Chapter 12 - Blindness

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

And as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.

After the Surgery

 

 

Aoi, come here.

 

A small white hand reached out to him. As Aoi raised his gaze, he saw the figure of a delicate young boy, enveloped in a shimmering golden glow. The eye color, the hair color, and this face... Although much younger, there was no doubt that it was his brother's face. It must be the last image of his brother that he saw before losing his vision.

 

From now on, I will protect you, Aoi.

 

Saying that, his brother embraced Aoi's head, and a gentle scent reminiscent of milk wafted from his body. Aoi clung tightly to his brother, pressing his cheek against the soft fabric of his shirt.

 

Master Aoi, give me your hand.

 

As Aoi turned around in response to the voice behind him, he saw a beautifully shaped palm extended towards him. However, when he tried to look at the person's face, it appeared hazy and blurred, making it difficult to recognize. The more he tried to concentrate, the more his vision became distorted, so Aoi rubbed his eyes vigorously.

 

Master Aoi... I love you... I love you... You...

 

Before he knew it, Aoi found himself lying on a bed, entwined with someone, their luscious skin shamelessly exposed. The sensation against his fingertips was alluring, almost intoxicating, as it captivated his senses. Aoi quickly realized that the body belonged to Yuto. However, Yuto's face remained hazy and obscured, with only vague contours discernible.

 

He wanted to see his face, to embrace him... Driven by that desire, Aoi reached out his hand towards Yuto's cheek. However, the spot where Aoi's fingertips touched started to disintegrate like flowing sand. Yuto's body slowly slipped away through the gaps between his fingers.

 

No...!! Yuto...!!

 

"...Yu...to...! Yuto...!!"

 

"Master Aoi, what's wrong!?"

 

"Haa...!! Haa...!"

 

"Dr. Ayase! Please come quickly! Master Aoi, you'll be fine!"

 

It hurts, it hurts... My eyes... it hurts...!!

 

A searing pain pierced Aoi's skull. As he held his head with both hands, he felt an unfamiliar texture. Soft cloth... Perhaps it was a bandage.

 

Ah... that's right. I underwent surgery...

 

"Aoi-kun? It's Ayase. Are you okay?"

 

"D-Don't touch! What is this pain...!!"

 

"Master Aoi, you'll be fine! The surgery was successful!"

 

Aoi swiftly swatted away Dr. Ayase's hand as it made contact with his body, and he sat up, clutching his head. Soon after, he felt the familiar touch of Yuto's palm gently resting on his back. His back was gently stroked a few times, and then his hand was tightly held. Aoi immediately clasped that hand in return, gritting his teeth to endure the pain.

 

"Aoi-kun, you'll be okay. The anesthesia must have worn off. Please take this painkiller."

 

"Master Aoi, can you take it?"

 

"......Ah..."

 

Aoi could feel Yuto's fingers gently pressing against his lips, clasping a small pill. He obediently parted his lips, allowing the pill to slide into his mouth, and then swiftly swallowed it, chasing it down with the water offered to him. Leaning his upper body against Yuto's, he keenly sensed the cold sweat drenching his skin.

 

"Were you having a bad dream? You seemed restless."

 

"......Ah, just a little..."

 

"When waking up from general anesthesia, it's common to have nightmares. Don't worry, the surgery was successful. Although you'll have to wait three more days before we can remove the bandages."

 

Dr. Ayase's tone was very gentle, instilling a sense of confidence that could put the patient at ease. His first encounter with Ayase almost felt like a lie now. The gentle cadence of his words seemed to have a miraculous effect, gradually alleviating the throbbing headache that had plagued him.

 

"Just to inform you, the surgery took about twelve hours. It went smoothly without any complications. Afterward, you slept for about twenty hours, and your recovery has been going well without any signs of rejection. Oh, but there are still tubes connected to various parts of your body, so please don't move around recklessly."

 

"I see..."

 

"The procedure involved removing your eyeballs, reconnecting your optic nerves with the donor's eyes, and repositioning those in your eye sockets... Well, to put it simply, that's what the surgery was about. The headache you're experiencing is a sign that your dormant optic nerves are starting to function properly again. So, please bear with it for a while."

 

"I understand... um..."

 

"Hm? Is there anything else?"

 

"No... um... Thank you very much..."

 

"Eh!?"

 

After expressing his gratitude to Ayase, who had just completed a lengthy and challenging surgery, Aoi felt the gentle grip of Yuto's hand on his back, holding onto his clothes. Yet, in that very moment, a burst of eerie laughter seemed to crawl over from the direction where Ayase was standing.

 

"Hehehe... Ah... You truly are a lovely Alpha. When those beautiful eyes of yours regain their light, I would like to receive my well-deserved reward once again, don't you agree?"

 

"What... What reward?"

 

"Hehehe... How about this? I'll have your body as a reward for the surgery's success. You can trample or whip me as you, please. Don't you want to know when my next heat will be? Then you can have your way with me..."

 

"What the hell are you talking about? That's disgusting! You just ruined the little respect I had for you!"

 

As Ayase became increasingly excited, Yuto, who stood behind, strongly voice his complaints. Yuto's words vividly echoed Aoi's feelings, and it was strangely amusing. Aoi couldn't help but burst into laughter.

 

"Hehe... That works too. I quite like spirited boys like you. Oh... Maybe it's not a bad idea after all... To be attacked by both an Alpha and a Beta at the same time, there's a certain romance to it, don't you think? Ah... Being tormented by such young and cute boys... Ah... So irresistible... It's like a dream..."

 

"Ugh, that's... so creepy..."

 

Yuto's complaints suddenly ceased, and Aoi sensed that Ayase was also holding his breath.

