Yoo Jonghyuk woke up to the sound of his smartphone's alarm clock, he was still half asleep and the cold, winter morning tempted him to stay under the warm blankets. His outstretched hand struggled to find the noisy phone on the night table, eventually, he managed to grab hold of it, disabling the alarm. He swiftly unlocked the screen and checked the time.

[5:00 AM, Monday, February 13 - Snow, Cloudy Forecast - Cycle In 2 Days -]

He grunted as he saw the 1st workday, Mondays meant that it was the start of his weekly routine. Jonghyuk then sat up, briefly stretched his cold limbs, and got out of the blankets. He swiftly fixed up his bed and went into the bathroom to wash his face.

"School runs… Hmm..."

Jonghyuk sighed as he gazed at his tired self in the mirror. He looked at his reflection for a bit and inspected his groggy visage. There were bags under his eyes and shallow wrinkles on his cheeks, his fringes were awkwardly messed up, his face had a fading scar on his left cheek and then he noticed the annoying stubble growing on his chin. He then proceeded to groom himself.

He washed his face with warm water and shaved his protruding stubble, then stripped off his pajamas exposing his well-contoured abs and bulky biceps. His body was littered with battle scars. Jonghyuk felt the cold bathroom air waft against his bare skin and hastily went into the shower to wake himself up with a warm rinse.

"Ah… I need to wake Dokja after making breakfast, or else, he'll be late again." He bitterly mumbled as he lathered the shampoo on his hair.

--

It had been five years since the Secretive Plotter, the 1863rd Yoo Jonghyuk, rescued The Oldest Dream, a young and abused Kim Dokja who dreamt endlessly of Yoo Jonghyuk's adventures outside the Final Wall. By meeting each other that day with the help of the 1864th turn, they were able to break the endless cycle of dreaming. And now, both of them are wide awake to their new reality.

Adjusting to their cohabitation wasn't smooth at first as Dokja's heart never fully trusted Jonghyuk nor his companions' sincerity. The scars of abuse were deeply ingrained into Dokja's body, mind, and soul. The pitiful child had refused to open his heart and would lock himself alone in his room every day, opening the door only when Jonghyuk brings him food and clean laundry.

Jonghyuk's patience was tested, he had to start from scratch by giving the young one a purpose to live. During the first month, he taught Dokja to use chores as a means to busy himself instead of wallowing in misery. The second month, Dokja learned how to cook together with him, eventually, their exercises and lessons became a habit and both of them would clean their house and rooms together.

During the third month, Jonghyuk started to tutor Dokja in preparation for schooling.

He wanted Dokja to finish his education and enrolled him into a quaint high school in Yangcheon-gu. At first, Dokja showed apprehension towards the decision, however, he changed his mind once Jonghyuk assured him that he shall be protected and cared for. After all, Lee Hyunsung and Lee Jihye were part of the school's staff.

Eventually, after a year of diligence and care, Kim Dokja who escaped his depressing lucid state, recovers and finally adjusts to a peaceful and normal life. It was bliss for both of them as they discovered newfound feelings of warmth. It was the first time that they felt belongingness after spending centuries in solitude.

---

Jonghyuk finished his shower and dried off his body with a towel, he reached for his medication and supplements on the medicine cabinet and took a few capsules out. He then noticed that the number of his inhibitor pills had dwindled significantly since the past week.

'Looks like I'm almost out. Shit, a few days before my rut… I should buy some later.' He popped the pills into his mouth and swallowed it down with a glass of water.

He took out his clothes from the cupboard and changed into them, Yoo Jonghyuk wore a black, wool turtleneck and warm wool trousers he then slipped on his slippers, and then dried his hair and combed it before heading towards the kitchen to prepare for their morning meal.

"Something quick and easy for breakfast… Ah, I think we have bacon." Jonghyuk quickly opened the fridge and scanned for ingredients to use.

"Hmm… Bacon pancakes for breakfast and Bacon and Kimchi Pajeon for lunch would be easier to prepare." He then swiftly took out the eggs, bacon, kimchi, and vegetables from the fridge and prepped their meals for the day.

Chop

Chop

Chop

The sound of Yoo Jonghyuk vigorously chopping vegetables early in the morning echoed through the flat. The walls were thin and the sounds reached Kim Dokja's room which was nearest to the kitchen.

"Ughh… why is it so noisy… too early for school…"

Kim Dokja was a light sleeper, and the sound of Yoo Jonghyuk doing prep work in the kitchen briefly woke him up. He felt the cold winter morning bothersome and buried himself further under the covers where it was quiet and warmer. He then fell asleep again as the comfort lulled him back to his dreams, which then became a nightmare.

---

Last Friday was their secondary gender examination. All students who were enrolled in Yangcheon-gu High School were required to provide their blood samples for testing and evaluation.

"Doctor… is this for real?" Dokja's black irises dilated in shock and his face became pale white. His mouth quivered and small beads of tears welled up from his eyes. On his hands was a crumpled sheet of paper that held his test results.

The school doctor quickly skimmed through Kim Dokja's file on his tablet. "The results are 100% accurate as this is the 2nd examination. You should communicate this with your guard-" The doctor suddenly paused as he gazed at Kim Dokja's data with a worried face.

"Hmm… It seems that your guardian is a Dominant Alpha. I recommend letting him know immediately as both of you are at risk should you go into estrus." The doctor scratched his head with frustration.

