RH Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – A Stray Omega

Resonance 2, Part 5

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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⚠️*TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains depictions of (possible) underage prostitution and attempted sexual assaults. Proceed with caution.

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“Got it. I’ll go take a look at the body.”

Once the forensics finished their work, Amane walked toward the corpse.

“I’ll go too.”

As expected, Kouki offered to come along. Amane wanted to shoo him away, but he held it in.

(Ignore him. Just ignore him.)

After saying a prayer with his hands together, Amane put on gloves and began examining the body lying in a pool of blood. The face was hidden, but from the exposed neck, arms, and ankles, it was clear the victim was a young man. He was quite slim, and not very tall—probably in the upper 160s or at most around 170 centimetres. His clothes consisted of a white long-sleeved shirt and black skinny pants. His feet were bare, wearing only black flats.

After checking the entire body, Amane moved to a position where he could see the face. Sure enough, there were clear signs of strangulation on the neck, as Kuroki had mentioned. The victim’s skin was so pale that the finger marks were plainly visible.

From his angle, Amane could see about a third of the right side of the face. The eyes were open, and silky black hair fell over the eyes.

“…Huh?”

Something in the image before him felt off. He crouched down on his hands and knees, getting as close as possible to the victim’s lifeless, obsidian eyes, staring intently.

“Is something wrong? Did you notice something strange…?”

He heard Kouki’s suspicious voice from above, but he ignored him. Carefully, he brushed aside the hair covering the victim’s face and spotted a mole at the edge of his right eye—a so-called ‘tear mole’.

Confirming that, Amane grabbed the right arm of the corpse and flipped it over.

“Are we allowed to touch the body?”

Kouki asked in a reproachful tone. But Amane ignored him again, pulling up the sleeve of the shirt. The wrist, which had been hidden by the cuff, revealed a tattoo of a gecko.

(…I knew it...)

Amane bit his lip tightly.

He had wished that it was just a misunderstanding, but that was not to be.

Letting out a deep sigh, Amane stood up. Once more, he clasped his hands in front of the body. After praying for the deceased’s peace, he turned around and met Kouki’s gaze, who was standing right behind him. Avoiding his questioning look, Amane called out, “Team Leader.”

Kuroki, who had been talking to the forensic investigator, responded to the call and came towards them.

“What is it?”

As Amane took off his gloves, he informed Kuroki.

“We’ve identified the victim.”

***

The victim’s name is Shou. However, it’s unclear if this is his real name.

Shou was a high-class male prostitute who belonged to a brothel in the red-light district. It’s likely that ‘Shou’ was his stage name. But now that he’s deceased, the chances of finding his real name are virtually zero.

Amane first met Shou about half a year ago. While patrolling the Deep Downtown area on his own initiative, he came across a scene of drunken assault in a back alley late at night.

“Stop it… Please stop,” cried the victim, a young boy being straddled by a middle-aged man.

Amane pulled the man off from behind and struck his face a couple of times, then kicked him out of the alley.

The victim turned out to be a rather innocent-looking boy, around sixteen or seventeen years old. Slender and petite, with a pale, delicate complexion and refined features – thin eyebrows, a sharp single-lidded gaze, and thin lips. He had a small ‘tear mole’ on his right cheek, further enhancing his fragile, beautiful appearance.

It was clear at a glance that he was an Omega. Not only was his face strikingly beautiful. But he also emanated a distinctive pheromone. Probably, the drunken man had been drawn to this pheromone.

The boy, unaware that Amane was a detective, thanked him in a trembling voice.

“Thank you for saving me…”

There was not the slightest hint of toughness in the boy with tears glistening in his eyes. Upon closer inspection, he was dressed in high-quality clothes and carried himself with a certain elegance. He was clearly out of place in the dangerous back alley.

An Omega without the means to protect himself, wandering alone in the deserted commercial district, was essentially courting disaster. Amane couldn’t help but scold him.

“Roaming around by yourself at this time is practically asking to be attacked.”

If he hadn’t happened to pass by, that drunken man would have certainly raped him.

“I’m sorry…” 

The boy’s apology suggested that he was aware of the recklessness of his actions.

“You’re a minor, aren’t you? Where are your parents?”

The boy silently shook his head. So, he had no parents.

“Well, can’t be helped. Where’s your home? I’ll take you there.”

“No, it’s alright… I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t be stubborn, kid. If I leave you here and you get attacked again, it’ll be on my conscience.”

Reluctantly, Shou guided Amane to the back entrance of a high-end brothel in the red-light district. Amane introduced himself as Amane, omitting the fact that he was a detective. His late-night patrol was a personal action, not an official duty. So he didn’t want to make it public.

