Chapter Text
Suo Hayato had never needed an alpha. At least, not until the day his parents refused to grant him the permission to study abroad without an alpha to accompany him.
Having been raised in a moderately liberal household, Hayato grew up to be a typical modern omega; independent, smart, financially stable, and perfectly capable of handling his heat cycles alone. Unfortunately for him, his moderately open-minded parents apparently thought that living abroad without being mated to an alpha was still too much of a risk for an omega like him.
Which brought Hayato to a heated argument with his own parents.
“I have three black belts in three different martial arts, and those are not just for show, you know? Don’t you think you might be being a little too paranoid, Mama?”
“Mama knows best, Hayato! You might be strong, you might be smart, but at the end of the day, you are still an omega! The bad alphas will go after you. They will kidnap you off the street—”
“Why would they kidnap me? It’s not like I’m famous or running for the next governor seat.”
“They will assault you in the back alley—”
“Are you sure they’d be that desperate to bang an omega who only got one eyeball?”
“They will murder you when you sleep and then mutilate your limbs!”
“First of all, I wouldn’t be so careless as to not install a high-tech security system in my living space. Second of all, why would they go through all the trouble to chop off my limbs?”
“Oh, I don’t know! To sell them to the Chinatown black market? Haven’t you heard that a fresh omega’s feet could be worth millions yen?”
Hayato shot his mother a ridiculous stare. “Mama, I think you’ve been consuming too much crime drama.”
“Point is, Hayato, there are too many risks for you to fly towards some foreign country. Your Papa and I are not trying to stop you from pursuing your dreams. All we’re asking is for you, our precious omega son, to at least go with an alpha. We’ll even let you choose your own alpha!”
“But the problem is, Mama, this omega son of yours has been literally single for over two decades and no alpha so far has caught his eye yet—a status quo that seems not to be changing anytime soon, by the way.”
“Then, the solution is simple, my dear. Let your parents choose a good alpha match for you!”
In the end, Hayato failed to convince his parents to change their minds. Which in turn brought Hayato to the next point; the arrangement.
Two weeks after that chaotic argument, Hayato found himself sitting in a fancy restaurant with his parents. They were waiting for his potential alpha mate to arrive and discuss the arrangement.
“Papa, are you sure they’re coming?”
“Don’t worry, son. Jinpachi owes me a huge sum to revive his failed business, and I’ve offered him a gratuitous 2 years extension along with 50% off of our initially agreed interest rate in exchange for this arrangement. His alpha son is an astounding graduate from Kyoto-U. He will be a perfect match for your bright mind.”
“Hopefully so,” Hayato muttered with a resigned sigh. It’s clear that he had absolutely zero interest in the arrangement that parents had set up for him.
As if on cue, they all soon noticed a middle-aged couple along with a teenager boy tailing behind them being led by a servant towards their table.
“Hideyoshi! Sorry for the hold up. We got caught in terrible traffic on the way here.”
The husband greeted them before ushering his wife and son to take a seat. He noticed Suo’s curious gaze and hastily plastered an awkward smile.
“Ah, this must be Hayato-kun. It’s nice to finally meet you, kid. I’ve heard great things about you from your dad. Congratulations on your graduation, by the way.”
“Thank you, um…”
“Sakura Jinpachi,” the man introduced himself, “Call me Jinpachi. Hideyoshi and I go all the way back since our academy days.”
“Of course, Jinpachi-san. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Hayato politely shook the man’s hand before tuning out to the adults conversation. He was more interested in the quiet boy who had his gaze casted down the whole time. It was obvious that the boy wasn’t very enthusiastic about the arrangement either.
“Psst! Hey!”
Hayato leaned across the table just to poke the boy’s arm with his fork. Normally, he would be more mindful of his table manners. However, the nonsense arrangement his parents were thrilled about had soured his mood since that morning. Hayato decided that, if his parents demanded him to put up with their ridiculous overprotective measures, then they would have to put up with his rebellious antics.
Any bitter thoughts that floated in Hayato’s mind went to the wind, however, the moment that alpha boy raised his gaze to meet his own.
His eyes were beautiful.
The left one was a bright golden hue. The right one was an enticing deep blue. Those were easily the prettiest human eyes that Hayato had ever seen.
“Are those natural eyes?”
The question escaped Hayato’s lips without second thoughts. However, it seemed to be a wrong thing to say because the next second that alpha boy was glowering at him.
“GOT ANY PROBLEM WITH IT, HUH?!”
The whole table instantly fell quiet. That boy immediately realized his mistake and cowered under his parents’ sharp glares.
“Haruka! Didn’t we tell you to behave?!”
Hayato had to bite his inner cheek to maintain his composure. He really did not like the way that boy’s parents harshly berated their son. Moreover, it felt rather off to him.
As far as he knew, most parents would normally carry themselves with an overflowing pride if they had an alpha son in the family. A male alpha was quite rare at the time. One who excelled at his studies was even rarer. Based on what his father had told him, Sakura Haruka was supposed to be an astounding graduate from a reputable college. Yet, oddly enough, his parents had not bragged about it even once during the whole dinner.
“Excuse me.” Hayato abruptly stood up from his chair. “May I speak with my future mate in private?”
The middle-aged couple in front of him strangely froze up at his request. The man offered him an awkward smile.
“Hayato-kun, I’m sure you’re eager to bond with my son. But don’t you think it’s a bit unseemly for an unmated omega to be seen alone with an alpha? Especially for someone of your status—”
“I believe I also have a say in this arrangement,” Hayato interjected sharply. “My personal judgement will play a part in determining whether or not your son is fit to be my alpha mate.”
