Chapter Text
In a world ruled by alphas, there wasn’t a single day Gyujin wasn’t crushed under their weight.“What kind of sin did I commit in my previous life to deserve this suffering?” he wondered every day. Every breath of oxygen he drew burned inside his chest.
He was born into a poor family and abandoned by one of his fathers at a young age. He lived with his other father, who was unemployed, drowning in gambling debt, and came home drunk every day. Besides being a high school student, he worked every job he could find just to bring some food home and to pay off the debts his father had piled onto their heads. He was an omega, he was poor, and he was weak... even the devil pitied him.
“Hey, you piece of shit.”
One of the school bullies walked toward him with his hands in his pockets. Gyujin lifted his head from the problems he was trying to solve; he saw his bully's face more frequently than he ever saw his own in a mirror. The bully pushed the boy sitting in front of Gyujin and said, “Get lost,” before taking his seat. The boy threw Gyujin’s notebooks to the ground and leaned toward him.
“Gyu… when are you gonna bend over for me? Every time I see you, I go into heat, seriously.” He and the others burst out laughing.
The bully leaned close to his neck and sniffed him. “Ahh… omega scent…” When he pulled back, his eyes locked onto Gyujin’s. “I can even give you some money if you want. You need it, after all.”
Gyujin was angry, but it was a familiar anger. He didn't have the strength to resist them; if he fought back, he would just get beaten. It was best to listen to their foul words in silence and wait for them to leave.
“What? Don’t look at me like that. I can’t handle it.” He grabbed Gyujin’s chin tightly and pulled his face up.
“Everyone, to your seats.” The teacher’s entrance made him let go. Even as he stood up and walked back to his seat, he didn’t stop staring at Gyujin.
“As you know,” the teacher began, “our school is located in an urban redevelopment zone, so it will be evacuated. This means new schools will be assigned to you. The school will handle the process; details will be announced soon.” The classroom buzzed with chatter. Gyujin thought about the school he’d be transferred to. It can’t be worse than this, he told himself. At least, he hoped so.
“Gyujin.” The teacher called his name.
“Huh?”
“Come see me after class.”
Gyujin nodded.
After class, he went to the teacher.
“Because your grades are good, you’re eligible for a scholarship at Jeongil High School,” the teacher said. “I didn’t accept it without asking you, but I don’t think you’ll refuse. Think about it, talk to your family, and tell me your decision tomorrow.”
“Jeongil?” It was the high school most students dreamed of. The best university placement results came from there. Just wearing that school's uniform was a status symbol. “I accept.” He had a poor life compared to the rich kids at that school, but bullying wasn't something new to him. Compared to the agony he suffered in this hellhole or the potential misery of other terrible schools nearby, he thought that place would be more tolerable—worth enduring. And above all, he wanted to get into a good university.
His teacher smiled. “I thought so.”
That evening, Gyujin was heading home after a day job he’d found at a construction site. On the way, he bought a few gimbap rolls from a street vendor for dinner. They weren’t his favorite, but they were the cheapest. While waiting for the traffic light to turn green, he thought about his new school. He imagined the uniform on his body. He didn’t like rich people, but there wasn’t much he liked about life at all. He just viewed it as a task to be endured, and then it would be over.
As he crossed the street when the light turned green, a car ignoring the light sped toward him; the glare of the headlights grew larger as it approached. Just as the car was about to hit him, it stopped with a sudden screech of brakes. Gyujin froze in place.
The driver slammed the horn. “Move it, you son of a bitch!”
When Gyujin didn’t move, the driver jumped out of the car in a rage.
“What are you staring at?”
“The light was green for me,” Gyujin said calmly. They looked about the same age. He’d bet the guy didn’t even have a license.
The boy was annoyed and smirked nastily. “Oh, was it?” He stepped closer. It was clear he wasn't in his right mind.
“Do you want to die?” He slapped the plastic bag in Gyujin’s hand, sending it to the ground, then grabbed his collar and raised his fist.
“Ah, Seongjun, forget it. Let’s go.” The girl in the passenger seat spoke up.
Seongjun shook Gyujin once more before letting go. Before getting back into the car, he crushed the bag he had dropped, ruining everything inside. Then he sped off.
When Gyujin unlocked the door to his house, the stench of alcohol filled his nose. Dad’s home. He put the instant noodles he’d bought to replace the ruined gimbap on the table.
Hearing Gyujin come in, his father stood up; barely able to walk straight.
“Hey!”
He opened his hand and reached toward him. “Money.”
“I don’t have any,” Gyujin sighed.
“Don’t bullshit me. I know you do.”
“Go to sleep.” Gyujin said; he didn't want to deal with his father right now. As Gyujin tried to pass him to go to his room, his father grabbed him.
“You useless brat. If you can't earn enough, go start working at a brothel. I'm sure there are alphas who would even want to fuck an omega like you. At least be useful.”
Gyujin had trained himself to endure bullying from others. But hearing this from his own father hurt worse than any beating.
He pulled his arm away and turned toward him, eyes filled with resentment and rage.
“We are in this state because of you! If you were useful for anything, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation. You're just rotting away in your own filth.”
“What the fuck did you say to me?! Speak properly!”
