Chapter Text
Seungmin stared at the subject line like it had personally offended him.
‘Scent Match Registry - Notification of Pairing Confirmed.’
The email sat in his inbox between a reminder to update his scent suppressant prescription and a coupon for the ramen place near his office. He clicked the star next to the subject line, watching as it moved to the ‘marked important’ tab. Seungmin hadn’t opted into the registry, or at least not willingly. Maybe it was that stupid research survey he had filled out a few months ago. Those questions were probably disguised as some innocent initiative to get a better grip on cancer research or something.
His fingers hovered over the trackpad. Curiosity tugged at his mind, his brain imploring him to just click and see that he actually paired with someone. Dread settled in his heart.
But still, he clicked.
Tension flowed through Seungmin’s limbs as he clicked on the attached PDF. He assumed one of him had been sent to his match.
Name: Lee Minho.
Age: 25 years
Compatibility score: 99.7%
Trial Start Date: Pending alpha approval.
The name was unfamiliar. Well of course it is, stupid, you haven’t met him before.
Seungmin tested the name on his tongue as he looked at the omega’s picture. As he read the report, he wondered if…maybe this was meant to be. No criminal record, no litigation history, no red flags. Just soft, unreadable eyes. A former botanist who worked in a plant nursery.
He exhaled slowly, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. No. He didn’t believe in fate or divine reckoning. He believed in precedents, in logic, in the weight of evidence. Yet, something about the way Minho looked into the camera, made Seungmin hesitate.
He didn’t click decline. Not yet.
On the other hand, Minho…well, Minho was hopeful.
The omega didn’t check his emails often. Most of his clients preferred handwritten notes tucked into pots, or quiet conversations as he repotted their flowers. It was expected that his inbox was full of supplier updates, reminders for the Spring Bloom festival, and…one flagged message from the registry.
He hesitated. Minho had signed up years ago, more out of curiosity than hope. The idea of scent compatibility always felt clinical, detached from the way he understood connection. Still, he had filled out the forms, submitted his profile, and…completely forgotten about it.
‘Scent Match Registry - Notification of Pairing Confirmed.’’
Name: Kim Seungmin
Age: 23 years
Compatibility score: 99.7%
Trial Start Date: Pending Alpha Approval
Minho read the name twice. Then again. It didn’t ring any bells, but the attached profile did. A lawyer with high success rates, known for his precision and ability to dismantle arguments with a single glance. The kind of alpha who probably didn’t believe in fate or flowers.
He stared at the accept button, but didn’t press it.
Instead, he stood and walked to the back of the nursery, the email left on his open laptop screen. Minho knelt beside a tray of seedlings and ran his fingers gently through the soil, grounding himself in the quiet certainty of growth. The registry said they were a match. But Minho had learned that some things couldn’t be rushed.
He’d wait. Let the idea settle, then let the possibility bloom.
=
They were two very different people, though. Seungmin didn’t ‘announce’ things. He disclosed them, like facts in a case file. So when he told Chan, it was over coffee between court hearings.
‘’I’ve been matched,’’ Seungmin said, sipping his cup of espresso as if he was discussing yet another mundane news report.
Chan blinked. ‘’Matched? Like registry matched?’’
Seungmin nodded. ‘’An omega. His name is Lee Minho. A botanist.’’
Chan nearly dropped his cup. Seungmin already regretted telling him as he saw the pure joy in his friend’s eyes. ‘’You? With a plant guy?’’
‘’Apparently we’re compatible. 99.7%. Almost a perfect match.’’
Chan grinned. ‘’You know~ this means you’ll have to talk about feelings. And maybe…gasp! Share space.’’
Seungmin rolled his eyes. Chan only said ‘gasp’ when he was truly excited, just so he could incorporate some of his trademark sarcasm into it.
That night, he ordered scent neutral sheets and made a mental note to visit his doctor so he could update his suppressant prescription. He reorganised his bookshelves (a coping mechanism for stress), and cleared half of his closet, packing the other into his suitcase.
A text from Chan came in shortly after he finished. A picture of a book at his front step. When Seungmin went to check, there was a book, but no Chan. The cover read ‘Understanding Omega Emotional Cues,’’ which Seungmin promptly shelved under ‘Reference’.
Minho told his best friend, Felix, while repotting a fern. ‘’I got matched.’’ He said softly, brushing soil from his hands.
Felix froze mid-sip of his iced americano. ‘’Wait- like matched matched? Like…registry matched?’’
Minho nodded. ‘’Lawyer. Kim Seungmin.’’
Felix’s eyes widened. ‘’You’re moving in with a lawyer? That’s like putting a cactus in a koi pond. And the name. I think he’s one of Chan’s friends.’’
Minho smiled. ‘’To your first point, I like cacti. And, if he’s Chan’s friend, he’s in our circle. Shouldn’t that make things easier?’’
Felix shrugged and put down his coffee.
They spent the afternoon at Minho’s apartment, packing his things. Mostly books and a few sentimental trinkets. Minho chose his softest blankets, the teas that would soothe him, and a small ceramic fox he’d made in high school. They were going to have their trial period in a registry approved apartment. Sterile and clean. The thought sent shivers down Minho’s spine. He made sure to stuff in a few extra pillows. Felix made sure he didn’t forget his scent blockers and suppressants.