Chapter 7

    Me, Protective?

    When it came to the birthday party of the Queen of the Era, it was bound to attract special attention from the media.

    Just the guest list alone was enough to say that the entire industry had been invited. However, not just anyone could attend the private birthday party of the currently hottest Omega.

    The guests were all famous celebrities, renowned models, and even trending influencers. Only top photographers or teams close to Ramil were invited. Tomorrow's morning news would undoubtedly start with the party of the Omega of the McCullen Family.

    That was because the host went all out, renting a house with a pool in the middle for a pool party. There was also space for DJs and room for hundreds of people. After all... turning thirty for the first time in a regular hotel would not suit the top Omega of the industry. It was also a way to use the media space to promote his fame.

    With such extravagance, the theme of the outfits was sure to be extraordinary.

    All the guests were dressed in white and gold outfits, in line with the event's theme, looking stunning and luxurious, befitting the title of the Queen of the Industry's party without a doubt. The grandeur was taken up a notch when Ramil instructed the organizers to create a backdrop at the entrance resembling a Hollywood red carpet catwalk. About four or five photographers were stationed there to capture memorable photos, not to mention around ten journalists from various outlets.

    Kacha was part of this team. His initial responsibility was to photograph Ramil with the guests as they arrived, alongside the other photographers. What made his role special was that he was the only one allowed inside the event. The journalists and other photographers only covered this part and were done.

    That was because Ramil did not trust any paparazzi to enter the event. If someone caught his eye...

    He could enjoy himself without worrying about any leaked clips.

    "Hang in there, Cha. Once you're inside, things should be more chill," Nalin said, walking over to gently pat her cousin's shoulder with a smile, seeing Kacha diligently taking photos of the various guests.

    Today, she was dressed in a white strapless top with matching pants, adorned with a gold belt and various accessories to fit the theme. Meanwhile, Kacha was wearing a crisp white suit paired with a black tie, looking neat and tidy. His brown hair was styled to fall slightly over his forehead, giving the young beta's face a sweeter appearance.

    "Yes, P'Lin. But honestly, I'm not tired at all. Meeting so many people is actually quite fun,"

    Kacha replied with a smile, before turning to look at the host of the event, who was standing in the middle of the backdrop, taking pictures with a group of models who were gaining recognition.

    Kelvin, Ramil, Singha, and Kawin were all in the same frame.

    It was safe to say that all eyes were on the scene in front of them. When the top four models stood together, it caused a frenzy among the journalists, who rushed in to claim their spots to capture the moment. Kacha, who was initially standing in the middle, suddenly found himself pushed to the outside of the circle.

    His beautiful brown eyes stared at the scene in front of him, lost in thought. It was strange that among the four models, only one managed to captivate his attention completely.

    Ramil... was the one who did that to Kacha.

    The young omega was dressed in a white suit with a plunging neckline, adorned with gold accessories. His blond hair was styled up completely, revealing his beautifully sculpted face. His lips and eyes, painted a delicate hue, perfectly matched his title as the Queen of the Industry, leaving no room for criticism.

    As much as Kacha could not believe it, he had to admit that the birthday host today looked so stunningly elegant that he could not take his eyes off him for even a second.

    Well... if he did not count the fact that his sharp tongue made Kacha want to smack him.

    Snap!

    "!!!"

    Kacha jolted as someone suddenly snapped their fingers to pull him out of his reverie.

    "What are you daydreaming about? Are you stunned by my beauty?"

    "..."

    Hmm... guess there was no need to say who was responsible for that action.

    "I was looking at the person beside you on your right."

    The young beta chose to lie to cover himself, but it made the birthday host furrow his brows and turn to look at the person Kacha had claimed.

    "Singha? Is that your type?"

    And Kacha did not understand why the blond-haired host looked so displeased, but admitting that he could not take his eyes off him was definitely not an option.

    "Well..."

    "Never mind, move over here a bit."

    Whoosh!

    "!!!"

    Suddenly, Ramil moved closer, his long fingers reaching for the black tie of the makeshift photographer. This made the owner of those beautiful brown eyes widen in surprise.