"B-but, doctor, I've been diagnosed as a Beta back in freshman year… surely this is…" Tears started to fall from Dokja's eyes, he was devastated.

"It is fairly common for recessive omegas to manifest initially as betas during puberty." The doctor then puts down his tablet on the table and stares at Dokja with a stern expression.

"The heat of recessive omegas is highly unstable." The doctor groaned. "Normal Omegas have their Estrus cycles once a month, but for recessive Omegas… it's erratic. Sometimes it manifests during the month, sometimes none at all." The doctor then shows the in-depth diagnosis on his tablet's screen to Dokja. "That is why I recommend staying away from Alphas for the meantime, especially since we have yet to determine what type of inhibitor would work on you."

"B-but… Jonghyuk is my only family! I don't have a place to go..." Dokja covered his face with both of his hands and tried to wipe his tears.

The doctor then gazed at Dokja with a sad expression, he took out his business card and wrote notes at the backside. "If you're apprehensive with that option… I can recommend a hospital that deals with cases such as yours, they can facilitate your room and boarding temporarily and give you a proper diagnosis as well.." He then hands over the card to Dokja

"You can call in to schedule an appointment anytime. Just advise them that you have been recommended by me and they'll properly assist you and help you find the right medication." The doctor then gave Kim Dokja a pat on the back. "Don't easily lose hope… Kim Dokja…" A gentle smile appeared on the doctor's face.

"Please take this seriously as recessive omegas and their heat cycles are unstable. We may never know when or where will your pheromones manifest. We need to make sure you are safe and prepared for it when that time comes." the doctor then gazed at the crying Dokja with empathy.

***

Yoo Jonghyuk was standing by the bedside of Kim Dokja, he had been standing there for the last five minutes trying to wake him up. Despite him shaking the bundled up Dokja a multitude of times already, the stubborn sleepyhead refuses to get out of the covers.

"Kim Dokja, wake up, you'll be late for school again." Jonghyuk scratched his head as he waited for Kim Dokja to arise from the covers. "You are going to be late if you don't open your eyes in the next five minutes!"

"Mmpphh… No… not… yet… why does… it has to be... Ughh..." The blankets shook as Kim Dokja squirmed underneath it, his groans sounded like he was in a nightmare.

Yoo Jonghyuk glanced at the wall clock inside Kim Dokja's room. It was now 6:30 AM and it was almost time for Dokja to prepare for school.

"This kid must be dreaming again..." Jonghyuk groaned, and then forcefully peeled off Dokja's blanket and yelled at him at the top of his lungs.

"Kim Dokja, wake up!" He then grabbed onto Dokja's shoulders and shook him vigorously.

"Wha-"

Dokja's eyes opened and he quickly sat up from his bed. His eyes were still groggy and were drooping but he noticed Jonghyuk standing before him with his blanket on his arms. There were small beads of tears from Dokja's eyes and Jonghyuk noticed it.

"You were groaning earlier… had a bad dream?"

Dokja nodded as he wiped the tears from his eyes with the sleeves of his pajamas. "S-sorry I took so long to wake up."

Jonghyuk sat on the bed and patted Dokja's head. "Welcome back." A feeble smile appeared on Jonghyuk's face, his hand then cupped Dokja's cheek and wiped the dried out tears on his face. "Breakfast is ready, let's eat and get you ready for school." He then placed his arms on Dokja's back and under his knees and lifted him up.

"Umm… I'm okay, there's no need to carry me, I can walk fine!" Dokja's face flushed red with embarrassment. He wiggled around as he tried to free himself from Jonghyuk's arms.

"Knowing you…" Jonghyuk sneered at Dokja. "You'll just get back to your bed and sleep again." Jonghyuk sighed and tightened his grip on Dokja.

"I don't want to be called into your school for attendance infractions." He then bolted out of Dokja's room and brought him to the dining table where they had an awkwardly silent breakfast that morning.

***

It was now 7:15 AM, and classes start for Kim Dokja in 45 minutes. The commute to school was 30 minutes by train, as Dokja sat on the entryway putting on his shoes, Yoo Jonghyuk handed over a heavy lunch box to him.

"Your lunch, eat this so you'll have the energy for your P.E. class today." Jonghyuk groaned. "I heard from Lee Hyunsung last Friday that you were lethargic and had to stay in the infirmary due to a stomachache." He then noticed Dokja's school tie was crooked and loose. Jonghyuk reached out to fix it but Dokja's hand stopped him.

"I...I can fix it by myself on the way to school."

Dokja's ears were flushed red, he was still embarrassed about the fact that Jonghyuk had to carry him out of bed after waking up from a bad memory. Not only that, but Dokja also noticed Jonghyuk's aftershower scent when he was in his arms earlier. The smell of black tea, soap, and aftershave, comforted him to the point that he felt good whenever his body came into contact with Jonghyuk's.

He then glanced at Jonghyuk who was staring at him intently. "Uhh… I'll… head out now! Thank you for the lunch box!" Dokja quickly stood up and bowed briefly to Jonghyuk, he then darted off and left Jonghyuk alone in the doorway.

"He really has grown a lot..." Jonghyuk held a small grin on his face, he then put on his down jacket and shoes to head out on a grocery run. "Hotpot sounds good for dinner tonight…" Jonghyuk then made a quick shopping list on his phone, he then saw his cycle reminder on his notification bar.

"Shit. Why did it have to land on that day too?"

~~~~~

To Be Continued.

~~~~~