Chapter Text
III.
The Agarwood-Scented Alpha
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"I am Itoshi Rin."
He had the same last name as Sae!
And their faces were so similar that anyone could tell they shared the same bloodline!
Even that arrogant aura radiating from his face was exactly the same!
"Are you... Sae's younger brother?"
Thud!
"U-Uhm..." Isagi flinched slightly as his back was shoved harder against the wall. The tall figure trapped him even more securely. The pheromones that Isagi initially thought smelled like mint were actually much cooler and deeper up close.
It smelled like agarwood.
Mysterious, captivating, and somewhat magical.
His instincts didn't need to spell it out for him... This person was an Alpha. And not just any Alpha, but a dominant one, far superior to the norm—just like Sae!
"So you really do know him. No... he probably came here because of you." The older brother who usually didn't care about anything or anyone had actually shown up at this Blue Lock facility.
Just for this guy.
"Err..." This time, Isagi had no idea how to respond.
"What is your relationship with him?"
"Nothing, we're not anything to each other." Isagi shook his head frantically. It was hard to define what exactly was going on between him and Sae. Calling them acquaintances didn't feel quite right, and 'senior and junior' seemed way too distant.
And as for being soulmates...
Isagi was even less sure about that.
"You're nothing to each other, but he came all the way here just to see you?"
It seemed like these brothers really didn't get along.
But the main point was... what does this have to do with me?!
Please, just let a normal guy like me live a peaceful life in this blue prison full of Alphas, Betas, and absolute weirdos!
"Why are you making that stupid face?" Rin raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes at the clueless idiot trapped in his arms.
The younger brother had a much sharper tongue than the older one...
No, wait, they were both equally foul-mouthed!
"No reason, just let me go already." Reaching his breaking point, the usually kind and patient Isagi dropped his fear. Even if the other guy was a ridiculously strong Alpha, it didn't matter.
His personality was... absolutely uncute!
Rin narrowed his eyes, observing the small, cat-like creature glaring back at him defensively. Those deep blue eyes were unbelievably captivating.
"Hmph." Rin smirked, a sharp curl at the corner of his lips that made Isagi jump.
Freaking terrifying!
"Rin... let me go!"
"Oh." Rin raised an eyebrow again. His arrogant posture was so incredibly punchable. If Isagi wasn't at a physical disadvantage and knew he'd lose, he would have definitely thrown a punch by now!
"Are you really a Beta?"
A Beta who dared to lift his chin and glare so fiercely at a premium-breed Alpha like him?
It was highly unconvincing.
Isagi flinched, his eyes darting around nervously. He was so obviously terrible at lying that Rin let out a low chuckle. A wicked smile played on his lips as his mind began to calculate, formulating a plan that the hidden Omega was completely oblivious to—a danger disguised as a fellow campmate.
"Name?"
"You mean my name...?" Isagi asked, his eyebrow twitching at the way Rin looked at him as if he had just asked the dumbest question in the world.
This guy really needs a punch to the face!
These people born at the top of the food chain really acted like they were kings of the world!
Isagi used to think Barou acted like the king of the field, but looking at the younger Itoshi brother...
This was a tyrannical king who refused to take no for an answer!
"Isagi Yoichi."
Rin finally lowered his arms, releasing his captive. As the tall figure withdrew his oppressive aura, Isagi could finally breathe easily. However, he flinched again when a large hand reached toward him, looking as though it was about to throw a punch. As Isagi stumbled backward, an arm hooked around his waist, pulling him right back.
A deep, resonant voice whispered softly against his ear. The agarwood pheromones made Isagi tremble... causing his heart to skip a beat.
Strangely, the scent didn't clash or violently reject the freesia scent that was already clinging to Isagi. Instead, they seemed to blend together in a bizarrely intoxicating way.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you... Isagi Yoichi."
Leaving only those words behind, the tall figure walked away. He left the heavy scent of agarwood lingering in the room and clinging to Isagi's body, tangling with the freesia scent from before.
Isagi's heart was pounding so hard he had to press a hand over his left chest. He slid down the wall, panting heavily.
What the hell just happened to him... What the hell did Rin just do to him?!
"No... I need to get back right now." Isagi scrambled to his feet. He had to return to Team Z's dorm to prepare for their next match.
He couldn't afford to think about anything else. He had to focus on the game!
Thud!
Isagi had barely taken a few steps out of the room when he crashed into a tall figure walking in his direction. Because the other person was much larger, Isagi was the one who bounced off, but a large hand grabbed his wrist to stop him from falling.