Through their conversation, Amane learned that Shou was intelligent. Although he lacked formal education, his responses showed a sharp mind.

Eventually, Shou stopped in front of the brothel’s back entrance. This was a renowned high-class establishment, known for its elite male and female sex workers.

“This is it?”

“…Yes.”

Shou nodded, looking uncomfortable. His expression clearly indicated that he preferred to keep his identity hidden.

“I see…”

Amane’s heart was filled with a complex mix of emotions upon realising that Sho, an Omega, was a Stray Omega. He was a young boy earning his living as a sex worker.

He was still a child. Yet, he was forced to sell his youth to survive. Stray Omegas had no choice but to do so, as they had no other means to live.

“Uh, thank you very much for going out of your way to bring me here.”

As Shou bowed politely, Amane asked him.

“May I ask you one thing? What were you doing in that place today?”

Sex workers in the brothels were strictly managed as commodities. For Shou to be wandering alone at night was highly unusual. That he had risked escaping the brothel meant he must have had a compelling reason.

After some hesitation, Shou reluctantly spoke.

“I was trying to get my hands on suppressant pills. I heard there was a doctor in that area who prescribed them through the black market…”

A year ago, Shou had presented as an Omega at the age of sixteen. But he had no national ID number, so he had never been able to obtain the pills. In his line of work, it was preferable not to suppress his heat. The brothel owner had told him so.

But Shou wanted to control his heat. He wanted to live a normal life, to break free from the cage-like existence he was trapped in.

“So, without knowing the area, you ventured into the Deep Downtown based on uncertain information to get the pills?”

“Of course, I know that even if I get the pills, it doesn’t solve everything right away. I need to save up a substantial amount of money to truly escape. But the security was a bit lax today, so I couldn’t resist the urge to get out…”

“In other words, you snuck out of the brothel, taking advantage of the loosened surveillance.”

Stray Omegas are often provided with a place to live and have their living expenses covered by the brothel owner until they reach the age of their first heat. As children, they perform various odd jobs. But once they reach their late teens and their heat begins, they start working as sex workers.

The owners invest in grooming the Omegas, who are their commodities, by hiring top-notch aestheticians, makeup artists, and tailoring custom outfits adorned with jewellery to increase their value.

This upfront investment becomes a debt for the sex workers. Some who become popular can pay off their debts and gain independence. But for someone Shou’s age, that is still a distant prospect.

If the sex workers are assigned to Alpha or elite Beta patrons, they can live a relatively comfortable life, even if they lack freedom. Many indulge in a hedonistic lifestyle, pampered and spoiled. However, it seems Shou has a more stoic nature.

While it’s not wrong to want to fulfil one’s dreams and not resign oneself to his current circumstances, for a Stray Omega, that path is strewn with thorns.

“But after what just happened, you should know that area is dangerous. You could have been killed, not just attacked.”

Amane deliberately spoke harshly, driving the point home. Shou paled as he realised the gravity of the situation.

“Don’t go there again, understand?”

“I won’t go there again.”

Shou solemnly promised. But as he was about to leave, he seemed reluctant to part. They exchanged email addresses before saying goodbye.

“Well, see you.”

“Thank you so much for today.”

As Shou waved goodbye at the brothel’s back entrance, Amane noticed for the first time a tattoo of a gecko on his right wrist.

Apparently reflecting on his reckless actions that had put him in danger, Shou later sent Amane a thank-you email. Amane replied and they continued to exchange messages sporadically.

In their conversations, Shou repeatedly expressed his desire to live a ‘normal life’.

He didn’t want a glamorous, luxurious lifestyle. 

What he desired was a simple, ordinary daily life.

A life free from constant surveillance.

The freedom to control his own destiny.

The youth of a seventeen-year-old.

Amane advised him through email that he shouldn’t be impatient.

[As long as you didn’t give up, an opportunity would eventually come. You should be patient and not take unnecessary risks.]

[I understand. I think now is the time to be patient]

Shou’s responses were solemn, perhaps because he felt a sense of gratitude towards Amane. He acknowledged that it was a time for endurance.

[Honjou-san, can I meet you again someday and talk to you?]

[Sure, someday]

About three months ago, Shou had asked Amane if they could meet again to talk. Amane had agreed.

After that email, Shou’s contact had ceased. Amane had been preoccupied with cases and had not reached out, assuming Shou would eventually contact him again.

Never could he have imagined that he would encounter Shou’s lifeless body before hearing from him again.

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*Translator’s Note: My heart is broken for Shou….

P/S: I usually type way too fast. If there are any errors, please inform me since I haven’t proofread any of my chapters. Thanks! -K

Illustration 4:

Next update: 2024.12.01

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