RP Chapter 23

Chapter 23 – Being Picked Up

Volume 3, Resonance 3, Part 3

Novel Title: 共鳴熱情 オメガバース (Resonance Passion: Omegaverse)

Author：岩本薫 (Iwamoto Kaoru)

Illustrator：蓮川愛 (Hasukawa Ai)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: MC- 遠峰一紗 (Toomine Kazusa), Lemur & ML- ゼロ (Zero)

*Please read at knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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As soon as Kazusa started thinking about it, a heavy feeling settled in his stomach. He knew it would shock them. His younger brother, still a high school student, might be fine. But his parents would take a huge blow. For his ordinary Beta parents in the countryside, their eldest son suddenly coming out as an Omega would be nothing short of a lightning strike on a clear day. There was a high chance they wouldn’t be able to process the reality and might even end up bedridden.

It might be best to keep quiet for the time being.

If he were to tell them, it should be after securing a new job, at least.

Once he had some direction in life, perhaps they would find it easier to accept—so he hoped.

As he mulled over these gloomy thoughts with a downcast expression, a black two-seater car drove past the outer gate and smoothly pulled into the parking lot. The car came to a stop right in front of Kazusa, and the driver’s side window rolled down silently.

“Did I keep you waiting?”

Startled by the man’s voice, Kazusa let out a surprised “Eh?”

“Zero?”

When they had been moving his belongings earlier, Zero had said, “After I drop off your stuff at the new place, I’ll come back to pick you up. So wait for me at the dorm parking lot.” Kazusa had been waiting, assuming Zero would return in the small rental truck. The two-seater was unexpected. But Zero must have already returned the rental after finishing the move.

Zero opened the passenger-side door and jerked his chin, signalling for Kazusa to get in. Hesitating for a moment, Kazusa walked around to the other side and got into the passenger seat. He slid his body into the leather seat and looked around the interior.

The exterior looked sleek and stylish. The interior was also decked out in full leather, offering an incredibly comfortable seating experience. Even though Kazusa wasn’t knowledgeable about cars due to being a paper driver, he could tell this was a luxury vehicle. Even senior executives at the hospital couldn’t easily own such a high-end sports car.

While Kazusa felt restless in such a luxurious setting, Zero seemed completely at ease behind the wheel of the fancy sports car. It was as if he belonged there. It was, in a way, a perfect fit.

(Just who is this guy?)

The question finally surfaced, albeit late. Up until now, Kazusa had assumed things based on Zero’s flashy appearance and the fact that he lived downtown, imagining him to be something like the ‘King of the Night’ or ‘Legendary Host’.

But now, thinking more calmly, Kazusa realised he knew very little about Zero. The fact that they had slept together made it feel like he knew him better than he actually did. But in reality, he barely knew anything.

Kazusa didn’t know Zero’s age, occupation, background, or even his gender category.

Even Zero’s name was probably not his real one.

What he did know was that Zero always dressed in black, had a lot of connections with Stray Omegas, and didn’t seem to have any financial worries.

Kazusa started to feel uneasy about entrusting his life to someone he knew so little about.

He had always been cautious and overly careful, the type to check the sturdiness of a bridge so much that he’d end up breaking it…

“Seatbelt.”

A voice from beside him broke his train of thought.

“Huh?”

“Put on your seatbelt.”

“Oh… right.”

Kazusa unbuckled his shoulder bag and clicked his seatbelt into place just as Zero smoothly started the car. With a precise, effortless steering motion, Zero made a perfect U-turn and drove out onto the road.

Kazusa mentally added new information to his ‘Zero folder’: He’s an excellent driver.

(Now that I think about it… I don’t even know where I’m going.)

As the car moved, Kazusa gazed out the window at the familiar scenery and realised that he had no idea where his new home was. He had been so preoccupied with everything that needed to be done that he hadn’t even thought to ask. 

But now, it didn’t seem necessary to ask. He would find out soon enough, and wherever it was, he had no other place to go. So he would just have to accept it.

With a resigned determination, Kazusa braced himself and quietly watched the scenery pass by. But the growing silence started to feel oppressive. He glanced over at Zero, who was focused on the road ahead, calmly steering. Though Zero had been talkative when convincing Kazusa earlier, he didn’t seem like the type to make idle chatter.

“…”

The confined space of the car made Kazusa feel suffocated. Whether it was Zero’s body scent or the cologne he wore, the faint sweetness that drifted from him triggered Kazusa’s brain to replay memories of the intimate time they had spent together.

(Idiot. Stop thinking about it.)

Kazusa mentally pressed the stop button, hurriedly halting the playback in his head.

It had been a complete accident. And from Zero’s perspective, he had just been dragged into it, like an unintended bystander. Unlike Kazusa, for whom it had been his first experience, for Zero, it was probably just one of many casual encounters. While it had been a life-altering event for Kazusa, for Zero, it was likely nothing noteworthy.

Yes—that’s why, despite what happened, Zero was acting distant. Back then, he had been so passionate, saying things like, “I’ll take care of you” and “I’ll protect you”. But yesterday and today, he was oddly businesslike… And he seemed to be keeping a bit of a distance too.

(No, no.)

Kazusa shook his head slightly in secret.

That was fine. It had to be that way, or things would get complicated.

Since he had decided to rely on Zero for a while, getting too conscious of him would make things unbearable. They both should just pretend it never happened.

For the past two days, every time the memory threatened to resurface, Kazusa had mentally chanted, “Delete, delete,” to suppress it.

Yet here he was again, triggered by Zero’s scent, almost recalling that time…

The silence was the problem. If they kept quiet, Kazusa would start focusing on the man beside him. Thinking this, Kazusa decided to break the silence. 

“Um… may I ask your age?”

“My age? I’m twenty-nine.”

“I see, twenty-nine… Wait, what!?”

He couldn’t help but raise his voice in surprise.

“So… you’re younger than me?”

(That’s unexpected.)

Zero exuded a commanding presence. His extraordinary aura, strange sense of assurance, and confidence in his actions—all had made Kazusa assume he was older.

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Next update: 2025.04.08

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