He turned his back and entered his room before his father could grab him again.
“Open the door! I’ll show you!”
As his father pounded on the door, Gyujin collapsed to the floor behind it and began to let his tears flow.
The day he would start his new school had arrived; he put on his new school uniform and stood in front of the mirror. He sighed and wished for this new chapter of his life to pass with as little trouble as possible. He grabbed his bag and left.
When he reached the school, he looked at the building before going in. Even the building looked as rich as the students inside. Every student entering the yard, boy or girl, looked well-groomed and neat. Some were being dropped off by drivers. This was another world.
“Yes class, we have a new student. Be kind to him, okay?” the teacher announced before Gyujin entered the classroom.
“You can come in.” Gyujin straightened his clothes, took a second to compose himself, and walked in. He stood in front of the blackboard. “Introduce yourself.”
“I’m Park Gyujin. Nice to meet you.” he said and bowed slightly. The class gave a forced applause at the teacher's request.
“You can take the empty seat in the back.” the teacher directed. Gyujin took his seat and listened to the lesson quietly; he was nervous.
“This kid, ah, where do I know him from?”
“Do you know him?”
"Aha! It’s that idiot.”
“Who?”
“The kid I almost ran over a few days ago.” He smirked.
“He goes to our school now? Whose bastard is he? Doesn’t look like he has money.”
“It's probably from that shitty scholarship program the school does for show.”
“Quiet!” At the teacher’s warning, they fell silent and waited for recess to meet the new student.
During break, Gyujin went to the restroom. While he was washing his hands, a group of students entered. “Get out,” he said to those in the restroom. Gyujin turned to look at the person speaking. He didn't forget faces easily; he recognized the person in front of him. ‘This must be a joke,’ he thought. He looked at the name tag: ‘Kang Seongjun.’
As he was about to leave the restroom, Seongjun grabbed him and pulled him forward. “You stay.” The two boys next to Seongjun moved behind Gyujin. All of them looked quite built and intimidating compared to him.
“We wanted to say welcome. But we’ve met before, haven't we?” He scanned Gyujin slowly.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Ah, sorry about that day. I was a little… off, you know.” He crumpled his face into a fake expression. “Anyway, since we’re classmates now, let’s get along, yeah?”
He extended his hand. It was clear there wasn't a gram of sincerity in his tone; he wasn't sure what kind of trouble this boy would be. But he had no intention of causing a scene. He quietly shook the extended hand. Seongjun gripped his hand harder, asserting his dominance.
As Gyujin left the restroom, Seongjun stepped back and looked at him from behind.
“Look at that fucking ass. I bet he’s an omega.”
“You didn’t need to stare at his ass. It’s obvious from a hundred meters away.”
“Fuck. I want him.” he said, lighting a cigarette. He had found his new toy.
For the rest of the day, they didn't bother Gyujin much. But it was nothing but the silence before the storm.
It had been over a week since he started his new school. He was beginning to get used to it, but as the days passed, he felt the pressure Seongjun exerted on him increasing. The shoulder-checks were becoming more frequent, and the taunts were growing. A luxury hell.
While sitting in class, a student came up to him and said, “He’s waiting for you in the backyard.”
“Who’s waiting?”
“Who else, Seongjun,” he said and left.
Ahh, great. He weighed the pros and cons of going in his head. He still didn't have the strength to stand up to them. He bowed his head to survive. He went.
When he turned the corner, he saw them smoking. Seongjun was leaning against the wall, blowing the smoke he inhaled into the air. Anyone could easily tell who the leader of the group was. He was powerful, and he knew it.
He smiled when he saw Gyujin. “Well, look who’s here.” He straightened his posture and signaled him to approach. When Gyujin stood before him, he blew the last puff of smoke into his face. He threw his cigarette butt on the ground and pulled out his pack from his pocket. He held it out to him, “Want one?”
“No.”
“No? You’re not polite at all.” He squeezed Gyujin’s shoulder. Gyujin bowed his head in pain.
“Look at me.”
He lifted his gaze toward him.
“Ah, I hate that look.”
He pulled his hand from his shoulder and stepped back; just as Gyujin thought he was letting him go, Seongjun landed a slap on him. He held his cheek.
“What happened? Did it hurt?” He leaned in to look at his face, and he and his friends laughed. They were enjoying it.
This time, he grabbed him by both shoulders and pinned him against the wall. While holding him against the wall with one hand, he grabbed between his legs with the other. Gyujin moaned instinctively. Just as he was about to grab Seongjun’s arm, his friends held him back.
“Did you just moan? Did you like that?” He smirked nastily. He gripped tighter. “A bit bigger than I expected. Though, since he's an Omega, I should check your hole.”
“Let me go!” He was struggling.
“Shh, stay calm.”
“What do you want from me?!”
“What do I want from you? I don't want anything from you.” His voice lowered. “I want you.”
Gyujin kicked him between the legs.
“You son of a bitch!” This time, the beating he delivered made Gyujin’s lip bleed. He grabbed his chin and squeezed his face. “Do that one more time and I’ll tear you to pieces!” He delivered a punch to the stomach as well. Gyujin’s breath was momentarily cut off.
“We were just getting started, Fuck-gyu.”