Chapter Text
My name is Teetee. I’m 8 years old, and I’m the girl version of Nanno. Well… sort of. I’m Tee, the boy from nowhere. Unlike Nanno, I don’t have any special power to punish bad guys. I’m just me, regular 2Tee, shifting schools almost every year.
They say kids my age should have lots of friends, but I’m in 3rd grade now and I still don’t have any. Literally. I’m no one’s friend.
My alpha dad is an engineer. His work requires him to move around a lot. Me and my omega dad don’t really need to move, but my alpha dad doesn’t want us away from him. I partially blame myself for that. I’m always sick and always need help. I’m also not that smart. Nothing can save me.
You know what? Never mind. I think I shouldn’t compare myself to Nanno. She’s way better than me. I don’t want to insult her.
“Hey, weirdo!” a kid shouted. I turned around and saw three guys approaching me.
They were bigger than me, and their gang looked scary and ugly. No one is ever prettier than my papa Yim or more handsome than my dad, Tutor.
“You’re the new classmate from Chiang Mai, right?” he added, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
“Here in Bangkok we have a deal for new students like you,” he said while patting my head hard. It ruined my perfectly styled hair.
“Give me your wallet.”
“I don’t have money,” I said. It wasn’t a lie. My papa always cooks and my dad always drives me to school. What third grader has a wallet full of cash?
“If you don’t give us something, we’ll have to beat you. Do you know what I am? I’m an alpha. We are alphas,” the other ugly kid said. Their breath stank, and I didn’t think their parents had time to iron their shirts. But I had no choice, right? I needed to stay on everyone’s good side.
“I can give you my lunch,” I said.
Just smile, Tee. Maybe you’ll find a friend soon.
“Yeah, like that. Give me your lunch,” the third boy said with a grin.
“You’re actually a good boy,” the other guy said.“You’re an easy one, huh?”
Yeah. I think so. I'm an easy target. I always give in.
After two weeks, I started asking my dad to pack me two lunch bags so I wouldn’t go hungry after giving them one. Every school day they came, took my lunch box, and returned it with trash, stones, and sand inside. I had to clean it inside the school bathroom every day so my dad wouldn’t worry.
But as time went by, they noticed I was bringing two lunch bags and started taking both. I once thought of fighting back. But if I fought, I’d get in trouble and my dad would worry. I didn’t want my dad to be sad. It felt easier to just give them what they wanted. I could always ask for more lunch and more tumblers anyway.
A month later, we were still stuck in the same cycle.
“Hey, kid. Where’s our lunch?” the leader of the gang said as if he's entitled of everything I own.
I saw them so often that I started naming them. The one always in the middle was the leader, then Duckling 1 on the right, and Duckling 2 on the left.
“Here,” I said with a smile, handing them the lunch box.
“Where’s the other lunch box?” Duckling 1 asked.
“My dad only packed one today,” I said, still smiling. But deep inside, I was annoyed.
My omega dad was sick, so I didn’t ask for more lunch. That lunch box was made by my alpha dad. It contained food I didn’t want to eat either. I don’t think my alpha dad can cook anything edible except congee. That’s the only dish he knows how to make. So today, I asked him to buy me a chicken sandwich from the McDonald’s drive-thru instead.
He knew his cooking was bad and not edible, but he still packed a lunch to soothe my omega dad’s feelings. What a lovesick father.
“We’ll get back to you, weirdo,” the leader said.
After they left, I ate my chicken sandwich fast, afraid they might take it too. But my clumsy ass chose the wrong timing. I choked on the sandwich and couldn’t find my water. I tried to search for it in my bag while coughing, fighting for my life. Then I remembered I had put the water inside the lunchbox I gave to the bullies. Is this the end? Am I going to die here?
“Hey, are you okay?” An older student said. He came to my rescue. He first opened a bottle of water for me. His hands were so white and pretty, but I couldn’t think about that right now. I reached for the water and drank it with my remaining strength. Then I felt the stranger’s hand patting my back. His touch was so soft, and he smelled like flowers.
After recovering from choking, I turned around to see the stranger. There, I met the prettiest person ever. A wave of smooth flower scent hit me. Was that his pheromone?
“Hey, are you okay?” the stranger asked.
“Yeah. I’m fine, Phi… Thank you,” I replied.
“Good. Take care!” the pretty stranger said, then left immediately. I tried to run after him but…
“Ahh, Phi… W-wh…” Damn it. I couldn’t pronounce the words. I wanted to ask his name but nothing came out.
That day, I felt like my world turned 180 degrees. Everything went well after meeting that pretty stranger. He was like a fairy covered in fragrant flowers and fairy dust.
The bullies seemed to avoid me after that day. They didn’t take my lunch anymore. They wouldn’t even meet my eyes. It's good for I don't like those bullies. But I'm sad at the same time.
