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Kaoru Sakurayashiki knew that he was far from the ideal omega. He was far too lanky, as he was slightly taller than most alphas his age, with the exception of one certain gorilla. He was more lithe than slender, which didn’t really fall into the soft omega archetype. Most of all, he could be a stone-cold bitch, which clearly goes against the whole warm and maternal omega stereotype. However, Kaoru also knew he could do these things. Despite not showing it, he knew he had some motherly instinct within him – he just didn’t have the proper outlet to express it.
With this being said, most alphas tend to react to Kaoru in two different ways: either they were intimidated by Kaoru or saw him as a challenge to be conquered. A unique omega who stood tall and had a quiet confidence about him. He bested most of the people his age with his intelligence and wealth, plus his beauty was nothing to scoff at.
During middle school, Kaoru became somewhat of a social pariah with kids his age, not knowing how to react to him. However, there was one kid who treated Kaoru just like anybody else.
“Cherry Blossom!” A green-haired, tan boy exclaimed as he caught sight of Kaoru in an empty hallway.
“Excuse me?” Kaoru raised an eyebrow in suspicion. He had never met this kid before, so it was off-putting to receive a new nickname.
The excitement of the boy didn’t falter as he stepped closer to Kaoru’s full head of hair. “Your hair! It’s like cherry blossoms!”
Kaoru didn’t know how to respond, so he just eased into the familiarity of being snarky as a defense mechanism. “Well, yours looks like moss!”
The green haired boy pouted. “That’s mean!”
“No, it’s not!” Kaoru bit back. "Besides, you started it!"
“Yes, it is! Cherry blossoms are pretty!” There was a furrow in the boy’s brow. “Moss is gross and stinky.”
Kaoru would later find out that his excitable alpha boy was named Kojiro Nanjo, and ever since their first bickering, they’ve been inseparable. Despite all odds, Kaoru and Kojiro managed to cultivate a strong friendship regardless of their secondary sex. Sure, the compatibility of their alpha and omega always lingered in the back of everyone’s heads, but as years went by, most people’s concern dissipated as the two boys continued to be just great friends.
Kojiro was the definition of a premier alpha. Strong, caring, charismatic, brave, perverted… (Kaoru's mind unhelpfully reminded) so it wasn’t a surprise that most omegas gravitated towards the alpha. In fact, Kojiro seemed to accept their open arms and open legs wholeheartedly.
Kaoru, on the other hand, much to his own ignorance, grew up to be a cold beauty. His beautiful pink hair cascaded over his lithe figure, and his multiple piercings oddly complimented his striking features. His mesmerizing amber eyes often dressed in a glare which was enough to stifle any blatant, growing interest directed his way.
It was a widely known fact that you cannot have Kojiro without Kaoru and vice versa. The alpha and omega, despite all their incessant bickering, always seemed to gravitate towards each other. Furthermore, most of the student body had grown so used to their usual antics that they didn’t even bother giving a reaction anymore.
Truth be told, most of Kojiro’s relationships ended because of Kaoru’s presence, but not that Kojiro ever complained about it. In retrospect, it was quite unusual that Kojiro, in all his brutish glory, never once considered that Kaoru could be a factor in the end of his relationships, nor did he voice anything out. He was best friends with an omega, with Kaoru, simple as that.
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With just his luck, Kaoru managed to get caught in an embarrassing sight while on his way back to his classroom. Kojiro just came out of a stockroom with an omega girl. Both of them dressed in rumpled clothing as if they had gotten dressed in a haste, the clear smell of sex emanating from the stockroom, further making them look guilty.
The omega girl flustered from being caught, ran away in a hurry, while Kojiro just smugly smiled at Kaoru as he stretched his entire body. He teased. "Did you want a turn or something?"
“Have some couth, you filthy knothead gorilla.” Kaoru raised his nose at the potent stench of sex, a clear disgusted expression on his face.
