Chapter Text
Yoon Jeonghan could count on one hand how many times he's been rejected. He's the Yoon Jeonghan, he doesn't get rejected.
During his first year at SNU he made it his mission to be the star of the show. Everyone's eyes on him and no one else. And guess what, it worked. Everyone either wanted him or wanted to be him. Second year, he shone even brighter. Top of the Business and Economics Faculty and a dominant omega to boot.
Life's great. He has a Maybach he loves, all the esthetically pleasing school props and campus is his runway. One clothing debut from him and every man, woman, alpha and omega found themselves wearing it.
At twenty-two, and in his third year he decided to debut something even better than a new outfit.
A boyfriend. One that would turn heads and make him look even better. He already had his co-star in mind. The man was tall and broad enough for Jeonghan to look slight beside him and he was well-known around campus too.
Choi Seungcheol.
Twenty-two years old. Dominant Alpha. Captain of the SNU baseball team. Heartthrob and total beefcake. He was perfect. They ran in the same circles on and off campus. Jeonghan often saw him during his family's gala dinners.
Seungcheol was a good choice on and off campus. Therefore, it had to work. Choi Seungcheol was going to become his. It was only a matter of time.
~~
Jeonghan groaned as he tiredly took his seat. An 8 am class? What an ungodly hour to have their first class. He buried his head in his folded arms and let out a groan, letting the entire class know how tired and ridiculous having a class.
When the scent of spiced mulled wine wafted towards him, his head popped up from his folded arms and he saw Choi Seungcheol sitting four seats down from him.
How perfect! Jeonghan stared at his features and sighed. Beautiful people belonged together. Jeonghan was just doing his duty as one of those beautiful people.
Seungcheol finally noticed him and eyed him with confusion. Jeonghan waved at him with a smirk and the alpha frowned and to Jeonghan's surprise, moved another seat down.
Jeonghan froze. What was this? What just happened?
Professor Han strolled in like a man who wasn't fifteen minutes late and began the class like someone who regretted every decision that led him here.
Jeonghan couldn't get the alpha's frown out of his head. Jeonghan was gorgeous. Men and women tripped over their own feet just to get a look from him. What...what is this behavior Choi Seungcheol?
Jeonghan let out a tiny scoff and flicked back his shoulder length, inky black hair. He looked back at the alpha who sat and took notes. Choi Seungcheol didn't have a choice. He was going to be Jeonghan's one way or another.
The class ended and Seungcheol shot out of his seat, hurrying somewhere. Jeonghan scrambled after him, and disbelief settled in his chest because why was he chasing an alpha? Minghao would faint if he saw him now.
"Hey! Hey!"
Seungcheol stopped and turned to the noise, facing Jeonghan. For the first time, ever, Jeonghan was startled at the attention on him. Seungcheol's eyes were such a deep brown that it felt like Jeonghan was drowning in them.
He cleared his throat and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, subtly letting out his sweet, cherry scent. "Ah...I..."
"Spit it out, I'm late."
Jeonghan blinked, shock slowly settling in. Then derision because what the fuck?
He squirmed and just as he was about to speak, Seungcheol laid the final nail in his coffin of shame. "I'm not interested."
Whatever sweet words that Jeonghan had prepared, melted off his tongue as he slowly turned red with embarrassment. He could see people watch them, waiting for a show.
He flicked his hair and smiled, "Turns out I am. Choi Seungcheol. I like you." Jeonghan pat himself on the back for keeping his voice stable.
Several phones were out and someone squealed, excited at his confession. That's right, be excited for me. Jeonghan's smile froze as Seungcheol kept staring at him blankly. Those dark eyes betrayed nothing. Jeonghan couldn't tell if he was angry or interested.
Then the alpha sighed as if Jeonghan were a nuisance. He muttered a quiet fuck, that had no right to sound as hot as it did, especially in this situation.
"Who did you say you were?"
Those words pierced Jeonghan's fragile heart and he blinked owlishly at the alpha staring him down. Jeonghan's heart sped up in his chest and his breath escaped him in short bursts. He scoffed so loud, it made his chest rattle with it.
"Who...who? What do you mean, who? Who?"
Seungcheol sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. As if Jeonghan were grating on his last nerve. Which he wasn't. Jeonghan inhaled deeply, with a hand to his chest and froze when he saw the cellphone flashes. Their mocking smirks made his skin flush.
"Sorry. I'm sure you're a...great person, but I like someone else."
Jeonghan narrowed his eyes, "Why did you hesitate? I'm fucking great! I don't need you to tell me that. That someone you like...I'm better than them." He crossed his arms and Seungcheol's eyes quickly flit down to his cleavage. Jeonghan smirked, because...alphas.
"Yoon. Jeong. Han. You need to remember it if you're going to be my boyfriend."
