Clap - 29

Jaemin died. When cardiac arrest came, he really died. To be more specific, it was Beta Jaemin who died, but the result was similar.

After a considerable amount of time passed, when Jaemin opened his eyes, he instinctively realized that something had changed. His body felt light as if he had just been born. Before losing consciousness, he had felt like he was embracing all the illnesses of the world, but now his muscles and bones felt new.

It might sound like nonsense to others, but Jaemin truly felt that way. His senses, which had deteriorated as time passed, now sensitively perceived everything. His body felt refreshed as if he had just woken up from a good sleep, his vision was clear, and his heart beat thunderously.

The blanket wrapped around his legs couldn’t be that soft. Perhaps his legs themselves had become as smooth as silk. Come to think of it, the occasional bumping of his thighs felt soft and squishy.

Jaemin slowly sat up. The neat bedroom greeted him as usual. There was no sign of Ihyun and Ichan. Were they off to work at the dentist’s office? Or were they mixing medications somewhere else? Or perhaps, they had hoped he would die, but seeing him perfectly fine, they left in disgust.

Jaemin’s gaze wandered aimlessly around, and his own hand came into view. It felt somewhat unfamiliar. His hands, which had been through all sorts of rough work since high school, were never on the delicate side. But now, except for the calluses, they were white and slender. The joints were smooth, unlike a man’s hands. It was as if he had shed old skin.

As Jaemin stared at his hand as if it were an alien, the air began to stir. There was no wind blowing inside the house, yet the air swirled around, delivering something. It was a smell. Jaemin shuddered. It felt like a missile ready to bombard him over a mere smell, and at the same time, it felt like mercilessly falling hail.

Jaemin unknowingly fled to the edge of the bed. It was a futile act of rebellion.

The door opened, and the source of the smell appeared. It was Ihyun and Ichan. The moment Jaemin faced them, he felt every pore on his body open up. Not just pores, but even his eye sockets, nostrils, ear holes, and the hole in the middle of his buttocks.

A chill ran down his arms. So, this is what Alpha is like. It had such a remarkable presence. Realizing that.

“How’s your body?”

Ihyun, with long legs, approached Jaemin and placed his hand on Jaemin’s forehead. Jaemin recoiled, feeling the warmth of his skin even in that brief touch.

Ihyun’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t seem upset, but rather… Yes. It was like the gaze of a scientist observing an experimental subject.

Ichan swiftly took Jaemin’s hand as if fishing for something, then pricked his thumb with a needle to draw bl00d. It went into a familiar machine. The results came out quickly. Distinguishing between Alpha, Beta, and Omega was easier than determining bl00d type.

Ichan shared the results displayed on the machine with Ihyun. Ihyun’s expression changed instantly to one of admiration.

“Jaemin, you’re an Omega.”

“W-what did you say?”

“Jaemin, you’ve finally become an Omega.”

“Congratulations.”

Ichan said, his mouth turned up in a genuine congratulatory smile. It wasn’t a joke or mockery, but a sincere congratulations. Jaemin turned pale as if he had received a death sentence from them. However, as always, Ihyun and Ichan didn’t care about Jaemin’s reaction.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ihyun stroked Jaemin’s shoulder.

“Thank you for enduring, Jaemin.”

“Really… an Omega? Me?”

To think Beta became Omega. He thought it was just the speculation of some smart guys. Was it really possible? He didn’t want to believe it. Jaemin’s hand trembled.

He wanted to go to a different doctor, a different hospital for an examination. But it wouldn’t be possible. These two wouldn’t let him go outside. The shackles around his ankles seemed to have a longer lifespan than him.

“Yeah. Omega. Can you smell us now?”

Ichan stroked Jaemin’s chin. Jaemin closed his eyes despondently. He felt it. He shouldn’t feel it. But he did. The smell emanating from them was so suffocatingly terrifying that he felt like he would choke and die. The pheromones of the two, touching his skin, roamed through his veins like a venom, stirring up his internal organs like a beast.

The smell was like a dark, black sea. It was damp yet refreshing. It was hazy yet pure.