DID Chapter 1 (Part 1)

One month ago.

It had been a slightly more miserable day than usual.

Right after waking up, Seongyul got a call from the caregiver that his younger sibling had suffered a seizure the night before. On his way to the hospital, he got completely drenched in a sudden downpour. Then, at work, a brick that someone dropped ahead of him landed on his foot, cracking the bone.

“Haah.”

A deep sigh spilled into the chilly air, briefly clouding in white before disappearing.

And yet, all of that combined was still easier to swallow than what the doctor had just told him.

“There’s been a change in your secondary trait. Have you experienced any dizziness or nausea recently?”

“…Sorry? What do you mean… I came in because I injured my foot.”

“You’ve presented as an Omega.”

“What?”

“…”

“Isn’t it impossible to present after becoming an adult?”

“That’s typically true in cases of abrupt trait shifts. But in your case, it appears to have been recessive until now…”

He had only gone to the hospital for his foot, yet somehow ended up with an Omega diagnosis.

“I’m definitely going to lose my job.”

Seongyul muttered, absentmindedly fiddling with the bottle of suppressants in his hand.

Workplaces with poor welfare policies didn’t hire Omegas.

The stated reason was that, for the same pay, it made more sense to hire Alphas or Betas—people with naturally superior physical capabilities.

They gave all sorts of excuses, but in the end, it always came down to one thing: prejudice against Omegas.

Sitting at the bus stop, Seongyul nudged a small pebble around with his uninjured foot and let out another heavy sigh.

“Haah.”

His warm breath spread into the cold air and vanished.

What now?

He felt completely lost.

Because of the legal requirement to report secondary traits, hiding it would only work for so long. It was just a matter of time before his workplace found out.

He’d been planning to take on more part-time jobs to cover urgent expenses, but now, instead of adding shifts, he was likely to lose the one job he already had.

As worries stacked up endlessly, something buzzed noisily in his pocket.

Bzzzz—

Bzzzz—

<Woo Junseong>

Snapping out of his daze, he fished out his phone. The name on the screen was immediately familiar.

His one and only friend who was closer than family.

He wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, but when he saw that name glowing on the screen, he answered.

[Where are you?]

Seongyul responded curtly to the familiar voice that dove straight into the point without so much as a greeting.

“What’s with the sudden call?”

[Hyung said he was nearby for something, but you weren’t there.]

Seongyul hurriedly pulled the phone from his cheek and checked the screen.

“Why? Oh. It’s the first day of the month.”

It was the day he was supposed to meet Sungwon. He’d been so distracted that he forgot to check the date.

[So? Where are you?]

He pressed a hand to his forehead as the nagging continued on the other end of the line.

“Hospital.”

[The hospital? It’s not the day you visit your younger brother.]

“I got a little hurt.”

He didn’t mention that he had presented as an Omega.

[You said you got hurt?]

“Yeah, just a little.”

[Where exactly?]

“Why are you being so nosy all of a sudden? That’s not like you.”

[C-Can’t I ask? It’s not like we’re strangers.]

It felt a bit strange, but he didn’t think much of it.

“It’s nothing serious. So don’t go telling hyung either.”

If he canceled today’s plans, it’d be another month before they could meet again. He figured he’d be fine by then.

[…Sorry.]

“For what?”

[You know hyung worries about you more than he does me—his actual brother, right? So I shouldn’t stir things up.]

There was a short, cryptic apology, followed by a rustling sound on the line.

And then, a familiar voice spoke gently through the receiver.

[Seongyul-ah.]

The moment he heard that soft voice, his heart skipped a beat. Only then did he realize why Junseong had been acting oddly—why he’d asked so much, why he’d apologized.

“…Hyung?”

[Sorry. I was listening in on the call. Where are you? I’ll come get you.]

In the background, Junseong’s voice rang out loudly in protest, insisting he was innocent.

“I’m at…”

Seongyul parted his lips.