Bound by four

Maria Orphanage in Jiang was a place where laughter echoed through cracked walls, but rules were carved deeper than the stone foundation. The warden, Madam Maria herself, had one obsession: no cross-category touching.

“Alphas touch Alphas. Betas touch Betas. Omegas touch Omegas. Anything else is chaos!”

She repeated it so often that even the walls seemed to chant it back.

The Quartet of Chaos

Jin (12, S-class Alpha) was the golden boy. Smart, smooth-talking, and annoyingly hot for his age, he walked like the orphanage was his runway. Every time he tried to pat Wei’s head, Madam Maria would materialize with her ruler: “Hands off the Omega!” Jin would grin, shrug, and wink at Wei anyway, which only made the warden’s glasses fog up in rage.

Lan (12, Alpha) was obedient and submissive despite his rank. He became Jin’s official “high-five partner.” The two of them high-fived so often that their palms looked like they’d been sunburned. Lan didn’t mind—he thought of it as his duty to absorb Jin’s energy and Rui’s obsession all at once.

Rui (12, Beta) was the schemer. Manipulative, cunning, and obsessed with all three of the others, he hated the rule most of all. Since he couldn’t touch anyone, he invented “Beta Clubs” where the only member was himself. He’d sit dramatically in the corner, hugging his own arms, muttering, “One day, they’ll all be mine.”

Wei (10, Omega) was the baby of the group. Fragile, dependent, and two years younger, he didn’t understand emotions but knew one thing: he wanted hugs. Since hugs were illegal, the others smuggled comfort through objects. Jin gave him pencils, Lan gave him blankets, Rui gave him cookies. Wei clutched them like treasures, declaring, “This is basically a hug!”

Underground Rituals

The warden thought she had created order. In reality, she had created the funniest underground rebellion in orphanage history.

Proxy Hugs: Jin and Lan would high-five, then immediately press their palms against Wei’s back—technically not “touching,” just “transferring warmth.”

Cookie Codes: Rui handed Wei cookies in different shapes. Circle = “I like you,” star = “I’m jealous,” triangle = “Jin looked at me today.”

Blanket Diplomacy: Lan wrapped Wei in blankets so tightly that it counted as “blanket touching,” not “Alpha touching Omega.”

Every loophole became a comedy act. The warden would storm in, ruler raised, only to find Jin and Lan slapping hands like maniacs, Rui whispering to cookies, and Wei waddling around like a burrito.

The Great Catch

One evening, Madam Maria caught them mid-ritual. Jin was teaching Wei “the art of cool walking” while Lan held up a blanket like a curtain, and Rui was dramatically narrating the scene like a theater director.

“STOP!” Madam Maria shrieked. “Alphas with Alphas, Betas with Betas, Omegas with Omegas!”

The kids froze. Jin smirked. Rui gasped like he’d been stabbed. Lan bowed his head obediently. Wei, wrapped in the blanket, blinked and said, “But I’m just a burrito.”

The warden’s glasses fogged so badly she had to retreat, muttering about “mathematical discipline” and “polynomial chaos.”

Closing Beat

And so, Maria Orphanage became less of a home and more of a stage. The four children lived under the strictest rules, yet found the funniest loopholes. Their polynomial of love was already forming—full of obsession, dependence, charm, and rebellion. Madam Maria, the warden of the orphanage, had one weakness: she couldn’t sleep at night. To cope, she swallowed her sleeping pills every afternoon and collapsed into bed for exactly two hours. During that time, the orphanage was silent—except for Rui.

For days, Rui stalked her routine like a detective. He scribbled notes in his little notebook:

“Pills at 1:00 PM.”

“Snoring begins at 1:15.”

“Glasses fall off at 1:20.”

No one noticed him sneaking around, tiptoeing like a shadow. Jin was too busy practicing his “cool walk,” Lan was folding blankets, and Wei was chewing cookies like they were treasure. Rui had the perfect cover. One afternoon, after confirming the warden was deep in her pill-induced slumber, Rui marched straight into the common room. His eyes gleamed with triumph.

