* * *

“Next time you run into guys like that, just say you’re Kang Dohee’s boyfriend. They won’t dare touch you.”

Na Taejoon wiped his wet hands on his gray trousers and removed the name tag from his shirt, handing it to Woohee.

“Wear this. There’s a rumor that I’m Kang Dohee’s guy, so if you’re wearing this, no one will mess with you.”

“What about you?”

“I’ve got more in my locker.”

Na Taejoon placed the name tag in Woohee’s palm and waited for him to pin it on.

Reluctantly, Woohee removed his own name tag and replaced it with Taejoon’s.

“I lied about being his boyfriend because Alphas kept harassing me. The judo team captain took pity on me and went along with it. I don’t even know him, but I guess he felt bad for me.”

Woohee marveled at how differently Kang Dohee and Na Taejoon’s relationship had developed from the original novel.

Since Woohee hadn’t bribed Dohee Won—now Kang Dohee—with money, things had turned out this way.

Kang Dohee, who’d always liked taking care of others, seemed to have grown into that trait beautifully.

Since his name hadn’t changed, it seemed like he’d reconciled with his father, who had found him at the orphanage.

Woohee had only used Kang Dohee’s name as an excuse to transfer to this university, but hearing it now filled him with unexpected warmth.

“You’re going to have a hard time with school life ahead.”

“Why?”

Woohee knew it was because of his looks but played dumb, widening his eyes innocently.

“Why? You’re the prettiest Omega I’ve ever seen.”

“Uh, Taejoon, I’m not an Omega. I’m a dominant Alpha.”

“What? No way. Oh, sorry.”

Realizing his mistake, Na Taejoon covered his mouth and laughed bashfully.

He wasn’t particularly handsome, but there was something undeniably charming about him.

“What’s your major, by the way?”

Even though Woohee already knew Taejoon was a freshman in the Fashion Design Department, he asked anyway.

“Same as you—Fashion Design. I was in the Fashion Marketing lecture earlier, but I guess you didn’t notice me. We have a lot of overlapping classes, and I’ve been watching you, but wow, the professors were nuts. Is your family really that rich?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess. Why?”

Walking side by side down the corridor, Taejoon glanced around.

Seeing only other students nearby, he smiled slyly and nudged Woohee with his elbow.

“If you’re getting protection, you should pay for it. Rich guys like you don’t know the value of money, huh?”

Oh no.

Startled, Woohee stopped in his tracks, caught off guard by the twist.

Taejoon draped an arm over Woohee’s shoulder and whispered in his ear.

“If you want to have a smooth school life, keep this between us and have the tribute ready.”

‘Ah, hyung. What do I do? At this rate, I might actually end up giving my ass to this tiny Omega bastard.’

The professors walked by without a second glance at Taejoon, who was pretending to be friendly with Woohee.

“Hey, how much do you have on you right now?”

Taejoon reached into Woohee’s pants pocket to check, immediately noticing the padded briefs—a dead giveaway that Woohee, claiming to be an Alpha, was actually an Omega.

“Hmm~. This just got interesting. Woohee, you said you’re a dominant Alpha, right?”

Taejoon had figured out Woohee’s lie.

Woohee was an Omega pretending to be an Alpha.

Taejoon saw an opportunity—he could make a fortune selling Omega suppressants to his new, well-off sucker.

“I’ll supply you with Omega suppressants. Twenty times the market price. Deal?”

Taejoon leaned in close, whispering into Woohee’s ear.

Woohee’s eyes wavered with uncertainty.

Just as Taejoon thought the price might have been too steep and considered lowering it, Woohee replied in a tiny voice.

“Okay.”

Taejoon beamed and pulled Woohee into a tight hug.

“Let’s be best friends from now on.”

---

The university rooftop was usually locked, but the school had given Kang Dohee a key for his convenience.

Spread out on a silver foil mat were the school’s notorious delinquents, gathered in a circle.

They sat in silence, cautiously gauging Kang Dohee’s mood.

As the son of Kang Seonghee, the boss of the Black Bear Gang, Kang Dohee wasn’t an Alpha of the highest rank, but at 190 cm tall and the ace of the judo team, he was not someone to be trifled with.

He was usually quiet, but when angered, he turned terrifying.

His poker face made it impossible to read his thoughts—except for one day each year, when he couldn’t hide his sadness.

Anyone who dared to provoke him on that day had to be prepared to live the rest of their life as a cripple.

Kang Dohee looked up at the blue sky with eyes heavy with sorrow.

“Woohee, are you doing well up there? I still think about you sometimes. You were so kind, like an angel—you must be loved by everyone there, too.”

His father had kept his promise and come to the orphanage to pick him up.

Kang Dohee had begged his father to find Woohee so they could reunite.

But his father had brought tragic news: Woohee had died in a car accident.

He couldn’t believe it. How could someone so young die such a meaningless death?

They’d promised to meet again—it couldn’t end like this.

He refused to accept it.

His father, seeing his disbelief, took him to the columbarium.

There, next to a white urn, was a photo of Woohee.

Kang Dohee collapsed to the ground.

From that day forward, he lost his emotions.

He wanted to die but lived on reluctantly, for his father’s sake.

Today was the anniversary of the death of Kang Dohee’s first love, Woohee.

Kang Dohee picked up a green soju bottle in front of him and poured himself a drink.

The delinquents around him made the Omegas, who were targeted for being poor and powerless, serve drinks like barmaids.

“Hey, why the long face? You should be grateful we’re giving you vocational training,” sneered Park Boyoon. He squeezed Ji Sunyu’s butt as she trembled, sitting next to him.

Ji Sunyu, a fashion design department student like Woohee, spilled clear soju from her shaking hands.

“Damn it! You worthless piece of trash! Where do you think you are, spilling this precious drink?”

Park Boyoon punched Ji Sunyu in the stomach, making her collapse to the ground.

Grabbing her hair, he shoved her face into the puddle of spilled alcohol.

“Lick it up, you bastard.”

“I-I can’t! Please, stop!”

Ji Sunyu cried, begging for forgiveness.

• Na Taejoon had climbed to the rooftop as soon as he had free time.

Rooftops and secluded corners of the campus being hangouts for delinquents was a cliché straight out of web novels like ‘I Became the Ice Queen of the Four Kings’ or ‘Marked by the Top Dog’.

Pressing his ear to the rooftop door, he waited for the right moment.

If he barged in to rescue the bullied Omega, the delinquents would surely charge at him, yelling, “Get that bastard!”

He’d then have to beg for his life, crying and pleading on his knees.

But oh, how he hoped one of them would be a decent enough Master for his purposes.

Na Taejoon swallowed nervously and opened the rooftop door.

With Ye Jinwoo away in the U.S., this was his chance to experience the thrill of winning over trashy delinquents.

“Hey, cut it out.”

The moment Park Boyoon, who had been shoving Ji Sunyu’s face into the puddle, saw Na Taejoon, his eyes widened in shock.

He hadn’t expected the second son of the OL Group to show up in a place like this.

Although they were in different departments, Park Boyoon had heard about his transfer to their university.

His father had even shown him a photo, sternly warning him to never mess with him.

‘Damn it, if I touch that guy, I’ll lose my credit card and be disowned,’ Park Boyoon thought, releasing Ji Sunyu’s hair.

Ji Sunyu looked up at his savior with dazed, tear-filled eyes.

* * *