“I don’t know what the hell that means, but I just had something, alright.” Kojiro wrapped his large arm around Kaoru’s shoulders as he gave him a salacious wink.
“Don’t fucking touch me." Kaoru swatted Kojiro’s arm off, as he sneered at his best friend, "Who fucking knows where that hand has been? Disgusting.”
“Easy there, princess!” Kojiro raised his hands in submission as he sent a smug grin toward the pinkette’s way. “You’re lucky this an alpha even bothers to touch you at this point.”
Usually, Kaoru had a quick yet scathing quip to reply on his lips, as their bickering usually goes. However, all Kojiro was met with was the deafening sound of silence and a devastated expression on Kaoru’s face. Suddenly, there was a sharp pang in the taller boy's chest, as if insulting the omega hurt his own inner alpha. He had meant it as a clear jest, but it obviously didn't land like he had wanted.
“Wait, Kaoru, I didn’t mean it like that.” Kojiro tried to plead as heavy regret filled his body.
“Save it.” Kaoru cut him off with clear anguish in his voice, and he fled away from Kojiro with haste.
Kojiro wanted nothing more than to run after his the omega, but he knew that giving Kaoru space was the right thing to do. He had already fucked up, he didn’t want to do more damage than he already had.
Hearing those words from his best friend broke Kaoru’s heart, as he never expected it. He knew he wasn’t like other omegas; he just assumed that Kojiro saw him as more than that. It’s true that he wasn’t the most experienced teenager, but that usually didn’t bother him. Sure, there was an unusual pang in his chest whenever he would catch Kojiro dating another omega, but he just assumed that was some hormonal jealousy.
At the prime age of 17, he hadn’t received one courting offer. What Kojiro had just said earlier, no matter how cruel and brazen, was the complete truth. No alpha had ever touched him, at least in the way that it mattered. He could feel their eyes leering at him, but nobody actually stepped up. He had heats before, and he was attracted to several alphas, but… they were just never attracted to him. It wasn’t like he needed something as trivial as love to survive, but it was actually nice to have someone coddling him.
Maybe he needed to change.
Although, most omegas tend to gravitate toward more feminine fashion. Kaoru seemed to miss the memo, finding comfort in oversized slacks, silver piercings and baggy jumpers. However, sometimes, he can’t help but feel envious of how prim and proper those omegas looked wearing their frilly dresses or revealing garments. He wasn’t opposed to femininity, but he just assumed that it wouldn’t fit him.
He took to his skateboard and rode all over town, trying to process his own feelings. Before he knew it, he found himself in a seemingly abandoned factory as he practiced some tricks on some of the remaining debris and equipment. However, suddenly, a blue figure appeared before him and pulled off one of the most technically difficult tricks with ease.
“Woah.” Kaoru couldn’t help but vocalize his awe.
“You’re an omega?” The alpha approached him as he took a deep sniff. He then commented. “Consider myself piqued.”
“Oh, please forgive my manners.” The alpha suddenly bowed his entire upper body in front of Kaoru, before he offered his name. “I’m Adam.”
“I'm Kao- Cherry…” Kaoru responded meekly, cheeks heating from tripping on his words.
The alp- Adam gently took his hand and planted a chaste kiss on top of it. “Charmed to meet you, Cherry. I have to say that name does suit you.”
This was the first time an alpha treated him like one of those dainty and delicate omegas. He wasn’t thrown off by Kaoru’s tall height nor his numerous piercings.
“I’d never thought I’d see an omega skating around this area, especially an omega as gorgeous as you.” The alpha’s deep voice elicited a trembling down Kaoru’s back.
Kaoru knew that this alpha was probably just blowing smoke up his ass, but he couldn't help being flustered. “Thanks…”
“Though… you need to work on your technique a bit.” Adam supplemented after a beat of silence, yet that wide grin didn’t leave his face.
Normally, Kaoru was quick to retaliate when faced with snark. Being best friends with a gorilla for years, it was bound to become second nature. However, there was something about Adam that made him lower his guard. Maybe, it was the fact that there wasn’t a lick of intimidation coming from the alpha. “I suppose.”
