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When Nene first met Kitada Gaku, the first thing she clocked out was the fact that he is an omega.
The next thing was, he is adorable.
She has suspected stumbling upon him may not be purely a coincidence, considering Kai's sinister grin that she had caught before it. Like the high school student he is, Kitada Gaku is boyish in the way teenagers at the cusp of adulthood are. His hair is naturally haphazarded and spiky, a contrast to his neatly-ironed uniform and symmetrical clothing, and he is in the possession of two bright green doe eyes - which brings her to the realisation that Kitada Gaku is very much an adorable Omega.
Shiny skin, almost puffy cheeks, timid in the way he greets and graceful the way all Omegas are. Respectful too! Not to mention his barely-there scent. Nene may be a beta but she has a sharp nose like the rest of K's staff, so she catches the hint of mildly sweet honey emanating from the bashful teenager in front of her. At the very first impression, she has judged him in a positive manner. And it's not only her that thinks so, because Kai is judging him highly.
It's later revealed he is a good chef, absurdly incorporating mathematics into cooking, to which Nene doesn't understand one bit. But his food is good. And he is approved by the staff to join K. And Kai clearly likes him. Nene is far more satisfied than she should be.
The problem is just that, Kitada Gaku is very expressive with his scent.
It's no problem to Nene, but it's clearly one among the chefs. They all have far sharper noses and the whole team is made up of Alphas and Betas, no Omegas until Gaku is accepted among them. (With a pointed look at the beginning by Kai that clearly means something Nene won't dare to understand)
"Thank you so much!" Gaku chirps out (He doesn't know he's chirping it, Nene has observed Gaku has no sense of social decorum whatsoever), taking the bowl of cut chives. Magoraku reddens a bit, and Nene can smell the mingle of honey among the other scents in the air. She catches the others sniffing and scrunching their noses before she has to dart out of the door.
When Gaku is happy, his scent is sweet. Luring bees to him. He radiates it out so freely, but it's not overwhelming. It's instead very pleasant.
"I'm sorry - I'll do it again!" Gaku droops (Once again, he doesn't know he's drooping). Hotei visibly winces, clearly in distress whether to comfort him or not. The former wins as he tells him. "You go sear the onions instead, I'll handle this."
When Gaku is sad, his scent sours. Very much. Sour honey is a scent Nene hasn't had much experience with, but she wants to avoid it as much as she can. It's a futile thinking knowing Gaku's scent will sour in more occasional ways as he is pressured to perform perfectly.
"Kai-san, please look at this!"
"Kai-san, please pass me the bottle!"
"Kai-san, let's go home together!"
Now - When Gaku is with Kai ...
Nene squints her eyes as Gaku brightens, his honey scent growing intense. It's cloying sweet. A scent he only lets out when he's talking to Kai, who has that ever satisfied grin on his face. Unreadable like usual, but he allows Gaku to enter his space and after a moment, pats him roughly on the head. Gaku smiles more, spreading his scent everywhere and isn't it lovely if it's not towards Asakura Kai.
She needs to do something about this.
"You want to talk about what?"
Kai gives her a deadpan look, borderline serious. Nene holds her hands firmly on her lap. She repeats. "Please control your affection towards Kitada Gaku."
"I'm not an expert, but isn't this something you should tell him instead?"
"So you've noticed he is being affectionate towards you."
Kai stares at her. "I have a pair of eyes. I don't need four eyes to look at what's going on."
Kai is so sarcastic when talking to her. "Considering you've noticed, then do something about your reciprocation towards it."
"I'm not reciprocating."
"Indeed. You are biased towards him."
"Now, now." Kai leans forward, an unsettling smile on his face. "Biased is way too strong of a word."
"You are. For one, you let him express his scent freely in the kitchen while the other chefs can't, including yourself."
Kai waves his hand. "It's important for an Omega to not restrict their scents. Besides, it boosts the team's morale."
