* * *

Mincheol muttered something about being annoyed before sitting back down, his friends placing their arms around his shoulders to comfort him.

One of them leaned in close, whispering about how Mincheol’s temper matched his looks.

Woohee ignored them, returning to his seat.

When the PE instructor entered, the alpha friends reluctantly dispersed, smacking their lips in disappointment.

“Did everyone have a good weekend? Today, we’ll start with some stretches on the field and then play volleyball,” the instructor announced.

“Ah, professor, can’t we just do theory today?”

“No excuses. Everyone, get changed into your sportswear and head to the field.”

Unlike other private universities, Cheongha University required all students to take a weekly physical education class as a mandatory general course.

Likely because Cheongha Foundation’s elementary, middle, and high schools were renowned for their sports programs, this tradition had extended even to the university.

The omegas grabbed their gym clothes and headed to the omega-exclusive changing room.

Meanwhile, Woohee, a supposed dominant alpha, removed his jacket among the alphas and betas.

As he undid the first button of his shirt, a loud gulp echoed nearby.

Pretending not to notice, he maintained his composure, slipping on the gym T-shirt over his dress shirt before carefully removing the latter underneath.

“Come on, it’s just us. Why the modesty?”

“Yeah, be an alpha and take it off properly.”

Woohee clicked his tongue inwardly at their pathetic attempts to get a glimpse of his chest.

Did they really think he’d give in?

Even he had to admit his chest had a certain allure, almost lewd in a way, and the alphas would undoubtedly notice if they saw it.

This wasn’t something he’d guarded so carefully for such low-level alphas.

No, it was reserved for Yeo Jinwoo, who would inevitably claim him and mark him as his own.

Ignoring the desperate remarks, Woohee pulled down his jeans zipper.

A chill ran down his spine as he felt their stares.

Feigning ignorance, he stiffly removed his jeans, revealing black drawers and pale legs.

The alphas, their crotches visibly straining, licked their dry lips.

Quickly, he grabbed and slipped into the gym pants.

If this was how they acted without knowing, he could only imagine how things would escalate if he openly lived as a dominant omega.

He’d probably have a swarm of stalkers outside his house every day.

His friends, now fully changed, discarded their shirts with no restraint, revealing well-defined pecs and abs—bodies unmistakably male and distinctly alpha.

Their physiques contrasted starkly with Woohee’s: slender limbs, a narrow waist, and hips that flared out disproportionately.

The older they got, the more pronounced the physical differences between alphas and omegas became.

Even so, none of his friends doubted him.

They’d seen him classified as a dominant alpha throughout their years at Cheongha High School, and stereotypes blinded them to anything else.

When they reached the field, the freshman English majors lined up in two rows.

The instructor led the warm-up exercises.

No matter what Woohee did, his friends praised him like he was an adorable child showing off.

“Look at how gracefully Woohee rotates his wrists.”

To Woohee, their comments sounded like, “Bet he’s good with his hands.”

“Even his neck stretches look elegant.”

“He must be amazing at giving head.”

“Wow, he jumps so high!”

“Bet he could bounce like that while riding someone.”

This was bad. Wetness pooled uncontrollably, soaking the pad he wore.

It had already been damp from his morning fantasies, but now it felt heavy with his slick.

The alphas sniffed the air, their gazes darting around.

“Do you smell that? An omega in heat?”

Panicked, Woohee glanced at Mincheol, who stood nearby.

Others, including the instructor, followed his gaze to Mincheol.

Suddenly, Mincheol became the omega accused of releasing pheromones before his heat cycle.

“It’s not me!” Mincheol protested, his face flushing red as he sought support from Jang Kyungsoo.

But Kyungsoo only returned his gaze with disdain.

“Someone take Mincheol to the infirmary,” the instructor ordered.

Mincheol’s omega friends, who had been on the verge of tears, rushed to comfort him, assuring him it was okay.

But it wasn’t him.

He’d just ended his heat recently and had even taken suppressants that morning.

Mincheol glared at Woohee, who had thrown the spotlight on him.

With a single glance, Woohee, a supposed dominant alpha, had framed Mincheol as an uncontrollable omega.

“I said it’s not me!”

“It’s fine. Mistakes happen. I’ve even forgotten to take my suppressants before coming to school,” one of the omega friends said, trying to console him.

Swept up in their reassurances, Mincheol reluctantly headed to the infirmary, seething at the humiliation.

As soon as he got there, he broke down, sobbing loudly.

“It wasn’t me! Damn it, Woohee! Why the hell did he look at me like that?”

His friends sniffed at his nape, exchanging puzzled looks.

“There’s no omega scent on him at all,” one finally said.

“What?”

Following Eunsoo’s comment, the others took turns confirming it.

“How’s that possible?”

Mincheol’s sobs quieted as he clenched his fists.

It wasn’t him.

He knew it wasn’t.

“I always thought Woohee was weird. Is he really a dominant alpha?”

“Could he be an omega pretending to be an alpha?”

“Well, the alphas from Cheongha High insist he’s a dominant alpha, so we never questioned it. But come to think of it, who would believe it otherwise?”

“Yeah, it’s crazy how our whole department just accepts it.”

There was something undeniably off about Woohee.

Standing among alphas, he resembled a sheep surrounded by wolves.

His height was also unusually short for an alpha, his body lacking the bulky musculature alphas were known for.

His delicate, almost effeminate features added to the suspicion.

“I’m in the student council with him, and suppressants keep going missing. Hearing this, I can’t help but feel suspicious.”

“Are you saying Woohee’s stealing omega suppressants? Then how did he fake his alpha test results?”

“I don’t know, but he’s from a chaebol family. What couldn’t he pull off?”

=
A strange thing had started happening to the omegas in the student council—they kept losing their suppressants.

Oddly enough, this seemed to happen every time they left their bags in the student council room.

But what was even stranger was the suspicion that the jealousy-inducing dominant alpha might actually be an omega.

There wasn’t any concrete evidence, just a gut feeling, but it was a suspicion they couldn’t let go of.

“Damn it, how dare he humiliate me in front of Kyungsoo? That bastard must like him and is trying to undermine me. That pheromone-leaking trash is pinning it on me.”

Kim Mincheol broke into sobs again, his frustration bubbling over.

“Yeo Woohee! I’ll uncover the truth about that sneaky fox no matter what.”

“What are you going to do? Just let it slide?” asked Lee Eunsoo.

“No way,” Mincheol shook his head firmly.

“I’m not letting him get away with it. You guys have to help me catch that thief stealing suppressants. Judging by the pheromones, his heat must be coming soon.”

* * *