It was raining in Seoul.
Not the loud kind of rain that flooded the streets, but the gentle kind that blurred city lights into streaks of gold and white.
On a quiet corner stood Bloom & Thorn, a flower shop hidden between a bookstore and an old café. Every evening, the warm glow from its windows invited lonely souls inside.
Behind the counter worked Seo Ji-eun, a twenty-two-year-old Omega.
Few people knew his secret.
For years, Ji-eun had taken powerful scent suppressants that hid his true nature. To everyone else, he smelled like an ordinary Beta.
It was safer that way.
Rare Omegas disappeared every year.
Some were sold to wealthy Alpha families.
Others were never seen again.
Ji-eun refused to become one of them.
The small bell above the shop door rang.
A tall man stepped inside, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. Rain dripped from his coat onto the wooden floor.
His face was handsome, but cold enough to silence the room.
There were bruises across his knuckles.
Blood stained one cuff.
"I need flowers," the stranger said.
Ji-eun smiled politely.
"For what occasion?"
The man's dark eyes never left his face.
"A funeral."
Without another question, Ji-eun selected white roses.
"These symbolize peace," he said softly while wrapping the bouquet.
As he tied the ribbon, he noticed the cuts on the stranger's hand.
"You're hurt."
The man didn't answer.
Instead, he reached for the bouquet.
Their fingers brushed for the briefest moment.
A single heartbeat.
Ji-eun's suppressant bracelet flickered.
Just once.
A faint scent of night jasmine escaped into the air before disappearing again.
The stranger froze.
His pupils widened.
For the first time in years...
The most feared Alpha in Seoul had caught the scent of his destined Omega.
And from that moment on—
Seo Ji-eun's quiet life was over.
The scent vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.
Night jasmine.
Soft.
Sweet.
Impossible.
Seo Ji-eun's heart lurched.
No.
No one should have smelled that.
His bracelet stopped flickering, the suppressant settling back into place as if nothing had happened. He lowered his eyes, forcing himself to breathe normally.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Static electricity."
The stranger didn't move.
His gaze remained fixed on Ji-eun, sharp enough to feel like a knife against his skin.
"Your name."
It wasn't a question.
"Seo Ji-eun."
"...Ji-eun."
The Alpha repeated it slowly, as though committing every syllable to memory.
Then, without another word, he placed several crisp bills on the counter—far more than the bouquet cost.
"You've paid too much."
"Keep it."
He turned and walked toward the door.
The bell chimed.
The rain swallowed him.
Only when he disappeared into the darkness did Ji-eun finally release the breath he had been holding.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
---
Outside, a black luxury sedan waited with its headlights off.
The moment the stranger entered, every man inside lowered his head.
"Boss."
The Alpha stared through the rain-covered window at the tiny flower shop.
"Find him."
One of his men blinked.
"The florist?"
"I want everything."
His family.
His school.
His friends.
Where he lives.
Who he speaks to.
Why he smells like a Beta...
when he is clearly an Omega.
The bodyguard hesitated.
"Boss... if he's really an Omega..."
The Alpha's cold eyes met his.
"He belongs to no one."
A pause.
"Yet."
---
Inside Bloom & Thorn, Ji-eun locked the shop and leaned against the door.
His hands were trembling.
He had lived six years without anyone discovering the truth.
Six years.
Why tonight?
Why him?
His phone vibrated.
Unknown Number
«Leave Seoul.»
He frowned.
Another message arrived immediately.
«He's already looking for you.»
Then...
«Run while you still can.»
Ji-eun's blood turned to ice.
Across the street, hidden behind the rain, someone was watching the flower shop.
And they were not alone.
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