[BL] Between an Alpha and Omega

AN: Turns out you guys were really looking forward to an update. Then again, it's been months so… I’m really sorry about that. I didn’t think it’d been that long until I checked. Thank you for sticking with me~

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Jun Yibai stood by his front door, trying to leave but being blocked by his mother. She hovered about, a delicate frown on her face.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” She asked for the nth time that morning.

“I’m fine, mom.” Jun Yibai sighed, letting her fuss over his uniform once again. “It’s not the first time I’m going to school.”

“But this is…”

“It’ll be fine.” He assured, gently taking her hands off his shoulders. “I’m too old to have my mother walk me to school. You don’t want me to be mocked, right?

His mother looked reluctant but nodded. “Right.”

Jun Yibai understood her concern. While she knew him to be responsible and courteous, Jun Yibai tended to get into trouble without meaning to.

He stumbled onto muggings and intervened.

He walked in on robberies and called the cops.

He bumped into women being harassed and got involved.

Somehow, despite wanting to be a normal guy, Jun Yibai seemed to get dragged into all kinds of crazy things. Even Jun Yibai himself wondered if he’d done something wrong to constantly find himself in such situations.

While a walk to school seemed mundane, with his luck, he was bound to have something happen.

He left the house, feeling his mothers gaze on his back until he turned a corner. He let out a breath, relieved.

He was just happy his dad had left for work already or else he would not have been able to leave by himself. That man would insist on driving him to school and once again advising him on who to be wary of. To keep his head down.

Perhaps it was a little silly but it was his own little rebellion.

He could feel the path his father was trying to lead him down forming under his feet. He wasn’t sure he could keep off of it completely but he’d try his best to do what he wished.

And his one wish was to be normal.

That's why he was looking forward to his new school. Originally, he was supposed to attend a different school but due to some scandal that occurred, he had to transfer to another school. Luckily, not much time had passed since the semester started so it shouldn’t be too awkward.

Even better, Yang Ru also attended the same school, so he wouldn’t be alone.

Just as he thought so, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

Speak of the devil. He thought, checking the text he’d received.

Yang Ru:

Be Careful at the front gate

Jun Yibai frowned, confused. Has something happened? He hadn’t even gotten there yet though.

Me:

Did something happen?

Yang Ru:

The crazy guy got into a fight with some rascals from another school.

This early?! How could such a thing happen so early in the day? Also, she had mentioned a ‘crazy guy’ attending the school before so this must be a regular thing.

He definitely wasn’t getting involved with that.

Me:

Thanks for the warning.

Yang Ru:

[smiley face] No prob~

By the time he got close to the school gate, he felt confident that he would remain uninvolved with the fight.. Yang Ru assured him that the crazy guy had won and fled from the scene.

So far so good.

“Excuse me!”

“Hm?” Jun Yibai stopped, spotting a man leaning out a car window. He waved the teen over but Jun Yibai didn’t move.

“H-hey,” The man called out, grimacing. “Can you come a bit closer? I can’t talk to you like this.”

“No.”

“Eh?”

“Why would I come closer?” Jun Yibai said, frowning as he took a step back. “I don’t know you.”

Jun Yibai had seen enough TV shows to know that walking up to a stranger's car when they come up to you was how a lot of kidnapping stories started. He did not want that to be the start of his morning.

The man in the car at least had the decency to look ashamed.

“...Fair enough.” He finally sighed, looking a bit awkward. He turned back to the driver’s seat and started talking. The driver was unseen but both men could be clearly heard.

“Jingyao, we don’t need to ask this kid anything.” The driver insisted, his deep exasperated voice making it clear this was just the continuation of a previous conversation. A long one. “I know where we are.”

“We are lost!” The passenger, apparently called Jingyao, insisted. He looked frustrated as he gestured around them. “If you would just ask for directions, we could-”

“I’m not lost!”

“Then where the hell are we?” The passenger countered, scowling at the driver. The driver said nothing, seemingly conceding to the passenger.

Jun Yibai was starting to consider walking away at this point. This sounded very troublesome and he didn’t want to deal with this so early in the morning. Unfortunately, the man turned back to Jun Yibai, pinning the teen to the spot with a look. Said passenger smiled at Jun Yibai, stepping from the car and approaching the teen.

Jun Yibai unconsciously took a step back, mildly intimidated by the adult in front of him. While he didn’t have the senses to confirm this, this man was definitely not a beta.

