The cameras glared like a thousand tiny suns.
Rika Hanazawa stood frozen in front of the audition hall doors, her fingers curled around the straps of her worn backpack. The giant LED board above her flashed the words;
STARBORN SURVIVAL: THE ROAD TO IDOLS.
Inside, more than a hundred girls were already gathering. Tall, sleek-haired Alphas oozing dominance. Confident Betas chatting like they owned the place. And somewhere in between… her.
Her heart pounded. Her scent blockers were supposed to work, but anxiety always made her nervous. If even a hint of her Omega pheromones leaked out, she'd be finished.
Omegas weren't idols. That was the unspoken rule. Fragile. Distracting. Destined only to mate and bear children.
But Rika didn't care. She was here to prove them all wrong.
"Hanazawa, Rika?" A staff member called.
She swallowed, lifted her chin, and walked forward. You've got this. You're just another Beta. Smile. Breathe. Don't screw this up.
The waiting room was chaos. Girls stretching, chatting, some braiding each other's hair. The air was thick with subtle Alpha pheromones—strength, dominance, and intimidation rolled together.
And then she saw her.
Daika Kurose.
The top-ranked trainee, the girl everyone whispered about. Cold, perfect, beautiful in that distant, untouchable way. The kind of Alpha whose very presence made the room quiet.
Daika sat alone, arms crossed, eyes closed as if she had better things to do than breathe the same air as everyone else.
Rika gulped. Don't stare. Don't stare. DON'T—
Too late. Daika's eyes flicked open. Piercing dark irises landed directly on Rika. Her lips curved the slightest fraction—almost a smirk.
Rika panicked and snapped her gaze away, nearly tripping over her own feet.
"Cute."
The word was barely a whisper, but Rika's Omega instincts flared. Her stomach twisted, heat simmered in her veins. She gripped her backpack harder. No. Not now. Blockers, do your job…
---
Later, room assignments were announced.
"Hanazawa Rika, Kurose Daika. You'll share dorm 307."
The room spun. Of all the trainees—why her?!
Daika raised an eyebrow as the murmurs rose around them. The untouchable Alpha paired with the nervous Beta? People were already gossiping.
When they reached the dorm, Rika fumbled with her keycard, dropping it twice before the door beeped open.
Inside: two beds, a desk, and a single wide window.
Daika walked in like she owned the place, tossing her duffel onto the bed by the window. Then she turned, watching Rika with an intensity that made her skin burn.
"You smell strange."
Rika froze. Shit. Did she notice?
"Probably nerves," Rika stammered, forcing a laugh. "I'm just… really anxious."
Daika stepped closer, her gaze sharp. "No. Not nerves."
Her breath ghosted against Rika's ear as she leaned in. "It's sweet. Too sweet for a Beta."
Rika's knees nearly buckled. Her body screamed with instinct, heat pooling low in her belly. She shoved Daika back, face flushed.
"Y-you're imagining things!"
Daika smirked, clearly amused. "Am I?"
---
That night, Rika lay stiff on her bed, pretending to sleep. Daika's breathing from across the room was slow, steady, but Rika couldn't relax. Her skin tingled where Daika's voice had lingered.
She squeezed her pillow, whispering into the dark: Don't let her find out. If she knows, it's all over.
Her body disagreed. Warmth coiled in her gut, her thighs pressed together as pheromones threatened to betray her.
Daika shifted on her bed. "Can't sleep?"
Rika bit her lip. "…I'm fine."
Silence stretched. Then, the creak of bedsprings. Daika's shadow loomed closer.
She knelt beside Rika's bed, her face inches away.
"You really think you can hide it from me, Omega?"
Rika's breath caught. Her heart hammered. Every nerve screamed at her to push Daika away—yet every instinct begged her to pull her closer.
Daika's hand brushed along Rika's wrist, warm and deliberate. Rika's pulse fluttered under her fingers.
Her smirk deepened. "You're trembling."
