phone, not even sparing Jeonghan a glance when he replied, "Sure. I hate this as much as you do."

"I guess there's something we both could agree on."

"Just in case you're wondering why I did this, I'll tell you. I only helped you because in some weird way, I was the one who did this to you, so it's only fair that I take responsibility."

"And I wouldn't ask you to come if you're not the only person who could fix this."

Seungcheol's words somehow hurt more than they should.

 

Chapter 3: Momentary Truce

A stabbing pain in Jeonghan's stomach jolted him awake. He didn't remember falling asleep, but apparently he'd dozed off for hours. He was alone when he woke up. There's no sight of Seungcheol anywhere.

That must be why the pain came back. Seungcheol had left him, cutting Jeonghan off from his soothing scent. He had no obligation to be stuck in the hotel room with him and waste his precious time. 

Jeonghan couldn't ask him to come again, because if he was willing to stay, he wouldn't have left in the first place. He had no choice but to embrace the pain. At least, no one would judge him if he cried.

His head was throbbing and he tried to massage his temples in vain. Nothing would work aside from Seungcheol's scent. He knew that and it sucked. Everything sucked. He wanted his heat to end, so that he could go back to the dorm.

On the other hand, it should be a good thing that the pain took over the sadness his omega felt from being abandoned. He could focus on the pain instead of hoping Seungcheol would be there with him. He would be more miserable if he did so.

He curled up again on the bed, burying his face in the pillow so that he could sniffle quietly. He was exhausted. The pain was draining him. It's only the third day of his heat. How could he survive a week of it?

The door of his room was suddenly opened. Jeonghan was scared out of his mind. No one was supposed to have the card key to his hotel room. Who the hell was that? Was it customer service? But he didn't call for them. Or was it a stalker? 

Thinking about the possibilities sent chills all over his body. There were a few instances where he had overenthusiastic volleyball fans, some of them crossing the lines. It'd been really scary.

A wave of relief washed over Jeonghan when he heard Seungcheol's humming. It was only Seungcheol, not some stalkers. Wait, did he come back for him? Jeonghan had been pretty sure that Seungcheol had left. It was surprising to see him here.

Seungcheol must have heard Jeonghan's muffled sniffles, because he approached his bed after dropping whatever he'd bought on the dining table. "Jeonghan? You're awake? I thought you would still be asleep after I came back. Are you crying? Does it hurt?"

Jeonghan lifted his head to give him an irritated look. He tried not to show how relieved he was to see him. He had his pride. "Shut up. Just come here quickly and make yourself useful."

Seungcheol frowned at that. Even so, he climbed on the bed and sat next to Jeonghan, baring his neck for the omega to scent. He stopped him right before the latter was about to straddle him. "Distance. Remember?"

Holding back the urge to protest, Jeonghan chose to tilt his head and bury his nose in Seungcheol's neck, rubbing his cheek against his scent gland to leave his scent on him. The position was uncomfortable, but he was too desperate to argue. He couldn't help a sigh of relief coming out of his mouth as he was finally free from the pain.

"Your scent is not that strong now. I think your heat will end soon," Seungcheol noted offhandedly.

"Glad to know," Jeonghan mumbled. He wanted nothing more but to end this torture. And he believed the alpha next to him wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. His omega didn’t like that idea, but he ignored it. "I bet you can't wait to finally get away from here."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't need to say anything. It's written all over your face."

Seungcheol sighed tiredly. "Do we have to do this? I'm tired. I don't want to pick a fight with you. It's been ten years. Don't you think it's finally time to drop this? Whatever this is?"

Jeonghan snorted in disbelief, as if the idea of them being somewhat civil was ridiculous. "And then what? You want us to be friends? That's impossible. I already hate you since everything that happened in high school. Now you even turned me into a fucking omega and made my life a living hell. Do you realise how fucked up that is?"

"That is completely out of my control! Do you think I can turn people into omegas at my own free will? You can't blame me for something I have no power over! That's unfair!" Seungcheol raised his voice, getting impatient.

Jeonghan didn't respond. He knew he wouldn't say anything nice if he opened his mouth, so he stayed quiet, calming himself down with Seungcheol's scent. He thought this might be the last chance he could scent him. He should treasure it while he could. Seungcheol was still the only alpha his omega accepted.

They were enveloped in silence after that. No one wanted to speak first, breaking the ice. They knew they would only start another argument once they began, so they would rather stay quiet and enjoy the tranquillity that they normally would never have if they're in one room together.

Jisoo dropped food for them by the front door, not coming in because he was worried that he would make Jeonghan uncomfortable with his scent. Jeonghan and Seungcheol then ate in silence, still sitting side by side. Although they're not talking, they're still sticking to each other all the time. Seungcheol made sure Jeonghan could still smell him before trying to do anything.

The silence was comfortable. It's the longest time they spent without fighting. It's nice actually. And with the room smelled like them, it's a cherry on top. 

They were now sitting side by side on the bed. Jeonghan rested his head on Seungcheol's shoulder as he watched some variety shows on TV. Seungcheol was playing some game on his phone.

Jeonghan turned to look at Seungcheol while he was preoccupied with his game. He was way too handsome now. The puberty had done wonders to him. If Seungcheol was a stranger, Jeonghan would probably be attracted to him. However, since they had a history together, it was difficult to think of him as something other than an enemy.

"Stop staring. People will think you've fallen for me," Seungcheol said without looking up from his phone.

Face reddening, Jeonghan quickly looked away. "You wish."

He was embarrassed not because he was caught looking at the alpha, but because he realised that he'd just thought about how fine Seungcheol was and the possibility of him being interested in the alpha. That was one hundred times more embarrassing.

"Remind me. Why did we fight in the first place?" Seungcheol asked, genuinely curious. "It's a long time ago. I kind of forgot why. We keep going at each other's throats like it's in our nature."

Jeonghan couldn't believe that Seungcheol even needed to ask this. The answer was obvious. "Why else? Our personalities didn't match. We couldn’t stand each other. That's why."

Seungcheol laughed at that, causing Jeonghan to frown in bewilderment. What was so funny about that? “That’s ironic. Don’t you think? You said our personalities don’t match, yet your omega seems to only want me.”

“That’s my omega, not me. I absolutely can’t stand you.” Jeonghan quickly defended himself.

“Okay. If you say so,” Seungcheol said, clearly unconvinced since he wore that smug grin on his face.

"If it weren't for my heat, I wouldn't even be anywhere near you, you know," Jeonghan added to make himself less embarrassed.

"In other words, we're only friends when you're in heat. Convenient for you. What about me? What do I get for doing this?" Seungcheol vaguely gestured at his shoulder where Jeonghan was currently resting his head on.

Jeonghan's eyes widened in rage as he realised what Seungcheol might imply. He wanted something from him in return and there's only one thing he had in mind. "What do you want from me? An omega to fuck during your ruts? Are you crazy? There's no way in hell I would want to do that."

Seungcheol was the one widening his eyes in shock, abandoning his game to look at Jeonghan properly. "What? That's not what I was going to say."

"Then what? What else does an alpha like you possibly want from an omega like me?" Jeonghan snapped.

"It has nothing to do with our subgenders. What are you so worked up for? Do you think that low of me?" Seungcheol looked offended this time, his eyebrows furrowing.

"This is the first time I've met you since ten years ago. How am I supposed to know what to think of you?" Jeonghan retorted, refusing to back down.

Seungcheol huffed exasperatedly. "I was going to ask you to help me practice spiking in exchange for helping you during your heats. Is that too much to ask from you? When we're in the same volleyball team?"

It was shocking to hear that from Seungcheol. Jeonghan had expected everything but this. "Why would you even need help? You play in Superlega. A V-league player would never be up to your standard." 

It hurt his pride when he had to admit that he was the worse player between both of them. But it was fact, so he had to be fair and admit it as an athlete. He just had to work harder from now on to catch up with him.

Seungcheol gaped at Jeonghan, as if he couldn't make sense of the question. "What does that even mean? Do you think that playing in Superlega means I don't need practice? Of course, I still need them."

"Then you can practice on your own. You don't need me." Jeonghan made up more excuses, trying to avoid having to be Seungcheol's practice partner. He couldn't even stand him on a daily basis, much less on daily volleyball practices where they would be naturally more sensitive because of the fatigue.

Closing his eyes for a few seconds, Seungcheol took a deep breath. It seemed like his patience was almost at its limit. "Tell me, Jeonghan. How can I practice spiking without a setter?"

"It doesn't have to be me. The other members can play setter for you."

"I want you, Jeonghan," Seungcheol said so determinedly that Jeonghan couldn't help but get flustered. "You're the regular setter of Korea's national volleyball team. You're basically the best setter in Korea. Why should I practice with the other members when I can ask you?"

Jeonghan was taken aback by Seungcheol's honesty and straightforwardness. He was at a loss for words. It was flattering to hear that he was the best setter in Korea from a Superlega player. It really boosted his confidence and made him proud of himself. How did Seungcheol do that to him by merely saying a few sentences?

Deliberately clearing his throat, Jeonghan said in a low voice, "Okay, if you insist."

"Yes!" Seungcheol was genuinely happy. He quickly explained the reason because Jeonghan was looking at him like he grew another head. "Also, I don't know anyone in the team aside from you. If you can introduce me to them, that would be great."

Ah. So that's why Seungcheol asked him. He didn't know anyone else. Jeonghan had thought that he wanted him specifically because of his skills. He shouldn't be too hung up on that, but he did. It must be why he snapped at him afterwards.

"What are you? A child? Can't you just talk to them like a normal person? Why would you need me to babysit you?"

Seungcheol was offended this time. "Why are you always trying to pick a fight with me at everything I say? What did I say that is so wrong for you? Did I ask you to kill someone for me or what? If you don't want to do it, you can just decline it normally like anyone would. No need to lash at my every word like that. What have I done to you anyway for you to hate me this much? Please enlighten me because I have no idea."

"I don't know." Jeonghan murmured, not knowing what to say because Seungcheol was right. He had no right to treat Seungcheol like shit when he didn't do anything wrong to him. No one was at fault for his shift into an omega, but he needed someone to blame. And Seungcheol was the perfect person for that. "I just hate you. That's all."

"Well, glad to know the feeling's mutual." Seungcheol was totally pissed off. Jeonghan could tell from his expression. But he was still kind enough to stay here for him to get through the night comfortably without all the pain. "I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm sure you'll be fine without me."

Jeonghan couldn't even say anything back to him. It's not right for him to beg him to stay after all hurtful things he said. He couldn't help it. He had to blame someone for his unfortunate incident. If he didn't, he would never accept it. He would go crazy and hate himself. He needed to hate someone instead of himself, and that someone was Seungcheol.

It was just like the reason why he hated Seungcheol in the first place. They were in the same year but different schools, so their schools would always end up against each other at one point. And every year, in both yearly tournaments, Jeonghan's school always lost in the final round. He never knew how it felt like to win a tournament.

The worst thing was, they were both from the same region. It meant that Jeonghan never went past regional level. He'd never experienced national tournaments. They only chose one school to represent every region to advance to the national level, and that one school was always Seungcheol's.

To sum it up dramatically, Seungcheol had ruined his high school life.

It didn't help that Seungcheol was so smug and cocky during high school. Everyone around him praised him for his amazing skills, making his ego go through the roof. 

"You should transfer to my school if you want to win," Seungcheol had said to Jeonghan before and he would never forget how he insulted his team. He was determined to stick with his school after hearing his condescending words and make him taste how it felt like to lose.

However, they ended up together in one team, so Jeonghan couldn't make him lose. He couldn't believe that he had to work together with him to win the matches. Life really had ways to toy with him.

Like people always said, the worst enemy was also the best ally. He should be grateful that he didn't have to fight Seungcheol in the tournament. There's one less enemy he had to worry about.

For the rest of the night, they didn't talk again. And the next morning, Seungcheol was nowhere to be seen in the room. Jeonghan could see this happen, but why did he feel like shit after their argument yesterday?

Seungcheol was right. His heat had subsided. He barely felt any pain even when Seungcheol was not around. He was sick of being stuck here alone. He wanted to go back to the dorm.

Jeonghan grabbed his phone to call Jisoo and asked him to let him out of here. Jisoo asked for the doctor's permission and the doctor only said that he's free to go as long as he could stand other alphas' scents. To test it out, Jisoo paid Jeonghan a visit.

Jisoo scrunched his nose as Jeonghan opened the door to his room. "Ew. This room stinks of you and Seungcheol. Did you have sex or something?"

"What? No!" Jeonghan groaned in disgust, grimacing as if he was physically in pain. "I didn't even feel horny."

"You didn't. But he certainly did." Jisoo gave him a suggestive look. "He borrowed my bathroom a little too often, doing God knows what."

"Gross. You're disgusting." Jeonghan punched Jisoo's shoulder jokingly and that's when he realised that Jisoo's presence didn't bother him at all. "Hey, I don't feel weird. Does that mean I can go back to the dorm now?"

Jisoo sniffed the air around Jeonghan. "You don't smell like you're in heat, either. It's weird though that it only lasted for three days. But since you're a shifted omega, the doctor doesn't really know how your metabolism works. I guess we should expect unexpected things from now on, then."

"I don't like how that sounds." Jeonghan was a free soul. He didn't like having to be extra careful in everything he did now just because something changed inside him.

"Me neither. My job description list got longer now. All thanks to you," Jisoo said sarcastically.

"You treat this as a job? I thought you're taking care of a friend." Jeonghan pouted in a playful manner.

Both of them ate breakfast at the hotel first before checking out, since Jisoo said it's a pity to not enjoy the free food. Typical Jisoo and his occupational hazard. He just couldn't let anything go to waste.

Jisoo only dropped him off, since he needed to go back to work after tending to Jeonghan's shift for three days. Everyone had promised to take care of their one and only omega member, so Jisoo thought it's fine to leave him to them. The unnecessary attention only annoyed Jeonghan. He wasn't that weak that he needed to be protected all the time.

The members all welcomed Jeonghan's return excitedly. They had been waiting by the front door when they arrived. Although Jeonghan was thankful for their warm welcome, the sudden overwhelming scents of ten alphas were a bit too much for him to take at once. He was feeling dizzy and losing his balance.

Seungcheol supported him just in time before he fell as he felt his back hitting the alpha's chest. The familiar scent was like a breath of fresh air. He could think clearly again.

"Don't crowd him like that, guys. Your scents are too strong for him," Seungcheol said nonchalantly, defending Jeonghan as if they hadn't had the worst argument yesterday before he left him alone in the hotel.

Jeonghan had no idea what Seungcheol wanted—how he wanted them to treat each other. Sometimes he was nice, sometimes he was cold. He couldn't understand him at all. And it irked him to death that his scent was still the only thing that helped him.

 

Chapter 4: Intrasquad Match

There were twelve of them and only six people were allowed to stand on the court. Naturally, a selection was bound to take place. Since there was a practice match scheduled tomorrow, the coaches decided to hold the intrasquad match today to pick the regular members.

Jeonghan had thought that since he'd been a regular last year, he would be one too this year. However, the coaches were trying to give opportunities to the other players and seek for members with better potential. Some of them might have grown faster than the others. The coaches didn't want to completely leave that possibility out.

That was why they all looked significantly more nervous today. Everyone except Seungcheol, apparently. He looked more confident than ever. It's like he's boasting that he was a lot better than the others. Jeonghan hated his guts even more.

After they were all dressed up properly for practice, Coach Gye made them gather at the court. "I will list your name and position to divide you into two teams. After your name is called, grab your team's vest and go to your side of the court."

When Jeonghan and Seungcheol were assigned to different teams, Jeonghan could hardly hold back from grinning widely. Without Seungcheol to distract Jeonghan in his game, he would be able to perform as best as possible. He would be able to show what he could do.

The coaches gave them a chance to hold a strategy meeting with the temporary made team for the intrasquad match. Jeonghan was determined to become a regular, so he took the reins and used his brain to come up with plans to defeat the other team—to defeat Seungcheol.

Jeonghan was the oldest member in Team Blue—the temporary team Coach Gye had assigned him to—so he was chosen unanimously as the team's captain. He was not opposed to the idea, since he's a setter. He's basically the strategist in the team. Being acknowledged as one made him proud and boosted his self-esteem, which was bruised lately because of a certain alpha.

"Chan, I'm going to have you receive all their serves. That's okay with you, right?" Jeonghan confidently began the meeting, watching all the members listen to him carefully.

Chan seemed elated to be trusted with such an important job. "Of course. I'll return all of them. That's what I do best, anyway."

Because the twelve of them were divided into two teams, the liberos would need to stay in the court the whole time instead of switching with the middle blockers as they usually would. And asking liberos to spike the balls would be asking too much from them since they normally never spiked in actual games, which was why Jeonghan asked Chan to receive all the serves. Even if Chan was rotated to the front court, he could still take a few steps backwards to help the players in the back court during serve reception and return to the front court afterwards.

"What about Mingyu? What will you do with him?" Junhui asked worriedly. "He's a leftie. And he's tall. The spin is crazy. I'm not kidding."

Chan waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine. I'm used to lefties. I have a leftie teammate toop in my pro team. I receive his serves all the time."

"Okay. One problem solved." Jeonghan turned to Wonwoo, the middle blocker. "Wonwoo, I need you to mark Seungcheol. I bet Seokmin will play by the book. I'm sure he's going to make their strongest attacker attack the most."

Wonwoo nodded. He usually didn't speak a lot, so Jeonghan didn't expect him to say anything.

"Junhui, you'll be the bait. You should jump everytime I toss the ball even if it doesn't go your way. I need to make ways for Seungkwan and Hansol to spike some balls in. It will only possible if you jump a lot and distract them. I know you have the strongest legs and you jump the highest among us. You're the only person that can do this."

Junhui jumped in place to show his determination. "Sure. I can do that. I only hope my legs won't betray me in the middle."

"Seungkwan and Hansol. Watch my signs. You both will be my secret weapons."

"Roger that." Hansol gave Jeonghan a thumbs up.

"Let's destroy them!" Seungkwan shouted rather too passionately, making everyone burst into laughter.

Coach Gye was playing referee and he called Seungcheol and Jeonghan to come over. He asked them to choose a side of a coin to decide who would attack first before he flipped the coin. Because Jeonghan had an insanely good luck, the side that he picked appeared. Without hesitation, he chose to attack first, which made Seungcheol's team serve first.

They soon went to their position in their side of the court. Jeonghan looked back to make a brief eye contact with Chan, because he's pretty sure Seungcheol would be the first one serving, so it would be quite tough for him to receive it. Chan nodded once, aware of the situation and ready to give his all to receive this serve.

The first point of the match was very important. It would greatly boost their morale and it might also make them play better for the rest of the match. Jeonghan always made sure to win the first point, because most of the times, his teammates would play better than usual after that. No matter what, he would make it happen.

Sure enough, Seungcheol served first and Chan received it with his all, going as far as rolling around on the ground only to barely lift the ball up. At least it's up, even if the ball didn't go to where Jeonghan stood, near the net. Seungkwan, who had very good reflexes, sprinted towards Chan and sent the ball towards the spot right above the net, hoping someone would get the last touch and spike it down.

Jeonghan, who was the one standing near the net, took this chance and slammed the ball down harshly to the other side of the court when no one expected him to, winning the most important first point of the match. He was a setter, whose job was to set the ball to spikers. No one would expect him to spike the ball himself, especially at the start of the match.

