...The afternoon sun bathed the college...

... campus in warm light, but the atmosphere near the sports building was anything but peaceful....

"Dante!"

"One picture, please!"

"Can I get your number?"

A crowd of students—mostly excited omegas and curious betas—chased after one particular alpha.

Dante.

A fourth-year student.

Captain of the boxing club.

Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a fitted black training shirt that stretched over his powerful chest and sculpted muscles.

His gym bag hung lazily over one shoulder while irritation darkened his sharp features.

His jaw clenched.

"... Annoying."

He hated attention.

No matter how many times he rejected confessions, people never stopped following him.

Meanwhile...

A few buildings away, Felix quietly walked toward his literature class with several books hugged against his chest.

Unlike most students, he preferred silence.

He wasn't interested in parties.

He wasn't interested in dating.

And he definitely wasn't interested in the famous alpha everyone kept gossiping about.

"He's handsome."

"He's scary."

"He's cold."

"He won another boxing tournament."

Felix had heard all of it.

He simply thought...

"Good for him."

Their worlds had never crossed.

Until today.

Without warning—

THUD!

A large hand suddenly grabbed Felix's wrist.

"W-What—?"

Before he could react, someone pulled him against a broad, warm chest.

Felix looked up.

Golden eyes.

Black hair damp with sweat.

A sharp jaw.

Dante.

The famous alpha himself.

Felix froze.

The crowd finally caught up.

Before anyone could speak, Dante wrapped an arm casually around Felix's shoulders.

His deep, calm voice echoed across the hallway.

"Stop following me."

The students immediately fell silent.

Dante's expression remained as cold as ice.

"... Damn it."

He looked directly at the crowd.

"I have a date with my boyfriend."

The hallway...

Went completely silent.

"..."

"..."

"...WHAT?!"

Gasps erupted everywhere.

"Boyfriend?!"

"Since when?!"

"I thought Dante was single!"

Several students stared at Felix in disbelief.

Felix's face turned bright red.

Boyfriend?!

His brain completely stopped working.

"W-Wait—"

Before he could protest, Dante gently but firmly guided him away.

"Keep walking."

His voice was low enough that only Felix could hear.

"I'll explain later."

Felix had no choice but to follow, his legs moving on instinct while hundreds of shocked eyes watched them disappear around the corner.

Only after they reached a quiet pathway lined with maple trees did Dante finally let go of Felix's wrist.

The silence between them stretched.

Felix rubbed his arm nervously.

"... Um."

Dante sighed heavily and ran a hand through his messy black hair.

"... Sorry."

It was the first genuine emotion Felix had seen on the intimidating alpha's face.

"I needed an excuse."

Felix blinked.

"... You... could've picked anyone."

"I did."

"... Why me?"

Dante looked at him for a moment.

"Because you weren't staring at me."

Felix frowned in confusion.

"... what?"

"You looked like someone who wouldn't scream, cry, or confess to me after five minutes."

"..."

"..."

Felix couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I don't even know you."

"I know."

"And now the entire campus thinks we're dating."

"I know."

Felix let out a small, defeated sigh.

"... This is going to be a problem."

For the first time that day...

The cold alpha actually looked slightly guilty.

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

By the next morning...

The entire campus knew.

Or at least, they thought they did.

"Did you hear?"

"Dante has a boyfriend!"

"I saw them together yesterday!"

"No way... I thought he'd never date anyone."

" i didn't know that's his type"

Whispers followed Felix everywhere.

The quiet omega kept his head down as he hurried through the hallway, wishing he could disappear.

"...This is a nightmare," he muttered.

As soon as he entered his classroom, several classmates surrounded him.

"Felix! Is it true?"

"How long have you been dating Dante?"

"Did he confess first?"

"when did you met him?"

Felix's ears turned red.

"N-No! It's all a misunderstanding."

But no one believed him.

"I knew it!" one student laughed. "You're just shy."

Another sighed dramatically. "I wish the hottest alpha on campus would fake-date me."

Felix buried his face in his notebook.

At lunch...

Felix purposely chose the quietest corner of the cafeteria.

Maybe, just maybe, today he could eat in peace.

He had barely taken one bite when someone sat across from him.

The surrounding chatter instantly died down.

Felix slowly looked up.

"..."

Dante.

Still wearing his black training shirt after boxing practice, his hair slightly damp with sweat.

He looked as expressionless as ever.

