Chapter Text
Chan’s second day at the Choi pack house was spent entirely in bed. He had slept almost the whole day. The night before, Jisoo had come in to check on him and discovered that Chan was burning up with a high fever.
Jisoo had given him medicine and told him to take it every four hours, making sure the fever didn’t get worse. The house had been quiet that day; the only ones staying home with him were Jihoon and Jeonghan.
Jeonghan had kept coming into his room, bringing him bowls of food he barely touched and a cold cloth for his forehead, changing it whenever it grew warm.
Chan, in his half-dazed state, could hardly process anything that was happening around him. The second day passed in a blur, fading away without him realizing.
Now it was the third day since he arrived.
His fever had finally gone down, and his body felt lighter. He was better than yesterday, but he still hadn’t left his room. He didn’t really know what to do or where to go in this unfamiliar house.
Before Jisoo left for work this morning, he stopped by Chan’s room to check on him one last time. He told him that Wonwoo and Hansol were home but busy in their rooms since they worked from home, and that Jihoon was around too, working in his room. The rest of the pack members were out.
Chan didn’t have any particular plans. He made his way down to the kitchen and ate a light breakfast—just something simple—because anything heavy felt like it would make him sick again. After that, he went straight back upstairs to his room.
The walls felt a little suffocating, and part of him wanted to wander around the house, maybe learn his way through the hallways or peek at the rooms. But he was afraid of stepping out of line or bothering someone, so he stayed put.
For the first time, Chan opened his laptop for something other than studying. He clicked through different shows, ones Baekhyun had recommended to him before, trying to find something that caught his interest.
Eventually, one show pulled him in. He kept watching, sinking into it, until he was halfway through the second episode. Then a knock on his door broke the silence.
Chan paused the video and got up, walking over to open the door. Standing there was Jihoon, looking slightly awkward.
"Hey, are you awake?" Jihoon asked.
"Yea," Chan replied.
"Do you wanna go out?" Jihoon asked again, his voice calm but a little stiff. Chan could easily feel the awkwardness hanging between them.
Since he didn’t really have anything else to do, he agreed.
"Yea sure," he said.
Jihoon gave a small nod.
"Take your time. I will wait for you in the living room." He said before turning and walking away.
Chan let out a small sigh and closed the door again.
He shut down his laptop and pushed it aside. He didn’t need to change into anything special. He just grabbed his leather jacket, slipped it on, and put on his shoes. With his phone in hand, he stepped out of the room.
When he came downstairs, Jihoon was already waiting for him on the couch. As soon as he noticed Chan, the older stood up.
"Do you mind walking?" Jihoon asked.
"No," Chan said quickly.
Jihoon nodded once, then headed toward the front door. Chan followed close behind, his steps uncertain.
He didn’t know why Jihoon suddenly asked him to go out, and the thought made his stomach twist with nerves.
All Chan knew was that today was probably going to feel like a very long day.
Soonyoung didn’t really have any work today, and the idea of sitting around at home didn’t appeal to him. Everyone in the house seemed busy, caught up in their own jobs.
Seungcheol had told Jihoon earlier to take Chan out so the two of them could get used to each other. Wonwoo and Hansol were also home, but both were buried in their own work. That left Soonyoung with free time and nowhere in particular to go.
Instead of wasting the day, his thoughts naturally drifted to Jun. He knew his mate was filming a commercial for a well-known brand, and just the thought of seeing him at work made Soonyoung’s chest warm. So, without much hesitation, he decided to head over to the filming set.
When he arrived, he showed the guards the message Jun had sent him earlier, a message Jun had sent to them on the group in case anyone from the pack wanted to visit. After checking it, the guards immediately let him in.
Soonyoung followed the directions through the large building until he reached the floor where the shooting was happening. A staff member guided him into the photoshoot room.