Seungcheol pressed his lips into a firm line and Jeonghan smirked at his victory. Of course, who could resist him?
"Look at them all, Seungcheol-ah. They're all waiting to see our happy ending. So–"
"You like the attention, don't you?" His low voice and deep scent made Jeonghan dizzy with want. He was so hot, it was unfair.
"Yes, so–"
"Listen up!" Seungcheol suddenly bellowed, loud enough for everyone to pause at the noise. Jeonghan's fingers twitched as dread slowly crawled down his spine. Why did it feel like something bad was going to happen?
"Yoon Jeonghan says that he likes me. Look at that, an omega throwing themselves at the feet of an alpha." He announced and then sneered at Jeonghan, "How pathetic."
Several high pitched gasps and laughs crawled on his skin, making it break out in goosebumps.
"Yah, you–"
"I like Hong Jisoo. He's the one I want and the one I'm going to court. I'm saying this now for you, Yoon Jeonghan-ssi," he looked to the crowd, "and anyone else who thought of approaching me."
Hong Jisoo? Jeonghan wracked his brain, going down a list of students at SNU. When he finally remembered who he was, he broke out into incredulous laughter. Seungcheol glared at him before rolling his eyes and walking away. Leaving Jeonghan, laughing like a maniac. How could he not laugh? Seungcheol is choosing to court that...that nobody.
"Yah!"
He shot forward, attempting to chase after him but to his utter fucking embarrassment, tripped over his own feet and fell to his knees, scraping the skin off.
The laughter that broke out was enough to wish death upon himself. He bit his lip as tears burned the corner of his eyes.
Fuck them all. Fuck Choi Seungcheol.
And motherfucking dammit, they got it all on camera.
~~
Jeonghan stormed into his apartment, sparks flying off his heels as he threw his boots off. His coat, his back hit the ground with a loud thud and he screamed.
He screamed so loudly that it left his ears ringing.
He took several deep breaths before walking further into the apartment. The apartment, courtesy of his parents, had a ceiling to floor window that overlooked the Han River. The open plan kitchen was sleek with stainless steel and marble being the main decor. There was a pseudo-nest in the center of the room, artfully constructed and decorated with the fluffiest and most visually appealing blankets and cushions.
In the far corner of the room, where there was a sliding door to a balcony, sat Xu Minghao's art corner. Splatters of oils and watercolor stains that refused to be washed out added character to their home.
That was where his roommate, his best friend and his partner in crime, Xu Minghao sat, in nothing but an oversized hoodie and Jeonghan's fluffy socks.
"Han? That you?"
Jeonghan rolled his eyes, "Who else would it be?"
"I don't know. I though maybe Jun came back for round two."
Jeonghan's eyebrows raised into his hairline, "Jun was here?"
"Or is it round six?" Minghao muttered and continued painting with soft brush strokes and Jeonghan sniffed the air, gagging at the musky scent of Hao's mint scent and the musk of alpha combined with sex.
"You didn't fuck in the living room, did you?"
Minghao leveled a deadpan stare and didn't answer him. Jeonghan let out a shiver as he threw himself into their nest. He did not expect to be faced with his own red face on the TV screen.
"What the fuck?"
Minghao pointed to the screen with his chin, "Honey, you've just gone viral."
His heart sunk to his feet as the video played with someone in the back narrating the scene. Narrating! Seungcheol's voice carried and sounded weird but clear in the video.
"For the love of god, switch that off! Why the fuck are you even watching TikTok on the television?!!"
Minghao cackled and screeched when Jeonghan threw a cushion at his head. His easel teetered precariously before re-balancing and Minghao shot him a deadly glare.
"You fucker, you almost ruined my assignment!"
Jeonghan let out a scream, "My life is fucking ruined!"
Hao rolled his eyes, "You're twenty-two, you'll survive."
Jeonghan hugged a cushion as he watched himself fall to his knees. His hands shook as they covered his mouth. They even caught the fall. They caught that god awful fall.
He let out a whimpering cry as a sob grew in from the depths of his chest.
"It has over a million views."
Jeonghan almost snapped his neck at the speed that he turned to face Minghao. His wide, red eyes filled with tears.
"What do you mean, a million views? It happened over an hour ago."
Minghao just shrugged and Jeonghan's tears finally fell as despair finally sunk into his skin.
"Oh my god. Oh my god. What if my parents see this? Oh. I think I'm gonna be sick." He gagged and watched with horror as the video replayed.
"Do you have this on a fucking loop?!"
Minghao froze and Jeonghan's growl echoed through the room before he pounced on his friend. They chased each other through the entire house before collapsing in the living room nest.
Minghao heaved heavily besides him and looked at him, amusement playing in those beautiful eyes of his, "Is this gonna be like those cliché manhwas where this makes you like him even more?"
