'I didn't even finish lunch break… Crap. Jonghyuk will be mad, I've skipped P.E. class twice in a row already.'

Dokja's thoughts wandered around as he sat on the backseat inside a cab, Lee Hyunsung had paid for his fare and Kim Dokja was on his way back home.

The school had recommended him to take a half-day off. Lee Hyunsung and the school doctor had advised the leave as Dokja was emitting pheromones, it was especially prevalent whenever Dokja was agitated or in an emotionally unstable state.

Dokja recollected the words Lee Hyunsung had said to him after he got back from the washroom.

"Kim Dokja, for now, try to control your emotions! Your pheromones tend to ooze out whenever you're stressed. I just realized that your smell was stronger when you were crying earlier… Go home now! I'll give you fare and advise the school admins about your current state. I'll also ask the school doctor to accompany you at the gate. He's a beta, so he'll be immune to your pheromones. Oh… and also, I think it would be a bad idea for me to come and talk with the Captain if your state is like that. Best of luck though! I'm sure he wouldn't be angry at you."

A tired groan escapes from Dokja's mouth, the school doctor had given him a book about Omega & Alpha physiology to study, The doctor also recommended it to Dokja so he can read and understand his newfound gender.

'I guess… This is a little better than being swamped by homework.' Dokja sighs, his face darkens as he sees the familiar streets near his apartment complex.

Kim Dokja was also thinking about how to confront Yoo Jonghyuk regarding his gender examination results. He had practised the words to say to him in his mind.

'How should I start it again? Oh right… The first step was... Approach calmly! Then the second is to apologize… after that, explain and then-'

Dokja's thoughts were interrupted as he felt the phone vibrate from his right pocket. He then takes it out and checks on the notification bar, it was a message from Yoo Jonghyuk. His irises dilated in shock and his face became pale. Dokja hesitates to open the text message and shoves his phone back into his pocket.

'I'll check it when I get home… I just hope he's out on a grocery run. It would be awkward if I run into him at home.'

The cab stops just in front of Dokja's apartment complex, Dokja then alights from the car and pays the driver with the money that Lee Hyunsung gave to him. He scurries off to the apartment with nervousness, as he rehearses his explanation to Yoo Jonghyuk in his mind.

He then opens the door into the flat, stows away his shoes on the cabinet by the door and walks inside cautiously.

"I'm home!"

Silence greeted him back. He then called out to check for a response.

"Jonghyuk! I'm home!"

Dokja only heard the sound of the wall clock ticking and the water dripping from the kitchen sink. Looks like Jonghyuk wasn't in.

A wave of relief slams through Kim Dokja, It seems that his talk with Jonghyuk would be delayed. He lets out a long sigh and then gleefully shuffles to the kitchen to clean his lunch boxes. As he set the containers to dry on a rack he noticed that there were money and a small note left on the kitchen counter. Dokja picks up the note and inspects it.

「For food delivery - YJH」

'Food delivery? Wait, did Jonghyuk order something?'

He then recalls the text message he had received earlier from Jonghyuk. He pulls out his mobile phone from his pocket, unlocks the screen and then taps on the message to read it.

{I won't be coming home today and will be back by the weekend. I've left enough money for your meals on the table if you want to order delivery, just in case you don't like the food in the fridge.}

{-Jonghyuk 1:02 PM}

Dokja felt mixed feelings as he read Jonghyuk's text. He was glad that he wasn't at home and thus it gave him time to mentally prepare himself on how to explain his predicament to him. Dokja also felt dejected as he realized that Jonghyuk would also be gone on his birthday.

'Let's think of the bright side… at least he wouldn't be there to see me go to the hospital tomorrow… And if in case I need to stay there for a week, he wouldn't be bothered by it too.' Dokja groaned as he weighed the pros and cons of his situation. He then picks up the bills on the table and stuffs them into his wallet.

