INCIDENT IN THE BATHROOM
Public restrooms in this world were not only divided by male and female but also had additional ones exclusive for Alphas and Omegas. Betas mostly used the male and female ones. Imagine his surprise when he returned to school and saw that there were four restrooms instead of just two.
Since he's still not used to seeing girls in the same restroom as him, he still used the male restroom whenever he's in school. Of course, he didn't use the urinal. He still had a bit of self-awareness. No matter how similar he was, physiologically, to a male Beta, he's still an Omega. Using the urinal would feel like flashing himself to the opposite sex.
Restrooms in places like malls were much more exposed to the public compared to those in schools, making them less safe. Therefore, he planned to use the restroom exclusive for Omegas here. However, since he wasn't used to sharing a restroom with female Omegas, he decided to choose one located on the topmost floor and in a corner. That location usually had fewer people using it.
Arriving there, Haneul just stepped inside when a strong scent of roses hit him. It was so potent that it almost made his step falter. If this was his original world, his first thought would be that someone dropped a bottle of perfume and that's what he's smelling right now. But he knew for a fact that this was not perfume.
It's pheromones.
This was probably the first time he had smelled another person's pheromones. Since he wasn't affected, the other person must be an Omega like him. Although one might think that should be a given, considering he was inside an Omega-exclusive restroom, you never know if an Alpha might have accidentally entered the place.
Anyway, this was not the time for that. The fact that an Omega's pheromones were going haywire like this either meant that the person forgot to take suppressants and accidentally went into heat, or they were currently manifesting. He hoped it was the former, since that would be easier to handle by just giving the person his own suppressant. But if it was the latter, it might involve contacting the authorities.
Haneul walked in front of the cubicle where he could smell the pheromones. He gently knocked on the door.
"Hello, are you okay? I'm also an Omega. If you're experiencing heat, I can give you my suppressants."
He waited for a reply after, but there was none. He knocked again and waited, but there was still nothing. Haneul started to worry. What if the person inside had lost consciousness? But what if it's because the other was just scared of responding because of fear that he's not telling the truth? That he's actually an Alpha pretending to be an Omega to take advantage of them.
If that was the case, then forcefully opening the cubicle door might just make things worse. But what could he do to prove that he's an Omega? Purposely release pheromones?
He had sprayed medicinal perfume on himself because he's still not good at controlling his pheromones. That meant he's probably leaking pheromones now and no one could smell it because of the perfume. So, releasing pheromones was out of the question.
What could he do then? The only thing he could at the moment.
"I will put my suppressants here and call 119." He took out a bottle of suppressant pills from his bag and put it down on the gap under the cubicle door. "I will stand guard at the door of the restroom and wait for medical personnel to arrive. Just hang in there, okay?"
He started to walk towards the door, and just as he was about to call 119, he heard a muffled voice from inside the cubicle.
"P-please w-wait..."
Haneul turned around and saw the door of the cubicle slowly opening. A girl weakly walked out, dressed in a school uniform and looking to be about 14 or 15. She was petite and very pretty, with delicate features and long, dark hair that framed her pale face. Her large, expressive eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and exhaustion.
When she saw him, she took a step back, as if scared. And it was only then that Haneul remembered that he's wearing a mask. He quickly took it off.
"It's alright. I'm not a bad guy," he said, raising both his hands to calm the other.
The girl visibly relaxed when she saw his face. Should he say that the effect of Yeomra's 'black magic' was very effective in situations like this?
"Please, don't c-call 119," the girl said, her voice trembling.
Her eyes were wide and pleading, filled with a mix of desperation and vulnerability. Her hands clutched at the edges of her skirt, knuckles white from the tight grip. She bit her lower lip, trying to hold back tears, and her shoulders shook slightly as she struggled to maintain her composure. It was clear from her expression and body language that she didn't want to involve the authorities.
Haneul was conflicted. If they didn't call any authorities, the girl might not get the help she needed, especially if this wasn't just a simple sudden heat. But he also couldn't ignore her wish. There might be some extenuating circumstances why she didn't want to involve the authorities.
"Is there someone else we can call to help you?" he asked. This was the final compromise he could give.
"I... I already called someone. H-he'll probably be here in a few minutes," she explained before weakly picking up the small bottle of suppressant pills on the floor. "I- I don't know if it's alright for me to eat this. I- I think I just... m-manifested."
Before Haneul could react to that information, the door to the restroom suddenly opened and a very familiar figure rushed inside.
"Lee Yoona!"