And it exposes his back and left shoulder to the entire festival.
Time seems to slow down. The stage lights catch the water on his skin, highlighting every ripple of muscle, every drop of moisture, and the stark, undeniable discoloration on the curve of his trapezius, right where the neck meets the shoulder.
It’s not a bruise. It’s too defined for that. It’s a jagged, oval ring of raised, silvery-pink scar tissue. The kind of mark that doesn't fade. The kind of mark that comes from teeth sinking deep enough to break skin and lock down.
A mating bite.
The disaster unfolds in slow motion, a train wreck I can see coming but am powerless to stop.
Sihwan strikes his pose, chest heaving, water glistening on his skin, grinning like he owns the world. He has no idea. He’s completely oblivious to the fact that he just painted a target on his own back.
The silence hits first. It ripples outward from the front row, a wave of confusion that smothers the cheers.
Then, Heesung’s voice cuts through the sudden quiet like a scalpel.
"Wait," he says, loud enough for the microphone on the nearby stage to pick up the edge in his tone. He points a slender finger directly at Sihwan’s shoulder. "What isthat?"
Sihwan’s grin falters. He blinks, confused by the shift in atmosphere. "What?"
"That," Heesung repeats, his voice pitching up in mock concern. "On your neck. Is that... is that a bite mark?"
The murmur starts then. A low, buzzing hum that rises from the crowd as hundreds of eyes zero in on the spot.
Sihwan freezes. I see the exact moment the realization slams into him. His eyes widen, the color draining from his face so fast he looks like he’s about to faint. His hand jerks up, slapping over the spot on his shoulder, covering the scar, but the damage is already done. The movement is too jerky, too guilty. It’s a confession.
"Oh, shit," someone near me whispers. "Is he bonded?"
"I thought he was an Alpha?"
"Who bites an Alpha like that?"
My stomach drops. The air suddenly smells sour—the scent of burnt sugar and ozone. Sihwan’s distress pheromones are flooding the area, sharp and terrified, and they hit me like a physical blow to the chest.
"Move," I snarl.
I shove the engineering student in front of me hard enough to send him stumbling into his friend. I don't care. I don't careabout the festival, or the crowd, or the optics. I need to get to him.
"Donghwa, wait—" Soyoung tries to grab my jacket, but I shake her off.
I elbow my way through the wall of bodies, my eyes locked on the stage. Sihwan is backing up, stumbling over his own feet. He looks small. For all his muscle and bravado, stripped of his secrets, he looks terrified. Even Seungchan and the other swimmers are staring at him, their expressions a mix of shock and confusion. They’ve seen him in the locker room a thousand times, but he’s always been careful, always had the tape, always had the excuse of an injury.
Now, there’s nowhere to hide.
"That's not just a little nip," Heesung calls out, his voice gleeful, carrying over the murmurs. He steps closer to the rope, playing to his audience. "That’s a mating bite. A deep one. It looks like our big, bad Dominant Alpha isn't so dominant after all."
Laughter ripples through the crowd—cruel, shocked laughter.
Sihwan flinches as if he’s been slapped. He hits the back wall of the booth, his chest heaving, his eyes darting around like a trapped animal looking for an exit.
"Shut up!" Sihwan yells, but his voice cracks. It lacks authority. It sounds desperate.
"I’m just confused!" Heesung continues, relentless. He turns to face the crowd, spreading his hands. "I mean, think about it. Sihwan is a Dominant Alpha. To bite him? To claim him like that? You’d have to be strong. Stronger than him."
I’m ten feet away. I’m shoving people aside now, ignoring their protests.Shut up, Heesung. Shut your mouth.
"It would have to be another Alpha," Heesung muses, tapping his chin. "Another Dominant Alpha. Someone who could pin him down and make him take it."
The crowd is eating it up. The gossip is spreading like wildfire, the speculation turning into a roar.
