My Omega Rival in Love [Interstellar] - Chapter 1
Capital Planet of the Weize Empire
Today was the results day for Crini Royal High School, the First Imperial High School of the Weize Empire. In the midyear of 9527 AD, this historic academy was celebrating the graduation of its one hundredth class.
The sky above the school’s deep blue buildings was packed with starships. Members of the Royal Guard had been dispatched to maintain order and ensure the graduation ceremony proceeded smoothly.
“Hey, did you get the notice this morning? At today’s graduation, His Majesty the Emperor is personally awarding the honor medal to the top student. I’m so excited!” A group of girls in elegant formal dresses chatted excitedly as they walked toward Crini’s entrance. They passed through the identification gate and stepped onto a hovering disc platform that glided slowly through the school grounds.
The other girls’ eyes lit up.
“Of course I heard. The Emperor is the youngest ruler in our empire’s history, and they say he’s incredibly handsome. But why would the Emperor come to our high school?”
“Are you even a student here? The Emperor is one of our alumni. Look again at the name on the front gate. It says Royal for a reason.” One of the girls rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed.
Another girl tugged her friend’s sleeve. “Lower your voice. But honestly, I think there must be another reason. Otherwise, why didn’t he come in previous years?”
“Have you all forgotten?” The last girl stepped forward. “This year, one of the royal heirs is graduating from Crini’s Alpha Division. She’s the Emperor’s younger sister. That has to be the real reason.”
The others immediately understood.
“It really is true. Life is just unfair. Look at her. Her father is the Grand Marshal, her uncle was the former Emperor, and her cousin is the current ruler. She’s one of only two direct royal descendants and first in line for the throne. She was born already at the finish line.”
“Shh, do you want trouble? Who in the galaxy could possibly compare with her?”
As they spoke, a massive starship appeared in the sky, blocking out the sun as it slowly descended. Its brilliant flags waved, and the gold-plated exterior was so radiant it almost hurt to look at. The moment it arrived, the entire crowd erupted.
“It’s the Emperor!”
Inside the ship, Gu Jin sat with one foot propped on the back of the chair in front of her, looking down at the man currently being screamed for outside.
“What are you doing here? Are you here to laugh at me?”
Emperor Gu Ting calmly set down his wine glass and looked at her boot, now hovering near his shoulder.
“Why would I do that? I was invited to attend my old school’s celebration. This has nothing to do with you.”
“Do you really think I believe that?” Gu Jin rolled her eyes and dropped her leg, letting herself fall backward in a freefall motion. A floating blue hammock appeared in midair and caught her with ease.
Gu Ting gave a helpless shrug. “If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do. But tell me, how many points do you think the last-place student will be behind the top scorer this year?”
“Gu Ting!” Gu Jin’s mood turned in an instant. The cabin was thrown into chaos.
Crini Academy was divided into four divisions: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. Nobles, royals, and top-performing students were placed in the Alpha Division, and the rest followed accordingly.
Gu Jin was without a doubt the most infamous student in the entire Alpha Division, and perhaps the whole school.
But that only applied to academics. As one of the extremely rare female Alphas in the galaxy, Gu Jin was incredibly gifted. In mecha combat and live martial arts, she had already shattered every record in Crini Academy’s history.
Coincidentally, her academic performance also broke records — by being even lower than the previous worst score held by Gu Ting himself.
The starship landed smoothly in front of Crini’s grand assembly hall. Gu Jin, avoiding the crowd forming at the front of the ship, quietly activated a mini-hovercraft and slipped away from the back. She left Gu Ting behind, surrounded by ministers, playing the part of a smiling mascot.
At the back entrance of the hall, just as Gu Jin packed away her hovercraft and was about to walk in, she heard a familiar voice through the door.
“Ranran, if that’s how you feel, then I truly hope you find your own happiness.”
Gu Jin’s eyes widened, then her mouth curled into a mischievous smile. Her gaze sparkled with wicked delight.
She knew that voice very well. It belonged to her persistent rival, top student of the Alpha Division, He Yu.
The “Ranran” being addressed was Tao Ran, the most popular girl in school and the reason Gu Jin and He Yu became enemies. Tao Ran was a gentle, sweet Omega who had been adored since day one.
Gu Jin and He Yu had grown up together. He Yu was the kind of perfect child every parent adored. Gu Jin, by contrast, was the troublemaker. Because of that, they had always been rivals.
Things only got worse at Crini. Gu Jin had fallen for Tao Ran.
And unfortunately, so had He Yu.
That long-standing rivalry immediately escalated. They went from childhood enemies to complete opposites, constantly fighting and clashing every time they met.
Even last year’s secondary gender test results, which confirmed that both He Yu and Tao Ran were Omegas, did nothing to stop the competition. If anything, it made He Yu even more determined.
Now, graduation had finally arrived. The students who had suffered under Gu Jin’s violence or He Yu’s intense academic pressure were praying for peace. Even the teachers breathed a sigh of relief.
Leaning against the door, Gu Jin smirked and pulled a necklace from her quantum compression ring. She had left the ship early on purpose, knowing that He Yu would definitely try to meet Tao Ran first. She wanted to beat her to it, but it looked like she was still too late.
Luckily, from what she heard, He Yu had just been rejected. Gu Jin was thrilled. She could already imagine He Yu’s expression.
Inside, He Yu continued speaking.
“This is a complete collection of all the exams I’ve taken over the past three years. I also included my analysis of key topics. If you plan to apply to the Capital Mentorship Academy, I believe these will be helpful to you.”
Gu Jin rolled her eyes. Just because she’s good at studying, she thinks she’s so impressive? Who cares?
