Chapter Text
Pin pon
The school bell chimes across the grounds, signaling the beginning of the first day of school. The yard is empty, everyone had already scurried off to class. Well, almost everyone. Standing in front of the entrance to the school is a lone girl.
It had been an exceptionally hot year. Despite the rainy season being just around the corner, the late summer sun showed no signs of letting up. None of that has any relation to the drop of sweat that now ran down the girl's brow. She had been standing there for a few minutes, her legs firmly frozen in place.
Several years had passed since she had last set foot on a school campus. It wasn't by choice that she had become truant, but rather it was the result of an unfortunate roll of the genetic dice combined with a maladaptive tendency to run away from every perceived threat.
She knows she is running late. It's the first day of class and she is already behind schedule. That's the least of her concern. She reminded herself when she left home this morning what her priority was. Drawing as little attention as possible while avoiding contact with any alphas.
It goes without saying, but she made sure to take her pheromone suppressant. She even got help from her sister, who showed her how to apply some scent concealer to help reduce the potency of her natural odor. She wished she could think of those tools as armor she donned before embarking on a quest. Maybe then she wouldn't have to feel so horrible about how dependent she had become. Instead they felt more like a temporary buff that only hid the permanent status ailments she is inflicted with.
Even now, it isn't by choice that she stands there, on the precipice of change. This is just another thing that had been forced on her. Taking that first step past the threshold feels as difficult as stepping across the Grand Canyon in a single stride. She doesn't have the leeway to take her time and build up her resolve; to come to grips with what she is about to do. She had squandered it all running away from who she is.
Her lot in life had been predetermined. Destined to become the prey of some contemptible Alpha. She had rejected that part of herself, but it didn't change the reality of the situation. She is an Omega. And despite how much she tries to deny it, that reality has finally caught up with her. And so she takes a deep breath, and places one foot in front of the other.
Amaori Renako's tumultuous high school life as an omega has begun.
The front doors of the school let out a dull squeal as Renako pushes them open. Almost immediately, she pulls her school uniform's collar up to cover her nose. The indoor air is pungent, layered with the scent of the other students. Among those layers is the smell of betas and other omegas, she could tolerate that just fine. But it's the other part that makes her teeth grind together.
The scent of alphas.
It isn't that alphas smell bad, Renako wishes that was case, but it's the opposite. The smell carries a certain pull that is difficult to describe, capable of ensnaring an unsuspecting omega in high concentrations. In limited doses, it is able to calm omegas, making them feel safe and secure. In this diluted form, all it really did is make the hair on Renako's arms stand up at alert.
With a small slap to the cheek, Renako tries to rally herself. Get it together. You had expected this much. Remember your plan from this morning. Keep your head down, don't talk to anyone unnecessary, find your classroom, sit through class, head straight home.
Choosing to ignore the fact that being late on the first day is a good way to draw attention, she quickly steps into the main corridor of the school. Before her is a set of stairs the led upward, and to her left and right lay two long hallways with various signposts indicating room numbers. Renako reaches into her pocket, pulling out a folded up piece of paper. Opening it she reveals a document that contains some basic information for the first day of school.
With a quick scan of the text, she locates the number for her homeroom. 2A. Looking first to her left, then her right, she pauses for a moment before scratching her head. None of the rooms near her seem like they would lead her in the right direction. She bit the inside of her cheek. Hmm, maybe the '2' indicates the floor?
She looks up at the staircase again. It's a typical Japanese school staircase, with around eight steps upwards, a landing at the top that reversed, leading to eight more steps to the next floor's landing. Renako walks over to the bottom of the steps and cranes her neck, trying to see what is at the top of the second floor landing. Unfortunately, from this angle, it would be impossible to determine without at least going up the first eight steps. She places her foot on the first step, before hesitating.
