“Have a seat.”
“Ah… I’m actually here for the educational session…”
The moment Haram saw the doctor, he realized he must’ve walked into the wrong room.
“Aren’t you Da Haram?”
When the doctor called him by name, Haram gave an awkward nod.
“Ah, not many people come in for the Designation Education, so there’s no separate session prepared. We’ll just go over it together in a consultation format.”
Designation Education was usually handled in schools, but in rare cases like Da Haram’s, where the Manifestation happened late, it was sometimes done at the hospital. Even then, it was more of a formality—repeating the same material students were required to learn during school. Still, since it had been relayed that Haram didn’t know much about being an Omega, the doctor had planned to give a thorough explanation today.
When the doctor smiled gently, Haram finally shuffled over and perched nervously on the edge of the sofa. He wasn’t just timid—he felt more like a cautious Beastfolk. The doctor had heard that Sky Squirrel Beastfolk tended to be shy, but hadn’t expected them to be this wary.
Trying to ease the tension, the doctor kept up a bright smile and began with small talk. But Haram didn’t let his guard down, only giving small, curt nods. He regretted his bold declaration that he’d come alone for the session. It had been at least bearable when he was with Chief Yoon, whom he was somewhat familiar with. Now, being in an unfamiliar space with a complete stranger, he could feel just how uncomfortable it was. It really drove home how much Tae-yi had been his anchor all this time.
Haram let out a deep sigh without realizing it, prompting the doctor—still talking on his own—to scratch the back of his head awkwardly and hand Haram a packet of educational materials about secondary gender traits.
“This’ll take about an hour. Feel free to ask questions anytime.”
Haram replied with a barely audible “okay.”
The doctor remained kind and considerate until the very end. Thanks to that, Haram had eventually been able to relax and focus.
“These are the suppressants I mentioned earlier. Hmm… your case is quite unusual, so there’s a chance your Heat Cycle might not come at all. But now that your designation has manifested as Omega, it’s more likely it will. You should consult more with Professor Yoon about this part.”
Haram bowed his head slightly in thanks as he accepted the small white pill bottle and the stack of educational material. He curled his flat tail into a loop and hugged it close to his chest before stepping out of the consultation room.
The moment he stepped out, a heavy sigh escaped his lips.
With his head bowed, Haram blinked slowly. In one hand, he held the suppressant for Heat Cycles, and in the other, he clutched his tail, densely covered in soft silvery-gray fur.
Nothing about this felt normal.
As another sigh slipped out from the weight in his chest, Haram suddenly twitched his nose.
Something familiar was in the air.
He quickly lifted his head and turned toward the scent.
“Da In-ho!”
As soon as he spotted the familiar silvery hair, Haram called out with a bright voice. All eyes turned toward him at the sound, and only then did he realize how loud he’d been. Flustered, his face flushed red.
“Are you here to see Professor Yoon?”
Da In-ho approached with a warm smile and returned the greeting.
“No, I just finished the education and was about to head out.”
“Want to grab a coffee? My treat.”
It was the perfect offer—Haram had a mountain of questions he wanted to ask. He glanced toward Chief Yoon, who was standing a distance away. The man gave him a small nod. Seemed like a yes.
Haram, now looking much more cheerful, hurried after Da In-ho as he led the way. Chief Yoon quietly followed from behind.
When they arrived at the hospital’s lobby café, Haram was overwhelmed by the stares of too many people—and instinctively shifted into his beast form.
After getting Chief Yoon’s permission and handing over his clothes, he settled into a seat at a quiet corner table. With Chief Yoon seated at the next table, some of the attention was deflected, and Haram felt a little more at ease.
“Chit, chirp.”
Guess even Sky Squirrel Beastfolk can manage to live in Seoul after all. He mumbled to himself, nibbling nonstop. He hadn’t expected the café to serve peanuts and mixed nuts. And not just peanuts—almonds, cashews, macadamias—all perfectly blended. He gazed in awe at the packaging of the nut mix, reading the label with fascination.
Da In-ho couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the sight.
“While everyone else gets cake for dessert, I just stick to those.”
Haram, savoring the taste of a macadamia for the first time, looked around the other tables in shock at In-ho’s words. And he was right—no one else was eating nuts. Just colorful cakes and sandwiches.
