Chapter Text
I.
The acceptance letter to Seoul National University's Alpha-Beta football team felt heavy in Yeon Sieun's hands. Not from the weight of the paper, but from the secret it held.
It’s a secret he'd managed to bury beneath a forged doctor's certificate and a daily regimen of scent suppressants. The letter was his ticket to the big leagues, to the world of professional football. And it was a world that didn't welcome omegas.
Sieun's face remained impassive as he read through the details: practice schedule, mandatory study hours, team rules. He nodded curtly, his expression a mask of indifference. He didn't smile, didn't celebrate. He simply tucked the letter into his bag, the suppressants rattling softly as he adjusted the strap on his shoulder.
The orientation was full of introductions, drills, and the overwhelming scent of alpha testosterone. Sieun kept his head down, his focus solely on the game. He didn't engage in small talk, didn't try to make friends. He was here for one reason and one reason only: to play football.
During a water break, a lanky beta with thick-rimmed glasses approached Sieun.
"Hey, I'm Oh Beom-seok," he said, extending a hand. "You're the new guy, right?"
Sieun nodded, accepting the handshake. "Yeon Sieun."
"Nice to meet you," Beom-seok said, his voice a bit shaky. "I'm a second-year. You're pretty quiet, huh?"
Sieun shrugged. "I prefer to focus on the game."
"Fair enough," Beom-seok chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll fit right in. We're a pretty quiet bunch of betas ourselves.”
Sieun didn't respond, simply taking another sip of water. He wasn't interested in fitting in. He was interested in surviving, in keeping his secret hidden, in proving that an omega could compete with the best of them.
"Well, see you around, Sieun," Beom-seok said, giving him a friendly wave before jogging back to the field.
Sieun watched him go, a flicker of something akin to gratitude in his eyes. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he could find an ally in this quiet beta. Maybe he could make his dream a reality.
But first, he had to survive practice. And that meant another dose of suppressants, another layer of deception, another step closer to the life he'd always wanted.
+
The first day of practice was a brutal reality check.
Sieun pushed his body to the limit, lungs burning and muscles screaming as he struggled to keep up with the alphas and betas. Their scents, a heady mix of musk and sweat, swirled around him, a constant reminder of his own carefully concealed omega nature.
"Come on, rookie! Move those feet!" Coach Kim barked, his voice echoing across the field.
He gritted his teeth, channeling his inner rage into each sprint, each tackle. He refused to be left behind, refused to show weakness.
By the end of practice, Sieun was a sweaty, exhausted mess, but he'd held his own. He even managed to impress a few teammates with his speed and agility.
As they headed to the locker rooms, someone mentioned that the team captain, Ahn Suho, had missed practice due to a meeting with the college football association. Apparently, they were discussing the team's upcoming involvement in a national playoff.
Sieun shrugged it off. He didn't know Ahn Suho yet, and to be honest, he wasn't that interested in the politics of college football. All he cared about was proving himself on the field.
The locker room was a sauna of sweaty bodies and potent alpha pheromones. Sieun recoiled instinctively, his nose wrinkling at the overpowering scent. He couldn't risk a shower now. Not with his suppressants wearing off and his own omega scent threatening to break through.
He waited until the locker room had cleared, the echoes of laughter and chatter fading into silence. Finally, he stepped under the spray of icy water, letting it wash away the grime and the lingering scent of the other players.
As he lathered his shampoo into his hair, his fingers brushed against the sensitive skin on the back of his neck. A shiver ran down his spine, a memory flashing through his mind.
Three days ago, a drunken night at a club, a nameless alpha's lips pressed against his neck...
He remembered the alpha's scent, earthy and intoxicating, the way his hands had roamed over Sieun's body, the insistent whisper of "mine" against his skin.
It was a blur, a mistake , a moment of weakness he couldn't afford to repeat.
Sieun shook his head, trying to dispel the memory. He had a goal, a dream, a future. And that future didn't involve a clingy alpha with a penchant for marking. He needed to focus on football, on his studies, on proving to the world that an omega could be more than just a mate.
Just as Sieun was toweling off, the locker room door creaked open.
Panic surged through him. His suppressants had slowly worn off in the shower, the subtle hint of his omega scent starting to fill the air. He froze, heart pounding in his chest.
"Who's there?" a deep voice demanded, laced with irritation.
Sieun hesitated, then stepped out from behind the shower curtain, clutching a towel around his waist. A tall figure emerged from the shadows, his features illuminated by the dim light of the locker room.
Sieun recognized the build – broad shoulders, powerful legs – it had to be one of the alphas. He braced himself.
"Who are you?" The alpha asked, his voice sharp and authoritative. Judging by the collar of his uniform, it looks like he’s finally meeting the team captain.
"Yeon Sieun," he replied, his voice firm. "I'm a rookie."
The alpha’s eyebrows furrowed. "A rookie? What are you doing here so late?"
Sieun averted his gaze, unable to meet the alpha’s intense stare. "I... I was just showering."
A tense silence filled the air. The alpha took a step closer, his nostrils flaring as he caught a whiff of Sieun's scent.
His eyes widened in recognition, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
"Cinnamon."
Sieun froze. That’s his scent, his omega scent. Is his suppressants off already?
He opened his mouth to make an excuse about why he smelled like that, but then it hit him—the other guy smelled like sandalwood.
The scent was faint, masked by the chlorine and sweat, but unmistakable.
It was the same scent that had clung to him for three hazy days, the scent that belonged to the alpha he'd stupidly slept with at the club. And that alpha was now standing right in front of him, none other than the team captain of the football team.
"You..." Suho began, his voice thick with a mixture of confusion and desire. "You were at that club..."
Sieun's face paled.
He wanted to deny it, to run away, to disappear. But the truth was written all over his face, in the way his scent responded to Suho's presence, in the way his body ached for the alpha's touch.
This was their first official meeting as team captain and rookie. But it was also a reunion of a different kind, a reunion that threatened to shatter Sieun's carefully constructed facade and expose his deepest secret.
He’s fucked, real fucked.