“I could skate with you if you want.” Adam offered as he stepped closer into Kaoru’s personal space, which the omega surprisingly didn’t mind as much. “I could teach you how to refine your technique.”
Kaoru raised his eyebrow at this offer. “You don’t mind doing some charity work for some untalented omega?”
Adam flashed him a handsome smile as he chuckled to himself. “I never said you were untalented.”
For the rest of the afternoon, Kaoru was lost in the magnetic black hole that was Adam, his issues with his best friend and his secondary sex utterly forgotten.
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Kaoru trying something new was usually a forecast for trouble. However, Kojiro’s hurtful comment and Adam’s new presence in his life gave Kaoru the very bright idea to finally lean into his omega side after years of repression. Sure, he had wanted to prove Kojiro wrong and grab the attention of Adam, but most importantly, he had wanted to prove to himself that he was a capable omega even if he didn’t look like the rest of them.
He took off his face piercings and looked down at the makeup that he had hastily bought in a konbini after a skating session with Adam. A simple, versatile lip tint and a basic dark eyeliner looked back at him. The alpha had mentioned something about his lips being chapped due to the colder weather, which only made Kaoru feel self-conscious. He wasn’t one to focus on his looks and physical appearance beyond basic grooming habits. However, the omega knew that he could have always put in more effort into the way that he presented himself.
Truthfully, Kaoru knew little to nothing about cosmetics, so he had only grabbed a handful of items without ensuring he absolutely needed them. This inexperience didn’t deter him as he was an artist at heart that was capable of adapting to his canvas. After a quick browse on a handy tutorial, he believed that he understood the gist of it, or so he had hoped. He had applied some rosy tint on his lips which hydrated it while providing some needed color. The sticky sensation on his lips didn't bother him as much as he had expected. Kaoru had then applied some of the tint on the apples of his cheeks, then quickly dabbed the area to blend it into his natural skin tone. Hopefully, he’ll have achieved more of a naturally flushed look than what he looked like exhausted from an impromptu physical contest with Kojiro.
Thankfully, the rest of his face was clear aside from rare occasions of acne breaking out, so he didn’t feel the need to buy any foundation or concealer. He had started to prod around the rest of his face. Kaoru knew that he had smaller eyes than most of the people he knew, not that it was ever an issue for him. However, he was privy to the fact that his cold gaze was often regarded as intimidating, so he had wanted to attempt to make it more disarming. He began to apply some of the eyeliner in his waterline, hoping it would give off the illusion of having bigger eyes. The subtle dark kohl around his eyes emphasized his amber eyes without it being overbearing.
Next, Kaoru had let his hair down, not even trying to tie it into a ponytail. He had styled the tendril that usually concealed a portion of his side into the back of his head, which provided a much clearer view of his face. He knew it would start to irk him later on, but he tried his best to get used to the feeling of his mane cascading down his body. He carefully brushed the pink strands of his hair, to ensure that it didn’t get tangled and remained straight.
When he finally looked at himself in a bigger mirror, much to his own surprise, he looked softer, delicate even. He wouldn’t go as far as to call himself a paragon of prime omegahood, nor had he ever wanted to. However, the awe-struck boy in the reflection that stared before him, looked every bit of an omega. By all accounts, it was still him, the same Kaoru who was too tall and lanky to be an omega yet still an omega through and through.
Before he knew it, he was ready to go to school. Usually, Kaoru couldn’t care less about what other people had thought of him, but now, he couldn’t shake off that chilling feeling of self-awareness of being perceived. He had walked into school, and every single person he had encountered, seemed to do a double take at his face. Kaoru didn’t know if he should feel flattered or insecure about this new attention on him, perhaps a mixture of both.
“Kaoru…” A familiar voice called out from behind him. As he turned around to face the boy, he was met with a surprised expression from Kojiro.
