24 | tripped

Taeyong arrived at the kindergarten early so he could help his friends to arrange. He did wear a red colored shirt to represent his team's color. He did tell the principal about his situation and there was a little misunderstandings but it went well, he guessed.

"Hey, you're working too hard. You'll get tired easily."

Taeyong looked beside him and saw Jungwoo, "I'm fine. No need to worry."

The beta helped him with the table the omega was arranging, "What happened yesterday?"

The omega looked back at him. He didn't want to let Jungwoo know by his expression so he just pulled out a small smile, "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yeah, nothing."

"I don't believe you."

"Then don't."

"Hyung!"

Taeyong chuckled then goes to grab some chairs, "What? What should I even say?"

The beta hummed then helped him with the chairs, "Anything. But I prefer whatever you and Jaehyun did."

"We did nothing, Jungwoo."

Taeyong placed the last chair then Jungwoo slammed his hand against the table which made the omega to startle.

"Hyung."

The omega sighed. Jungwoo just wouldn't stop just because he knew it isn't nothing to Taeyong when it's about Jaehyun. Taeyong walked with the beta behind him towards their usual lunch table. They sat beside each other and Jungwoo did wait for Taeyong to say anything. The beta looked at the omega that looked bummed.

"Hey, everything alright?" Jungwoo asked.

Taeyong bit his lower lip, "I'm...I'm just hesitating."

"What do you mean?"

The omega took a deep breath and his hand was rubbing his bitemark. He hesitantly looked at Jungwoo, his eyes holding so much worry and the beta knows it. It took Taeyong some time before he finally got the courage to say it to his friend.

"Is it normal to fall in love...?"

Jungwoo furrowed his eyebrows at his friend, weirded out by the question, "Well, yeah. What kind of question is that?"

"Is it normal if it's Jaehyun?"

The beta wasn't expecting anything like that. His eyes widened by surprise and he was taken aback. Taeyong looked away and whined, planting his face into his palms. He groaned into his hands and just wanted to let the ground swallow him to disappear.

Jungwoo softened, upset that Taeyong might be overthinking again. He stood up from his sit and went behind the omega. His hands gently and soothingly combed Taeyong's hair.

"Hey, calm down. Tell me what's wrong," Jungwoo said calmly as his hands starts braiding the mullet hair.

Taeyong sighed and lets his hands prop his head, "You guys are right, okay? I'm starting to have feelings for him. Jaehyun's just...He's ideal. Too perfect for me, I guess?"

"Hyung, you're overthinking again. Doesn't Donghyuck tells you about that?" the beta said, "You know what, a person will look 'too perfect' if one believes he is. Jaehyun's not too perfect, okay? He's just your cup of tea."

"I'm just anxious. What if he finds out? He finds out everything that I'm hiding? I haven't even told him about the bond thing. He'll hate me for it," Taeyong sulked.

Before Jungwoo could even say anything, he saw the only alpha they've been talking about. The beta tied up the omega's hair, letting some strands go. Jungwoo sighed and placed his hands on his friend's shoulders.

"Worry about that when it comes, okay? He's here," Jungwoo whispered.

Taeyong immediately turned around to look around and saw Jaehyun walking into the school while holding Blue's tiny hand with the both of them wearing red shirts. Families were also starting to pack up the grounds but his own family just stood out. The omega stood up from the chair and looked back at the beta

"Go on. I'll see you later," Jungwoo said, "The program's also about to start."

Taeyong nodded, "Thanks, Jungwoo."

The omega huffed before he took the courage to walk up towards them. Taeyong has his eyes at the alpha whose eyes were looking around, seemed to be looking for something or someone. His mind went to think about what he said to Jungwoo.

He did have feelings for Jaehyun. He thought about it all night, he couldn't even sleep because of it. His heart beating faster and his butterflies reacting were because of him. He never felt anything like this.

It's just Jaehyun.

But so much for having a good entrance. Taeyong just had to trip on something.

He didn't really meet the ground. Instead, he felt arms around his waist and him against a hard chest. The smell of musky woodlands lingered his nostrils and it smelled good. But he snapped out and looked up.

"Hey," Jaehyun greeted with a dimpled smile on his face.

Taeyong's eyes widened and immediately went to stand up on his feet. He fixed himself and cleared his throat. His cheeks heated up, making him a blushing mess about how embarrassing he looked.

"Are you alright?" the alpha asked.

The omega chuckled, "Yeah, I'm...just that clumsy."

"Papa!" Blue called and went over to hug Taeyong but Jaehyun stopped him.

"Wait a minute, papa might be in pain," the alpha said.

"No, I'm fine--"

Suddenly, Jaehyun went down and knelt in one knee. Taeyong watched him and saw the alpha tying his loose shoelace. The omega was a blushing mess because of embarrassment and how Jaehyun was doing a favor for him as well. Blue looked at his papa and giggled.

"Papa looks like a tomato," Blue remarked.

Taeyong looked at him with wide eyes and immediately covered his face with his hands. Jaehyun looked up and laughed at how cute the omega looked. Of course, he can't say that. After he tied the shoelace, he went back up with his eyes still on the blushing mess.

"Hey, there's nothing to be embarrassed about, Taeyong," Jaehyun said.

The omega furrowed his eyebrows at him, "E-Embarrassed? Me? I-I just feel hot."

The alpha chuckled, "Let's go and find a seat. It is about to begin anyway."

"Right. Let's go," Taeyong uttered with an awkward smile and walked ahead. Jaehyun and Blue followed behind.

But the omega stiffened when the alpha held his wrist. Taeyong turned to look back.

"You sure you're alright? Nothing hurts? I can excuse you from the games," Jaehyun said, worry evident in his voice and face.

Taeyong chuckled.

"Don't worry, I am. I'll tell you if it does, okay?"

Jaehyun genuinely got worried about the omega but he knew Taeyong's not that vulnerable.