Hm. Not wrong.
"Second, you keep tailing behind him when you haven't done that to the other chefs."
Kai shrugs. "He's new to this cooking thing. Besides, you and me know an environment like this can cause him to collapse. Then, the Omega Bureau will come and sue us. I'm taking no chances."
Hmph. He has a point there.
Nene points out. "You cook for him."
"I cook for everyone."
"A lie. Based on my observation, you've cooked for him two times more than when you do for us in the span of six months. That doesn't count home cooking too. Don't lie to me, I know you cook for him on a day off."
Kai shuts his open mouth, clicking his teeth. He frowns, now actually serious. "What do you want?"
"Like before. Do something about Kitada Gaku's feelings towards you."
He inhales sharply. "It is just admiration. It'll pass or mellow down soon."
"It doesn't look like that to me."
Nene has witnessed various acts of admiration by being at Kai's side. Praises, looks of admiration, tones, subtle scent shifts. Gaku certainly starts at admiration, but there has been a constant development to his perception of Kai. He's chasing his shadow in a way no one is able to, and they've developed an unthinkable understanding with each other. Kai has noticed this for sure, as the look he gives her right now is chilling, a common expression on his face when someone figures out what he's hiding underneath that facade.
She states it calmly, undeterred. "You like him."
There is no verbal response, only his scent of ginger sharpening. Kai's office is saturated and layered with it that even when he airs it out, the fragrance still clings to the furniture and fabric. Same can be said to his apartment - and it's impossible to not notice the slight ginger smell Gaku carries at the start of each working day before it dissipates. Unless it's Gaku himself.
Nene continues, unbothered. "You connect to him in a way you haven't had with anyone. You've never bothered to think of any relationships, but you're thinking the prospects of one with Gaku, no? Which is why you let him in your space. You're weak towards him."
"He's 5 years younger than me."
"While age may be a troublesome factor, you both are adults capable of making your own decisions. You, Asakura Kai, simply like Kitada Gaku."
Kai sighs. "He needs to focus on cooking while he can. I don't think he's thinking of any relationships when he's only thinking about maths and recipes."
So many thinks - ah, he's trying to throw her off! Sneaky Kai.
"The least you can do then is to take responsibility." She summarises.
This catches him off-guard as he blinks, wiping off his sour look. "Take responsibility? Am I not doing it right now?"
Tilting her head, she says casually. "If you don't do anything, the others will snatch him up."
Kai's frown deepens. Nene helps him see the bigger picture. "A very expressive and adorable Omega with a kind heart and great cooking skills. Isn't that anyone's dream Omega? Or should I say," She spells it out. "An A-L-P-H-A's dream M-A-T-E?"
Kai's eyebrow twitches. Nene calculates he will be deflecting and he does. "We can't break his momentum. Have you seen his progress, Nene? That recent ribeye steak with that clever twist of a sauce. He has been improving more and more ... Hehe ..."
The sinister grin is back in its place. Nene calculates the chances of wiping it off, but she knows it's nigh impossible. She has learned that Asakura Kai is as stubborn as a mule once he's set on a certain path, only wishful thinking can force him into a situation which he doesn't want to. Why must Kitada Gaku even find him to be a respectable future mate? (This Nene knows, is because despite Kai's severe avoidant attachment, he is attached subconsciously to Gaku while clearly courting him, whether he stupidly knows or not. The poor Omega deserves none of his mixed signals.)
She contemplates blurting the fact that he doesn't deserve Gaku. She doesn't upon finding that Kai will take it very personally and may curl more into his ball of issues. What a headache to have such a complicated boss.
If she can't talk it out with Kai, then she has to go to the heartthrob in the middle of all this.
Gaku is taking some fresh air outside. She gets the feeling, knowing how suffocated and tense being inside all day must have been, especially in the kitchen where all scents can be too bothersome and orders keep piling up.
