RH Chapter 29

Chapter 29 – Internal Turmoil

Resonance 6, Part 1

Novel Title: 共鳴発情 オメガバース (Resonance Heat: Omegaverse)

Author：岩本薫 (Iwamoto Kaoru)

Illustrator: 蓮川愛 (Hasukawa Ai)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 本浄天音 (Honjou Amane) & 苅谷煌騎 (Kariya Kouki) / 首藤煌騎 (Shutou Kouki)

*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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Kouki stood at the entrance of the Criminal Investigation Department at the Downtown East Police Station, thirty minutes late for work. He glanced around the sparse floor, where most of the detectives had already headed out.

The person he was looking for, as usual, had his feet kicked up on the desk. Spotting his ill-mannered partner in his line of sight, Kouki took a deep breath.

(Stay calm… It’s alright.)

Muttering to himself, he walked over to his own desk and placed his briefcase on it. He turned his head toward the neighbouring seat and, consciously maintaining a neutral tone, greeted him.

“Good morning.”

With a creak, Amane lowered his feet from the desk. He swivelled his chair around to face Kouki. Their eyes met. Kouki’s heart thumped. He struggled not to replay the events of that morning in his mind.

Ever since they had shared a hot and lascivious time together and Kouki had learned the significant ‘secret’ that Amane was a Stray Omega, Kouki’s thoughts had been almost entirely consumed by the man before him.

Even after leaving his place that morning, walking to the parking lot where his car was parked, driving back to his Upper Hills home, and taking a brief nap while waiting for the hospital to open, Amane had been at the centre of his thoughts.

Whenever he realised it, his mind would replay Amane’s different expressions and voice during their intense sex.

Each time, Kouki scolded himself.

(Don’t think about it. Don’t relive it. Don’t dwell on it.)

That was an accident. Just as Amane had declared, it would never happen again. Therefore, he had to promptly erase it from his memory and, the next time they met at the station, treat him as nothing more than a colleague.

No matter how many times he told himself that, when he finally faced Amane, just meeting his eyes made his heart behave erratically… He realised that he hadn’t reset himself at all.

Amane, on the other hand, was astonishingly neutral. In his eyes, and on his face, there was no trace of any special emotions toward Kouki. No turmoil, no conflict—nothing.

He was so cool and detached that it made Kouki question if it had all been just a dream.

But upon reflection, it made sense. Amane was a professional in this field. Despite being an Omega, he had hidden his true nature and lived someone else’s life since the age of ten.

Making a ‘mistake’ disappear as if it never happened was probably second nature to him.

Not only was Amane his senior as a detective, but Kouki also felt the disparity between their maturity as human beings. And it irked him.

Of course, Amane, being older than Kouki, had more experience. There was no helping in the age gap.

No matter how hard he tried, that gap wouldn’t close. And it would never reverse in their lifetimes.

It was strange, Kouki thought, how something so obvious could irritate him this much… It was weird.

As he was struggling with the frustration, which felt almost like impatience, Amane, who had been silently gazing at him for a while, suddenly spoke.

“Did you go to the hospital?”

“Yes. I stopped by first thing in the morning. They ran a full check-up. There were no particular issues.”

“And your wound?”

“They stitched it up, so it should heal in a day or two.”

As Kouki explained, Amane grimaced slightly and muttered under his breath.

“…Alphas really are monsters.”

The superiority of Alphas extended to their basic physical abilities. Even if they sustained the same injury as a Beta, an Alpha would heal faster. They had stronger immune systems, higher resistance to viruses and bacteria, and could withstand extreme temperatures. They were also said to be mentally tough.

It was no surprise that many Alphas held top positions in large corporations, bureaucracies, and political offices, as these roles required great responsibility.

On the opposite end of the spectrum were Omegas. While not exactly cursed with short lives, many Omega individuals had shorter lifespans. They were said to be mentally fragile, with poor stress tolerance.

That was why Amane being an Omega and working in a demanding job like detective work, which required exceptional toughness, had been so surprising.

With a delinquent and self-reliant demeanour, Amane had the highest arrest rate in the division. But for someone who constantly pushed themselves to the limit, the backlash was undoubtedly significant.

Even though Amane took suppressant drugs during his monthly heats, he must always be on edge, anticipating the worst and never having a moment of peace.

As Kouki thought this, memories of Amane being swept up in his heat that very morning resurfaced. Kouki furrowed his eyebrows.

(What am I remembering? This is the workplace. Get a grip. Forget it!)

But even if his mind could erase it, the sensation of being inside of Amane was something his body couldn’t forget…

The raw, vivid feeling from just a few hours ago came flooding back, and before Kouki realised it, he was gazing at Amane with a heated look. Amane’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly. He frowned, showing his irritation, and in a low voice, growled, “You…”

Just then, the sound of a phone ringing broke the tension.

Ring, ring…

Amane flinched and pulled out his smartphone from the back pocket of his pants. After glancing at the home screen, he tapped the call button and put it to his ear.

“Yeah… it’s me. I’ll move to another place. Wait a moment.”

He stood up and walked out of the office, as if not wanting his colleagues to overhear the conversation.

(It might be some new information about Shou.)

The tension switched Kouki’s focus back on track. He straightened up in his seat, waiting. Amane returned about five minutes later.

“Who was the call from?”

“Crow.”

Crow was the informant Amane used. Yesterday, in Deep Downtown, Amane had met with him and asked him to gather information related to Shou. It seemed like Crow had uncovered something new.

“Let’s go.”

Amane grabbed his mod coat from the back of his chair and slipped it on, stuffing his hands into the coat pockets as he headed out of the office. Kouki followed after him, feeling a surge of excitement.

As Kouki hurried after Amane, who was descending the stairs, his chest felt warm. Just moments ago, Amane had naturally said, ‘Let’s go’, as if Kouki joining him was a given, without even confirming his willingness. Being included in the investigation like this was a huge step forward.

As Kouki thought back to their earlier exchange that morning, it echoed in his mind:

―――Honjou-san, What do you think of alphas?

―――I don’t like them.

―――I’d rather not have anything to do with them.

“…”

Their relationship, marked by that intense first meeting, had never been simple. A series of unbelievable ‘accidents’ kept catching Kouki off guard.

(Even so, as partners, I hope we can slowly build trust…)

When Amane headed straight to the underground parking lot, Kouki pulled out his car keys from his jacket pocket. He remotely unlocked his two-seater car, which he had parked earlier, and walked to the passenger side, opening the door.

“Please, after you.”

Amane shot Kouki a glare.

“Don’t act weird. I can open the door myself.”

“Sorry. It’s just a habit.”

“Tch… playboy.”

Muttering under his breath, Amane got into the passenger seat. After closing the door, Kouki walked around to the driver’s side and got in. He buckled his seatbelt and let out a small sigh of relief. Thanks to the mental shift, he managed to maintain his composure, even in the confined space of the car with just the two of them.

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*Translator’s Note: We really got a dog-like Seme, eh??? -K

Next update: 2024.12.17

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