"You're a genius! We might actually win this!" Seungkwan cheered excitedly and high-fived Jeonghan, since he managed to spike the wild toss from him without planning.

Genius setter was Jeonghan's nickname in the volleyball world. He never followed the standard playstyles. He always went out of his way to play various kinds of strategies, never sticking to one playstyle. People viewed him as smart, because he always appeared to think outside the box, taking the most unpredictable moves.

However, Seungcheol was effortlessly able to render Jeonghan useless. He always had a way to counter his strategy. Experiences really made a difference. Seungcheol knew every counter of the moves Jeonghan took. It was almost eerie. He was very calm even if he was losing and suddenly, he was winning points again and catching up to the other team.

Even if Wonwoo always jumped in time to block Seungcheol when he spiked, he could blast through the block just fine. Even if Chan always went to the spot where Seungcheol aimed his serves, he couldn't receive the serve well enough to send it to Jeonghan. There were a lot of things that made it even more obvious that Seungcheol was the better player.

Jeonghan's team lost the game in the end. Although winning the intrasquad match wasn't the condition of being a regular, he still wanted to win against Seungcheol. His pride wouldn't let him lose just like that.

"Good game. Looking forward to playing in the same team with you," Seungcheol said, offering a handshake to Jeonghan at the end of the match, where they lined up by the net to thank each other for the game by exchanging handshakes with everyone.

Jeonghan couldn't even retort, because Seungcheol was saying that he was sure Jeonghan would be chosen as a starting member. It was an acknowledgement. Feeling weird that Seungcheol was being civil to him, Jeonghan only nodded, frustrated. He couldn't even think of what he said as a sincere acknowledgement. It still sounded like an insult to him.

In the past, Seungcheol would have said things that offended him after beating him in a game. Something like he should have been playing in the same team with him if he wanted to win. Like there's no way Jeonghan would win against Seungcheol.

Jeonghan had played his best and he still couldn't beat Seungcheol. It hurt his pride, because it felt like admitting that every insult Seungcheol had ever thrown to him was true. He'd never won against him all his life. He wanted to at least beat him once, so he would shut up and acknowledge his skills for real.

Coach Gye and Coach Choi needed to organise their assessment from the members' performances in the intrasquad match, so it was free practice time. Some of them started grouping and practiced together. Seungcheol naturally came over to Jeonghan with a ball in his hand, as if it was what they usually did during free practice.

"What do you want?" Jeonghan asked rather irritably, still unable to accept the fact that he'd lost to him. He might seem childish, but he just couldn't help it if it had something to do with Seungcheol.

"You promised," Seungcheol said simply, lifting the ball higher to remind him of his promise.

Even if Jeonghan hated Seungcheol with every fibre of his being, he was a professional. He wouldn't just refuse helping a teammate. It's a part of his job. "Fine. I'll help. What do you want to do first?"

"Cross. I want to practice aiming for the line."

"Okay. Since your position is opposite, I assume you want to practice from the right front court?"

"Yeah. I'd like some from the right back court, too."

Unexpectedly, when they were being strictly professional, Jeonghan didn't find Seungcheol unbearable. Seungcheol was indeed an amazing player. He aimed his spikes wherever Jeonghan asked him to. He didn't complain when he made him spike over and over again. He followed Jeonghan's orders without questions. 

"Nice cross," Jeonghan said honestly. Seungcheol spiked from the right front court and the ball touched the ground near the right side line of the opposite court. The angle of the diagonal spike was amazing. Jeonghan had nothing but praise for that.

Seungcheol tilted his head, slightly disappointed. "It's a little off the line. I could've aimed better."

It's already good enough and he's still not satisfied. Just how perfectionist is this guy? Jeonghan wondered.

His spikes made Jeonghan instinctively praise him, although complimenting spikers when they were doing great was one of the setter's jobs. And Seungcheol returned his compliment with an even better performance. Seungcheol made it difficult for Jeonghan to hate him as a teammate.

Well, Jeonghan wasn't sure if it's because of Seungcheol's alpha's pheromones that calmed him down or if it was purely because of Seungcheol as a person. Seungcheol's alpha had that kind of effect on him.

Jihoon approached the two of them carefully and spoke when they noticed him, "I'm sorry for interrupting, but Seungcheol, can you help me? I want to practice receiving your serves. We might face opponents who can both do jump serves and jump floaters."

"Sure," Seungcheol said without missing a beat and then turned to Jeonghan. "Thanks for helping me."

Jeonghan felt weirdly disappointed by Seungcheol for easily leaving him like that after practically begging him to practice together. He'd thought that he would stick with him all the time during free practice. That was a stupid thought, honestly. 

Seungcheol was undoubtedly the most experienced player in the team. Everyone would want to practice with him and learn a thing or two from the best player. There's no reason for Seungcheol to stick around either.

"So, you two hang out now," Jisoo commented from the sidelines after Seungcheol and Jihoon went far enough from them, teasing Jeonghan playfully.

"Shut up." Jeonghan's mood instantly soured after Seungcheol left him. It's ridiculous.

Jisoo laughed. "Ouch. Someone's getting grumpy from being dumped."

"Leave me alone if you don't have anything better to say," Jeonghan grumbled, dribbling the volleyball lazily. He had no one to practice with now, so he should probably practice his serves or offer someone to team up with him, but it's too much of a hassle to do so. Free practice had never felt this troublesome before.

The tallest guy in the room, Mingyu, shyly came to Jeonghan. "If you don't mind, do you want to practice with me? I'd like to try some quicks with you."

It's a great idea to practice with Mingyu. He would certainly be chosen to be a starting member because of his height and also because he's a leftie. He had every weapon needed for volleyball. 

The ball would spin differently from usual if it's hit by a leftie. Some players might have problems getting used to receiving balls from left handed players, because they weren't as common right handed ones. And hitting the ball from a higher spot would make it even faster. The coaches would obviously take this into account while choosing the starting members.

"Of course. Let's figure out the timing," Jeonghan said, relieved that Mingyu came to him so he didn't need to find another practice partner to replace Seungcheol.

Since Mingyu was a middle blocker, most of the time he would be somewhere in the middle front court, ready to jump and block in every direction. He was also the best person for the setter to use for distractions. Middle blockers were usually the tallest members, so even if they only jumped a little, they would already be above the net and ready to spike. They were perfect for setters to do quick attacks with.

Jeonghan and Mingyu had a hard time perfecting the timing for their quick attacks at the beginning. They had been regulars in the same team last year, but since they hadn't played together for a while, they needed to match the timing again. Quick attacks were hard to pull off after all.

Some of Jeonghan's tosses were too quick and too high. Some were too low and too slow. It's hard to match the ball with Mingyu when he already jumped. 

Normally, the ball was up in the air first before the spikers jumped and hit it. But with quick attacks, Mingyu would already be in the process of jumping when Jeonghan sent the ball to him. Jeonghan would have to be the one who aimed the ball to where Mingyu could reach and hit because he wouldn't be able to change his direction in midair. 

They would need a lot of practice to make it perfect. When they made the first successful quick attack after a dozen failures, they cheered so loudly as if they had won a championship. Mingyu was so excited that he hugged Jeonghan and spun him around.

Jeonghan didn't think much of it in the beginning and by the look of it, neither did Mingyu. Until at one point they both froze, realising that not both of them were alphas. Mingyu's strong scent suddenly hit Jeonghan's nose and he felt limp in his hold. It's too overwhelming because they were too close to each other. 

Jeonghan completely forgot that he was an omega. Mingyu must have forgotten about it too, because his eyes turned dark in an instant, his alpha reacting to Jeonghan's omega. He instinctively released his alpha pheromones to allure Jeonghan, because he was an unmated omega.

Mingyu's strong alpha scent couldn't attract Jeonghan, even if it made him submit. The scent only made him uncomfortable, because it was not the alpha he wanted. There's only one alpha whom his omega accepted.

The dominating pheromones rendered Jeonghan unable to move, completely submitting to the alpha. It was scary, being conscious but unable to do anything, even if it was only Mingyu, his teammate. Mingyu looked dazed and confused. Jeonghan's scent clearly clouded his mind.

It was then when Jeonghan's eyes landed on Seungcheol, who was standing at the other side of the court, watching him intently. The alpha looked livid, his fists clenching by his sides. It was not long until he stormed angrily towards Jeonghan and Mingyu, splitting them up and standing between them.

Seungcheol growled at Mingyu, warning him. Mingyu tried to growl back, but Seungcheol's pheromones were far more dominating, so Mingyu unwillingly backed down because he couldn't win. After Mingyu was standing far enough from them, Seungcheol quickly turned around and pulled Jeonghan into his embrace, burying his nose in his neck, leaving his scent on him to mark him.

Oddly, Jeonghan didn't feel the need to resist. Instead, he threw his arms around his neck and inhaled Seungcheol's scent, trying to take everything that he could take. He missed the alpha's scent so much even if it had only been a week since his heat that they had spent together.

It felt so good to have an alpha leaving his scent on him. He felt protected and safe. He felt desired. There was an alpha out there that wanted him. And that alpha was Seungcheol, the only alpha that his omega wanted. It felt too good to be true.

"Don't let alphas get too close to you so easily like that, you idiot," Seungcheol mumbled against Jeonghan's neck. "You'll drive me crazy."

There's something warm and fuzzy inside Jeonghan when he heard that. He wanted to ask why Seungcheol even bothered, but he was afraid that the alpha would change his mind after hearing his question. For now he would take what he could take and pretend that he and Seungcheol were not archenemies, even just for a while.

 

Chapter 5: Territorial Creatures

There was something unusual going on between them. That much Jeonghan knew. Their instincts naturally drew them towards each other, disregarding their actual feelings. It was purely an impulse.

The bewilderment was clear on Seungcheol's face after he realised what he'd done in front of everyone. It wasn't something he would do under normal circumstances. However, they should be aware that there's nothing normal between them from the beginning.

The alpha's face reddened as he pulled away from the embrace. He deliberately cleared his throat to shake off his embarrassment. Jeonghan immediately missed his warmth, but he would never say that out loud. His rational mind gradually returned now that he wasn't drunk on Seungcheol's scent.

Jeonghan belatedly realised that everyone had stopped doing whatever they'd been doing to watch the interaction between Seungcheol, Mingyu, and him. His cheeks flushed in an instant. Did everyone watch them scenting?

Fortunately, the coaches were nowhere inside the arena or Jeonghan would die from embarrassment. But they would have known sooner or later anyway. Jeonghan smelled like Seungcheol. There's only one explanation for that.

Having an omega in a team full of alphas was bound to be a disaster. Jeonghan was well aware of that fact, which was why his shifting distressed him. His teammates would inevitably be distracted by his scent, just like what had happened earlier with Mingyu.

One look at Jisoo told Jeonghan that he was also aware of this potentially problematic situation and was currently weighing his options. Whatever it was that Jisoo was thinking about, Jeonghan was sure that he would hate it. But they had to do something to fix this, before everything became worse.

Jisoo was on his phone the next second and he excused himself, leaving the arena for privacy. It was that serious. Mingyu and Seungcheol could have fought for real if Mingyu hadn't regained his senses and backed down. It could have strained their teamwork. With the various world tournaments getting closer, they couldn't afford that.

Knowing that he was the cause of the problem made him feel guilty. If there was a procedure that could turn him back into an alpha, he would do it in a heartbeat. There's no need for the whole team to suffer because of him.

Seungcheol awkwardly stood alone at one corner, away from everyone, isolating himself like he was the root of the problem. Jeonghan felt the urge to approach him and soothe him with his pheromones due to his natural instinct, but more omega's scent would only ruin the situation further, so he opted against that.

Mingyu cautiously darted his eyes from Seungcheol to Jeonghan, wanting to apologise but not daring to come near either of them. Jeonghan couldn't blame him after that territorial display by Seungcheol. He silently stepped out from the court and stood by the sidelines, deciding not to participate in the practice time for the moment.

Only then, the other members began to move again and resume their practice, probably feeling safe after seeing the omega wouldn't join them. They didn't want to be the next Mingyu. It hurt him to see this sight. He had caused such discomfort for his teammate. How could he fix this?

The free practice was resumed with Jeonghan and Seungcheol not participating. The coaches returned inside the arena together with Jisoo after some time, but not for the reason they'd been expecting. They'd called Jeonghan and Seungcheol to follow them outside, ordering the others to keep practising in the meantime.

They looked very serious as they led the way to an empty room to avoid being overheard by passersby. Jeonghan didn't feel like going out of their way for privacy was necessary. It only made him nervous about what kind of solution they had for their situation.

"This is going to be uncomfortable for both of you," Coach Gye began and Jeonghan already hated the sound of it. This was totally a bad idea. "But I will need you two to cooperate, so that this team can function at its best. I believe this year we have the greatest opportunity to win and I don't want to just let it slip by."

Jeonghan's patience was running thin. "Can we just cut to the chase? What do you want us to do?"

Coach Choi looked taken aback by Jeonghan's response, but he recovered quickly to give him the answer he wanted. "We have discussed your situation with the doctor and there's only one way for you two to play in the same team without more problems rising. You'll have to be mates."

Before Jeonghan could even react, Seungcheol beat him to it. "I don't get why we have to be mates. What does that have anything to do with our teamwork?"

Jisoo was the one stepping up to explain this time. He also seemed frustrated with the whole situation. "You have compatible pheromones with each other, unbelievably compatible enough to even create a miracle. I think I don't need to explain more on that, since you must have felt it yourselves these past few days. An omega in a team of alphas is bound to be a problem. Jeonghan's scent will undoubtedly distract every alpha, both on our side of the court and on the opposite side as well. I'm sure you're well aware of how dangerous that is, Seungcheol."

Seungcheol growled as he instinctively went to stand before Jeonghan, blocking him from Jisoo and the coaches. Even the thought of him possibly getting hurt disturbed the alpha. Jeonghan didn't know what to make of this discovery.

Gesturing vaguely at Seungcheol, Jisoo continued, "See what I mean? This kind of behaviour will ruin our teamwork, which is why we suggest you become mates. Your scents will only attract each other. There's no need for Seungcheol to be territorial again because Jeonghan is already his. But the downside is, you both will be greatly attracted to each other. Heats and ruts will be much more intense after you're mated. How does that sound?"

Jeonghan had to admit. Being intoxicated by every alpha's scent he inhaled was very inconvenient. It only did nothing but disturb his play. He wouldn't be able to play his best if he's distracted. If he thought professionally, he would agree to the suggestion in no time. 

However, it's mating. It was something they had to consider because it also involved their personal lives. It was inevitable. It was not something that could be brushed off that easily. Mating was for forever. It couldn't be undone. Being mates with someone like Seungcheol forever had to be torture.

Then again, there were no rules that required mates to be married. They could just be mates on the court and pretend to be strangers outside it. After all, the only reason they became mates was for the team's teamwork. It was solely professional.

Seungcheol turned to look at Jeonghan, waiting for his answer. He decided to let him make the decision. Jeonghan weighed the pros and cons. The only other choice was to drop out from the team, which was basically impossible without revealing the reason. And revealing that he's an omega in the volleyball world would certainly lower his value. Omegas were not desirable on the court. Not when they biologically had weaker physique than alphas. There were too many sacrifices he had to make.

The coaches were right. This year's team was very promising with the addition of Seungcheol. He wanted to play with this team and win medals for the country. It's the greatest honour of an athlete's life.

"What's your take on this?" Jeonghan questioned Seungcheol, thinking that he should hear the alpha's opinion before deciding.

Seungcheol was deep in thought before he realised something. "Wait. What happens after the season? What happens after I go back to Italy?"

“Mates will suffer if they are separated for a long time. Either of you might have to consider transferring pro teams when the time comes,” Coach Gye provided, undoubtedly speaking from personal experience.

There were too many things that they had to consider. The mere thought of it hurt Jeonghan’s head. They had to decide quickly before they potentially ruined another practice session. But then again, this was not something that could be decided carelessly.

"Is there a way to break a mating bond?" Seungcheol asked and Jeonghan hated him for even considering it.

A mating bond was sacred. It wasn't something to be broken that easily. It was like Seungcheol saying marriages weren't serious and they could just get divorced anytime. Jeonghan's parents were happily married, so he hated the idea of divorces. Breaking a mating bond was the same as divorce in his mind.

"It's not impossible. There's a procedure to nullify a mating bond," Coach Choi informed grimly. He clearly didn't want to suggest this, but as the coach, the team's well being took priority over everything else for him.

Seungcheol's face lit up in a second. "Why didn't you say that before? It's easy then. We can just be mates during the season and break the bond after the season ends."

How dare he decide this on his own? Jeonghan glared at Seungcheol angrily.

"That's a good idea. But what about the next season? You can't just mate and break the bond over and over again. It'll eventually ruin you. Mentally and physically."

Seungcheol shrugged indifferently. "Well. I haven't thought about that. There's no guarantee that both of us would be selected as national representatives again next year."

Jeonghan could feel his blood boil, his fists clenching instinctively. He was thoroughly offended. Seungcheol was implying that one of them would be dropped out of the team next year. And it would obviously be Jeonghan because he's an omega. No one wanted an omega player in their team, much less a national team.

That was an insult no matter how Jeonghan tried to think of it another way.

"Seungcheol. A moment, please," Jeonghan said through gritted teeth.

Seungcheol raised his eyebrows in confusion at Jeonghan's reaction, but he nodded and quietly followed Jeonghan out of the room where they could get some privacy.

"What's wrong?" Seungcheol asked after shutting the door of the room where Jisoo and the coaches were waiting for them, looking all innocent as if he hadn't just mocked Jeonghan's capability because he's now an omega.

Jeonghan was frustrated. He wouldn't just magically become very bad at volleyball just because he shifted into an omega. He wished everyone would keep this in mind. The condescending look people gave him lately might drive him crazy. The pride he’d been building for years was gettin badly bruised and he couldn’t just stand back and watch.

"Didn’t it cross your mind that I might want to share my opinion about the decision that involved both of you and me?” Jeonghan couldn’t help but raise his voice.

Seungcheol kept his face neutral. “I thought you hated me, so I chose the best option for both of us. What? Did you change your mind and you suddenly wanted to be my mate?” He scoffed deliberately. “I never thought this day would come. You’ve been so hell-bent on picking a fight with me since we met. So, what? You're in love with me now?"

Jeonghan was shaking, overwhelmed. He's feeling a lot of things at the same time. Everything was too much for him to take. He felt like throwing up. He needed to get out of here. "Fuck you. I'm not doing this."

Spinning on his heel, Jeonghan went the opposite way, turning his back and going as far away as possible from Seungcheol so he wouldn’t see how shaken he was from their interaction. But Seungcheol stopped him, grabbing him by the wrist.

“Fine. I’m sorry. I was out of line. The situation between us got me really worked up. I’m just tired, I think.” Seungcheol sighed, his tone softening. At least his apology sounded sincere and it somehow calmed Jeonghan down from exploding in rage or bursting into tears.

Jeonghan only nodded. He didn’t believe his own voice would be stable. He’d rather not talk than embarrass himself in front of Seungcheol, showing him his weakness. He would never let Seungcheol know that he made him feel things he shouldn’t feel. He would never let him know that a few harsh words from him made him feel weak.

