''T-This has to be a mistake...''
''Miss, we've tested you three times already. It is very unlikely the result is faulty.''
Facing the middle-aged doctor's firm eyes, Moeka froze. Having been convinced that she, a veteran magical girl, would have been differentiated into an Alpha, or at least a Beta, it came as a heavy blow. In a split second, hundreds of thoughts flashed through Moeka's mind. How did this happen? How come other magical girls all became the dominant type while she was classified as the 'submissive' and 'fragile' one?
It could be that she was merely an outlier, though Moeka did not accept this explanation. She searched and searched in her memory archive until a brief scene resurfaced. On that fateful night, as she cornered Aloe in the basement, the criminal began tossing things toward her. One of which was a glass vial containing an unknown pink liquid. Magical Osbeckia naturally blocked it, but some of that fluid did splash onto her.
'Was that the cause...?!'
Considering Aloe Mochizuki's apparent history of researching shady substances, it would indeed be plausible for the vial to be the culprit. For that alone, Moeka's hatred toward that woman increased tenfold!
However, Aloe was still alive, and she could have the solution to it. Latching onto the final strand of hope, Moeka gritted her teeth, snatched the result paper on the table, ''Thank you,'' She left those words and headed outside.
''Wait,'' The doctor said, ''Miss, your pheromones is leaking.''
''Um... but it's not like I can control it...'' Moeka scratched her cheek.
''Makes sense. We're all new to this, and there are no suppressants at the moment.''
''...Why are you telling me this, then?''
The female doctor glanced around the ward, then lowered her voice, ''It seems you've a lot pent up. Your pheromones are quite rampant. As a Beta, I am not affected, but it could get dangerous for you outside. I'd suggest letting out some steam for a temporary fix or finding an Alpha partner to ease it off—the state's recommendation.''
Heat rushed to Moeka's face faster than she could control her emotions. Even though she had deliberately touched herself before arriving in the hospital to avoid this exact comment, it did not help at all. It also explained why some people looked at her strangely while she was on the street.
''You said you couldn't sense others' pheromones well earlier, right?'' The doctor added, ''It is likely because yours are too overwhelming.''
''...Understood. Thank you.''
Fists clenched, Moeka left the room.
She took a deep breath before taking out her phone. Determined to get to the bottom of this, Moeka left a message for her mother before dialing Fumiko's number. A popular anime OST rang softly beside her ear. Soon, the call picked up.
''Hello?''
[Moeka? What's up?]
''Can you talk right now?''
[Sure. Go on.]
''I just got differentiated...''
[...Okay. What's the result?]
''An O... tch...''
[Hm?]
''An Omega! I'm an Omega...!''
Moeka could have sworn she heard the voice on the other side getting giddier. Uehara Fumiko had, expectedly, become a proud Alpha just a day prior, and she would not hesitate to grasp an opportunity to tease Moeka now that the results were out. Irritated as she was, the pink-haired woman chose not to get worked up by it.
[But that's unusual. I didn't think you, of all people, would be an Omega.]
''Neither did I...'' Moeka sighed, ''By the way, is Aloe Mochizuki at your lab?''
[Yup. Got her tied to a chair. What, you have a lead or something?]
''I do, actually. I need to talk to her.''
[Come to the lab, then—ah, should I pick you up?]
''...''
Moeka was about to refuse when she remembered—she was a vulnerable Omega. If a crazy person lost it over her pheromones and assaulted her, she would have to transform to fight back, which was not ideal in the slightest. Reluctantly, Moeka accepted the offer and cut the call.
Around a dozen minutes after Moeka descended the building, a stylish black sports car pulled up to the hospital's entrance. Already familiar with its presence, she approached the vehicle. At the same time, Fumiko got out of the car, still wearing her white lab coat.
''...''
''...''
Almost instantly, both of them froze. It was their first time meeting one another since Casey summoned them to the bureau. One Omega and one Alpha, with the former leaking strong pheromones to boot—somehow, the idea of getting into a cramped space together seemed... inappropriate.
Rather, even before all of that, did either ever feel this awkward upon seeing the other person before? More than a decade of friendship, and now, the way they looked at each other seemed to be distorted by the day. Hastened heartbeats. Nervousness. Lust.
''...Get in.'' Fumiko coughed, opening the door for her friend.
Moeka nodded, her cheeks bright red, ''Thank you...''
As the wheels rolled, neither uttered a word. Moeka had her face stuck to the window, avoiding looking at Fumiko. In the enclosed space, she sensed the other person's invigorating scent vividly. It soothed her mind, yet made her body inexplicably hot and itchy. She found herself wanting to get closer to Fumiko, to touch her pale, smooth skin, and...
'Shut it, you idiot!'
Moeka channeled her utmost strength to resist those blasphemous thoughts.
Meanwhile, Uehara Fumiko was facing an equally dire crisis. Ever since seeing Moeka, her throat had been incredibly dry. Nothing could fix it. What she craved was the source of this rampant, sweet yet intoxicating scent that took over her world. The nagging desire nearly drove her insane.
Gripping down on the wheel until her skin turned white, Fumiko tried to power through this drought with some banters, ''Your pheromones are drowning me, Moeka...''
''Ah, um... sorry...'' Moeka muttered.
Fumiko noticed her childhood friend was relentlessly wiping her glasses—a sign of nervousness. Somehow, even that came across as irresistible.
''How did that happen?'' Fumiko mused, ''Surely you've tried to relieve it?''
''I-I did! But it didn't work...''
''Want me to do it for you, then?''
''...''
''...I'm an Alpha now, you know?''
A peek to the side, and Fumiko found the cutest creature in the world. Moeka, with her golden eyes round and trembling, was staring at her in disbelief, mouth hanging, flustered. The redness ran up to the woman's ears, and steam almost puffed up from her head.
Fumiko herself did not know what prompted her to make such a provocative... joke, though she found herself quite eager to act it out if the other side agreed.
'I guess this is how it works...' She thought, 'This pheromone stuff is really powerful.'
But while Fumiko accepted the change rather easily, Moeka was overwhelmed by it. She could not accept such a drastic transition to her thought process and her instincts... yet.
''L-Let me think about it.'' She replied hastily.
Fumiko, who fully expected a total rejection, felt her heart skip a beat, ''Sure...''
Once again, silence descended upon the narrow world between the two. Moeka only realized how her answer might have come across two beats later. Embarrassed to the core, she could only look away for the remainder of the journey.
''...We're here.''
At the lab's parking lot, Fumiko turned off the car's engine before exiting. Taking a breath of fresh air, her head immediately cleared somewhat. She circled to the other side, opening the door for Moeka, who had her head down.
''Let's go. I hope that woman didn't try anything stupid...''
''...Wait.''
Moeka caught Fumiko's sleeve. With a voice lighter than a feather, a reddened face, while hugging herself tremblingly, she uttered, ''L-Let's do it. I can't make good decisions if my mind's clouded like this...''
''...''
At that moment, something snapped in Fumiko's head.