Kin closed his eyes, he was met with darkness. His mind was empty, and no images appeared. He floated in a dream with no way out. Suddenly, the scene cut to an immense emptiness.
A small boy was sitting still and quietly with a book in his hand. There were no pictures or sounds, nothing more than a boy sitting stillม turning the pages. And he was standing there watching. Kin knew clearly that it was a dream.
He was dreaming of his younger self. A pitiful, ordinary boy, ignored by everyone. Locking himself in his bedroom and only reading books, engrossed in letters and pictures. Imagination was his comfort and happiness. Without any family members by his side.
Kin remembered just how pathetic his younger self was. Lonely, with no one, desolate, and only able to find happiness on his own. There was only himself.
His beautiful eyes opened peacefully. His body felt no exhaustion, and there was no desire to be lazy like before. He sat up in bed, on a mattress softer than any he had slept on his entire life. He sat still for a while, thinking about the dream that was fading from the moment he woke up. It was a terrible memory. He had never thought he would go back to thinking about such things. The first night in a new body, a new atmosphere, a new name, a new body, and a financial status so much better than before that he barely had to work. He thought it would make him forget his pain. But no matter what, he was still himself.
He got out of bed. The first thing that stopped his steps was the reflection of a stranger in the vanity mirror. He moved closer to look at himself clearly. The image of 'Kin,' a beautiful Omega who met the standard of what an Omega should be in fiction.
No matter if he moved to the left or the right, even looked from behind, he still looked beautiful.
A question arose in his mind. Did this man truly not deserve love? Is there anyone in the world who doesn't deserve love? With such a beautiful face, why did he have to be so obsessed with just one man that he reached such a pathetic end? What was so good about that man?
His slender brows furrowed as he thought of the face of the man named Phupha. Besides his looks, in Kin's opinion, that man was quite faithful. To the point that even after getting married, he wouldn't stop meddling with his first love. He couldn't exactly say he didn't understand being forced into a marriage.
"Is there something you need?" He opened the door to find the same woman, the same one from yesterday, standing in front of his bedroom door. She looked a little worried but asked in a faint, unsure voice.
"Young master, will you be going to the company today?"
"Huh?" He raised his eyebrows high and completely forgot about work. Which made sense, how could he be rich if he didn't work? But people who are born into money and don't have to work must exist, right? Suddenly he remembered what happened clearly yesterday afternoon… Those people went on a date in the middle of the day, didn't they?
"U-um, if it's not convenient for you to go, I'll inform them, young master." He didn't know what happened that made her look so worried, coming all the way to knock on his door. She must be his caretaker. It made him think that even at his age, he still had a servant. Kin considered for a moment while looking at the servant's face before nodding and deciding to agree.
"Oh… okay. Prepare a driver for me too."
"Uhm... yes, young master."
Although he didn't like working much, he wondered what kind of job this character had. Even if it was nothing more than a business owner or something like that. The chance to be an owner wasn't something you got often. What's the harm in him going to see for himself? Although he was a little worried that he knew nothing about the work. He didn't even know what it would be like. Was there anyone he could consult? But he would never know unless he went to the office.
Even in novels, you still have to work, huh?
After he showered and smelled of soap, the many perfumes lined up didn't attract him to use them at all. They smelled terrible for him. Kin chose the simplest collar to wear because he didn't want to stand out, even though the designs were more varied than he had ever imagined. If he hadn't read the novel, he would never have known that Omegas had to wear collars. Kin sighed in frustration while checking himself in the mirror. Why did a collar have to be on his neck? Why didn't Alphas have to wear muzzles?
Kin's clean neck indicated that he and Phupha had probably never slept together. So he could rule out the mate bond, which was good for him. This bedroom was his. Everything in here was his. There was nothing of Phupha's, not in the bathroom or anywhere else. Had the two of them ever spent time together as husband and wife? The more he thought, the more he felt pity for someone who tried so hard, yet even after being married, they had never slept together.
He placed his hand on the mirror and looked at his own beautiful face again, admiring how stunning he was. His old self looked like an idiot even when wearing a suit to work. He stopped admiring his own beauty and went to the front of the house where a luxurious car was parked. A famous brand that his real self would never have been able to touch, no matter how much he worked to pay off his debts.
"Have a good trip, young master." The same servant, whose name he still didn't know and was waiting for someone to call her by it so he could pretend to know it, said this with a faint, anxious smile on her face. How bad must Kin have been for his servants to look so afraid?
"Do you want anything to eat?"
"Huh?"
"I'll buy something for you."
"Oh my... no, it's alright!"
"You're not a vegetarian, are you?" He continued to ask with a smile, not caring that she refused. The servants in this big house worked themselves to death, taking care of both him and the house. How could he let her live in fear?
"N-no, but I..."
"Okay then."
As the car was moving, his phone rang with a notification that someone had sent a message. Khin tapped on the green app and found it was the man he had just exchanged numbers with last night. A smile appeared on his face again easily as he laughed at the absurdity. Even though he had told him he was busy, even if he wasn't really.