“What do you need, gorilla?” Kaoru snarked out with an uninterested drawl, yet truthfully, he wanted to know what Kojiro’s reaction was to his new look.
“Wh-what’s with the new look?” Kojiro stumbled on his words, his gaze never leaving Kaoru’s face. He then tried to jest with a chuckle too awkward, still staring at Kaoru. “Trying to impress an alpha or something?”
“Yes.” Kaoru shot him a deadpan look. “Is there a problem?”
“No, uh, not at all.” Kojiro averted his gaze as he responded with a tight voice. “It suits you.”
“So you’re trying to say that my piercings didn’t suit me?” Irritation and offense were evident in Kaoru’s tone as he scoffed out.
Kojiro’s bashfulness quickly melted into fury. “When the hell did I say that?!”
“You just implied it.” Kaoru shot back with an unimpressed expression.
“I just paid you a compliment.” Kojiro tried to explain, still baffled by the turn of conversation. “How the hell did you turn it into an insult?”
“Wow, the great mighty alpha, Kojiro paid this humble omega a compliment.” Vitriol dripped from Kaoru’s lips as he blatantly mocked the alpha. “Should I present for you, oh great alpha? Should I carry your pups?”
Usually, Kojiro would easily respond with an equally scathing remark, yet he was rendered silent by the omega’s words. Kaoru swore he had never seen Kojiro ever turn this red from their banter.
“Whatever, screw you, Kaoru!” Kojiro shouted as he walked away from the pinkette.
“Oh, I’m sure.” Kaoru responded with a sneer, making sure he got the last word in.
Kaoru didn’t know why they were in such a prissy mood recently. He was used to arguing with Kojiro, but it was never this intense. He had blamed it all on his temperamental mood for the day as the stares of his classmates and the opinion of his best friend weighed heavily on his shoulders. He had half-a-heart to take it all off in the washrooms during the break, but decided against it. Besides, Adam hasn’t seen him yet.
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Blissfully, Kojiro found the omega alone on the rooftop during their recess. It was a peculiar habit that he took note of whenever Kaoru wanted to stew in his thoughts and avoid the gawking gazes of his classmates - he would find solace in the peaceful silence of their school's rooftop. Furthermore, the omega seemed to be deep in thought as he curled his knees to his chest.
Kaoru should be ecstatic that his new look had garnered more attention than he had anticipated. However, he didn’t know what to do with that attention. Sure, it was a boost to his ego, but at what cost? Suddenly, Kojiro sat beside him, which Kaoru didn’t bother to acknowledge. He was still hurt by the whole altercation, and he didn’t want to argue with the alpha. Frankly, much of his irritation stemmed from his own disarray of how he presented himself. It felt good that people were now taking notice of him, but it hurt knowing that it took some concealment and changing a part of himself for them to even spare a second glance towards his way. A familiar deep voice broke him out of his thoughts as Kojiro finally spoke. “Look, I’m sorry if I said anything that may have hurt you. It really wasn’t my intention.”
Kojiro’s apologies were rare and far between, so this took Kaoru by surprise. A strange voice played in his head that reminded Kaoru that his apologies were too. Those chestnut irises looked at him earnestly as he continued. “I was just caught off guard by the new look. It doesn’t matter if you want to keep your piercings or not. You’re amazing either way, Cherry.”
Admittedly, Kaoru was quite flustered by the thoughtful gesture coming from his best friend. He couldn’t help but jest. “Such a sappy gorilla. It’s alright, I’ve gotten quite used to your brutish ways.” He then continued in a softer tone as his eyes looked away from the alpha. “I also may or may not have overreacted.”
They shared a warm smile between them. They never had the most conventional friendships, but this didn’t indicate that they cared for each other any less. Despite their headstrong natures, they had always been considerate of each other. It was as if they both intrinsically knew when it was time to bicker and when it was time to reconcile. For what it’s worth, Kaoru had always thought that Kojiro knew of his limits more than he ever did.