It's a mere sixteen steps total, yet Renako is frozen in place. She feels her mouth getting dry as she continues to stare up at the obscured landing. She doesn't know what is waiting for her at the top of those steps. Rationally, it will most likely just lead to an empty hallway. But even still, she can't stop the "what if" scenarios playing out in her head. What if she wanders into a bored alpha who ditches class and sees her as a fun distraction? What would she do then?
She remains there, paralyzed by the decision before her. Her teeth dig further into the skin of her cheek, aware of how pathetic it is to be defeated by the stair boss. But she just couldn't get past the mental block that prevents her from lifting even a toe. The longer she stares at those steps, the larger the gap between them seemed, and the more daunting they become. The more she dwells on the unknowns, the more real they began to seem.
The click-clack of shoes snap her concentration. A chill runs down Renako's spine, her whole body tenses. She could feel the prickles of a predators gaze. It's not obvious where it's coming from, but one thing is certain. If she stays right here she is a sitting duck.
All of her learned instincts scream at her not to go up those stairs. But she didn't have a choice, she is stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she stays on the stairs, it's game-over . If she went up them, maybe, just maybe, she would be okay. The decision had been made for her, all she had to do is act.
With the little strength Renako had in her omega bones, she kicks the landing with her foot, propelling herself forward. Stretching her legs as far as they would allow, she runs up the steps, two a time, pushing herself to her limit. And that's when Renako realizes her mistake. The last few years of her life had been spent playing video games alone in her room. The closest thing resembling 'physical activity' that she did during that period was when she walked from her bedroom to the kitchen to get a snack.
As she reaches the first landing, her foot clashes with the step at an awkward angle. Her body lurches forward stumbling. Her uncoordinated arms flail at her sides, trying to regain her balance, but they over-corrected. The ground slips out from beneath Renako as she tumbles backward. The whole world felt like it moved in slow motion as she flew through the air.
Oh. This is really it huh. This is how I die. Haruna, please delete my hard-drive.
She squeezes her eyes tight, bracing for the impact of the concrete floor.
But it never comes.
Eh..? I'm alive..?
Renako opens her eyes to a set of blue eyes meeting hers. They are as pristine as an undisturbed lake, and just as breathtaking. Blinking a few times, Renako tries to process what is happening.
There are arms wrapped around her, cradling her, and the warmth of a body pressing against her side. A blonde woman's face is staring down at her. Renako takes a deep breath to try and calm her nerves from the spike of adrenaline. The warm scent of vanilla fills her lungs. She finds it comforting, nostalgic and enchanting. If she closes her eyes, maybe she can pretend she is back home laying on the couch while her mom is baking cookies. She takes another breath. Maybe she can forget this whole nightmarish ordeal ever happened and return to her simple shut-in life. Another breath. Why is she even so worked up in the first place?
"Hey, are you okay?"
Unfortunately, her illusion is shattered by the blonde's question.
Her heart sinks as her brain finally catches up to the sequence of events. After falling from the top of the stairs, she had been caught. She's currently lying in the arms of her savior, and that tantalizing aroma she had been enjoying belongs to them. But she can't breathe it in. She mustn't. It's practically a death sentence. Because it's the scent of an alpha.
Renako's could feel her face flush and her muscles relax. Her body's biological response had begun to run it's course. She knows she needs to get away from this alpha as quickly as possible, otherwise each breath she takes would only tighten the noose around her neck.
"G-g-get off me!" Renako stammers, revolting in the blonde's arms. But it's to no avail. The alpha had a decent amount of toned muscle, try as Renako might, should did not stand a chance in a physical contest. From the way the blondes eyes narrow, Renako could tell that she is being sized up. The predator is determining what to do with it's prey. She wants to yell that she doesn't taste good, but the words come out as a garbled mess.
"Relax, this should help you." the blonde say as she pulls Renako closer to her body. A wave of alpha scent batters against Renako's senses. The blonde flashes her a toothy smile. The sight of sharp canine teeth causes Renako to emit a panicked squeal and intensify her protest. She manages to wriggle one of her hands free which she immediately uses to push against the face of her captor.