Annoyed, Gu Jin pushed the door open.
Inside the room, He Yu and Tao Ran were standing face-to-face. Gu Jin walked straight toward He Yu, the taller one with porcelain skin and a cold, unreachable aura.
She placed a hand on her shoulder.
“He Yu, I told you during last year’s differentiation test that two Omegas will never work out. Have you given up yet?”
A loud slap landed on the back of Gu Jin’s hand, leaving bright red marks.
He Yu narrowed her eyes. “Take your pig’s hoof off me. I don’t need extra protein.”
“You little…” Gu Jin looked down at her reddened hand, then smirked. “It’s fine. I forgive your anger. After all, you just lost.”
He Yu took a small step back, folding her arms and watching silently with a mocking smile.
Ignoring her, Gu Jin turned toward Tao Ran and handed over a box.
“Happy graduation. You made the right decision.”
Tao Ran blinked in confusion and took the box.
“You already know I’m planning to study at the Capital Mentorship Academy and that I don’t plan to date either of you. And you still want to wish me well?”
Gu Jin froze.
That was not what she had expected at all.
She turned to look at He Yu, who gave her a look that said she was a complete fool.
“Is that not true?” Tao Ran asked, her eyes wide and innocent. She looked so sincere that Gu Jin could not find the strength to argue.
Gu Jin forced a smile. “It is. I hope you study well there.”
Tao Ran nodded politely.
Gu Jin gently patted her head.
“Also, I plan to attend the military academy on the Frontier Planet. I might be gone for a long time. You don’t have to give me an answer now, but when I return, maybe you can.”
Tao Ran looked hesitant and glanced toward He Yu, then quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, He Yu, aren’t you also going to the Frontier Planet? What a coincidence.”
Gu Jin and He Yu both froze.
Gu Jin turned sharply to her.
“I thought you were staying on the Capital Planet. Didn’t you already get accepted by the Imperial Science Academy? Why would you go all the way to the frontier?”
He Yu looked away, her composure slipping slightly.
“Who says I have to go just because I was accepted? Why can you go to the frontier and I can’t?”
“What are you going to do there? I’m going to military school to defend the border and fight off invaders. You? Deliver yourself to the enemy as a human snack?”
Gu Jin pulled her hand away from Tao Ran and stepped toward He Yu. Her height gave her a clear advantage as she stared down, her words laced with sarcasm.
Ever since their gender differentiation, Gu Jin had been growing like she was on steroids. Her height shot up rapidly. He Yu, on the other hand, barely changed and stayed nearly the same. Just like that, a noticeable height difference formed between them.
Uncomfortable with being this close to Gu Jin, especially while being looked down upon, He Yu took a step back and pushed Gu Jin away. She crossed her arms and looked to the side.
“There is more than one frontier planet. You’re going to the Eastern Frontier, to the Imperial Military Academy on Rota Star. I’m going to the Western Frontier, to the Imperial Mecha Research Center on Sasa Star. It’s located deep in the rear zones. Very safe. Most importantly, I won’t have to worry about running into you.”
Sensing that another argument was about to begin, Tao Ran quickly stepped between them.
“So the three of us are like a straight line now? Since both of you are leaving, I’ll stay here on the Capital Planet and wait for you to come back. When you return, I’ll treat you to dinner. Is that okay?”
Gu Jin scoffed and flung her hand with a sharp laugh.
“A straight line only needs two points. Someone doesn’t seem to realize they are unnecessary.”
“I am unnecessary, I am, I get it,” Tao Ran replied quickly. When He Yu turned around, Tao Ran immediately stepped in front of Gu Jin and smiled. “It’s me who is the extra point, alright? Just the two of you form your line. Leave me out of it, okay?”
He Yu opened her mouth to speak but froze. She glanced at Gu Jin by instinct and saw Gu Jin also looking her way. The two of them pictured that mental image at the same time, and a chill ran through both of them. They turned their faces away in disgust.
Finally, peace returned. Tao Ran breathed a quiet sigh of relief and grabbed both of their hands.
“Then it’s settled. Ten years from now, on the Capital Planet, I’ll host a welcome-back dinner for you.”
No one outside the rear entrance of the assembly hall had any idea what had just taken place. Meanwhile, at the front of the hall, the graduation ceremony had reached its peak. It was time for His Majesty the Emperor to personally award the medals of honor.
“And now, we invite our esteemed Emperor to present the Medal of Excellence to the top-performing student in the final exams. With a perfect written score of 750 points, please welcome He Yu.”
Half a minute passed. The host’s smile began to stiffen. Still, no one came forward. Whispers spread through the crowd. The school administrators turned toward Gu Ting, who simply waved a hand without concern.
Trying to maintain composure, the host continued.
“Let us move on. Please welcome the student who achieved perfect marks in combat, mecha operation, and live battle testing. Congratulations to Gu Jin.”
Another half-minute passed. Still no appearance. The scene repeated itself. The atmosphere turned awkward.
Gu Ting, seated at the center of the stage, quickly raised a sleeve to cover his grin. He had waited for something like this since his student days.
“My apologies,” the host finally said. “Due to the great distance between their new academies and the time needed for travel, both He Yu and Gu Jin have already departed for their new schools to avoid missing orientation. Today, we are proud of their outstanding achievements.”
From that day forward, the absence of two-star students from their own award ceremony became legendary at Crini Academy. Not only because of the dazzling, unmatched scores they achieved, but also because they were the first to escape the pressure of the academy’s famously strict system with their heads held high.
Note: He Yu is one of the main characters of the story; ‘He’ is part of his name, not a pronoun.