Without the bullies my life went back to nothing. Though the bullies were bad, they were the only ones who noticed me. Their constant nagging and orders gave me a purpose in life.
“What should I do now?” I asked myself. Every day was just school, then home, then repeat. My dad asked if I wanted to go to a workshop, the park, or anywhere, but I refused. I was too lazy and tired of watching kids my age play while I stood there wondering how to fit in.
By the end of class, as usual, I waited for my alpha dad at the exit. He was picking me up. I waited for at least thirty minutes. Throughout that time, not a single soul noticed me standing near the post. I just stood there counting every second.
*BEEP BEEP*
A loud beep brought me back to my senses. It was my dad honking at me. Pouting, I entered the car. I was about to open the front seat, but my omega dad rolled down the window and told me to sit in the back.
“I hate my parents for being so in love,” I said out loud. “Dad, how can you even drive while holding Papa’s leg? Huh?” I added, still pouting. But I had no choice, so I opened the back door.
When I opened the back seat door, I think my life flipped again. It was the pretty stranger! His flowery scent filled the car and his white skin was shining. It was like he had brought the sun inside the car.
“Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!” I shouted. “Why are you here?” I shouted louder.
“Hey, don’t shout,” my alpha dad reprimanded.
“That’s Por. He’s in sixth grade. Their family lives next door. His dad asked us to fetch him too,” my omega dad said. And I stood there, dumbfounded. My angel had arrived. He's here inside our car. My brain stopped. I think my soul went to La La Land and I couldn’t even think. I just stared at my angel and didn’t know what to say.
“Get in the car or I’ll drive without you,” my alpha dad said.
“Oho, Dad! You’re so mean to me!” I quickly climbed into the car and sat beside my angel. I mean P’Por. Now I knew his name.
Inside the car, I asked him everything without hesitation.
“How old are you, Phi?”
“Eleven,” he said while playing on his iPad. Oh my god, he’s talking to me now.
“What grade are you in?”
“Grade 6.”
“You saved me last time, right? That was you?”
“Yes.”
One answer per question. But my heart was happy.
“Can you be my friend?” I said, hopeful.
“No,” he replied.
That hurt. I shouldn’t have gotten so excited. I didn’t want him to think I was a weirdo like those ducklings at school. So, I stayed quiet after that. What if he really didn’t want to be friends? Besides, grade 6 was the last year of primary school. He would be moving to secondary school next year. He probably had lots of friends and wouldn’t want to be friends with me anymore. Never mind. I’d just look out the window and watch the same streets pass by for the nth time.
“Hey,” P’Por said. But I didn’t want to look. I didn’t want to get rejected again.
“Hey,” he said again, this time tapping my shoulder.
Then he stopped. I just wished for this ride to end faster. As we drove the final curve and entered our subdivision, P'Por suddenly broke the silence.
“I’ll be your friend,” he said in a low voice. Did I hear it right? What if I was just hallucinating?Oh no! My heart was beating so fast.
“If you don’t look at me by the count of three, I’ll never be your friend and I won’t talk to you ever again,” he said.
OMG! No need to count, my angel. I immediately turned around and met his eyes. Oh my god, he was beautiful. He was even prettier than my omega dad.
“Phi… Don’t take back what you said, okay? I really want to be your friend because you smell like flowers,” I said out of nowhere. I wasn’t supposed to say that, but it slipped out of my mouth.
P’Por looked shocked. I was shocked too. Then suddenly, my dad hit the brakes so hard I went flying forward.
“Ouch! Dad, why did you hit the brakes like that?” I forgot my parents even existed in the car. My bad.
“You said Por smelled like flowers?” my alpha dad asked.
“Yeah, he smells like flowers,” I replied. At that moment, I didn’t know why it was such a big deal.
I don’t know what happened between my parents right then, but the next morning after school they picked me up again. Like last time, I opened the back door and saw P’Por, my angel, sitting prettily while playing on his iPad. Then my dad drove straight to the clinic.
“Dad, what are we doing here?” I asked.
“You’re going to take the second gender test,” my omega dad said.
“W-what? Like, right now?” I asked. Then P’Por spoke up.
“Hey. Weren’t you paying attention in class? Alpha, Beta, Omega. That’s the second gender. You said I smelled like flowers, so you need to take the secondary gender test,” P’Por explained. He’s so smart.
“Phi… I can’t understand,” I said with a smile.
“Your secondary gender is emerging. The moment you smelled my pheromones means you’re somewhere between an alpha or omega,” P’Por explained further. But I still couldn’t understand.
“What are you, Phi?” I asked.
“I don’t know. This is the first time someone has smelled my pheromone. That’s why I’m taking the test with you,” he said.
“OMG! YOU’RE TAKING IT WITH ME!” I was so excited. I hugged P’Por right away without thinking.
“Yeah. Okay. Stop! Don’t be too excited,” he said, pushing me away. He was so cute even when he looked mean sometimes.