“Tell me what you think,” Seungcheol said again after a few minutes of complete silence between them. His hand was still around Jeonghan’s wrist. That’s the only thing Jeonghan could feel right now. God, since when he was this sappy?

"I don't like the idea of breaking a mating bond," Jeonghan mumbled, rather embarrassed to say this out loud. It would make him seem too sentimental. "I don't know why. For me, it sounds like—"

"A divorce," Seungcheol ended the sentence for him. "I get what you mean. But a mating bond is different from a marriage. You can still be married to another person who isn't your mate. Just think of this as a contract. Strictly professional with no feelings involved. We won't break the mating bond if you don't like it. We'll just have to get used to the fact that we're mated but we live separately."

Jeonghan started to feel like he's holding them back. He's being difficult and Seungcheol patiently explained to him why it wasn't as bad as he thought. But since Seungcheol agreed to not sever their mating bond to respect Jeonghan's opinion even if it would make them suffer later, Jeonghan would be rude not to agree with the proposition. Seungcheol had gone out of his way to meet his condition.

Being Seungcheol's mate was the last thing Jeonghan had in mind. However, the situation gave them no choice. If the words went out that he was an omega, it would certainly ruin his career. The public wouldn't like him. 

If he's mated to Seungcheol, his omega scent would only affect his alpha. His scent would be masked, mixed with his mate, so other people would find it hard to figure out his subgender. It's a win-win situation for him, to be honest. He had no reason to refuse. 

"Fine. Let's do it," Jeonghan decided. 

He didn't want other alphas to dominate him. If being mated to Seungcheol would stop it from happening, then he would do it. He would make use of Seungcheol's alpha presence to the fullest. He wouldn't be the one at loss here. He had to gain more from their arrangement to feel like he's winning.

Seungcheol blinked then widened his eyes in disbelief. When Jeonghan gave him a questioning look, he said, "It's surprising to hear you agreeing with me. You seem so adamant to counter every word I say."

"I'm not agreeing with you. I'm agreeing with the coach," Jeonghan said stubbornly.

"Well, at least I succeeded in persuading you."

"No, you didn't. I persuaded myself."

Seungcheol burst into laughter, shaking his head in amusement. "Jesus, Jeonghan."

There's no way Jeonghan would admit defeat to Seungcheol.

The two of them went back into the room where the coaches and Jisoo were waiting. They announced their decision and the coaches looked very relieved. Jisoo gave Jeonghan a look that asked him if he was okay with this. Jeonghan nodded to him with determination.

With this much sacrifice Jeonghan had made for the team, they had to win a lot of medals to make it worth it.

"We'll give you guys privacy. I'm waiting at the court. You two can join us after you're done," Coach Gye said before going out with Coach Choi and Jisoo in tow, leaving Jeonghan and Seungcheol alone in the room.

It was awkward. None of them made the first move. Mating was intimate and what the two of them had was far from intimate. They had no idea how to do this.

Seungcheol broke the silence first as he cautiously approached Jeonghan. "Let's just get this over with quickly, okay? They're waiting for us at the court. We should go back to practice."

"How do we do this?" Jeonghan asked because he genuinely didn't know the process in detail.

Seungcheol tilted his head to one side, baring his neck to give access for Jeonghan. "Leave a bite on my scent gland. That should do it."

Jeonghan moved forward to remove the gap between them. Now they were standing close enough to inhale each other's scent. "You're the alpha. Aren't you supposed to mark me first?"

More often than not, alphas were the ones marking the omegas. The omegas rarely did that to the alphas, because usually the alphas would never let the omegas have reins over them. The alphas wanted to be the ones that owned the omegas, not the other way round.

Seungcheol looked so genuinely hurt that Jeonghan almost felt bad. "Is that how you think of me? I'm nothing like the other alphas."

Jeonghan accepted the invitation and leaned closer towards Seungcheol's exposed scent gland. He rubbed his nose against the skin to make sure of the location, inhaling every now and then to confirm the source. He could feel Seungcheol shudder as he scented him.

When he found the right spot, Jeonghan couldn't resist the urge to taste it. He lapped up the skin of his scent gland with his tongue, kissing the surface occasionally. He tasted as delicious as he smelled.

A low moan escaping from Seungcheol's lip snapped Jeonghan to reality. He was supposed to leave a bite, not making out with his neck. He quickly sunk his teeth down the skin, deep enough to leave a mark that would not fade for as long as they lived. Then he licked up the blood trickling down from the bite and the wound, hoping it would ease the pain.

Seungcheol returned the favour. He kissed Jeonghan's neck with open mouthed kisses. Jeonghan unconsciously whimpered as the strong sensation overwhelmed him. 

It felt really good when it shouldn't. He shouldn't be enjoying Seungcheol's kisses. When Seungcheol buried his teeth into his scent gland, Jeonghan couldn't hold back his moan.

Seungcheol was out of breath the moment they were done exchanging mating bites. "Jeonghan, you'll be the death of me."

 

Chapter 6: Dangerous Attachment

It hadn't even been ten minutes after they were officially mated and Jeonghan was already craving for Seungcheol. They hadn't even stepped out of the room because they needed time to let it sink in. His senses went haywire. He was suddenly hyper aware of everything that involved Seungcheol.

Seungcheol was like a magnet, constantly reeling him in. This couldn't be good. It's a recipe for disaster. How could he function properly if the only thing he could think of was Seungcheol?

"This is so fucked up," Jeonghan breathed, groaning when all he could smell was the forest after being rained on. And he wanted nothing more but to chase after the calming scent, burying himself in it.

One look at Seungcheol told Jeonghan that the alpha was also facing the same problem as him.

"I feel like I'm losing my sense of smell. I can smell nothing but strawberries," Seungcheol said frustratedly. "Is this what it feels like to be mated? It feels shitty."

"Don't ask me. It's not like I've been mated before," Jeonghan lashed out, feeling offended that Seungcheol made it sound like he hated his scent when it's him who turned his scent into this.

Seungcheol retorted indignantly, "You think I have? God. How can we concentrate in matches if we're like this? I can't think of anything else other than you."

Patience running out upon hearing Seungcheol's complaints, Jeonghan snapped, "Stop whining, will you? It's already done! There's nothing we can do now! Just learn to get used to it! It's not like I want this either!"

Silence enveloped them while they calmed themselves down, taking time to accept their new fucked up situation. They were standing at a considerable distance, but Jeonghan could barely contain the yearning to be as close as possible to Seungcheol. It seemed that Seungcheol was going through the same struggle because Jeonghan caught him staring.

Seungcheol was the first one to break the silence with a defeated sigh. "Come here."

"Why should I?" Jeonghan snarled.

"I want to test something." Seungcheol was unfazed with Jeonghan's harsh tone.

Jeonghan huffed in annoyance, but he did it anyway because his curiosity was piqued. He crossed the room, walking over to where Seungcheol was sitting. He realised that he'd unconsciously occupied the farthest seat from him after exchanging mating bites, as if he could physically avoid the situation that he'd got himself into.

Seungcheol patted the empty chair next to him and Jeonghan sat down on it. The next second felt heavenly. He could finally relax and breathe easily. Although he still smelled the forest scent every time he inhaled, it was much better because the urge to chase after the scent was gone. Their close proximity to each other must be the reason somehow. He couldn't help the sigh of relief that came out of his mouth.

"Better?" Seungcheol asked, his voice much softer this time.

Jeonghan nodded, albeit reluctantly because he didn't want to admit Seungcheol's presence made him feel better.

They took time basking in each other's company, not wanting to return to the court where they might have to stand far apart. Taking into consideration that he might feel like shit again, for the first time in his athlete career, Jeonghan didn't want to practice. He preferred to be here where Seungcheol was within his reach. 

The aftereffects of forming a mating bond were still too overwhelming for them. It was still too fresh and strong. Their every sense was heightened and it drew them towards each other.

Seungcheol must share the same feeling, because he didn't make any attempt to move from his seat. However, the team needed them. They couldn't just stay here all day. 

"Shall we go?" Seungcheol asked after looking at the clock, telling them that they'd already spent at least half an hour here.

"We should," Jeonghan answered shortly.

They both got up from their seats and headed out, walking back towards the court. All the time, Seungcheol made sure he stayed within a metre from him. The walk there was filled with silence, but knowing Seungcheol was nearby was enough to make Jeonghan comfortable.

They hadn't seen each other for over ten years. And even then, they hadn't been on speaking terms. There was nothing to talk about.

"Pretend everything's fine," Seungcheol said in a low voice from behind Jeonghan right before they entered the court. "The kids don't need to know what exactly happened between us. It'll only cause unnecessary distraction. They need to focus on the matches."

Jeonghan rolled his eyes in disbelief, although Seungcheol couldn't see his face right now. "How can I possibly pretend when I have a huge fucking bite mark on my neck?"

Seungcheol sighed exasperatedly. "You know exactly what I mean. Just don't make a big deal out of it."

Unable to take his condescending remarks, Jeonghan spun on his heel and glared at Seungcheol. "What the hell do you think I would do? Brag to everyone that we're mated? I'm not stupid, Seungcheol, but everyone has eyes. They can see what happened between us before I can say anything. It's useless to worry about it. Just go and apologise to Mingyu."

Seungcheol was probably also fed up with Jeonghan, because he then walked past him without giving any response and joined the others on the court. Fortunately, Jeonghan was too preoccupied with his growing irritation towards the alpha to be bothered with the loss of the scent that had been comforting him.

As soon as Coach Gye spotted the two of them coming in, he asked all of the members to form a line in front of him. Standing next to Coach Gye was Jisoo, who was writing something on his clipboard. Coach Choi was nowhere to be seen.

If anyone noticed the change in their scent or the obvious mating bites on their necks, they said nothing. Jeonghan was thankful for that. He wouldn't know what to say if they asked him about it.

"I have decided on the starting members for our practice match tomorrow," Coach Gye began. "But firstly, I will appoint one of you to be the team captain for this season."

Jeonghan had been looking forward to this moment. It'd been four years since he'd joined the national team, the longest among the others. After the previous captain's retirement from the national team last year, Jeonghan believed that this year the position would go to him. He's the oldest member and he'd been in the team the longest. It's a given that he would be the next captain.

"Captain. Number 1. Choi Seungcheol. Opposite." 

Much to Jeonghan’s disappointment, Coach Gye appointed someone else. Moreover, someone who hadn’t even been on the team for more than a week. What made him a better captain? How could the coach be so sure that Seungcheol would make a better captain than the brain of the team?

It infuriated Jeonghan, but there’s nothing he could do about it. The coach had the right to choose, even if his choice was difficult for Jeonghan to accept. At least, Seungcheol had the decency to question the decision.

“Are you sure, Coach? I’m new to the team. You should probably pick someone who knows the members well.”

“You’re the most experienced player out of all of them. I’m sure they will follow your decision just fine,” Coach Gye refuted before he turned to look at everyone. “Isn’t that right, boys?”

Jisoo looked up from his clipboard to cast a worried glance at Jeonghan. He knew how much Jeonghan hated Seungcheol for stealing every opportunity that was supposed to come to him all his life. The other members didn’t answer the coach and instead, warily looked at Jeonghan. As if they were waiting for his reaction first before answering. As if they were afraid he would break.

Jeonghan hated his friends’ pitiful look more than having his chance stolen by Seungcheol. He was not that unreasonable. He knew very well their difference in skills and experience. Seungcheol played in Superlega, for fuck’s sake! That’s a given that he would play better than him. There’s nothing he could do to change that.

Jeonghan didn’t hate Seungcheol because of his skills. He hated him because of his cockiness and arrogance for having the skills. There’s a difference. His friends seemed to have trouble distinguishing them.

“I have no objection,” Jeonghan said, more to his friends than to the coach.

The others quickly nodded in agreement after hearing Jeonghan’s response. If there’s one thing that Jeonghan could be grateful for was that the members were all on his side. He didn’t need to be afraid of being betrayed.

“Alright then. Onto the next numbers.”

Coach Gye announced the next six members who would play at the practice match tomorrow and encouraged the ones who weren’t chosen. He planned on substituting the members every now and then, depending on their conditions on the day of the matches, so they shouldn’t lose hope. He dismissed them all as the practice session ended and asked them to stretch before returning to the dorm to rest.

Jeonghan knew that he would certainly be chosen as the starting setter, because he’d been the main setter of the team for three years. He wasn’t worried at all about that. But seeing Seokmin looking very disappointed in himself made him feel bad for being chosen. The other setter must have worked his ass off last year and winning the intrasquad match must have made him think that he had a chance and got his hopes up.

Overwhelmed with the setter's urge to boost his team members’ morale, Jeonghan approached Seokmin and squeezed his shoulder proudly. “I’m so lucky that I have such a reliable setter on my back. I have no worries now when I step on the court, knowing I have you whenever I need help.”

Jeonghan winced since it came out rather cringey, but as long as he got his intention across, it’s fine. Embarrassing himself was something he did best after all.

Seokmin burst into laughter at Jeonghan’s words. “You’re so bad at this it’s hilarious. Are we anime characters or what? You made me feel like a hero, so thanks, I guess.”

At least Jeonghan managed to cheer Seokmin up. That’s all that mattered.

All of them stayed behind to practise more even if the practice had ended. Jeonghan wondered how they could have that much energy to spare after practising all day. He himself was drained and wanted nothing but a warm bath and a good night’s sleep. However, since it would look bad if he returned to the dorm by himself, he decided to hang around and observe instead of practising under the pretence of planning strategies. It’s the only chance he had to watch his teammates closely before the match tomorrow.

“Jisoo, who’s our opponent for tomorrow's practice match?” Jeonghan asked curiously, walking over to where Jisoo was sitting and making notes on his clipboard.

Jisoo scribbled away on his notes, not looking up to face Jeonghan. “The coaches told me not to tell you guys. The idea is to have you come unprepared to get used to the world championship’s unfamiliarity.”

“Come on. You listened to the coach over your best friend?” Jeonghan pouted as he tried to fish for information from Jisoo. He was curious as hell and also, he hated losing. 

All professional athletes undoubtedly had one thing in common. They hated losing. Even if Jeonghan was very unmotivated and most of the time he treated volleyball like his day job, he still hated losing. His competitiveness triumphed over his laziness, which was probably why he still survived in this field of work to this day.

“Do you want me to take you home?” Jisoo asked, ignoring Jeonghan’s remark.

Jeonghan frowned. “What made you think I want to go home?”

“I’m your manager,” Jisoo said as if it was enough to explain everything. He then elaborated since Jeonghan only gaped at him, “If you’re being annoying, it means you’re tired.”

“What are you? A toddler?”

Jeonghan recognised the scent first before the voice. It was Seungcheol, who out of nowhere was suddenly sitting next to him on the bench. He certainly didn’t notice him coming.

Suddenly, Jeonghan's fatigue dissipated at the mere presence of Seungcheol so close to him. This was alarming. The mating bond really made them dependent on each other. How could he survive being separated from him then?

Even now, Jeonghan found it hard to counter Seungcheol's insult, because it crazily sounded endearing in his ears. He's going insane. It's like he was in a constant state of being intoxicated.

"Seungcheol, are you done practising, too? Want me to drive you two back together to the dorm?" Jisoo offered, but Jeonghan could almost hear the words he wanted to say to them but decided not to. You both should have a moment alone after all the things happened between you.

Seungcheol kept his eyes on Jeonghan, trying to see if he was in any discomfort. "If he's going home, then I'm going home, too."

Jeonghan thought it must be because of his alpha instinct to protect his mate and refuse to be separated. Seungcheol himself must want more practice to prepare for tomorrow's match. Jeonghan felt awful for hindering Seungcheol's practice session by making him follow him home, although it wasn't his intention. 

No matter how much Jeonghan hated Seungcheol, he was professional on the court. Personal feelings had nothing to do with this. Seungcheol was now the ace of their team. He's a weapon for Jeonghan to use during the matches. Jeonghan would be stupid to let it go to waste.

"If you want to practise more, I'll stay." Jeonghan wasn't that petty. If Seungcheol needed practice, then he should get it, even if Jeonghan had no reason to stay when he wasn't practising. 

Seungcheol immediately shook his head. "No. The practice ended. We shouldn't push ourselves too hard when there's a match tomorrow. Knowing when to rest is also important." He then broke into a grin at Jisoo. "How was it? Do I look like a great captain to you?"

Jisoo laughed in amusement. “Come on. Let’s just go home.”

Jisoo dropped them off at the dorm and drove back to the arena, so now Jeonghan and Seungcheol were alone at the dorm. Even if Jeonghan knew it was Jisoo’s intention to give them alone time, he wished Jisoo would be here with them and broke the ice. It was nerve-wracking, to be honest. He was getting nervous for no reason. His senses were going haywire. His omega was excited to be alone with his alpha.

Jeonghan went straight to his room to try and calm himself down. He didn’t realise that Seungcheol was quietly following behind him.

“Don’t you think you should change rooms?” Seungcheol suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

Jeonghan almost jumped out of shock upon hearing him. He turned around and they were standing so close to each other. He gulped nervously and cleared his throat, because he didn’t trust his own voice.

“Why is that?” Jeonghan asked, although he had a rough idea why.

“I don’t think I can stand watching you rooming with an alpha that isn’t me.”

This was just as Jeonghan had been afraid of. He didn’t want them to cave in to dependency caused by the mating bond. If they kept their distance, he believed they would be able to get used to it later one day. Seungcheol had to go back to Italy after this season ended. Jeonghan didn’t want either of them having to consider transferring teams just because they couldn’t stand living apart from each other.

“Well, you just have to get used to it. The sooner the better.”

Jeonghan entered the room he shared with Seokmin and shut the door right in front of Seungcheol’s face, banning him from entering. His omega yelled at him for doing it, but he stayed his ground. People said they shouldn’t be far apart from each other during the early stage of their bonding. Jeonghan wanted to believe otherwise. It’s better not to get too attached from the beginning.

Feeling tired and overwhelmed by his omega’s yearning for his alpha, Jeonghan chose to sleep it off before he did things he would regret. He hadn’t even had dinner, but he couldn’t spend another minute alone in the same room with the alpha. Even if he wanted nothing but being in the alpha’s embrace and inhaled his calming scent, there’s no way he would let that happen.

Going to sleep hungry was a bad idea. Jeonghan was forced to wake up in the middle of the night because of the hunger. He groaned in irritation at his growling stomach, since it was impossible to go back to sleep now. He could see Seokmin sleeping peacefully on the other bed and he grabbed his phone to look at the time. It was three in the morning. Of course everyone would already be asleep at this hour. Tomorrow—later today—they would have their practice match. They needed to be fully rested.

Sighing as he realised he wouldn’t get a wink of sleep before stuffing himself with food, Jeonghan dragged himself out of the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen to find something to eat. He almost screamed at the top of his lungs when he saw someone sitting on the couch in the darkness of the living room. He couldn’t see his face, but he recognised the scent.

“What the fuck? Seungcheol? What are you doing here in the dark? Why aren’t you sleeping?” Jeonghan hissed angrily. His heart was still pounding like crazy because of the shock.

“Jeonghan, please,” was the only answer Seungcheol gave. His voice was barely a whimper. He was begging at this point. He didn’t care how he would sound in Jeonghan’s ears. It’s how desperate he was. It’s as if he was physically in pain.