"Ah... since I'll be gone too, I should clean my room and the house as well" Dokja scratches his scalp as he listed the chores inside of his head. "I guess I need to prepare my own meals until I leave tomorrow.… and pack my luggage too..."

Dokja scurries off to his room to change into comfy clothes and to prepare for his departure.

***

Yoo Jonghyuk was walking towards the platform of Yeouido's subway station. His face was obscured as he wore a black facemask, and his white hoodie was propped up. He was carrying a bulky sports bag containing a week's worth of his clothes and essentials.

'It will be dangerous for Dokja if I stay with him from tonight onwards… I haven't replenished my inhibitors yet. Hopefully, the pharmacies in Myeong-dong would have some.' Jonghyuk's brows furrowed as he thought about what Jihye had said over the phone.

[Recessive Omega… His secondary results manifested as an Omega.]

Her words ran through Yoo Jonghyuk's mind as he stood in wait, he was on his way to Myeong-dong to see his companions.

They all agreed to meet up for an early dinner a week ago, to talk about setting up a surprise celebration for Kim Dokja's 20th birthday. Every year, they would meet up to carefully plan for the menu and the gifts that they would buy for Dokja.

A bitter scowl was etched on Yoo Jonghyuk's face, he knew that he would be the bringer of bad news this year as he will not be able to celebrate with them due to his upcoming rut cycle. It was unfortunate that it landed exactly at Dokja' birthdate.

'Damn this… How the hell should I break this news to them?' An exhausted groan escapes from Jonghyuk's mouth. He then snapped back to reality as the platform's gates resonated through the station, the train had just arrived and the gates were opening. Jonghyuk then sprints towards the train.

'I guess… I need to check into a nearby hotel after meeting them.'

He managed to board the train just before the doors closed, and took a seat near the middle part of the cabin. He pulls out his smartphone and checks for accommodations within Myeong-dong. He finds one near the restaurant where he will be meeting his companions and then reserves a room for a week.

***

Kim Dokja had just finished cleaning the shared spaces of their flat. After doing laundry and tidying his room, he went straight to the kitchen to clean up. It took him more than two hours to finish it as he struggled at organizing the cutlery and utensils. Dokja knew that Jonghyuk would rage on him if his spice racks and kitchen aides were rearranged without his consent. After all, it was Yoo Jonghyuk's territory.

"Whew! Finally, I'm done cleaning! Darn it, why is it so tiring to clean the house alone." Dokja removes his apron and plops his exhausted body on the sofa. He lied down to rest for a few minutes and then noticed that the skies outside the veranda were tinted with the golden sunset.

Kim Dokja glanced at the wall clock to check the time, it was now 5:37 PM.

"Ah… it's almost dinner. I wonder what Jonghyuk made earlier, he said there was food in the fridge too." He then props himself up and darts off to the fridge to check for food.

Dokja's eyes ogled and his mouth drooled as he saw several stacks of labelled food containers filling an entire shelf, it was ready-to-eat meals that could last him for five days. He then remembers his hospital admission tomorrow and the sparkle of joy from his eyes vanished.

"Holy crap, what should I do with these…" Dokja scratches his head in frustration. "I can't possibly bring these to the hospital tomorrow." He then sighs as he contemplates on how to lessen his luggage.

"Hmmm… I guess eating two servings per meal would cut them down by half. I should start now so I'll be left with nine boxes then. I'll give the rest to the neighbours." He then takes out the Jajangmyeon and the Chicken curry and reheats them in the microwave.

"I should also start reading that book that the doctor gave me earlier…" Dokja takes a deep breath and sighs.

He knew that he had to mentally prepare himself for tomorrow's admission. He then takes out the food from the microwave oven, places them on the dining table and grabs his utensils to eat dinner in solitude.