The moment he stepped inside, his eyes immediately found Jun. His mate was standing in front of the camera, still busy with the shoot. The bright lights illuminated Jun’s features perfectly, making his skin glow and every angle of his face sharper. He looked unreal—too perfect to belong to this world. Soonyoung couldn’t help but smile as he quietly slipped into a seat at the back, content to simply watch.
He loved moments like this, where Jun was fully in his serious mode. The confidence in the way he posed, the subtle tilt of his chin, the way his eyes could shift from soft to piercing in an instant—it all left Soonyoung in awe. His mate wasn’t just beautiful, he was captivating.
Only five minutes passed before the director called for a break. Jun immediately walked over to check the photos that had been taken, his brows furrowed slightly as he studied them.
He still hadn’t noticed Soonyoung’s presence.
Taking advantage of that, Soonyoung got up and quietly approached him from behind.
"You look good," Soonyoung said suddenly, his voice low and playful.
Jun startled, whipping around quickly, only to smile once he saw who it was. "When did you come?" Jun asked, his lips curving into that warm smile Soonyoung loved.
"A while ago," Soonyoung replied, sliding his arms around Jun’s waist from behind, holding him close as if he’d been waiting forever for this hug.
Just then, a staff member called out, "Jun shi. They put your food in your private room."
Jun nodded and thanked them before turning to Soonyoung, still smiling. "Let’s go." He reached out, threading his fingers through Soonyoung’s and leading him toward the private room.
The moment they entered, Soonyoung closed the door behind them, shutting out the noise of the set. His heart was already racing just from being near Jun like this. Without giving him time to react, Soonyoung stepped forward, grabbing Jun firmly by the waist. His other hand came up to cradle the back of Jun’s head as he pulled him in for a deep, hungry kiss.
Jun’s lips parted immediately, his hands clutching at Soonyoung’s shirt with surprising strength as he kissed him back with the same fire.
Soonyoung pushed forward, walking them slowly until Jun’s back met the wall. The thud was soft, but the way Jun leaned into it for support only made the kiss deepen. Soonyoung tilted his head, pressing harder, letting his tongue slip inside to explore every inch of Jun’s mouth, refusing to leave even the smallest corner untouched.
He loved the taste of him—sweet but tinged with the faintest bitterness of the lipstick still fresh on Jun’s lips. He loved the way Jun gasped against his mouth, how his taller frame bent slightly as Soonyoung tugged him closer, trying to erase the space between them. The height difference always made Soonyoung tug his mate down just a little, but he didn’t mind—it just meant Jun had to lean into him more.
Jun suddenly gave a soft push against his chest, not forceful but enough to make Soonyoung break the kiss. He pulled back just slightly, breathing hard, only to find Jun staring at him with glassy, teary eyes. His carefully applied lipstick was smeared across his mouth and onto Soonyoung’s lips too, his face flushed bright red.
Soonyoung couldn’t help the smirk tugging at his lips. Leaning in again, he pressed soft kisses to Jun’s neck, letting his lips ghost along the smooth skin.
"Soonie, no marks," Jun gasped out, his breath shaky but firm.
"What’s my name, love?" Soonyoung whispered against the sensitive spot on his neck, kissing it slowly, deliberately, but careful not to leave any marks.
"Al-alpha," Jun breathed, the word spilling from him with a stutter, and that was all it took. Soonyoung felt desire shoot straight through him, his body burning as he dropped his forehead onto Jun’s shoulder.
"Fuck, I need you," Soonyoung muttered, his voice raw with want.
Jun’s lips curved into a small smile even as his breathing stayed uneven. "We do have time," the vampire whispered.
Soonyoung lifted his head, his eyes searching Jun’s face with hesitation. "Don’t you want to eat?" he asked softly, part of him worried Jun would tire himself out.
But Jun only smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I would never choose food over you."
That made Soonyoung grin, the tension breaking as his need took over. Without waiting, he slowly pushed Jun down to his knees, his hands steady but filled with reverence.