“I’m sorry to bother you while on your way to school but do you mind helping me out with something.” He asked, holding his hands up to show he wasn’t planning on touching him. “My husband and I are trying to get somewhere but since we’re not familiar with this area, we can’t find our way.”

“Why not use GPS?” Jun Yibai asked, his frown deepening.

“I tried but it keeps sending us in circles.” The man grumbled, looking frustrated.

Circles? If it kept doing that, it would mean that they-

“Are you trying to get to Yunli Highschool?”

“Oh?” Jingyao beamed, looking relieved. “You know it!?”

Ah, so it was that.

“It's around the corner.” He stated, pointing toward the building nearby.

The only way that they could be sent in circles so many times would be if they kept missing their destination and circled the block.

“E-eh!?” The man looked aghast, as if he’d seen something horrifying. ”It's really this place?!”

“I told you!” The driver shouted from the car, his voice full of righteous indignation.

“How was I supposed to know this was the place?” The man grumbled, looking like he’d eaten something bitter. “This place is so small, why enroll here?”

He looked past Jun Yibai, his expression resigned as if he knew this was bound to be his fate.

“Anyway, thank you.” The Alpha said, smiling at Jun Yibai. “I hope I didn’t keep you up.”

“It’s fine.” Jun Yibai didn’t smile back, though he was amused by the situation. He couldn’t help but say more. “Though I suggest just trusting your husband next time.”

“…” The man looked at him with a grimace, as if mildly wounded.

The two men drove off, leaving Jun Yibai to watch their car drive away from the school. Were they not going to the school? Perhaps they were just checking the school out? Either way, it wasn’t his problem.

***

“Yo!” Jun Yibai looked up from his phone, spotting Yang Ru waving him over. It was still early so there were a few students hanging around the gate. Mostly girls.

Weird.

Yang Ru grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the entrance.

“We should get going quick.” She said, directing him through the crowd of girls. A few gave them annoyed looks but quickly returned their gaze to the school gate. “The tyrant is coming and we’ll never get to class if we bump into him.”

“Tyrant?” He echoed, looking around. The girls looked excited, their gazes darting about as if anticipating something.

Why would anyone look so excited when awaiting the arrival of someone referred to as a ‘tyrant’?

As if seeing the question in her friend’s eyes, Yang Ru shook her head.

“I’ll explain when we are a safe distance away.” She said, pulling him into the school building. They passed by many students, all wearing the same uniform with only a few variations.

The most notable thing was the collars on some students' necks, marking them as Omega’s. Most of the omegas Jun Yibai had met were mated, so they didn’t wear collars. It was the first time Jun Yibai had seen so many omega’s in one place.

It was sort of amazing, if not a bit worrisome.

Jun Yibai had grown to be a huge block of a teen, not really towering over anyone but intimidating others with his broad shoulders. If not for his plain facial features, he’d have been mistaken for an Alpha.

Whether that was a good or bad thing was hard to say.

“And there he is.” Yang Ru muttered, grimacing as she stared out the window. Jun Yibai wanted to ask what she meant but was cut off by screams.

A loud, mildly unified outcry of voices rang through the air. Jun Yibai could swear he felt the ground shake as dozens of students cried out with excitement. Down below, the pair spotted a person coming through the gate, the crowds of students parting in order to let them pass.

Like a king entering his kingdom.

“Is that…”

“Yep, that's him.” Yang Ru replied, sighing as she rubbed her ears. While the crowd had quieted down, her ears were still ringing. “The Tyrant king of the Omega’s.”

“That's an omega?!” Jun Yibai frowned, trying to spot the supposed king of Omega’s. He could just barely see a head of white hair as the ‘king’ turned away from him. He looked like he was talking to someone.

“That's what I heard.” She shrugged, turning away from the window. “Though you should probably steer clear of them.”

Jun Yibai gave her a ‘who do you think you're talking to?’ look.

“Right, it's you we’re talking about.” She chuckled. “Most people are drawn to them so I’m used to warning others away. There are so many people who see bright lights and get burned.”

“I see.” He muttered, taking one last look at the person below before following Yang Ru. She was right. He’d already been burned by getting too close to Suren and Guiren. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

***

His class was normal, if not a bit stuffy. As a new student joining in midway through a semester, he was the talk of the class. They were disappointed he was just a beta but marveled at his size.