[Kiryu: If you're busy this evening, would you like me to buy some food for you?]
[Kin: It's okay. I'm busy.]
He typed a reply, but after he sent it, he had a change of heart. His slender fingers typed a contradictory sentence, but he sent it anyway.
[Kin: If you want to, you can come to my house.]
In less than half an hour, Kin finally arrived at the company. The company name prominently displayed as his family's surname. 'Thadawong Group.' And he was Kin Khanathon Thadawong, who was getting out of the car feeling nervous with the minuscule knowledge that he knew he wouldn't be able to help the company survive.
"Mr. Kin." The voice calling his name made him turn towards it. And found a good-looking, petite young woman with light brown hair. Dressed in long pants and a suit jacket, looking dignified. Her hair was tied up loosely, but she still looked beautiful.
"Yes?" But who was she? He had just stepped out of the car. Where did she come from?
"U-um, good morning. Would you like to have coffee or anything before you go in? I've already arranged the documents on your desk. There's no meeting today, but tomorrow-"
"Can we talk in the office? We're still in front of the building." He raised his hand to stop her before she could say more. Kin noticed the collar on her neck, making him realize she was also an Omega like him.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She was startled and quickly apologized anxiously, as if afraid of her own mistake. Khin started by smiling in a friendly way and asked her as gently as he could.
"It's okay. What's your name?"
"Huh? Um, my name is Natcha. Natcha Pawida... I'm your secretary." Although she looked confused by his question, she said her name without thinking. The woman who had been a stranger was now officially registered in his mind as the only person he could rely on at this company.
"So, you know everything, right, Ms. Natcha?"
"Eh? Um, I don't know everything. Compared to you, Mr. Kin, I know very little..."
"Exactly. You can help me with everything. Thank you. Keep up the good work. Now, please show me to my office."
"U-uh, yes. This way, Mr. Khin."
She led the way into the company, and he followed her because he didn't know the way. If he had to walk alone, he would definitely get lost in this huge company. His office was on the top floor. A wide, empty room with only a sofa and one work desk, which was his. Everything was ready in one room, and his secretary's desk seemed to be in front of his office.
"Could you... tell me what I'm supposed to do?"
She turned to look at him with a strange expression. It was easy to read that she was wondering what was going on with him.
"Yes. Mr. Kin, please start with this document..." The young woman led him to his desk and placed a document in front of him. She started teaching him from scratch, and he had so many questions after reading just two lines. But even so, she was happy to answer patiently. Kin realized she was a really competent woman. Why was she a secretary? Or should he just sign over his position to her?
Kin finished work at five in the evening because he thought he should leave then. Even though his secretary told him he could leave whenever he wanted, every time she saw him with a bored expression from the paperwork. Even knowing that, he still felt considerate.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Natcha. You can go home now." He walked out of his office and tapped gently on the desk of the person who was hunched over, scribbling something with letters all over the page, making him not want to imagine what kind of work it was. She looked up and replied as if it were normal for her.
"Huh? I mean, I'm going to stay a little longer..."
Does that mean she's going to work overtime?
"It's time to go home. Come on, go home now." Kin repeated himself and instinctively crossed his arms, staring at her, hoping she would obey him immediately.
"Yes, yes... I'm going home, but-"
"Go home."
"Okay..." He smiled at her deflated expression. She quickly gathered the documents she had received from him and closed her notebook, putting everything away, making him confident that she wouldn't work unnecessary overtime. Kin said goodbye and went downstairs where a car was already waiting.
Kin didn't forget to tell the driver to stop and buy things as he had promised the servant that morning. He didn't know what she liked, so he bought what he liked and thought was delicious, carrying it with both hands and eating in the car until he had to squeeze in with the food. He saw the same auntie standing far away, waiting for him.
"Hello, Mr. Kin. Oh my... you bought so much!" She greeted him as was her duty before becoming startled when he got out of the car and turned back to take out bags of food, including fried chicken, pizza, salad, and some snacks, holding them in both hands.
"I bought these for you. Please share them. I don't know if it's enough." The servant came and took the things with her own hands before turning to the younger woman to help her carry them.
"So much... Thank you, Mr. Kin. It's definitely enough." Her face looked more relaxed than in the morning, but it was still anxious. It was probably too much to expect her to trust him in just a day or two. Kin nodded and walked into the house empty-handed. His goal was to go up to his room and just lie down, to relieve the exhaustion from a full day's work.
But it seemed he couldn't do that now, as his eyes happened to catch his husband standing on the stairs he had to take. The other man stared at him intently but didn't say anything right away. The other's gaze alone made him uncomfortable. He stared back, unwilling to give in, and said nothing until Phupha started first.
Even though the other was a handsome man, it didn't make his heart beat with any positive feelings. Kin's mind only wondered what the other man wanted or if he had done something wrong. Was he being picked on with just a look? And was it okay to be staring at each other like this? As everything was in an awkward atmosphere, the other man sighed and finally spoke.
"When did you have change?"
What?