They both relished in the peaceful silence between them as a gentle, cool breeze wafted through their bodies on the empty rooftop. They had both just resolved the misunderstanding between them earlier, now finding comfort in each other’s presence once again. However, there seemed to be an air of curiosity that lingered between them as it remained unspoken. Kojiro didn’t know what exactly prompted Kaoru’s sudden transformation, and Kaoru didn’t exactly know why Kojiro had felt so offended by his remarks earlier.
Kojiro finally broke the silence as he asked, no form of malice found in his voice; instead, there was an underlying layer of nervousness. “Where have you been off lately?”
“Never knew you appreciated my presence that much.” Kaoru tried to jest in an attempt to diminish the tension in their air.
“I’m serious.” Kojiro immediately brushed off his casual remark. “I feel like I haven't seen you for so long.”
“We literally have class together every day.” Kaoru deadpanned.
“You know what I mean, Kaoru.” Kojiro replied plainly. “Besides, you immediately disappear after the bell rings.”
“I met an alpha.” Kaoru carefully admitted after a beat of silence. Joe seemed taken aback by this information, yet he remained silent as he let Kaoru continue. “His name is Adam, and we’ve been skateboarding together for the past couple of days.”
“Is-is he courting you?” Kojiro tried his best to project being nonchalant as his face remained steady, yet his tight voice gave him away.
Kaoru’s cheeks seemed to match the shade of his vibrant pink hair as he stumbled on his words. “No? Yes? I don’t really know, okay?”
“But you want him to.” Kaoru’s silence was deafening, and was enough for an answer. Kojiro spoke plainly as if he was trying to vocalize it to cement this realization. “You never entertained an alpha before.”
Kaoru seemed to get his bearings back as he slid into the comfortable facade of superiority. “I mean, how hard could it be?”
“Do you mind if I tag along?” Kojiro then immediately asked, his voice offbeat and unusual. “You’ve been skateboarding, right? I want in.”
Kaoru shot him an unimpressed look. “Promise you won’t say anything to embarrass me?”
“I would never, Princess.” Kojiro replied in a voice softer than usual.
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“Adam!” Kaoru greeted with an unusual cheerful tone, his voice light and airy. This wasn't a tone Kojiro was familiar with at all.
“Mon Chéri, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” Adam kissed the base of the omega’s hand as a greeting, which Kojiro could only look at with a mouth-gaped expression. “You’re looking more radiant than ever.”
“I hope you don’t mind, I brought my friend along. I promise he’s a lot more civilized than he looks.” Kaoru hastily explained the presence of the alpha behind him. “He’s also into skateboarding.”
“You know what they say, the more, the merrier.” Adam gave Kaoru a wink accompanied by a wide, smug grin. “However, I do have to warn you, I’m not good with sharing.”
“I’m Kojiro, you can call me Joe.” Joe extended his hand for the alpha to take, interrupting the other alpha’s shameless leers. He took a good look at the alpha before him. He was quite tall, yet Kojiro preened at the realization that he still had a couple of centimeters on him. He sported a shaggy sapphire haircut and piercing scarlet eyes, which in combination, made for a surprisingly handsome face. The alpha had a lean physique, yet Kojiro was sure that he had compact muscles underneath his deceptively baggy yet pristine clothes.
Those scarlet eyes seemed to size him up, thoroughly amused by the whole situation. He took Kojiro’s hand and he gave it a shake with a grip tighter than what Kojiro had anticipated. “I’m Ainosuke, but you may call me Adam.”
Was this really Kaoru’s type? Kojiro silently thought to himself. Adam seemed like a run-of-the-mill silver spoon alpha. Based on the familiar logo on his clothes, Kojiro could tell that Adam probably studied in some nearby private school. Did Kaoru value pedigree that much? Kojiro began to subconsciously assess his family’s capabilities. They didn’t have much, but they were far from struggling. Besides, he had wanted to support himself independently after he graduated, so he's confident he'll be able to support himself and his mate in the future.