 

Click... The quiet sound of footsteps echoed in the hospital room. The scent of disinfectant, which filled the room, was replaced by the familiar fragrance of his older brother's cologne, tickling Aoi's nostrils.

 

"Well well, I thought you would be a perfect match for my docile little brother, but it seems I was mistaken in approaching someone older like yourself...

 

"Master Ren... It was just a little joke, you know."

 

"Being attacked by both an Alpha and a Beta? I never heard you had such tastes."

 

"I told you, it was just a joke. Ahaha..."

 

"I wonder about that."

 

Ren's voice had a hint of amusement and anger, making his tone quite ambiguous. As someone who often engaged in negotiations in the business world, Ren had developed a habit of masking his emotions and maintaining a composed demeanor.

 

Ren didn't say anything more and approached the bed. Yuto, who had been supporting Aoi's back, took a step back. Ren acknowledged Yuto's efforts with a "Good job" and sat by the bedside, gently stroking Aoi's head. With a concerned gesture, he lightly traced the bandaged area above Aoi's eyes, barely touching it.

 

"Aoi, does it hurt?"

 

"I'm fine. I took painkillers just now."

 

"I see... I'm glad the surgery went well."

 

"Yeah... I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Brother."

 

"What are you talking about? It's my duty as your older brother to take care of you. I want to look into your eyes again and talk to you as soon as possible."

 

As his brother's lips gently touched his cheek, it evoked memories of the familiar scent from their childhood—the milk-like fragrance mixed with an underlying note of white musk. Discreetly infused with citrus, the eau de toilette exuded a seductive allure without being overly sweet. It was a top-quality imported fragrance that his brother favored. While it perfectly complemented his brother's sophisticated and alluring aura, Aoi didn't particularly like this scent.

 

However, Aoi understood very well what kind of self-image his brother wanted to portray in official settings. He also understood the image the world had of Ren Kunishiro. The fragrance of this cologne symbolized that.

 

"Brother, you must be busy. You don't have to go out of your way to come visit me."

 

"What are you talking about? I actually want to be by your side all the time."

 

"You're saying unreasonable things again... Oh, right. I ran into Mikado the other day. He said he wanted to see you."

 

"Oh, him... I helped him with his new rare metal mining business."

 

"I see... He said he wanted to express his gratitude."

 

"Well, it's a hassle to come all the way just to thank me when I'm this tired... Anyway, rather than that, the bandages will be removed in three days, right? It's a shame I won't be there at that moment."

 

"It's your job, right? There's no need for you to be present. We can meet anytime."

 

"That's true, but..."

 

Ren pulled Aoi into a tight embrace, their bodies pressed together. It had been a long time since they had been so intimately close. Aoi caught a faint whiff of a sweet fragrance from his brother's neck, causing a slight, peculiar uneasiness to arise. Before he could investigate the source of this uneasiness, Ren quickly released him and stood up.

 

"I've been sleep-deprived lately. I'll go home for a bit."

 

"Oh... Yeah. Take some time to rest."

 

"Yeah."

 

After gently stroking Aoi's head, Ren said he had something to discuss with Ayase and left the hospital room. It wasn't hard to imagine the expression Ayase had as he followed Ren.

 

"Master Ren seemed quite tired... His usual demeanor was a bit different."

 

"Is that so?"

 

"Yes, it's like... he was lacking your usual vigor... Oh! Sorry if that's rude! I apologize!"

 

"It's fine... But more importantly, come here. I want you to hold my hand a little longer."

 

"Huh... Um, yes...!"

 

Recalling the dream he just had, anxiety swelled in Aoi's heart. Ayase said it was normal to have such nightmares after waking up from anesthesia, but the sensations in the dream were too real, making Aoi unable to calm down.

 

However, as he felt Yuto's warmth, his uneasiness gradually faded away. Gently caressing Yuto's fingers that were held in his hand, Aoi said:

 

"...Yuto."

 

"Yes?"

 

"Did you go to the hospital?"

 

"Oh, yes. I was able to get proper suppressants. They also gave me emergency medication in case of unexpected heats, but they're quite expensive."

 

"I'll cover the cost of the medication. Make sure to properly submit the bill to Seita."

 

"Huh? But..."

 

"You'll continue working by my side from now on. That's only natural."

 

"Um..."

 

"Understood?"

 

"Yes... Thank you very much."

 

Yuto's hand gripped Aoi's fingers in return. Overwhelmed with joy, Aoi lifted one arm and embraced Yuto's shoulders. Sensing Yuto's body tense up, Aoi held onto Yuto's bony shoulders tightly, not wanting to let go.

 

"Um... Master Aoi... I think the medicine will take effect soon, so you should get some rest."

 

"Just a little longer, and I'll be able to see Yuto's face... I'm so excited that I can't sleep."

 

"My face isn't... I mean, it's not that great."

 

"Everyone says you're cute and adorable. It's building up my expectations."

 

"Oh, come on. Don't raise the bar so high! I'm... Well, how should I put it, just average. Compared to Mr. Suno or Dr. Ayase, I'm nothing special... It's not even right to compare us... Ugh."

 

"Hehe... It only makes me more excited."

 

"Ugh, seriously! What kind of expression should I have?"

 

"Oh well, I'm looking forward to it. My heart is full of anticipation."

 

"Seriously, please stop!"

 

Aoi could sense Yuto's body temperature rising. He thought Yuto must be feeling embarrassed.

 

I want to see it soon. Yuto's various expressions. And I want to convey my feelings properly...

 

And so, Aoi's lips curled into a smile as he listened intently to Yuto's hurried, yet earnest, description of Seita's facial features.

Last Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter