The smell of antiseptic lingered in the air as Kaein and Lior sat side by side on the stiff hospital chairs. The silence between them was heavier than the sterile atmosphere itself, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Only the faint echo of footsteps in the corridor and the occasional beep from medical devices reminded them they were not alone.
When the doctor finally entered the room, both lifted their heads almost at the same time.
"Mr. Kaein, Mr. Lior," the doctor greeted them with a professional smile before setting a file on the table. He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "We've run the secondary gender diagnostic tests, and the results are clear."
Lior held his breath, clutching the armrest so tightly his knuckles turned white. Kaein noticed and gave his wrist a light squeeze, wordless reassurance.
The doctor looked at the papers once more before speaking slowly. "Kaein, you've awakened. Your secondary gender is Alpha."
The word seemed to hang in the air, sharp and heavy.
Lior's chest tightened. His eyes flickered to Kaein instinctively, trying to read his reaction. Kaein remained calm, too calm, as though the weight of that word had yet to sink in.
"And me?" Lior's voice cracked.
The doctor turned toward him. "Lior, your results show no sign of secondary gender manifestation. For now, you remain a normal human without Alpha, Beta, or Omega markers."
A small silence followed.
Lior forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Ah… I see. Normal." The word tasted bitter, like something missing, something lacking.
Kaein noticed the subtle tremor in his voice. He wanted to reach out, but before he could, the doctor continued, "I must remind you both, awakening doesn't change who you are fundamentally. It just means your body has aligned with one of the recognized secondary gender categories. Lior, that doesn't make you any less than others."
Lior nodded politely, though the reassurance did little to ease the sting in his chest.
When the doctor left, silence swallowed the room again. Only this time, it wasn't peaceful.
---
Back at the resort, the three of them—Kaein, Lior, and Luna—settled into the lounge. Luna, pale and visibly drained, leaned against the couch as she injected herself with a pheromone suppressant. Her expression eased slightly as the medicine took effect.
The soft hum of the resort's air-conditioner filled the silence as Kaein and Lior lounged in the living room of their suite. The large glass doors overlooked the coastline; waves crashed softly in the distance, the sea breeze rattling the curtains every now and then. Neither of them spoke much after returning from the hospital. The weight of the doctor's words still clung to the air like an invisible fog.
Kaein leaned against the backrest of the sofa, one arm thrown over the cushion, the other resting lazily on his knee. He looked relaxed, but the stillness in his golden eyes betrayed the storm of thoughts within. Across from him, Lior sat cross-legged on the armchair, fiddling endlessly with the hem of his shirt. His brows knit in a line of worry as though his mind was running faster than his body could keep up with.
"You two look like someone just died," Luna muttered, breaking the silence. Her tone was flat, but there was a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Don't tell me you're sulking just because one of you is an Alpha and the other isn't anything at all."
Lior flinched, but Kaein shot her a look sharp enough to make her close her mouth. "Luna, enough."
She shrugged, curling up under the blanket. "Fine. Don't snap at me, Alpha-boy."
Luna groaned from the couch, rolling onto her side. "Ugh, you two are nauseating. Can't you save the love look confessions for when I'm not in the same room dying from heat?"
Kaein ignored her jab, his attention already fixed on Lior, who sat quietly, his gaze locked on the muted television screen across the room.
Luna went back home as her boyfriend, Elaris came to pick her up.
---
"Lior," Kaein called softly.
"Mm?"
"You're quiet."
Lior forced a laugh, though it was thin and brittle. "What should I say? Congratulations? 'You're an Alpha now, Kaein'? Doesn't sound very cheerful coming from me."
Kaein frowned. "Is that how you see it? Like a competition?"
"No, not a competition," Lior admitted, running a hand through his hair. His voice grew lower. "But… doesn't it feel unfair? You awakened. You're Alpha. And I'm still just… nothing. Not even Beta. Just plain old human."
The pain behind his words made Kaein's chest ache. He reached out, tilting Lior's chin up so their eyes met. "Don't ever call yourself nothing."
Lior's lips parted, but he couldn't speak.
Before either could continue, the television flickered back to life. A live news broadcast filled the screen, the anchor's voice sharp and urgent.
"Breaking News: In light of recent developments regarding secondary gender awakenings across the country, the government has officially issued a nationwide policy to ensure the protection, respect, and equal rights of all citizens regardless of being Alpha, Beta, Omega, or unawakened."
The studio switched to footage of parliament halls and medical experts, then back to the anchor.
"Effective immediately, new labor laws will recognize the unique biological challenges of Omegas. Employers are mandated to provide leave during heat cycles, and public institutions are required to stock pheromone suppressants and inhibitors. In addition, it will now be compulsory for all adults to carry personal inhibitors to avoid emergencies. Furthermore, any Alpha found behaving recklessly, exploiting pheromonal influence, or harassing others will face detention and severe legal consequences. The government emphasizes: secondary genders are no different than distinctions like male or female—society must adapt to ensure harmony and equality."
The words echoed through the room, each line dropping like a stone into still water. Lior's hands stilled. He lifted his eyes to Kaein, watching how unreadable his friend's face remained.
Both Kaein and Lior turned their attention to the screen.
Lior blinked. "…They're really making laws already?"
Kaein nodded slowly. "Fast response. They must have been preparing for this the moment cases started spreading."