After they had begun to skate, Kojiro finally realized what made Adam so captivating. His innate charisma and talent were magnetizing, where you couldn’t look away. He always seemed to chase the thrill with no hesitation, constantly pushing the boundaries of skating.
Kaoru seemed to hone in all his attention towards Adam, as if Kajiro simply didn’t even exist at that moment. Admittedly, there were even times where Kojiro couldn’t peel his eyes off the blue-haired alpha.
“You need to retain your balance better, mon Chéri.” Adam easily wrapped his hands around Kaoru’s waist as he shifted the boy’s form on the board. As a response, the omega flushed beautifully as he let himself be manhandled with ease, opting to remain quiet and docile. “Your form has greatly improved since that night we met.”
Kojiro’s eyes traced the movement of Adam’s large palms around Kaoru’s lithe body. Truth be told, this physical intimacy didn’t sit well with Kojiro as he could help but compare how Kaoru often avoided his touch. There was an overwhelming primal instinct of envy that filled the veins of his body, or at least, he had tried to reassure himself in his head. This is what all this was, primal fucking instinct. Before he could give it a second thought, he barked out, irritation evident in his voice. “I think the princess fucking gets it.”
He was met with two pairs of eyes finally directed his way, one accompanied by a surprised pout and one with an amused smug grin.
“Race me, Adam.” Kojiro challenged, determination evident in his tone.
“What do you wager?” Adam still had that wide smug grin on his face that seemed to mock Kojiro to no end. “I never do it for free.”
Kojiro hadn’t thought this far, all he knew was that he had wanted to humble the smug alpha in front of him. He didn’t have anything of value with him at the moment.
But before he could reply, Adam interjected with a grin so wide it was akin to a fat cat who had just caught a canary. “What about, the winner takes all?”
“Take all of what?” asked Kojiro, confused by what he had meant.
Adam’s scarlet eyes drifted towards Kaoru, who was looking a little too vexed that Kojiro decided to monopolize Adam’s time and attention. When Kojiro finally realized what Adam had meant, he became more infuriated by Adam’s sheer audacity. Treating Kaoru as if he was just a trophy to be won. However, Kojiro couldn’t help himself; he had desperately wanted to best the other alpha while defending his Kaoru’s dignity.
“Fine,” gritted out Kojiro.
“Let me in on this,” interposed a familiar voice. Kaoru had approached closer and apparently heard the whole challenge. “I’m not going to let you knotheads have all the fun.”
Adam responded with a hearty bordering on maniacal laughter. “Three at the same time? How exciting.”
They agreed to hold their beef in a nearby abandoned factory, and the first person to go through the end of the debris-filled factory wins. Once the beef had begun, the skill disparity between the two of them and Adam was evident as he easily overtook them by a huge margin. It was clear that Adam was going to win this competition, yet it didn’t stop Kaoru and Kojiro from competing on who could reach the end first. However, before Adam could reach the finish line, a black limousine appeared out of nowhere, which prompted the alpha to immediately halt.
“It’s a shame that I won't be able to relish my victory tonight. Perhaps in the future.” Adam cryptically stated as he entered the limousine with no grand fanfare nor a simple goodbye. Kojiro and Kaoru couldn’t help but stop at the sudden forfeit of their third competitor, confused by the entire situation as the black limousine drove further away.
After a beat of silence, Kaoru immediately shoved Kojiro away as he began to skate towards the finish line with the widest smile on his face.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Kojiro called out as he tackled the omega, which disrupted the latter’s balance.
“You monkey! Well, I guess you’re more of an uncouth gorilla nowadays!” Kaoru cried out as he tried to stabilize himself, but not forgetting to obstruct Kojiro’s view with his pink strands.
Joe huffed his chest in pride, opting to take that insult as a compliment to his impressive physique. He taunted as he lowered his body to increase his momentum. “Well, you’re still the same prissy princess you were back then.”
