Chapter 10 – “I Only Trust Myself”
Resonance 1, Part 6
Novel Title: 共鳴劣情 オメガバース (Resonance Lust: 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 knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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“Actually… I talked to my eldest brother about meeting my ‘soulmate’. Of course, I didn’t mention that my ‘soulmate’ is you.”
“Your eldest brother… isn’t he the CEO of the Shutou Group? Even I know his name.”
“You’ve heard of him, then. My eldest brother, Keiki, is well-connected and knowledgeable, especially in the Alpha social scene. I thought he might have information about ‘soulmates’ that I wasn’t aware of, so I confided in him. After all, it’s best to be prepared for the future. When I explained the situation, my brother identified it as ‘resonance heat’.”
“Resonance heat?”
“It’s the term used for a special phenomenon that occurs between ‘soulmates’. Apparently, Alphas and Omegas are genetically programmed to go into heat upon contact when they meet their ‘soulmate’. However, in reality, most never encounter their ‘soulmate’ in their lifetime. This is primarily due to the low population of both Alphas and Omegas. Additionally, Alphas, like my parents, often prioritise family status and bloodlines. This leads to marriages between Alphas being the overwhelming majority.”
“……”
“During resonance heat, the Alpha and Omega ‘soulmates’ experience an intense heat that even neutralises the effects of pills. However, this phenomenon tends to be even more intense when it coincides with the Omega’s natural heat cycle. If the Omega isn’t in heat, the contact only triggers a signalling effect—a sensation like an electric shock—as a way for both parties to recognize each other. If they were to immediately fall into heat upon meeting, they’d both suffer a significant loss of social credibility. It’s possible that this genetic programming was rewritten to adapt to modern society. If this theory holds, in our case, the reason why such a powerful resonance heat occurred was that our contact overlapped with your heat cycle, Honjou-san.”
“…Hmph.”
“Also, as a plus, it seems that children born between ‘soulmates’ tend to be highly gifted. There’s evidence of this from past statistics as well.”
“Evidence, huh? Sounds pretty dubious.”
“Well, there’s a certain segment of Alphas who desire ‘superior genes’. By the way, this is a personal matter. But I come from a family of three brothers. My second brother left home years ago, and we’ve since lost contact with him. Then, when I announced that I wanted to become a police officer, it was a huge shock to my parents.”
“No surprise there.”
“My eldest brother, though, convinced them otherwise. ‘As the eldest son, I’ll take responsibility for the Shutou family and our business, so let Kouki do what he wants.’ He said that, managing to calm our parents down.”
“Your brother really cares about you,” Amane said.
“Yes… truly. Thanks to my brother’s persuasion, my parents reluctantly agreed. I was able to fulfil my dream of becoming a detective. However, as a result, all the family’s expectations fell squarely on his shoulders. Now, he’s constantly being pressured by our parents to ‘settle down and produce an heir as soon as possible.’ And then, our relatives joined in, suggesting, ‘If you’re going to have children, why not have them with your ‘soulmate’?'”
“…I’m starting to feel sorry for your brother.”
“With two of the three sons being unreliable, I understand why my parents want to see the most dependable eldest son settle down as soon as possible. And I also see why the relatives, hoping for the family’s prosperity, would desire a talented successor. Since my brother had declared that he’d ‘take responsibility,’ he can’t completely ignore their demands… So now, in search of his ‘soulmate’, he’s hosting parties at our family home every weekend and inviting Omegas.”
“A bride-hunting party, huh? Sounds tough coming from an Alpha family with its obsession with lineage and status. So? You’ve been going on for a while—what’s your point?”
“Sorry, I digressed. What I wanted to say is that as long as you’re not in heat, the effects of the resonance heat will be minimal.”
“Hah. How can I take that at face value?”
What if that information was false and they started experiencing resonance heat just by Kouki touching him at work?
What if, just like before, Amane’s rationality snapped, and he succumbed to his instincts like an animal?
Kouki’s older brother had told him that if he’d met his ‘soulmate’, he should start taking Alpha-specific pills for his partner’s sake. So, Kouki had begun taking those pills. These pills are unlike the ones for Omegas, they’re milder in effect and side effects. But they must be taken daily. Still, that didn’t mean Amane could blindly trust in their efficacy.
(What if he feels safe just because he’s on the pill, but it doesn’t suppress anything…? It will all be over.)
If it became known that he was an Omega, everything he had built up until now would be ruined.
That day—Amane had vowed to survive, for the sake of his mother, who had died with regrets, wishing she could have lived longer in his place.
He wasn’t about to let this destroy the vow he made that day, or the life he’d fought tooth and nail to live up until now.
Determined, Amane got up on his own without taking the hand extended to him. Kouki, who had his kind gesture rejected, clenched his now idle hand tightly.
Seeing the disappointment and dejection that crossed Kouki’s handsome face caused a small, sharp pain deep within Amane’s chest. But he deliberately chose not to put a name to that pain.
(…This is how it has to be.)
He’d lived without relying on anyone until now. And it would be the same moving forward.
“I only trust myself. Let me make this clear one more time. Don’t touch me. Got it?”
When Amane firmly repeated himself, Kouki’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. He stood there for a while, as if struggling with emotions he didn’t know how to deal with. But eventually, he nodded slightly.
“…Understood.”
Though he didn’t look entirely convinced, it seemed he had decided that now wasn’t the right time to discuss their personal matters.
“Alright, let’s bring in the suspect,” Amane ordered.
“Yes. —What about her?” Kouki asked, gesturing towards Yukari, who was sitting in a daze after crying herself out.
“Yukari knew that Nitta was coming to her home, meaning the two were in contact beforehand. Their communication is likely still on her phone. Yukari’s phone will serve as physical evidence.” Amane replied. He then gave Yukari, who was still sitting on the concrete floor, a firm pat on the back.
“If you hand over your phone willingly and cooperate with the investigation at the station, we’ll be lenient regarding charges for obstructing police work and aiding an escape. Don’t just sit there—stand up. Stand and take control of your freedom. Only you can save yourself from this predicament.”
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*Translator’s Note: It’s gonna take a while to tame him, Kariya-kun… -K
Next update: 2025.01.11
Ah, the famous brother