From above, Soonyoung’s gaze lingered. Jun looked breathtaking. The way the clothes fit perfectly to his lean frame, the way the stylists had brushed his hair back just right—it all made him look like he was made to be admired. But in this moment, disheveled and flushed, Jun was even more beautiful.
Soonyoung’s heart swelled with both pride and love. His mate was his, and only his.
Yes, today was definitely a good day.
Chan’s instincts were right.
It was painfully awkward between the two of them.
When they first left the house, Jihoon hadn’t walked ahead like he was trying to escape, but he kept just enough distance that Chan felt it. The silence dragged on for almost ten minutes, neither of them saying a word, until they stopped at a small drinks truck with chairs and tables set outside.
They sat down, and for a moment it felt even stranger. Jihoon ordered an energy drink, while Chan asked for an apple juice. After that, the silence returned, heavier than before. Jihoon kept scrolling through his phone, his eyes never leaving the screen. Even when their drinks arrived, he barely acknowledged Chan’s presence.
Chan tapped his fingers on the table, the quiet getting under his skin. He could feel Jihoon’s nerves radiating across to him, making his own omega side restless and upset.
"You’re quiet," Chan finally said, breaking the silence. His voice made Jihoon flinch, like he hadn’t expected Chan to actually speak.
Chan didn’t look away, waiting for a reply.
Jihoon sighed, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"Look, I’m not that good with conversation. I don’t go out much either. Seungcheol told me I should take you out so we could try to get closer. But I really don’t feel like talking."
Something inside Chan bristled at that. His omega side was hurt, while his human side was just annoyed.
"You could at least try. We’re supposed to… I don’t know, get closer or something."
Jihoon looked at him dead in the eye, then turned away sharply.
"I told you I don’t feel like it," he said, crossing his arms.
Chan clenched his jaw. "That’s not fair. I’m trying too."
Jihoon’s reply was cold and final. "Then don’t."
For a moment, Chan didn’t know what was happening. Was this really a fight? With Jihoon? The air between them shifted, heavier now, tinged with sadness. He could feel both their omega sides were unhappy, but their human sides weren’t syncing at all.
Jihoon suddenly pushed his chair back and stood up.
"Let’s go back. We did enough for today."
Without waiting, he started walking away.
Chan scrambled to his feet, following quickly but keeping two steps behind. The distance between them felt bigger than just steps.
Is this really the man he had to work on getting closer to? Chan still found it hard to believe. He couldn’t understand Jihoon at all. It was like he had mood swings that shifted too fast for Chan to keep up with.
He let out a long sigh.
He really needed to talk to someone about this.
After that serious talk Jeonghan had with Seungcheol, the beta just couldn’t sit around doing nothing. For some reason, he felt responsible to do something — anything — to help Seungcheol with what was bothering him.
So, Jeonghan decided to take action in the only way he could.
He was now sitting in his office, waiting for someone he had called over. The room was quiet, and Jeonghan kept glancing at the clock, feeling a little impatient.
Finally, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Jeonghan said, his voice calm but expectant.
The door opened and a familiar voice teased, "Calling someone older than you to your office is something on another level, Jeonghan. I wouldn't have come if you weren't my favourite in my mate's brother's pack."
Jeonghan looked up and saw Seokjin step inside, closing the door behind him before taking a seat across from Jeonghan’s desk.
Jeonghan smiled softly at the older man.
“Did you found something?” he asked right away, unable to hide the urgency in his voice.
Seokjin raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly.
"I see directly to the real talk," he said with a sigh. "No not really."
Jeonghan’s face fell with disappointment.
He knew Seokjin was different from Namjoon and Yoongi. If there was anyone who could make the Im coven accidentally say something about Chan, it would be Seokjin. That was why Jeonghan had been hopeful, but it seems it didn't work.
"They really are careful with what they say when it comes to chan, I tried many times."
Jeonghan sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair.
"Its alright, I guess this will be harder than I thought," he said quietly.
Seokjin tilted his head and smiled slyly.
