* * *

Although he wasn’t openly antagonistic toward other alphas, unlike some, Jin Sejun had found himself feeling uncomfortable around confident, successful alphas at some point.

On the other hand, he was oddly drawn to those he felt he could beat.

Was it because he’d lived his whole life without ever feeling inferior, only to discover a sense of inadequacy after his body broke down?

Perhaps that’s why he harbored a faint sense of competition.

About ten years ago, Sejun, declaring, “I’ve spent my life cramming for college entrance exams. Now I’m going to live recklessly!” ended up attending a swapping party.

It wasn’t immediately after entering college but during a period of frustration after being repeatedly rejected in relationships due to a jinx.

That was where the incident occurred—one that fundamentally disrupted the life of Jin Sejun, the alpha of alphas who had thrived on his brilliance.

His pheromones had become faulty.

While Sejun himself felt unchanged, his pheromones disrupted the sensory receptors of other secondary genders.

Sweet omegas, who should have been drawn in by his deepening pheromone scent during intimate moments, instead felt nauseated.

Meanwhile, Sejun’s pheromones, which flared aggressively when fighting with other alphas, often created strange atmospheres.

Thus, Jin Sejun, who boasted a top-tier alpha face, body, and financial prowess, ended up being described as a half-baked omega-like alpha.

The rumors followed him—not only in college but even at his first workplace.

Whispers spread that he was an omega pretending to be an alpha.

This was intolerable to Jin Sejun’s pride as an alpha.

After quitting his job in his field of study and wandering aimlessly for a while, his second older brother pulled him into the role of head counselor at this clinic.

He’d spent the past decade thinking, “How could this happen to me?”

At first, he assumed it would eventually heal, or that he’d meet an omega who liked his peculiar pheromones.

In the meantime, he figured he’d just focus on earning money.

But after repeatedly being outright rejected by cute, beautiful omegas who matched his preferences, he lost the courage to even approach one.

There were times he thought, It might’ve been better if I couldn’t get it up or if I didn’t have a functioning penis at all.

Because of that, during his early days at the hair transplant clinic, he truly listened to the woes of patients burdened with troubles they’d never encountered before.

In truth, he consoled himself, thinking, I’m still lucky compared to them.

However, as the saying goes, ‘Your own hangnail hurts more than someone else losing a hand.’

Over time, even something like hair loss seemed trivial compared to his own issues.

Hair could be covered with wigs, treated with transplants, or shaved off entirely to embrace a brooding artist aesthetic with thick glasses.

But pheromones?

Among the issues secondary genders faced, unattractive pheromones were not uncommon.

This was more typical for omegas, who often resorted to pheromone perfumes.

Overripe peach scents were classic, but osmanthus was gaining popularity as an elegant alternative.

Yet, perfume could only do so much. It couldn’t entirely replace or conceal the multifaceted nature of secondary gender pheromones.

When intimacy came to its most intimate moments, what good were temporary solutions like deodorants or pheromone perfumes?

Perhaps that’s why he found himself snapping at those lamenting hair loss on anonymous forums.

He had never seriously considered dating a beta.

Being born as such an exceptional alpha, the idea of forming a perfect yin-yang harmony with an omega was all he had ever contemplated.

This mindset wasn’t unique to Jin Sejun.

Most people raised in families where alpha-omega pairings were the norm thought this way.

Had his flaws driven him to develop a voyeuristic, secretive hobby of observing others?

Jin Sejun was quite active in the “sex world,” as he called it.

Proud of his attributes, he didn’t shy away from broadcasting them, listing things like “Height: 188 cm, Flaccid: XX cm (Erect: XX cm), ALPHA” in his profile.

He also included a photo—angled to obscure a poorly done tattoo from his youth—of his shirtless torso, which he’d pumped with bodyweight exercises for an hour to make his muscles pop.

His account, which had only one photo, was filled with posts like this:

Jin@Apex0fPredators
I want to invite a petite omega into my arms, feed them the brunch I made, and watch them squirm uncomfortably because they’re not used to being pampered. Then, I’d feed them sweet desserts…

…with my mouth. After kissing them deeply, I’d move lower, tracing cream with my tongue, licking where their slick dampens their thighs, and stirring them like whipped cream. When they moan sweetly, I’ll gently caress their chest, whispering for them to relax.

⤷ Yuhan (an omega mutual): I like sweet things.
⤷⤷ Jin: I’m thirsty, Yuhan. Let me drink your slick. 🧡

Jin@Apex0fPredators
Every omega deserves to be cherished by an alpha. Any alpha who makes an omega cry doesn’t deserve to live.

⤷ Jjuni (another omega mutual): Why can’t all alphas be like you, Jin? 🥺
⤷⤷ Jin: If everyone were like me, you’d only meet good alphas.
⤷⤷⤷ Jjuni: Can’t I just meet you instead? 😂

“It’s cute, but that’s a bit much.”

With just a silver tongue—or rather, nimble fingers—he’d flirted recklessly with naive omegas, even entertaining the thought of meeting up.

After all, anyone who saw Jin Sejun’s face wouldn’t think of him as a disappointment but as a jackpot.

Ever since he started working as a counseling director, he had groomed himself meticulously, brimming with confidence in his appearance.

But.

Whenever a meeting was about to be arranged, Jin Sejun would ghost them and vanish without a trace, leaving most of his relationships in shambles.

To himself, he felt pathetic for staring at the unattainable and babbling uselessly.

Eventually, he gave up ogling omegas and tossing casual compliments like “Looks good” at the risqué pictures alphas sent around.

However, for some reason, he couldn’t help but be drawn to the account of one specific alpha—no, a “beta”—who seemed so unlike the others.

He didn’t interact, simply observed from afar (though he hadn’t completely stopped browsing omega accounts, either).

This alpha didn’t flaunt his encounters with omegas in rough, primal videos nor boast about his “alpha-ness.”

Even the camera angles felt like an invitation to voyeuristically peek into private moments, making it strangely unburdening to watch.

What caught Sejun’s attention most was how awkward and unaccustomed the alpha seemed to displaying such intimate acts for others to see.

It was… refreshing.

“It’s rare for an alpha to be like this. Is there something wrong with him? Like me?”

He had a great body.

Though it was hard to gauge his height compared to the furniture around him, he appeared tall.

With a physique like that, even an unattractive face wouldn’t matter—omegas would surely flock to him. And yet, he was always alone.

Feeling an odd sense of kinship, Sejun replayed the bookmarked video over and over.

― Gasp… Uh…

“Haah…”

A new video had recently been uploaded to the account—a steamy scene of an alpha-omega pairing.

Watching it had inadvertently aroused Sejun, leading him to revisit the “Beta’s” account as part of his regular routine. It wasn’t as if he’d watched the alpha’s solo videos while getting off.

Absolutely not.

He couldn’t help but think that if someone like Kwon Juwan were a beta, there wouldn’t be any of this struggle over pheromones.

Sejun had never envied or even considered the beta’s life before.

But now, in moments like this, it seemed like a beta’s existence might not be so bad after all.

* * *