“Chit, chiiit.”
Haram shook his head and muttered. No comparison—mixed nuts completely outclassed cake. The more he thought about people choosing cake over this, the more baffled he became.
While munching on a macadamia alongside Haram, Da In-ho’s gaze drifted to the pill bottle placed beside him.
“That’s a good prescription you got. I mean—the quality, I meant. Sorry…”
Remembering Haram’s situation a beat too late, Da In-ho looked flustered and cautious.
Haram slowly chewed the macadamia in his mouth, then shook his head.
“Tch, tch.”
It’s okay.
Looking at the pill bottle, which was nearly as big as his body, Haram forced a smile. Da In-ho responded with a sheepish one of his own. A short silence passed. Then, as Haram reached into the bag for another peanut, Da In-ho watched him for a moment before speaking.
“Are you planning to stay in Seoul long-term?”
Haram nodded.
“So Seoul life’s not too bad, I guess. You look good. Especially your fur…”
Da Haram, who had been sobbing the first time they met, seemed to be doing better and better each time they saw each other. Actually, he looked great. In contrast to himself—whose fur had already dulled from night shifts and stress—Haram’s fur was radiant.
The silvery-gray fur that blanketed his back and the soft white fur covering his belly shimmered with a natural luster. That wasn’t something you could achieve just through grooming. He was genuinely tempted to ask what his secret was.
At the sincere tone in In-ho’s voice, Haram bashfully fiddled with his tail before replying:
“Chirp, chirp.”
“What? Who? Wait, don’t tell me—it’s that rich… guy?”
Startled by the sudden bombshell, Da In-ho was about to blurt out “Alpha” but quickly changed the wording when he caught Chief Yoon’s gaze from the next table.
“Tch, tch.”
Yeah, Tae-yi’s rich. His house is huge. And also…
Haram, itching to brag, immediately began rattling on about Tae-yi like he’d been waiting for the chance. As his chirpy chatter grew more animated, Da In-ho found it harder and harder to maintain a straight face, nodding blankly to keep up. Chief Yoon, unable to understand any of Haram’s sounds, sat with a deeply troubled expression, clearly unsure what kind of report he was even supposed to give.
Haram finally popped a peanut into his mouth and finished his endless string of compliments about Tae-yi.
“…That’s really good to hear.”
Da In-ho eventually replied with a forced smile. To be honest, he was more concerned than happy.
What weighed on him most was the fact that the man—Tae-yi—was an Alpha hiding his designation while staying by Haram’s side.
The two of them were in a relationship? Well, to Da In-ho, Haram just looked like a Sky Squirrel Beastfolk. But to an Alpha, he must’ve appeared solely as an Omega.
Still, despite his worries, Haram looked genuinely happy. They hadn’t known each other long, but this was the best he’d seen Haram look yet. More importantly, that Alpha didn’t seem like someone who’d hurt Haram—if anything, he seemed to be a source of support. Any more concern would just be meddling.
As the café music played in the background, Haram hummed along to the tune, then looked up at Da In-ho and asked:
“Chirp, chirp?”
“Counseling? Hmm… wouldn’t Professor Yoon be more helpful for that?”
At In-ho’s response, Haram scratched his head awkwardly and answered:
“…Chirp.”
“Ah, relationship advice… I’m not sure I’d be much help there either. Are you having issues with him?”
At the word “issues,” Chief Yoon, who had been eavesdropping closely, stared daggers at Da In-ho. Feeling the weight of that gaze, Da In-ho gulped dryly and did his best to ignore it, waiting for Haram to speak.
After a moment of hesitation, Haram made up his mind and opened his mouth.
“Chirp, chirp, chirp.”
I don’t know how much it’s okay to ask about someone’s personal life. Is it normal to ask about complicated family stuff, or should I wait until he tells me himself?
Da In-ho mulled it over and replied with a calm voice.
“It’s probably better to wait…”
If he was hiding his designation, there was no way he’d openly share about a messy family background. Unless his family issues were tied to that designation somehow… Either way, it was clear—he wouldn’t just spill everything because Haram asked.
“Chirp…”
Yeah… I figured…
Wanting to know everything about Tae-yi—was that too greedy? It seemed best to just wait and learn naturally, little by little. Turns out, love wasn’t so easy either.