"Who said I failed though?"
Jeonghan immediately sat up straight, turning to look at Seokjin with wide eyes.
"Huh?"
Seokjin smiled again, clearly enjoying the moment.
"What will I get in return?"
Of course he had to pull this move. This was so like Seokjin’s personality — playful and dramatic — and Jeonghan couldn’t really complain, because his own personality was too similar to the older beta.
"What could you possibly want? You are as rich as me?" Jeonghan asked, raising an eyebrow. He wasn’t wrong. After the royal family, the Choi pack and the Kim pack were next in line when it came to wealth and power. Both were equally influential and unique in their own ways.
If Jeonghan could afford something, then Seokjin could easily afford it too.
"There is something," Seokjin said, his tone casual.
"What?" Jeonghan asked curiously.
"Free meals at your restaurant."
Jeonghan frowned slightly.
"You do eat for free though?"
"Yea I do but everytime I feel guilty about it. So give me free pass so I can eat without the guilt."
Jeonghan almost laughed out loud.
This was by far the easiest thing anyone had ever asked him for in return.
"Sure."
Seokjin’s smile widened.
"Its right I didnt get anything from the Im coven, but I did talk to jaebum mother," Seokjin started to explain.
"I said hi to her and we just started talking. And I just brought out how chan is and she kept on talking. Didn't get much, but she suddenly said poor thing how unfair life was to him to take his family away and almost him. I did ask her what happened exactly. She told me that his family were murdered right in front of him, she was gonna continue but yugeom came in."
Jeonghan froze.
His family were murdered? Right in front of him?
What their pack knew from Jaebum was that Chan almost died when he was fourteen, so they had to turn him. Was that the same time his parents were murdered?
"Sorry but thats all I got."
"Its more than enough judging by how secretive they actually are," Jeonghan said, grateful for the information.
Seokjin tilted his head and asked, "I dont understand. You are courting him, why dont you ask him directly what happened?"
Jeonghan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yes we are. But we havent directly asked him and he havent said yes yet. And the others said he always avoids the subject it means he is not ready and we dont want to push him far. We are giving him space."
Seokjin nodded in understanding.
"I know. But if you really want to find out then try to fasten the process and ask him personally."
"That depends on your mate's brother and Jisoo. Jihoon been avoiding him so much."
Seokjin laughed lightly.
"Damn yoongi also was like this. Those brothers."
Jeonghan smiled at the thought.
"I need to leave, dont forget our deal," Seokjin said as he stood up.
Jeonghan nodded.
"Take care hyung."
Seokjin nodded back and left the office.
When the door closed, Jeonghan leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.
It wasn’t much progress, but it was still something. At least they finally knew a little more about Chan’s past.
And now Jeonghan was ninety percent sure that all the attacks that had been happening lately were connected to Chan’s side — not their own.
He decided not to tell Seungcheol about this just yet. Their pack alpha was already under so much stress, and Jeonghan didn’t want to add to his burden.
But Jeonghan knew one thing for sure: he still had more to find out.
He was losing his mind.
Chan had been pacing back and forth in his room ever since he got home from that awkward hangout with Jihoon. His feet wouldn’t stay still, his mind wouldn’t calm down.
He was confused — no, beyond confused — about Jihoon’s behavior. Nothing about today made sense to him, and on top of that, Chan wasn’t used to having this much free time. Normally, he never had the chance to sit around and overthink things. His days were always full — university, exams, work, training — something to keep him busy all the time. But now? He had nothing to distract him, and all that empty time was making him spiral.
Even hanging out with Baekhyun didn’t feel possible right now unless he had something of Jihoon’s with him, and Chan just… didn’t have the courage to ask Jihoon for anything after what happened today.
"Chan?"
Chan’s head snapped toward the door when it creaked open. Jisoo stepped inside, his soft presence filling the quiet room.
"Hey, the others told me you haven’t left your room since hours ago. How are you feeling now?" the beta asked gently as he walked toward Chan, reaching out to touch his forehead.
