Chapter 16 – Hiding Something
Resonance 2, Part 2
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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It happened two months ago. Yet Amane can still replay it in his mind word for word. He remembered Kouki’s fearless, unwavering gaze, his poised stance, and the rich, resonant tone of his voice—all burned clearly into his memory and onto his retinas.
(Well, in the end, I tried to scare him off. But he was surprisingly stubborn and wouldn’t back down. So I was the one who had to leave.)
With a wry smile twisting his lips, Amane shoved one hand into the back pocket of his pants. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, shook it in front of his chin, and caught the cigarette that popped out with his lips. Using his favourite oil lighter, he lit it and inhaled the smoke deeply into the farthest corners of his lungs.
The heat had started at the landing before he reached the rooftop. But luckily, the case he had been working on had just wrapped up.
If this had happened during a stakeout, things would’ve been much more troublesome. After all, his partner on the stakeout was Kouki, an alpha.
Alphas are already highly sensitive to omega pheromones. And to top it off, Kouki was his ‘soulmate’. Chances are, even a slight amount of pheromones would set him off, causing him to get aroused. And if Kouki went into a rut, he’d drag Amane along with him. They both knew very well where that would lead—Amane had experienced it twice already. If they ended up having car sex while on a stakeout, ignoring the suspect altogether, that would be the end of their careers.
“…That’s exactly why I didn’t want a partner…”
Teaming up with Kouki had brought unnecessary anxiety into Amane’s life. It forced him to confront his omega status, whether he liked it or not.
Should he continue this partnership with Kouki, even if it meant carrying the risk that one day it could cost him his normal life?
For the past two months, this question had crossed his mind time and time again. But he still hadn’t found an answer.
“…Haaa…”
Sighing along with a puff of smoke, Amane touched his face with the hand holding the half-finished cigarette. The sweat had completely dried. And his body temperature had returned to normal. It seemed like the episode had subsided. After confirming that the pill had worked, he tucked the bottle of mineral water under his arm and stood up.
“Well, time to head back.”
Amane dropped the half-burnt cigarette and crushed it under the sole of his sneaker. He was about to head down the stairs when he stopped, glancing sideways at the flattened cigarette butt.
“Cigarettes are harmful and provide no benefit. But if you absolutely have to smoke, do it in a designated smoking area. Keeping non-smokers safe from second-hand smoke is the bare minimum of courtesy for smokers. Also, take responsibility for your own cigarette butts. Littering is absolutely unacceptable.“
Furrowing his brow at the nagging voice replaying in his head, Amane stuck his hand into his front pocket and pulled out a portable ashtray. About a month ago, Kouki had forcibly handed it to him, frustrated that no matter how often he lectured Amane, he couldn’t get him to follow proper smoking etiquette.
Turning around, Amane picked up the cigarette butt and dropped it into the portable ashtray with a soft plop. He snapped the lid shut and slid the ashtray back into his pocket, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
“…What the hell am I getting domesticated for?”
Scowling at his own irritation, Amane muttered to himself and started descending the stairs.
The department where Amane worked was located on the second floor of a five-story police station with two basement levels.
Returning from the rooftop landing to the second-floor detective department, Amane headed back to his desk but paused when he saw Kouki sitting at the desk beside him. His partner’s posture was perfectly straight and the intensity of his focus was practically radiating from his back.
Now that he thought about it, when Amane left his seat about twenty minutes ago, Kouki had been glaring at his laptop screen with an unusually grim expression. He had furiously pounded away at the keyboard.
(What’s he up to?)
They had just finished processing and transferring the suspect earlier this afternoon, so there was no urgent work with a looming deadline. Even if someone from another department had asked Kouki for help, an alpha as capable as him should be able to handle it easily with one hand tied behind his back.
Finding it odd that Kouki was putting in so much effort, Amane silently crept up behind him and peeked over his shoulder at the laptop screen. Several windows were open. It looked like he was doing some research on the internet.
Just as Amane leaned in closer to see what Kouki was looking up, Kouki’s shoulder twitched, as if sensing his presence. He quickly turned around. And the moment he saw Amane standing behind him, he slammed his laptop shut.
Raising an eyebrow at his partner’s suspicious reaction, Amane asked, “Why’d you close it?”
Kouki averted his eyes, looking uncomfortable.
“…No particular reason.”
“Yeah, right. Were you browsing porn sites or something?”
“There’s no way I’d be looking at something like that during work. Actually, I don’t even look at that kind of stuff off-duty either,” Kouki shot back, falling for the provocation and returning his sharp glare to Amane.
“Is that so? Then there’s no reason to hide it, right?”
As Amane reached out toward the desk, Kouki grabbed the laptop, shielding it as he stood up.
“This is my personal property. Please don’t touch it without permission.”
He backed away a few steps, clutching the laptop behind his back. His voice sounded stern and his expression guarded. Seeing Kouki’s defensive stance, Amane narrowed his eyes slightly.
(Does he really think he can get away with that? Who does he think I am? I’m a detective—he can’t fool me.)
The more someone tried to hide something, the more a detective wanted to uncover it. It was simply in their nature.
“Is that so… Well, fine,” Amane muttered, shrugging as he sank back into his chair. He leaned against the backrest, making the office chair creak under his weight. Watching Kouki, who still hadn’t lowered his guard, Amane spoke again.
“Hey, how about we grab a bite to eat later?”
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*Translator’s Note: Hahahaha yeah the beast is being tamed. OMG. I think their interaction is just so cute. -K
Next update: 2025.01.17
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