* * *

The boy from Class 1… While he couldn’t recall his name, he didn’t seem particularly tall—probably around the same height as Jeongseo.

His hair wasn’t pure white, but it sparkled in the sunlight, as beautiful as rippling river waves.

Could it be… the person Pyo Yoontae mistakenly thought was his first love?

Jeongseo glanced at Pyo Yoontae.

Since Pyo Yoontae already looked annoyed from the moment he started glaring at the boy, Jeongseo couldn’t read anything from his expression.

“Why?”

His tone was stiff.

Not even a hint of curiosity—if anything, he sounded slightly irritated.

Jeongseo alternated his gaze between the boy and Pyo Yoontae.

The Class 1 boy fidgeted, running his fingers nervously through his hair before pulling something out of his pocket and holding it out to Pyo Yoontae.

“Can I get your number?”

It was a phone.

Judging by the fact that he was asking for Pyo Yoontae’s number, it was clear the boy wasn’t the person Pyo Yoontae had mistaken for his first love.

Jeongseo let out a sigh of relief internally but also felt a slight twinge of tension.

Though Pyo Yoontae claimed he was looking for his first love, this boy’s fair hair and handsome appearance made him a potential candidate.

When Pyo Yoontae stayed silent and didn’t react, a friend standing behind the Class 1 boy quickly stepped forward, playfully pushing the boy toward Pyo Yoontae and chiming in.

“Yeonwoo just wants to be friends! Come on, give him your number.”

So, the boy’s name was Yeonwoo.

Yeonwoo, his cheeks flushed red, couldn’t even meet Pyo Yoontae’s gaze as he stared down at him.

Watching them from a few steps away, Jeongseo felt an odd tightness in his chest.

Maybe Yeonwoo was genuinely interested in being friends, but there was a hint of something else in his shy demeanor.

Not that it mattered—Jeongseo disliked how Yeonwoo had approached Pyo Yoontae in the first place.

Then again, only a short while ago, Jeongseo had firmly believed there was no issue with making friends while not being in a relationship.

Struggling to calm his growing frustration, Jeongseo froze when Pyo Yoontae picked up Yeonwoo’s phone.

Shocked, Jeongseo couldn’t hide his disbelief.

He had thought for sure that Pyo Yoontae wouldn’t give his number away.

Jeongseo’s gaze locked on Pyo Yoontae with a tinge of betrayal.

But before he could fully process it, Pyo Yoontae turned toward him with a sly grin.

“Should I give him my number, Jeongseo?”

“What? Huh?”

Jeongseo was caught off guard.

Why was Pyo Yoontae asking him?

Confused, he glanced from Pyo Yoontae to Yeonwoo, who was now looking at him with pleading eyes.

Those soft gray irises shimmered with hope as they fixed on Jeongseo.

“Should I? What do you think?”

Pyo Yoontae asked again, his tone teasing, as if he would do whatever Jeongseo decided.

That only made Jeongseo more frustrated.

Deep down, he didn’t want Pyo Yoontae to give his number, but with Yeonwoo and his friend staring expectantly, Jeongseo couldn’t bring himself to speak.

As his thoughts spiraled into chaos and his mind reached its limit, Jeongseo finally burst out:

“Why are you asking me, idiot!”

He bolted.

Jeongseo turned on his heel and ran off as fast as he could.

Behind him, Pyo Yoontae let out a soft “Ah…” realizing he might have pushed Jeongseo too far.

Handing Yeonwoo’s phone back to him, Pyo Yoontae quickly chased after Jeongseo, calling out.

“Jeongseo! Wait, let’s go together!”

Yeonwoo stood there, staring blankly at Pyo Yoontae’s retreating figure.

His friend, who had been standing beside him, clicked his tongue and slung an arm around Yeonwoo’s shoulder.

“See? I told you they’re dating. One hundred percent.”

“…But the partner Pyo Yoontae’s looking for is supposed to have light hair and be small, like a cute animal.”

After the sports festival, when photos of Pyo Yoontae had been posted on the school’s SNS, more people had started paying attention to him.

Naturally, rumors spread about him looking for his partner, someone who matched his preference for light-colored hair and a cute, small animal-like appearance.

“It’s just a rumor. Why would a rich kid like him come here to find a partner?”