***

The smell of grilled meat wafts on Yoo Jonghyuk's face as he flips the pork belly and beef tongue on the gridiron. He had reserved a private dining room for the get-together that was scheduled tonight. Jonghyuk arrived first and had ordered servings of meat and sides in advance. He opted to do the grilling himself to pass the time as he waited patiently for his companions.

A soft screech resounded inside the room as the sliding door opened. A woman wearing a thick warm coat and beanie enters, she then removes her headwear and her shoulder bag.

"Captain, you're cooking the meat already?

Lee Jihye just arrived, she gently closes the door, and takes off her coat, she then stowed it on the coathanger near the entryway. She quickly took a seat across Jonghyuk.

"Smells good! Captain, can I have a bite? Just one please!" Jihye's eyes sparkled as she saw the fat and grease of the meat glisten as it cooks in front of her.

Jonghyuk sighs. "Take only the pork belly. The beef is mine." He then quickly snatches all of the beef tongues on the gridiron and places it on his bowl."

Jihye frowns, she was eyeing the beef tongues as they looked a lot more scrumptious than the pork belly.

"...I'll order more beef later then." She then takes the pork slices and wraps them in lettuce. As she was about to take a bite of the wrap, her phone suddenly rings. She quickly puts down the food and bows apologetically to Jonghyuk.

She quickly checks the name on the incoming call, it was Kim Namwoon, she then answers the phone.

[Princess, I'm here! I just met Hyung and Noona at the entrance and we'll be in shortly, we're just waiting for the elevator! What room were you guys again?]

Jihye's face flushed in embarrassment. She was still not used to Namwoon calling her pet names as they recently became a couple a month ago.

"We're on the 7th floor, it's dining room 12A! The captain is already cooking so you guys better hurry up!" Jihye then hangs up the call.

Jonghyuk smirks as he saw Jihye's bashfulness. "I guess we should celebrate both of you finally taking a step forward." He then rings the service button on the table to call for assistance. A waiter arrives a few seconds later to take on the additional orders of meat and alcohol and shortly leaves the room.

"How about you captain? When are you going to move forward with Dokja?" Jihye crossed her arms, a sly smirk was etched on her face.

"W-what do you mean by that?" Jonghyuk's ears flushed. His face didn't reflect his agitation, but his ears were clearly red and his voice trembled.

"Do you remember the first time we celebrated Dokja's birthday?" Jihye stares intently at Jonghyuk. "I saw how you looked at Dokja while we were singing to him at the dinner table back then..." Jihye then takes a deep breath then takes a sip of water from her glass.

"Your eyes… and your overall demeanour at that time. It was clear as day that it wasn't filial love." Jihye then takes a piece of pork belly from the gridiron and places it on Jonghyuk's bowl.

Jonghyuk scoffs at Jihye. "What are you trying to im-"

"You love him, don't you?"

Jihye grins as she saw Jonghyuk's eyes dilate in shock, his jaw dropped and his face lost its colour, Jonghyuk also dropped the food tongs into the grill, he panicked for a bit and quickly picked it up. Wiping the grease off with a paper napkin.

Jihye knew that she hit the nail on the head.

"But then, when Dokja got his 1st gender exam, and you learned that he was a Beta, you started to hesitate and restrain yourself." Jihye then takes one of the beef tongue pieces from Jonghyuk's bowl and eats it.

"Now that he's confirmed to be an Omega, Captain... are you still going to be stubborn and hold back-"

"Princess!! We're here!!"

A loud yell interrupts Jihye and Jonghyuk's conversation. The door slid open and its rollers shrieked as Kim Namwoon opened it with force.

"Oops, I must have tugged the door a little hard. Sorry about that" Namwoon had a sheepish smile on his face.

"We're sorry we're late, captain." Hyunsung enters the room. "There was a bit of traffic along the way."

"And the taxi driver was also slow too!" Uriel rants as she follows Hyunsung inside. "Ooh! The smell of meat! Did you guys order already? Meat tastes good with soju!" She then takes off her coat and her bag and places it at the coathangers. Hyunsung also passed his coat to Uriel so she could stow it away with her items.