Jeonghan scoffed wetly and glared at the TikTok playing on their TV.
"No." Jeonghan's low voice rumbled in his chest. "I fucking hate his guts. Choi Seungcheol. You just made a an enemy out of me. You'll never know peace, you muscled fucking beefcake."
Minghao raised an eyebrow, "You could do better than that, darling."
Jeonghan let out a battle cry before descending terror on his best friend.
~~
Jeonghan loved attention. He loved it because he believed that people deserved beautiful things. They deserved to be in the presence of otherworldly beauty. Yoon Jeonghan was just blessing them with his presence.
But for the past few days, instead of jaw dropping awe, they stared at him with mocking glares and scandalous gossip. As if, pausing their conversations every time he walked into a room wouldn't tell him that they had been talking about him.
He huffed, marching into the campus café with his head held high. Their mockery meant nothing. He grew up with Han Areum as his mother.
At the counter, the girl's eyes widened and he was sure the video was playing in her head as she stared at him.
"Good morning, what can I get you?" Her high pitched voice did nothing but grate on his already fraying nerves.
"Iced mocha and chocolate cream bun."
She nodded and shakily smiled as she pointed to the waiting area. Jeonghan walked along with an eye roll and just as he was about to take out his phone to pass along the time, he saw someone.
He stared as they sat with perfect posture, hot coffee steaming beside their laptop and colour coded notes. His hair was styled neatly and curled at the tips of his ears and nape. His light blue sweater and matching jeans with plain white sneakers made him look so...nice. It was vomit inducing.
"Iced mocha and chocolate cream bun!"
Jeonghan picked up his order with a grin, shocking the girl at the counter before he walked over and took a seat across from the boy in blue.
The boy paused and looked up, a small gasp escaping him as he realized just who sat down. Jeonghan took a loud slurp of his drink and smiled. Venomous, with unconcealed anger in his eyes.
He watched as Joshua took him in. His chunky boots, white leg warmers, his black, almost transparent stockings, white shorts and an oversized black cardigan. As a dominant omega, his features leaned more towards seduction, beauty, the works. Jeonghan wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he took advantage of his status. Why not? The world was a cruel place. You had to be more cruel to survive it.
His dark hair fell in soft waves on his shoulder and his nails were painted a snow white.
"Done?"
Joshua gulped and looked at him, with a frown on his face. Jeonghan smiled.
"Aww, turn that frown upside down. It's a good day." He teased and Joshua frowned even more.
"Yoon Jeonghan. What are you doing?"
Jeonghan tilted his head, a few strands of hair falling across his face. Joshua watched him like one would watch a predator. Was it going to attack or not? It was the fearful anticipation that made you feel alive.
"So you know who I am."
Joshua lightly shrugged, "Everyone knows you are."
Jeonghan chuckled, barely burying the irony that threatened to make him sneer, "Tell that to Choi Seungcheol." He falsely gasped, "That's right. He confessed his undying love for you yesterday. How does that make you feel? Do you like him too?"
Jeonghan watched as Joshua blushed all the way from his ears, disappearing under his shirt. It was sickening.
He buried his eye roll and smirked, "I'm taking your silence as a yes."
Joshua coughed and took a sip of his drink before clearing his throat. He stared at Jeonghan with blank eyes as if he didn't expose himself seconds before.
"What does that have anything to do with you?" Joshua tilted his head in question and began to nod, "Is this about the video? You know–"
"It's good right now."
Joshua paused at Jeonghan's words. Jeonghan took a sip of his iced drink and tapped on the table rhythmically, his nails the only sound between them.
"The butterflies. The shy kisses. The hand holding. It's going to be so good. Plus, you're pretty. Not prettier than me, but pretty enough. So people are going to envy you." Jeonghan smiled, sweetly. So sweet it dripped off him.
"But what happens after?"
Joshua huffed and shut his laptop, finally looking at Jeonghan with a fiery spark in those Bambi eyes of his. "Get to the point."
Jeonghan leaned back in his chair. He hated to admit, but he spent the entire night researching the man in front of him. He didn't sleep a wink because he wanted to know what Hong Jisoo had that he didn't. In terms of wealth, beauty, brains, Jeonghan was better. It's not pride, it's just a fact.
"Jeonghan-ssi?"
Jeonghan blinked, refocusing on the issue at hand.
"I'm sorry. I was just thinking."
Joshua sighed, tired of his games, "Do you mind thinking a bit faster? I have a class in forty minutes. I need to prepare for it."
Jeonghan smiled, "I'm thinking about whether to be brutally honest or sugar coating it. I've decided. I'll be brutally honest. Should I begin?"
Joshua huffed out an exasperated breath of air and nodded.
