Title: Realizing
TWs: stress
————
October 16th, 2023_
1:02 PM
Seungmin stared at the doctor, his mind blank. The words echoed in his ears, but they didn't feel real.
"You're an omega."
No. That wasn't right. He was a beta. The test he took a month ago confirmed he was a beta. This didn't make sense.
Felix and Jisung were silent beside him, just as shocked.
The doctor continued, his voice calm but firm. "Errors in subgender tests are rare, but they do happen, especially in cases where the secondary gender develops later than usual. Your body didn't show omega characteristics during your first test, but your recent symptoms suggest that your dynamic was simply delayed in surfacing. Your heat cycle triggered the shift, which is why your previous classification was incorrect."
Seungmin felt like his world had tilted on its axis. His heart pounded as his fingers curled against the exam table. He forced himself to take a breath.
"S-so... I'm actually an o-omega," he said slowly, though his voice was quieter than usual.
The doctor nodded. "Yes. Your body is now fully presenting as an omega. We can prescribe suppressants to help manage your heat cycles if you choose, or you can let them run naturally. We'll also need to do follow-ups to monitor how your system adjusts, but other than that, you're completely healthy."
Seungmin swallowed hard, his head spinning. His hands were starting to tremble.
Felix, sensing the growing panic, reached out and squeezed the puppy boy's shoulder. "Hey, breathe," he murmured.
Seungmin exhaled shakily, trying to collect himself. His body still felt hot from anxiety, his thoughts racing too fast to focus.
The doctor gave him a moment before speaking again. "I understand this is a lot to take in. Do you have any questions?"
Seungmin hesitated, glancing at the blonde and at the brunette before shaking his head. "Not right now."
The doctor nodded. "If anything comes up, don't hesitate to reach out." He stood, setting his tablet aside. "I'll have the nurse bring in the necessary information about suppressants and care management. Take your time to process this."
With that, he stepped out of the room, leaving Seungmin in stunned silence.
For a few moments, none of them spoke.
Jisung was the first to break the silence. "So... are you okay?"
Seungmin inhaled deeply, staring down at his hands. "I-I don't know," he admitted. His voice was steady, but inside, he was anything but that. "It's just... a-a lot."
Felix nodded in understanding. "It is a lot."
The omegas pressed his lips together, then looked up at them. "...D-don't tell anyone yet."
Jisung blinked. "Huh?"
"I just... I-I need time to process this f-first." His fingers curled against his jeans. "I-I don't want them to l-look at me differently just because of t-this."
The two betas exchanged a look before nodding.
"Alright," Felix said. "It's your decision."
Jisung leaned back in his chair. "But, uh, you do realize Minho-hyung's gonna lose his entire mind when he finds out, right?"
Seungmin groaned, dropping his head into his hands.
The blonde just laughed.
The nurse walked in a few minutes later, holding a small tray filled with different pill bottles and packets.
"Alright, Mr. Kim," she said with a professional but kind smile, setting everything down on the table. "Since you've officially presented as an omega, we need to go over your new medication routine. Omegas have a few more things to keep track of than betas, but don't worry—I'll explain everything clearly."
Felix and Jisung, sitting nearby, watched in stunned silence as the nurse pulled out bottle after bottle of different medications.
Seungmin, already overwhelmed, just stared. "...T-that's a l-lot."
The nurse chuckled. "It might seem like it at first, but you'll get used to it. Let's go through them one by one."
She picked up the first bottle. "These are your heat suppressants. If you choose to take them, they'll help delay your cycles. Since you've already had your first heat, you'll need to take these regularly if you don't want another one soon."
She moved to the next one. "These are pheromone stabilizers. Since your scent just fully developed, your body might be a little unbalanced at first. This will help regulate it so you don't accidentally overwhelm people around you."
Felix and Jisung exchanged wide-eyed looks.
The nurse continued, unfazed. "Next, these are nutritional supplements. Omegas tend to have different metabolic needs compared to betas and alphas, so these help keep your system healthy—especially since heats can be physically draining."
She placed another packet on the table. "And these are emergency heat patches. If you ever get caught off guard by a heat and don't have your suppressants, this can help reduce the symptoms until you can get somewhere safe."
Jisung let out a low whistle. "Damn. Betas really have it easy, huh?"
Felix, still staring at the pile, muttered, "I knew omegas had more meds, but this is actually insane."
Seungmin, feeling overwhelmed again, exhaled sharply. "D-do I really have to take a-all of these?"
The nurse smiled sympathetically. "Not all of them are mandatory, but they're recommended to help manage your health properly. Some omegas choose to go without suppressants and just let their heats happen naturally. It's all up to your preference."
Seungmin ran a hand through his hair. This was too much. Just yesterday, he was still convinced he was a beta. Now, he had an entire pharmacy of omega-related medications in front of him.
Felix leaned over, nudging him lightly. "Hey, don't stress too much. You don't have to figure everything out today. Just take it one step at a time."
He sighed, nodding. "Yeah... one step at a time."
Jisung grinned. "And hey, if you ever forget which pill does what, we'll make a color-coded chart for you."
Seungmin shot him a look. "I-I hate that you would actually d-do that."
The blonde just laughed as the nurse handed him a small booklet with instructions. "Let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, you're free to go."
