The fan in the living room made a soft humming sound as it turned left and right. The room was hot, sticky, and smelled faintly of Mom's cooking. On the TV, a music show was playing, and bright lights flashed over the stage.
A boy group was performing. The crowd was so loud you could almost feel it through the screen. The boys on stage were all perfect — handsome, tall, confident. They danced like they owned the world.
And in the middle of them stood Rian Vale.
Even through the old, slightly blurry TV, he looked like a dream — his eyes sharp, his smile calm, his voice strong.
Six-year-old Lian Seo didn't understand much about fame or idols or the Omegaverse. But he knew one thing: he wanted to be like Rian Vale.
He sat on the floor, hugging his old teddy bear, eyes glued to the TV.
"Mom," he said, "when I grow up, I'll be like him."
His mother laughed softly while stirring a pot of soup. "Like him? You mean you'll sing on TV?"
Lian shook his head. "No. I want to be an Alpha."
The spoon fell into the pot with a clank. "An… Alpha?"
He nodded hard. "Yes! Then I'll be strong and protect you. I'll make lots of money too! You won't have to work anymore!"
His mom smiled, but her eyes looked sad. She walked over and sat beside him on the floor. She touched his hair gently. "My little one, you don't have to be an Alpha to protect someone. You're already strong."
"But I'm an Omega," Lian said quietly, eyes still on the TV. "Alphas are strong. Everyone listens to them. Omegas just…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
His mom sighed and pulled him into her arms. "Being an Omega doesn't make you weak, Lian. Promise me you'll remember that."
He nodded, but he didn't really mean it. Because at that moment, all he wanted was to be like Rian Vale — shining, untouchable, powerful.
That night, Lian couldn't sleep. He lay in bed and imagined standing on stage beside Rian, lights shining down on them.
And for some reason, in that dream, Rian wasn't smiling for the crowd.
He was smiling at him.
---
Ten Years Later
The alarm went off at five a.m. sharp.
Lian's body ached everywhere, but he still got up.
He'd been a trainee for three years now under one of the biggest entertainment companies in Seoul. Every day was the same: wake up early, dance, sing, run, repeat.
Some trainees gave up after a few months. But not Lian. He couldn't.
He still remembered the promise he made to himself when he was six. So he worked harder than anyone.
He trained even on his birthday. He stopped eating sweets.
He even started taking medicine to change his body.
And after years of pain and effort — doctor appointments, treatments, pills, hormone therapy — it finally happened.
He wasn't an Omega anymore.
The doctor smiled when he handed him the test results. "Congratulations, Lian. Your body has fully stabilized. You're officially a converted Alpha."
Lian smiled too, but something inside him didn't feel real.
When he got home that day, he stood in front of the mirror.
He looked taller now, stronger, sharper.
But deep inside, he felt the same.
So he whispered to himself, "Then why does it still feel like I'm pretending?"
---
At lunch, he sat with his friend Jinwoo in the cafeteria. Jinwoo was one of the few people who didn't treat him differently after his conversion.
"Hey, you hear the news?" Jinwoo asked, sitting down with a tray full of food.
"What news?" Lian asked, chewing on his rice.
"Rian Vale is here."
Lian froze. "What?"
"Yeah! The Rian Vale. He's filming his new music video in our studio today. Can you believe it?!"
Lian's spoon dropped into his bowl. "You're joking."
Jinwoo grinned. "Nope! I saw the vans outside. Come on, let's go see!"
Lian shook his head. "No, that's… embarrassing. We'll look like fans."
"Because you are a fan," Jinwoo teased. "You've had his poster in your locker for years."
"I took that down!" Lian protested.
Jinwoo laughed. "Fine, fine. Stay here if you want. I'm going."
But even after Jinwoo left, Lian's heart wouldn't calm down.
Rian Vale, here?
In the same building?
He told himself not to care, but his feet started moving on their own.
---
The hallway was quiet when he reached Studio A.
The door was slightly open, and he could hear people talking inside.
His palms were sweaty. He told himself he'd just peek and leave. Just one glance.
Inside, staff members were setting up cameras and lights.
And then… there he was.
Rian Vale.
He looked exactly the same as on TV — maybe even better. His hair was dark, falling softly over his forehead. He was wearing simple black pants and a white shirt, but somehow he looked expensive.
He was talking to the director in a calm, low voice. Lian couldn't hear the words, but he felt every sound.
He didn't even realize he was holding his breath until Rian turned his head.
And then their eyes met.
For one second, the world went quiet.
Rian's eyes were cold, unreadable, but something in them made Lian's stomach twist.
He panicked, stepped back, and his elbow hit a cart full of bottled water. They rolled to the floor with a loud crash.
Everyone turned to look.
Rian frowned slightly. "Who's there?"
"I— I'm sorry!" Lian stammered, bowing so fast his head almost hit the floor. "I didn't mean to— I was just passing by!"
A staff member hurried over. "He's one of the new trainees, sir. I'll handle it."
Rian said nothing. He just looked at Lian once more — that same calm, unreadable look — then turned away.
Lian could still feel those eyes on him as he ran out of the studio.
---
Outside, his heart was beating like crazy. He leaned against the wall, gasping for air.
Why did he feel like that? Why did his chest hurt?
It wasn't just because he was nervous.
It was something else. Something strange.
Rian's scent — clean, like rain and lemon — stayed in his nose, in his head, in his heart.
And even though Lian was an Alpha now, his body reacted in a way it shouldn't have.
"No," he whispered, pressing a hand to his chest. "That's impossible."
But the more he tried to calm down, the more his heart raced.
---
That night, Lian stood in front of the mirror again.
His reflection stared back at him — taller, stronger, changed.
But his eyes looked the same.
Still soft. Still unsure.
He sighed and whispered, "Maybe being strong isn't about changing who you are. Maybe it's about not giving up, even when it hurts."
He turned on the radio before going to bed.
And there it was — Rian Vale's new song. His voice filled the room, smooth and steady.
Lian closed his eyes and listened.
For the first time, it didn't sound like a song made for everyone.
It sounded like it was made just for him.
---
End of Chapter 1
To be continued…