He wasn’t tall like an Alpha or slim like an Omega but was a solid block that towered over most of his fellow classmates.

This drew the eye of… annoying individuals.

“Oi, new kid!” One of his classmates, a sly looking boy, called out to him. He leaned on his desk as if they were friends yet his eyes were clearly dissecting him. “Are you really a beta?”

“…” Jun Yibai turned the page in his book, not even looking up.

“Hey, are you ignoring me?” He snapped, glaring at Jun Yibai. “I’m trying to be friendly and you dare ignore me?”

He said this but his tone was accusatory, as if Jun Yibai had some reason to lie about being a beta. Who would bother with such a thing?

Other than Guiren.

Jun Yibai briefly wondered what had happened to those two. They were from the most prominent families in the city, so they must be in an elite high school now. Guiren would probably be raising hell for everyone and Suren would definitely be running the school.

Suren might look sweet but he was a devious guy. He was sure if given the time, he could take control of a student body.

Unbidden, he recalled the brief glimpse of the tyrant king from that morning. A white haired Omega...

“...No way.” Jun Yibai muttered, shaking his head. What would be the chances of such a thing

“What do you mean ’no way’!?”

Jun Yibai blinked, having forgotten he wasn’t alone just then. He had no idea what the guy in front of him was talking about as he thought about other matters but his response of ‘no way’ seemed to set him off in ways Jun Yibai could not anticipate.

He was fairly easy to ignore at first but over the course of a month, it became worse. Everywhere he went, this guy Song Yang would show up, offering Jun Yibai friendship. He’d talk about how rich his family was and how Jun Yibai would only benefit from associating with him.

It was clear he wanted something from Jun Yibai but he had no clue what it could be.

“That guy is bothering you again?” Yang Ru peeked over her shoulder, spotting Song Yang watching them from afar. While the two lived far apart, Yang Ru always made an effort to walk to school with Jun Yibai. Because of this, she had long since noticed the guy following her friend. “He doesn’t have a crush on you, does he?”

“Doubt it.” Jun Yibai didn’t pay it much mind. Outside class, Song Yang just watched him. It was creepy but ultimately harmless. “He claims he's the boss of the beta’s in our grade and wants me to join his group or something.”

Such a dull way to recruit people, Jun Yibai wasn’t interested.

“Boss? In his first year?” Yang Ru snorted, unable to hold back her amusement. She openly stared at the interloper, smirking at the now ‘hidden’ figure. ”How daring of him to act like an alpha with such little to offer? Does he think he’s like the actual kings just because he has a little money?”

Her tone was arrogant, as if bragging about her own people. It was strange considering how much she bad-mouthed the duo. From the day she enrolled, she complained to Yibai about the ‘kings’ of her high school. How she lamented having to deal with either of them. She even mocked them by calling them tyrant and crazy behind their backs.

Yet surprisingly, despite Yang Ru’s mockery she still acknowledged those guys as king-like authorities. When pressed about it, she explained.

“The tyrant is annoying because all the class monitors have to defer to him so we don’t get along. He just gives out orders and we have to follow them, like we're his damn vassals! ” She explained, seething as she recalled that guy. “Unfortunately, he’s also damn good at his job so I can’t complain too much.”

Yang Ru took pride in her role as class monitor. She was friendly, hard-working, and firm, which made her an excellent pick for the job. She also knew a lot of gossips so very few people dared to mess with her.

Everyone but the tyrant king which apparently was her own nickname for the guy. When Jun Yibai asked what his actual name was, Yang Ru shook her head and replied:

“That guy's name is unsuited for him.” She proclaimed, waving her hand dismissively. “He’s better off by the nickname I gave him. The other monitors agree.”

Jun Yibai could only imagine how much those guys had to deal with to so ruthlessly unname a person like this but he decided it wasn’t any of his business.

“The other king, the crazy guy is less a tyrant and more a warlord.” She continued, wanting to get off the subject. “He just kind of… brute forces his way through stuff.”

Jun Yibai had no doubt about that. He’d once found a hole in the outside wall and inquired about it. Apparently, a fight had broken out and a single student had punched the wall to ‘quell tensions’. He had no doubt that the person was Yang Ru’s crazy guy.

Yet he hadn’t heard about any incidents since he enrolled.

