→ Sosuke:

“Besides the free training I’m personally doing for you both, employment with my company also offers various benefits, such as health insurance packages, for example. Not that you teens will need that anytime soon, but we also have amenities like a workout room, and free breakfasts and luncheons,” she continued with a smile. “And I like to spoil my girls with vacations every year, completely free of cost.”

“Oh, we’ve seen the pictures from some of those vacations!” Sosuke piped in, but immediately sank back down into his seat when Sienna laughed at him.

“Yes, we take lots of pictures at the anniversary vacations, that’s for sure. I have to make the most out of my money, you know?” Tobias nodded again and the CEO uncrossed her legs.

“Another thing of note is the housing required for my first years,” Sienna continued, posture straightened. “You wouldn’t be required to move in before your debut, but I would expect you both to be here every weekend in the meantime so I can train you as much as possible to be ready for the first photoshoot.”

What about all our school work? Sosuke thought and sat upright, mirroring Sienna.

“Yeah, I expected as much since we’re like level zero noobs when it comes to modeling,” Tobias said with a dry chuckle. Sosuke wanted to laugh, but thought the comment was wasted on the CEO. “How long would we have to train? Is there some kind of set date you have for this debut already?”

Tobias was finally bringing the conversation around to why the CEO came up to them at the career fair. Companies like Sienna’s had never cared to come to their low-income high school before, so why now? She clearly had an agenda for scouting a specific type because the successful lady typically had omegas of all breeds scrambling to apply for her annual tryouts, anyway. Therefore, she had no need to waste her precious time with a silly career fair—at a teenage hell-hole, no less.

“Well,” the CEO said and reached toward the pink pen holder. “Let’s just say a little birdie unintentionally challenged me, and I turned that into the perfect idea for this year’s big anniversary.” She plucked the pen with the red puffball topper and leaned back in her seat.

“So you went looking for omega males to make your big twenty-fifth anniversary stand out?” Tobias said with a serious face, and Sosuke was taken aback that his best friend would drop such a blunt accusation, no bars withheld.

“Bingo,” Sienna said and pointed the puffball end of her pen at Tobias. She then flipped her wrist up—as if she was firing a gun—and smirked.

“I feel like you’ve actually been looking for months now, and Tobi and I are the only ones you’ve seen,” Sosuke said to add salt to the wound, but the CEO just laughed good-humouredly.

“I knew you were a smart one,” Sienna interjected and tapped the pen against her chin, one arm folded across her chest to prop up the other by the elbow.

“Well, since that’s the case,” Sosuke continued, boldened by her cracked defense. “Then I take it you’re currently backed into a corner with us as your only options?”

Sienna halted her incessant tapping and stared into Sosuke’s very soul with her black eyes. He took the silence as acceptance and moved onto his next goal to add more sweetness to the deal.

“What Tobias and I are most worried about is being able to afford a good university right now,” Sosuke said and straightened his posture. “I may be able to successfully earn a free ride with my brains, but Tobi may not be so lucky. Plus, we’d really like to get started on making our dream videogame, but programs cost money and we want to have the best reputable source to back up our hard work.”

“And contracts are scary,” Tobias helpfully chimed in after knocking Sosuke’s foot with his own. Sosuke basically insulted his bestie’s intelligence, so he figured he deserved the small kick and made no move to strike back.

“If your biggest concern is affording a top-tier college, I can certainly offer a sponsorship,” Sienna said and crossed her arms. “However, I would require at least a year of full-time work for the magazine, first, in addition to four more years for a full five-year contract. The Ivy Leagues are the pinnacle of expensive higher education, and I presume you both wish to go to one of the big three?”

The boys both pursed their lips, and Sienna sighed. “I know high schoolers like to dream of going to those outrageously-priced universities, but the truth is that any college degree will get you a job. Those colleges are simply overrated.”

The CEO pulled herself in closer to her desk and set the pen down. “But,” she continued and started opening some drawers. “If that’s what you both want, I’m happy to oblige. The only other problem is that those colleges aren’t in California, so you would have to take the classes online.”

We would definitely have to look at closer universities then, Sosuke thought. He wanted the experience of staying on a college campus, so online classes sounded too depressing to him. Although, it would certainly help with the traveling costs for going back-and-forth to OMEGA Corp. to work.

Sienna pulled out some papers from her desk drawers and shut them. She organized them into two small piles on the desk and stood up.

“I just want you both to know that being a part of this company will ‘make you,’ so you may find you don’t even need the higher education experience,” she said with a stern expression, hands placed flat onto the paper stacks and eyes shifting between the two. “And something tells me you both already know how to achieve your dream—you simply need the money and fame to back the initiative,” she continued with a wink, then slid the papers toward them.

“Now, what do you boys say? Any more questions?”

Tobias looked at Sosuke at the same time he’d turned to look at his bestie. His friend tilted his head toward the CEO and raised both brows. The message was clear: Tobias was all-in, but he needed confirmation from Sosuke before proceeding.

But Sosuke still wasn’t sure. Omega males “didn’t exist” to the world for a reason. They wanted to remain a secret because it was likely that every omega male desired to be “normal,” like a beta or even a regular alpha. No boy wanted to experience the shame and fear that he and Tobias went through, their only comfort that they at least had one another to share the hell with.

Did Sosuke really want to come out to the whole world, just so he didn’t have to go into deep debt? Employment with any other company would’ve helped to lessen the cost, sure, but he would definitely struggle along the way between working part-time and going to school—not to mention all the homework that came with his desired major! Sosuke was certain that no other job would provide a sweeter deal to an experience-less teen besides this CEO.

Ah, if only he didn’t have to throw away his pride! OMEGA tended to feature some revealing outfits, so sue him for having second thoughts about this type of job. As someone who is used to hiding behind a computer screen and wearing baggy clothes, seeing himself dolled-up and on magazines in every grocery or convenience store would certainly take some getting used to.

“I just…” Sosuke said just above a whisper. He studied his black slacks. They were the same pair his mother had bought him for the orchestra concert he played piano for in the eighth grade. He’d wear them for every formal event, including the time his mother took him with her to an upper society tea party for the ladies that frequented the local “little Chinatown.”

“You will match with a rich Asian man in the future, do you understand?” Sosuke recalled his mother saying over some tiramisu samples then. “This is the duty of every daughter in my family. Since you are omega now, this duty falls to you. But I don’t want my star son to suffer financially like us, so he must be a well-endowed, Asian man.”

Sosuke didn’t take his mom seriously back when, but the memory reminded him of her current plan to matchmake him with “local rich Asians.” Who was to say she wouldn’t expose him herself just to attract the highest bidder?

“I’ll do it!” Sosuke snapped upright and said. Tobias nearly fell out of his seat from the sudden outburst, and the boss lady laughed.

“I don’t know what argument went on in that head of yours, but I like the sudden vigor,” Sienna said and smiled.

At least I took the time to rationalize, Sosuke thought and pursed his lips. Tobi didn’t even hesitate…

“Well, now that a decision has been made, why don’t you two start by filling out these standard forms of employment while I type up your terms of agreement?” Sienna said when no other comment was made.

“Works for me,” Tobias chimed and scooted his seat closer to the desk.

“Nn,” Sosuke hummed and followed after his friend.

Sienna passed them two pink pens. She then turned her chair to face her office desktop monitor and let them be. Sosuke was worried about the pink pens at first, but the ink actually came out black, so he no longer cared.

Sosuke may still have to fear what joining a modeling company will do to his future, but at least he’d no longer have to worry about his mother forcing “a rich Asian man” on him!