“Seungcheol? What’s wrong?” Jeonghan asked worriedly. Something was definitely wrong with the alpha. Even if he despised the alpha’s whole being, Jeonghan was not a heartless person. Seungcheol was his teammate before his archenemy. His hunger was long forgotten.

“Please. Come here,” Seungcheol managed weakly.

Jeonghan didn’t turn on the lights, because he didn’t want to see Seungcheol’s face when he was like this. And Seungcheol probably didn’t want Jeonghan to see him in state either. 

He walked over to where Seungcheol was sitting. Before he could do anything, Seungcheol’s arms were wrapped tightly around him, pulling him in until he was kneeling on the couch and then straddling him. Seungcheol instantly buried his nose in Jeonghan’s neck, inhaling sharply and exhaling with a shaky breath. It was as if he could finally breathe after holding his breath for a long time.

A realisation crossed Jeonghan’s mind afterwards. Seungcheol was in pain because of their distance apart. Was it this bad for the alpha? Jeonghan only felt uncomfortable, but it was still bearable for him. Was it because the alpha couldn’t shake off the thoughts that he was roommates with Seokmin?

Seungcheol pulled Jeonghan in closer until their bodies were flush against each other. It felt right and wrong at the same time. They weren’t supposed to do this, but it was too comfortable to leave. Sitting on Seungcheol’s lap wasn’t something Jeonghan thought he would do.

“We should keep our distance. Isn’t that what you said?” Jeonghan reminded him, albeit very reluctantly.

“Fuck what I said,” Seungcheol said without hesitation. “Please. I need this. I can’t sleep. Will you sleep with me in my room?”

Jeonghan told himself that a setter’s job was to keep his teammates well-being. This was needed for Seungcheol to be able to sleep. He was being professional.

“Okay.”

 

Chapter 7: Not-so-friendly Match

This was probably the best sleep Jeonghan had ever had in months, having gone straight here from the exhausting V-league season. He was reminded of the reason the moment he opened his eyes and greeted by Seungcheol's peaceful sleeping face and arm around Jeonghan's waist. He could faintly feel his breath against face.

Right, Jeonghan recalled. We decided to sleep together in his room because he couldn't sleep.

It was ironic that being with the person he hated the most brought him the greatest comfort. It was almost as if fate was playing around with him. Jeonghan laughed bitterly at himself for ending up this way. It's pathetic.

Jeonghan couldn't even find it in himself to hate the man in front of him now. Especially when merely sleeping in his arms felt this good. He should probably give in to his natural instincts and let himself be drawn to Seungcheol. It would be easier that way. He had to severely bruise his pride to do so. It was the one thing he found hard to give up.

However, the trouble he had to go through because he had to deliberately go against his omega wasn't worth it. He realised it after seeing Seungcheol suffering early today. He only made both of them suffer from being stubborn. 

There's nothing good coming out of deliberately avoiding the alpha. He would be the one ruining their performance in matches and he didn't want that. They had gone out of their way and become mates just for their teamwork. He wouldn't be the one to let it go to waste.

Jeonghan took a good look at the sleeping alpha in front of him. Seungcheol looked very peaceful and he could finally admire his handsome face up close. His long lashes, his thick eyebrows, his red lips. He didn't even mind Seungcheol's arm around his waist. Was he getting soft?

He was tired of fighting his omega. Seungcheol was too attractive and honestly, he was a lot nicer from how Jeonghan remembered him. He began to question himself what Seungcheol had done to earn so much hatred from him and he couldn't recall anything at the moment.

Fuck it, Jeonghan thought and he finally gave in.

Jeonghan snuggled up to Seungcheol, his face buried in his chest. He inhaled the forest scent and sighed contentedly. He would be stupid to give this up.

Seungcheol moved slightly in his sleep to pull Jeonghan closer towards him, securing him in his arms. Jeonghan's forehead was pressed against Seungcheol's firm chest. The alpha's calming scent gradually lulled him to sleep again.

Fortunately, Seungcheol used the room alone because he'd arrived at the dorm late, or Jeonghan would be embarrassed to be seen like this by the other members. 

Jeonghan didn't remember when he'd dozed off, but a few hours later, he opened his eyes to see Seungcheol staring back at him, absentmindedly carding his fingers through his hair while he'd been sleeping.

"Hey," Seungcheol greeted lazily, his voice hoarse. He looked like he was in a trance and somehow, Jeonghan also felt the same.

Jeonghan didn't get any urge to pull away, even if normally he wouldn't want to be anywhere near Seungcheol. The bed wasn't big enough for two people, so they were literally pressed against each other. However, he felt like this was where he was supposed to be. It felt right.

"Morning," Jeonghan greeted, unable to stop the smile forming in his face.

"This is nice," Seungcheol mumbled sleepily, returning his smile. "I want to do this everyday."

Jeonghan didn't say anything as he didn't know if it's a good idea. What had happened last night was a spur of the moment. Seeing Seungcheol's pained state also weakened Jeonghan's resolve.

Receiving no response from Jeonghan, Seungcheol frowned. "Come on, Jeonghan. Aren't you tired of resisting? I don't want to suffer like that anymore. It's killing me." 

Seungcheol was pouting at this point and Jeonghan couldn't help but chuckle at his cuteness. It's unexpected to see someone so big and buff could be so adorable.

Jeonghan groaned and buried his face in Seungcheol's chest. "I don't even know what the others will say if they see us like this."

Seungcheol laughed. "You know, Seokmin came barging in earlier when you slept, searching for you. I'm pretty sure everyone knows by now." His hand trailed down from Jeonghan's hair to caress the bite mark on his neck. "If this isn't obvious enough, I don't know what is."

Jeonghan was too embarrassed to even look Seungcheol in the eye. "God, not Seokmin. He must be traumatised. He knows how much I hate you."

Seokmin was the other person aside from Jisoo who listened to Jeonghan ranting about Seungcheol because they were roommates. He must think that Jeonghan was a hypocrite, going against his own words. God.

"You talk to him about me? I'm flattered," Seungcheol teased, earning a light smack on the chest from Jeonghan. "Honestly, I still can't believe that we're talking normally without shouting at each other like this."

"We're cuddling on the bed after spending the night together. What do you think?" Jeonghan deadpanned. "I still think this is some kind of a wild dream that I'm stuck in. Nothing seems real."

"Yet, it's as real as it gets," Seungcheol continued, agreeing with Jeonghan. "It's funny that I don't even want to get up from bed now with you here. What the mating bond does to us is crazy."

Jeonghan felt the same thing, but they couldn't exactly lie in bed all day because they had a match. His eyes widened in realisation. They shouldn’t sleep in like this. "Right! The match! What time is it?"

Seungcheol lazily gazed at the nightstand where he put his phone and tapped the screen to show the clock. “Relax. We still have time. It’s still ten. The coach told me our match is after lunch hour.”

Sighing out of relief, Jeonghan visibly relaxed in Seungcheol’s arms. “Then let me sleep more. But, Seungcheol?”

“Yeah?”

“This doesn’t mean anything. We’re just forced to be mated and we only do this because we can’t help it. No personal feelings involved. It’s all because of the mating bond. I just want us to be clear about this, you know, to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding.”

Jeonghan failed to see the smile instantly disappear from Seungcheol’s face because his own face was pressed against the latter’s chest. The alpha deliberately cleared his throat and said, “Of course.” 

Jeonghan wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but he could hear the sadness in his voice. He pretended he didn’t hear anything and closed his eyes to go back to sleep.

“Rise and shine, lovebirds!”

Jeonghan and Seungcheol were both jolted awake by Seokmin’s loud voice as he barged into the room for the second time today. Blinking his sleep away, Jeonghan saw the sight before him. Seokmin was standing by their door, wearing an apron and holding a bowl of rice, looking like he was in the middle of preparing lunch when he remembered to wake them up. 

Wait, lunch? Is it already lunch time? Did we sleep for that long?

As if to answer Jeonghan’s question in his mind, Seokmin said before leaving the room, “Come on. Lunch is ready.”

Seungcheol was still having a hard time opening his eyes next to him and Jeonghan couldn’t help but find that cute. He’s going insane for sure. His omega’s affection for this man was terribly overwhelming.

“Seungcheol, it’s time to get up,” Jeonghan said sleepily, pulling at Seungcheol’s hand so that he wouldn’t go back to sleep because the alpha didn’t budge from the bed.

Seungcheol whined and pouted while he’s being dragged out of bed and Jeonghan was terrified of himself when the first thought that crossed his mind was to kiss those pouty lips.

The second when Jeonghan and Seungcheol walked out of the door after washing up, the whole dining room erupted in pure chaos. 

“What’s up, mates !” Soonyoung was howling like a crazed man as he greeted them with a lame word pun.

Seokmin and Seungkwan excitedly joined Soonyoung in his teasing, singing a cringey love song and even harmonising with each other. Jihoon used his chopsticks and drummed along the song to accompany their singing. The others were laughing at their performance while eating their lunch.

“Hey, we agreed not to tease them!” Jisoo said a guilty conscience started to weigh down on him, but he was still laughing, earning a glare from Jeonghan. So much for being a supportive best friend.

Seungcheol scratched the back of his head awkwardly, looking at the floor, his face reddening the more he listened to their singing. Jeonghan only rolled his eyes. He knew this would happen. He knew all of them well enough to know that they wouldn’t leave it alone. There would be no end to this.

Jeonghan hated losing. Being openly embarrassed to the members’ teasing would mean he lost. He refused to just be the receiving end of the teasing and decided to play along.

Much to Seungcheol’s surprise, Jeonghan boldly intertwined their hands and pulled him towards the dining table where the members were sitting, saying loudly, “Come on, babe. Let’s eat. The food will get cold.”

The members whistled and cheered wildly at Jeonghan’s bold action which further encouraged their teasing.

Not knowing how to respond, Seungcheol sputtered, “Y-yeah. L-let’s eat.”

It’s endearing to see Seungcheol getting so flustered over this. His face was as red as a tomato by now. And Jeonghan found himself enjoying this as much as his members. 

The huge difference of Seungcheol when he’s on and off the court was so striking and that made him even more adorable. He only made it even harder for Jeonghan to resist.

 

Today’s opponent for the practice match was already present at the court when Jeonghan and his team arrived. They decided to use the volleyball arena near their dorm where they usually used to practice. The scents of so many new alphas that were not their teammates overwhelmed Jeonghan when they hit his nose at once.

This was not something that used to happen during the time when Jeonghan was still an alpha. It’s something that slipped his mind. Most volleyball players were alphas. Although he was mated to Seungcheol, that many alphas’ scents at once would smell sour and putrid to him, because the only scent he could be comfortable with was his mate’s.

Seungcheol quickly realised his discomfort and pulled Jeonghan away from the crowd, bringing him to the corner where they were concealed from sight. He wrapped the omega in a tight embrace as he buried his face in his neck, rubbing his cheek against his scent gland. Jeonghan immediately relaxed at the familiar scent of his mate.

“Thank you,” Jeonghan let out breathily, sniffing to chase after Seungcheol’s scent.

“Here.” Seungcheol tilted his head to bare his neck and Jeonghan dove in right away. He inhaled his scent like it was oxygen. He could finally breathe easily again. The sour and putrid smell was gone and he was enveloped by this calming scent.

Seungcheol sniffed once and nodded his head proudly. “It should be safe for you to go out there now. You smell like me.”

“Thank you,” Jeonghan said once again, but this time it was laced with sarcasm.

After he calmed down, Jeonghan went back to the court with Seungcheol to join the others. It was then when he recognised who their opponent was. He felt like throwing up.

“Seungcheol! Long time no see, man!” One of the opponent team’s members rushed towards Seungcheol to give him a friendly hug. “It’s been what? Ten years?”

“Good to see you, too, Wonshik!” Seungcheol was grinning from ear to ear. “Ten years and you still look the same!”

Seungcheol went with Wonshik to the other side of the court, catching up with the other members as well. Their opponent for today was the pro volleyball team Kia Jellyfish. It was the team who scouted Seungcheol’s highschool volleyball team’s members. All of them joined the pro team, excluding Seungcheol because he accepted the offer from an Italian team first.

It was like a nightmare coming true for Jeonghan. He had to fight against them again. The volleyball team he’d never won over. He’d never matched up with them during the V-league. Not even once. What were the odds of them becoming their practice match opponent today?

Jeonghan had terrible luck. Why would today of all days? This was the match that they should win no matter what. The coaches were watching this particular match closely to assess their performance as a reference to use during the world championships. If he lost here, then the coaches would have no reason to make him a starting member. Seokmin would take over his place in no time.

Even without Seungcheol, Kia Jellyfish was a very strong team. They were the favourite to win the V-league. They were the winner in the last V-league season as well. It was enough proof that even now, Jeonghan couldn’t beat them. His pro team only made it to the best four in the last season. His skills were still lacking compared to them.

Jeonghan was panicking inside that he didn't realise Seungcheol was already standing next to him, giving him a reassuring pat on his shoulder.

“Don't worry. You have me on your team now. There’s no way we’re going to lose," Seungcheol reassured, smirking confidently.

Jeonghan snorted at his confidence. "You think you're playing alone? The other six members need to be good as well for us to win."

"Yeah! Are we invisible to you, Cap? We're pretty awesome, too!" Seungkwan protested.

"There are six players on the court. Don't forget that," Soonyoung said dramatically, slinging an arm around Seungcheol's shoulder.

"Wonwoo and I won't let any spikes go through our walls, right?" Mingyu nudged Wonwoo with his elbow until the latter nodded.

"It's okay even if you let some go through our defence. I will make sure they won't touch the ground," Jihoon added coolly. The others whistled in awe at Jihoon's cool statement.

Seeing his reliable teammates calmed Jeonghan down. He could relax and depend on them. He's not alone on the court. The others would help him. When he made eye contact with Seungcheol, the alpha gave him a reassuring smile and mouthed, Use me .

Jeonghan nodded determinedly at him. He planned on using Seungcheol as much as possible as the main attacker of the team. He had the greatest weapon on his hand after all.

 

Unfortunately, things didn't go as smoothly as Jeonghan wanted to. The difference in teamwork was so apparent between both teams. The national team was just freshly gathered last week and they only had one day of practice so far. Kia Jellyfish, however, was a pro team that practiced regularly.  It's a given that their teamwork was all over the place and that led to the widening gap of their scores.

Jeonghan couldn't help but feel useless. None of his strategies worked. Their timed attacks were not in sync. Some of the members bumped into each other in the game. The spikers failed to hit his set, because it's either they jumped too high or not high enough. Nothing was working his way. He was helpless and devastated.

With everything they planned failing, the players were losing confidence, because it's obvious they would lose. And Jeonghan could do nothing to lift their mood and prove otherwise. He himself was crushed as well. He hadn't believed he could win against them from the start.

The match ended in no time with Kia Jellyfish winning straight sets. The national team didn't win any sets at all. They were completely destroyed and they had no one but Jeonghan to blame.

Jeonghan couldn't face his teammates properly after the match. He was ashamed that he had performed so poorly. He should have been able to play better than that. If his strategies weren't working, he could have come with even better ones. But he only self-destructed, dragging Seungcheol's down instead of making him fly.

"Seungcheol, I'm sorry," Jeonghan mumbled quietly after they exchanged handshakes at the end of the game and went back to the bench. "I couldn't make us win."

Seungcheol quickly disagreed. "No. It's not your fault, Jeonghan. It's me who's lacking. I should have scored more. What's the point of choosing me as the ace if I can't score?"

Jeonghan's confidence dropped to the ground when he heard Seungcheol—the best volleyball player among them—blaming himself. He was shaking out of anger towards himself. How could he betray the trust of his teammates? What kind of an incompetent setter he was? Making the ace of the team apologise for not scoring enough?

"How can you score if I can't send the ball properly to you? You need a better setter than me. I can't make you shine. I'm not good enough. I'm never good enough. Not during high school. Certainly not now."

"Hey, hey. Jeonghan, look at me," Seungcheol said softly as he cupped Jeonghan's cheeks.

Slowly tilting his head up, Jeonghan met Seungcheol's gaze. 

Seungcheol continued, "You are good enough. You are the best setter in Korea. No one is to blame for this loss. We're just not prepared, so what we're going to do is practise more. Then we'll come back stronger than ever. Do you understand?"

Jeonghan nodded and gradually pulled himself together. Fortunately, this was only a practice match. They didn't lose the real thing. They could just practise more and play better.

Seungcheol was still looking at Jeonghan worriedly, caressing his cheeks to calm him down. He was being so nice to him that it did something to him. Jeonghan was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to kiss him, just like this morning.

Jeonghan took a quick glance around and made sure no one was paying attention to them.

Fuck it.

Jeonghan leaned closer and kissed Seungcheol on the lips.

Chapter 8: Crossing the Line

Kissing Seungcheol felt nice. Really nice. It also felt like the right thing to do. Like it was something Jeonghan should have done sooner. Unexpectedly, he didn't regret it at all. He even wondered why in the world he'd been resisting, although the answer was obvious.

The feeling Jeonghan had was not his. It belonged to his omega who longed for his alpha. His feelings and his omega's were separate things. His omega's feelings were physical desires and pure instincts. He still had to figure out his own feelings for Seungcheol.

Did he love Seungcheol? Jeonghan had no idea. At the moment, he found Seungcheol rather likeable. But love? He wasn't sure. Love was a strong word. He believed he wasn't there, yet. He had just begun to enjoy his company.

However, Jeonghan was probably well on his way there. Seungcheol was too attractive for him to resist. He was being very nice to him as well, which did things to his heart. Falling for him was the most natural thing to do. It was impossible not to.

It was ironic that just earlier this morning, Jeonghan told Seungcheol everything that happened between them meant nothing aside from the physical desires of their alpha and omega. It kind of scared him to know that there might be something else going on.

They didn't have time for relationships. World championships were right in front of their eyes. And then there's the matter that Seungcheol would have to return to Italy afterwards. Relationships would only complicate things. It's something both of them couldn't afford to have at the moment.

Jeonghan was snapped back to reality when he heard a ball slamming the ground near them. They were in public. People could see them. He quickly pulled away, but Seungcheol chased after his lips to kiss him again. It took Jeonghan's all not to let him do it.

Fortunately, the coaches drew their attention by yelling at them to gather up for a short after-match briefing. Seungcheol pouted cutely at the disruption, but his pout was soon replaced by a grin when Jeonghan sent a reassuring look his way. There's no way Jeonghan would leave it at that.

"Guys, do you know why we lost?" Coach Choi demanded after all them formed a big circle together.

Seungcheol answered, representing everyone as their captain, "We lacked teamwork, Coach."

"Exactly. That's why I arranged this practice match to show you how important teamwork is. I chose the pro team who has the teamwork on purpose. And I intend to hold a few more practice matches with them. I know they are strong, but you have to win. Don't soil the name of the national team. All of you are the best players in the country. Remember that."

"Yes, Coach," all of them said in unison.

"Seungcheol, you are chosen as a captain for a reason. I want you to lead your team to victory. I haven't seen you doing that, yet," Coach Gye added sternly. He pressed his lips together, thoroughly disappointed and displeased at their performance. 

Although Jeonghan could understand the feeling, he didn't like how Coach Gye blamed their loss solely on Seungcheol. He had performed worse than Seungcheol, so if Coach Gye needed someone to blame, he should have blamed Jeonghan instead. It's unfair to blame someone for other people's mistakes.