“This arrangement contract has been settled, kid—”
“And I have the right to annul it.” Hayato turned to his father with a hard stare. “Am I wrong, father?”
Hayato might be the youngest in the family, and an omega to boot, yet his elder brothers had never coddled him. They were caring yet strict with him. They had drilled in him the importance of keeping his head raised and standing his ground, especially in the face of a pesky bigoted man like the one before him there.
Quickly sensing the hostile mood, his father made a wise decision to step in.
“A little private bonding time will give our children the chance to familiarize themselves with each other, and it might ease them for the cohabitation process. Don’t you agree, Jinpachi?”
A clean checkmate.
Not that Hayato was expecting anything less of his father.
Their family had a notable reputation for being a business-oriented family. His father was a stock-broker who later founded his own trading firm. His mother was the marketing director of their family company. One of his brothers managed a successful branch at the heart of Osaka. The whole negotiation business was their specialty. It run in the family.
Hayato shot that Jinpachi man a condescending stare while wisely holding himself back from firing off another biting comment. That man truly grated on his nerves. Hayato distracted himself by sliding his gaze towards his son. The boy looked like a deer caught in headlights, staring unsurely between his parents and the hand that Hayato held out for him, before finally making his choice after his father gave him a sharp nudge.
“Don’t embarrass us again!” Jinpachi whispered harshly to his son. It was loud enough for everyone on the table to hear, but Hayato and his parents chose to pretend not to hear it.
Hayato grabbed the alpha boy’s hand before leading him towards the back.
The restaurant was owned by a relative. Hayato had been there enough times to know for a fact that the restaurant had a beautiful indoor garden hidden in the far back of the building. It was a space reserved for special occasions, though the servants were already familiar with him and let him inside without a fuss.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
The boy only gave him a curt nod. He glanced around nervously, and for some reason, refused to meet Hayato’s gaze.
“Hey.”
The boy immediately tensed up. He casted his gaze down towards his shoes, which made Hayato frown and let go of his hand.
“ Haruka-san. ”
This time, the boy’s gaze snapped up towards him. With a small voice, Haruka finally answered, “Yes…?”
“You really don’t like this arrangement, do you? Honestly, it’s all written all over your face.”
“T-That ain’t true at all! I-I am very honored to be given a chance to take your hand in, um…”
Hayato gave the boy a flat stare before exhaling loudly. “Look, it’s fine. No need to force yourself.” He raised a judging eyebrow. “Did your parents write the script?”
Haruka sheepishly rubbed his neck. Bright red blush colored his pale face as he gave up the pretense. “Yeah. I-I am not really good with words, so father told me to memorize some lines. Just in case.”
“Figures,” Hayato said wryly.
Awkward silence hung in the air for a minute or so before Hayato cleared his throat to break it.
“Listen, uh, I am sorry for my careless comment back there. I swear I didn’t mean to offend you. To be honest, I was just surprised. I’d never seen anyone with eyes as pretty as yours.”
“P-Pretty?! Me?!”
Haruka’s reaction was comical. It took Hayato aback slightly. He hadn’t thought it was possible for Haruka’s face to get any redder, yet apparently he was wrong. The boy was practically a red berry. An adorable one.
Something tugged inside Hayato’s chest. His heart skipped a beat.
This guy might actually be my type…
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Hayato quickly shook it off. There were more pressing matters he had to take care of first.
“Anyway, what do you think about this arrangement? Would you like to keep going, or…”
Hayato trailed off once he noticed the shift in Haruka’s expression. The boy instantly paled after hearing his question. Those beautiful eyes were suddenly filled with terror. Hayato absolutely hated the way it stirred a bad feeling inside his gut.
“W-What do you mean…” Haruka sucked in a shaky breath. “What do you mean by asking that?”
“Haruka-san,” Hayato began slowly, “I know you don’t want this arrangement. It’s fine. Truthfully, I don’t really want this either. My parents are just being a worrywart and insisting that I need to find an alpha to accompany me if I want to continue my studies abroad.”
“So, um, you wanna cancel this thing…?”
“I don’t want to force you either, Haruka-san. Don’t worry. I will tell them that it’s purely my decision, so I will take the blame—”
Haruka shook his head frantically. He seemed on the verge of a panic attack. It alarmed Hayato enough to reach for his inhaler. But before Hayato could offer it, Haruka was already stumbling over his own words in a broken voice.
“No! No! Y-You can’t do that! You can’t! M-My father… He really needs this… A-And…”
Haruka’s increasing panic muddled with Hayato’s ability to think clearly. Hayato hastily ripped the scent blocker off his neck without second thoughts, letting his own soothing scent waft in the air to calm the alpha boy before him. His hands twitched restlessly on his sides, itching to offer a comforting touch. Alas, the two of them were essentially strangers at that point. The last thing Hayato wanted was to make Haruka freak out even more.
“Easy now. You’re safe with me, I promise. I will not annul the contract. You have my word. Will you please calm down now?”
Haruka nodded stiffly, not trusting his own voice.
“Can I ask you something first though?”
Haruka hesitantly gave him another small nod. That was enough for Hayato. He took a step closer, taking Haruka’s hand in his own and squeezing it gently as he whispered the question.
“Tell me, are your parents forcing you to do this? Are they threatening you?”
Hayato instantly felt the tremors running through Haruka’s body. The fear was so obvious that it pained him to even simply hold the boy’s trembling hand. He made up his mind right there and then.
I need to save him. I will save him.