He felt refreshed.
Still lying down, Haram rubbed his eyes and let out a small yawn, then stretched with a groggy blink. What a terrifying dream that was—me becoming an Omega? Completely absurd.
“Are you awake?”
“Mmm…?”
Blinking rapidly, Haram struggled to bring the blurry world into focus as he tried to identify the voice.
“They said your test results are in.”
Test… results…?
Kang Tae-yi, who had been staring at Haram’s dazed expression, gently stroked his pale cheek, helping him shake off the last traces of sleep. But the clearer Haram’s eyes became, the more his brows began to furrow.
“It… wasn’t a dream…”
“Huh?”
Knowing full well how bad Da Haram’s sleep-talking could get, Kang Tae-yi replied casually to the mumble and helped him sit up slowly.
Sitting on the edge of the bed with a deep sigh, Haram stared blankly at Kang Tae-yi, who was now dressed in different clothes.
“Want to sleep a bit more?”
Tae-yi offered a lukewarm glass of water as he looked into Haram’s unfocused eyes. Still half out of it, Haram accepted the cup, feeling its warmth ground him. He downed the water in large gulps and then stepped off the bed.
“Let’s go.”
Tae-yi chuckled softly at the oddly solemn air Haram gave off, then nudged his dry back toward the bathroom.
“Wash your face first.”
“Ah…”
He’d gotten ahead of himself. Haram awkwardly bit his lip and made his way to the large sink in the corner of the spacious bathroom. He didn’t want to look at the mirror above the sink—after crying all day yesterday and just waking up, he was bound to look like a puffy mess.
After splashing his face vigorously, he opened his eyes cautiously, only to be met with a surprisingly normal-looking face.
Was it because… I’m an Omega…?
“No…!”
His voice echoed through the empty bathroom as he shot down his own ridiculous thoughts. Hearing the outburst, Tae-yi knocked gently on the bathroom door.
What wasn’t it? Who was he even talking to? Concerned, Tae-yi knocked again, but when the door cracked open, he found a fluffy-looking Haram standing there.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing. Let’s just go.”
Haram smoothed down his damp bangs and stepped out of the bathroom first. Tae-yi glanced inside to confirm there was no one else in the room, then followed behind Haram, whose tail drooped low.
“You’ll be hearing the results from a professor I know.”
“A professor?”
Just hearing the title made him trust the person immediately. It sounded reliable—like someone who’d give him the exact truth.
As they rode the elevator to meet the professor, Haram’s face lit up with growing anticipation. Tae-yi had to grit his teeth to suppress a smirk.
***
The moment they entered the room, Haram noticed potted plants placed throughout, and a middle-aged man carefully wiping an orchid with a handkerchief.
“Director Kang, it’s been ages since I saw your face.”
The man laughed heartily as he looked back and forth between Tae-yi and Haram. From the familiarity, it seemed they knew each other well. Tae-yi returned the smile and shook his hand.
Watching the two, Haram gave a shy, belated bow to the professor.
“Hello…”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Yoon Ji-hyuk. Why’s your tail out? It’s been forever since I’ve seen a Beastfolk in full form.”
Professor Yoon’s gaze lingered on the little ears and tail sticking out above Haram’s silver hair.
“Ah… I can’t retract them.”
The professor looked briefly taken aback, then gave an awkward nod and returned to his seat.
Tae-yi took Haram’s hand and guided him to the sofa near the desk. Once seated, the professor gathered his tablet and some papers before settling across from them.
Haram stared nervously at the tablet in the professor’s hands, his voice trembling.
“Um… the test results…?”
Gone was the jolly man from a moment ago. Now wearing a serious expression, Professor Yoon flipped through the documents, glancing between them and Haram.
“I heard this is the fifth hospital you’ve been to for testing. Is that right?”
“Yes, but… the result…”
Gulping, Haram stared holes into the professor’s lips, clenching his fists.
“You’re a Sky Squirrel Beastfolk…”
“Yes! Yes, I’m Beastfolk! I’m a Beta!”
He grabbed his silver-gray tail and waved it vigorously in the professor’s direction. Tae-yi, watching from the side, covered his mouth with one hand to hide his grin, leaning back against the sofa with closed eyes.
“Well… our hospital uses a different designation machine than the other four. It’s a new model imported from overseas.”