Without asking, he placed a cold carton of strawberry milk on the table.

"...For yesterday."

Felix blinked.

"...Huh?"

"My apology."

"You didn't have to buy me anything."

"I know."

The awkward silence returned.

Finally, Felix pushed the milk back toward him.

"I don't want an apology in a carton."

Dante looked at the untouched drink.

"...Then what do you want?"

"I want my normal college life back."

For the first time, Dante had no answer.

He simply stared at the table.

"...I can't do that."

Felix sighed softly.

"I figured."

Just then—

"Dante!"

A tall alpha from the boxing club walked over, grinning, and asked,

"So this is your boyfriend?"

Felix immediately shook his head.

"N-No, we're—"

Before he could finish, Dante interrupted.

"Yeah."

Felix turned to him with wide eyes.

The boxer laughed. "Never thought you'd actually date someone secretly. He's cute."

Dante didn't react.

He simply stood.

"I'll see you later."

Then he walked away, leaving Felix frozen in his seat once again.

That evening...

As Dante left the boxing gym alone, his teammate caught up with him.

"You know," the alpha said, "you've never lied about something like this before."

Dante slung his gym bag over his shoulder.

"...I know."

"So why keep pretending?"

Dante glanced toward the academic building where he had last seen Felix.

After a long silence, he answered quietly,

"...Because if I tell everyone the truth now..."

"...they'll bother him even more for being the omega I used."

For the first time in years...

Dante realized that dragging an innocent omega into his problems had consequences.

And somehow...

The thought bothered him far more than the rumors about himself.

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

Felix had always liked quiet places.

The library.

The garden behind the arts building.

The empty hallways between classes.

But ever since the rumors started...

None of those places felt quiet anymore.

"...Is that him?"

"Dante's boyfriend."

"He's actually kind of adorable."

"I wonder what Dante sees in him."

Every whisper made Felix shrink into himself.

He wasn't used to attention.

He hated it.

A week later...

Felix was leaving the library with a stack of books when a group of unfamiliar omegas stepped into the hallway, blocking his path.

One of them smirked.

"So you're Dante's omega?"

Felix tightened his grip on his books.

"...N-No."

"Don't lie."

Another omega leaned closer, his scent pressing heavily against the smaller omega.

"You know, lots of people wanted Dante."

"And suddenly he picks someone like you?"

Felix instinctively stepped back.

"I... I really need to go."

The omega reached out and caught his wrist.

"Why so scared?"

Felix's breathing hitched.

"P-Please..."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

The books slipped from his arms, scattering across the floor.

A cold scent suddenly flooded the hallway.

Every omega stiffened.

Heavy footsteps echoed behind them.

"...Let him go."

The voice was low.

Dangerously calm.

The students turned around.

Dante.

Still wearing his boxing gloves around his wrists after practice, he stood at the end of the hallway with an unreadable expression.

His golden eyes settled on the hand gripping Felix's wrist.

"I said..."

"...let him go."

The omega released Felix immediately.

"We were just talking."

"I wasn't."

The hallway fell silent.

Dante walked forward until he stood beside Felix.

Without a word, he bent down and picked up the scattered books one by one.

He dusted them off before placing them carefully back into Felix's trembling arms.

Only then did he look at the group again.

"If any of you bother him again..."

His voice remained quiet.

"...you'll answer to me."

No shouting.

No threats.

Yet every omega took a step back.

"...Let's go," Dante said.

Felix nodded quickly, almost stumbling as he followed.

They walked in silence until they reached the peaceful campus garden.

Only then did Dante notice it.

Felix's hands...

Were still shaking.

His breathing was uneven, and he was hugging the books tightly against his chest as if they were a shield.

"...Are you hurt?" Dante asked.

Felix quickly shook his head.

"N-No."

"...They barely touched me."

"But you were frightened."

Felix lowered his eyes.

"I don't like when people surround me."

There was no accusation in his voice.

Only quiet honesty.

Dante remained silent for a long moment.

"...I'm sorry."

Felix looked up in surprise.

"This started because of me."

The omega gave a small, tired smile.

"I know you didn't mean for this to happen."

Another silence settled between them.

Then Dante spoke again, more firmly this time.

"From now on, if anyone troubles you because of those rumors..."

He met Felix's eyes.

"...Come to me."

Felix hesitated.

"...Even if we're not really dating?"

Dante's expression softened, almost imperceptibly.

"...Especially because we're not."

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...