Jonghyuk and Jihye stared at the latecomers, it seems that the tension earlier during their heart-to-heart talk had dissipated. Both of them gazed at their companions in silence.

"Captain ordered more meat and booze! It should arrive soon." Jihye changed the topic and glared at Jonghyuk, as if to tell him that their conversation is far from over and will be continued, later on, she then glances to Uriel. "Unnie! Sit beside me! I also heard that you hooked up with Hyun-"

Uriel lunged at Jihye and quickly covered her mouth. "H-hey, what are you saying! Let's eat first before the meat gets cold!" She then grabs Jihye's shoulder, pulls her close and whispers at Jihye's ear. "Hyunsung is just my temporary partner, we both agreed to help each other during our heat periods. I can't find a decent Alpha in the modelling industry so I'm stuck with him. Don't tell anyone or my career will be toast!"

Uriel releases her grip on Jihye's shoulder and sits beside her. Jihye's eyes became blank as she digested the information she learned from Uriel. She did not expect that Hyunsung and Uriel actually paired up to maintain a casual sex relationship.

"Here are the additional orders." The waiter knocks and enters the room, he wheeled in a large serving trolley filled with assorted cuts of beef, pork and chicken, banchan and a dozen bottles of soju. "Should you need further assistance, please don't hesitate to ring the service button." He then takes a bow and leaves the room.

Everyone gawked and drooled at the meat that was left on the trays. Except for Jonghyuk who swiftly snatched all of the meat with one fell swoop and started cooking them in the gridiron.

Jonghyuk sighs. "All of you, settle down and let's eat." He grabbed a bottle of soju from the bottom tray, opened it, and took a swig, then sets the bottle down on the table.

"I have something to say as well."

***

"Ugh, w-why does my body h-hurt so bad…"

Kim Dokja woke up thirty minutes before sunrise came. He felt feverish and his throat was parched. He tried to sit up from his bed, but his limbs and back were sore. Dokja also senses a pulsating pain on his abdomen, he then falls back into the comforts of his soft mattress.

'I think… I might have overdone the cleaning and eating yesterday. I regret eating two servings, I think this is indigestion.' He rests for a few minutes and tries to get back up again.

Dokja musters the strength from his legs and hauls himself up. His breaths had become short and his light-headedness worsened into a splitting headache. Dokja quickly grabs a hold of his bed's footboard to support himself. "Haaahh… Haaahhh… Crap… I almost stumbled." He then staggers his way to the ensuite bathroom.

He opened the medicine cabinet just above the sink and quickly scanned through the pill cases. "Ugh… where are the pain relievers… Haahh… Argh…" Sweat dribbled from his face as he rummaged through the plethora of medication.

After checking all of the cases for a few minutes, he was unable to find pain relief medication.

"Damn it… where is it? Have I run out already? Haaahh… Ugh…"

Dokja then crouches in pain, there were small beads of tears on his eyes as he felt the pain in his abdomen worsen, it felt like someone was stabbing him in the bowels and his insides felt like it was being torn apart.

"Haahh… I need… to check the other bathroom… Haahhh." Cold sweat trickled from his body, Dokja struggled to stand up, he then sat down on the tile floor and propped himself against the bathroom tub. His body felt like it was on fire, his vision had become hazy and his entire body was in pain.

"What… is this? Haahh… Haaahhh...Why is my body acting like this...Ugh…" He rests for a moment to gather his remaining strength, he then stands up and leans on the bathroom walls. Dokja slowly reels himself back to his bed and lies down.

He felt completely exhausted after scouring for medicine. Dokja then felt his body weigh down on him and his eyes drooped. 'I'll try and sleep this off then… Hopefully… it should be gone after lunch.' He then groans in pain as he massages his abdomen. He shortly returned to sleep after fifteen minutes.