This situation... felt familiar.
It was just like his first day at the camp... when he had bumped into someone exactly like this.
"Watch out." A deep, incredibly sleepy voice mumbled. Isagi caught a clear, sweet whiff of fresh milk. But before he could say a word, the tall figure stumbled away like a sleepwalker. All Isagi could see was a blurry mop of silver-grey hair.
We'll probably run into each other eventually... I'll just thank him then!
"Isagi."
"Bachira!" Isagi immediately practically launched himself at Bachira. Seeing his friend and smelling the comforting scent of vanilla made him feel inexplicably relieved!
The taller boy flashed a wide, eye-crinkling smile. His nose twitched slightly as he picked up scents that definitely didn't belong to his little teammate. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, though the smile remained plastered on his face.
Intense Alpha pheromones reeking all over him.
As if they were marking their territory.
And not just one... but two.
How irritating.
"Were you waiting for me?" Isagi tilted his head, blinking innocently when he noticed Bachira looking slightly annoyed. Was he mad because he had to wait? "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting. Have you eaten yet?"
Bachira looked at the boy staring at him with wide, hungry cat eyes before bursting into laughter... Isagi was truly cute without even realizing it. Well, whatever. There was still plenty of time to 'squeeze' the truth out of him and uncover whatever secrets this little teammate was hiding.
The monster inside him was whispering that Isagi Yoichi possessed many other 'special' traits. Traits that would make living in this blue prison much, much more fun.
"Let's go eat. I saved a portion for you."
"Bachira, you're the best!"
"Yeah, yeah."
After eating, showering, and going to bed, Isagi found himself unable to sleep. He tossed and turned, the lingering thrill and hunger for victory keeping him awake. That, combined with his anxious thoughts and the looming presence of the two Alpha Itoshi brothers, made his mind race.
After rolling around for the umpteenth time without any luck, Isagi sat up. He looked enviously at Bachira, who was sleeping soundly, and gently pulled the blanket over his best friend before deciding to head out to Team Z's monitor room.
Initially, Isagi thought he was the only one suffering from insomnia tonight. But his blue eyes caught sight of someone already sitting there. As he approached, he noticed beautiful, rose-red hair, a face that leaned more towards stunningly pretty than handsome, and most importantly, the faint, elegant scent of roses wafting from him.
Chigiri Hyoma.
He was... a rose-scented Alpha.
Seeing Isagi, Chigiri gave a faint nod and a small smile. The two of them talked about various things, and Chigiri even offered some guidance regarding Isagi's weapons and abilities.
At first, Isagi thought they were hitting it off well. But things took a turn when the pretty-faced teammate confessed that he came to Blue Lock to find a reason to give up on his dream.
Isagi stared silently at his back. Something inside him told him that wasn't true... Chigiri didn't actually want to give up on football. So, Isagi spoke from the bottom of his heart.
"Someone who isn't prepared to lose can't grasp their dreams!"
Chigiri whipped his head around, glaring at the smaller boy with fierce eyes. The Alpha aura surrounding him suddenly became intense, the heavy scent of roses pressing down, as if trying to crush the little Beta who dared to lecture an apex predator!
For a split second, Chigiri's sharp senses caught a faint, underlying scent coming from Isagi. But when he tried to focus on it, it vanished. He narrowed his eyes at the person in front of him.
"What would someone like you understand about me?!"
Isagi stood frozen, taking a step back as Chigiri closed the distance between them. The overwhelming scent of roses forced him to retreat slightly.
It smelled good, but it also felt incredibly threatening.
He has such a pretty face, but he's actually ruthless!
"Are you... really a Beta, Isagi?"
This question again!
Since arriving at Blue Lock, how many times had he been asked this?!
Should he just wear a damn nametag that says 'I AM A BETA' so people would stop asking?!
Isagi nodded frantically, firmly confirming his (fake) Beta status. Chigiri narrowed his eyes a fraction more before turning and walking out of the monitor room. He left the disguised Omega to let out a massive, shaky breath, deciding to wait a bit longer before heading back to the dorm.
It had only been a few days, and his secret had almost been busted multiple times. He didn't know if it was because the Alphas in this camp just had ridiculously sharp noses or if they were naturally this suspicious.
It was terrifying!
Isagi just wanted to improve himself and achieve his dream of becoming a striker, entirely independent of secondary genders.
He just had to pray that he could survive until the end of this camp!
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TBC >>>