ICYM Ch 32

Episode 32

It might seem outdated to still have a butler in this day and age, but Kendrick’s family was a prestigious noble house, granted both a title and land by the royal family, with a history spanning several centuries.

Society may now claim that class no longer matters, but no one was naïve enough to believe that was truly the case.

In fact, the higher the social class, the more often Alphas were born into it. This only further solidified the hierarchy, making discrimination a longstanding part of history. And many people still followed that history without question.

In many cases, people didn’t even recognize their behavior as discrimination.

We’re not even that different.

Had someone heard that thought, they might have called it hypocrisy. After all, it was not the kind of thing someone of the upper class, and an extreme-dominant Alpha at that, should be saying.

“To hope that people would see you for who you are, without your family name or the fact that you’re an extreme-dominant Alpha, is nothing but selfishness.”

Kendrick pushed away the rising thoughts and took a sip of his tea. The signature fragrance of Earl Grey brushed past his nose.

Perhaps the only saving grace was that he’d transferred here during his GCSE years. (Britain’s secondary education).

My parents didn’t seem too pleased about it, though.

To some, this school might be a prestigious private institution. But to Kendrick, it was just a small school where most of the Alphas were half-baked at best.

That’s why he liked it.

While it was impossible to hide the fact that he was an extreme-dominant Alpha, he could at least keep his family background under wraps.

He used a maternal surname of Italian origin, so very few people knew which family he came from.

Even just being an extreme-dominant Alpha had already drawn enough attention. If word had gotten out about his family, there was no way he’d be living as comfortably as he was now. That much was crystal clear.

They’d be clinging to me like leeches.

Especially that group of Alphas who would enter unfamiliar cafés, releasing their pheromones without a care and causing trouble for everyone around them.

They’d been hanging around together for a few years now, and they were getting more and more out of line.

“Excuse me, customers, I’m sorry to ask, but I’d appreciate your understanding a little.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Ugh… Sirs… I’ll refund everything for you, so please…”

“Is it okay for the owner to treat customers like this?”

The café owner, likely an Omega, looked pale as they pleaded with the group. But the Alphas just sneered and showed no sign of stopping.

Several Omega customers chose to avoid trouble rather than speak up, quickly leaving the café in a small wave. The owner looked even more distressed.

And then—

Ding—

Hayden Verratti entered the café.

Kendrick noticed him falter slightly at the wave of pheromones released by the Alphas hanging in the air.

…Is he an Omega?

Kendrick realized Hayden’s secondary gender in an instant.

But just as quickly, Hayden composed himself, his expression calm again, so no one else seemed to notice anything unusual.

Even though he was an Omega, his reaction was so faint that even Kendrick, who was usually quite sensitive to pheromones, had barely been able to notice it.

Having seen Hayden’s momentary lapse, Kendrick had no trouble recognizing that the calm expression was just an act.

It wasn’t uncommon for recessive Omegas to hide their traits, so he didn’t think much of it.

It wasn’t really his business anyway, and Kendrick believed that judging a person’s worth by what they were born with was the most vulgar thing of all.

He’s practically a Beta and must have figured it would be better to hide it.

So it wasn’t anything worth paying attention to. He was certain Hayden would soon fade from his thoughts completely.

At least, that was until Hayden boldly asked him for some of his food.

“Ha… Hey.”

Hayden let out a deep sigh and stood in front of him.

“…Huh?”

He looked momentarily flustered, but then his face settled into a determined expression, as if he had made up his mind.

“Give me one too.”

Kendrick glanced from Hayden’s pale, outstretched hand, soft and slender, back to his face. Hayden took the donut, ate the whole thing, then spoke again.

“Give me another.”

His voice carried a little more confidence this time. That caught Kendrick off guard.

So suddenly?

It didn’t feel like he was trying to be friendly. In fact, it was far too brazen for that. And it didn’t seem like he was trying to return the favor for the bandage last time either, because he didn’t seem to recognize him.

In the end, Kendrick came to only one conclusion.

Is this some kind of punishment game?

Once the idea occurred to him, it made perfect sense. Not wanting to be the reason someone failed a challenge, Kendrick handed over the donut without question.

Hayden grew bolder with time. After a few more times, he didn’t even bother speaking; he would just hold out his hand.

Strangely, Kendrick didn’t mind it. Every time that soft palm reached out, he placed another donut into it, until the bag was nearly empty.

So, of course, when he found a bag of donuts hanging on his door the next day, he assumed it was just a continuation of that punishment game and dropped it off at the school’s lost-and-found.

From their first meeting to their second, Kendrick had arrogantly believed Hayden already knew who he was.

