RL Chapter 55

Chapter 55 – Poker Game (Part 1)

Resonance 7, 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 the tense atmosphere lingered, the cornrow-haired usher placed a cocktail glass in front of Amane.

“This is a really delicious cocktail, you know. Amane-kun, you were drinking champagne at the party, so you can handle alcohol, right?”

Amane listened to Kourogi’s sweet-talking voice, staring at the bright red cocktail placed in front of him.

It’s almost certain that there was some kind of drug—either a sedative or a light drug—in it. No doubt, Aya was drugged with this and lost consciousness…

Amane lifted his gaze from the cocktail and smiled brightly.

“I can drink. And I love drinking.”

“I thought so. Then…-“

“-Unfortunately, I had a bit of a headache since this morning, so I took some painkillers earlier. I’d hate to ruin the night by getting sick from drinking, so I’ll pass on the alcohol.”

A clear expression of panic spread across Kourogi’s tanned face.

“Painkillers shouldn’t be an issue. It’s fine. We went through the trouble of making this special cocktail, so I’d really like you to try it. It’s not something you can drink anywhere else.”

“As much as I’d love to, it would be a disaster if I ended up vomiting from a bad reaction.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

As Kourogi desperately tried to convince him to drink the drugged cocktail, the guy with the black-rimmed glasses cut in, “Well, well… That’s enough.”

“Even if you insist, it won’t do any good,” the black-rimmed glasses guy said in a calm voice. But Kourogi still showed reluctance. It seemed he felt it would reflect poorly on him if Amane didn’t comply. Despite being nearly twenty years older than the trio, it was clear the power dynamic favoured the three Alphas. They probably came from an upper-class family, though likely not as prestigious as the Shutou’s. The class distinctions within the Alpha category seemed even more ruthless.

“Still, if he can’t drink, there’s no point in having him here. He’s here as a cast member to entertain us and we’re here for that reason.”

“Exactly.”

“And besides, he’s a man, anyway.”

The other two Alphas nodded in agreement with the man in black-rimmed glasses.

“Here’s a proposal. How about we settle this with a poker game?”

“A game?”

“Yes. If we win, you’ll follow our orders. If you win, this wallet is yours.”

With that, the man in black-rimmed glasses tossed a thick wallet onto the low table.

“You’re in need of money, aren’t you?” he pressed.

“This is a golden opportunity. What will you do?”

“……”

It was clear that in a four-against-one game, the odds were overwhelmingly against Amane. But if he refused the poker game after avoiding the cocktail, the mood would sour, and the gathering could come to an abrupt end. He wouldn’t be given a second chance as a ‘useless cast member’, and with it, any opportunity to expose their wrongdoings would vanish.

To avenge Aya, there was no choice but to accept.

Resolving himself, Amane tugged at his tie knot, loosening it, and flashed a fearless smile.

“I’ll play.”

***

“Kariya-kun, good work today!”

“You too, Seo-san. Thank you for your hard work.”

Kouki and Seo had spent the entire day glued to their computers, not even pausing for snacks, with nothing but the over-brewed coffee to sustain them. Even so, they didn’t finish clearing the backlog of post-incident reports that Amane had piled up until after 10 p.m.. The usually bustling detective division floor, known as the ‘Never-Sleep Castle’, had thinned out considerably by that time.

“Thank you so much for helping. Thanks to you, I won’t have to pull an all-nighter, Kariya-kun. I’ll handle the final summary and submit it to the chief.”

“Thank you. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

Kouki gave a slight bow to Seo, carrying his suit jacket under his arm as he left the floor.

Even during their work together, there had been no word from Amane.

Stepping into the hallway, Kouki redialed Amane’s number. But still, there was no answer. He heard the automated voicemail greeting again and hung up.

He had already left two messages, but there was no way to know if Amane had even listened to them.

If Amane had deliberately chosen not to call back, that would be infuriating. But manageable.

But what if, by some chance, he was in a situation where he couldn’t make calls?

A bad feeling crept up Kouki’s spine. Once the possibility crossed his mind, he couldn’t shake it. Driven by an uneasy sense of urgency, he hurried to the underground parking lot. Sliding into his beloved car, he turned the key in the ignition.

Just as he was about to press down on the accelerator, his foot froze.

―――Last night, you let your personal feelings interfere, messed up my operation, and even scared off Kourogi by glaring at him. If I bring you along, he’ll be on guard. So, the answer is no.

Amane’s cold, emotionless voice echoed in his mind.

Kouki had been denied participation, tricked, and left behind. And now, no matter how many times he tried to contact Amane, there was no response.

“…Damn it.”

Frustration boiling over, Kouki slammed his hand against the steering wheel. The car horn blared loudly, reverberating throughout the parking lot.

“…Damn it…”

It pained him to realise that, when it truly mattered, Amane wouldn’t rely on him.

What was he to Amane, anyway?

As a partner, he couldn’t compete with Odagiri.

They were ‘soulmates’, yet not lovers.

They had a physical relationship, but their hearts weren’t connected.

(If I chase after him, I’ll probably just annoy him…)

Maybe he was overthinking things. Even if Amane was in trouble, he might be able to handle it on his own, without Kouki’s interference.

Judging by everything Kouki had seen of Amane so far, that was highly likely.

(…But still.)

Amane had always worked alone without a partner, consistently producing results on his own, which made him proud and self-confident.

In reality, he was sharp-minded and had also mastered martial arts to compensate for the disadvantages of being an Omega.

In that sense, his confidence was backed by his abilities. But at times, this pride led to overconfidence, which could result in fatal dangers.

(I should go after all.)

Even if it’s a wasted trip, even if it annoys him, even if he yells at him, ‘Why did you come?’…

Kouki won’t be able to sleep anyway unless he confirms his safety.

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*Translator’s Note: That’s right, Kariya-kun… Listen to your gut feelings! Always! -K

*P/S: Thank you, Jenna, for your donation. 🥰 

Next update: 2025.02.25

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