Rika yanked her hand back, sitting up fast. "I-I'm not an Omega! You're wrong!"
Daika tilted her head, studying her like prey. "Then prove it."
The room pulsed with tension. Rika's body burned with need, her secret teetering on the edge of exposure.
She couldn't tell if she wanted to run away… or give in.
Morning came too soon.
The survival camp's training hall was buzzing with voices as over a hundred trainees lined up for morning roll call. The lights were bright, the mirrors endless, and the instructors terrifyingly sharp-eyed.
Rika dragged herself into position, her body still buzzing from last night's confrontation with Daika. She barely got any sleep, her heart racing every time she remembered those whispered words—You really think you can hide it from me, Omega?
She shook her head violently. No. I'm fine. The blockers will hold. Just focus.
"Line up!" the dance instructor barked.
Rows of trainees snapped into formation. The music blasted. Warm-ups began.
At first, Rika managed. She pushed through the stretches, ignored the burning in her thighs, and plastered a determined smile on her face.
But halfway through the grueling choreography drills, something shifted.
A bead of sweat trickled down her temple, but it wasn't just sweat. Heat curled low in her belly, sudden and sharp, rolling through her body in a way that was all too familiar.
No, no, no—this isn't happening. Not now!
Her blockers should have held for another week. Why now? Why today of all days?!
Rika's knees wobbled. Her breath came shallow. Her chest tightened as a faint sweetness began to leak from her pores.
The Omega scent.
Her secret.
"Hanazawa!" the instructor snapped. "Keep up!"
Rika forced herself to move, but her body betrayed her. Her limbs shook, her steps sloppy. The girls next to her wrinkled their noses, sniffing the air.
"Do you smell that?" one whispered.
"It's… sweet?" another muttered.
"Like—like sugar water?"
Panic slammed into Rika. Her heart pounded so loud she thought the mirrors might shatter.
And then—Daika moved.
Without a word, she slipped out of formation and crossed the room, her Alpha presence slicing through the chatter. The instructor barked at her, but Daika ignored him. She reached Rika just as her knees buckled, steadying her with one strong arm.
"She's mine," Daika said flatly, her voice sharp enough to silence the room.
The scent warbled between them, Omega sweetness spilling uncontrolled. Rika bit her lip until it bled, desperate not to let a sound escape.
Daika leaned down, lips brushing Rika's ear. "You idiot. You almost gave yourself away."
Rika shivered violently. Her body ached with heat, shame, and something dangerously close to arousal.
Daika's hand tightened around her waist, guiding her toward the door. "Infirmary," she told the instructor coldly. "She's overheating."
The room buzzed with whispers, but no one dared argue. That Alpha aura was too overwhelming.
In the empty hallway, Daika shoved Rika gently against the wall.
"Blockers worn off?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing.
Rika's breaths came shallow, her body trembling under Daika's hold. "I—I don't know… it shouldn't have—" Her voice cracked as another wave of heat pulsed through her, stealing her strength.
Her scent bloomed fully now, sweet and intoxicating. Daika's pupils dilated, Alpha instincts kicking in hard. She slammed a hand against the wall beside Rika's head, trapping her in place.
"You're insane," Daika muttered, though her voice was husky. "Coming here like this. Surrounded by Alphas? Do you want to be eaten alive?"
Rika whimpered, her thighs pressing together involuntarily.
Rika squeezed her eyes shut, tears threatening. "I don't… want to be protected. I want to prove I can stand here too."
Daika stared at her for a long moment. Then she exhaled, almost like a growl, before pulling back slightly.
"You're reckless," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "But… you're not weak."
Her hand lingered at Rika's waist for a second longer than necessary. Then she stepped back, shoving her hands into her pockets.
"Take your blockers. Tonight. I'll cover for you today. But next time—don't expect mercy."
Rika sagged against the wall, her chest heaving. Her secret was unraveling faster than she could hold it together.
And Daika was the only thing standing between her and exposure.