Chapter 11 – Top Arrest Rate
Resonance 1, Part 7
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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“Honjou, Kariya. Good work on apprehending, interrogating, and prosecuting the suspect,” said Onizuka, the head of the criminal investigation department. He offered words of appreciation to Kouki and Amane, who stood side by side before his desk.
With his permanently furrowed brows, Onizuka’s stern face didn’t soften even when praising his subordinates.
With his broad, muscular frame and the intimidating aura that radiated from him, he wasn’t the most approachable superior. However, Kouki had a good impression of him. Even after learning that Kouki was an Alpha from the Shutou family, Onizuka treated him no differently from the other subordinates. This was a stark contrast to the Superintendent, who, despite Kouki repeatedly insisting that he didn’t want special treatment, would always shower him with cheap flattery whenever they met.
“From here on, it’s up to the prosecutors. But we’ve obtained the suspect’s confession and have all the physical evidence. There’s no doubt they’ll be indicted. You both did well.”
Receiving rare praise from his stern superior made Kouki’s back tingle. While he had been praised many times as a child due to the inherent advantages of being an Alpha, being recognized for his work as a detective was the greatest joy of all.
Kouki held back the rush of pride that threatened to overflow and responded earnestly, “I was just following Honjou-san’s instructions.”
This wasn’t just modesty; it was the truth. It was Amane who had identified the hostess as their target and decided to stake out her apartment. While Kouki had apprehended Nitta, that was only because he had followed Amane’s orders.
Indeed, it was Kouki who had mainly handled gathering and organising the evidence for prosecution, preparing the reports, and other paperwork. And during that time, Amane had casually disappeared and didn’t come near the office. But everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Desk work should be handled by those who are good at it.
“You two have been partners for two months now. Honestly, at first, I wasn’t sure how it’d turn out. But you’re starting to work well together,” Onizuka remarked.
“Thank you,” Kouki replied, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth at the kind words. But when he glanced at his partner standing beside him and saw the disgruntled expression on Amane’s face, his lifted spirits deflated instantly.
The way Amane stood with his arms crossed and body tilted to one side, looking bored, was reminiscent of a street gang member. It was far from the behaviour one would expect from a police officer standing before a superior.
If you were to judge by looks alone, the man standing next to him could be considered the crowning achievement of the gods of beauty. As an Alpha who had grown up in Upper Hills and had deliberately associated himself with Omegas as an adult, Kouki had developed an immunity to beauty in all forms. Yet Amane’s appearance always managed to leave him freshly astonished. Not only was he beautiful, but he also exuded a unique, seductive allure. In all of Kouki’s 23 years, he had never encountered someone who could be described as ‘bewitching’ without it feeling out of place until he met Amane.
His porcelain-like skin had a faint pale tint, his eyebrows were as if painted with a master artist’s brush, his almond-shaped eyes were elongated, and his dark, wet-looking eyes were captivating. His nose was finely structured, his lips tinged with red, and his black hair was both glossy and smooth. When they first met, Kouki had thought it a shame that half of Amane’s face was hidden by his bangs. But now he understood why.
Amane intentionally concealed his looks. His overbearing attitude, his aura of rejection, his sharp tongue, and all his intimidating behaviour were just ways to hide his true self. Even his rough clothing, decorated with multiple piercings, followed the same reasoning.
“What’s wrong, Honjou? You look dissatisfied,” Onizuka noticed the frown on one half of the pair standing before him.
“For this month too, you and your partner have the top arrest rate,” he added.
“Just so you know, the top arrest rate has nothing to do with being partnered with him,” Amane shot back in a low, husky voice, glaring at Kouki from the corner of his eye. “I’ve always been at the top, even when I was working alone.”
“Hey… Isn’t that a bit much?” Kouki retorted, unable to suppress his irritation. Amane snapped back, “Huh? You got a problem with that?”
“Both of you, calm down,” Onizuka intervened to mediate. “Honjou, you’ve received a lot of help from Kariya too, haven’t you?”
Kouki hoped, even if just out of politeness, that Amane would at least acknowledge, ‘Well, maybe’. But the man, oblivious to the atmosphere, snorted in irritation instead.
“If we’re done here, I’m going back to my seat,” he said, turning sharply on his heel.
“Honjou-san! We’re not finished yet,” Kouki called after him, but Amane didn’t stop. His well-proportioned figure strode away swiftly. Kouki could only watch him go in futility before turning back to his superior to apologise on his partner’s behalf, “I’m sorry.”
“You’ve got it tough,” Onizuka said with a wry smile.
“No… We’re partners. So it’s a shared responsibility. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Kouki replied, bowing slightly before turning around. Amane had already returned to his desk, slumped back in his office chair with his legs crossed high and making the backrest creak as he leaned against it.
The criminal investigation department, responsible for handling heinous crimes such as murder, extortion, robbery, kidnapping, and offences involving firearms or drugs, was divided into three squads, each with around twenty members. The first squad, to which Kouki and Amane belonged, handled violent crimes, the second handled thefts, and the third was responsible for organised crime. In addition, three forensic investigators were part of the department.
The floor of the investigation department had three rows of desks arranged in long, vertical rows of eight seats each. However, most of them were currently empty. As this police station managed crime-prone areas, the officers were frequently out handling cases. So they were often away from their desks.
Since Kouki and Amane had just finished processing and submitting the case they were handling that afternoon, they were free today and tomorrow unless an emergency came up. This brief respite was a reward for enduring three gruelling days of stakeout.
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Next update: 2025.01.12
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