“He got suspended for a while because of the fight he had the day you came in.” Yang Ru explained when asked. “Though it turns out that the guys he fought were trying to extort some of our classmates. As such, while he’s still a rascal, he’s not too bad.

“I see.” So he was one of those ‘hero’ types? “Then why call him crazy at all?”

“Because he is way too wild!” She stated, shuddering at the thought. “People our age shouldn’t be so eager to fight. I know he's an alpha and they tend to be competitive yet all the while, one can hear him laughing as he plowed through those guys.”

Ah, he’s one of those guys. Jun Yibai thought, recalling how Guiren would have a similar reaction when the two of them sparred together. Guiren seemed to always have too much energy and loved fighting.

Afterward, Jun Yibai would help treat his wounds and he looked no less happy despite being bruised and beat up. It was one of the few quiet moments between them that he missed...

“Hey! Earth to Jun Yibai!” Yang Ru called out, waving a hand in Jun Yibai’s face. They had finally reached the school gate yet her friend was just staring into space. “What were you thinking about?”

“...An old friend I guess.”

“You guess you were thinking about them or you guess you were friends?”

“Hm.”

With such a noncommittal answer, Yang Ru felt no joy, as she wanted to tease this stoic friend of hers.

“You’re no fun!” She complained with a pout. Unlike others who felt the need to comfort her when she pouted, Jun Yibai had known her long enough to see through her attempt. He patted her shoulder indulgently, like a parent amused at their child’s antics.

Yang Ru shrugged in defeat, only then recalling why she had stopped him so early in the morning.

“Anyway, try to keep your head down.” She warned as they split up for class. “The crazy guy will be back soon and with your luck, you might be dragged into something troublesome.”

He thanked Yang Ru for the heads up. He’d managed to avoid anything major because Yang Ru had her finger on the pulse of the school. If anything was coming to a boiling point, she was either involved or aware of it.

As usual, Song Yang nagged him throughout the day, wanting to be friends. Rumor had it that he was trying to build up a group to establish power within the school. Jun Yibai, being a fairly fit guy, was his newest target.

But Jun Yibai wasn’t interested in anything he had to offer.

“If you want, I can get you whatever you want.” He tried once again, cornering Jun Yibai in the staircase. By his side, an Omega stood nearby, his head down. Song Yang placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, seemingly unaware of the slight twitch from the teen. “I even have a few Omega’s willing to sleep with my guys.”

Ah, that's how he got people to follow him. The promise of sex to a hormonal teen was tempting to most.

Jun Yibai wasn’t most.

“Don’t insult me.” He snapped, glaring at the beta. “I don’t take ‘offers’ on unless they come from the person themselves.”

The Omega boy looked up, a bit shaken by his words. He looked unsure but remained by Song Yang's side.

It wasn’t his business anyway.

Without another word, he turned to leave

“S-so you won’t join up with me?” Song Yang stammered, looking upset. “Then you plan on aligning yourself with the enemy?”

Jun Yibai really wanted to scream just then. Is this a school or a warzone? Why were these teens so fixated on affiliation? He just came to learn damn it!

“I don’t plan on aligning myself with anyone so leave me alone.”

“Oh? You think you can do such a thing?”

Jun Yibai cocked a brow at this. “What makes you think I can’t?”

He’d managed to go an entire month without anyone making a fuss. There were distinct cliques but mixed in terms of gender. Only Jun Yibai refused to join any, as he didn’t want to associate with anyone other than Yang Ru.

He was fine being the wallflower at the edge of the crowd.

“You’ll have to pick a side sooner or later.” Song Yang warned, stepping past Jun Yibai. “Neutrality is not an option since he and that crazy guy run things. The Tyrant King and the Mad king.”

What kind of dramatic names were those?! They were in high school, not a fantasy story.

Or is this just what happens when Alpha’s and Omega’s are placed together? They vie for power and just have the beta’s be the citizens. Even this supposed leader is kowtowing to this farce.

This was ridiculous.

“You know this is just high school, right?”

“Just?!” Song Yang looked at Jun Yibai like he was crazy. “Is it just high school when a student who is only the student council president has the means to influence the dean with a mere word? Or when a delinquent uses his family influence to remodel an entire wing after a disaster just so he can get out of a suspension?”

