Unraveled Omega

~ 1 ~

Jungkook wasn't the kind of omega society expected. He didn't have the slender, delicate figure that made people swoon.

No, he was chubby fuller in places where omegas were supposed to be small, softer where they were expected to be lean. His body carried the weight of his life, of responsibilities too big for his age.

He woke up before the sun rose, stretching his aching legs before pulling himself out of bed.

The wooden floors of their ancient family home creaked under his steps as he walked toward his grandmother's room.

The scent of old books and herbal medicine filled the space, familiar and comforting despite the worry that always clung to his chest.

"Halmeoni, are you awake?" he asked softly, peeking inside.

His grandmother lay on the futon, her frail body barely moving. But her eyes opened at the sound of his voice, and she smiled. "Jungkookie, you're up early."

"Of course," he said, kneeling beside her. "Did you sleep well?"

She chuckled weakly. "As well as an old woman can."

Jungkook helped her sit up, adjusting the pillows behind her back before moving to prepare her medicine. Their home wasn't modern far from it.

The wooden beams and faded wallpaper told stories of a past he hadn't lived but carried on his shoulders.

Their village wasn't rich, but it was home.

His mother had already left for the nearby school where she worked as a teacher. The salary wasn't much, just enough to get by. They never had excess, never had luxuries, but they managed.

After making sure his grandmother took her medicine and ate a little, Jungkook packed his bag and left for university. It was a 30-minute walk longer, on days when his body felt heavier than usual.

His weight made movement difficult, his legs sore before he even reached halfway. But taking the bus cost money, and wasting his mother's hard-earned salary wasn't an option.

So he walked.

With each step, he could feel the stares of others shopkeepers opening their stores, early risers heading to work. They weren't cruel, but they noticed him. A chubby omega walking alone, sweating under the morning sun. He knew what people thought. Omegas were supposed to be dainty, fragile, desirable. He was none of those things.

But he was Jungkook. And that had to be enough.

By the time he reached the university, his shirt was damp at the back, and his legs ached. But he forced himself to smile as he walked through the old stone gates.

This was his dream to study arts and literature, to carve a future where his worth wasn't measured by his body but by his mind.

And even if the world didn't believe in him, he would believe in himself.

Jungkook sat in the classroom silently, his notebook open, pen poised, ready to take notes.

The lecture had started, but he felt the stares judgmental, indifferent, or downright disgusted.

He wasn't new to this. His class was filled with rich kids, born into privilege, dressed in brands he couldn't pronounce.

They barely looked at him.

Well, except to sneer.

And that included his cousins.

He could see them from the corner of his eye, sitting with their expensive watches and latest gadgets. They never acknowledged him as family.

No, they made a face whenever he was near, wrinkling their noses as if he carried filth with him.

He knew why.

He had walked to class again, and that meant sweat sticking to his skin, dampening his shirt.

His clothes were the same ones from last week. And the week before.

It wasn't as if they were dirty his mother made sure of that but repetition was a crime in their world of new outfits and designer labels.

It wasn't like he smelled bad. In fact, his natural omega scent was intoxicating.

He knew that.

People had told him before, with wide eyes and breathless voices. His scent was soft but rich, the kind that could make an alpha lose themselves.

But then they saw him.

And suddenly, it didn't matter.

Omegas were supposed to be fragile-looking.

Petite.

Delicate.

A picture-perfect fantasy of beauty.

And Jungkook... wasn't that.

He wasn't ugly.

He knew that, too.

People gave him second looks, sometimes lingering longer than they intended.

But the moment they saw the fullness of his body, the curve of his stomach, the thickness of his arms, the softness that wasn't supposed to be there alphas turned away.

They wanted the dream, not reality.

His cousins especially hated him.

Not just because of his appearance, but because no matter how much they tried, they could never outshine him in studies.

Jungkook was the best.

Scholarship after scholarship, his name remained at the top. Not because he was lucky, but because he worked for it.

He burned through nights, sacrificed sleep, and pushed himself beyond exhaustion to make sure he wouldn't be a burden on his mother.

His uncles ..oh, they had plenty to say about that.

They lived far from the village, in the heart of the city, in well-polished homes that gleamed with wealth.

Yet, none of them sent even a single penny for their own mother's care.

It was Jungkook's mom, a struggling single mother with a meager teacher's salary, who took care of Halmeoni.

And still, they had the audacity to command him.

"Do this, Jungkook."

"Do that, Jungkook."

"Why are you walking to university? Take the bus!"

"I heard you only have six pairs of clothes. Can't you afford more?"

As if they weren't the ones who refused to help. As if they had any right to comment.

Jungkook clenched his pen tightly, eyes fixed on his notebook. He had learned to ignore them. To bite his tongue. To endure.

One day, he would leave this place.

One day, they wouldn't be able to look down on him.

