Chapter 70 - Wake Up Call 1

'Hey, Jun.' Wonho leans against the rail where his friend is on, looking around the beach. Unwrapping one of the ice creams he just bought, he offers one to the tanned man who quickly bites it and brings it to his own hand. ''Sup.'

'You're so burnt.'

'Still handsome though.' Wonho laughs through his nose at that confidence. Typical Junjie. 'So… about this Thursday…'

'Uh-uh.'

'I-uh… Haneul's uhm…' He is at loss at how to start the conversation. He is supposed to go back home to his parents with Junjie in three days, but he cannot do that anymore. Not right now. Because everyone will notice his unbroken bond and it will break their hearts; again. He doesn't want that to happen again. 

'Haneul said anything?' Junjie asks, encouraging him to continue. His droopy eyes staring right into his own, making him nervous. Wonho smiles weakly to show he is listening but returns to stare at the melting ice cream in his hand. 

Since the night he was notified about his bond, Wonho couldn't even get himself out of the bed. He didn't know how to get himself out of the situation alone, but he didn't want to let the people around him know because he would let them down the second time. It was stressing him so badly he had random attacks as a result.

For the last two days, Haneul told the others he caught a cold when in truth, Wonho was busy crying. It was clear he needed help but suddenly disappearing would alert the two betas, and the mere thought of that worsened his conditions. Feeling pity for the younger, Haneul offered a short-term solution until they can figure out how to move forward. 

And that plan, is what he is going to convey to his best friend. 'He told me about this uh, this vol-volunteer program at uh, a shelter. For people like me. And I want to join.'

'Owh. Okay, when's that? In Changwon?' Junjie seems interested, even proud of his friend for taking such initiative.

'No. It's in Seoul. For the summer.' He pauses, waiting for an answer. Junjie is looking ahead towards the horizon, his face unreadable which makes Wonho nervous. 'The whole summer, so I won't be back this time…'

There is a disturbing silent as Junjie sits, biting his ice cream cone and chewing it slowly. He is thinking hard, 'Do they need more people? I can volunteer too…'

'No… it's for omegas only.' Which is a lie. Yes, he is volunteering at an omega house and the only ones not allowed are alphas but, he doesn't want Junjie there. He knows his friend wants to show his support but he needs his time alone to calm down and think. 

'Really? Alright then…' Junjie wraps one of his hand around Wonho's neck and pulls him in for a headlock. Shocked, Wonho almost dropped his own ice cream on the ground. Thankfully his reflex is good, and he catches the cone by his fist, crushing it in his hands.

'WHAT THE HELL?'

'That's for getting sick during the break, you pale monkey! You don't deserve that ice cream!'

'DIE!!!' Wonho throws what is left in his grip towards the darker male and jumps on the rail to the other side, ready to tackle and beat the man to his death.

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Looking around the gated and fully secured building, Wonho bows at who seems to be the head of the facility. The man with grey hair, probably in his late sixties bows back to them and proceeds to hug the older omega, a look of familiarity evident on his face. Haneul responds with a tighter hug which causes the elder to cough a little as they both release each other with laughter. Wonho shows the old man an awkward smile when he is finally acknowledged, unsure of how to react. 

'You must be Seo.'

'Yes. Seo Wonho. I uh…' He didn't prepare any self-introduction; he thought they are going straight to doing volunteer jobs.

'Your first time volunteering?' he nods. 'Thank you. So wha-?'

'It's uh… big.' Wonho mutters randomly, nervous. In turn, the old man looks at him bemusedly before laughing and patting the confused omega's back to which Wonho responds by looking at his brown-haired senior for help. How does one communicate with an elder? Should he laugh? He is so lost right now. Did he say anything wrong? Why is the man laughing? 

'Ahjusshi, he's a bit tired. He didn't get any sleep last night.'

'Really? We can't have you stand up so long then. Come, let's have some rest in my office.' With that, the man guides both of them to a simple office with a desk and a few chairs. Haneul takes a seat without being asked, leaving Wonho standing, not knowing whether he should ask for permission to sit or follows his senior. In a formal occasion, he would do the latter, so he waits. Until the two other men laugh at him. 

'Yah, don't be so stiff. I'm not that strict on manners.'

'Wono-yah. Come on.' Haneul pats beside him and Wonho does as he was told. A teacup is placed in front of each of them, but the younger is internally disappointed it isn't coffee. As it turns out, the old man cannot drink the bitter beverage because it makes him stomach 'twisty'. Wonho doesn't like tea, and he is really tired from lack of sleep.

He wants coffee.

He really cannot concentrate on anything the man is saying. All he hears is something about helping with the cleaning and cooking, both of which Wonho is not very good at, and sometimes look after the smaller ones, which Wonho sucks at. 

'Are all omega houses this big?' He accidentally asks out loud while the other two are updating each other about their lives. Wonho never been to one, so he is a bit curious. From the word 'house', he imagined one to be just that, a house, but this place is as big as a school!

'This place is also a shelter so it's bigger than other houses.' The man replies with a warm smile, not bothered by his accidental rudeness, 'We have our own therapists and consultants, and dorms for the victims and volunteers. Normal houses only have a few rooms for emergencies. You want to go around?'

Honestly he is not sure he is ready. Because there are people like him here.

And he is not sure he is ready to accept the fact that he is one of them.