The lecture hall was full of volume of the sounds of students filing in, notebooks, laptops, video games, chatters, gossips, and the usual classroom yelling. At the far end, near the back of the lecture hall, six figures sat together. They were engrossed in their own conversations and thoughts.
Liming leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head. "I swear, if Professor Han gives us another pop quiz, I'm dropping this degree," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
Mingyu, who was always impeccably playful one, even when busy, he leaned in towards Liming just to tease him. "You? Dropping out? That I'd have to see."
Ruxin just chuckled. He glanced at Linyan, who was scribbling something absentmindedly in his notebook. "Linyan, are you even listening? Or are you still trying to calculate the square root of… whatever that is?"
Linyan barely looked up when Ruxin spoke to him. "Yeah, Yeah- I'm listening," he mumbled, though his focus was clearly elsewhere.
Yicheng, however, was far from wanting a lighthearted conversation. He looked aorund the lecture hall, as if he was an army officer, scanning for some terrorist. "I don't understand why anyone bothers with omegas. They are so fucking weak. And irritating on top of that."
Yuxuan tilted his head, giving Yicheng a sidelong tired-of-your-shit look. "Seriously, Yicheng? Not everyone sees things your way."
Yicheng's jaw tightened. "I'm just being realistic."
Liming couldn't help but laugh, it was a casual argument in their group. "Realistic? That's just your excuse for being an asshole."
Before the argument could escalate, the room's attention shifted. An Omega appeared at the door, and for a moment the time seemed slow. He moved with a quiet grace unaware of the eyes now on him. The omega was beautiful. He was tall, elegant, and just one word, pretty.
Yicheng's eyes narrowed instantly. Every muscle in his body tensed. Something about this omeva existence irritated him to the core, though he couldn't and wouldn't admit why. "Great," he muttered under his breath, "just what this place needed. Another omega walking around like he belongs here."
Yuxuan, on the other hand, couldn't hide his curiosity. There was something about Xiaozhen that got his attention. Yuxuan's eyes followed the omega as he walked to the back and took a seat a little further from his group.
Ruxin noticed Yicheng's reaction and rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Yicheng, chill. It's just a student. Don't go spreading your hate before you even know them."
Linyan, who had finally looked up from his notes, nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Don't be so obvious. It's… uncomfortable."
But Yicheng being Yicheng, couldn't just let it off like that. He had to argue. "I won't sugarcoat my feelings. Omegas are—"
"—not your problem," Liming cut him off sharply. "Keep your mouth shut before you embarrass yourself. Smartass."
The omega settled into his seat after pulling the chair back. He kept his backpack on the desk, and took out his phone. Since the teacher wasn't there yet, he could use some time to do leisure activities.
Yicheng's gaze was fixed sharply on the omega. Every subtle movement he made felt like a provocation to him, as if it was a personal attavk. "Why is he even here?" Yicheng muttered under his breath, barely audible. "Just… why?"
Liming leaned over towards Ruxin, whispering with a smirk, "He's already about to blow a house, and the lecture hasn't even started yet."
Ruxin chuckled softly. "Classic Yicheng. Omegas literally exist, and he acts like the apocalypse is here."
Yuxuan, was silent. He didn't comment, didn't look at his friends, didn't even shift much in his seat. His eyes flicked to the omega repeatedly and secretly. He was being discreet, but it made the tiny hair on Linyan's arms stand up when he caught Yuxuan's gaze lingering on the omega, but he kept quiet for now.
Yicheng's voice cut through the quietness again. "Everyone's just… acting like he's amazing already. Pathetic."
Ruxin leaned back, a sharp edge in his voice. "Yicheng. Shut it. He hasn't done anything, and you already hate him. Grow up."
Liming yawned, bored of this already. "Yeah. Omegas exist. Big deal. Stop pretending the world revolves around your opinion."
Yicheng opened his mouth, ready to argue, but he shut up this time. Not wanting to argue, or that's what he told himself. But after a few seconds of self control, he lost it again. "Why does everyone like them? Why does the world bend for omegas?"
Liming rolled his eyes. "You're impossible."
Ruxin just leaned back, and crossed his arms, watching the drama of Yicheng burning and Linyan staring. "This is going to be interesting," he muttered. "Especially when someone actually interacts with him."
Liming leaned casually, observing Yuxuan's subtle glances towards the omega. Yuxuan wasn't obvious, he wasn't staring, but his attention kept shifting to the omega who didn't even notice him. Liming noticed.
"Yo," Liming started, voice low so only Yuxuan could hear, "Bro you've been looking at him for ages. Why don't you just go say hi?"
Yuxuan hesitated to reply, his voice quiet as he spoke. "I don't think I should." He looked at Liming, turning his eyes away from the omega.
Liming shrugged lightly. "You don't have to do anything crazy. No speeches, no big introductions. Just talk. That's it."
Yuxuan wasn't the type for small talks. He just didn't know how to. "I don't know if I can. What if I mess it up?"
"Then you mess it up," Liming said casually, almost shrugging as if it wasn't a big deal. "It's not like it's the end of the world. You'll figure it out as you go. Nobody expects perfection."
Ruxin, who was sitting on the desk smirked when he heard Liming and Yuxuan's conversation. "Yeah. Honestly, it's not scary. He's just on his phone. He doesn't even know anyone here. If you don't talk to him, someone else will."