"Hong Jisoo. Twenty-one years old. Omega. American. Moved to Korea when he was fifteen along with his mother. Why? His father ran off with his secretary, along with the money that they embezzled from his company. Leaving you and your mother neck deep in generational debt. Now, you're studying journalism and communications at SNU on a scholarship."
Jeonghan hummed, relishing the horror on Joshua's face, "You'd think with a scholarship you'd be the top of your class but no, that's Boo Seungkwan. Mm, what else? Oh! Crushing on Choi Seungcheol. Well...it's no longer a crush, is it? He's reciprocated. Congratulations."
Joshua's mouth opened and closed, his words unable to leave him.
Jeonghan watched him as victory seeped into his skin. No one, absolutely no one, one-upped Yoon Jeonghan. Not even background character, like Hong Jisoo.
"Now, Choi Seungcheol. Do you even know who his family is? They're big, old money. And in South Korea, that means power. So tell me, Hong Jisoo-ssi. Do you think you and Seungcheol would last? I can bet my left tit you won't. In fact, his family would give you six months of peace."
He held up six fingers and wiggled them, "Then they'll make their move. If I choose to make a move, who do you think they'll prefer? An omega with parents in their circle or an omega with a single mother and a crook of a father? I know who I prefer." He ended off with a malicious whisper and Joshua shook his head, slowly, shock marring his features.
"You'll get a white envelope. Oh! You know what, stay with Seungcheol. That's your ticket. When you inevitably get the envelope, make sure it's nice and fat. You and your mother need it."
Joshua flushed a deep red this time. He sneered at Jeonghan and Jeonghan? Jeonghan laughed. He laughed so loudly and freely, and for the first time since the disaster that was the previous day, he felt light.
"You...you crazy bitch." Joshua whispered and Jeonghan gazed at him, an insanity shining in his eyes.
"Thank you."
Joshua scoffed, "You're doing this because you want Seungcheol? Fine, have him. I won't fight over an alpha like a fucking loser."
Jeonghan pursed his lips and took another sip of his drink, "No, you keep him. You need the money anyway." Jeonghan stood up and looked down at Joshua, with a satisfied smirk.
"You know that I'm right, Jisoo-ssi." Jeonghan leaned down and whispered in the tiny space between them, "And Seungcheol will figure it out soon. By then, you'll be so in love and it'll hurt so much. But guess what, at the end of the day, he'll choose someone like me over you. No matter how good the sex is." Jeonghan grinned and smirked before sauntering off.
Outside, he breathed in the fresh spring air. Did he do that because he wanted Seungcheol? Nope. He did that because it meant that Seungcheol wouldn't get his crush. And that was so much more satisfying after what the alpha did to him. Choi Seungcheol would never know peace. Not while Jeonghan was alive.
Jeonghan took another sip and looked up to see Seungcheol and a group of other people walking towards the café. When their eyes met, the easy smile on Seungcheol's face fell away and he glared at Jeonghan so fiercely it made Jeonghan shiver.
Jeonghan waved and blew a kiss. He giggled when the alpha's glare deepened. Just as he was about to leave, his body was yanked and a palm almost smacked him back into the glass door of the café.
Disbelief made him freeze and he couldn't even process the pain as another attempted slap shook him out of his reverie.
Joshua stood there, huffing angrily, red in the face. Jeonghan's hair fell over his face due to the sheer force of his head whipping to the side.
"You motherfucker." Jeonghan murmured before reaching out and yanking Joshua's hair.
"Ah!"
Jeonghan growled as they scuffled with each other and he landed a good slap across Joshua's cheek just as he got pulled away.
"You bitch! I'll kill you!"
"Go ahead and try, you insane bastard! Yah, you think you're better than all of us?!" Joshua spat out even as Seungcheol wrapped his arms around him, keeping him away from jumping Jeonghan. Another tall guy held Jeonghan back and Jeonghan, miffed and red-cheeked thrashed in his arms. Alas, those biceps were massive and didn't loosen even for a second.
"Jisoo-ya. Enough. That's enough." Seungcheol, so lovingly, murmured and Jisoo just slumped in his arms. Jeonghan rolled his eyes so hard, he saw his brain.
Seungcheol turned to him and scoffed, "You're actually pathetic." Jeonghan's anger bubbled over and he scratched the arm holding him. The man cried out and let go of him.
"Yes, I'm pathetic. I'm vengeful and full of spite. Look at me, you can't shame the shameless, Seungcheol-ssi." He said full of derision. He huffed out a final breath, fixed his collar and smiled. He locked eyes with Jisoo and winked, "Remember my words."
He flicked his hair back and sauntered away, ignoring the raised phones, murmurs and general variations of shock. He didn't care. This was all Choi Seungcheol's fault. Jeonghan wouldn't rest until that alpha regretted ever rejecting him.