Seungcheol said determinedly, "Yes, Coach. I'll do better." There's nothing Jeonghan wanted to do more than hug the alpha and shower him with compliments. Seungcheol seemed very disappointed in himself.

"I'll give you time to discuss among yourselves. I want to see some teamwork in the next matches," Coach Gye said, dismissing the briefing, leaving the team to huddle up and talk.

The thirteen of them sat on the floor, forming a circle. Although Jisoo was not a player, he volunteered to join. He wanted to contribute by giving his insight as an audience. Coach Gye and Coach Choi went to the opposite team's bench, probably discussing the next practice matches.

"I hate him," Seungkwan started, glaring daggers at Coach Gye's back.

"Who doesn't?" Soonyoung agreed. "Coach Choi is far more reasonable. Coach Gye is too obsessed with winning. I can't appreciate people who focus on the outcome more than the process."

"But Coach Gye is always present during our practice sessions," Seokmin argued, defending Coach Gye. "Coach Choi doesn't really show up. I think Coach Gye is more infested in our team than Coach Choi. After all, our team is temporary, only for one season."

Chan pouted and whined, "No! Don't jinx it! I want these members to play again together next season! I like you guys!" 

"There has always been a change in the rosters for the national team every season. It's quite unlikely to have the exact team members all the time," Jihoon said matter-of-factly, expression neutral.

"You're cruel." Mingyu huffed, spiking a ball towards Jihoon, who naturally received it as his libero's instincts kicked in. “I hate you.”

Seungcheol clapped his hands to draw their attention towards him. “If we want to keep the same team members for the next season, we have to win some medals first before we can convince the KVA that we’re the best players they have. They will have no excuse to switch us out.”

“Easy for you to say, hotshot. I can’t even keep my spot as a starting player. What makes you think that the Coach won’t kick me out next season?” Myungho said bitterly.

Jeonghan always felt bad for Myungho and Junhui. They were Chinese before they moved to Korea and changed their nationality. Even if they were now officially Korean citizens, some people still couldn’t accept them as their own. There were a lot of people who were against the idea to recruit them to the national team, saying that they shouldn’t represent Korea when they weren’t from Korea.

Hansol also received the same mistreatment. He was half-American and he had dual citizenships. Some people didn’t like the idea of him representing Korea, because he’s not Korean enough. The coaches were being careful and avoided choosing them as starting members to prevent the nation’s wrath. It was still unfair for them.

If only Jeonghan could do something to make it better for them. Sadly, there’s nothing he could do. It was a sensitive topic in the country. The national team players were carrying the country’s flag on their back. Only the people that the nation approved of could carry it.

“It’s not his fault, Myungho. Don’t vent it on him.” Junhui put a hand on Myungho’s shoulder to calm him down. “Sorry, Cap. He can get pretty sensitive about this.”

Seungcheol was kind of taken aback upon Myungho lashing out at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m new here and I don’t know you guys well, so I apologise if I’m not being a good captain. I always think Jeonghan is a better choice. But I’m willing to get to know you all. Don’t hesitate to talk to me.”

Hansol shook his head. “Not at all. I do think you’re being a good captain now. You shouldn’t feel bad about it. Your play motivates us to be better. That’s a good enough reason.”

Jeonghan was amazed with Hansol’s mentality. He didn’t let this kind of thing offend him. It only made him focus more to be better. He didn’t give a damn what others thought about him. But he would be the first one to fight if others talked badly about the ones he cared about.

“Honestly, fuck racists. Myungho, Junhui, and Hansol are awesome players. It’s bullshit that they can’t play because they’re not Korean enough,” Jihoon grumbled angrily.

“Yeah, fuck racists!” Chan repeated loudly, immediately having his mouth covered by Seungkwan. And then they started bickering as usual, the others erupting in laughter from watching them.

“Alright. It’s touching and all, but we should get back to business. What should we do to get better?” Jisoo said, ruining the mood as always.

Taking this as an opportunity to share his thoughts, Jeonghan began, “Based on what I observed for the past few days, I think we’re all skilled, individually. However, our teamwork is all over the place. Our moves aren’t in sync. We look stupid, honestly.”

“Wow. Thanks for the honesty,” Seungkwan deadpanned. “I hit all your tosses, by the way.”

“Barely,” Jeonghan corrected. “None of you hit my tosses as well as I expected. That’s my fault. We need more practice as a team to let me get used to everyone’s quirks.”

“Agreed,” Jisoo commented grimly. “As someone who watches from the sidelines, I can attest to that.” He started pointing at each of them. “Mingyu didn’t jump as high as he could. Seungkwan looked lost on the court. Jihoon didn’t get up from the ground fast enough. Soonyoung was too wary to do anything. Wonwoo seemed too insincere when he jumped as the bait. The only person who played as well as usual is Seungcheol. I won’t be surprised if the coaches suddenly change the lineup.”

“No!” Seungkwan yelled in horror. “Don’t say such a horrible thing with your annoying face! The kid can hear you!” He covered Chan’s ears with his hands and sent a glare towards Jisoo.

Removing Seungkwan’s hands from him, Chan protested, “Hey, I’m not a kid!”

Jisoo shrugged at the harmless insult. Jeonghan laughed at his best friend’s blatant honesty. He’s even more blunt than him with his words. Somehow, he liked that about Jisoo and why they could stay friends for such a long time. They had been friends since elementary school and even after Jisoo went to Los Angeles for college to study sports management, they were still friends.

Jisoo had never been interested in playing sports during his school years, but he wanted to support Jeonghan, so he decided to be his manager and accompany him living up his dream to play volleyball for a living. Jeonghan couldn’t thank him enough for that. And he even became so good at his job that he was appointed as the national team’s manager.

“Okay, so our teamwork sucks,” Jihoon said bluntly. “What are we going to do about it? VNL’s prelims are about two weeks from now.”

Volleyball Nations League was one of the important volleyball world championships that would determine their standings for their eligibility to participate in the olympics. They had to win some medals to actually climb up in the rankings. Only the top twenty four teams in the world were qualified to compete in the olympics.

They had to do something about their teamwork if they wanted to advance in VNL. Most of the teams there would be stronger than Kia Jellyfish. Jeonghan couldn’t think of anything other than more practice. He needed to get used to all the players fast.

“We can go hiking! Or camping! Beach, maybe?” Mingyu excitedly suggested. “We need bonding time!”

Jihoon rolled his eyes in disbelief. “Mingyu, we literally live under the same roof. Everyday is bonding time.”

“What else is there to do besides practising?” Soonyoung asked.

“We can play foot volleyball. Or beach volleyball. We can practise our teamwork that way, too. Playing actual volleyball might strain us because it’s our job,” Seungcheol suggested. “Well, that’s what my team usually does when we want to improve our teamwork.”

“Nice, captain!” Seungkwan yelled.

Chan clapped his hands in excitement. “Beach! Let’s go to the beach!”

“Oh! That’s going to be fun!” Seokmin smacked Chan’s back, getting overly excited at the idea. “Let’s go! Can we go tomorrow?”

Jisoo quickly looked at his phone, checking their schedules. “Tomorrow is the only day we can go. We’re fully booked the rest of the week. I’m going to tell the coaches.”

“It’s a great idea, actually. We came straight here from the V-league. We’re tired mentally and physically, so the distraction is necessary,” Jeonghan said, grateful to Seungcheol who brought up the idea in the first place.

Jeonghan had mentioned it to Jisoo right before moving to the dorm that he was exhausted and that he would haven’t joined the national team if it weren’t somehow mandatory. This was probably why Jisoo agreed with the idea instantly. He must have known how the players felt because he had been patiently listening to Jeonghan’s endless whining.

They stood up from their seats on the ground and resumed free practice after Jisoo came back to them with good news. The coaches agreed to the suggestion immediately, thinking that it would be good for them to trust each other more. Jeonghan winced when Jisoo told him. If the coaches said that, then their teamwork must be that bad.

Seungcheol asked Jisoo to tie a rope thirty centimetres above the net and told the others to practise their serves by aiming the ball between the net and the rope. They turned it into a competition and started betting on ice cream. At least they seemed to have fun and forget for a while that this was their job.

“If you want to thank me, move to my room.”

Seungcheol was suddenly standing behind Jeonghan, so near that he could feel his breath in his nape. His scent was the only thing he could smell. Jeonghan quickly spun on his heel and he saw Seungcheol smiling at him.

“Please?” Seungcheol begged softly, still smiling and showing his dimple.

Why would Seungcheol smile at Jeonghan? And why did Jeonghan only notice that dimple now? What else was he supposed to do when Seungcheol was being this cute in front of him? He was weak and the kiss earlier came into mind. He wouldn’t mind doing more of that with him. 

Sleeping on the bed with him was more comfortable than sleeping alone. He needed plenty of rest during the season and Seungcheol could provide him that. There was no reason for Jeonghan to say no of his offer.

Jeonghan sighed defeatedly. It’s not like him at all to lose this easily. Seungcheol was his weakness. “Who said I want to thank you? But okay. I’ll move to your room starting tonight. It’s better for both of us, anyway. Let me tell Seokmin and Jisoo first.”

Seungcheol’s smile grew wider and Jeonghan melted inside. “I’ll help you move your things. See you tonight.”

Jeonghan didn’t realise he was staring at Seungcheol’s back as he walked away until Jisoo pointed out to him.

“You’re whipped,” Jisoo commented in amusement.

“I’m not,” Jeonghan denied in a blink, but he’s not fooling anyone. He didn’t sound convincing even to his own ears.

Jisoo chuckled, shaking his head. “Yesterday’s enemy is today’s lover indeed.”

“He’s not my lover!”

“Yet,” Jisoo corrected. “I can already see it happening after today.”

Jeonghan’s face reddened when he remembered his promise to Seungcheol earlier. “Actually, Seungcheol asked me to move into his room.”

Jisoo widened his eyes in pleasant surprise. “Already? Damn, it’s like asking your boyfriend to move in with you.”

“What? No! It’s not like that, Jisoo! It’s just that it’s beneficial for both of us to stay close to each other because of our compatible—”

Bursting into laughter, Jisoo said, “Relax, Jeonghan. I was just teasing you. Seeing you flustered like this is so fun. You always seem composed all the time, uninterested and unmotivated in literally everything. But it’s different after Seungcheol came into the picture. It’s a good change, though. You look happier.”

“Is it? But I don’t know, Jisoo. My schedule is packed—you know it better than me. I bet his schedule is, too. We don’t have time for relationships. I’m not sure I’m ready to be tied down like that. And he lives in Italy. Things can’t work between us.”

Jisoo shrugged. “Well, I’m an outsider. It’s between you two. Why don’t you talk to Seungcheol about that? Just know that I will support whatever decision you made. I’ve already supported you since elementary school. I won’t stop now. Not ever.”

Jeonghan nodded. He planned to do so tonight. They were already crossing the line of being friends. Friends weren’t supposed to kiss each other. They had to talk about this sooner or later. About where they wanted to go from here. He just dreaded the talk so much. It’s easier to just kiss and enjoy his company without having to put a label on their relationships.

“Well, enough about me. Let’s talk about you and Seokmin.”

Now Jisoo was the one who was flustered and Jeonghan was enjoying every minute of it. “W-what? Where did that come from?”

Jeonghan smirked in amusement. Jisoo had been teasing him to no end about Seungcheol. It’s time for him to have a taste of that as well. “Stop pretending. I can see how you look at him. I’m not blind. Want to take my bed? It’s unoccupied now. Oh, come to think of it, I have to talk to Seokmin about me moving into Seungcheol’s room, anyway. I’ll ask him for you.”

“No! Jeonghan, stop! Don’t do anything, please! I’m sorry!”

 

Jeonghan unconsciously took a few minutes longer in the shower after moving into his new room. Seungcheol had moved all his things to his room and waited for him to finish shower, cosily lying on his bed while playing on his phone. It’s unnerving to know and Jeonghan wished he could hide in the shower until Seungcheol fell asleep, but he couldn’t do that. It would be unfair for the alpha.

“Hello there,” Seungcheol said when he saw Jeonghan coming out from the bathroom, putting his phone down on the nightstand, opening his arms widely. “Come here.”

It’s a battle Jeonghan knew he would lose. He couldn’t resist Seungcheol, not after he knew how it felt like to be with him, waking up next to him in the morning. His omega loved it. He himself couldn’t say he hated it either.

Jeonghan climbed on Seungcheol’s bed and snuggled into his arms. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. He was unable to contain his own feelings. Turning to face Seungcheol, he leaned closer and the alpha closed the gap between them, sealing their lips together.

They were alone in their room. No one was watching and they could kiss as they pleased without worrying about being seen. The kiss was slow and languid. They were exploring how each other liked to be kissed. Seungcheol’s lips were plump and Jeonghan liked biting on them, earning a low moan from the alpha, sending heat straight to his lower abdomen. Before he knew it, Jeonghan was on top of Seungcheol, lazily grinding on him. He was painfully hard, and so was Seungcheol.

Jeonghan could feel Seungcheol’s hands travelling down from his hair to his waist, and then to his bottom, staying there as he thrust his hip upwards to meet Jeonghan's, squeezing his ass cheeks. Jeonghan's pants were drenched with slick, wetting Seungcheol’s pants as well. He was getting breathless as he was overwhelmed with pleasure.

They broke the kiss to catch their breath and it was the right moment for Jeonghan to ask the question that had been bothering him for the whole day.

“Hey, Seungcheol. What are we exactly?” Jeonghan asked carefully.

“We are what you want us to be. As long as there’s an us , I’m fine with it. We can take our time figuring it out,” Seungcheol answered after contemplating for a while. It’s as if he knew what Jeonghan was thinking.

Seungcheol’s answer was enough for now. It’s what Jeonghan wanted to hear. They were not in a rush for anything. As long as they were together in a way, he was content with it. Fortunately, they were on the same page.

They made out for what seemed like hours and if Jeonghan slept in tomorrow, he would blame Seungcheol for keeping him up late.

Chapter 9: Beach Party

When they talked about going to the beach, Jeonghan had expected they would go to some beach near Seoul, such as Eurwangni Beach near the Incheon International Airport. He'd never thought that they would go as far as Jeju Island. And they even planned to stay over the night there before returning back to Seoul.

"My family owns a resort back in Jeju Island. We can spend a night there," Seungkwan had offered when the discussion about the short getaway trip had been brought up to the table. He was originally from Jeju Island, so he had a family there.

Instead of driving their own rental cars, Jisoo rented a bus for the trip, so that they would be able to fully enjoy their holiday without having to drive all the way to Jeju Island from Seoul. One of the reasons he loved the national team season was that he got to spend time with the members. It was like spending summer holidays with his friends during his school days.

Spending time with his pro team members felt different, because he felt like he was working. While being with the national team members felt like going on an outing with friends.

And this time, Jeonghan would also spend it with Seungcheol—his mate who was also someone who was more than a friend but not really a lover. He was kind of looking forward to spending time with him aside from playing volleyball together. He was curious about the person Seungcheol had become after not meeting him for a good ten years.

They dropped their things off at the resort house Seungkwan's family had lent them, not bothering to unpack, and quickly ran towards the beach right up front, taking off their clothes and only leaving their shorts on. While Seungkwan, Jisoo, and Seungcheol stayed behind to greet Seungkwan's family first, thanking them for their generosity.

Jeonghan instinctively felt anxious to be separated from Seungcheol, because they had been glued to each other for the past few days. He shook the thoughts away from his mind. He wouldn't die from being separated from his alpha.

Trying to make sense of his own thoughts, he made up excuses to convince himself. He wasn't being clingy. It's just that bad things tended to happen when Seungcheol was not around. He merely didn't want to take his chances.

Although the bite mark was visible on his neck, Jeonghan still didn't feel completely safe without Seungcheol nearby. After shifting into an omega, he could feel the stare of the alphas as he passed by them. Even if his scent was now less attractive for the other alphas since he was mated to Seungcheol, they could still tell that he was an omega. And he'd read some horrible cases where alphas didn't care whether the omega was claimed or not because the mate wasn't present.

It didn't help that Seungcheol hadn't scented him yet. He smelled nothing like the alpha and it would only make it harder to convince that he was mated. All of this sounded like an irrational fear he'd developed after shifting into an omega. Although he knew that not all alphas were bad and trying to get to him, he just couldn't help but to be anxious. Even a nice alpha like Mingyu once had lost his reason and ended up completely drawn to him.

They were scattered all over the beach while Jeonghan was preoccupied by his own fear. His best friend and his mate weren't around, so he was left alone as the others divided themselves in groups to do their desired activities. Some went straight to the water and played water sports. The others headed to the volleyball net attached to the sand and began playing beach volleyball.

Jeonghan was a second too late to realise that he had to blend in with his friends before he attracted unwanted attention to himself because of his omega scent. The next time he inhaled, an alpha scent hit his nose so strongly that he couldn’t help but scrunch his nose. He was about to walk away when the alpha crowded Jeonghan’s space, blocking his path. 

“Hey, pretty. You came here by yourself?” the alpha said suggestively. He was shirtless and tall, towering over Jeonghan’s rather lean frame. His body was built and everything about him screamed alpha. There’s no way Jeonghan would win against him in a fist fight.

“No. I’m with my friends. I have to get back to them before they search for me,” Jeonghan said quickly. The urgency in his tone must have been obvious or he must have emitted distressed pheromones because the alpha recognised it.

The alpha smirked as he stopped Jeonghan from leaving. “Hey, hey. No need to rush. Why don’t I buy you a drink?”

Jeonghan showed his bite mark desperately. “No, thanks. I’m mated.”

“Then why isn’t he here with you?” the alpha questioned triumphantly, thinking that he had caught Jeonghan lying. “Come on. Just one drink.”

“Sorry, man. He came here with us. Let’s go.”

Jeonghan visibly relaxed when he caught a whiff of Seokmin’s scent. Finally, someone familiar appeared next to him. He never thought there would come a day where he literally had to depend on someone else’s presence to feel safe. He hated this feeling so much. 

Was this how all omegas felt when they were out in public? That’s just proof of how awful society viewed omegas in general. If only there’s a way he could change how people viewed their subgender.

Seokmin wrapped a protective arm around Jeonghan’s shoulders as he ushered him away from the alpha towards where the other members were. “Sorry, Jeonghan. We shouldn’t have left you alone.”

“It’s not your fault, Seokmin,” Jeonghan said, disliking the idea that the members had to apologise for not looking after him all the time. He was now a liability for them. “He’s just an asshole. He must have been blind or something. Can’t he see this huge, hideous bite mark Seungcheol left on my neck?”

Seokmin winced in realisation. “God. Seungcheol would kill us if he knew about this.”

“I won’t say anything. Did they say they would stay for long at Seungkwan’s?” Jeonghan asked impatiently. If Seungcheol was here, his friends wouldn’t feel the need to protect him. Seokmin wouldn’t have to feel guilty for leaving him alone.

Chuckling, Seokmin seemed to understand why Jeonghan asked the question. “Relax. I don’t think Seungcheol would want to stay away from you for too long.”

Jeonghan blushed furiously because Seokmin read him like an open book. If it was that obvious for Seokmin, then the other members probably could see through him, too. How embarrassing was that?