Yuxuan's gaze turned toward the front. The onega was buried in his phone, completely unaware of the group behind him. "I don't know. I'm not good at this kind of thing."
Liming leaned a little closer, his voice was calm. "You're thinking too much. That's all anyone does at first. Tiny steps. Start with something simple. A hello. That's it. Everything else comes after."
Ruxin grinned before joining in. "Seriously. There's nothing to be afraid of. Worst-case scenario, you say hi and he keeps scrolling. Not the end of the world. Best-case scenario, who knows?"
Linyan spoke softly, trying to encourage Yuxuan. "Even just asking if he wants to sit somewhere that's all. Just something small. Nothing fancy. Nothing complicated."
Yicheng's rolled his eyes. His useless annoyance could be seen from another planet at this point. "Why are you all pushing him? Leave him alone. Omegas aren't worth your time."
Liming ignored him. "Yicheng doesn't get it. None of this is about him. It's about you. Tiny steps. Little moves. You've noticed him, haven't you? That counts for something."
Yuxuan swallowed. "I guess. But what do I even say?"
"Doesn't matter," Liming said with a shrug. "Anything. Class. The lecture. The weather. A hello. Seriously. That's it. You don't have to be perfect."
Ruxin laughed softly. "Yeah. And don't overthink it. If you do, you'll never go. You'll just sit here, staring, thinking about all the ways it could go wrong. That's the boring part. Doing it is the interesting part."
Liming's tone softened more when he noticed Yuxuan was genuinely interested. "You'll probably say something awkward. Everyone does. But awkward doesn't mean wrong. You'll figure it out as you go. Tiny steps. That's it. The rest comes naturally."
Linyan nodded, quiet but firm. "Yeah. Nobody's expecting a show. Just small. Simple. You can do that. We all know you can."
Ruxin leaned back on the desk, a smirk still there on his face but less teasing now. "And honestly? Waiting forever won't help. Someone else could walk over, start talking first. You don't want to be that person who regrets not trying."
Yuxuan's gaze returned to the omega. He was completely absorbed in his phone, scrolling idly. Even so, something about him drew Yuxuan in, a pull he couldn't ignore. He whispered softly, "I don't even know his name."
Liming laughed at Yuxuan's concern. "Doesn't matter. Names are just names. You can start with a hello, a question, anything. You'll figure out the rest after. Tiny step. That's all."
Ruxin nodded and leaned forward a little. "Yeah. Don't let overthinking paralyze you. You're already noticing him. That's more than half the battle. The rest is just action. One small action."
Liming sighed. "Nervous is fine. Everyone's nervous. It means you care. Tiny steps. One small thing. That's it. That's all anyone asks."
Linyan added to Liming's words quietly, "Yeah it's not scary. You don't have to be brave. Just try. That's enough."
Ruxin nodded. "Exactly. Tiny step. That's all it takes to start. You've already noticed him, haven't you? That counts for more than you think."
Yuxuan's lips parted slightly, he was caught between hesitation and going up to the omega. Liming's voice dropped lower, steady. "Don't worry about Yicheng. Don't let him get to you."
Ruxin smirked again. "Seriously. You'll kick yourself later if you don't. Even a tiny step matters more than nothing."
"Yes. Tiny step. One word. One question. Anything. You don't have to do more than that right now. You just need to start thinking about it." Linyan said to Yuxuan.
Liming spoke again, his voice was calm, almost like a motivational speaker now. "See? Thinking about it counts. That's already a start. Tiny step. That's all it has to be for now."
Ruxin laughed ag Liming acting like a motivational speaker, but nodded. "Exactly. You're not committing to anything yet. Just thinking about it. And when you do, it won't be as bad as you imagine."
Yuxuan's mind was full. Nervous, hesitant, curious, and wanting. The first step was mental, the first spark of courage quietly lit, and for the first time, he felt that maybe… maybe he could. He shifted and finally got up from his seat.
Liming's face brightened with a genuine smile spreading across his features. "There you go," he said softly. "That's all it takes. You got this."
Ruxin smirked, this time a genuine happy smirk, leaning back in his chair. "Good luck, man. Don't overthink it."
Linyan's quiet, supportive voice added to the cheering, "Yeah you'll be fine. Tiny step. That's all."
Even Mingyu gave a small, encouraging nod, his usual confident grin present. "Don't screw it up," he said jokingly, though the warmth in his tone was unmistakable.
Yicheng, predictably, let out a low, annoyed noise. "Finally. Took you long enough." His voice carried irritation, but underneath it was an acknowledgment that the move needed to happen.
Yuxuan swallowed, heart was pumping a little too fast, and took a slow step towards the omega's desk.
The omega remained oblivious, completely absorbed in his phone, scrolling and tapping, headphones around his neck.
Yuxuan distance closed between them slowly, each step measured and deliberate. His mind raced with possible things to say, possible reactions, and the tiny spiral of 'what ifs' that threatened to overwhelm him. And yet, every thought was tampered by his friends' encouragement.
Finally, he reached the row where the omega was seated. The omega hadn't looked up once, completely absorbed in his phone. He bent slightly, careful not to disturb the omega, and spoke softly.
"May I sit here?"
~ Min
[Words : 2054]