It wasn’t until the third time they met, when Hayden mistook him for someone abusing a cat and lashed out, that Kendrick realized the truth.

…So you just now figured out who I am.

The back of his neck grew hot from embarrassment. He felt foolish for assuming that Hayden must have known him all along.

And yet, the feeling wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

In fact, there was a small, unexpected warmth in realizing that the kindness Hayden had shown with that bandage back when they first met had been genuine.

“Then… can I get your number?”

Maybe that was why. Without realizing it himself, Kendrick had created another excuse to meet him again.

Though Hayden gave off a delicate impression, perhaps because Kendrick had seen him crying so hard, he was actually the opposite.

The pack of Alphas who moved around like a swarm of dogs seemed oddly bothered by Hayden Verratti, even though he wasn’t an Alpha himself. That alone showed just how much Hayden got under their skin.

When Kendrick was with Hayden, there were times he felt like just a regular person, nothing more, nothing less.

Isn’t he scared of me?

Kendrick was fully aware of how intimidating he could be to others.

The first thing his assigned doctor had drilled into him after his manifestation was how different he was from ordinary people. His physical traits were so distinct that he’d been told to think of himself as practically a different species.

Still, there were moments when Hayden would flinch slightly, and that reaction, though perfectly natural, left Kendrick feeling an odd discomfort, as if something heavy were pressing on his chest.

Still, if he was being honest, there was something oddly comforting about Hayden, whether it was the way he had the decency to apologize when he’d misunderstood something or how he deliberately kept his distance from Kendrick, unlike everyone else. Even if Hayden hadn’t meant it that way, it put Kendrick at ease.

“If we run into each other here… Can I say hi?”

Adding that condition was partly out of consideration for Hayden, who made it obvious he didn’t want to be associated with Kendrick. But Kendrick also wanted to confirm something.

No matter how much he kept to himself, he was well aware of the rumors that followed him.

Especially since he only ever hung out with Kevin Orley, the only other extreme-dominant Alpha in their year, which made it easy for people to gossip.

So, what would it mean if he suddenly started spending time with a Beta?

It would be the same as inviting the entire school to stare.

He just wanted to know if Hayden’s attitude would stay the same even when there was nothing to gain from being near him.

A person who had appeared injured when Kendrick wanted to be alone.

A person who had taken donuts from him.

A person who had mistaken him for someone who tormented cats.

Now, what kind of person would Kendrick seem like to him?

Before he knew it, not a day went by without him thinking about Hayden.

During class, he’d find himself staring at the back of Hayden’s round head when he was supposed to be watching the teacher.

After school, even when buying yet another round of thank-you snacks for past thank-you snacks, his thoughts weren’t on what he liked, but what Hayden might like instead.

It was strange. They had barely exchanged a few casual words after school, so why did Hayden occupy his thoughts this much?

Just as he had resolved not to let it get to him, Hayden casually remarked that it wouldn’t be bad if he got his hair cut, so Kendrick went and cut it short.

“Oh, I figured you’d braid it since it’s long. Why the sudden change?”

“It was time for a cut.”

Even Kevin, who had followed him into town, couldn’t hide his curiosity and asked. Kendrick gave a half-hearted excuse, and Kevin narrowed his eyes, staring at him through the mirror.

“You never listened when I told you to cut it.”

“……”

He should have said something, anything, to move past the moment. But his lips stayed sealed, and that only made Kevin’s suspicious gaze sharpen.

It wasn’t that Kendrick didn’t want to talk about Hayden. It was more that he couldn’t explain it, not even to himself.

Was ‘I wonder what kind of reaction Hayden will have’ a valid reason?

He wasn’t sure. He just wanted to show Hayden, to see what kind of expression he’d make.

If his pheromones didn’t work on Hayden, and his family name didn’t either… what about his looks?

He had always hated when others were swayed by such shallow reasons like appearance, but for some reason, if it worked on Hayden, it didn’t seem so bad.

He glanced at his reflection and ran a hand through his freshly cut hair.

The hairdresser next to him, face flushed, lingered nearby, clearly hoping for a reaction, but Kendrick didn’t spare her a glance. She finished the transaction with a disappointed look.

As if cutting my hair is anything special…

That’s what he told himself, but by the time he returned to the dorm, he found himself detouring to the garden, wondering just maybe if Hayden was still there.

Nabi was sprawled out lazily, and Coco, who was nowhere to be seen when sought by Kendrick, was circling between Hayden and Nabi.

That ordinary after-school moment, unremarkable as it was, left an oddly vivid impression on Kendrick’s mind like a photograph etched into memory.