Chapter 2 (1/1)

Jaehwan swallowed back tears. He wasn’t actually as ready for it all to be over as he thought he was.Hakyeon saw his expression, and his voice softened as he sat down next to Jaehwan.“Hey… Don’t cry, Jaehwan-ah. You won’t be fired because of this. The CEO doesn’t care what caste someone is when it comes to talent, and you have that in spades. You just can’t lie to him, that’s why you have to tell him the truth.”Jaehwan shook his head, though.“If he doesn’t care, how come I’m the only trainee who isn’t an alpha?”Hakyeon shrugged.“Because not many betas and almost no omegas audition in the first place, and of those who do, none showed enough talent except for you so far, probably.”Jaehwan sighed, drying the tears that had managed to escape.“It’s too late now, anyway. I already lied to him…”Hakyeon shook his head, playing with the fraying edge of Jaehwan’s comforter.“I don’t think it’s too late if you go to him first thing now and explain yourself. You might be dealt some sort of punishment, but I don’t think the CEO is dumb enough to let go of a talent like you just yet because of something like this. You still have a chance, Jaehwan; don’t blow it.”And so it came that Jaehwan made his way to the CEO’s office before their training sessions started that day, knocking fearfully on the large wooden door.The CEO called him in, and he thought he might faint as he made his way in and bowed ninety degrees in front of his boss.“Lee Jaehwan. You have something to tell me?”Jaehwan’s legs shook like jelly as he stood up but still bowed his head. The CEO sounded as if he knew exactly why he had come and had already made up his mind.“Y-yes, CEO-nim. I… I wasn’t honest when I told you my caste. I came to apologize, CEO-nim. Please forgive me for not telling the truth.”The CEO didn’t answer for a good while, and Jaehwan didn’t dare move a single muscle until he spoke up again.“What is your caste, Jaehwan?” The CEO eventually asked in a neutral tone.“O-omega, Sir.”Silence stretched between them again.“Why did you think it would be a good idea not to tell me the truth the first time I asked you this question?” The CEO asked in the same neutral tone, and Jaehwan swallowed heavily.“I-I… I wanted to pass the audition and be accepted as a trainee more than anything else…”“You had already passed the audition when I asked you, Jaehwan.”Jaehwan bit his lip.“I was scared you’d change your mind… And- and scared of… of what the other trainees would do if they found out my true caste…”Silence stretched out again, until the CEO sighed.“Now that they found out, are you still scared?”Jaehwan was so surprised by the question that he looked up abruptly, but then shrunk back under the CEO’s intense gaze.“I-I… I don’t know… I think… Yes, I am, but- But it doesn’t matter, I-”The CEO shook his head, and Jaehwan shut up.“Of course it matters, Jaehwan. I don’t tolerate discrimination in my company, be it based on caste or anything else that’s out of a person’s control. Had you told me the truth about your caste from the beginning, I would have taken measures to protect you. It was foolish of you to risk being put in a dorm with hormonal teenage alphas when the sudden increase of stress on you could unbalance your heat cycle while on second or third class suppressants. You risked your health, physical and mental, as well as that of the other trainees. You are lucky Hakyeon is as good of a leader as he is even at his age, or who knows what could have happened to you!”Jaehwan bit his lip, hard, as he stared at the floor between his feet.“Did… Did Hakyeon tell-…?”The CEO shook his head.“He didn’t. But there is hardly anything that happens in this company that escapes my attention, and one of my employees going into heat is certainly not one of them.”Jaehwan swallowed nervously.“You have caused your fellow trainees a lot of trouble, Jaehwan. I expect you to apologize to them. And I expect you to work harder than you’ve ever worked for anything in your life. You have a great singing voice, but that isn’t all that is required of a performer, and you are lacking greatly in other aspects. Singing isn’t everything. Don’t make me regret my decision.”Jaehwan couldn’t believe what he heard.“Y-you’re not firing me?”The CEO shook his head.“I am not. For now. But you’ll have to prove yourself. And I believe you are already late for your morning gym session, you better hurry now!”Jaehwan bowed deeply, thanking the CEO repeatedly as he walked out of the office, and turned to sprint to the gym as soon as the doors closed behind him.Of course he was late for the gym class, and of course their gym class teacher had him do extra sets of everything as punishment, but for once Jaehwan didn’t feel like he might die from the strain, given the high he was still on from not having been fired, and the secret encouraging smiles he got from both Hakyeon and Hongbin at some points during the class.When they were granted a break, mainly just to walk from the gym to the practice room, maybe long enough to stop by at a toilet, Hakyeon hugged Jaehwan quickly, surprising the omega.