Chapter II
Magnas inter oper inops
A pauper in the midst of wealth
Things weren't as bad as Seokjin had expected.
The Ahn's were really warm and kind, unlike the omega's first impression of them. The head of the family, Ahn Jae Hyun—or Appa, as he told Seokjin to call him—was a good alpha. It was strange to call another man as his father after his very own had abandoned him, but Ahn Jae Hyun was a very calm and composed man. He was kind with his words and was patient enough to understand and overlook every single mistake Seokjin made.
It's not that Seokjin meant to do wrong—he tried his best to apply what Sejin had taught him beforehand. But in the presence of warm and delicious food, which were a far cry from the cold scraps shared by his family at home, everything that was taught to him was thrown out of the window. Table etiquettes were all lost to him the moment he took his first bite, his teeth sinking into the tender meat and the delicious taste melting on his tongue. It was an absolute heaven he never knew he was deprived of.
Before he even realized it, he forgot about utensils and was eating with his bare hands. Stuffing everything in his mouth inelegantly and devouring the food whole. It almost felt like he was choking, but the feeling of getting his empty stomach full—almost as if he never starved in his life—was an absolute satisfaction. However, as soon as his plate was empty and his stomach was full, the satisfaction only lasted a moment before he felt dread and humiliation.
He finally noticed that everyone—horrifyingly, even Ahn Jae Hyun the Head Alpha— had long finished their food and were all staring at him. Sejin looked surprised, annoyed and very much disappointed in him. There was a deep frown on his face and his eyes did not hide how dissatisfied he was. It's not that Seokjin wanted to disappoint him, he just couldn't help it. But he knew that that was not a reasonable excuse. The omega stared at his dirty fingers, sticky with the sauce and oil, and he felt shame grow. He does not know what the Ahn's think but they must've been disgusted by him.
In comparison to the graceful and elegant ways of the rich, Seokjin was like a pig. He felt so low and he felt ashamed. He bowed his head, feeling tears pull at the corner of his eyes as his lips trembled. This is it. They're not going to accept him as their adopted son. He would only bring shame to them if they take him.
Seokjin is done for.
He closed his eyes and envisioned his family and the village. He felt dread. Just imagining it—failing everyone just because he didn't have any self-control in front of a delicious meal, Seokjin was ashamed. It should have been very simple. He was taught about it the whole morning and afternoon, and his bruised and bandaged hands were a testament to that. But he was just such a starving idiot that he couldn't stop himself. And now, his family and village are going to be disappointed in him.
"Seokjin, right?" He heard a calm yet firm voice call him and the omega visibly flinched at the mention of his name. However, he knew that if he did not respond to an alpha's call, he would be deemed disrespectful—as if he wasn't disrespectful enough. Thus, despite the utter fear and humiliation, Seokjin raised his head and met the Head Alpha's gaze.
He expected to see anger, or disappointment, or even disgust, and he braced himself for those gazes. But what he got instead was a kind and patient look coming from Ahn Jae Hyun. There was a faint smile on his lips as he asked, "Did you enjoy the food?"
Slightly taken aback, he was tongue tied and the only thing he could muster as a response was a subtle and shy nod. He averted his gaze down on his messy plate, felt his cheeks and ears burn as he heard Sejin start speaking up, apologizing for his behavior. "I don't know what got to him," the man tried to explain, "I've taught him everything earlier this day but you must understand that it's hard for someone like him to adapt to our practices in a day."