But for now, he remained a shadow among the privileged, unnoticed yet unbreakable.

The village had its whispers.

"Jungkook is getting fat."

"His mother should marry him off soon."

"No one will want an omega like that if she waits too long."

That was how society worked. It never asked what you wanted it decided for you.

At first, his mother ignored the talks. She knew Jungkook was more than what they reduced him to.

He was hardworking, kind, selfless.

He carried their home on his back, balancing university, his grandmother's care, and the weight of survival.

But the whispers grew louder. And sometimes, even the strongest hearts waver under pressure.

Jungkook never asked for help. Never begged in front of his uncles, no matter how much they looked down on him.

That infuriated them.

Their own children, spoiled beyond reason, complained about luxury, about the latest gadgets, about trips abroad.

But Jungkook?

He never demanded.

Never wasted money.

Never lived beyond his means.

And that made them want to break him.

They disguised their cruelty as concern. They found him an alpha.

Kim Taehyung.

A government employee working in the Public Works Department a stable job, a good salary.

But stability was relative.

Taehyung was drowning.

In debt.

He had three omega brothers, all of whom he had married off, ensuring they had a secure future.

But in the process, he had accumulated debt.

His mother, bedridden and requiring constant medical care, needed expensive treatment.

His salary, though decent, was never enough to lift him out of the struggle.

He was exhausted.

Miserable.

Buried under responsibilities that never lessened.

Jungkook's uncles thought it was a perfect match.

"One poor omega, one miserable alpha."

"Let's see if Jungkook still acts so high and mighty after this."

It wasn't about marriage it was about breaking him.

Jungkook sat at the dinner table that night, his mother stirring the rice absentmindedly. He knew what she was thinking.

"Kook-ah..." she started softly.

He looked up, already knowing. "You want me to marry him."

She flinched, as if his words were an accusation. Maybe they were.

"Jungkook, I just... I want you to have a stable future. You won't always have me and Halmeoni. What if something happens to us? Who will take care of you?"

Jungkook clenched his fists under the table. "And you think he will?"

"He's a good man," she whispered.

"Or just desperate enough to accept me?"

Silence stretched between them. His mother, tired, overworked, burdened. And him, tired, overworked, but resisting.

Because this wasn't a love story.

This was a bargain.

And Jungkook wasn't sure if he was ready to pay the price.

And....

Jungkook said yes.

Not because he was in love. Not because he believed in fairytales.

But because, at the very least, his mother would have one less stomach to feed.

Because survival was easier when two broken people carried the burden together.

Because he wanted to prove to the world that even those cast aside, belittled, and deemed unworthy could build a future.

His cousins wasted no time spreading the news all over the university.

"Did you hear? Jungkook is getting married!"

"To some miserable alpha with a sick mother and debts piled to his throat."

"Hah! Two miserable souls trying to make a life. Pathetic."

They laughed. And, as always, Jungkook ignored them.

Until his classmates joined in.

"I heard the guy's average-looking. Well, good for Jungkook no real alpha would want him anyway."

"Yeah, why would a strong, manly alpha want an omega like him?"

Laughter rang around him, sharp and cruel.

Jungkook had heard worse. He had endured worse. But today, something inside him snapped.

His chair screeched against the floor as he stood, his hands slamming against the table so hard that the sound echoed across the classroom.

The laughter stopped.

Without a word, he turned on his heel and walked out.

He wasn't running. He wasn't hiding.

He was done letting them mock his choices.

There's a saying never laugh at someone's misery.

Because karma always comes.

And if it didn't?

Then Jungkook would make sure it did.

Today was Jungkook's wedding day.

There was no grand celebration, no extravagant decorations, no lavish feast like those in wealthy omega weddings.

But it was still a wedding a moment where his life would change forever.

The expenses had been taken care of by his aunt.

She was the only one from his mother's side who had ever shown him love.

According to her, having an omega in the family was a blessing, and she always believed Jungkook was special because he was the only omega.

"You've always been different, Jungkook-ah," she had once told him. "Unlike today's children, who complain about every little thing, you've always appreciated life. Even the smallest joys made you happy."

And so, she made sure that his wedding, no matter how simple, was done with care.

His mother, despite their struggles, had prepared a small set of jewelry for him.

It was tradition to marry off an omega with gold, and she had followed it as best as she could.

A pair of small earrings.

A delicate pendant chain.

A single gold ring.

A simple yet elegant bracelet.

They weren't grand, but they were given with love. And for Jungkook, that meant everything.

His wedding attire was a traditional hanbok. Their village had strict customs marriages were to be conducted in the old ways, honoring the past.

And so, Jungkook stood in front of the mirror, dressed in flowing fabric, his jewelry gleaming faintly under the dim village light.

His heart was calm.

He wasn't marrying for love.