“You two are really cute. Couple goals, if you ask me.”

“We’re not a couple.” Jeonghan was quick to deny.

Seokmin widened his eyes in shock. “You’re not? I thought you both made it official already. You know, when I saw you two sleeping together. Isn’t that why you moved into his room?”

“No. We’re just forced to be mates because of our situation. Sleeping together is just what our subgenders require.” The more Jeonghan made excuses for everything, the more unbelievable they were even to himself. He almost winced at the words coming out from his own mouth.

“That’s a shame. You two are very good together.” Seokmin made a sweeping arm gesture to suggest headlines and whistled in awe. “The best setter and the best opposite in Korea. Matches made in heaven.”

Jeonghan pushed Seokmin’s shoulder lightly. “You’re exaggerating. There are better setters than me in Korea. You are one of them.”

"No way. You are representing Korea now. So you have to accept the compliment whether you like it or not," Seokmin said playfully. "Anyway, I think he's into you. You should go for it."

"What made you say that?"

"I saw how he looked at you. And don't think I haven't seen how you looked at him either."

Jeonghan defended himself. "It's the pheromones. There's nothing we can do about that."

"Are you saying what you feel for him is strictly because of your subgender?" Seokmin asked, totally unconvinced. "You don't feel anything for him?"

It was a question Jeonghan couldn't answer. He was not sure if the feelings he had for Seungcheol were only physically or romantically. Certainly, he felt something for him. 

He enjoyed his company, a little bit too much actually. He found himself constantly searching for him. He wanted to see him even if he'd just seen him a few hours ago. Whenever he was around, he felt complete. It felt right.

"Hurry! What took you guys so long?" Soonyoung yelled from the makeshift court they must have created earlier. "Come quick! I need a setter!"

The net was something that had been installed before they arrived, but Jeonghan noticed the height had been adjusted to suit the official standard. The court lines were made of ropes. The ends of the ropes were tied around some kind of stick that was buried deep into the sand. It's impressive that they managed to build a beach volleyball court in such a short time.

Soonyoung stood on one side of the court while Hansol was on the opposite side, beckoning Jeonghan to come over. Junhui and Myungho were watching them from the sidelines, since only four people could play in the game, two-on-two. 

Seungcheol had mentioned that playing beach volleyball would be able to build their trust towards their teammates. They could only have one ally, so there's nothing they could do besides trust their one and only ally to connect the play. And since there were only two people on the court, they had to play more roles than what they were used to.

It was a great idea. Hansol was a very quiet person and Jeonghan had never really had the chance to get to know him because he kept to himself. But after being in a team with him, Jeonghan found out how funny the guy was. He doubled over in laughter most of the time due to his hilarious banter with Soonyoung.

While Hansol was funny, Myungho was intense. The mood instantly changed after they switched partners. He was way too serious, considering that this was only a casual game they played at the beach. Jeonghan couldn’t help but take it seriously, too, because he had to match up with Myungho’s energy.

Jeonghan and Myungho won the game with an overwhelming gap against Seokmin and Junhui. It was nothing to be proud of since it was supposed to be a relaxed game they played amongst friends, but Myungho seemed to be completely overjoyed with the win, so Jeonghan felt like he did a good job in playing seriously.

“I still think that you’d make a better captain than Seungcheol,” Myungho said when Jeonghan came to give him a high five.

Myungho didn’t seem to agree with the idea of making Seungcheol captain. It was obvious from how he behaved around him. He tended to snap at him whenever he made a comment. It was something that was difficult to ignore. It could cause a strain in their teamwork.

“Seungcheol is a great captain, I think. What makes you think he isn’t?” Jeonghan asked carefully. He should know why Myungho didn’t like him first before he tried to fix this.

Frowning, Myungho said, “Isn’t that obvious? He doesn’t know any of us enough to earn him the right. Why are you asking? I thought you hated him, too. Or are you getting soft now that he’s your mate-slash-boyfriend?”

Jeonghan winced at the harsh words from Myungho. He wasn’t wrong, though. He used to hate him with passion. He just seemed like a hypocrite now, questioning other people why they hated Seungcheol. “It’s not that. I just realised that he’s not the same person I used to know in high school. He’s actually… nice.”

Myungho raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “Is he nice? Or is his dick game nice?”

His cheeks flaring up in embarrassment, Jeonghan almost shouted, “Not that! Seungcheol really is nice.”

Shrugging, Myungho said, “Being nice doesn’t cut it. I bet he doesn’t know our struggle to get to this point. He’s a prodigy—a genius. He’s born to be a volleyball player. He’d never know how it feels like for us to train ourselves to death just to be at least decent in volleyball. Did you see the news? The country is begging for him to return home and play for Korea. While for us? Particularly Junhui, Hansol, and I? They can’t wait for a chance to kick us from the team without looking like fucking racists.”

It’s insecurity. Jeonghan finally knew what was bothering Myungho. It had been bothering him too until recently before he decided to accept the fact that Seungcheol was just an amazingly good player. 

He’d hated him when his words during high school had rubbed him off the wrong way. Now that he’d gotten to know him better, he knew that it wasn’t the case. Seungcheol was just an easily misunderstood person because of how simple and childlike he was. He didn’t think through his words before saying it out loud. He just lacked a brain-to-mouth filter.

Jeonghan nodded in understanding. “I get what you mean, Myungho. I used to feel that way, too. You probably already know how I never won a single match in my school days because I was unlucky enough to be born in the same year as him. But give him a chance. He’s a good guy once you get to know him.”

They took turns to play beach volleyball for a few more games before the others joined them from Seungkwan’s place. Jeonghan was sitting on the sand by the sidelines while watching the game intently, memorising his teammates’ quirks and individual skills to make use of them during the actual matches. He was too preoccupied with the game before him to notice Seungcheol approaching him.

“Hey, sorry I took so long.” Seungcheol sat on the sand behind Jeonghan, wrapping his arms securely around the omega’s waist. His bare chest was pressed against Jeonghan’s back, skin to skin. He rested his chin on his shoulder as he scented him. The gesture was very intimate and yet, Jeonghan didn’t mind at all even if they were in public where everyone could see them.

Jeonghan could finally relax, knowing that his mate was here and his scent enveloped him. Everyone could finally know that he was mated and they would leave him alone. He found himself leaning back to Seungcheol’s chest and basking in his warmth.

“It’s fine. You don’t need to stay with me all the time. You should have fun. It’ll probably be a long time before we get our vacation again,” Jeonghan reassured. He didn’t want Seungcheol to feel obligated to be around him all the time just because they were mated. As long as he had Seungcheol’s scent on him, he should be safe.

“But I want to spend this vacation with you. Can’t I?” Seungcheol mumbled sulkily against Jeonghan’s neck. 

Jeonghan could hear the pout in Seungcheol’s voice that he had to resist giggling affectionately. How could someone as hot as Seungcheol be this adorable?

“But you need to get along with the other members,” Jeonghan said, remembering Myungho’s words from earlier. “Why don’t you play beach volleyball with them? I want to watch you play from the sidelines.”

“Can’t I just play with you?” Seungcheol asked.

Jeonghan laughed at Seungcheol’s persistence. “Believe me, I want to play with you, but that would defeat the purpose of getting along with the other members.” Jeonghan hadn’t seen Seungcheol spending his time with the other members aside from him and Jisoo since joining the team. This was important, no matter how much he wanted to be with Seungcheol.

“Fine.” Seungcheol reluctantly got up from his seat on the ground, brushing off the sand from his shorts harsher than necessary.

“Myungho, why don’t you play with Seungcheol? Seokmin, you go play with Seungkwan,” Jeonghan yelled to his members. “I want to see the dynamics.”

“Wow. That’s quite an unfair match-up, Jeonghan. One team gets a setter while the other doesn’t,” Soonyoung commented.

Seungkwan retorted instantly, “What bullshit are you saying, Soonyoung? The other team gets Seungcheol. That’s basically cheating.”

The other members erupted in laughter at Seungkwan’s remark aside from one person. Jeonghan caught Myungho giving him a glare which he returned with a shrug. Seungcheol awkwardly approached Myungho as he tried to plan strategies with him. He probably still remembered how Myungho had lashed out at him, so he was being careful not to offend him again.

The game was interesting. Seungcheol undoubtedly shone bright even if he didn’t take his supposed role as an opposite. He was putting the spotlight on Myungho by supporting him, tossing the balls towards him to spike, saving the balls from hitting the ground whenever he got blocked. Myungho took the attacker role and kept spiking the balls down to the other side of the court, racking up points.

The conclusion was obvious. Seungcheol and Myungho won by a large margin. They awkwardly high fived each other at the end of the game. Although their relationships were still rather strained, it was a good start for them to get closer to each other. Jeonghan gave them a thumbs up when they walked out of the court.

They kept taking turns to play beach volleyball until the day got darker. Seungkwan gathered everyone to watch the sunset together, saying that this beach had the best sunset view. 

Seungcheol stuck himself to Jeonghan's side and held his hand like it was the most natural thing for him to do. Jeonghan didn't shy away from his romantic gesture either. He found himself liking it a bit too much.

It was later revealed that Seungkwan's sister held a party at the beach to welcome their visit. Jeonghan was shocked to see a huge banner hanging above their heads, Welcome to Jeju, Korea's National Volleyball Team. He hadn't noticed when the resort had put the banner up. 

When the food started coming out, it looked like a feast. All Jeju people were invited to join the party to wish them luck for the matches. Seungkwan's sister even invited a friend of hers to be the DJ. She told them that she hoped they could relax and have fun before competing.

As the night went deeper, the party went wilder. The members started a dance battle, asking the DJ to play some dance songs. One of the food stalls was changed into a makeshift bar and the alcohol drinks were served.

Jeonghan and Seungcheol weren't really into dancing to powerful dance songs, so they stayed behind at the bar, sipping their drinks as they watched their friends having fun and occasionally laughing when they did some funny dances.

"I wish we could stay here longer. It's a shame we have to return to Seoul tomorrow," Jeonghan said honestly. Spending time with the members like this was what he treasured the most during his national team season.

"We could come back here later after the season ends. There should be a break before the season starts again," Seungcheol said as he downed his drink, pouring some more into his glass.

"But you have to go back to Italy once the season ends," Jeonghan mumbled, the drink starting to get to him. Normally, he wouldn't say that out loud. He began tearing up as he imagined Seungcheol leaving him. He's totally drunk.

Seungcheol put down his glass and turned to face Jeonghan properly. He cupped his cheeks, looking him in the eye. "Do you want me to stay, Jeonghan? Tell me. I would stay if you ask me to."

Hearing his words sobered Jeonghan up. Superlega was the dream of every pro volleyball player. He would be the most awful human being if he asked Seungcheol to give that up to stay with him. 

"No way. I wouldn't do that to you. I would hate myself if you stay because of me."

Seungcheol sighed dejectedly as he pulled Jeonghan into his embrace. "We'll figure it out, okay? Let's just forget it for now."

Jeonghan nodded and let a tear escape the corner of his eyes.

 

Chapter 10: Sweet Confession

The dance battle finally ended with Soonyoung as the ultimate winner. He was so excited from winning that he declared to the crowd he would change jobs to be a professional dancer. He should stop drinking.

The DJ played slow songs to change the mood and some of them were too exhausted from dancing too hard all night. Some of them started dancing lazily to the beat and enjoying the drinks. Some others were getting too drunk and turned in for the night.

"Shall we dance?" Seungcheol asked, taking Jeonghan's hand in his.

"I can't dance," Jeonghan said while giggling. 

He's already feeling tipsy. The drinks were giving him courage to be more honest. He was letting himself go and he probably would regret all this in the morning.

Seungcheol was also giggling. "You think I can? Come on. No one would pay attention to us. They're either too drunk or too busy making out." 

Jeonghan finally gave in and let Seungcheol drag him to the dance floor. Seungcheol wrapped his arms around Jeonghan's waist and pulled him close until their bodies were flush against each other. Jeonghan circled his arms around Seungcheol's neck and rested his chin on his shoulder, inhaling his scent as they swayed lazily to the music.

"Why did I hate you so much back then in high school? Remind me," Jeonghan said, finding courage now that he didn't have to see Seungcheol's face. He was starting to like him so much that he questioned himself why his past self would do such a thing.

"Can I be honest with you?" Seungcheol asked unsurely.

Jeonghan nodded slowly, drunk in Seungcheol's scent.

"I had the biggest crush on you in high school. Since I'm a shy person, I must have sucked at showing it. That must be why you hated me."

Jeonghan's eyes widened in shock at the confession. "What?  Seriously? You were so cocky and annoying in high school. I could barely stand you."

Seungcheol giggled sheepishly. "I think I was trying to impress you by showing off. Sorry if it came across as arrogant."

An image of young Seungcheol bragging about his win in front of Jeonghan crossed his mind. Who would have known that it was how Seungcheol tried to impress him? He literally pissed Jeonghan off by coming over to him everytime he won a match against him, rubbing it in his face. 

But now that Jeonghan thought about it, it was Seungcheol's attempt to start a conversation with him. Very badly at that. 

It made sense, though. Seungcheol was very shy with new people. It took a while until the team warmed up to him. Even so, some were still finding it hard to get close to their captain. Seungcheol was stuck with Jisoo and Jeonghan most of the time, because Jeonghan was his mate and Jisoo was Jeonghan’s best friend. It didn’t even count, since they weren’t friends that he had made by himself after joining the team.

Jeonghan burst into laughter at the memory of his school days. "You really sucked at flirting."

“Well, no wonder I didn’t have any boyfriends,” Seungcheol said sheepishly.

“Really? No one hit on you? With that face?” Jeonghan found it hard to believe that someone as hot as Seungcheol didn’t have people chasing after him all the time. Seungcheol had a ridiculously handsome face and a built body. It was unbelievable that no one thought that he was attractive.

Seungcheol giggled at Jeonghan’s compliment on his face. “There were some, maybe. But I didn’t take them seriously.”

“Why?”

Pulling back so they were at arms-length, Seungcheol met Jeonghan’s gaze. “I only have eyes on you.”

Jeonghan felt his heart skip a beat at their proximity and the intense look Seungcheol gave him only made him even more nervous. There was this tension between the two of them. He couldn’t quite explain what. He tried to ease the tension by chuckling slightly. “I thought you said I was your high school crush.”

It didn’t work. Seungcheol was more serious than ever. His gaze didn’t leave Jeonghan. “Who said I ever stopped crushing on you?”

“Seungcheol, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Jeonghan whispered breathily.

Seungcheol moved his arm that was on Jeonghan’s waist and caressed Jeonghan’s cheek. “Yes, until now. I didn’t plan on telling you, because I know how much you hate me, so I’ve been staying quiet all this time, hoping you’d never know.”

“You’re an idiot, Seungcheol.”

Jeonghan closed the gap between them and planted a kiss on his lips. Seungcheol froze at the sudden contact, but then he quickly recovered from his shock and kissed him back even more passionately. He tilted his head to get better access, deepening the kiss and moaning at the feeling, sending heat straight to Jeonghan’s lower abdomen. He wrapped his arms around Jeonghan’s waist to press their bodies flush against each other.

The night air was chilly, but Jeonghan felt hot all over. He could feel Seungcheol’s hardness poking at his thigh and sure as hell, Seungcheol could feel his, too. They were supposed to be swaying along to the music, but they were so focused on grinding on each other that they didn’t even follow the beat anymore.

When Jeonghan broke the kiss to catch his breath, Seungcheol gave open-mouthed kisses down his jaw and his neck. By the time he reached his scent gland, Jeonghan couldn’t hold back his moan and it was louder than he’d intended to, his face flushing upon hearing how he sounded. They were still out in the open, partying with the people of Jeju, together with their teammates. 

“Seungcheol, I think we need to get away from here,” Jeonghan suggested between his pants, his hands weakly holding onto Seungcheol’s shoulders. His legs were losing their strength. He was worried he would be leaking slick at any moment from how turned on he was. They must already be leaking arousal right now, so everyone probably was giving them a disgusted look and they were too preoccupied to care.

Without detaching his lips from Jeonghan’s neck, Seungcheol wrapped his arms around the omega’s thighs and lifted him up. Jeonghan automatically wrapped his legs around Seungcheol’s waist. Seungcheol only pulled away when he needed to look where he was going. He hurried back into their resort house, ignoring some of the members that were passed out on the living area’s couch and heading directly towards their assigned shared room.

Seungcheol dropped Jeonghan lightly on the bed before climbing up onto the mattress himself. He propped his elbows around Jeonghan’s head and took his time looking at his face, but Jeonghan was impatient and incredibly turned on.

“Seungcheol, hurry. Kiss me,” Jeonghan muttered breathily as he pulled Seungcheol closer to him, pouting when Seungcheol didn’t budge. “What is it?”

“What does this mean, Jeonghan? Are you sure you want to do this?” Seungcheol asked unsurely.

Jeonghan quickly squeaked, “Yes, I want to. Do me.”

“Do you return my feelings? Or is this a casual thing?”

Irritated at the continuous delay, Jeonghan groaned impatiently. “God, stop asking! I already gave you my answer!”

“You didn’t answer the most important question. I need to know exactly where we stand or I would get it wrong.” Seungcheol’s expression was filled with anxiety as if he was afraid that Jeonghan didn’t like him back. He was entirely wrong for that.

“Yes, Seungcheol. I don’t know how you’re so dense and dumb. Of course our feelings are mutual. I've been practically all over you for the past few days. It doesn’t have anything to do with us being mates. I’m pretty sure long before we became mates, I was already into you. I don’t know how much more I have to show you until you understand that I—”

Jeonghan couldn’t finish his sentence, because Seungcheol leaned down and sealed his mouth with his own. They kissed with so much fervour this time. There was no holding back. All the boundaries were crossed. And they had no intention to go back on being friends. It was clear that they were going all the way.

In seconds, all their clothes were discarded, scattered on the floor as they continued with their heavy make-out session. They were naturally emitting their aroused pheromones to lure each other in, causing Jeonghan’s head to spin from Seungcheol’s alluring scent. Jeonghan could feel his slick trickling down his thighs, wetting their bed, but he couldn’t care less.

Seungcheol put his hands on Jeonghan’s thighs, feeling how wet he was. “God, Jeonghan. You’re leaking so much.”

Jeonghan almost rolled his eyes at that obvious statement. Riling him up, he whispered to his ear, “That’s just how much I want you to fuck me, alpha.”

Seungcheol’s eyes were wide open before they were filled with lust. He growled as he grabbed Jeonghan’s length, his other hand poking at his entrance. Jeonghan arched his back from the bed, moaning loudly, not even caring that the members were just in the other rooms. They might hear them, but Jeonghan was too far gone from the intense pleasure.

“Fuck, you’re going to trigger my rut like this, Jeonghan,” Seungcheol growled again as he took Jeonghan’s nipple in his mouth, licking and biting it while looking up to see the latter’s reaction. Currently, he had three fingers sliding in and out of his hole easily with the help of the slick.

“Inside. Now,” was the only words Jeonghan managed to let out from his mouth. All of his senses were overwhelmed with the feelings that Seungcheol was making him feel.

Seungcheol scrambled to the nightstand next to their bed, rummaging through the drawer and taking a condom out of it. Jeonghan would have asked why there was a condom inside Seungkwan’s family resort house’s drawer if he wasn’t this incoherent. He quickly tore the package apart and rolled it over his own cock before pushing it into Jeonghan’s hole. It went in so smoothly like his hole was specially made for him.

