I had always known, ever since I was a child, what role I was meant to play in this life. Yet fate had other plans for me. For us.
Alpha. Beta. Omega. They were the secondary genders that formed the backbone of society. In this world, everyone had their burden to bear, and while Yuta's and Fujin's story was certainly not unique, it was still something special.
Finally, it was summer! And with summer came the holidays, and with the knowledge of what that meant, Yuta's face lit up with a wide smile. Despite knowing that attending university was far out of his reach, he knew he would finally be able to see Fujin more often. And not only that—his Alpha wanted Yuta to move in with him. He would finally be able to leave the hell that his current home had become.
"Hey! Yuta! Don't doze off!" one of his coworkers called, pulling the Omega out of his daydream. He nodded hurriedly and continued moving the boxes of the new delivery into the storage room. Cicadas buzzed with deafening intensity, and the midday heat made Yuta sweat. But since the morning, none of it mattered—nothing could dampen his joy!
He used to, like probably many other Omegas, wonder why the world was so unfair, why he had to be an Omega, and why his family hated him so much. Was it because he was an Omega? Or would they have never wanted him regardless of his secondary gender? These phases would return, especially when Fujin wasn't near—then everything felt much worse. The feeling of being unwanted and never having even the slightest chance at a fulfilling life could be overwhelming.
Ding-dong. The chime announcing new customers rang out. Yuta was standing behind the counter in his apron, greeting anyone who came into the small store. To his delight, it was his favorite person—Fujin.
"Hello, Yuta." Fujin smiled at his friend and approached him. Over the years—they had known each other since elementary school, when Fujin had to temporarily leave his private school for a regular one for a project and had met Yuta—he had learned to restrain himself and not kiss Yuta in public, especially not at work.
"What are we in the mood for today?" the Alpha asked, looking straight at the glass case filled with warm dishes.
"I don't know… I feel like…" Yuta didn't get to finish as Fujin interrupted him.
"Indifferent? Same as always, then?" Both laughed and decided together to buy a whole bunch of skewers, onigiris, sweets, and soft drinks. It had been difficult for Yuta to accept this generosity for a long time. Fujin had persistently coaxed his friend until he eventually gave in. Sure, hunger probably helped, but by and large, Yuta owed his beloved more than he could ever put into words.
Fujin sometimes wandered the supermarket for hours, just to wait for Yuta. If asked, he would simply say he enjoyed looking around longer, though probably no one believed him.
This time, however, he was punctual and only had to wait a few minutes before Yuta could take off his apron and head into the evening.
Fujin stayed calm, but as soon as they left the store, he wrapped an arm around Yuta and kissed him on the cheek. Yuta blushed but didn't protest.
"I told you not to…" he began, but his voice grew quieter, and he ended the sentence with a smile, gazing at Fujin with affection.
"Have you eaten yet today?" Fujin asked, ignoring the complaint and smiling back. He caught himself once more thinking that Yuta was the most beautiful and sweetest Omega in the world, feeling joy in knowing that he was—his—Omega.
"Let me guess… no?" he answered his own question, which he asked almost daily.
"Ah, how else am I supposed to get through all the food you buy, hm? Or do you want me to get fat?" Both knew the real reason was different, but they left that unspoken. Even back then, Fujin had spent all his pocket money buying food for Yuta. Outings were out of the question—they had been much more afraid of what would happen if anyone caught them together.
"Well, I'm starving!" Fujin lifted the bag of their purchases. Yuta smiled and leaned slightly against his partner while walking. Fujin looked down at him with a surprised expression.
"You okay?" he asked, smiling, and Yuta simply nodded.
It took a while to reach their special place. Apart from weeds and the pagoda, there was no sign of the red sea of blossoms that would appear in autumn and always remind them of the beautiful times they shared. The pagoda itself had long passed its prime, and it probably wasn't entirely safe to enter, yet the two loved the place.
The old wood creaked ominously as they stepped on it, and in the corner of the first floor—the only part that still seemed somewhat safe—there was a mattress along with small decorations, magazines, and drinks, giving the impression of a homeless person living there rather than two lovers meeting.
Fujin put down the bag and grabbed Yuta, who had been walking toward the mattress. He pulled him into a tight embrace and showered him with countless kisses.
"W…wait!" Yuta stammered, laughing, before surrendering to fate and wrapping his arms around Fujin.
"How am I supposed to wait when you're so irresistibly sweet…" Fujin murmured against Yuta's lips, knowing exactly what Yuta was anticipating. He wanted to hear it at last but decided to let him simmer just a little longer.