Chapter 59 - Signs of Jealousy
Volume 4, Resonance 8, Part 2
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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It wasn’t a lie. Supporting Serval and trying to keep up with young female customers’ enthusiasm was far more challenging. With Inukai, he could be almost his true self. Other cast members might have found Inukai boring, but he and Kazusa seemed to be on the same wavelength.
“Though I still feel like I haven’t talked enough,” Inukai said, looking slightly unsatisfied.
“Is there any chance we could go for an after-hours drink?”
Kazusa hadn’t expected to be invited out after work on Inukai’s first day as a regular, and he felt a little uncertain.
“Well… it’s a bit early for that…”
“Lemur.”
Inukai suddenly grabbed his hand, making Kazusa flinch slightly. He hadn’t expected any physical contact during their service time and was caught off guard.
“Inukai…?”
Inukai held Kazusa’s hand tightly, looking at him with intense eyes.
“I’ve never met an Omega like you before. You’re intelligent, witty, thoughtful, and possess a beauty that’s clear and pure—a truly rare Omega.”
“Your words are too kind… I’m honoured.”
“Would it be alright if I fell for you?”
“…”
Kazusa was utterly taken aback. He hadn’t expected Inukai to look at him that way.
(Is this my first confession in my life?)
The fact that the first person to express romantic interest in him was a married man in his late forties was perplexing, to say the least.
“But… what about your wife…”
“My wife is my wife. And you are you.”
(So, does he want me to be his lover?)
Kazusa quickly rejected the idea in his mind but knew he couldn’t afford to lose a regular customer on their first day.
There was only one thing he could say now.
“Could you give me some time to think about it?”
The look on Inukai’s face was visibly disappointed. He must have been confident Kazusa would accept. After a moment, however, he composed himself, muttering, “Maybe I was a bit hasty.”
“Of course, I’ll wait.”
Trying to appear magnanimous, he spoke with affected elegance, smiling—then suddenly brought Kazusa’s hand up to his mouth. Kazusa shivered at the sensation of Inukai’s moist lips and the prickly feel of his moustache against his knuckles. Resisting the urge to pull his hand away, Kazusa endured it.
“Well then, I’ll see you tomorrow… Good night.”
“Good night. Please take care on your way home.”
Kazusa lowered his head as Inukai entered the taxi and continued waving until the taillights disappeared from sight. Only then did he let his hand fall and discreetly rubbed the back of his hand against his shirt, where Inukai’s lips had touched.
He let out a quiet sigh.
Though he’d put the matter on hold for now, he knew he couldn’t avoid it forever. Dragging things out would be unfair to Inukai. Yet, if he turned him down, he’d likely lose him as a regular, which would be a huge loss to the lounge—especially since Inukai was a VIP member.
Right on his first day, Kazusa had already encountered an unexpected dilemma. Hospitality work truly was challenging…
(I’ll just have to talk to Serval and the others and ask for their advice.)
As he turned around, still deep in thought, he found Zero standing in front of him, arms crossed, legs spread in a ‘commanding’ stance that seemed quite fitting.
“What? How long have you been here?”
Kazusa’s voice came out louder than he intended.
This was his first time facing Zero so closely since the incident with Misa. Both of them had been busy lately—Kazusa with his new clients, and Zero with his own workload—so they hadn’t run into each other in the shared spaces except during meetings.
―――Thank you… you’re Misa’s lifesaver.
Staring at Zero, who stood blocking his path, Kazusa was reminded of the hug they’d shared outside Gazelle’s room.
“… …”
Over the past few days, he’d been replaying that moment, the warmth and strength of Zero’s arms, and he kept reminding himself:
It was a hug out of gratitude. It didn’t mean anything more. There was no deeper meaning…
“Does it matter how long I’ve been here?” Zero replied, looking annoyed.
(Is he angry?)
Kazusa felt an intense aura of irritation emanating from Zero’s expression and his all-black attire. But he didn’t know why. Facing the silent figure, Kazusa hesitantly spoke.
“…Were you here to see Inukai off?”
During lounge hours, Zero and Hawk were typically stationed in the office, handling tasks like monitoring the surveillance cameras, doing paperwork on their computers, and keeping a close eye on the lounge’s current status so they could direct the cast and staff as needed.
There should have been preparations underway for the start of the second shift, so it was unusual for the owner himself to come out to see off a VIP member.
“No… I just wanted to check up on things,” Zero said.
“Check up on things?”
Did he notice something while watching the customer interactions on the cameras? Could Zero’s irritation mean Kazusa had done something wrong?
“Sorry, did I make a mistake…?”
“It sounded like the after-hours invitation was a bit insistent—are you alright?”
Kazusa’s eyes widened at the sudden, pressing question.
(He heard that?)
The realisation that Zero had overheard his exchange with Inukai made Kazusa’s temples flush hot.
“Though our clients are all reliable people, if there’s any forced after-hours invitations or harassment, we can take action,” Zero said in a flat tone.
“What do you mean by ‘take action’?”
“We can revoke their membership and ban them.”
“A… ban?”
Unsure what Zero’s sudden words meant, Kazusa shook his head.
“No, it’s fine.”
Inukai was one of the rare, steady clients who’d chosen him.
Kazusa needed him to contribute to the lounge’s earnings.
“He’s a VIP member, and he’s a true gentleman.”
Kazusa hastily listed Inukai’s virtues to defend him, and Zero raised an eyebrow.
“A man who grabs your hand and kisses it without consent is a gentleman?”
Zero’s comment, uncharacteristically sarcastic, made Kazusa’s own brow twitch.
(He saw that?)
Kazusa felt a surge of anxiety.
It was true that what happened could easily be seen as sexual harassment.
But if they banned Inukai, the lounge would suffer a major loss.
“In-Inukai is a university professor, and he’s an Alpha.”
Kazusa wanted to emphasise Inukai’s value to the lounge, but Zero’s expression of displeasure remained unchanged. In fact, a new, deep furrow appeared between his brows.
Kazusa could see Zero’s mood worsening by the second and, feeling increasingly distressed, tried to justify Inukai’s actions.
“Besides, I didn’t mind.”
The moment Kazusa implied he’d consented, an ominous aura rose from Zero’s tall figure, darker and more menacing than anything he’d ever seen.
“I see… if that’s the case then.”
With a voice as low as if it were crawling from the depths, Zero turned on his heel. His long coat flared as he walked away without looking back, blending into the shadows.
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*Translator’s Note: Zero’s obviously jealous. Kazusa really didn’t know how to read the room. Haaaaa… -K
Next update: 2025.08.16
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