This led to the two teenagers roughhousing as they skated until they had crossed the arbitrary finish line. They had both reached the end of the factory at the same time, which ultimately led to no absolute winner for the beef. However, with the gregarious laughter, comforting touches, and amused smiles shared between them – it seemed that the result of the beef ultimately didn’t matter as they had both won in their own ways.
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After Adam had to go, Kojiro and Kaoru found themselves alone in a nearby playground. The sun had just recently set as the world shifted into the nighttime. The exhilaration in their veins from skating was palpable as they sat down in the playground to catch their breaths. They had never anticipated the sport to be so exciting and fun as their minds ran through different venues to race in.
“Well?” Kaoru asked after some hesitation.
Kojiro directed all of his attention to the omega. “Well, what?”
“What do you think about Adam?” said Kaoru in an unusually meek tone. All the jubilation that Kojiro had from their race earlier had disappeared in the blink of an eye. After meeting the alpha, Kojiro wasn’t still exactly sure why the omega was so smitten, especially over a dubious alpha like Adam.
As much as Kaoru tried to project indifference, Kojiro had known the boy long enough to be certain that he held Kojiro’s opinion to a high degree. The omega was seated next to him on a swing set, clearly anticipating Kojiro’s judgement. After a beat of silence, Kojiro finally replied. “I have to admit, he’s talented and a charmer at that.” He took a deep breath as he stared into Kaoru’s amber eyes, hoping that the omega read the sincerity in his face. “I’m just not sure if it’s right that you change so much of yourself for this random alpha. I could barely recognize you earlier.”
“I’m not-” Kaoru tried to defend himself, but he found the words lost in his throat. He couldn’t deny it, he did change certain parts of himself to appeal to Adam. However, it didn’t mean it was any less of him. It was still Kaoru, just a more palatable version of himself.
“Don’t even bother denying it.” Kojiro couldn’t conceal his temper any longer, which he chided himself for silently in his head. He wasn’t the best in communication, especially when he’s with another spitfire boy like Kaoru, but he had to let his best friend know about his personal disdain for the whole situation. “What the hell happened to that Cherry Blossom bastard that I grew up with? Where did your bite go?”
“You don’t get it, you fucking moron!” Kaoru shot back as he averted his gaze from the alpha.
Kojiro rolled his eyes as he turned to look away from the omega. “I don’t get what? That you’re sacrificing parts of yourself to appeal to somebody? You’re selling a fantasy to this asshole alpha who’s probably not even worth it.”
“I’m sorry that I actually have to try.” Kaoru responded in a rare somber tone. “Not everyone could be a moronic alpha who could attract people effortlessly. I know I’m far from the ideal omega. All of you remind me every single day.” The omega’s voice faltered as his voice became more upset. Kojiro’s eyes immediately darted back to his best friend as if it was a second instinct. “Fucking forgive me if I wanted to exert some effort on the one alpha that decided to spare me a glance.”
He had experienced the complexity and the enigma of Kaoru Sakurayashiki for years, yet seeing the omega in sorrow always had him falter. Kojiro had badly wanted to explain that Adam was far from the only alpha who looked at him. In fact, he knew firsthand that Kaoru was considered as one of the most coveted omegas in their school, not that anyone had the balls to do anything about it. In fact, there was a certain alpha who had his eyes on Kaoru for the longest time. However, all he could utter was, “Kaoru…”
“Besides, I thought you liked this new side of me.” Kaoru quietly stated.
Kojiro knew this was the opportune time to confess. Sure, he had always envisioned the day he confessed to Kaoru to be more romantic, but comforting the upset omega in an old playground was what the universe had given him. He refused to hide in a page of this story. He steeled his resolve and positioned himself to directly face the omega. “I don’t just like certain aspects of you, Kaoru. I like you.”
Kaoru couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What?” was all he could mutter out.
Kojiro’s broad shoulders dropped as he loudly exhaled. He snuck a quick glance at Kaoru, and was elated to see that the omega had stopped his crying. “God, you’re really going to make me say it?”