"I am fine now," Chan replied quickly, his face flushing red at the contact.
Jisoo smiled at that, his hand falling away.
"Your fever is gone. That’s good. How is everything going on with you now?" he asked, his voice calm and kind.
"I guess fine. I still can’t go out for long periods of time without feeling dizzy," Chan admitted quietly.
Jisoo’s smile turned a little sad, almost pitying.
"You won’t be able to for a while," he said softly. "You and Jihoon need more time together. I heard you two went out today. How was it?"
Bad. Horrible. Your mate is weird.
That’s what Chan wanted to say, but he bit his tongue. He didn’t want to sound disrespectful, especially not about someone everyone here clearly cared about.
"It didn’t go well. Jihoon—" Chan hesitated, searching for words that wouldn’t sound too harsh.
"Weird? Confusing? Hard to get to know?" Jisoo guessed for him.
Chan looked up at him and nodded quickly.
"Yeah… all of that," he admitted.
Jisoo laughed softly and patted his shoulder in comfort.
"Jihoon isn’t really great with meeting new people," Jisoo said with an understanding smile.
"I can tell," Chan murmured, almost to himself.
"I guess it’s more awkward with you because you are his soulmate," Jisoo added gently. "But believe me, we’ve all been there once. If anything, Mingyu had it even worse with Jihoon. Go talk with him. Maybe he’ll help you understand Jihoon more."
Mingyu?
"Alright, Jisoo-sii," Chan said politely.
"I think we’re past the formal part, Channie. Just call me Jisoo-hyung," Jisoo said with a warm grin.
Chan nodded, smiling a little.
"Alright. Jisoo-hyung."
"If you want to find Mingyu, his room is on the left side from the staircase," Jisoo told him before heading out.
Chan stayed there for a moment, wondering if talking to Mingyu would actually help him. But then again, it’s not like he had anything to lose. If anything, he needed to understand Jihoon better if he wanted to recover and finally get back to living normally.
So he left his room and made his way down the hallway.
Since this was his third day here, he was slowly starting to recognize everyone’s scents a little better — though he still got them mixed up sometimes. Mingyu’s scent was one of the easier ones for him to remember, so he knew right away which door was his.
Chan approached and reached out to knock, but his fist hit the door that wasn’t even properly closed. It swung open slightly.
It was too late not to look.
His eyes immediately went to the bed — and froze.
Mingyu had Seungcheol pinned down on the mattress, the two of them kissing each other deeply, so lost in it that they didn’t even notice Chan standing there.
Chan’s entire body locked up. His hand stayed suspended in the air, his eyes wide, his breath caught in his throat. It took several seconds for his brain to even process what he was seeing.
Chan should have run away. He should have turned his head, covered his eyes, done anything to stop himself from seeing more. But his body didn’t listen to his thoughts. He stayed frozen where he was, feet rooted to the ground, eyes locked on the scene in front of him. His mind felt blank, like it couldn’t catch up with what was happening.
Then something pulled his attention sharper than before.
Mingyu broke the kiss, his lips leaving Seungcheol’s mouth only to trail down to his neck. He tugged lightly at the side of Seungcheol’s shirt, just enough to expose skin. And that was when Chan saw it—clearly, unmistakably.
Not just one bite mark.
But Two.
They were deep, dark, and unmistakable. Mating marks. His breath caught in his throat as the realization hit him all at once. His heart started pounding. Seungcheol was the pack alpha. So why did he have mating marks? And more than one? Whose were they?
Chan’s thoughts began to spiral, questions stacking on top of each other faster than he could answer them. And then he noticed something else. The skin beneath the marks was tinged purple, darker than it should have been. Bruised. Tender. Wrong.
Why were they like that?
The noise around him faded as his mind ran in circles. Confusion, shock, and something close to fear twisted in his chest. Chan didn’t even realize how long he had been standing there, staring, completely lost in his thoughts.