"Shhhh, let it happen." The blonde coos. She runs her hand through the head of pink hair, slowly tracing a finger along the features of the omegas face. It's as if a warm blanket is wrapped around Renako. The hand she has against the blondes face slowly falls limp, her body melting in the alpha's arms. She knows she is at the complete mercy of the blonde, who now has a streak of crimson across her face and is looking at Renako with lustful eyes.
Renako felt her breathing becoming heavier and her body temperature rising. The seeds of arousal are taking hold in her core. Her body is calling to the potential mate. It's only the first day of school and already she is going to fall to the first alpha she encountered. Is she really destined to become just another omega subservient to the whims of her body? She doesn't want this.
"Mai, knock it off. What do you think you are doing?" A voice came from behind the blonde.
"Ah, sorry. It would seem I startled this poor girl and she collapsed into my arms."
"Mai… Put her down. Now." The voice is stern, enunciating her command.
Mai obeys and gently sets Renako on the floor, before turning to face the newcomer. Her hair is pure black and the length rivaled Mai's. She wore a cold expression that towed the line between annoyance and indifference.
"You're always like this, forcing your wet dog scent on others." The black haired women says, her words carrying a subtle barb of annoyance, like it isn't the first time they had had this conversion.
Mai frowns, the comment had seemingly struck a nerve. "Oh? Satsuki, you are in no position to lecture me about forcing scents on others."
Satsuki clicks her tongue. "They should put a muzzle on you." She takes a step towards Mai, leaning forward into her personal space.
Mai's eyes narrow, as if could see the perfect opening. "You would like that wouldn't you~" She makes herself taller as she gets in Satsuki's face.
For a moment Satsuki loses her composure. "What do you mean by that exactly." She says through gritted teeth.
"You know exactly what I meant" A smug smile runs across Mai's face.
"Spoiled mutt!"
"Narcissist!"
The two alphas had begun butting heads, vying for dominance over the other. Satsuki wields her sharp tongue like a whip, using it to lash against her rival. Mai strikes back like a skilled fencer, able to strike with pinpoint accuracy at her opponents weak points. Together the two were like oil and water, complimenting each other but never able to mix. It's clear the pair had long since memorized this dance and were merely going through the motions.
The battle of words has little impact on Renako's well being, she is more concerned with the unseen conflict that is taking place. With each thrown insult, the alphas release a burst of pheromones. It is a struggle to overwhelm; to make your scent the dominant one. The cloud of pheromones rapidly transform into a dangerous storm as the alphas continue to escalate.
Renako is laying off to the side while the conflict unfolded. She is curled up, her chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. Her face, scarlet red, top to bottom. The residual effects of losing close proximity to an alpha felt similar to withdrawal. Her body quivers, shocked from the sudden detox. Each cell that made up Amaori Renako reminds her of true nature as an omega. They tell her to go back, to return to the safety and comfort of the alpha. But she resists. That's not what she wants.
For Renako, the school now smells like a breath of fresh air compared to the suffocating scent of the alpha. She wouldn't let herself give in to those remnants of lust within her. For too long she had fought against her fate to lose that easily. She bites down on her lip, nearly drawing blood. The pain serves as a distraction, allowing her to think with a sober mind. She doesn't have time to lament her own weakness, as the whirlwind of alpha pheromones encroaches upon her. Now is the time for action.
Renako surveys her options. She is ready to give up and head home, having been given enough trauma for one day. Unfortunately for her, the way out the front is blocked by the pair of alphas. Her only other option is to go back up the stairs. For all she knows, she is about to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. Even still, she places one hand on that nearby step, pulling herself towards it.
Slowly, step by step, she struggles her way upwards, spurred on by the occasional yell of "Mutt!" or "Mongrel!" from behind. With each step she climbs, she could feel the fog over her head lifting, the air becoming lighter. She is aware of how pathetic she looks, a horny mess of an omega crawling on the floor. But she doesn't care. All that matters is that's she didn't breath in that tantalizing aroma now nipping at her heels.