“Yes…!”
Haram nodded enthusiastically, practically bouncing in place. He had a good feeling. The result had to be different this time.
“It’s incredibly precise, hasn’t shown any errors so far.”
“Yes!!”
He had never felt more reassured. He should’ve come to this hospital from the start.
Seeing Haram so full of hope, the professor scratched his head, set down the tablet, and looked at him seriously.
“I double-checked the results several times at Director Kang’s request.”
“Thank you so much.”
Haram turned to Tae-yi, who was listening intently with his hand over his mouth just like yesterday, and thanked him too.
“So, Patient Da Haram…”
Haram gulped again, licking his lips as he focused on the professor’s mouth. As it slowly opened, his eyes widened. His heartbeat thumped louder in his ears.
After a long pause, Professor Yoon finally declared, in a firm voice—
“You are an Omega.”
“…?”
“Pfft.”
Tae-yi, unable to hold back any longer, shot to his feet with a snort and fled the room.
Clack! The door shut behind him. Left alone, Haram opened and closed his mouth like a fish, then let out a long, held breath—and vanished.
Startled, the professor looked down at the bundle of fur that had appeared from Haram’s discarded clothes.
“Squeak!”
I’m not an Omega!
Now fully animalized, Haram clawed at his own head with tiny paws and leapt onto the coffee table in front of the professor, squeaking frantically.
“Squeak! Squeak!”
This is impossible!
With Haram transformed and squeaking nonsensically, the role of calming the distressed Sky Squirrel fell to the bewildered Professor Yoon.
He paused for a moment, then sprang up and moved to the desk.
“Hey, you’ve got a Sky Squirrel Beastfolk on your team, right? Tell him to come to my office. Now.”
After hanging up, he approached Haram, who was curled up against the small potted plant in the center of the table, sniffling.
The professor pulled a handkerchief from his coat.
“I know this must be a shock, but since we’re the fifth hospital now… maybe it’s time to accept it. It’ll bring you peace of mind…”
“Squeak! Squeak!”
Haram shook his little head vigorously and buried his face in the handkerchief, beginning to sob.
Just then, there was a knock on the door and a young man in a doctor’s coat stepped in cautiously. Haram looked up, blinking through tears at the man’s dark silver hair.
“Huh? A Sky Squirrel…”
The man pointed at himself in surprise. Haram stared back wide-eyed. He could sense it—another of his kind.
“Dr. Da In-ho, sorry, but could you help translate here?”
“Uh? Ah… yes.”
Still trying to wrap his head around the situation, Da In-ho glanced down at Haram and prepared to interpret.
“Squeak, squeak.”
I want a retest.
Haram lowered the handkerchief and looked at the professor with calm resolve.
“…He says he wants a retest,” In-ho translated.
“Squeak, squeak.”
Because I’m Beastfolk.
“He says he’s a Beastfolk.”
The more he heard, the deeper the professor’s frown grew. Finally, he sighed and looked directly at Haram.
“It’s extremely rare, but in very rare cases, Beastfolk can also manifest as Omegas. Medically speaking, we can’t entirely rule out the possibility of secondary gender manifestation in Beastfolk.
“Squeak, squeak!”
I’ve never seen that happen!
“…He says he’s never seen that happen,” In-ho echoed, glancing at Haram with surprise at the idea that he could be an Omega.
The professor let out another heavy sigh.
“As I mentioned, it’s a very rare case. You’re actually the first recorded instance in this country.”
“Squeak! Squeak!”
At the word “first,” Haram shook his head violently and squeaked in protest.
“No way! No way!” In-ho translated, mimicking Haram’s distress.
Startled by the sudden shout, Haram leapt away from him. Professor Yoon, now exasperated by the theatrical voice, barked—
“Are you performing a play right now? Keep your voice down!”
“…Sorry.”
Haram, now perched at the edge of the desk, looked up at the professor scolding In-ho and added—
“Squeak… squeak…”
“…He’s begging you to let him retest.”
With those big, watery eyes pleading up at him, the professor couldn’t bring himself to say no. He sighed in sympathy and scratched his forehead in thought.
Just then, the door opened again and Kang Tae-yi reentered.
He glanced briefly at In-ho, whom he’d never seen before, then walked over to the now fully animalized Haram, offering him some water before taking a seat.