“It’s not a rumor! Someone said it’s true…”

Yeonwoo, an Angora rabbit shapeshifter, pouted, his ears drooping slightly.

His friend patted him on the back, encouraging him to let it go.

“They’re clearly inseparable. Who cares about his type?”

Watching Pyo Yoontae fawning over Jeongseo from afar, the friend muttered in annoyance.

Then, as if remembering something, he tilted his head.

“Wait, isn’t Jeongseo’s hair also kinda…”

“Huh?”

He trailed off, shaking his head.

It wasn’t worth mentioning something he wasn’t sure about.

---

After finishing their activities for the day, the students returned to their accommodations, a hotel nestled near a pine forest.

The area had a walking trail, an indoor gym, a pool, and even a small convenience store, making it a comfortable place to stay.

After dinner, the students went to their assigned rooms to unpack.

While most shared rooms with their group, compatibility was prioritized to avoid issues stemming from pheromones.

As a recessive omega, Jeongseo was assigned a room with other omegas and betas, one of whom happened to be Yeonwoo.

When their eyes met, both froze.

Jeongseo flinched, and Yeonwoo, visibly uncomfortable, quickly looked away.

Suppressing the awkwardness, Jeongseo picked a spot and began unpacking.

He couldn’t help but wonder if Pyo Yoontae had given Yeonwoo his number.

Since Jeongseo had run away, he had no idea what happened afterward.

Pyo Yoontae had only come back to him later, brushing it off as a joke and suggesting they grab something tasty at a café.

The room had four students in total, each from different classes.

Jeongseo wasn’t close to any of them.

Since hybrids made up a small percentage of the student body, there were only about seven omegas in the entire second year, and Jeongseo was the only one in his class.

As a result, omegas often shared rooms with betas, who were unaffected by pheromones and saw hybrids as nothing more than male or female based on their appearance.

While unpacking, Jeongseo was startled when the door burst open.

“What?”

To his surprise, Hayan entered.

Jeongseo stared at him in shock, but Hayan didn’t seem to care.

He walked to the corner and dropped his bag.

“We’re roommates?”

“You didn’t know?”

“Nope!”

Jeongseo’s cheerful response left Hayan momentarily speechless before he waved him off.

Jeongseo took the cue, heading to the bathroom to change.

When he came out, his phone buzzed—it was Pyo Yoontae.

Answering the call, Jeongseo folded his discarded clothes neatly into his suitcase.

“Hello?”

• Jeongseo, what are you up to? They said we can walk the trail until 8. Want to join me?

“Sure!”

“Then shall we meet on the first floor in ten minutes, Jeongseo?”

Ten minutes later, Jeongseo could have gone downstairs right away but thought Yoontae might need time to prepare.

So, he simply said, “Okay,” without commenting further.

After ending the call, Jeongseo sat idly when Hayan, having already changed into casual clothes, also emerged.

Wearing a black long-sleeved T-shirt and black sweatpants, Hayan rummaged through his bag and pulled out a book.

Jeongseo stared in disbelief, thinking, ‘Is he seriously studying even here?’

But upon closer inspection, it wasn’t a textbook. The not-too-thick cover read ‘The Metamorphosis’.

Noticing Jeongseo staring, Hayan lowered the book slightly from his face.

“What are you looking at?”

“Is it interesting?”

“It’s f***ing boring.”

Jeongseo tilted his head, confused by the unexpected answer.

If it’s so boring, why is he reading it?

Before Jeongseo could ask, Hayan sighed softly and explained.

“It’s for a literary critique assignment.”

“…An assignment?”

‘Was there something like that?’

After thinking for a moment, Jeongseo recalled an assignment due in two weeks.

‘He’s already working on it?’

Feeling impressed, he glanced at the clock and stood up.

Grabbing a hooded zip-up just in case it got cold, he headed out when Hayan asked.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m taking a walk with Yoontae.”

Hayan squinted his eyes slightly and nodded, but for some reason, Jeongseo felt a prickling sensation from Hayan’s side profile.

When he glanced over, he met Yeonwoo’s eyes.

The latter quickly averted his gaze, leaving Jeongseo feeling strangely unsettled.

However, he shrugged it off and made his way downstairs.

* * *