"Nene-san!" Gaku greets out upon seeing her. He smiles, making room for her to sit down beside him. Ah, always so considerate and soft-hearted. Nene doesn't believe her eyes a boy so pure-hearted can exist in this kitchen without being afflicted by the similar hardness all the chefs have. Mokuragu was once like this, she recalls - but the situation got into his head like expected. As always, Gaku is an exception.
As they sit down and enjoy the silence together, Nene stares at him. His cheeks are flushed, redness against pale skin. Even when he is from the countryside, Gaku has cooped inside all day doing mathematics and poring over books. His adorable button nose is red too. Hmm, Gaku is not much of a traditional beauty, but he is in possession of stunning eyes that capture the person looking into them. His smile too is captivating, earnest and full of warmth. Truly fitting with his given name. Once again, Nene wishes Gaku finds a far better Alpha to like than Kai.
"Is there something on my face, Nene-san? You've been intently staring."
Gaku asks, looking at her.
Nene stares at him and asks.
"Do you like Kai, Gaku?"
Gaku stares at her.
"Me liking Kai-san?" He asks in disbelief.
That's not the look of someone liking someone, but Gaku has always been a weird book to read. Nene blames it on his genius brain incapable of wiring proper reactions.
She goes along with it. "Yes." She nods vigorously. "Kai also likes you back." Take that, big boss.
This time, Gaku's eyes widen and his cheeks fully flush. Oh! There it is! "Kai-san doesn't like me back!" Gaku blurts it out, not picking his words.
"So, you like him."
"No! I mean, yes - Yes? Anyone likes Kai-san. Even Ranna-san does!"
Ah, the mention of Ranna's one-sided feelings. Once again, Kai is a cruel Alpha with mixed signals. What do they see in Kai?
"Kai likes you." She repeats it, making sure to meet Gaku's eyes head-on. What would it take to convince a man of mathematics? Yes, solid evidence. "You're the only Omega he is close with."
"That's because I'm the only one. And he does bring home Omegas, Nene-san!"
That scoundrel. An image of Gaku trying his best to ignore any foreign Omegan scent while inside his room comes to mind. Nene tries her best to clear out any of those scents when she comes over, but she is not fast enough to avoid Gaku from sniffing out what has been going on. Disastrously in denial, that Kai.
"You're the only one he treats special."
"He just sees potential in me."
Undeniably, he does. How else to convince him? Observation. Nene points out. "He looks like he's always prepared to eat you."
"I - what?" Gaku flusters out. "Eat me? I know we all know he refers to me as his nourishment, but he is not going to eat me -"
"He wants to eat you like how an Alpha eats an Omega."
"Oh." Gaku fumbles out. He reddens like a ripened tomato when the meaning sinks in. "Oh."
Nene can see the smoke coming out of his ears. He exclaims. "He doesn't see me in that way, Nene-san!"
She wants to protect him so bad. She gives into the urge to pinch his cheeks, watching amusedly as Gaku warbles out something unintelligible. His cheeks are very soft, she easily kneads them. Kai deserves none of this. His gullibleness. His innocence. His smartness. His cuteness. Kitada Gaku. She is sure the entire staff will agree with her. They've all realised that they don't want Gaku to walk down the doomed path Kai had taken, even if it's in the pursuit of knowledge and desired companionship. Maybe they would have reconsidered if it isn't for Kai. Gaku is far, far too precious to be tainted by his darkness.
Yet, she also knows. They're way too similar not to cross paths. Isn't it far better to walk in parallel lines than to only encounter once? She thinks that must be what is Gaku thinking. As long as he follows the same path, he'll reach Kai's side but will never touch him. Self-destruction in the work. The cruelty of understanding each other but not allowed to be with each other - she doesn't wish that loneliness on Gaku. Yet, Kai will remain far too lonely by his lonesome. Maybe Gaku can soothe his loneliness, even if it is only one spoonful. Maybe it'll grow into a cupful, and maybe they'll share the same mixing bowl. Maybe Kai will no longer be lonely.