Seungmin took the booklet, his mind still spinning.
As they stepped out of the hospital, the cool afternoon air hit Seungmin's face. He adjusted the bag in his hands, filled with all his new medications, and let out a deep sigh.
Jisung glanced at him. "Feeling okay?"
Seungmin hummed, staring ahead as they walked. "Just... p-perocessing."
Felix stretched his arms over his head. "Take your time, dude. This is a lot."
The three of them made their way toward the bus stop, blending in with the rest of the city crowd. The ride back to their dorm was quiet, Seungmin resting his head against the window while Jisung and Felix exchanged occasional glances, clearly still wrapping their heads around everything.
When they arrived, Jisung unlocked the door, stepping inside first. "Home sweet home."
Seungmin followed, dropping the bag of medications onto the kitchen counter with a thud. He stared at it for a second before rubbing his temples. "T-this doesn't even feel real."
Felix sat on the couch, stretching out with a groan. "If it makes you feel any better, we're still processing too. I mean... we knew something was weird with your test results, but actually seeing you go through a heat was insane."
Jisung flopped onto the couch beside him. "Yeah, like—how does that even happen? The test is supposed to be 99.9% accurate, right?"
Seungmin sat down across from them, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "I-I don't know... b-but I guess I'm the 0.1%."
The quokka boy whistled. "Damn. You always had to be special, huh?"
Seungmin shot him a glare, but there was no real heat behind it.
Felix chuckled. "Well, at least now you know. And hey, now you can start figuring out what this means for you."
Seungmin exhaled, rubbing his hands together. "Y-yeah... I guess that's t-the next step."
Jisung smirked. "Also, not to be that guy, but... when are you telling Minho-hyung?"
Seungmin groaned, flopping back against the couch. "N-not now."
Felix laughed. "Fair. One step at a time, right?"
Seungmin nodded. "E-exactly."
For now, he just needed to breathe.
——
Felix headed to the kitchen, humming quietly to himself as he opened the cupboard and grabbed a couple packs of ramen. "Spicy or mild?" he called out.
"M-mild," Seungmin's voice echoed from his room. "My stomach's s-still weird."
"Got it."
Jisung, already sprawled out on the living room floor with a blanket over his legs, flicked through the anime playlist on the TV. "Do not start without me," he yelled, eyes narrowing as he hovered over the next episode of their current binge.
"No promises!" Felix grinned, tearing the ramen packets open and setting the water to boil. "And don't pick some filler episode either."
"Relax," Jisung scoffed, lI know where we left off. It was right after that big fight scene with the guy with the weird hair."
"That... could be every anime," Felix replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Not this one," Jisung smirked.
A moment later, Seungmin emerged from his room, wearing a soft oversized hoodie and sweatpants, hair damp and freshly brushed. His skin looked less flushed than it had been the past few days, and although he moved a little slower than usual, there was color back in his cheeks.
He walked over to the couch and nudged Jisung's legs aside to sit. "Y-you're in my spot."
"You weren't here," Jisung grumbled, shifting over but not without dramatic flair.
Felix glanced over his shoulder and smiled when he saw Seungmin settled on the couch. "You look better."
"I f-feel better," Seungmin admitted, pulling the blanket over his lap.
"I added an egg and some veggies," Felix said as he plated the ramen into bowls. "Omega-friendly comfort food coming up."
Jisung raised a brow. "Omega-friendly?"
Felix winked. "I read a whole thread this morning. I'm basically a certified nutritionist now."
Seungmin snorted. "T-thanks, mom."
Felix placed a bowl in front of each of them and flopped onto the floor with his own. "Eat up. Then anime."
As the three were mid-way through their ramen and an intense anime scene, Jisung's phone buzzed. He lazily reached for it, not bothering to pause the episode, but the moment he opened Instagram, he froze.
"...Oh my god."
Seungmin glanced over at him. "W-what? Did someone die?"
Felix leaned in, chopsticks still in his mouth. "Spill."
Jisung didn't say anything at first, just turned his screen around to show them the post.
——
@hwang.hyunjin posted:
❤️ 💬 ➣
Liked by han.jisung
hwang.hyunjin quiet.
5 seconds ago...
——
The omega blinked. "H-he looks like a vampire."
Felix choked on his noodles. "A sexy vampire."
"I KNOW RIGHT?!" Jisung wailed, throwing himself back into the couch dramatically. "Why does he look like that?! It's illegal. It should be illegal."
Felix laughed, pulling out his phone to double-tap the post. "Are you gonna comment something thirst-trappy?"
"No!" the brunette beta said, then paused. "Okay, maybe just an emoji. One. Two tops."
The blonde smirked. "You're down so bad it's embarrassing."
"Let me live!" Jisung cried. "Have you seen him?! Look at those arms! And that expression?? That's not even fair!"
"Y-you should just confess," the puppy boy muttered under his breath.
"I will if you will," Jisung shot back without thinking—then instantly froze. He looked up slowly. "Wait... you like someone?"
Seungmin blinked. "Did I say that out loud?"
The blonde beta snorted into his ramen. He muttered quietly, "No shit, Sherlock."
Jisung narrowed his eyes. "You better spill. Right now."
————