Kojiro got up, and stood before Kaoru. He crouched down to his knees, now at the eye-level of the sitting omega as he finally confessed his lifelong secret. “I like you, okay? I like you. Every single part, even the ones that get on my fucking nerves. Not just as an omega. Not even as just Cherry Blossom, but all aspects of you, Kaoru Sakurayashiki.”
“You never said anything to me.” Cherry tried to argue as his cheeks reddened as each word that came out of his mouth. “You’ve been seeing so many omegas for so long, you practically knotted every omega at school.”
Kojiro’s cheeks flushed at the mention of knotting. It was no secret that he was sexually liberated, yet the thought of knotting an omega that wasn’t his mate, never occurred in his head. In fact, for years, he only envisioned one particular omega that he had ever considered to knot. Yes, he was a playboy, but he was still a romantic at heart. “It was because I never knew you were interested in this type of thing.” Kojiro awkwardly replied as he tried his best to shake off his embarrassment. He continued in the softer voice akin to a confession. “Besides, I never knotted any of them.”
The silence lingered as they both processed what he had said. Kojiro had long prepared himself for Kaoru’s inevitable rejection. He always knew that somebody as special as Kaoru needed a great alpha, somebody greater than who he could ever be. However, once faced with the harsh reality that Kaoru might entertain another alpha, he couldn’t help but be selfish. Even if he wasn’t the perfect alpha, he would strive to be the best, for Kaoru.
Thankfully, Kaoru hadn’t immediately rejected him, which temporarily saved him from the heartbreak. However, a terrified part of Kojiro just wanted him to rip off the band-aid, instead of prolonging his misery in bated breath. Kaoru’s amber eyes were still looking directly at his own chestnut irises. The feeling of hope started to bloom in his chest as the silence became longer without Kaoru brushing him off.
Suddenly, Kaoru playfully nudged him, which caught him by surprise. This wasn’t the reaction he had anticipated, it wasn’t either harsh rejection or solemn acceptance. Kojiro playfully nudged him back, which the omega responded with a bright smile. Kojiro was comforted by the fact that he hadn’t ruined his friendship with the omega over his confession.
“You don’t have to say anything. In fact, I would prefer it if you didn’t. However, I just wanted to let you know that there is an alpha out there who likes you for you.” Kojiro knew he was babbling, but it was akin to a defense mechanism at this point.
“Kojiro.” Kaoru called his attention.
“Hm?”
“Shut up.” Kaoru immediately leaned closer and captured Kojiro’s lips in a desperate kiss. One that Kojiro returned with the same vigor after a few seconds of being caught off guard. Kojiro had long dreamt of this moment, and finally experiencing the stuff of his dreams didn’t disappoint. Kissing Kaoru felt natural as they easily slotted against each other’s lips. It had never felt like Kojiro had experienced before, and trust him, he experienced plenty. This felt exhilarating akin to the rush he felt skating. With the debauched look on Kaoru’s face, the feeling was absolutely mutual. It felt inevitable as a sensation that he could only describe as fireworks pooled in his stomach. After just a simple kiss, Kaoru had effectively ruined Kojiro for other people.
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The next day, Kaoru came in class with his usual piercings on and hair half-tied up. The omega had seemingly reverted back to his typical look, yet upon closer inspection, there was still a new shiny red tint on his lips.
“Glad to have you back, Princess.” Kojiro greeted him with a wide smile, as he then jested. “Although, I think you still have something on your lips.”
“You stare at my lips often, gorilla?” Kaoru bantered right back with an amused grin. “I realized that it won't hurt to get dolled up every now and then, especially when it comes to disarming knotheads like you.”
“Well, I certainly don’t mind.” Kojiro gave him an exaggerated wink.
“Play your cards right, you might end up with some on your lips too.” Kaoru returned with the same intensity as Kojiro’s flirting, which elicited some heat on the alpha’s cheeks.
He was right all along. Kaoru had officially ruined him for other people.