She wants to protect him, but she knows coddling him won't do any good. As much as it pains for her to admit, Kai seeks companionship within Gaku, and she is a fool if she hasn't realised it.
"Don't worry, I'll help you, Gaku."
"H-huh? Help what, exactly?"
She corrects her glasses. "Do not worry. Just keep being who you are."
"O ... kay?
She is not maître d'hôtel for nothing.
"Nene. Have you seen my hoodie?"
Folding the leftover clothing, she shakes her head. "I don't."
Kai frowns, rubbing his nape and spreading his scent all over. "Where could it be ..."
In his apartment, he looks frustrated. Nene knows he loves that old, frayed hoodie, always wearing it whenever he goes outside.
"Maybe you've misplaced it." She suggests, finishing the last of the laundry.
Kai groans. Just as he zones out to think, his head is instantly lifted with his nose in the air. Nene hears the footsteps before she smells the embarrassed honey, Gaku entering the living room and in his arms is the unmistakeable grey hoodie.
"My hoodie!" Kai exclaims.
Gaku smiles. "I found it in my room. It may have been mixed in with my clothes. I'm so sorry, Kai-san."
"No need, it's just a minor mistake - " Kai halts to a stop, fist bunched in the hoodie. There's a flicker of hesitation before he grabs it from Gaku's hands, an eased smile on his face. "I thought it went missing and I couldn't find it! You know how much I love this hoodie, Gaku-kun."
Gaku nods. "I do! I'll go back to my room now."
After he leaves, Kai stands there in contemplative silence. Slowly, he pulls up the fabric and inhales, and from afar Nene sees his shoulders relaxing and the tension in his back deflating. Then, he shoots her a sharp look, to which Nene ignores before she rises to sort out the clothing.
Kai's eyes follow her but he says nothing. Nene grins.
Gaku is covered up in Kai's gingery scent.
It's unmistakeably the sign of an Alpha's claim. The snappy ginger is telling everyone to back off, and the chefs do, exchanging wary glances when they sniff it. Kai is not known for his generosity, he always has an agenda behind his schemes and he has never, in Nene's personal knowledge of the man, rubbed his scent all over someone, especially an Omega.
"Good afternoon, everyone." Gaku smiles, all bright and eager.
They look at one another, a communication of sorts going on before they greet him back, making room for him as they begin prep.
Gaku is mostly silent throughout the work, only quipping and asking for favours. Despite being very observant, he hasn't addressed the thrown glances at him until Ranna slides up next to him.
"You smell like Kai."
It's a miracle Gaku doesn't fumble, but he has always been level-headed, a trait that surprises Nene a lot. He answers calmly. "Mhm. Kai-san gave me his hoodie last night. He said I smelled too much of nerves and wanted me to calm down."
Of course he'll misinterpret it. What a sweet, gullible soul.
Ranna's expression screams that she is also not believing it. Before she can ask more, Kai slides into the kitchen, clapping his hands to draw their attention.
"Before we begin service, I would like to remind you all that we have the - "
As he drawls, Nene looks at Gaku, whose attention is all on Kai and his speech.
"That is all, everyone to your stations! Gaku-kun, come here."
He blinks, already halfway turned. "Me?" He points to himself.
"Yes, you. Come here."
Gaku shuffles closer, curious. Without warning, Kai leans down and rubs his wrist on his nape, eliciting a shiver from Gaku. Nevertheless, he stays silent, stretching his neck to give him more space.
Around them, the kitchen has gone deadly quiet. Everyone's mouths are wide open (Milo's eyes are comically bulging). Nene doesn't fault them, scenting is an extremely private affair unless done with their own family. To see their boss publicly scenting a fresh Omega colleague may be a tad too much.
Kai pulls back. Gaku's eyes flutter open, head tilted and cheeks rosy, scent drunk and no one misses the satisfied grin on Kai's face at the reaction. Quietly, Nene hears someone muttering. "What a perv ..."
