ICYM Ch 22

Episode 22

Maybe it was thanks to a good night’s sleep over the weekend, even though I woke up at the crack of dawn on Monday, I felt refreshed.

I got up a little earlier than usual, so I was able to go down to the garden properly dressed in my school uniform instead of looking like a polite pervert.

Whether it was fortunate or not, Coco and Nabi, blissfully carefree, shamelessly cleared out not just their food but even their snacks from me.

I had planned to eat breakfast and head straight to school, but the temperature had dropped much more than expected. It was colder than I thought.

Just being outside for a moment made the tip of my nose red, so I went back upstairs before breakfast and layered a jumper over my blazer.

What the heck, I ended up leaving around the same time as usual anyway.

I’d wanted to get to school a bit earlier today, so I clicked my tongue softly in disappointment, but my steps remained light.

Part of my good mood came from the fact that the mid-term break would start once this week was over.

The amusement park.

Honestly, even as I thought of it, it felt ridiculously childish. And not just that, it would cost a fair bit of time and money too.

Sunbae had said he’d only help out until just before the mid-term break, and after that, he’d hand things over to the new dorm leader.

By saying he’d help only until big events like Halloween or Guy Fawkes Night, it meant he wouldn’t be coming to the amusement park, since it was part of the weekend activities.

If we went then, we wouldn’t be able to hang out together anyway, so if there were a chance, I wanted to go just the two of us.

But that was just how I felt. I didn’t want to bother Sunbae.

“Should we just go to a famous restaurant in the next neighborhood instead?”

“You don’t actually want to go that badly, do you?”

“Was it that obvious?”

“Totally…”

“Honestly, I do want to go to the amusement park… but that might be too much—”

“Okay, let’s go.”

“…Huh?”

“Let’s go. To the amusement park.”

However, Sunbae agreed to my suggestion, saying he should at least take one day off.

If we kept getting closer like this…

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

“Ah—Geez, you startled me.”

Owen had grabbed my shoulder from behind, panting as if he’d hurried to catch up.

“What’s wrong?”

At the faint scent of Alpha pheromones, I instinctively furrowed my brow. I naturally took half a step away from Owen and made sure it was clear that the frown wasn’t because of the pheromones.

“Don’t startle me like that so suddenly.”

“Ah, sorry.”

I’d been worried lately that Owen might pick up some bad habits from hanging out with that potato squad but judging from how startled he looked and quickly backed off at my discomfort, it seemed my worries were unfounded.

“Why did you run over here like that?”

“…To walk to school with you.”

Seeing the serious look on Owen’s face beside me, I let out a quiet sigh.

“I’m not that upset, you know?”

He looked so apologetic that I felt the need to clarify it wasn’t that big a deal. What, did he think I was some kind of unstable personality?

“Hehe… That’s a relief.”

Owen breathed a sigh of relief with his usual gentle expression.

“Let’s just get to school.”

“Okay.”

“…But, you know…”

By the time we reached the crosswalk, the green light was already blinking, but instead of running across, Owen came to a sudden stop.

Since we ended up walking together, it felt awkward to just run across first and leave him behind, so I stopped as well.

The light turned red again only after enough time had passed for us to cross.

“What is it?”

This time, Owen reached out his hand at a speed that gave me plenty of time to dodge if I wanted to. Curious, I stayed still, and his hand touched my forehead.

“Just as I thought.”

“Huh?”

“You feel like you have a fever.”

Was it because I’d stepped outside in light clothes this morning? The moment Owen pulled his hand away, I checked my own forehead.

“A fever? Maybe I caught a cold?”

But maybe my hand was just as warm because my forehead didn’t feel particularly hot. Still, Owen spoke with a serious tone.

“You should go to the infirmary right away.”

I had felt a bit colder than usual this morning, but it didn’t seem serious enough to warrant that.

“It’s not that bad.”

“…Still, it’s better to take medicine before it gets worse.”

“Is it?”

“I need to go to the infirmary for suppressants. Want to come with me?”

“No, I’m fine. It’s not that bad.”

Now that I thought about it, it was probably time for me to take my suppressants, too.

Since he said he’ll be away from the dorm during the mid-term break, maybe I should also take that time to rest.

The timing might overlap awkwardly.

Then, another thought hit me, one that caught me off guard because I’d completely forgotten about it myself.

Should I tell Sunbae that I’m not a Beta, but actually an Omega, before things get serious?

I didn’t think he’d discriminate based on secondary gender like that, but maybe it’d be better to say it ahead of time? Not because of the trait itself, but because keeping it a secret could become a matter of trust.

