RP Chapter 48

 Chapter 48 - Someone Special

Volume 3, Resonance 6, Part 6

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)

*Moved from knoxt.space, the original site of translation.*

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Unlike the tears he had shed earlier, these felt warm.

(When was the last time I felt so refreshed? It was like a mist clearing from my heart.)

The performance quietly came to an end, and Zero slowly lifted his hands from the keyboard. Kazusa hurriedly adjusted his glasses and wiped the tears away with the back of his hand.

As he stood from the sofa and gave Zero a round of applause, Kazusa started to piece together the reason why Zero had suddenly played the piano.

Zero, believing that taking care of employees was the duty of the owner. He had noticed something was wrong with the newcomer.

In times like these, an employer’s role isn't just to interrogate.

With that thought in mind, Zero must have invited Kazusa into his room and played the piano for him—

“That was an amazing performance.”

Zero frowned at Kazusa’s heartfelt praise and replied, “...I can’t just blame the tuning. My skills have dulled quite a bit,” clearly not satisfied with his own playing.

“I can’t quite put it into words, but it touched my heart... I felt healed. It made me feel lighter.”

Zero turned to Kazusa, raised his shoulders slightly, and said, “Is that so? Well, that’s good, then.”

Seeing those words and the somewhat embarrassed expression on Zero’s face, Kazusa knew his guess had been right.

Indeed, Zero had broken his silence and played just for Kazusa’s sake.

Last time, he had encouraged him. And this time, he comforted him.

At that moment, Kazusa felt a strange sensation in his chest. A tightness, deep inside, as if something was being squeezed.

(...What is this?)

As he grappled with this unfamiliar feeling, Zero closed the piano lid and stood up. He returned to the seating area, sat in the armchair, and picked up the cup from the coffee table.

“Are you never going to play jazz again?”

Even as an amateur, Kazusa could tell that the gentle melody Zero had just played wasn’t jazz. The performance had been beautiful and deeply soothing, but Kazusa couldn’t help but want to hear Zero’s jazz, so he asked.

“I’m no expert, but wouldn’t practising bring your skill back...?”

“The skill, yes.”

Zero gave a cryptic answer and took a sip of his herbal tea. He set the cup down on his thigh and spoke again.

“When I was six, I think my father decided he couldn’t keep it hidden anymore. So he told me about my real mother.”

“......”

“He gave me a CD at that time—a live recording from my mother’s younger days. I listened to it over and over, until it was worn out. Eventually, just listening wasn’t enough. I had been studying classical piano since childhood, but I taught myself jazz. After my father’s wife banned me from playing it at home, I practised in the school music room. Back then, I believed that jazz would one day connect me to my mother.”

“And... that dream came true, didn’t it?”

“Yes. But after two years of playing in my mother’s band, I burned out. Jazz is music played with the soul.”

“So, it’s not something you can continue with just skills?”

Zero nodded in agreement.

"I managed to play at clubs for a living... but I moved on after finding a new goal. I no longer have the intention of playing for random people. If I play, it will be for someone special."

Zero said this with a serious expression.

"Someone... special?"

Kazusa felt a dull pain in his chest, different from the tightness he had felt earlier. It was a strange discomfort, a sense of envy toward this ‘special someone’ who held a special place in Zero's heart.

(What was I just thinking?)

Kazusa was startled by the jealousy he felt toward someone he had never even known. A sense of primal fear washed over him, and he quickly stopped his thoughts.

He told himself not to think about it any further. Don't think. Don't dwell on it. Don't think about it.

He chanted this like a spell while lifting his cup. With the last sip of herbal tea, Kazusa swallowed down a new bitter emotion he had never felt before.

***

The next afternoon, during a break, Kazusa was stretching in the first-floor gym when Serval, dressed in gym wear, approached him.

"Good morning, Sensei."

"Good morning."

"It's rare to see you here. Is this the first time we've run into each other here?"

"I used to stretch in my room, but I figured I should start doing some strength training too."

Kazusa’s left knee had been improving, so he thought it was time to begin upper body strength training. He had learned from the incident with Lycaon that he needed to be able to protect himself. Besides, he didn’t want to worry Zero any further.

"We work at night, after all, and drink with the customers too."

Serval sat down on a rubber mat next to Kazusa and extended his legs, bending forward in a stretch. He was so flexible that his body folded completely in half.

"Looks like your arm is doing much better."

"Yeah, there's no more pain. And you can barely see the wound unless you really look closely. It's all thanks to you, Sensei."

Serval smiled at Kazusa, who returned the smile. It was no surprise that a young person would heal quickly. But it was fortunate that there was no scar left behind.

"By the way, last night around one, did you hear the sound of piano playing?"

Serval’s casual question made Kazusa's heart skip a beat.

"Before going to bed, I stepped out onto the balcony for a smoke—don’t worry, I only allowed myself one cigarette before bed—and I heard this gentle melody coming from somewhere above. Someone might have just been playing music with the window open. But I’m pretty sure it was someone playing a piano."

"......"

"If someone was playing piano on the upper floors, it would’ve been the owner, right? But I’ve never heard him play before. You live right below him, Sensei—didn’t you hear it?"

Kazusa shook his head.

"I was so tired yesterday, I fell asleep right away."

"Hmm, I see. Well, now that I think about it, it seemed unlikely for the owner to play anyway."

Serval continued stretching, spreading his legs wide and bending forward, while Kazusa felt a chill run down his spine.

If Serval on the fifth floor could hear it from the balcony, then it was possible that that guy on the sixth floor could have heard it too. If he had noticed the sound and stepped out onto his balcony, the melody would have been quite clear.

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*Translator’s Note: Stupid guy not realising the special someone is himself. Haish… And yeah Lycaon heard it, of course. Guess what he’ll do next? -K

Next update: 2025.08.03

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