"Please, Mama? Please, Dada?" Taehyung whined, clasping his hands together while following his parents around the kitchen.

"Just look at me! I'm handsome, smart, and completely ready for university life."

Jin glanced up from the counter where he was cutting fruit and immediately snorted softly.

"Smart?" Jin repeated suspiciously.

Taehyung gasped loudly.

Meanwhile Namjoon sat at the dining table with his tablet, looking completely unaffected by the chaos around him.

"I want to live in the dorms like everyone else," Taehyung continued dramatically. "I want freedom. I want independence. I want to study seriously."

At the word study, Jin slowly turned his head toward his son with the most unconvinced expression possible.

Taehyung avoided eye contact immediately.

"No," Namjoon said calmly before Taehyung could continue. "You are not going."

Taehyung froze."...What?"

"You are not going to Seoul alone," Namjoon continued firmly. "I already spoke with the university. Your online classes will begin next month."

For three whole seconds, silence filled the kitchen.

Then Taehyung's eyes widened in horror."ONLINE?!"

"Yes."

"You want to imprison me inside this house forever!" Taehyung cried dramatically. "You both want me to die lonely and miserable!"

"Baby-" Jin started carefully.

"No, Mama! Don't 'baby' me right now!" Taehyung huffed, already tearing up. "Everyone else gets normal university life except me!"

Jin sighed softly at the sight of his omega son's trembling lips.

Taehyung looked so pitiful standing there in oversized pajamas with messy hair and watery eyes that Jin almost gave in immediately.

Jin walked closer and gently fixed Taehyung's fluffy bangs.

"Listen to Mama first," Jin said softly. "Seoul is a huge city. You will be alone there."

"But I want normal life!" Taehyung cried. "I want roommates! Dorm photos! Late-night ramen! I want to live like normal alphas and omegas!"

Namjoon finally put his tablet down with a tired sigh."You are not like other omegas, Taehyung."

Taehyung's face fell instantly at those words.

The room slowly filled with the sweet scent as Taehyung's emotions spiraled out of control again.

Jin noticed immediately and reached for the scent blocker spray on the counter from pure habit.

That alone proved Namjoon's point.

Taehyung's omega instincts were difficult to manage.

Even now, at nineteen, Taehyung still struggled controlling his omega scent whenever he cried or got stressed. Strong emotions made his pheromones spill uncontrollably, and because his scent was naturally sweet and strong, it attracted attention quickly.

Namjoon's expression softened slightly despite his strict tone.

"You are beautiful, sensitive, and careless," Namjoon said honestly. "Do you know how dangerous that combination is for an omega living alone?"

Taehyung looked down angrily. "I can protect myself."

"You forgot your suppressants at the mall last month," Namjoon reminded him. "Your scent spread through half the building."

Taehyung immediately became quiet.

That incident had terrified all three of them.

A few aggressive alphas had reacted badly to Taehyung's uncontrolled scent before security intervened. Taehyung himself had nearly collapsed afterward from stress and fear.

Jin still remembered how tightly Taehyung had cried into his chest that night.

Their omega son was beautiful, emotional, trusting, physically weak... and completely terrible at protecting himself.

"You are not ready yet," Namjoon said firmly. "What if your blockers stop working? What if you go into sudden heat? What if some rogue Alpha smells you and tries to force a bond? What if someone tries to force themselves on you?"

Taehyung's eyes filled with tears again immediately.

"I hate being omega," he whispered shakily.

Jin's heart clenched painfully. "Baby..."

"I hate this!" Taehyung suddenly cried louder. "You both think I can't do anything myself!"

"That is not true," Namjoon said immediately.

"Then let me go!"

"No."

The word hit Taehyung hard.

His lips trembled violently. For a moment, he just stood there silently while tears rolled down his cheeks.

Then he turned around quickly.

"I hate you both!"

And before Jin could stop him, Taehyung stormed upstairs.

SLAM!

The entire hallway shook from the force of his bedroom door.

Silence filled the kitchen afterward.

Jin looked at the stairs, then turned to his husband.

"Namjoon..." Jin started, his voice cracking slightly. "Maybe we are being too strict? He has to grow up eventually."

Namjoon rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Jin, you know what the city is like. If he goes there alone... I won't sleep a single wink."

He wrapped an arm around Jin's waist, and pulled him closer, breathing in his mate's comforting scent to steady his nerves.

Jin sighed, looking down. He wanted his boy to be happy, but the fear in his chest told him Namjoon might be right.

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Upstairs, Taehyung threw himself onto his giant bed.

"Worst parents ever!" he cried loudly into the pillows.

His sweet scent instantly turned sour from his bad mood, filling the entire room.

Taehyung kicked his legs angrily against the blankets before sitting up with teary eyes and messy hair.

"Fine," he sniffled dramatically. "If they not let me go... then I run away."

The omega gasped softly at his own idea.

Immediately, Taehyung jumped off the bed and dragged his biggest backpack from the closet. He started throwing random things inside without thinking properly.

Three fluffy hoodies.

Silk pajamas.

Two plushies.

Honey butter chips.

Lip balm.

Suppressants.

"There," Taehyung nodded proudly after stuffing the bag completely full. "Perfect survival bag."

He completely forgot normal clothes.

Or money.

Or even a toothbrush.

But details were not important right now.

Taehyung struggled to lift the heavy bag onto his shoulders before waddling toward the window.

He pushed it open confidently.

Then looked down.

"...Oh."

The second floor suddenly looked terrifyingly high.

Taehyung swallowed nervously while staring at the ground far below.

"If I jump," he whispered in horror, "I not go to university... I go to the hospital."

His omega instincts immediately screamed danger at him.

The front door was impossible too. Namjoon and Jin were still downstairs, and the scary guards stood outside near the gates like prison security.

Taehyung slowly sat down under the window with a miserable pout, hugging his knees. The giant backpack made him look like a tiny upset turtle.

"Stupid second floor." he muttered angrily.

Then his eyes filled with tears again.

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To be continued.....

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