Whether it was fortunate or not, the dilemma didn’t last long.

Even without turning around, I could feel the presence behind me so clearly that I looked back.

Kendrick was standing right behind us.

Right then, the traffic light changed from red back to green. I quickly grabbed Owen’s arm and pulled him close to my side.

“I think we were blocking the way.”

“Sorry!”

Just as I tugged, Owen also took a step toward me, and the sudden shift in his weight tilted him in my direction.

“Whoa…?”

“Ah!”

I let go of his arm a beat too late. Owen had already lost his balance. It felt like we were about to tumble to the ground in a tangle, so I instinctively reached out, trying to catch something, but there was nothing to grab.

Thud.

Kendrick, who had been silently observing this ridiculous scene from behind, reached out with one hand grabbing the back collar of Owen’s uniform and the other slipping around my waist to catch me.

In an instant, I ended up in Kendrick’s arms, saved by his quick reflexes.

Maybe because I had buried into his chest, or maybe because Kendrick himself was shaken by the situation, I could smell the scent of his pheromones.

I had squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the fall, but once I realized what had actually happened, I sprang upright like a spring.

Now that I thought about it, hadn’t something similar happened before?

I wondered how clumsy he must think I am.

I wasn’t normally like this, but it was oddly only around this one person that I kept making a fool of myself. It was embarrassing.

“Th-thanks.”

“Ken! Thanks.”

Owen, who had been held by the scruff of his neck, finally registered what had happened and also offered his thanks to Kendrick.

Ah.

They didn’t seem to have a bad relationship. But it was one of those things—you know how some people seem like close friends when they’re in a group, but once they’re alone, it turns awkward? That’s the kind of vibe they gave off.

“Green light.”

“Huh?”

“It’s blinking.”

Kendrick, seemingly flustered by the situation, stiffly pointed toward the traffic light. We couldn’t afford to miss the green light again.

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

Just like that, the three of us naturally ended up walking to school side by side.

* * *

I shouldn’t have ignored Owen’s advice.

There had actually been plenty of chances.

When I thought last night that I could really smell Sunbae’s pheromones clearly, or when I caught Kendrick’s pheromones more clearly than usual, or even earlier, during break time, when I thought maybe I should just stop by.

I should’ve gone to the infirmary at any one of those moments.

It happened after lunch, right after attendance was taken for the afternoon classes. Everyone was at their lockers, grabbing their books before heading off.

That’s when I heard giggling nearby. Familiar faces, part of the potato squad that always hung around Sunbae.

Most of the group Sunbae hung out with were second-years, but a few of them were first-years too.

Unfortunately, it looked like one of them, someone from my class, had seen the three of us arrive together this morning.

“Betas don’t even realize when they’re drenched in pheromones, you know?”

“How can you not notice that?”

“Inferior genes.”

“Ugh, our school’s standards are really in the gutter…”

“Apparently, someone in our year only got in because their family paid to have turf laid at the school.”

“Isn’t it that one?”

“Nah, probably not. That one studies their ass off. Must’ve gotten in on grades.”

Their voices were loud enough that I heard everything, whether I wanted to or not.

I was used to hearing Betas being mocked. It didn’t sting much anymore. But the false assumption that I must’ve gotten in through good grades still stung. The truth was far from it and it made my fists clench involuntarily.

If I pick a fight with them here, I’m the only one who loses.

Still, I had no intention of stirring up trouble.

Clack.

I shoved my textbooks into the locker and pulled out only the notebook I needed, slipping it into my bag.

“I’m telling you, that one really can’t sense pheromones.”

The potato squad kept snickering, deliberately releasing more pheromones.

The others lingering nearby must have been Alphas too. None of them said anything, only frowned slightly.

I was uncomfortable, sure, but still able to ignore it.

At least, that’s what I thought.

The moment I slung my bag over my shoulder and turned my head, chills ran down my spine.

My stomach twisted, like it was about to turn inside out.

I clenched my teeth to stop a groan from slipping out.

“…Urgh.”

I didn’t immediately realize what kind of reaction this was.

But after a few deep breaths, and as the concentration of Alpha pheromones thickened, I understood.

Heat cycle.

Even before I transmigrated, I’d never had a rut come on this suddenly.

Goddamn it. Heat, now?

My hands started trembling.

To have those bastards witness me falling victim to their disgusting little prank?

Over my dead body.

I could still feel the potato squad’s gazes lingering on me.

The only relief was that my back was to them, so they couldn’t see me biting down on my lower lip so hard it started to bleed.

All I had to do now was get out of here.