By the time he snapped out of it, it was already too late. Seungcheol’s eyes opened — and he made direct eye contact with Chan.
Chan’s heart jumped into his throat.
He saw how the alpha gently pushed Mingyu off of him and sat up.
"Chan," Seungcheol said, and the sound of his name made Mingyu turn around to look at him too.
Chan’s face turned bright red, heat crawling up his neck.
"I-I am sorry, the door just opened—" Chan stuttered out, stepping back quickly.
"I will go!" he blurted, already turning to leave, but Seungcheol was faster. The alpha got up in one smooth movement and grabbed Chan’s wrist before he could run.
"Hey, hey, calm down. It’s alright," Seungcheol said, his voice calm and firm.
Chan had to take a deep breath when Seungcheol’s scent washed over him, strong and almost overwhelming.
"Did you need something?" Seungcheol asked, his voice gentler now.
"I actually came to talk to Mingyu, but I can come another time," Chan said quickly, avoiding both of their eyes.
"No, it’s fine. You can talk with him. I need to go somewhere anyway," Seungcheol said as he let go of Chan’s wrist.
"I will see you later," Seungcheol added before walking out of the room.
"You wanted to talk with me?" Mingyu asked, one eyebrow raised in curiosity.
Chan looked down at the floor and nodded slowly.
"Come in," Mingyu said, stepping back into the room.
Chan followed him inside, and Mingyu gently closed the door behind them.
"Sit," Mingyu told him, pointing at the bed.
Chan sat carefully on the edge, hands folded nervously in his lap, while Mingyu sat beside him but kept a bit of space between them so it wouldn’t feel too close.
"Sorry about earlier," Chan murmured, his ears red with embarrassment.
"It’s really fine," Mingyu said casually, waving it off. "It’s kinda our fault for not closing the door. We’re not used to having guests over, that’s why. It’s really not a big deal."
Chan nodded, though his face was still warm. He never imagined he would see Seungcheol like that — pinned under someone, kissing like that — and now he couldn’t get that image out of his head no matter how hard he tried.
"What did you want to talk about?" Mingyu asked, his tone soft but curious.
"I went with Jihoon-sii today," Chan said quietly.
"And I guess it didn’t go well?" Mingyu guessed.
Chan nodded again, chewing on his lip.
"We kinda ended up in… I don’t know, sort of a small fight? I just don’t understand him. He said he didn’t feel like talking. He wasn’t even trying," Chan said, his voice frustrated but small.
"Jisoo said they all went through this with Jihoon. And that you had it worse, so I should talk with you."
Chan turned his head to look at Mingyu, who let out a deep sigh.
"Of course he’s gonna expose me," Mingyu muttered under his breath.
"Yeah, if there’s someone in our pack that Jihoon used to hate the most, that would definitely be me," he admitted, making Chan frown in surprise.
"Why?" Chan asked, genuinely curious.
"Do you wanna know how I joined the pack?" Mingyu asked.
Chan nodded quickly.
"Well," Mingyu started, leaning back a little as he talked, "I’m actually from Anyang. I lived there my whole life until my family moved to Seoul when I was seventeen. Apparently my dad’s company became successful, so we had to move into a bigger city. When we got here, my mom took me with her one day to visit her best friend she hadn’t seen in years. That best friend turned out to be Seokmin’s mother."
"Really?" Chan asked, eyes widening slightly.
"Yeah. That’s how I met Seokmin," Mingyu said with a small smile. "My mom kept dragging me along whenever she went to visit Seokmin’s family, and over time, me and Seokmin got pretty close. At first he was really closed off, but he eventually opened up to me. Somewhere along the way I ended up liking him. I thought he wasn’t mated, so I confessed my feelings — but that’s when he told me he was acting mated."
Chan tilted his head, listening closely.
"I remember how heartbroken I was," Mingyu continued. "I avoided Seokmin after that, but he didn’t let me. He kept coming over to my family’s house, telling me he liked me too and that he wanted me to meet his pack."
