RH Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Troublesome Partner?

Resonance 1, Part 2

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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“Partner? With Honjou?”

“You’re kidding me!”

“Poor newbie, he’s done for!” It was Seo who cried out, covering her mouth with her hand and turning pale.

“Sir, isn’t assigning him with Honjou right away a bit too much? No matter how talented he is, he’s still a newbie!” The First Squad’s Supervisor, Kuroki, voiced his objection with a stern expression.

“Besides, Honjou doesn’t usually work with a partner.”

“I know that. But this is an order from above. In other words, it’s final.”

Hearing that it was a directive from higher-ups, Kuroki fell silent, though his thin lips remained pressed together in discontent.

Kouki noticed that the mood among the team, which had been full of curiosity just moments ago, had now shifted to one of pity directed at him. It caused him to furrow his eyebrows slightly.

What kind of person was this ‘Honjou’ who could stir up such a reaction among his colleagues?

And it seemed this problematic figure would be his partner.

In the police force, it was standard for two detectives to operate as a pair—a ‘buddy system’. This system ensured mutual support, with each officer being a witness to the other’s actions. This significantly reduced the chances of wrongful arrests and provided strong evidence in cases where suspects refused to admit their crimes.

But the greatest advantage was that two officers were better equipped to handle dangerous situations than one.

In other words, a partner in the police force was not just a work companion but someone whose presence could be a matter of life and death.

His first-ever partner—is Honjou.

What kind of person could he be?

As Kouki pondered over the absent partner candidate, the office phone began to buzz. Seo reached for a nearby desk, picked up the receiver, and pressed the flashing button.

“…Yes. Please hold for a moment.”

Covering the receiver with his hand, Seo looked up and informed the head of the department, “The Superintendent is calling for you.”

The Squad Commander, frowning, responded, “Tell him I’ll be there shortly,” and then ordered the First Squad Supervisor, Kuroki, “If Honjou shows up, let him know I was looking for him.”

“Understood.”

“And teach the rookie the ropes.”

“Will do.”

Finally, the Squad Commander patted Kouki on the shoulder. “If you have any questions, ask your seniors.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Onizuka disappeared from sight, Kouki found himself immediately surrounded by his colleagues.

“Tough luck getting stuck with Honjou.”

“Starting with bullying right off the bat, huh? Poor guy.”

“Well, orders from above. Nothing we can do.”

“Exactly, we mere foot soldiers can’t resist.”

“Some say if you want to quit, now’s your chance.”

“But seriously, it’s bizarre. Why would they crush such a promising rookie right after he’s joined?”

Though their words were sympathetic, Kouki couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone looked rather pleased.

“Alright, alright. Seniors, no bullying the rookie. That would be harassment.” Seo forcefully intervened, pushing her way into the circle. “Disperse, disperse. Get back to work, everyone,” she called out.

“Come on, we’re just looking out for him.”

“Yeah, the moment a junior shows up, you start acting like a senior.”

Grumbling, the members dispersed. Seo approached Kuroki, who remained behind, saying, “Squad Supervisor, I’ll take care of Kariya. I’m free at the moment.”

“Thanks, that’s a big help.”

Relieved to be free of his supervisory duties, Kuroki replied, “I’ll leave the rest to you,” and returned to his seat. As soon as he sat down, he immediately started making phone calls. The other squad members also got busy with their computers or thick files.

“Kariya-kun, here. Take this.”

When Kouki turned around, he noticed something like an iron pin badge resting on Seo’s palm. Upon closer inspection, the badge had the letters “DEPS” engraved on it. It was likely a design modelled after the initials of “Downtown East Police Station.”

“Pin it to your collar. It’s your ID as a member of our station.”

Following the instructions, Kouki attached the pin badge to the flower hole of his suit.

“Looks good on you! Suits you perfectly!”

“Thank you.”

Oddly enough, just wearing the badge made him feel much more like a detective.

“You’ll get the rest of your gear, including your police notebook, from the general affairs department later.”

As Seo explained this, she suddenly leaned in close.

“Don’t worry about what just happened.” A quiet whisper was heard.

“They’re not bad people. But it’s just male jealousy.”

“Jealousy…”

“Yeah. When a young, handsome, and capable newcomer comes in, it’s probably instinctual that they don’t like it. You know, men have a strong territorial instinct. So don’t worry about it…-“

“-It’s fine.”

Before hearing everything, Kouki interrupted.

“I’m used to it.”

“Used to it?”

“Yes.”

It’s inevitable that an Alpha would stand out among Betas. To Betas, an Alpha is an alien being.

Even at the police academy, at first, he was kept at a distance, with clear lines drawn.

Even when he kept his status as an Alpha hidden, he was still often told, “You’re different from us,” or “You don’t understand how we feel.” But after six months of sharing both hardships and joys, people gradually started to open up to him. He still keeps in touch with his classmates even after graduation. So, he isn’t too worried about the barriers between categories of second gender.

What concerns him more is the existence of ‘Honjou’.

“Seo-san, may I ask? This Honjou-san that the Squad Commander mentioned…”

“Ah…”

Seo’s expression became complicated.

“Well… how should I explain it…”

“Seo-san!”

Seo, who had been pondering with her arms crossed, jerked her shoulders in surprise at the call and quickly turned around. A middle-aged woman in uniform was standing at the entrance where she looked. The veteran-looking policewoman was waving a bundle of papers in one hand.

“There are mistakes in the documents you submitted.”

“What… really?”

“And in several places too. Correct them immediately and resubmit!”

Urged in a stern voice, Seo replied, “Y-yes!”

“Kariya-kun, sorry. Could you wait for a bit? Your desk is over there.”

Pointing to the desk at the very end of the cluster, Seo ran over to the policewoman.

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*Translator’s Note: It’s troublesome indeed… 😏 -K

Next update: 2024.11.24

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