The cafeteria was always busy during lunchtime. Lots of people with trays full of food moved around, talking and finding places to sit. The air smelled like the food they were eating. Shin Jaehyun walked through the crowd, trying to stay calm. Inside, he was thinking about the important plans he was making.
He picked out a simple lunch and found a quiet spot in a corner. He liked these moments alone to think. The noise of the cafeteria didn't bother him too much. He was eating when someone big stood in front of his table, blocking the light.
Shin Jaehyun looked up. It was Alpha Woo Bin. People knew Woo Bin was mean and thought he was better than everyone else just because he was an Alpha. Jaehyun always tried to avoid him.
Woo Bin looked down at Jaehyun with a smile that wasn't friendly. "Well, look who it is," Woo Bin said loudly, making some people nearby look over. "It's Shin Jaehyun, out in the open."
Shin Jaehyun stayed calm. " Woo Bin," he said, his voice steady. "Do you need something?"
Woo Bin leaned closer. His smell, strong and bossy, made Jaehyun feel uncomfortable. "Need something? Maybe. Or maybe I can 'help' you." He looked Jaehyun up and down in a way that felt rude. "You've been making trouble. Someone needs to teach you your place."
Before Jaehyun could answer, Woo Bin grabbed his wrist. Woo Bin's hand was strong and heavy. It felt like he was trying to own Jaehyun. Jaehyun tried to pull his arm away, but Woo Bin held on tight.
"Let go of me, ugh," Shin Jaehyun said, his voice a bit sharper now.
Woo Bin laughed, a low and mean sound. "Or what, little omega? What can you do?" He leaned closer and whispered in Jaehyun's ear, "You smell…hmm, different. Like you're about to go into heat."
Woo Bin's words and touch made something strange happen inside Shin Jaehyun. Suddenly, he felt very hot. This feeling started in his stomach and spread through his whole body. The calm he usually felt inside started to disappear. Something more basic was waking up. His own smell, which he usually kept hidden, started to change, showing what was happening to him.
Shin Jaehyun felt a rush of panic. Not here. Not now. He couldn't be weak, not in this important place. He tried to hide how he was feeling, but the heat was getting stronger. His body was reacting in a way he didn't want.
Woo Bin's eyes looked happy and mean at the same time. He seemed to notice Jaehyun's change. "Oh, look," he said softly. "I was right." He squeezed Jaehyun's wrist harder, his thumb rubbing on his skin.
Shin Jaehyun's breath caught. The unwanted touch and the sudden heat were too much. He started to lose his calm. He needed to leave, right now, before things got worse.
With a quick, strong movement, Shin Jaehyun pulled his arm away. Woo Bin was surprised for a moment, which gave Jaehyun a chance to get free. Jaehyun stood up, his face red, his heart beating fast. The smells in the cafeteria felt stronger now, and the other Alphas' smells felt heavy and unpleasant.
"Stay away from me," Shin Jaehyun said, his voice shaky. He didn't wait for Woo Bin to answer. He turned and hurried through the crowded cafeteria, the hot feeling inside him growing quickly. He had to get to away fast before this unexpected problem ruined everything he had worked for.