Jeonghan sighed loudly in relief at the feeling of Seungcheol inside him. It was indescribable. He felt like he’s complete and it was where Seungcheol was supposed to be all this time. 

Seungcheol stayed still after entering him, so that Jeonghan could get used to his size before he started moving. However, Jeonghan wasn’t patient enough and he urged him to move.

“God damn it, Seungcheol! Move, now! I’m not made of a fucking glass!” Jeonghan shouted irritatedly.

“But I could hurt you—”

“No, you won’t! I’ll be fine! I’m not going to break!”

Although unsurely, Seungcheol began thrusting into Jeonghan’s inside just like how the omega demanded him to. Jeonghan was taking him in comfortably. There's no hint of displeasure in his features, so Seungcheol fastened his pace, fucking him just like how he deserved.

Seungcheol knew he hit the right spot, because Jeonghan was making satisfied noises. His words were incomprehensible, but Seungcheol could tell he didn't do anything wrong. His knot was forming and Jeonghan moaned even louder at the fullness he felt.

It didn't take long before Jeonghan came untouched. Seeing his beautiful face as he came caused Seungcheol to follow suit, releasing into his condom. He dropped himself on top of Jeonghan to recover and catch his breath, waiting until his knot shrunk back to its original size so he could pull out. They were both sticky because of their cum and sweat, but none of them complained. Jeonghan fondly ran his fingers through Seungcheol's hair and the two of them stayed in comfortable silent, relishing their moment after a satisying sex.

"You're heavy, you know," Jeonghan mumbled after a while, still feeling warm and fuzzy.

Seungcheol mustered his remaining energy to flip them both over so that Jeonghan was on top of him. "Is this okay?"

Jeonghan hummed appreciatively and buried his face in Seungcheol's scent gland, inhaling the scent that he loved the most. He was nearly lulled to sleep from the comfort when Seungcheol suddenly spoke.

"I haven't actually said this out loud, but I like you, Jeonghan. A lot. I liked you back in high school and I like you even more now. This is like a dream come true for me."

"Wet dream?" Jeonghan asked cheekily, earning a light chuckle and a pat on his ass from Seungcheol.

"Yeah, that too," Seungcheol answered, giggling bashfully. “I don’t want to burden you with anything, though. We don’t have to be anything. I just wanted to tell you that. I’ve been keeping it to myself for over ten years. It’s driving me crazy, so I just had to let you know.”

Seungcheol was being considerate, keeping in mind that there was a problem both of them had to face after the season ended. Mates tended to be more clingy towards each other. Their mate’s scent was the only thing that could comfort them. And being apart for too long could drive them insane. They wouldn’t survive the loneliness and the feeling of being abandoned.

Jeonghan knew the feeling so well that he shuddered at the thought of having to be separated again from Seungcheol. He felt anxious from being away from him even for a short a while earlier. He couldn’t imagine having to be away from him for a whole Superlega season. And there’s also the heat that he had to spend alone if Seungcheol wasn’t around to keep him company. He had no confidence that he would survive the torture.

It wasn’t even the problem of them being boyfriends or not. They were already mates before they became anything. It’s not something they had a choice over. It’s something that they had to go through with if the time came.

Jeonghan’s scent must have become sour as the awful thoughts invaded his mind, because Seungcheol suddenly cupped his cheeks and lifted his head for their eyes to meet. He frowned, worriedly looking at Jeonghan’s face to find out what distressed him. Jeonghan pouted as he returned his gaze and Seungcheol visibly relaxed to see he was not in pain.

Seungcheol caressed Jeonghan’s cheeks with his thumbs. “Is something wrong?”

“I just imagined what would happen when the season ends and it sucked. I couldn’t even stand being away from you for a few hours earlier this morning,” Jeonghan said with a pout. “I started thinking that this is a bad decision.”

Now Seungcheol was the one emitting distressed pheromones. “You think being my mate is a bad decision?” he asked sadly, already tearing up.

Jeonghan quickly shook his head. “That’s not what I mean. We should have been boyfriends first before we became mates. We got the order wrong.”

A smile crept its way back to Seungcheol’s face. “I can’t argue with you about that. But if we didn’t become mates first, I’m not sure we would be talking like this. Remember, you hated my guts before we mated.”

Groaning exasperatedly, Jeonghan mumbled, “It’s not my fault that I hated you. You brought it upon yourself.”

“But you like me now. That’s what matters.” Seungcheol leaned closer and gave Jeonghan’s pouty lips a loving peck.

“I like you too much. What are we going to do now?”

“You don’t need to worry about this, okay? Leave it to me. We need to enjoy our time together for now. I’m finally having you by my side. I’ll be damned if I waste this precious time worrying about the things that might not even happen in the future.”

Jeonghan nodded drowsily and finally let sleep come to him as his eyelids started to droop. He faintly remembered Seungcheol pulling out and cleaning him up from their mess. He also vaguely remembered hearing Seungcheol whisper, “I love you.” He wasn’t sure if he remembered correctly, because he was half-asleep, but deep inside, he wanted it to be true.

 

Waking up next to Seungcheol every morning was something Jeonghan could get used to. This morning was quite different than usual. Jeonghan woke up to find both of them naked under the cover, their limbs tangled from how close they were to each other. Their clothes were scattered on the floor. It was a reminder of what they had done last night and Jeonghan couldn’t help but blush now that he was completely sober.

There was another problem they had to face. Jeonghan hadn’t exactly been quiet last night, so their team members had probably heard him. They were all staying in one big resort house with five bedrooms that Seungkwan’s family had lent them. The walls were not exactly soundproof. Jeonghan groaned out loud at the thought of having to face their teammates for breakfast, burying his face in the crook of Seungcheol’s neck. He hoped that they had slept through the whole thing, so they didn’t have to know about what they had done.

Woken up by Jeonghan’s groan, Seungcheol ruffled Jeonghan’s hair fondly. “Hey.”

“I’m going to die from embarrassment. Just kill me now,” Jeonghan mumbled to his neck.

Seungcheol laughed sleepily. “They were all knocked out from the drinks. I’m sure they didn’t even realise what happened.”

“I hope so.”

However, their hopes were crushed in an instant after they finished washing up and went out of their room to join the others for breakfast. The members were already seated by the dining table and eating the hangover soup Seokmin had made for them, nursing their headaches. As soon as they landed their eyes on Jeonghan and Seungcheol coming out of their room, they erupted in endless complaints.

“Thank you so much for the live porn show, guys. Now I’m having the worst headache ever,” Seungkwan said sarcastically.

“Jeonghan was so fucking loud, man. I could hear everything,” Mingyu complained as if Jeonghan wasn’t there.

Seokmin sighed tiredly. “I’m glad you both worked things out, but tone it down, will you?”

“There’s this thing called consideration and you both threw it out of the window,” Jihoon said with a flat tone.

Jisoo shook his head in disbelief, but then flashed them a wide smile as he said his speech. “Well, all things considered, I’m glad that our teamwork would be stronger now that we all became closer, in one way or another. Our purpose for coming here has been achieved. Enjoy your breakfast before we have to return back to Seoul. We have a practice match scheduled today.”

All the people in the room collectively groaned.

Chapter 11: Volleyball Nations League

After a few weeks—that felt more like forever—of intensely packed training, it was finally the day of their first VNL match. It took place at the biggest volleyball stadium in Seoul, Jangchung Arena. Although the stadium was a place that Jeonghan frequented, he still got nervous when he got there, particularly now that he’s an omega. 

He could feel all eyes on him whenever he walked past a crowd. Most athletes were alphas after all. But he didn’t hate the feeling of Seungcheol’s strong arm around his shoulder, keeping him close to him.

The coach didn’t recommend Jeonghan to use a scent blocker for masking his omega scent, because it might affect his play. It led to Seungcheol being all over him all the time, scenting him whenever his omega scent got a bit too strong and covering him with his own alpha scent. Although Jeonghan hated being an omega, having Seungcheol around him made him forget that he hated it in the first place.

Passing by the other teams, Jeonghan couldn’t help but feel intimidated in more ways than one. There’s other things he’s worried about besides being an omega. The other countries’ teams looked very strong. They were insanely tall, more than two metres probably, and their bodies were built, making them seem more like giants while the Korean team looked like dwarfs next to them. 

As someone who planned the strategies, Jeonghan was panicking internally. This was something he’d always felt whenever the national team season came. There was one thing they couldn’t win against the other countries no matter how much they trained: natural physiques. 

Asians naturally had smaller physiques compared to other races. Jeonghan had to think of other ways to win instead of using heights and power. He had to use his intelligence, which made it even harder. The disadvantage was jarring, but he wanted his team to win. He refused to think that he would lose before even trying.

“You seem to always forget that this time you have me,” Seungcheol said from beside him, sensing him being antsy. Setter felt the burden twice as much as the other players since they were responsible to lead the team to victory. “It’ll be easier for you. Just relax.”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes and chuckled. Seungcheol’s confidence was something to be applauded for, but it was getting a bit too much. “I always forget that you’re such a cocky brat. The whole world doesn’t revolve around you, you know.”

“Not me. I know how strong our team is and how hard we practise. Hard work never betrays you.”

“That’s not for you to say, Mr. Volleyball Prodigy.”

“You’re a prodigy, too. I read the news. Genius setter Yoon Jeonghan from Korea,” Seungcheol recalled, whistling in awe.

Jeonghan raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “Are you trying to cheer me up or are you trying to get into my pants?”

“Both,” Seungcheol said playfully.

“Jesus, you both are so disgusting,” Myungho commented from behind them, quickly walking past them in an attempt to cleanse his ears.

Jeonghan didn’t even notice he was behind them all the time, too preoccupied with Seungcheol’s presence next to him. Not that he cared, though. They were the ones who eavesdropped. Not his fault that they heard them being flirty with each other.

“I’m glad Seungcheol sounds confident. Carry us all the way to grab that gold medal, will you?” Jisoo teased as he fell into step with them while holding a heavy-looking bag which undoubtedly held all the team member’s necessities.

Seungcheol shrugged, playing along with the joke. “Only if we’re lucky enough to not get matched up with Italy. A few of my teammates in my pro team back in Italy are members of the Italian national volleyball team. It can get quite tricky since they know all my weaknesses.”

“Don’t jinx it!” Seungkwan screeched, looking horrified as he turned around to face them. He’d been walking right in front of them and must have overheard their conversation.

“It shouldn’t be a problem. They only know you, right? They don’t know a thing about us. Jeonghan can use that to our advantage,” Jisoo reassured, only that it wasn’t quite a reassurance to Jeonghan.

Jeonghan groaned, feeling the burden being put on his shoulders. “Jisoo, I thought you’re my friend. Why are you only making it worse for me?”

“Because I know you, Jeonghan. You’re not a quitter. You hate losing. Challenges only make you stronger. Good luck.” Jisoo winked jokingly at him and walked ahead to catch up with the coaches at the very front of their line.

“He’s not wrong, though,” Seungcheol said from next to Jeonghan. “I’ve been trying to invite you to join my team since high school. I like your plays.”

Jeonghan was reminded of the numerous times during his high school days Seungcheol had irritatingly mentioned that the only way Jeonghan could win was if he’s in Seungcheol’s team. He snorted. “Is that how you invited people to join your team? By insulting their ego?”

“I told you that I was awkward as hell back then,” Seungcheol whined, defending himself.

“No wonder I had no idea you’re crushing on me.”

Seungcheol sighed dramatically, “You’re not going to let me see the end of this, aren’t you?”

“You know me.” Jeonghan giggled in amusement, finding it fun to tease Seungcheol.

Grinning widely upon looking at Jeonghan, Seungcheol said, “At least you’re not nervous now. I’ve done my job.”

“What job?”

“Boyfriend?” Seungcheol offered, looking unsure.

“But we’re not boyfriends,” Jeonghan corrected quickly.

“One can dream, right?”

 

The first few matches were a breeze for them. Korea was ranked quite high in the FIVB—International Volleyball Federation. And it was a rank before Seungcheol joined, so it was not quite accurate. It could be even higher now.

A few weeks went by in a blur, matches after matches. There were about four or five matches a week. Jeonghan’s fatigue gradually caught on to him. If there was something else that he hated for turning into an omega, it was that his stamina worsened, becoming one of an omega’s.

It was the fourth match this week and they were already in the fourth week of the VNL. They were in the semifinal round. If they kept winning, they only had to play in two more matches before winning the championship.

They were now in a match against Japan, which was popular for their smart plays since they also had small builds like Koreans. They seemed to have found out that Jeonghan was the least powerful, stamina-wise. And they were carefully, persistently trying to wear him out. 

They were constantly aiming their balls at him so that he had to receive it more than he usually had to. Seungcheol seemed to realise this as well and he kept deliberately diving to the court in front of Jeonghan to receive the ball before he could. But this ruled out Seungcheol from attackers that Jeonghan could send his tosses to. They were playing ineffectively and slowly, Japan caught up to them. It’s out of question that the coaches called for the time out then.

Coach Gye sighed audibly. “It’s the fourth set. They won the last two sets, while we could only get the first set. You know what that means, right?”

Everyone nodded grimly as they wiped their sweat with the towels Jisoo had provided them. This set was the only chance for them to catch up to Japan. If they lost this set, then this would be the end of their season. The first team to win three sets won the game after all.

Jeonghan was terribly out of breath. He had played full sets for three days straight. It was a given that he would be worn out by now. Not to mention the Japan team’s deliberate plan to kick him out of the game early.

Jeonghan hated losing. He hated the fact that Japan could see through him and planned this scheme. He wanted to prove to them that they had made a terrible decision to focus on him. That he wasn’t one to break that easily. However, he couldn’t win against his own stamina.

He knew the best thing to do now was to sub him out, but he had this greed to stay inside the court as long as possible. It would bruise his pride if he admitted that he was no longer useful to the team. Seungcheol was giving him a worried look as if he knew what was on his mind.

“Captain. What do you think we should do?” Coach Gye turned to Seungcheol.

Seungcheol took Jeonghan’s hand in his and said firmly, “We have to sub Jeonghan out, Coach. Switch him with Seokmin. They’re targeting him. We won’t be able to play effectively with a worn out setter.”

That was a wise decision. Jeonghan knew that, but he couldn’t help feeling dejected from hearing it being said out loud by Seungcheol. He must have emitted distressed pheromones because he felt Seungcheol squeeze his hand.

Jeonghan calmed himself down, taking a deep breath before saying, “Seungcheol is right. I’m sorry that I can’t be useful. Honestly, I can’t really feel my legs now. It’s probably best to sub me out.” He tried to smile to show them that he’s fine with the decision, but Seungcheol was not fooled. His lips quivered and his hands trembled.

“We’ll win this game. Believe me. This won’t be your last game. I will do everything I can to win, so that you can play again next week, okay?” Seungcheol said reassuringly. Jeonghan smiled wider at that. He’s lucky he had a reliable teammate. If Seungcheol said that, then he meant every word.

Jeonghan leaned closer to whisper in Seungcheol’s ear, “Go kick their asses, alpha.”

“You owe me a kiss,” Seungcheol whispered before going back into the court.

Seokmin approached Jeonghan who was standing by the sidelines and held out a hand.

“Time to show off, Seokmin. Who knows you might start the next game, too,” Jeonghan encouraged sincerely, high-fiving Seokmin to let the referee know about their player substitution. 

Although he didn’t like that he was switched out, he’s glad that Seokmin was given the chance to shine. He wanted people to know how good Seokmin was. His play was different from Jeonghan, so the other team might get confused with the sudden change. This would be their chance to win the points back.

Seokmin grinned widely before following the others into the court. “Be careful. I might snatch your position.”

Apparently, Jeonghan didn’t need to worry at all. The change of the setter also changed the way the team attacked. Japan’s team was thrown off by change and they kept making mistakes in blocking, unable to predict who would be used to attack. Seokmin didn’t let the opportunity slip away. He kept using the members as bait and when they thought he would use another decoy, he tossed the ball to Seungcheol, racking up points easily.

Jeonghan was relieved to know even if he was unable to play as best as he could, there was someone as dependable as Seokmin that would back him up. He could play without being burdened too much now. Seokmin was a great setter that could lead the team to victory.

The strategy to disrupt Japan's team dynamics succeeded and they won the game, following Seokmin’s lead. But Jeonghan couldn’t really celebrate the fact that there’s only one match left before Seungcheol returned to Italy.

 

The final match was against Italy. It was like the worst opponent that they could get matched up with. The difference in skills were overwhelming and it was obvious which team got the upper hand only from the first set.

Jeonghan was devastated. He felt like the other team read him like an open book. It’s as if they knew what Jeonghan was going to do next. It’s worse for Seungcheol. All of his spikes were blocked. They knew him like the back of their hands.

Seungcheol had mentioned before that they might not have a chance against Italy, but Jeonghan hadn’t expected to be this severe. They were being crushed by Italy and there’s nothing they could do to counter their attacks. They were faster, taller, bigger, and more powerful. Aside from their astounding physiques, they were also smart. What could they possibly do to win over them?

All their faces were grim during the time out, while Italy’s team were using their time out to joke around instead of planning strategies. Jeonghan couldn’t blame them for not taking this seriously. There’s no need for that to beat them.

Coach Gye finally spoke after wasting the first ten seconds of the time out by not saying anything, “Honestly speaking, I don’t see a way for us to win. I think deep down, all of you know that. Our scores are way behind them and our attacks are not working. They are strong. Insanely strong. With our skills right now, we don’t have the power to win from where we are standing. But maybe, next year, we can return stronger and we can finally have the chance to get our revenge. What do you say?”

Seungkwan widened his eyes. “Are you saying that we will have the same members for next year, Coach?”

Coach Gye laughed, “Are you kidding me? You want me to change this amazing lineup next year? We have never gone as far as the final round for decades. It’s only possible with the team we have right now. I’d be stupid if I change these members. The whole of Korea would come to get me.”

Coach Choi sniggered next to him before turning to look at the members. “Okay. The situation isn’t good. It’s half way through our third set, but we haven’t won any. There’s nothing we can do at this point. But instead of wallowing in self pity, why don’t we have fun for the rest of the match? We’re finally in the final round. We’re winning a medal even if we lose. It’s already a great feat. And after this match, you guys will return back to your own pro teams and it’s going to be a while before you get to play with each other again. I think you should enjoy playing with this team to the fullest.”

All of them nodded in approval. None of them looked that depressed anymore. Even a wave of relief washed over Jeonghan who hated losing more than anything. They could try again next year with the same team members. There was still next time. Not all hopes were lost. And by winning the silver medal in the VNL could increase their rank in FIVB. This was already a great achievement.

The game was so much more fun without the burden of having to win. This was probably the most fun match he’d ever played during his whole life as a pro player. Coach Choi really had a way with words. The other members seemed to have fun, too.

The final round ended with Italy as the winner and Korea won the silver medal. The coaches invited all the team members to dinner. Drinks were served, because it would be quite a while before their next match with their respective pro teams started. They would have their days off and that meant they could drink as much as they pleased without worrying about their condition for tomorrow.

