Chapter Text
In this world, 75% of the population falls into the category known as beta. What does that mean? These are ordinary people, men and women exactly as we know them. And the other 25%?
This portion of society is divided into the categories known as alpha and omega. These people are capable of emitting, producing and sensing each other’s pheromones; in addition, alphas, both men and women, are capable of impregnating any omega — whether male or female as well. To increase the chances of reproduction in these categories, these people go through heat cycles: for the alphas, known as rut, which lasts two days, and for the omegas, known basically as heat, which lasts a week. The rut happens every six months, while the heat is monthly. An omega that doesn't emit pheromones or have a regular heat cycle is considered an anomaly.
And this is exactly the case with Umino Iruka.
At the age of 16, he received the unexpected diagnosis of omega as his second gender. These categories — alpha, omega and beta — can also be called that. His parents, an ordinary beta-gendered couple, had never been able to sense any pheromones, so they didn’t think there was anything wrong with their son. Even though, in families of betas, the most common thing was for children to have the same “subgender” as their parents. However, the doctor, a kind omega, informed them that, despite the result, Iruka had no pheromones.
Not even a single trace of pheromones.
Because of this, he never went into heat either. The doctor had never ruled out the possibility of Iruka being able to get pregnant, but he had also stressed that the chances were low, given that even though he was omega, he didn’t have any of the traits belonging to the category in question. Faced with his parents’ concern, the doctor assured them that it wasn't difficult to resolve the issue: Iruka could simply live as if he were a beta, just as the rest of his family originally was.
Since then, that’s how he’s been getting on with his life. He graduated normally from high school and automatically entered higher education with a degree in Biology. He also graduated with merit and, for some years now, he has been working at a private elementary school in Tokyo, Japan, his hometown. His parents were immigrants from Brazil, but Iruka was born and raised in Japan. As he had managed to establish himself well in the country, his parents decided to return to their homeland — and now they lived in a house in the countryside of the state of São Paulo. Iruka visits them once a year, even with the high ticket prices. Anyway, he was now a 26-year-old young adult with what you might call a chaotic love life.
Being a defective omega, Iruka had explored all kinds of people since coming of age. He’d dated alphas, omegas and betas, but had never managed to hit it off with anyone. He had never blamed the second genders. He knew the problem was with himself — and his personal issues. He couldn’t help feeling frustrated a lot of the time that he had been born this way. How could he, of all people in the world, be born an omega without being able to perform the basic functions of an omega? It didn't make any sense. It even seemed like a bad joke from the universe.
“It would be easier if I had simply been born as a beta instead of having to act like one,” he often thought. In this very moment, in the teachers’ room of the school where he worked and completely alone for now, the thought entered his head. The night before, he had met a delicate-complexioned and extremely handsome omega. The conversation between the two of them had flowed well, and after they’d exchanged a few kisses, the bastard had to make the following comment:
— You're so handsome, it's almost a crime you're not an omega like me.
Iruka dismissed him, of course. That shouldn't be considered a compliment. Not in a million years. What was that guy thinking?!
— Tsk. — He let it slip as his thoughts took him far away. He was so far away that he didn't even notice when someone else entered the room. That person was a long-time friend of Iruka’s, an omega with vivid scarlet eyes and long black hair called Yuhi Kurenai. She was married for some years and tied to an alpha, Sarutobi Asuma. She was a teacher, like Iruka, and her husband was a fireman. They were a perfect match, to be honest.
— Iruka? —She called his name once, realizing that he was completely absorbed in no particular point of the place. There was a giant pile of students’ exams in front of him on the table. — Iruka? Iruka-sensei... —Kurenai hummed, still without an answer. Not satisfied, she suddenly approached him, passing one of her arms in a sudden movement across his slender shoulders — You're thinking about your date last night, hm? How was it, huh?
Iruka's shock was comical. He jumped up, even though he was sitting down, and cast a deadly glance at Kurenai.
— It was a real disaster. — He lamented, sighing and closing his eyes. Kurenai sat down next to him, a genuinely worried expression taking over her beautiful face.
— Again...? — Iruka opened his eyes and stared at her, not happy. — I'm sorry. But last week was a disaster too, you know. You said it yourself...
— I know, I know. And I also know what you're going to say: that I'm the problem! But the thing is, Kurenai, I just haven't found the right person yet! He or she has to be out there. — He said with conviction, which drew a giggle from her.
— It's true. Know that Asuma and I are rooting for you. -—She paused. — Oh, are you going to be able to have dinner at the house on Friday? I need to know, because some of Asuma’s friends have already confirmed...
— I'm going. You can confirm it. — He smiled gently. — But, you know, Kurenai, back to that subject... Maybe the problem is me, indeed. In fact, I'm a defect just by existing. — She was one of the only people who knew that disastrous fact about his personal life. Kurenai's gaze hardened on him and she clasped his forearm over the table.
— Don't ever say that again. It's not your second gender that defines you, Iruka. Much less whether you're worthy of love or not. You deserve it because you're amazing. Not because you're an omega or an alpha. — Iruka nodded, but a small part of him knew that it was easy for her to say that because the fault didn't lie with her. However, he didn’t want to sound cruel to his best friend.
— Thank you. — So he thanked her, squeezing her hand over his forearm. They exchanged confiding smiles, remaining seated. — I've got a lot of exams to grade... — Iruka stretched and stood up, walking over to the bench in the corner of the room that held the most precious thing in a teacher’s office: the bottle of coffee. - Would you like some coffee?
- Do I really need to say my answer? — Rule number one about teaching: never refuse a cup of coffee. Iruka poured two plastic cups and, as he turned his ankles to go back to the table, he did it badly. Which means he almost tripped. Typical of him...
The result was the worst: he spilled coffee on his newest white sweater.
He was overcome by a sudden urge to cry. Kurenai, alarmed by the situation but also wanting to laugh, immediately got up to help her friend in trouble. But she couldn’t do anything, because at that moment, Headmaster Hiruzen - and coincidentally Kurenai's father-in-law - entered the room. The old man appraised Iruka from head to toe and scratched his throat.
— Uh, Iruka-sensei... — He began, somewhat seriously. — There's a father in my office who wants to talk to you. Alone.
Oh, good. That's exactly what he needed most.
— A father...? — Iruka muttered, and, remembering the situation he was in, he threw away the empty coffee cup and handed the other one to Kurenai, who was still chuckling.
— Yeah. — Hiruzen scratched his throat. — He didn't explain why, but he's Sakura's father. Hatake Sakura.
Iruka arched his eyebrows slightly. Sakura was one of his best students in 9th grade at the moment, and she was also an extremely intelligent girl. Although it didn’t seem obvious, the teacher could imagine why her father had come to the school. Precisely because of this, he also imagined that the conversation might not be exactly pleasant, precisely because Iruka had dared to talk about a personal matter with the girl a few days ago.
Relationships. Love relationships.
Considering the principal’s tense posture, the omega had already imagined how irritated that father must be. He let out another long sigh.
— I’ll fix everything, sir. — He bowed to the man and hurried out of the room. Hiruzen squinted at Kurenai, an impassive expression on his face.
— I don't think there's anything to be corrected... — The principal muttered.
Kurenai listened, but she didn't understand anything, even though she also knew Sakura. Just as she knew her father... But the omega didn’t even have time to explain anything to Iruka, while he was walking determinedly to the principal’s office, where Hatake Kakashi was waiting for the famous Iruka-sensei.