"We Finally Met"
The soft hum of the city felt gentler inside the little bookstore tucked between a florist and a coffee shop on the quieter side of Seoul. The bell above the door jingled faintly as Kim Taehyung stepped inside, the warmth of the room washing over him like a breath of calm.
He wasn't quite sure why he came here today. Work had ended hours ago, and most Alphas of his status would be at the private lounges or networking events. But something about this tiny corner of the city called to him more than polished business chatter or the usual expectations tied to his name.
He moved past the front desk with a polite nod to the clerk, who looked up briefly, eyes widening in faint recognition. Taehyung was used to that. Being an Alpha from the prominent Kim lineage came with its own kind of visibility, though he rarely engaged with it
His footsteps were silent on the polished wood floor as he made his way toward the shelves in the back—literature, poetry, philosophy. Words had always been a softer language for him. They didn’t demand dominance or loyalty. They simply asked to be understood.
He ran his fingers along the spines of books without choosing one. The scent of old pages and faint cinnamon from the nearby café created a comforting haze.
Then, without warning, something shifted.
It wasn’t strong—not yet—but it was there. Subtle. Unintentional. Not perfume. Something natural. Alive. Vanilla, warm and delicate, but beneath it… something deeper. Cedarwood and wild rain. It wasn’t just pleasant—it was grounding. Familiar, though he was sure he’d never smelled it before.
His heart beat once. Hard.
He didn’t move right away. Instead, he closed his eyes and inhaled quietly, letting instinct and curiosity tangle for a breath too long.There were other people in the store. He could sense two Betas near the front. One Alpha browsing cookbooks. But none of them carried that scent.
He turned slowly, eyes scanning the narrow aisles, calm on the surface though his inner world shifted with quiet alertness. And there—down the second aisle on the right. A figure with dark brown hair tucked under a beanie, standing silently with a book open in their hands. Slim shoulders, loose clothes that looked like they’d been worn for comfort, not attention. The Omega wasn’t facing him, but Taehyung could see the tension in their posture—how still they were, how purposeful the quiet.
It was… rare. For someone to hide their scent so poorly in public. Most Omegas were careful—either trained to suppress it or drenched in blockers. This one wasn’t. Or maybe they didn’t care. Taehyung didn’t step closer. He didn’t call out. He just watched. Then the Omega shifted slightly, turning toward the next page. Taehyung caught a glimpse of their face—only half, but it was enough...It was rare.
A sharp jaw softened by full lips. Wide, dark eyes beneath long lashes. Skin pale in the soft bookstore light. He was young. Maybe early twenties. Maybe less. Beautiful—but not in a loud way. More like a fading echo that lingered long after the sound was gone.
And still, Taehyung didn’t move. Didn’t speak. He didn’t want to startle him. He wasn’t even sure why he felt so still, so aware. Until the Omega turned slightly—eyes lifting as if sensing something—and looked directly at him.
Their eyes met. Taehyung’s breath caught. It wasn’t the usual flinch or blush he received when Omegas looked at him. It wasn’t fear either. It was… wariness. Sharp. Calculated. The Omega’s gaze was a quiet shield, like he had already decided not to trust him, like he’d been hurt before. Taehyung blinked—just once. But in the space of that second, the Omega had turned away. He closed the book, slid it back into place, and walked toward the back of the store.
Not rushed. Not frantic. But gone. By the time Taehyung found his feet and followed, he was already too late. The door at the rear had clicked shut, the cold air beyond it swallowing all trace of that quiet presence. No scent. No trail. Just the memory of warm vanilla and rain, and a face that already haunted his mind. He stood alone for a long time, hand resting lightly against the door that had closed behind the stranger. Not a word had been exchanged. But something had started. He didn’t know his name.
Didn’t know where he’d gone. But he knew one thing for certain. That wasn’t just any Omega. And this wasn’t going to be the end.
Rue^
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