For as long as he had lived, even though he was an Omega, he never had his first heat. He knew that for some, living as a recessive Omega sounded like hell; however, for Kim Donghyun decided to live as a Beta despite that ‘Ω’ symbol carved on his identification card. What people didn’t know won’t hurt him, he thought. And so, for a decade, he had been hiding his status as an Omega. He understood the prejudice that the society had toward Omegas. In fact, he understood it too well.

“Mr Kim?” an unfamiliar voice called Donghyun with files in his hands. He then signaled Donghyun, instructing him to enter the interview room. It seemed like his turn to be interviewed had come. Donghyun stood up, fixing his hair and tie one last time before walking confidently into the room with a glass door.

“Mr Kim Donghyun?” queried one of the panels sitting at the long desk in front of Donghyun. 

“Yes. That’s me. May I sit down?” asked Donghyun, polite before sitting after receiving a nod from the man who sat at the leftest side of the table. He noticed that the same man who nodded at him was observing every little move he made. Donghyun tried to convince himself a few times that he was mistaken because he was nervous. However, his denial was definitely wrong when their eyes met each other a few times during the interview. Weirdly enough, that man with fox-like eyes had not asked him even one question.

“Hmm.. You’re a very capable candidate. Your CGPA was perfect, your co-curricular activities were astounding. However-” paused that bald man who was sitting in the middle. He then looked Donghyun in the eyes and continued.

“From what I’ve read here, you are an omega?”

‘Ah, .’

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry if this question seems to be crossing the line, but are you on any suppressants?”

‘I don’t know man, does every Alpha here take their rut suppressants?’ In his mind, Donghyun was flipping his middle finger to this old man in front of him.

“No, it’s fine. I understand why you’d ask that question. Yes, I do take them every month without fail.” lied Donghyun through his teeth with a smile.

“Pfft.” giggled the fox eyed man before fixing his black framed glasses so that it’ll sit properly on his nose.

“Sorry, please continue.” he continued. His eyes were still glued to Donghyun.

“Well, even though you said you did take your suppressants; how can you convince us that you won’t cause any problem when the time comes?” questioned that bald man, serious.

“The time?” asked Donghyun pretending to not understand when he actually did understand. But, he was sick of the older generation treating the heat period like some kind of taboo. 

“Well, you know, that time?” that bald man tried his best to explain using his facial expression- in which Donghyun found it funny and almost let out a laugh.

“Oh. You mean the HEAT? My HEAT?” asked Donghyun, purposely emphasizing the word ‘HEAT’. 

Startled by the way Donghyun stressed on the word ‘HEAT’, the bald man took a few seconds before answering it with a yes.

The room once again shifted their focus towards that fox eyed man when this time he finally let out a loud laugh.

“Ah I’m sorry once again. I can’t help it. Please continue. Don’t mind me.” he apologized.

“Ahem- so, uh, back to my question, your answer?”

“Ah, well, to be very honest, I don’t have any answer for that question. I can only tell you that I'm a capable individual and therefore I’d be careful enough to make sure that my HEAT will not disturb my work performance. Ah and also, I’m not like other Omega. I’m a defect. “ smiled Donghyun. 

**********

“How’s the interview going?” asked Jaehyun as soon as Donghyun picked up his phone. 

“Well, as usual…” answered Donghyun, releasing a deep sigh. He then walked towards the balcony of his apartment, wanting to breathe in the fresh air of the night.

“Another day, another prejudiced company, I supposed.” Jaehyun grumbled.

“Sometimes, I wish I was born a Beta. It’s better than being a recessive Omega. I’m still being discriminated against even though I don’t have all those Omega traits.” 

“Hey, I believe there’s a reason why you were chosen to be an Omega. And don’t call yourself a recessive Omega. You just- you just- uh.. You might be a late bloomer. And one day, who knows, you might find your fated pair.” said Jaehyun, trying to comfort his best friend. 