Without hesitation, he grabbed Lan first—hugging him tightly. “Lan, my obedient Alpha, you deserve affection!” he declared.

Then he spun to Jin, wrapping his arms around him. “Jin, my golden star, I will never be denied!”

Next came Wei, the burrito Omega. Rui hugged him so hard the blanket nearly unraveled. “Wei, my fragile treasure, you too shall be loved!”

And then—like a theater actor on stage—he gave each of them a dramatic kiss on the cheek.

The room went silent. Jin blinked. Lan blushed. Wei squealed, “Does this mean I’m special?”

Rui raised his arms like a victorious general. “Brothers, hear me! Every day, for two glorious hours, while Madam Maria sleeps, we shall hug! We shall kiss! We shall rebel against the tyranny of the no-touch rule!” From that day forward, the quartet had their daily two-hour rebellion.

Jin pretended he didn’t care, but secretly enjoyed the attention.

Lan accepted every hug with quiet obedience, secretly relieved Rui’s obsession had an outlet.

Wei lived for it, declaring, “This is the best part of the day!”

Rui, of course, treated it like a sacred ritual, announcing each hug like a royal decree.

Meanwhile, Madam Maria snored in her room, completely unaware that her strictest rule was being shattered every single afternoon. Every afternoon, when Madam Maria swallowed her sleeping pills and drifted into her two-hour nap, the orphanage transformed. The silence of her snores was their signal—the moment the four children could break the most sacred rule.

Rui, the Beta mastermind, had revealed their secret ritual with dramatic flair: hugs and kisses, hidden in the warden’s slumber. What began as rebellion soon became something else.

Jin and Rui

Jin, the S-class Alpha, laughed at Rui’s theatrics at first. But when Rui hugged him tightly and pressed a kiss to his cheek, Jin felt something strange—warmth that lingered longer than a joke. Rui’s obsession wasn’t just manipulation; it was devotion. Jin found himself waiting for that daily hug, even if he teased Rui about being “clingy.”

Lan’s Quiet Submission

Lan, the obedient Alpha, accepted Rui’s embrace without protest. But inside, his heart raced. Rui’s obsession with him felt heavy, yet comforting. Each kiss on his cheek was like a chain and a gift at once. Lan began to crave the ritual, even though he never admitted it aloud. His submissive nature made him the perfect balance—absorbing Rui’s intensity, Jin’s charm, and Wei’s dependence.

Wei’s Awakening

Wei, the fragile Omega, squealed every time Rui hugged him. At first, he thought it was just fun—like being wrapped in a blanket. But slowly, he began to understand: this was affection. This was love. Rui’s kiss on his cheek made him blush so hard he hid under his blanket burrito, whispering, “I think… I like this.” Two hours each day became their sanctuary.

Jin smirked but secretly longed for Rui’s touch.

Lan obeyed but secretly cherished the comfort.

Wei blushed and began to awaken to emotions he never understood.

Rui, triumphant, basked in the fact that he had them all—his obsession finally rewarded.

The warden slept, unaware that her strictest rule was being shattered daily. And in those stolen hours, the children discovered not just rebellion, but the first sparks of something deeper—romance blooming in forbidden hugs and dramatic kisses. The secret two-hour rebellion had already become the highlight of their days. But now, something new was stirring—Lan, the obedient Alpha, was starting to change.

At first, Lan accepted Rui’s hugs with quiet submission. But slowly, he began to crave them. Rui’s obsession, once heavy, now felt like warmth. Each kiss on his cheek made his heart race. And so, Lan did something shocking: he invented a new rule. Lan’s Declaration

During one afternoon ritual, Lan stood up, cheeks flushed, voice trembling but firm.

“From now on,” he announced, “Rui cannot hug or kiss Jin or Wei until Rui kisses me five times first.”

The room froze. Jin raised an eyebrow, smirking. Wei gasped, clutching his blanket burrito. Rui blinked, then broke into a dramatic grin.

“Five kisses? A challenge worthy of my devotion!” Rui declared, bowing like a knight. And so, the ritual changed.