Mingyu let out a small laugh at the memory, shaking his head.
"I was serious about Seokmin, so I went to meet them. Back then, there was only Seungcheol, Jeonghan, Jisoo, Soonyoung, and Jihoon. Seungcheol had a talk with me, saying that because Seokmin liked me, they all wanted to get to know me better."
"And?" Chan asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Everything was great," Mingyu said with a soft smile. "With all of them — except Jihoon."
"Why?" Chan asked again.
"Honestly it was mostly my fault. The family I come from, or more like the neighborhood I grew up in, had very traditional views about second genders," Mingyu explained. "Omegas were seen as people who should get married to an alpha, stay home, have pups, and be spoiled and protected. So when I first met Seokmin’s pack, I didn’t really notice Jihoon much. I knew he was the only omega, but I was too focused on making a good impression on the pack for Seokmin."
Mingyu’s face grew more serious.
"It wasn’t until I got closer to them that I realized Jihoon was walking to work alone. Coming home late at night, also alone. And Soonyoung and Seungcheol were fine with it. I didn’t understand how they could let him go out without protection. As the third alpha to join the pack, I felt like I had to do something, but I had no one to ask. So I kept insisting on going with Jihoon. That annoyed him. It got worse when we all went out together, and every time Jihoon wanted to go to the bathroom, I tried to follow him. Eventually, we got into a big fight. I couldn’t believe an omega was yelling at me like that. When Seungcheol stepped in, I even tried to challenge him, but he shut me down with his alpha voice."
Chan blinked, surprised.
"You’d think I would’ve dropped it after that," Mingyu said, smiling a little at himself. "But I couldn’t. I thought Soonyoung and Seungcheol weren’t protecting him properly. Jihoon hated me. Seokmin ended up crying, saying that if this continued, we wouldn’t be able to stay together. That broke me. I really loved Seokmin, and I wanted to love the pack too, but I didn’t know how."
Mingyu’s expression softened as he went on.
"It wasn’t until Soonyoung took me to the castle for the first time that everything changed. I met Jihoon’s omega dad — I didn’t know he was part of the Moon Guards. I also met Jimin and Jungkook from the Kim pack. They were training together with swords, and that moment completely shifted my mindset. I realized how wrong I was about omegas, about Jihoon. So I apologized to him, and I tried to change. I did everything I could to be better. Eventually, Seungcheol marked me into the pack. But me and Jihoon were barely even friends at first. It took almost six months for us to actually fall for each other."
Mingyu glanced at Chan.
"So yeah, it was kind of my fault that Jihoon hated me in the beginning. But at the same time… Jihoon is just hard to approach. It takes time to really know him."
Chan was quiet, letting Mingyu’s story sink in.
"In your case, he’s your soulmate," Mingyu said softly. "That must make it even harder for him because he doesn’t know how to act around you. And honestly, you’re the same, Chan. You’re awkward, but you still have more courage to speak than Jihoon does. I know it’s not fair that you have to do most of the work, but try to approach him first."
Chan looked down at his hands. Part of him didn’t know if he could after how badly today went, but another part of him didn’t want to give up.
"I will try," he said quietly.
Mingyu smiled at that, reaching out to ruffle Chan’s hair.
"Good. That’s all you can do right now."
Chan actually smiled this time, just a small one, but it felt real. Maybe this conversation had been worth it after all.
As Mingyu stood up, Chan felt a bit lighter, like a weight had been taken off his chest.
"Thanks, Mingyu-hyung," he said, standing up as well.
"Anytime," Mingyu said with a grin. "And next time, just knock louder, yeah?"
Chan laughed softly, nodding.
"I will."
When Chan left Mingyu’s room and walked back to his own, he realized he felt… calmer. Mingyu was right. Jihoon might be hard to understand, but he wasn’t impossible. Maybe tomorrow, Chan would try again.