"Kai-san?" Gaku mumbles, blinking drowsily.
Kai ruffles his head. "You're a bit nervous, aren't you? I covered you with my scent back."
He nods, not even swatting the hand away. "Thank you, Kai-san. I, I feel a lot better now."
"You're welcome. Now, go. Shoo."
Stepping back, Gaku bows before heading to his spot, clearly still in a daze. His happy scent of mingling ginger honey trails behind him and everyone watches him go before shifting to Kai, who is still smug. Catching their eyes, he drops the expression and asks sharply. "Aren't you all supposed to be cooking?"
There's some clatter as they all nervously begin. The rush is coming and before Nene steps out, she sees the small smile on Gaku's face, peaceful as he begins his own work.
"There's clearly something going on with Kai and Gaku."
"I'm not crazy, am I?"
"If you're crazy, I'm a Buddhist monk."
"Kai is smitten. Did you see that look?"
"Are they fucking - Ranna, stop hitting me!"
"I don't think they are. Gaku doesn't look like that type of guy."
"What type exactly? Attracted to my own boss, who is a very hot Alpha type?"
"He's not that shallow! And you think Kai's hot?"
"I may be an Alpha, but I have two functioning eyes, okay?"
"They do have chemistry. I've never seen Kai treat anyone, especially an Omega, in that kind of way."
"It's Gaku. I will date Gaku."
"I think if you do, Kai will fire you."
"Forget firing me, he will butcher my balls and burn me on a stake!"
"I will date Gaku too. Why are you surprised? The customers love him, we all love him. I don't think anyone can hate him."
"Yeah, I will date Gaku too. My dick isn't comparable to Kai's - Ranna, stop hitting me! Is his dick even that g - OUCH!"
"Point is. Gaku's way too good for Kai."
"You're not hitting him, Ranna?"
"He's right. What do you want me to say? Gaku is way too good for Kai."
"Yes, you see. A sweet, lovely Omega like Gaku ... with Kai."
"..."
"..."
"Do you think he can fix him?"
"..."
"Do you think Gaku can ask Kai to give us some bonus - STOP HITTING ME!"
When Nene steps into the kitchen, the first thing she realises is that there is no ginger scent around Gaku. The next thing is that he's instead enveloped in the scent of calm sandalwood - Hotei's. The thing is, everyone seems to regard it as normal, not even questioning the foreign change. Even Gaku doesn't as he goes to peel potatoes without a care in the world.
Only when Kai steps in, expression ready to announce something, does everyone give the same sort of reaction - anticipation. Backs straight, hands stopping, eyes sneakily looking over to where Kai now stands frozen, eyes locked onto Gaku, who is still peeling potatoes while humming a jubilant tune. Clearly in his own head.
A second. Two seconds.
Kai's gaze sweeps over all of them, eyes narrowed. They all pretend they don't know what's going on. Silently, Nene applauds their bravery. Yes, an absolutely spectacular show of camaraderie. This is the ultimate confrontation against Kai's selfish deeds.
Kai doesn't do anything. He's never the type to outwardly react to a trap. He never gives satisfaction. Yet, he can't hide the way his expression pinches. The heat in his eyes as he looks at each of them while they look at him, defiant. The venom on his tongue that speaks of jealousy, but they've come prepared with an antidote. All while Gaku continues to be in his own world, unaware of the broiling tension throughout the night nor the predatory eyes locked onto him.
At the end of the service, Kai is fuming. This goes unnoticeable, except once again to Gaku as this time Milo distracts him. He's dragged out with the pretense of a talk by the others, and now everyone else is gathered in the kitchen while Kai leans against a countertop, finger impatiently tapping a rhythm.
"Just what are you all doing?"
No one speaks at first, not even Nene until Hotei volunteers. "You're infatuated with him."