It was clear that the students being referenced were the supposed kings. Who else could it be? Heck, the fact that they had garnered so much strength in so little time was impressive in itself. It was their first year yet one was in charge of the student council and the other was well known to fight hoards of thugs. Hearing about their pedigree on top of all that, Yibai only had one thought running through his mind.

What the fuck were these extraordinary people doing attending a public school?!

Wasn’t it already unfair for them to use their influence to gain stuff but to do so in a smallish high school like this? Wasn’t it just overkill?

Why was it that he could never just go someplace normal?

Jun Yibai sighed, no longer wanting to bother with this. Song Yang called out to him but Jun Yibai didn’t want to deal with this anymore.

As was to be expected, it didn’t end there.

A week later, he saw a familiarish face exiting his classroom. It was the omega who had come with Song Yang before. He was wearing glasses now, which made him look all the smaller but it was definitely him.

Jun Yibai wouldn’t have even noticed if not for the way he seemed nervous and ran away upon spotting him.

“Did you bully that guy?” Yang Ru, who was walking with him to class, asked. “I’ve never seen a rabbit run away like that?”

“Eh? Whose a rabbit? That is clearly a guy.”

“Yeah but look how he ran as soon as our eyes met. Isn’t that rabbit-like?”

Is that something any guy could back up? Rabbit-like or not, a guy was a guy.

“He’s Song Yang’s subordinate.” He pointed out. “Are you sure you want to call him a rabbit?”

“Ah, that cute guy is associated with that weirdo?!” Yang Ru glared at Song Yang, who flinched at his desk when he noticed the girl's gaze. “How gross. My poor bunny~”

Ah darn, she’s already claimed him. Jun Yibai thought, shaking his head. He felt a bit of pity for that omega, as he was sure Yang Ru was going to continue calling him a rabbit.

Yet it was a bit weird to see him all of a sudden. He hadn’t seen the two together before that time in the staircase but now they openly met up before class? How strange.

He decided not to think too much of it until he came to his desk and noticed a note on top of it.

“Ah, my Jun Yibai is already so popular!” Yang Ru cooed, hanging off his shoulder so she could take a peek at the envelope. Unfortunately, he moved it out of view before she could read a single word. “He’s already getting love letters on his desk. How cute~”

“Love letters aren’t usually filled with such provocative words.” Jun Yibai said after reading the very short letter.

“Oh?” Yang Ru’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. She couldn’t help but tease her friend as she sat on his desk. “Is this person a bit more daring? Offering their necks or something?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Jun Yibai grimaced, giving her a bewildered look. “What could I do even if such a thing was offered?”

“Sometimes the gesture is enough.” She replied, thinking of her own parents. While he father couldn’t be marked due to circumstances, they always made an effort to mark each other. It was embarrassing but Yang Ru was happy her parents were affectionate toward each other.

She had even dreamed she could have a relationship that loving.

“It is a waste of time for a beta.” Jun Yibai stated, knowing her thoughts. While a beta could supposedly be marked, it was one-sided. The other party would only be disappointed so why bother?

“It's romantic.” She argued, having had this discussion before. It was one of the things they disagreed about.

Jun Yibai didn’t feel like arguing though.

“I didn’t think you were the romantic type.” He joked, though his tone was only slightly different from his regular cadence.

Still, for Yang Ru who had known him since middle school, it was obvious he was trying to change the subject. Who was she to deny him such a thing?

“A girl will always have a bit of a liking for such things.” She stated, smiling devilishly. “Like that cute bunny from before…”

Her expression was a bit mischievous, making Jun Yibai worry about that guy. He might have a troublesome girl chasing him now.

“Right.” Jun Yibai glanced at the letter, his expression darkening a bit. He couldn’t help but mutter to himself. “But this letter…”

“Hm?” Yang Ru blinked, noticing her friend's strange expression. “Something wrong?”

Jun Yibai shook his head. ”Nothing. I’ll deal with it.”

Yang Ru didn’t look convinced but the alarm on her phone went off, alerting her that class was about to begin. As much as she wanted to question Jun Yibai, she couldn’t afford to be late. She’d just have to interrogate him later.

Jun Yibai went through the rest of class mildly distracted. His mind was on the letter he got. On the contents of the short message within. He wanted to just toss it aside but he couldn't afford to.

While the teacher was going through their lesson, Jun Yibai peeked at the note once more, his expression nervous.

Has Cinderella returned to retrieve his glass slipper? Come to the rooftop at lunch before the magic runs out.

*****