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= Chapter 18.0

He could feel it.

Could feel the way everyone was looking at him. Could sense the way their own feelings towards him had changed. Seemingly transformed with the recent developments. It came from all directions, until the air surrounding him was thick and stifling. Until it felt like he couldn't even brathe.

It came from everywhere. From everyone.

And that was what shocked him the most.

...

They didn't speak of it.

And maybe that was what made it worse. Made it fester. Made the animosity that was already brewing between all of them grow. All of them could feel that too. All of them knew that the storm was coming.

They could do nothing more than hope they were strong enough to endure it.

...

Once upon a time, they'd had these meetings every single week. Would gather in the slightly larger room of the tiny little apartment they had been given, taking up space where ever they could find it. Would create some deformed circle, and would take turns taking about the progress they had made. Would bring up their concerns.

Would actually talk to each other.

When was the last time any of them had done that? Reached out and spoke to someone outside of their own individual friendships?

He was shocked to find Hoseok at the head of the table instead of Namjoon - but really, he was the best person to do what needed to be done. What they all knew needed to be done. Because he carried the burden of being their only beta. Of not having to feed into some ridiculous alpha ego while also wielding far more respect than the omega's were supposed to be given.

So there they were. Three to each side. The omegas.

And the alphas. Like the divide between them needed to be made any bigger.

"I think -" Hoseok spoke carefully, pointedly remaining to the left - as if he had chosen his side already, the weight which would swing the arms of the scale. "We all know why we're here."

"This isn't working anymore." It was shocking, hearing the voice coming from his left. Knowing that Yoongi hadn't been the one who had said those words.

"We're not working anymore." Taehyung sat in the middle on the opposite side - and he realized then that they had been arranged by age, like that somehow determined their ranking in this entire mess.

"Well maybe if the three of you stopped with the egotistical alpha bullshit we'd be more willing to cooperate." Yoongi spoke then - and it wasn't shocking that he didn't waste time getting to the heart of the issue.

They had always known this might happen. Alpha's were meant to compete against one another. It was just in their nature. Just like they knew that the configuration of them was going to determine how far it went.

Namjoon had established himself as the leader long before the younger three had presented. And if it had just gone the way they all thought it would, chances were this wouldn't be happening.

Because Jimin wouldn't have challenged him. His own nature just wouldn't allowed it. He was too respectful of those who were older than him. Was too passive - until the point where he was pushed over the every hard to reach limit.

Jungkook may have, occasionally, stepped out of line. Put forth a good effort. Staged a failed coupe. But in the end he would have submitted. Been put in his place and would have learned to live with it and accept it.