𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 22 | chensung

11

"Go on, tell me. What do you and Jisung do when you're alone? I'm curious," an annoying alpha male probed, walking backwards in front of Chenle while the omega tried really hard not to kick him in the nads. "Are you that good that he's been hanging around you still?" No answer only made the boy more irritated and throw even more vulgar questions towards him.

"Shut your trap or I'll give you a knuckle sandwich," Chenle threatened and slipped his leg out, knocking the guy flat on his ass. "Now back off!"

The boy growled lowly and clambered to his feet, eyes following the omega as he continued down the corridor angrily to his next class. "What even are you? A beta or an omega?"

Chenle didn't respond, only turned back around, standing a few metres away with his fist raised threateningly. "What did I just say?"

The alpha really didn't seem to get the message because he hastily tried to follow him again. "If you're a beta, then that'd be such a shame. Omegas are so much easier to control... Does Jisung keep you under control?"

In a swift motion, before Chenle could give him a so-called 'knuckle sandwich', another force intervened. The annoying boy landed flat again, Jisung looking down at him in disgust before his head turned to check on the sizzling omega. It seemed he had arrived in time, because if Chenle had punched him, then it would've possibly led to suspension. At least Jisung could alpha-charm the principal out of it. "Are you alright?"

"I'm about to annihilate that guy."

Jisung was heading in the same direction as Chenle and this weirdo when he overheard the sexual comments. It was as enraging to him as it was to the omega. "All they can do is talk."

"That better be all they do, or else." He sent a scrutinising glare to the guy on the floor, who was suffering from a sore tailbone after the fall. He was lucky that Jisung only tripped him. "Don't be so scummy."

A grunt of complaint followed but neither Chenle nor Jisung made any move to go near him, only pressing on towards the next class.

"There's so much hope for the future," the raven-haired boy sarcastically tsked, looking at Jisung, who was completely calm now as usual like he hadn't just glowered at the weirdo.

"Anyway, Chenle, save those fists for when you truly need them." His brown hair was just barely covering his eyes. "Step Number Two towards reforming you: keep your reactions under control."

"Ew, imagine having self-control."

"Sometimes the best weapon is not this," he held up Chenle's still-clenched fist and opened it up, trying to wash away the remainder of the anger, "but your ability to hide your true thoughts. Don't show them that you're angry and they'll back off from boredom."

Chenle nodded along but had no intention of putting the advice to use. It was so uncomfortable having sexual comments about himself passed around like a parcel. And when the peers added another person to the gossip it made it even more uncomfortable. They didn't even know for sure if he was an omega but it was already like this, which made him wonder how his treatment would escalate if his gender was revealed. He'd probably end up like Renjun... stalking the corridors alone without friends. Well, he knew he'd always have Donghyuck at least. And Jisung seemed not to care much about his omega-ness.

"The rumours about me used to say 'look at him, talking back to the teacher'," he sighed and looked at Jisung again. "And then it was 'jeez, what a rebellious kid'. Then some classmates used to gossip about what my secondary gender was... but that got old quickly because so many non-alphas are wound up in that conspiracy as well. I've even heard them wondering about Donghyuck. You know, I don't think Mark even knows what his 'one true love'," he quoted the phrase, "is. Anyone who doesn't smell like anything is wrapped up in that stupid guessing game."

"It's no one's concern what another person presented as."

"Exactly. And now the comments about being rebellious are becoming sexual." He didn't mention that it only started sometime last week, possibly Wednesday or Thursday, because Jisung had begun to associate with him that Monday. He didn't need to say it because the alpha knew. He, too, was originally bubble-wrapped in flattering gossip about his smart brain and curious talk about his position in his alpha group. He hadn't been overly sexualised either before this. Only the usual 'alphas like Jisung are so attractive' sort of comments that he didn't pay much attention to.

The classroom was in sight and they walked through the door to their seats, automatically picking adjacent empty tables even though they were free to sit wherever. It seemed to be a ritual now. Mark joined them on Chenle's left.

"What's up?" The ravenette questioned and gave a Mark a smile. "Did you speak to Donghyuck last class?"

"I did indeed," he beamed and leaned closer to him, whispering excitedly. "He asked me to eat lunch with him!"

"And you agreed?"

"Of course!"

Chenle went in for the high-five and it ended with them bumping chests in a friendly 'bro-congratulations'. He was really happy for this alpha. He seemed to care deeply about Donghyuck and it made Chenle feel relieved that someone decent was pursuing his friend's heart. Mark wasn't one of those alphas who had ulterior motives.

Jisung watched the innocently cute interaction with a small smile and found it quite adorable. It was cute to see a small omega fist-bumping an alpha, letting out a 'whoooosh' sound from their lips as their fingers 'glittered away' at the end of the handshake. Chenle's hood was over his head and only made him look more adorable.

"You didn't tell Donghyuck that I like him, did you?"

"Of course not. You did this all on your own."

"It feels more real now, you know? Like, maybe he's beginning to see me differently."

Chenle could only hope that this was the case. Poor Mark was constantly being friend-zoned by the subject of his affections. He offered the alpha a grin and thumbs-up. "Progress is progress."

The class began but as always, Chenle wasn't fussed on focusing. Instead, he drew little stick figures in the back of his book and gave them comedic dialogues. He slid it over to Jisung to distract him, watching intently as the alpha took a glance at it with eyes turning into little crescents. A small, airy laugh left his lungs, but for Park Jisung, the teacher would ignore anything remotely disruptive.

"That's me, that's Donghyuck, and that's Mark," he explained as he drew another one and tried to pass it over to the alpha, but Mark heard his name in the sentence and zoned in to what the two were saying. He reached over and dragged the sketch to his desk, reading the little dialogues and cringing at the messy stick figures. "This is Donghyuck?" He whispered.

"Yeah. Can't you tell?"

Mark took up a pencil and drew a floating sun above (apparently) Donghyuck's head. "There." Then he took the time to laugh quietly at what Chenle doodled. "Am I really that lovesick?"

"Um, yeah? It's your defining feature."

Jisung noticed that the teacher, for all she tried to ignore their disruptions since Jisung was involved, was beginning to drag the chalk down the board with screeching noises. She was taking her irritation out on an innocent piece of chalk. And the class' ears. "How about you save that for lunch?" The brunette suggested and hushed the pair.

He needed to keep Chenle out of trouble as much as he could.