“Me? Someone who doesn’t have his own heat cycle? Please, I’m a defect. I might just die alone with Dadi next to me.” jested Donghyun.

“Donghyun…” 

“I was just joking, Jaehyun. Don’t worry about me. How’s Jibeom doing?” asked Donghyun, trying to shift the topic. He knew that if he kept on making these self-deprecating jokes, the one who would cry is Jaehyun, not himself. Jaehyun, an Omega raised in a privileged family, was as kind as an angel. He cared for Jaehyun like his own brother and it didn’t stop there. His family was the same; they were all kind enough to let Donghyun stayed with them when his mom-

“Donghyun? You’re still there?” asked Jaehyun when Donghyun didn’t respond.

“Yeah. Sorry, what were you saying?”

“Jibeom were asking if you’d like to come to our house for a dinner sometimes? He didn’t say it but I know he missed you.”

“NO I’M NOT!” shouted Jibeom in the phone.

“Okay Jibeom, let’s hangout together again sometime. And I need to find a job ASAP.” giggled Donghyun when Jibeom denied what Jaehyun said. Jaehyun and Jibeom met when they were still studying at the university. Donghyun was there when they first fell in love. They went through a lot because of Jaehyun’s so called fated pair and Jibeom being a Beta. But that story will have to wait for next time.

“I don’t get you Donghyun. You’ve already gained a lot from stock trading. Why do you feel the need to work?” questioned Jaehyun, curious.

“Well, I believe in order to improve oneself, they need to challenge themselves by doing something they thought they would not do well.”

“And that something is being a salaryman?” 

“You wouldn’t understand, Jaehyun.”

“And I don’t intend to.”

“But you’re the one-” Donghyun paused when he heard Jibeom calling for Jaehyun to eat dinner.

“Well, let’s just continue this another day.” he continued.

“Okay, see you soon.”

“See ya. Eat well.” wished Donghyun before ending the call.

A week later…

The ringing of Donghyun's phone woke him up from his deep sleep. He tried to open his heavy eyes while reaching for his phone on the bedside table. He took a glance at the number calling him. 

‘Unknown Number’ 

‘Who the hell is calling me on the weekend morning.’ he thought. A job offered would be impossible since it’s the weekend. 

He decided to ignore the call but it was impossible since it wouldn’t stop ringing.

“Hello? Who’s this?” asked Donghyun groggily when he finally answered the call.

“Kim Donghyun?” a weirdly familiar voice came through from the other side of the call.

“Yeah. Who’s this?”

“Open the door, I’m in front of your house.”

“HUH?? Who’s this?”

“Just come and open the door fast. It’s cold out here.” instructed that voice.

“I’m not obligated to open my door unless you tell me who you are.” fumed Donghyun.

“Fine. It’s me. The interview room at the Kitsune Corp. Remember? That time when you drove that bald old man flustered with you repeatedly mentioning HEAT? I was there” explained that voice. 

Suddenly Donghyun was brought back to that memory from a week ago. That fox eyed man who burst out laughing in the room. Later Donghyun found out that person was the future CEO of that established company. A company that had been handed down from one generation to another. No wonder they didn’t say anything when he laughed out loud in the room. 

He then rushed to the front door and switched on the intercom camera to confirm if the person who was standing in front of his door was really the famous Hong Joochan.

It was true. It was really him, standing by the door with his black padded jacket wrapped around his body.  It took Donghyun for a while to think if he should open the door or not. But who knows, maybe his answers for the interview were so extraordinary that the CEO had to come to offer him the job himself.

Donghyun then unlocked his door and pulled it open. Hong Joochan greeted him with a smile before handing him a bouquet of red roses. No, that wasn’t the most shocking part. The most shocking part came right after he handed the rose. It was just a simple question and yet it changed Donghyun's life forever.

“Kim Donghyun, would you marry me?”

“HUHH???????”