RP Chapter 74

 Chapter 74 - The Infamous Second Son

Volume 4, Resonance 10, Part 1

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), 首藤零騎/レイキ (Shutou Reiki)

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

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According to the information provided by Amane, the ‘thoroughbred’'s name is Kariya Kouki. Amane—whose full name is Honjou Amane and will be referred to as Honjou from here on—is Kariya's partner, a rookie in the detective division.

And if the words of the one who called him ‘Nii-san’ were true, that would make Kariya Zero's younger brother.

However, the brothers were given no time to enjoy their reunion. They were separated by Third Squad, and Zero and Hawk were taken to the detention centre.

The Third Squad’s Chief was also surprised to learn the two were brothers. When Kariya pleaded, "Please, let me speak with my brother," the Chief rejected him coldly, saying, "Even if you are brothers, the answer is still ‘no’." In Kazusa's eyes, Honjou's resentment extended not only to Kariya as his buddy but to Kariya himself as a person.

Moreover, Zero himself, as if to shake off his brother, walked away, saying, "We have nothing to say."

It was likely Zero’s way of being considerate, knowing now that his brother was a detective. But being rejected left Kariya in shock. As someone who has also been rejected by Zero, Kazusa understood how Kariya felt.

After Zero and the rest left, Honjou urged, "Standing around here won’t get us anywhere, so let’s head back," and the group returned to the detective department floor.

They moved to a meeting space, where they sat facing each other across the table: Kazusa and Crow on one side, Honjou and Kariya on the other.

(After all, I couldn’t stop them from being taken to the detention center.)

"Well, now that it’s known they’re brothers, I doubt Third Squad will use any undue force," said Honjou, leaving them with nothing but the hope that his prediction would prove accurate.

Though there was a bit of comfort in that, the thought of Zero and Hawk being confined in a solitary cell on the first basement floor still left a heavy feeling.

―――…It has nothing to do with you.

―――He’s a newcomer to the lounge and doesn’t know anything. He’s not even a stray Omega.

Desperate to offer support, the extended hand was brushed away.

Perhaps Zero once held a similar dilemma toward Kazusa. As Kazusa simmered in frustration, feeling as though his own actions had come back to haunt him, Honjou murmured from across the table.

"Still, I was surprised. So that’s the infamous second son?"

Kariya, still seemingly in shock, answered, "…Yes." On their way back to the floor, he had been so distracted that he hadn’t even touched the takeout coffee he’d likely bought for both himself and Honjou.

"The last time we saw each other, I was still a teenager, so it’s been seven years. During that time, we never spoke. So I didn’t know if he was alive or dead. And now, to meet again here… in this way."

To find his brother handcuffed after seven years—it was natural for him to be shocked, especially as a detective.

"He’s very handsome, but you guys don’t look much alike," Honjou remarked. Kazusa silently agreed. Though both were remarkably good-looking, they had different styles. The young man before him radiated a sun-like aura, likely due to his youth, while Zero had an air shadowed by the complexities of his past, even in his brilliance.

"We have different mothers."

"I see… that explains it," Honjou said, as if the pieces had finally clicked into place. He seemed to understand why Zero had his distinctive dark skin and heterochromatic eyes.

Zero had once said that his birth mother was a nightclub singer noticed by a wealthy patron, who fathered her child.

(In other words, that patron was Kariya's father, and Zero’s real name is ‘Reiki’…)

Earlier, Kariya told Kazusa that it’s written as ‘Reiki’ [零騎] in kanji.

(I see, so ‘Zero’ comes from his real name, ‘Rei’.)

Of course, just like how the residents named after animals have unique nicknames that only hold meaning within the lounge, ‘Zero’ likely isn’t his real name either…

But somehow, knowing his real name doesn’t quite feel right. After all, Zero is Zero.

As Kazusa was idly mulling this over, Kariya called out to him "Toomine-sensei."

On the way back to the floor, Honjou had been explaining to Kariya about Kazusa—how he was once a doctor and a latent Omega, and how he had come to D-East Station with Crow to pursue the detained Zero. It seemed Kariya was already acquainted with Crow. Since Crow was Honjou’s informant, it was no surprise that he and Kariya, Honjou’s partner, knew each other.

"May I ask you something?"

From his sharp gaze, Kazusa sensed that the young detective had snapped out of his shock and regained his composure. That must be his usual self—a youth who looked mature beyond his years. Kazusa adjusted his posture.

"Why is my brother here?"

"That… Zero is…"

"Zero?"

"Oh, I mean your brother. He introduces himself as Zero to us."

"Zero arrived in Deep Downtown about five years ago. He initially played the piano at a nightclub, but two years later, he established a shelter for stray Omegas called ‘RARE.’ In the basement of the building where ‘RARE’ is located, there’s a lounge called ‘NIGHT SAFARI,’ where shelter residents work as hosts."

Crow, the information expert, succinctly summarised Zero’s history, and Kariya looked satisfied.

"My brother is very skilled at the piano; he was practically a professional even back then. If he’s been in Deep Downtown for five years, I wonder where he was before that?"

Kazusa answered Kariya’s next question.

"I heard he was in a foreign country, his mother’s homeland."

"A foreign country…"

"But after a little over two years, their parent-child relationship fell apart, so he returned to Japan."

After sharing with Kariya what Zero had told him about his past, Kazusa then proceeded to explain the recent events in order.

When Kazusa’s latent Omega status was exposed through his encounter with Zero, leaving him in a tight spot, Zero welcomed him into ‘RARE’ and provided him with a room and a job as a staff member.

Eventually, Kazusa gained a regular Alpha customer. But due to the jealousy of a colleague, his suppressants were swapped out. As a result of the ensuing trouble, Zero barely managed to save him in the nick of time. However, the Alpha, who was banned from the lounge, bore a grudge and returned with officers from the Third Squad. Based solely on the Alpha’s testimony, the Third Squad officers arrested Zero and his right-hand man Hawk on suspicion of drug trafficking.

"Of course, these are false accusations. If the residents of ‘RARE’ were using drugs, symptoms like dilated pupils, behavioural changes, and body odour would have been evident. As a former doctor, I can confidently say that over the past month, I’ve seen no such signs from anyone."

As Kazusa spoke, Kariya listened with a serious expression, nodding occasionally.

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Next update: 2025.09.02

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