    "Why do you look so shocked? Did you think I was going to do something to you?"

    "N... no..."

    "Good. Your tie was crooked... just fixing it up a bit. It was bothering me."

    Ramil spoke with a calm expression, his hands fiddling with something around Kacha's collar, making him gulp. The proximity, just a step apart, allowed Kacha to catch a faint scent of vanilla perfume. He wanted to step back, but did not dare to, as many eyes were still watching them.

    "Uh... I can do it myself..."

    "Don't be difficult. Just stay still."

    "..."

    In the end, Kacha stood still like a doll, letting the famous Queen adjust his attire. He wondered why it took so long to fix a tie, as the touch around his neck felt more like a pat than an adjustment. But Kacha did not say anything until Ramil was satisfied.

    "All done. Follow me into the party."

    Grab!

    "!!!"

    His arm was swiftly grabbed by the beautiful person. Once inside the event, Kacha was pulled along by Ramil to take photos with the guests all the way through. He could not help but notice the... curious glances directed at him, wondering if it was just his imagination.

    At first, he thought maybe there was something on his face, but everything looked fine when he passed by a mirror. His white suit was neat, with no buttons out of place, and the black tie that Ramil had adjusted was perfectly straight. It was not until Ramil stopped to chat with a group of close colleagues, inviting them to join in some light-hearted conversation, that Kacha took the opportunity to step aside and capture the interaction from a distance.

    It was then that someone approached him.

    "Hello."

    Twitch.

    Startled, Kacha turned to find the person he had used as an excuse.

    Standing before him was an Alpha, likely over 185 centimeters tall, one of the four rising star models of the moment. His strikingly handsome face complemented his jet-black hair and beautiful tan skin, making Kacha swallow hard. If the other had not smiled and greeted him first, he might have felt quite intimidated.

    "I'm Singha. And you are...?"

    "Kacha. You can just call me Cha."

    "Alright, Mr. Cha." The other man looked at him as if pondering something, his gaze filled with questions similar to those of many others before.

    "Are you... Ramil's new personal photographer?"

    "I'm just taking on a temporary job. Uh... is there something you need?"

    "Oh... no, not really. I usually see Ramil hiring only Alphas for photography work."

    "..."

    "You might be the first Beta to get this position."

    "Ah... is that so?"

    For some reason, Kacha felt strange about that statement.

    His heart raced and he felt a mix of excitement and emptiness at the thought that the spot he stood in now had been occupied by many others before.

    While lost in thought, Singha handed something to Kacha with a wide smile.

    "So... once this job is over..."

    "..."

    "Would you be interested in working for me, Mr. Cha?"

    "!!!"

    What he handed over was a golden business card with Singha's name and phone number, along with an offer that caught Kacha by surprise.

    "A job?"

    "Yes, if you're interested, just contact me at..."

    Swipe!

    "What are you doing, Singha?"

    "You're quick to catch the scent, Mil."

    Before the young Alpha could finish speaking, the business card was snatched away by someone. The culprit was Ramil, who frowned at his close friend with a displeased expression.

    "Uh... I'll go take some photos of the event now."

    Seeing the Alpha and Omega, who were nearly the same height, staring each other down intensely, Kacha seized the opportunity to make a quick escape without waiting for Ramil to call him back.

    "Hey! Wait a minute..."

    "Your new photographer..."

    "..."

    "He's pretty cute."

    Ramil turned to frown at the person in front of him at that comment.

    "He's alright. I'm way more gorgeous."

    "Sure, whatever makes you happy."

    Singha chuckled softly at his friend's response. It was undeniable that his friend was indeed much more attractive than that Beta.

    But... that was not the point.

    "But I'm curious... he's a Beta, right? You usually go for photographers who are Alphas, don't you?"

    "The last one showed his true color, so I had to bring him in temporarily."

    "Really? If that's the case..."

    "..."

    "Then why are you so protective of him with me?"

    Twitch.

    Ramil froze for a split second at Singha's words, his heart pounding like crazy.