Rui would march straight to Lan, planting five exaggerated kisses on his cheek—sometimes counting aloud, “One! Two! Three! Four! Five!”

Only then was he allowed to move on to Jin and Wei.

Jin teased, “Looks like you’ve got a clingy fan, Rui.” But secretly, he felt a pang of jealousy.

Wei squealed every time, whispering, “Lan stole my kisses!” before hiding under his blanket.

Lan, once submissive, was now clingy—clinging not to Jin or Wei, but to Rui. His quiet obedience had transformed into quiet possession. That night, after their secret two-hour rebellion, the orphanage was quiet. The warden snored in her room, glasses crooked on the nightstand. Jin lay awake, staring at the ceiling, still feeling the sting of jealousy from earlier. Rui’s kisses had been monopolized by Lan’s new “Rule of Five,” and Jin hated admitting it, but he wanted Rui’s attention too.

Lan noticed.

Sliding quietly across the creaky floorboards, Lan lay down beside Jin. His voice was soft, almost conspiratorial.

“Jin,” he whispered, “I saw your face today. You were jealous.”

Jin smirked, trying to play it off. “Me? Jealous? I’m an S-class Alpha. I don’t get jealous.”

Lan shook his head, obedient but determined. “You don’t have to pretend. I… I like Rui’s kisses too. But maybe we don’t have to fight for them.”

Jin turned, curious. “What do you mean?”

Lan’s cheeks flushed. “Rui has two cheeks. I’ll kiss his right cheek five times. You can kiss his left cheek five times. That way… we share him.”

Jin blinked, then burst out laughing. “Lan, you’re turning this into math homework. Two cheeks, five kisses each… Rui’s going to look like a tomato.”

Lan smiled shyly. “At least then, you won’t feel left out. And I won’t feel like I’m stealing him.” When the warden drifted into her pill-induced nap, Rui prepared for his usual dramatic ritual. But this time, Jin and Lan stood side by side, arms crossed.

“New rule,” Jin declared. “Lan takes the right cheek. I take the left. Ten kisses total before you move on.”

Rui gasped, clutching his chest like a theater actor. “Two Alphas… claiming me together? My destiny is fulfilled!”

Wei, wrapped in his blanket burrito, squealed. “That’s unfair! What about me?”

Jin ruffled Wei’s blanket. “Don’t worry, burrito. You’ll get your turn.”

And so, the ritual evolved again. Rui became the center of a double-Alpha kiss storm, Lan grew clingy but cooperative, Jin’s jealousy turned into playful rivalry, and Wei learned the art of pouting. The afternoon rebellion had become routine: Rui received five kisses from Lan, five from Jin, then moved on to hug and kiss Wei, who squealed happily under his blanket burrito. But that day, something shifted inside Lan.

As Rui leaned down to press his lips to Wei’s cheek, Lan’s thoughts churned.

I kiss Rui every day… but never Jin. Rui gets both of us, but Jin only shares Rui. If I don’t act, Jin will grow jealous again. And maybe… maybe I want to know what it feels like too.

Lan’s submissive nature had always kept him quiet, obedient. But now, his clinginess pushed him forward.

The Moment

Lan stood abruptly, startling Jin. Without hesitation, he grabbed Jin’s wrist, pulled him close, and kissed him.

It wasn’t dramatic like Rui’s kisses. It wasn’t playful like Jin’s smirks. It was simple, quick, but full of meaning.

Jin froze, eyes wide. “Lan… what was that?”

Lan’s cheeks burned red. “If Rui can have both of us, then… we should share too. I’ll kiss Rui on the right cheek five times, you on the left. But… I should kiss you too. Or else you’ll be jealous again.”

Jin blinked, then laughed softly. “Lan, you’re turning this into a whole geometry lesson. Two cheeks, five kisses, now triangles of affection?”

Lan smiled shyly. “Maybe. But I don’t want you to feel left out. And… I don’t want to feel left out either.”

Rui’s Reaction

Of course, Rui noticed. He gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. “Lan! Betrayal! You kissed Jin before me!”