RL Chapter 25

Chapter 25 – Aya’s Former Manager

Resonance 3, Part 3

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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Amane took the lead, rounding the corner of the building. About 1.5 metres wide, the gap between the izakaya and the neighbouring store revealed the back entrance. The door was open, and from there came the sounds of people chatting, the sound of running water, steam, and the aroma of sautéed soy sauce and oil. It appeared to lead into the kitchen. A man stood against the wall beside the door, fiddling with his phone.

The man seemed to be in his late thirties. He was wearing a white T-shirt, navy pants, and an indigo apron with the restaurant’s name in white. He also had an indigo tenugui wrapped around his head.

In the photo Crow had sent, Shimokawa was neatly dressed in a suit and tie. But the man before them now sported a scruffy beard and was barefoot in traditional Japanese sandals. Still, it hadn’t been long since he left the agency. So his appearance hadn’t changed so drastically that Amane couldn’t recognize him.

As they approached, the man, absorbed in his phone, sensed their presence and looked up. His puffy, deep-set eyes focused on them.

“You’re Shimokawa Toru, aren’t you?”

At Amane’s question, the man frowned. He scrutinised Amane and Kouki alternately, as if suspicious of the odd combination of Amane’s flashy, multiple-pierced, rough-looking demeanour and Kouki’s elite appearance in a three-piece suit, before finally asking, “Who are you guys?”

Since Amane often faced disbelief when identifying himself as a detective, he opted for proof over argument. He pulled his police badge from his back pocket and held it out. The man’s face paled as he saw the metal badge displayed before him.

“…The police?”

“That’s right. You’re Shimokawa Toru, correct?”

When Amane confirmed again, the man nodded obediently this time. He tucked his phone into his apron pocket and straightened up.

“What… What does the police want with me?”

Shimokawa asked cautiously. Instead of answering, Amane gave a silent signal to his partner standing just behind him. Kouki nodded, took out his notebook and pen, and stepped forward.

It had been two months since they began working together. Naturally, the role of conducting interviews had fallen to Kouki.

With Kouki’s skills, he could memorise every word without writing it down. However, he chose to take notes as a tactic to exert psychological pressure on the person being questioned.

“This won’t take much of your time. I’d like to ask you a few questions. You were a manager at the talent agency ‘Chance Promotions’ until four months ago, correct?”

“Uh… yes.”

“Did you manage a talent named Aya there?”

The moment Kouki mentioned Aya’s name, Shimokawa’s temple twitched. But without showing any further change in his expression, he answered, “Yes.”

“I was in charge of several talents at the same time. So she was just one of them…”

“Could you tell me why you left Chance Promotions?”

“Well… it was for personal reasons.”

“Personal reasons, you say. Could you be more specific?”

As Kouki calmly continued with his questions, Shimokawa’s expression grew more and more strained until, finally, he snapped.

“Hey, just a minute!”

Unable to contain himself any longer, he spoke in an irritated tone.

“What on earth happened? Why are the police here…?”

“Aya is dead.”

Amane cut in before Shimokawa could finish. “Wha—” he gasped, left speechless.

Staring at the man, who stood with wide eyes and his mouth half-open in shock, Amane observed him closely. He used every bit of his experience-honed intuition to scrutinise him.

It didn’t seem like an act. Shimokawa appeared genuinely surprised. Amane doubted that a mere manager could put on a performance capable of fooling a professional detective like him.

Just as Amane came to that conclusion, Kouki turned to him. His eyes conveyed the message, ‘He’s in the clear’.

“Is… Is it true about Aya? When did this happen?” Shimokawa asked in a trembling voice, seeming to have finally snapped out of his stunned state.

“About ten days ago. The cremation has already been completed.”

“…What was the cause of death?”

“Drowning.”

Without specifying whether it was a suicide or a homicide, Amane simply stated the cause.

“Drowning…”

“Aya was pregnant when she died.”

“Pregnant!?”

Shimokawa’s voice shot up in disbelief.

“What about the child?”

Amane simply shook his head in silence. Seeing this, Shimokawa’s mouth twisted as he squeezed his eyes shut. His tightly clenched lips quivered. Before long, he began to sob, emitting sounds that resembled a howl, like a sorrowful cry.

Overwhelmed by the successive shocks, Shimokawa continued wailing, “Oh, oh,” while tears cascaded down his face. After wiping away the flood of tears, he slowly opened his eyes. His sclera were bloodshot and his face was drenched in tears and sweat.

“…I… I scouted Aya myself. I first saw her working at a fast-food place. Her big, bright eyes and adorable face left a strong impression… I knew instantly that she was an Omega… She was petite, but her figure was great.”

Sniffling, he started speaking in a tearful voice, bit by bit.

“I saw her potential and gave her my business card, striking up a conversation. Aya told me she dreamed of becoming an actress and was already taking acting lessons. That made things easier. I invited her to join our agency. …In reality, even if you join a production agency, that doesn’t mean you immediately get the roles you want. ‘Chance Promotions’ has a star like Mizuki Andou, but only a rare few can rise to fame that quickly. To become a star, looks and talent aren’t enough; you need luck, too. …Aya wanted to be an actress, but to get her face and name out there, I got her gravure jobs. I persuaded her to pose in swimsuits, even though she wasn’t thrilled about it. Her magazine spread received great feedback in reader surveys, and soon, a photo book was decided. As a gravure idol, she had a fantastic start.”

“And then you had her fill in as a stand-in for a drinking party,” Amane pointed out.

Shimokawa’s shoulders twitched in response.

“Was it really just a drinking party?”

Shimokawa tore the tenugui from his head and exhaled deeply. Tiny beads of sweat had formed along the closely cropped hairline of his head.

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*Translator’s Note: Hmm you should’ve helped her back then, ex-manager-san. -K

*GLOSSARY: 

• Tenugui – Japanese small towel. 

Next update: 2025.01.26

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