    "Me, protective?"

    The Queen of the Industry scoffed, finding it hard to believe his friend would say something like that.

    Had Singha lost his mind... Him, protective over that Beta Sasaeng?

    "You're drunk on wine, Singha. Go upstairs and take a rest."

    "Mr. Cha might not know since he's a Beta, but an Alpha like me can tell right away, Mil."

    "..."

    "With all that scent you left on him... you like him, don't you?"

    "!!!"

    "Hm... Where exactly did you leave your scent... was it on Kacha's beautiful black tie? I wonder if he's noticed yet?"

    "..."

    The owner of the vanilla scent did not respond to that question. He clenched his fists tightly, confused and irritated, feeling a strange flutter throughout his body. Why was he so restless, unable to meet the gaze of the person watching him, having to turn his face away like this? And why were his lips suddenly dry, making it difficult to swallow? The last time he felt like this...

    Was it not when he hid his toy and got caught by his mom?

    "Hah, what nonsense."

    Ramil grabbed a glass of wine from a nearby waiter and downed it in one go, hoping it would wash away the strange feelings. Then, with confidence, the owner of the turquoise eyes answered the person in front of him.

    "I, Ramil doesn't like someone so ordinary."

    "Sorry for being too ordinary."

    "!!!"

    The Queen of the Industry stopped breathing the moment he heard that familiar voice. Suddenly, his throat went dry, and his entire body felt numb. The truth hit harder when he turned around and found Kacha standing right in front of him.

    "Well, I...”

    “I just came to tell you that P'Lin is calling you to the front of the stage."

    Kacha offered a small smile, but it was a smile tinged with pain, making the observer almost stop breathing.

    "Mr. Cha... I..."

    As the young Omega tried to approach, the other stepped back as if he did not want to engage in conversation.

    "Please, continue your conversation... Mr. Ramil."

    "Hey... wait!"

    Before Ramil could grab his wrist, Kacha quickly walked away, leaving a strange emptiness to consume Ramil's heart, making him feel a pang of guilt. He watched the smaller figure retreat with a gaze filled with remorse.

    "Aw... that's unfortunate. Your cute little friend overheard everything. I bet he's got the wrong idea now, don't you think?"

    "Hmph..."

    Ramil rolled his eyes in exasperation as Singha slung an arm around his shoulder.

    "I don't..."

    "Yeah, it's no big deal, right..."

    "..."

    "You don't even like him, do you?"

    Swat!

    With a swift motion, Ramil brushed Singha's hand off, glaring at him with his striking turquoise eyes.

    "Damn... don't let me get my chance, Singh."

    "Sorry, but that's never gonna happen. I don't plan on loving anyone."

    Singha's cheeky expression made Ramil want to strangle his dear friend right then and there. His annoying nature was as unfixable as Kelvin's, and perhaps Kawin was the only one in their group who seemed to have it together.

    "Annoying. I hope you find someone who'll make you bow down morning and night."

    "Yeah, I'll pretend to pray for you, but right now..."

    "..."

    "You should go apologize to my cute friend first."

    "Apologize, my ass! No way I'm..."

    "I'm off."

    That was the last sentence before Singha made his escape, which was probably for the best. If he had stayed any longer, Ramil might have ended up smacking his dear friend’s head to relieve his irritation.

    Ramil sighed wearily before heading to the front of the stage to kick off the next part of the party. He noticed Nalin waiting by the stage, but what he did not see was where Kacha was at that moment.

    Even though he wanted to find that Beta Sasaeng to clear up some misunderstandings and rid himself of the emptiness in his chest, he wondered. Why should he bother? He did not even like Kacha, so why was he so troubled?

    Perhaps it was guilt for inadvertently insulting him, or maybe it was because Nalin and Kacha were cousins, making it awkward for him to face them.

    Yes... that had to be the reason. His manager and that guy were related, which was why it was so unsettling.

    It was funny...

    The Omega of the McCullen Family, who never cared about anyone,

    was now troubled by an ordinary Beta.