Painstakingly, she makes it to the top of the first landing. Grasping the railing, she pulls herself to her feet. They were shaky under her weight, but she manages to stand. Placing her hands on her knees, she let out a big sigh. It's the first time since she slipped on the stairs that she feels like she has a chance of making it out unscathed. However, she didn't have the leeway to relax as the sounds of bickering are noticeably absent. Looking down the stairs, Renako's eyes met both of the alphas'. They had stopped arguing and were staring at her. The color drains from Renako's face.
Without stopping to see if they gave chase, she instinctively launches herself up the remaining steps and then down the hallway. Thankfully, her classroom is the first door she encountered. She throws it open, stepping inside, before closing it behind her.
Renako is greeted by the heads of every student turning to look at the new arrival. Renako's pale face boomeranged back to red, realizing that she reeks of fear and arousal. Not only that, she has an alpha's scent all over her. A discerning person could put two and two together and realize how bad this looks. Everyone else is well aware of it too, as her scent overpowers the room. Renako does her best to avoid meeting the eyes of anyone, quickly spotting a vacant desk in the back corner of the room. With her eyes firmly locked on her feet, she walks over and takes her seat.
Without missing a beat, the door is thrown open again. Mai and Satsuki enter the classroom, the scent of their previous bout following close behind. Renako goes stiff, her eyes wide with fear. They had really followed her all the way into the classroom and now they were going to finish her off. Mai spots Renako and shoots her another toothy smile. Even if it is intended to be friendly, Renako can't see those sharp canines as anything other than a threat. And then she began to approach Renako.
Renako slams her eyes shut, shaking her hands in front of herself. "W-w-wait!" she stammers, as her inevitable fate drew near.
"You dropped this"
Renako slowly opens one of her eyes. In Mai's outstretched arm is her bag. She had lost it earlier when she slipped down the stairs. During the chaos it had never occurred to her that she didn't have it with her.
Renako reaches out, taking the bag. "Oh… thank you."
The alpha lingers for a moment, before speaking. "My name is Mai. Oozaka Mai"
Renako's brain is frazzled from the sudden turn of events. Still sensitive to Mai's scent, she could feel it nipping at the edges of her rationality. She let her auto pilot takeover. "I'm Amaori Renako."
Mai smiles. "Pleased to meet you! You're pretty interesting, you know."
"Thanks?" Renako responds, unsure of if it's a compliment or not.
Pausing for a moment, Mai says. "Hey Renako, do you believe in fate?"
Renako doesn't know how to respond to the sudden question. Everything that had happened in her life, all the unfortunate events that culminated in the person she is today; She hadn't chosen any of it. It was something that was forced on her. If fate was real, then she could only think of it as a malevolent force. To believe in fate was the same as acknowledging that she truly is powerless.
But she would never say that to Mai. As much as her body might disagree, she wants nothing to do with the alpha. And so Renako simply shrugs, avoiding Mai's gaze.
Mai folds her arms, seemingly dissatisfied with the wish-washy answer. "Well, I do believe in fate. It's not every day a cute omega literally falls into your arms. And now I find out she's also in the same class as me. If that's not fate, then what is?"
A strangled noise escapes from Renako's mouth at the revelation.
Without missing a beat Mai places a hand on Renako's shoulder and leans in close. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you very well this year" she coos.
The heat in Renako's face ignites as the alpha's pheromones engulf her. She couldn't help but think about the hidden implication in those words. It makes her heart beat with equal parts fear and excitement.
Mai takes a step back, watching Renako squirm. Satisfied that she had made her point, she begins to walk away, only turning back to leave some parting words. "See you around, Renako!"
Renako watches that toothy smile as it left, before letting out huge sigh and dropping her head onto her desk. She so desperately wishes she could run away; to go home and dive into the safety of the blankets on her bed.
But the throbbing heat in her core serves as a constant reminder of the fate she couldn't escape.