Chapter Text
Sophia had learned how to wake up before her alarm.
Her father liked it that way.
She moved through her morning routine quietly, brushing her hair, straightening her uniform, making sure every line, button, and pleat looked the way her father expected. Perfect.
When she came downstairs, her father was already reading the news, dressed for work, glasses pushed up on his nose. He didn’t look up until her footsteps reached the dining room threshold.
“There she is,” he said proudly, setting his tablet aside. “My accomplished girl. Top of her cohort. Dream Academy’s golden omega.”
Her younger brother groaned from beside his cereal bowl.
“Dad…”
“And you,” their father pointed a stern finger at him, “should take notes. Sophia never slacks. That is why she succeeds.”
Her older brother chuckled tiredly, raising his mug.
“Guess we’re all just trying to be as perfect as Little Miss Dream Academy.”
Sophia laughed softly, because that was what she was supposed to do.
But her shoulders stiffened.
Her father stood, walked over, and kissed the top of her head.
“You make me proud every day,” he said, smiling warmly. “Keep it up. Don’t disappoint me.”
She nodded.
“I won’t.”
She always said that.
She always meant it.
But somehow, the words felt heavier than usual this morning.
_________________________________________
Manon lit her cigarette with hands that trembled more than she wanted them to. The suppressant from the night before was wearing off, leaving her whole body buzzing with irritation and something like nausea.
“Your hands are shaking again,” Megan said quietly. The younger alpha hugged her tablet to her chest, eyes full of worry.
“It’s cold,” Manon replied.
“It’s not cold,” Nayoung said bluntly.
Her soft omega scent always grounded their little group.
“You didn’t sleep. Again.”
Manon took a long drag, exhaled slowly, and stared at the sky.
“I’m fine,” she muttered.
Neither girl believed her.
But they didn’t push. They had learned that forcing Manon made her shut down completely.
Megan cleared her throat and changed the subject.
“You think the cafeteria will have those croissants today?”
“Maybe,” Nayoung shrugged. “I just hope no one tries to sabotage our table again.”
Manon snorted.
“At least they’re predictable.”
She flicked the cigarette away, zipped her hoodie, and shoved her shaking hands into her pockets.
“Let’s go,” she said.
“First class starts in ten.”
They walked toward the gates together, three outcasts moving in quiet formation, unnoticed by everyone but each other.
_________________________________________
The car pulled up smoothly in front of Dream Academy’s main building. Sophia stepped out, adjusting her bag on her shoulder and taking a deep breath of the cool morning air. She had been dropped off early, as usual, and the car drove away, leaving her to walk the final steps to the courtyard.
Her friends spotted her immediately. With them, she didn’t have to be perfect. She could laugh, tease, and move naturally without worrying about appearances.
“Sophia!” Daniela waved, spinning slightly as if even movement could be a dance. “You ready for first period? You better be. I have practice after lunch, and my dance instructor hates me, it's probably cause I'm better at dancing than anyone in that class, including him.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Sophia said, laughing. “I'm sure he doesn't hate you.”
Lara jogged up beside them, paint smudges on her fingers from last night’s project. “I need your opinion on something, but I also need you to tell me it’s amazing because I’m fragile today.”
“You’re always fragile,” Daniela teased, and Sophia chuckled at the exchange.
Yoonchae fell into step beside them, calm as ever, her soft alpha scent blending gently with the warmth of the group. “Good morning, Sophia. Ready for class?”
“Always,” Sophia said, smiling. With her friends, there was no need to hide, no need to prove herself. She could be just herself, and it was enough.
They walked together, chatting and laughing as they moved toward the building. Other students moved around them, but Sophia barely noticed. Her world right now was this circle of friends, vibrant and effortless, where she didn’t have to be perfect.
She didn’t see the other students arriving through the gates. She didn’t notice the alpha at the back of the courtyard or the two companions moving beside her. For now, Manon’s world was invisible, and Sophia’s attention was entirely on her friends.
For now, everything was easy, familiar, and warm.
_________________________________________
First period was already half full when Sophia and her friends walked in. The room buzzed with chatter, the usual mix of excitement, gossip, and the low roar of students settling into their seats.
Sophia took her usual place near the front. Daniela and Yoonchae sat on either side of her, while Lara headed to the back corner where the art students liked to doodle until the teacher arrived.
More students drifted in.
Manon and her friends entered quietly, unnoticed by most. Megan clutched her tablet, eyes down. Nayoung walked with practiced calm. Manon kept her hood up, her gaze low, hands jammed into her pockets to hide the lingering shake.
They passed Sophia’s row on the way to the back.
Someone stuck a foot out.
Manon did not see it.
She stumbled hard. Her notebook, pencils, and a few loose sheets scattered across the floor in a messy arc.
A few students snickered.
“Oops,” someone muttered too loud to be innocent.
Megan froze. Nayoung glared. Manon looked like she might snap or bolt or both.
Before anyone else moved, Sophia was already out of her seat.
“It’s alright. I’ve got it,” she said softly, crouching to gather a few papers before they were stepped on.
Manon stiffened but didn’t stop her.
Sophia lifted one of the fallen sheets, intending to stack it neatly with the others.
Then she saw it.
A drawing.
A drawing of her.
Detailed, careful, shaded with surprising tenderness. She recognized her own profile instantly. The shape of her eyes. The curl of her smile she didn’t even know she made.
It was beautiful.
She barely had a second to register it before a hand snatched it away.
Manon’s.
Her eyes were sharp, almost panicked.
“Give it.”
Sophia blinked, startled. “I wasn’t trying to—”
“It’s mine,” Manon said quickly. Her voice was low, almost rough.
She shoved the drawing into her notebook, gathered the rest of her things with hurried motions, and practically fled to the back of the room. Megan and Nayoung followed, sending the room a few wary looks.
Sophia stayed crouched for a moment, her heartbeat oddly loud.
Daniela leaned over from her seat. “You okay?”
Sophia nodded slowly, standing.
“Yeah. I just… didn’t know she could draw.”
She took her seat again, but her attention drifted to the back of the room.
She had never noticed Manon before.
At least, not like this.
Now she could not stop thinking about the drawing.
And about the way Manon looked at her when she grabbed it back.
Something was different.
Something had shifted.
The bell rang, sharp and sudden.
Class began.
But Sophia’s mind stayed on the quiet alpha in the back row, the one she had never noticed until today.
For the first time, Sophia wondered about her.
For the first time, she wanted to know.