Kai stays quiet, his foul mood a thin thread of his sanity.
"We do not fault you, but don't try to lead him on."
Kai doesn't say anything.
Nene notices a lot of the chefs' quirks, always aware of the shifting dynamic in the kitchen. This means she has also taken notice of Gaku's anxiety, the pressure he feels when he is forced into a corner with only a knife in hand and his brain solving equations to get him out of it. Because he is an Omega, he is treated different. The chefs don't really know how to act around him, this force of talent that can never be underestimated - so a few times they push him around until he reaches his supposed limit. However, there is never a limit in Maths - and it only fuels Gaku to perform better.
This time, however, the motivation is quite different.
With the sudden announcement that Gaku will be cooking dessert, an entirely new field for him - his anxiety has been to the roof.
Scenting has calmed him down but not this time. No matter what they do, he's stuck with his fists clenched and eyebrows knit in worry, honeyed scent in distress. They can't do anything. No one does anything. What can they even do to help him? When it's already Kai's impromptu decision.
And speaking of Kai, ever since that talk in the kitchen, he has been keeping his distance. He has reverted back to being professional like in the beginning. (Nene sees that it's not actually professional even before it) This does Gaku some good to clear the confusion and to lessen his worries as he's stuck in his turmoil of what to cook in order to prove his worth.
It's not surprising then, that he runs away.
Nene has always kept her feelings to herself, but she can't hide the disappointment as she comes into the apartment to a self-reflective Kai and no Gaku. He sits on one of the kitchen chairs, zoning out and shows no reaction to her coming in.
It's silent inside the house. While Gaku's here, it had been lively, lived in. Kai woke up with company, with purpose to cook for them. Nene had caught them eating silent meals. No words, just being in each other's presence and enjoying it. Cooking is the only household task Nene doesn't do, and Kai doesn't cook outside of work, instead eating anything else that he can get his hands on. When Gaku came into their lives, that all changed.
Nene can't fault Kai. Not really. She knows he will push and push until Gaku breaks.
"Do you want me to clean up his room?"
Kai gives a reaction then. A small hum, monotonous. It sounds painful. "Leave it be."
As she turns around, she halts when Kai says. "I thought he'll stay."
"I thought that he'll push through. To discover the truth of the world. He has that look in his eyes, Nene. The urge, the drive, everything. He is ready."
Kai sighs heavily. "I thought he can do this."
Nene doesn't understand his struggles. She is unable to. She says instead. "Ranna is currently tracking him down. We think he'll go back to his hometown."
She wants to suggest for them, for him to go there. To find him like how they found each other in the first place. Yet, she knows Kai won't. He chose this and he will stick to it.
Before any of them can speak, Kai's phone buzzes. He picks it up with a heavy hand, reading it. Nene nearly jumps when he stands up, chair scraping the floor before he rushes to her and shakes her by the shoulders.
"He came back, Nene! He came back!"
"He uh ? Awbwabawabaa."
Stopping, Nene is dizzy when Kai leans closer. This close, she smells his sweet ginger scent, excitement dancing off of him. "Gaku-kun came back, Nene!"
There's excitement yes, Nene notes as she is shaken more and Kai screams more. But she also notes something mellow, hidden underneath the surface - relief. Kai is relieved Gaku hasn't given up, hasn't run away, has decided to stay.
Ah, Kitada Gaku. Nene thinks as she pats Kai on the shoulder. He's still bouncing with joy, proud grin wide on his face. Please, please, never give up on Kai.
And maybe one day in this same apartment, she'll get to see Kai finally opening up to let someone who has trusted and adored him into his life. Maybe she'll see them both on the world stage as an undefeatable duo, or on an altar promising loyalty and love to each other. Maybe one day she'll take care of a bright, happy child, with curious eyes and a warm smile. Maybe one day, Fukuda Nene can say to Gaku: loving Kai is the dumbest, bravest decision you ever made. Thank you.