Although everyone was celebrating their second place win, Jeonghan couldn’t seem to get into the mood. Because there’s no reason for Seungcheol to stay in Korea anymore after VNL ended. He went out to the balcony at the restaurant the coaches had rented for the night and drank by himself. He would only ruin the festive mood if he was staying inside.

“Hey, why are you out here alone?” Seungcheol sat next to him on the balcony, wrapping his arm around Jeonghan’s waist so tightly as if he never wanted to let go.

Of course Seungcheol would know if Jeonghan was missing from the crowd. And he didn’t seem that happy either for the win. Both of them had the same thought in mind.

Jeonghan sipped his drink and sighed. “You know why.”

“I’m going back to Italy next Monday. My manager already bought me the ticket,” Seungcheol announced.

Jeonghan didn’t even look surprised. He knew this announcement would come sooner or later. The match had ended after all. His pro team in Italy would want nothing but to have his player back in their country. Even Jeonghan’s pro team here already scheduled their training sessions. 

Their lives were busy and packed all year round. They were used to it. But normally, they didn’t have mates to worry about. This time was different.

“What should we do now?” Jeonghan asked, resting his head on Seungcheol’s shoulder, treasuring the feeling of having him nearby.

Seungcheol rubbed Jeonghan’s waist up and down fondly. “Do you want to try living apart? Can we survive it?”

Jeonghan imagined having to live without being able to meet Seungcheol until next year. It sounded like torture. He could already feel the pain merely with the idea of it. 

“We can’t.” Seungcheol answered his own question grimly.

Something about how Seungcheol said it made it seem final and Jeonghan was panicking. Jeonghan could tell something was wrong. Tears started streaming down his face as he turned to face Seungcheol.

“Are you going to end this? End us?” Jeonghan asked, sobbing at this moment.

Seungcheol was taken aback with Jeonghan’s sudden outburst. He quickly calmed him down, wiping the tears off his face. “Hey, hey. I didn’t say anything. I’m still thinking about what's best for us.”

“But you’re thinking about it. It’s included in one of your choices,” Jeonghan pointed out and Seungcheol didn’t even deny it.

Jeonghan felt betrayed that Seungcheol was thinking of revoking their mating bond without talking about it with him. He abruptly got to his feet. Suddenly, he couldn’t stand being near Seungcheol despite his omega begging to be with him. “I’m going home.”

He walked away, ignoring Seungcheol who desperately called for him. Thankfully, Seungcheol gave him his space and didn’t follow him home. And later at their shared room, he found a business card of a doctor who was specialised in revoking mating bonds lying around on Seungcheol’s desk. He locked the door and cried himself to sleep that night.

Chapter 12: Love and Pain

Without his mate's calming scent enveloping him, Jeonghan couldn't really sleep well. He kept finding himself being jolted awake in the middle of the night, yearning for Seungcheol's scent to lull him back to sleep. Feeling the empty spot next to him on the bed caused his heart to ache. The pain kept him awake.

After tossing and turning on the bed for half an hour, Jeonghan was sure that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep and sat up, picking up his phone to look at the time. It's four in the morning. He might as well go jogging or something.

He was kind of disappointed that he didn't get any texts from Seungcheol. He needed to let his frustration out of his system. Jogging might help.

However, Jeonghan regretted the moment he came out of his room and saw Seungcheol sitting alone on the couch in the dark. He really didn't want to have any conversation with him right now, but he was partly at fault for Seungcheol being unable to sleep. The guilt was eating him up.

Jeonghan sighed defeatedly. "Go to sleep, Seungcheol."

Seungcheol muttered, his voice almost a whisper, "I can't, Jeonghan. Please don't do this to me. I can't ."

"You're being unfair. You know how I feel about revoking mating bonds."

Revoking mating bonds between couples was basically ending the relationship. Break up. Divorce. Same thing.

Although they weren't exactly committed to a relationship, there was something between them. They had their mating bonds. Jeonghan believed there was still a potential for something more. Boyfriends. Husbands.

However, if they chose to revoke their mating bonds now, the potential was practically no more. Their scents would attract other alphas and omegas again. And they could also be attracted by their scents. It would be messed up.

Having their bonds revoked meant they were giving up on them. Jeonghan didn't want that. He knew what it felt like to be apart from Seungcheol. He dreaded that feeling.

Jeonghan had experienced firsthand how it felt like to love and be loved. He finally came to terms with his own feelings towards Seungcheol. He didn't want to lose that. He didn't want to lose Seungcheol. He hated losing after all.

"We can still be boyfriends without the mating bonds," Seungcheol offered.

Mating bonds were sacred for a reason. It wasn't to be treated lightly. It was supposed to be unbreakable. "It won't work, Seungcheol. Remember what happened with me and Mingyu back then before we mated?"

Seungcheol winced at the memory, but he persisted. "We can use scent blockers."

"My special condition is not that stable to use one. The doctor doesn't recommend it. Cases like mine are rare. Complications might occur."

At this point, Seungcheol snapped, tears flowing down his cheeks, "So what do you want from me, Jeonghan? Huh? What do you want me to do?"

Jeonghan was shaking. He felt himself getting smaller before him. His voice was barely audible. He couldn't look him in the eye. "I don't know."

Seungcheol scoffed in disbelief. "I can't even sleep without you next to me. How could you expect me to survive until next year? This is killing us. We have to make sacrifices. If you don't want us to revoke our mating bonds, then one of us has to give up. Either I stay here or you go with me to Italy. I can't think of another way to save what we have now—to save us ."

Silence fell upon them as they were deep in thought. Seungcheol gave Jeonghan difficult choices. Jeonghan was strictly against revoking mating bonds, so that was out of the question. Seungcheol staying in Korea was also not an option. Superlega was the best volleyball league to exist. There's no reason for him to leave that for a more inferior league. Which left Jeonghan with the last option: go to Italy with Seungcheol.

However, joining a pro volleyball team wasn't as simple as joining an afterschool club. It’s not like he could just apply to a Superlega team and expect them to read his application letter. It might work if Jeonghan was at least as good as Seungcheol. He wasn’t that good of a player, so getting recruited in a Superlega team was no more than a dream.

Jeonghan laughed bitterly. Seungcheol made it seem like joining a Superlega team was that easy. As if it was something Jeonghan could do if he wanted to. As if Jeonghan was a qualified player to do so.

“I can’t just go with you to Italy, Seungcheol. Who would want me to play for their team there?” Jeonghan took a shaky breath, tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’m short. I’m weak. And I’m a fucking omega.”

Seungcheol held Jeonghan’s hands as they sat together on the couch in the dark. “But do you want to come with me to Italy?”

“I just told you, there’s no way—”

Seungcheol stopped Jeonghan from finishing his sentence. “Just answer my question, Jeonghan. Do you want to?”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes incredulously. “Of course I want to. It’s the dream of every volleyball player. But because it’s the dream, it’s not as easy as you say. I know my own performance. I’m not giving up, but I know I’m not there yet.”

Smiling through his tears, Seungcheol said, “Thank you for saying that. It’s enough for me to go on. Do you trust me?”

Seungcheol’s tone somewhat told Jeonghan that he’s up to something and he’s not going to tell him. Jeonghan asked in spite of it. “What are you planning to do, Seungcheol?”

Ignoring his question, Seungcheol pressed on, “Do you trust me?”

“You’ve seen me at my worst. I trust you. If it isn’t obvious enough.”

Seungcheol pulled Jeonghan in for a hug and Jeonghan didn’t resist. Both of them let out sighs of relief when they were finally in each other’s arms. It’s hard to be away from him for the night. He couldn’t imagine how it would feel to be away from him for a year. It would be a torture for both of them. 

“Will you wait for me?”

Seungcheol didn’t specify what it was that Jeonghan should wait for. Jeonghan assumed that it was the plan that he was being secretive about. Jeonghan didn’t ask, but he answered vaguely, “It depends. Will you ask me to revoke the mating bond?”

“Not now. But if it gets to the point where it’s unbearable for you, I want you to do it. If you won’t, then I will,” Seungcheol said with determination.

“Wow. So you’re basically asking me to endure the torture while waiting for you doing something I don’t know what,” Jeonghan deadpanned. “Game on, Seungcheol.”

Seungcheol chuckled as he buried his face in Jeonghan’s neck, scenting him lovingly. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

Jeonghan carded his fingers through Seungcheol’s hair as he scented him, relishing in the feeling. He would miss him a lot, too. “Well, you’d better hurry doing whatever it is that you don’t want to tell me. Don’t make me wait too long.”

Seungcheol pouted. “Is that how you tell me you love me? I need moral support. I’m not motivated enough. What I’m going to do is difficult and very risky. But I’m going to do it all for you.”

Giggling at Seungcheol being sulky, Jeonghan cupped his face and planted a kiss on his lips, startling the alpha. “I love you, Seungcheol, and I will wait for you no matter how long it is. We’re going to get through this. Although I have no idea what the hell it is that we’re going to get through. It won’t be easy, but let’s endure the pain together. Don’t you ever give up on us.”

Seungcheol burst into laughter after Jeonghan confessed his whole heart to him, so Jeonghan punched his chest lightly out of embarrassment. It’s rare for him to say these cheesy things out loud and he got Seungcheol laughing  at him in return.

“Hey, what was that for?” Seungcheol protested.

“I’m here baring my whole heart for you and yet you—”

Jeonghan’s complaint was cut short when Seungcheol leaned in closer and kissed him. “I love you, too, Jeonghan. More than how much you love me. We professed our love for each other, so are we finally boyfriends now?”

Seungcheol had asked that as a joke, but Jeonghan thought seriously about it. Now that they had plans ahead of them and they didn’t intend to give up on each other, what stopped them from making it official? 

“Do you want us to be boyfriends?” Jeonghan asked carefully. He’d been the one against the idea because of their uncertain future. But he’s now sure that Seungcheol was all that he wanted in life. He’d never felt this way towards anyone else.

“I only want it if you want it, too,” Seungcheol breathed, looking very nervous now that Jeonghan took his joke seriously. He certainly hadn’t expected him to ask him this.

“I want to know what you want.”

“Are you kidding me, Jeonghan? Of course I want to. You don’t need to ask me for that.”

Jeonghan smiled widely. “Come on, boyfriend. Let’s get some sleep. This will be our last beauty sleep for quite a long while.”

 

It was easier to say than done. When doctors advised mated couples not to live apart, they were being serious. It was basically constant pain and torture.

Jeonghan felt like having a gaping hole in his chest after Seungcheol left for Italy. Even breathing was painful because there’s no calming scent to satisfy his omega. Seungcheol had left his clothes for him and Jeonghan also had packed some of his for him to take to Italy. 

Sniffing Seungcheol’s scent relieved the pain quite a bit, but it was not enough. It was never enough. He found himself crying to sleep every night as he stared at the business card of the doctor who could end his misery on his nightstand. 

It was very tempting.

Jisoo had to move to Jeonghan’s dorm to keep him company because the omega was unable to fall asleep alone and it would affect his condition if he lacked sleep. Jeonghan felt bad for his manager since he had to put up with his outburst every time he missed Seungcheol a bit too much.

“I’m sorry, Jisoo,” Jeonghan said one night after he woke Jisoo up by screaming in his sleep. The nightmare was relentless. It got creative over time. His unconscious self had come up with every scenario of break ups.

Jisoo looked very sleepy and dishevelled, but he climbed up to Jeonghan’s bed and hugged him, offering comfort and physical affection that Seungcheol couldn’t give him at the moment. “It’s fine. Just remind me to smack Seungcheol when he gets back here.”

“It’s not his fault, you know. We both agreed to this torture,” Jeonghan mumbled, his voice hoarse from all the screaming.

Jisoo clucked his tongue in disapproval. “You both are so stupid. How is he doing there? I hope he suffers as much as you do. Just to keep it fair.”

Jeonghan lightly shoved Jisoo’s shoulder. “Don’t be like that. Seungcheol already has it harder than me. Even when we were still in the national team’s dorm, he couldn’t sleep a wink without me next to him. Which was why I agreed to move to his room. I’m just worried he would contact the doctor because he couldn’t take it. Honestly, even I am tempted.”

“I will kill him if he even thinks about it,” Jisoo reassured playfully.

Sighing exasperatedly, Jeonghan continued, “I’m serious, Jisoo. I’m worried. If I have it this hard, then how about him? We rarely text each other because of the time difference. I don’t know if we will survive this. He asked me to wait, but it’s hard to wait if I don’t know until when.”

“Didn’t he ask you to trust him?” Jisoo said, more seriously this time.

Jeonghan nodded.

“Then trust him. He’s a great man that could lead Korea to win the silver medal. I’m sure he is doing his best for you right now.”

As if on cue, Jeonghan’s phone rang. It was from Seungcheol. Jisoo quickly escaped the room to give the couple privacy.

“Hey, I’m sorry that I disturb you while you’re sleeping. But I just need to hear your voice,” Seungcheol said with a tone so desperate Jeonghan felt bad for him.

“You know that I don’t mind, Seungcheol.” Jeonghan chuckled, elated to hear his voice even if he was exhausted from having to endure the pain of being apart from his mate. “I love you too much to be annoyed by this.”

Seungcheol mirrored his chuckle and it sounded heavenly to Jeonghan’s ears. “God, I miss you so much. I want to fly back to Seoul and ditch the team.”

Jeonghan gasped dramatically, earning a laugh from Seungcheol. “You can’t ditch the team. It’s your hard work.”

“I was kidding,” Seungcheol said before he turned serious. “Hey, Jeonghan? You remember that I have a plan, right? To fix our situation?”

“Yes? Are you going to do something?” Somehow, Jeonghan felt nervous. The air of seriousness that Seungcheol gave him made it seem like what he was going to do was a big deal.

Seungcheol exhaled loudly. “Yes. That's why I need to hear your voice before doing this. I’m scared, but I have to do this if I want to be with you. Please don’t trust anything you read after today. I need you to trust me.”

“You’re making me nervous, Seungcheol. I trust you with my whole heart, but promise me that you won’t do anything dangerous.”

Seungcheol laughed at that. “Of course not. We’re not in some kind of action movies. It’ll be fine. We’ll be together soon. I promise. I love—”

Jeonghan quickly cut in. “No. Save it. Say that to my face when we’re finally together.”

“You’re insufferable. Fine, you cutie. I’ll say it over and over again until you’re sick of it when we meet again.”

Jeonghan couldn’t help the smile creeping into his face. “Sure. I’m looking forward to it.”

 

Approximately thirty hours later, an article appeared in sports headline news, precisely in the volleyball page. It was typed in big bold letters as Jeonghan opened the link Jisoo had sent him. 

‘Choi Seungcheol’s Absence From Allianz Milano’s Game Today Resulting in the Team’s Loss’

Was this what Seungcheol had planned? Jeonghan couldn’t understand. What would he get from not playing the games? He was itching to call Seungcheol and ask him what he’s doing. But then he would betray his trust, so Jeonghan decided to wait until Seungcheol explained to him.

However, his friends from the national team wouldn’t stop bugging him about it. They thought the couple were hiding something from them. Jeonghan kept saying that he didn’t know, but they wouldn’t believe him. 

“Your boy is shaking the Superlega’s industry. Allianz Milano is the crowd’s favourite to win the league. I wonder about the wrath the team would get from the public for sitting Seungcheol out in the game. It would hit the team hard from losing this early. What is Seungcheol planning?” Jisoo uttered his opinion out loud when they were in Jeonghan’s room that night after another nightmare.

“I’m as curious as you are. He won’t tell me and I won’t ask him,” Jeonghan said. He did get one vague message from Seungcheol that night. He had no idea what it meant, but it brought a smile to his face. It’s like the wait was finally over.

 

From: Seungcheol

I’m coming to get you. Wait for me.

 

“Is it him? What did he say?” Jisoo asked curiously.

“Nothing. He only asked me to wait for him. Like usual,” Jeonghan answered. “Jisoo, what do you think of moving to Italy?”

Jisoo sat up on the bed abruptly, eyes wide with horror. “Wait. Where did this come from? Are you going to move to Italy? To follow Seungcheol? What about your team here?”

“Relax, Jisoo. I’m just asking this hypothetically. I’m not planning to elope with him.” Jeonghan chuckled at Jisoo’s reaction.

Jisoo visibly relaxed after lightly smacking Jeonghan’s arm for making him worry. “I will only approve of your moving to Italy if it means you’re transferring to a Superlega team.”

“Dating a Superlega player sucks,” Jeonghan said jokingly. “Why can’t I fall in love with you instead? It’ll make everything a lot easier.”

“Ew.” Jisoo winced in disgust. “I appreciate the compliment, but don’t ever say that in front of Seungcheol. I want to live a long life.”

 

Seungcheol wasn’t lying when he said he’s coming to get Jeonghan.

Early in the morning, some people from Italy came to visit the stadium where Jeonghan’s pro team played. They wanted to meet both Jeonghan and his manager, Jisoo. The only thing that crossed their mind was this must be Seungcheol’s doing.

Thankfully, the Italian people brought a Korean interpreter with them.

“Nice to meet you, Jeonghan. I’m from Allianz Milano’s scouting team. We would like to give you an offer to transfer to our team as a package deal with our player, Seungcheol. He’s been very persuasive in his attempt to convince us to recruit you. We’ve seen how you played with him in the last VNL and the teamwork is amazing. The money we can offer you is not much because you will only get a chance to play when Seungcheol is on the court, even so the coach might not want to put you in, but you will get exposure in the Superlega in return. What do you say?”

“Yes,” Jeonghan said without missing a beat. He didn’t care about the money as long as he got to be together with Seungcheol. He gave Jisoo a look and the alpha nodded. “You can discuss the details with my manager. I have a call to make. Please excuse me.”

Jeonghan ran out of the room and out of the stadium. His hand was trembling where he was holding his phone, trying to call Seungcheol. After three rings, Seungcheol picked up.

“I guess you’ve already met them,” Seungcheol said proudly.

Jeonghan was tearing up when he heard his voice. He didn’t deserve Seungcheol. Seungcheol was too perfect. “Is this what you’re planning? Forcing your team to recruit me?” Jeonghan couldn’t stop the giggles coming out through his lips. He was overwhelmed with happiness.

“Persuading,” Seungcheol corrected.

“Blackmailing,” Jeonghan retorted. “I can’t believe you refuse to play with your team for this. It’s not worth the loss that your team had to suffer.”

“Everything is worth it if it’s for you. Are you ready to move to Italy?”

Jeonghan pretended to hesitate to tease his boyfriend. “I don’t know about that. I need to discuss this with Jisoo first. I’m only ready if he’s ready. He has to come with me after all.”

Seungcheol whined and Jeonghan could almost see the pout in his face from the voice. “Jisoo this. Jisoo that. You’ve been mentioning Jisoo a lot more than necessary lately.”

Chuckling, Jeonghan said, “Are you seriously jealous?”

“How can I not? I’m your boyfriend, but he’s the one who gets to be with you all the time,” Seungcheol said sulkily.

“No need to be jealous, Seungcheol. I only have my eyes on you. And you’re the one who gets to keep my heart with you all the time.”

Seungcheol laughed wholeheartedly. “Tell Jisoo he doesn’t need to arrange a dorm for you. You’re living in my apartment.”

“Gladly.” Jeonghan had never felt happier.

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading this until the end! And also thank you for all the nice feedback, comments and kudos! I wouldn't be able to finish this story without your support! See you in the next Jeongcheol story!