RL Chapter 19

Chapter 19 – Re-examine Details

Resonance 2, Part 5

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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As they stepped into the empty cage of the elevator, Kouki stood in front of the control panel and pressed the button for the top floor, ‘25’. The sliding door closed silently, and Amane began, “Speaking of which…”

“When I first met you on the rooftop, the person who repeatedly calling you was named ‘Mizuki’, right?”

“…”

Kouki’s shoulders shook as he turned to look at Amane, his eyes wide open.

“You remember…?”

“When you mentioned Mizuki Andou, I thought I had heard that name somewhere before. But, well, she’s a celebrity, so I brushed it off. It wasn’t until now, seeing you acting all familiar, that it hit me. —That vibe from that phone call didn’t feel like just a friend. She’s your ex, isn’t she?”

Kouki inhaled sharply at Amane’s remark. A few seconds later, he exhaled the breath he had been holding.

“…It’s an old story. We broke up before I entered the police academy.”

“But you’re still in touch, right?”

“Honjou-san, it really doesn’t matter anymore. We haven’t spoken in two months…”

“Doesn’t matter and I’m not interested,” Amane cut him off sharply, interrupting the man who was desperately making excuses. “We’ve arrived at the twenty-fifth floor.”

As he gestured toward the sliding door that opened smoothly, Kouki swallowed his words.

“Come on, lead the way. To your ex’s apartment.”

Despite the irritated tone of Amane’s prompt, Kouki exited the elevator first. Following the man ahead of him, Amane walked down a hallway that obviously boasted high-end interior design. Eventually, they stopped in front of a door where Kouki reached for the intercom. Moments after pressing the button, a muffled sound came through the intercom.

“Yes?”

“It’s Kouki.”

“Just a moment.”

After a brief wait as instructed, the door swung open with a click. Peeking through the gap was a familiar, small, fair face often seen in TV commercials. She wore nearly bare, natural makeup that was more than enough to showcase her beauty. Mizuki made eye contact with Kouki, she then turned to look at Amane.

“This is my partner, Honjou. He’s a really excellent detective.”

“Thank you.”

Amane ignored the flattery and gave a light bow towards Mizuki. The top actress widened her large eyes even more and stared intently at Amane’s face.

“Is this person a detective?”

Her inviting voice slipped out. Amane was accustomed to being suspected of identity fraud due to his unconventional appearance.

“Should I show you my police badge?”

In response to Amane’s retort, Mizuki shrugged. “No need for that. Come in,” she said, stepping aside. Kouki, having removed his shoes at the entrance, dutifully murmured, “Pardon my intrusion,” before stepping inside. Amane followed suit.

“Thanks for coming even though you’re tired.”

“Well… I was saddened to hear about Aya.”

Kouki replied in a low voice to her words of gratitude. Mizuki silently nodded in agreement. Turning around, she started walking down the inner hallway, gesturing for them to follow. She had likely changed into loungewear after coming home, wearing a fluffy matching set that enveloped her. Her chestnut hair was carelessly pulled back with a barrette, and the only accessory she wore was a pair of small stud earrings that sparkled from her earlobes.

Even in such an unadorned outfit, she still possessed an attractive charm that drew attention. It was easy to understand why she was ranked number one among many young actresses and why Kouki had chosen her as a partner.

As Mizuki opened the inner door, a chicly coloured living room came into view. Approximately half of the twenty tatami-mat sized living room was occupied by glass windows, offering a stunning panoramic view of the nightscape. As expected from the top floor of a tower, the view was outstanding.

(Being twenty-five storey high and looking down at the world from here is quite impressive.)

As Amane admired the view, he suddenly heard a ‘woof!’ from somewhere, sensing something scampering toward him. Another ‘woof!’ echoed and it leaped at Kouki.

“Anzu!”

Upon closer inspection, the reddish-brown toy poodle was entwined around Kouki’s long legs. Excited by the arrival of Kouki, the dog circled around him, jumping up and down in joy. Even Kouki, who had seemed stiff just moments ago, softened his expression. He crouched down and began to pet the round head of the poodle, welcoming it warmly.

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

“Woof!”

“Anzu, don’t dirty the suit. His clothes are incredibly expensive!”

As she watched her exuberant dog, Mizuki gazed on with a somewhat wistful expression. However, shaking her head as if to cut ties with those feelings, she headed toward the kitchen in one corner of the living room.

“Would you like something to drink?”

Mizuki asked while opening the refrigerator. Kouki replied, rubbing the belly of the toy poodle lying on its back, “No need to bother.” Amane said, “I’d be happy with some water.”

Mizuki returned with three bottles of mineral water, saying, “Please sit down,” as she gestured toward the sofa. After Kouki and Amane sat down, she placed a bottle in front of each of them on the coffee table before taking a seat in the facing wing chair.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

Amane picked up the bottle set in front of him and quenched his thirst. Mizuki also took a sip from her mineral water. Kouki, however, didn’t pick up a bottle. Instead, he took out a black leather notebook and a pen from the inner pocket of his suit.

Anzu seemed to tire after her earlier excitement, settling on Mizuki’s lap and closing her eyes.

“Right away, I’d like to discuss Aya’s death, which has been concluded as a suicide, to re-examine the details,” Amane stated, seeking Mizuki’s explanation once the setup for the questioning was complete.

“I’ve already shared what I heard over the phone, so you can skip that part,” Kouki added.

Mizuki nodded in response. 

“This is something Aya told me… six months ago, on the night she was victimised by rape drugs, she was apparently called in as a pinch hitter for a hostess role at a drinking party.”

“Called in by whom?”

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*Translator’s Note: I’m really emotional with this Aya case. Being drugged, raped, and murdered and the police just ruled it suicide. I’m still unsettled by this audacity! -K

Next update: 2025.01.20

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