“What do you want to be?” I asked him.
“An alpha,” he said.
If he’s an alpha, I should be an omega, right? That’s how my dad got together with Papa.
“Then I’ll be an omega for you!” I said, smiling from ear to ear. I just wanted to be with P’Por.
“Tee, it’s not something you can choose,” P’Por said.
“Then can you stay with me even if we’re both alphas?” That question hit hard. Alphas can be friends forever, right? Although P’Por didn’t say much, but he nodded. For me, that was enough.
When the results came out, I didn’t know what to do. I thought not being an omega for P’Por was already bad. I never thought something worse could happen.
Everyone was inside the room: P’Por, my dads, and Por’s dad. It was my first time meeting his parents. I don’t leave my room much, let alone the house to see people.When the doctor arrived, everyone stood up.
“Here’s the result for Por. His pheromone is weak. We don’t know why Tee was able to smell it. For normal alphas or omegas, his pheromone is almost non-existent. As for Tee… I don’t know how to explain this because everyone in the lab is confused as well,” the doctor said.
“What do you mean, Doc?” my alpha dad asked.
“Better check the envelopes,” the doctor replied.
P’Por’s dads, Uncle Ju and Uncle Mark, opened the envelope first.
“Alpha,” Uncle Mark said. He looks so happy. I'm happy for P'Por too.
Then my dads opened my envelope. I was scared. But then I felt P’Por slide his hand into mine, intertwining our fingers. That calmed my heart a little.
“W-what do you mean. I'm confused, what do you mean ‘undefined’? You can’t see anything?” Papa Yim asked.
“Tee is a one-in-a-million case. He didn’t show any signs of being a beta because he can smell pheromones. He never showed any signs of being an omega either because he wasn’t developing any omega traits. But what surprised us is that he has a scent gland similar to alphas, yet he cannot produce any pheromones. You said Por is the first pheromone Tee ever smelled. Usually betas can’t smell anything, while alphas and omegas can smell every pheromone around them. But with Tee, he can only smell Por’s—and as we said, Por’s pheromone is very faint. Normal alphas and omegas can’t smell him. Only Tee can. It’s like Tee’s senses don’t work with normal pheromones. He can only smell Por’s weak ones. None of this is normal. Por shows signs of being an alpha despite his pheromone smelling like flowers, which is uncommon for an alpha, while Tee shows nothing. Not even signs of being a beta,” the doctor explained.
“Like you, we’re shocked as well. We don’t know what’s happening. That’s why I called all of you here—to ask for your consent to study Tee’s condition together with Por,” the doctor added.
“Wait, you mean like studying his case? With my son? You're talking to my son like he's an experiment” Uncle Ju said. His tone wasn’t friendly.
“Wait. Hold on… Are you saying my son is not normal?” my alpha dad butted in, finally regaining his senses.
“It won’t affect their lives. We just want them to grow up staying together. Only then can we see how Por affects Tee’s development and vice versa. It could help us unlock answers to this rare case,” the doctor said.
“We can’t let Por get involved with this. He’s already classified as an alpha. His pheromone is just weak. If you want to study Tee, go ahead. We don’t want to be involved,” Uncle Mark said.
“Um… P’Junior, can you consider it a bit? Our family will make sure Por is taken care of,” my alpha dad said.
“Do you know how much commitment this would be for my child?” Uncle Mark rebutted.
“I know, but please just help us,” my alpha dad pleaded. While my omega dad just cry silent tears. I hated that.
The adults kept arguing while I looked at them one by one. Then I turned my eyes to P’Por. He was looking directly at me with pity in his eyes.
“I’ll do it!” P’Por said, breaking the chaos. Everyone turned to look at him—including me.
“I’ll protect Tee. Dad! If it was me, would you beg Tee’s parents as well? Besides, my pheromone is not normal. It's better to find out what's happening now or regret it later” P’Por said. He really was my angel. So righteous and kind, but the look in his eyes told me he was just pitying me. Yet my heart felt so warm. His shining eyes looked at our parents, so captivating that they all agreed with him.
I got it. My wish of finding someone to be with me for the rest of my life. I would live this life with P’Por. But not in a way I was comfortable with. I felt like I was forcing him to stay with me and be my friend. But never mind. I’d be selfish and take this opportunity. After that day, I promised to give P’Por only the best.
For my safety, the doctors and my parents decided to make me appear as a beta. I grew up by P’Por’s side. Going to the doctor every six months to report our progress became our routine. Although P’Por moved to secondary school, he still found time to check on me. He didn’t have to, but he still did.
Years passed. Now I’m seventeen, in my last year of high school. Next year I’ll join P’Por in college. Although we grew up together, I don’t know what P’Por is like inside school, so I really want to see his college life and enter the same university as him. I swear I’m working hard. I promised myself to take good care of P’Por. Every second of my life and every part of me revolves around him.
To be continued…