"…So it's official," Lior murmured, almost to himself. "The whole world is really… changing."
Kaein tilted his head toward him. "It had to. With awakenings spreading, there's no ignoring it anymore."
Lior turned toward Kaein, expression complicated. "…So you're Alpha now. The world's changing around us, laws are being written, and where does that leave me? Just… normal?"
Kaein leaned back against the sofa, his gaze steady. "It leaves you as you. That's all that matters to me."
Lior chewed his lip, uncertainty flashing in his gaze. "But… doesn't it scare you? That now you're… different?" He hesitated before whispering the word. "…Alpha."
Kaein's golden eyes softened at that, though his expression remained steady. "Different doesn't mean bad."
Lior's fingers tightened over his shirt again. "But—what if it does? What if… one day, your instincts take over? What if you're not… the Kaein I know anymore?" His voice cracked at the edges, small and vulnerable.
A sharp breath left Kaein, almost a laugh though tinged with disbelief. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Do you think I'd ever hurt you, Lior?"
The anchor's voice sharpened. "The government emphasizes: these classifications do not determine an individual's worth. Just as gender never limited one's role in society, Alpha, Beta, or Omega will not either. Everyone has the same rights, the same responsibilities. Equality is non-negotiable."
The broadcast ended, the screen fading back to its regular programming.
Silence filled the resort again, though this time it was layered with the weight of the announcement.
Lior's chest tightened. His insecurities spilled out before he could stop them. "But what if one day… what if you find your fated pair? Your destined Omega? Won't you—won't you leave me behind then?"
The words hung between them like a raw wound.
Kaein's eyes softened. He shifted closer, closing the space until Lior could feel the warmth radiating off him. "Lior. Listen carefully. I don't care about fated pairs. I don't care about destiny written in pheromones or genetics. I care about you. Only you."
Lior swallowed hard, his eyes stinging. "…You say that now. But what if—"
Kaein cut him off, his voice low but unwavering. "No 'what if.' Even if the entire world tells me an Omega is my destined match, even if my instincts scream it, I choose you. That won't change."
For the first time since leaving the hospital, Lior's shoulders eased. His insecurities hadn't vanished, but Kaein's certainty grounded him, like a lighthouse in the storm.
Lior dropped his gaze, unable to answer immediately. He didn't want to doubt, but insecurity gnawed at him. "It's not that… It's just…" He swallowed. "I don't even have a secondary gender. The doctor said I'm still normal. What if—what if you end up meeting someone else? Your… your fated pair."
"Also,Kaein we are friends and roommates,I shouldn't ask you about these right?"
The last words were barely audible, but Kaein caught them. A flicker of understanding crossed his face. He stood up, walked over, and crouched in front of Lior's chair. His presence was overwhelming up close—not because of pheromones, but because it was Kaein, steady and unshaken.
"Listen to me," he said firmly, catching Lior's fidgeting hands and stilling them. "I don't care about what a doctor says or what some 'fated bond' is supposed to mean. I choose the people I keep close. And right now, the only person I want to sit with, argue with, laugh with, worry about—is you."
"And, Lior do you take me as just friend? Aren't we more than that? I never put a label on us because we have both grown up and I can never survive on my own without you. You are my only choice. So these days,do you think the reason I have been kind to you because you are my friend? I have many friends, but you are the only one I can open my heart to."
Lior was so happy, internally screaming, murmured, " Kaein, you are also the only one I can open my heart to not even my own parents. They never looked at me just gave birth to me. When I felt that I was no more needed in this world, you entered my world as a bright light in the dark mirror. I was afraid that one day you might leave me. The ten years I was apart from you were my most painful years but I worked hard hoping to meet you again as the best version of myself."
"Lior, we may have been young back then not enough to understand whether it was love or not but now after ten years, A-Li I really like and love you as my other half. Back then, I already told you that no one can replace you in my heart."
"But..., Kaein now the world has already changed, Alpha, Beta and Omega behave upon their instincts. You can never give up your Alpha instincts of devouring an Omega during heat. Or else you body will be harmed."
Lior's breath hitched. He blinked rapidly, trying not to let the sting in his eyes overflow. "If fate pulls you—"
Kaein cut him off gently. "Then I'll pull harder."
"…You always make it sound so easy," Lior whispered, almost embarrassed.
"Because it is," Kaein replied simply. "Easy when it's about you."
Kaein chuckled softly, but he didn't look away from Lior.
The night deepened, the faint hum of cicadas outside blending with the quiet tension that had finally begun to unravel. For the first time, Lior allowed himself to lean against Kaein, resting his head on his shoulder.
"…Promise me," he murmured.
Kaein raised a brow. "Promise what?"
"That you'll always stay Kaein. Not… Alpha Kaein. Just… you."
Kaein wrapped an arm around him, firm and protective. "I promise."
"But, Lior don't you think we are forgetting something? "
"What...?"
"My dear Lior, didn't you just now promise me to be my lover? Let's go on a date, my beloved."
"A date...? Didn't we go on so many travel trips? How much do you plan to waste your money,Kaein? Let's make it a home date, okay?"
"Okay, since my beloved is speaking, I must hear you obediently."
Kaein kissed Lior softly on his forehead and they went to sleep together.
Outside, the world was shifting with new laws and new labels. But inside the resort, in that small cocoon of warmth, Kaein and Lior found something unchanging—something that no secondary gender, no government decree, could define.