“I knew it wouldn’t be too late! I’m glad you’re still here!”That wasn’t the last of the surprises that day, though, being that when they returned to the dorm that night, they found that one of the storage rooms they hadn’t had access to so far had been cleaned out and set up for Jaehwan, a special isolation around the doorframe supposed to contain his scent even in heat for all their sakes.One of the two trainees that had first defied Hongbin when they’d found out about Jaehwan’s caste cursed.“Why does the omega get his own room when we all have to share one? I vote we settle with rock-paper-scissors who gets the single bedroom, and don’t leave it to the snowflake!”Hakyeon directed a scathing glare at him.“I vote we don’t go against the CEO’s orders, first of all, and while I would love to spend my nights with your smelly feet safely locked away, that is not what this room is meant for. Jaehwan gets the room.”The other alpha snarled at Hakyeon.“Who even made you the leader, hm? I bet I could crush you if it came to a fight, and yet I have to tolerate you bossing us around every single day and making decisions for all of us no one agrees with. I’m over it!”Hakyeon calmly took off his jacket, draping it over the arm of a chair, while Jaehwan felt someone tug on his sleeve. Startled, he looked beside him and found Hongbin standing there.“Let’s get you out of the crossfire, this could get ugly.” He whispered only for Jaehwan to hear, tugging him towards the door of the bathroom.Jaehwan hesitated, until Hongbin’s tugs became more urgent as Hakyeon and the other alpha started circling each other.When the other alpha first attacked, Hongbin shoved Jaehwan into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.Jaehwan wanted to protest, but thought better of it as he heard something crash on the other side of the door. He flinched away at first, but then curiosity took over and he knelt in front of the door, peeking through the keyhole to see what was going on in the living room.The first thing he saw was the chair Hakyeon had draped his jacket over earlier, now broken in half. The attacking alpha had a long gash on one side of his shirt and was trying to mask a limp. Hakyeon stood on the other end of the room as before, looking completely nonchalant.“Fights over dominance and leadership are forbidden by the regulations of the company.” Hakyeon reiterated calmly, but it only served to anger the other further.“You can always step down voluntarily and it won’t come to a fight!” He snarled between clenched teeth, but Hakyeon only shook his head.“I won’t step anywhere from my assigned position unless under CEO Hwang’s orders.”“We’ll see!” The other growled and charged at Hakyeon, who stood in a strategically disadvantageous point in a corner of the room. Jaehwan gasped, biting his knuckles as he already feared the worst for Hakyeon, but all of a sudden Hakyeon stood on this side of the room again, while the other had fallen face first onto the floor, getting up with a groan.“Fight like a true alpha, would you?!”Hakyeon shrugged.“A true alpha fights using not only physical strength but tactic and logic, too. That is why you will never win against me in a fight, and why I am the leader; not you.”The other bellowed in rage, charging at Hakyeon again, and for a moment it looked as if his attack would hit Hakyeon, until the latter twirled out of the way in the very last second, using the momentum of his attacker to trip him, twist him around and secure him face-down against the floor in an unescapable lock. The defeated alpha cried out in pain and rage, but Hakyeon didn’t let go of him.“I am the leader, and you better remember and accept it. CEO Hwang decreed that Jaehwan gets his own room, so Jaehwan gets his own room. If CEO Hwang decrees you sleep in the fucking basement and every omega in this company in golden beds with satin sheets, you sleep in the fucking basement and every omega of the company in golden beds with satin sheets; get it? If you can’t accept that, you can always go and audition for another company!”The last words weren’t solely directed at the alpha on the floor under Hakyeon, but everyone in the room. Everyone, including Hongbin, who still lingered by the bathroom door, bowed their heads at Hakyeon’s words, and Hakyeon released the defeated alpha.Standing up, Hakyeon brushed his slightly ruffled shirt down and came towards the bathroom door, Hongbin stepping aside hastily to let him through.Jaehwan had only just enough time to jump back before Hakyeon opened the door, landing on his butt in the middle of the room. Hakyeon stopped in the door, reaching a hand out to help him up.“Come, Jaehwan. You have work to do, gathering your things to get them to your new room while the others wash up.”Jaehwan accepted Hakyeon’s hand shakily, letting him help him up.“T-thank you…” He mumbled as he came to his feet.Hakyeon rose an eyebrow at him.“Uh, don’t mention it?”Jaehwan shook his head.“No, I mean…” He gestured at the living room, meaning Hakyeon defending him, but Hakyeon only shrugged.“That’s been a long time coming. Jon is an ass with a problem with authority. I’ve actually been waiting for an opportunity to take him down a notch. Come, though, we’re blocking the bathroom and the boys need to shower.”