Chapter 33 - Blindness

Translator's Note:

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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.

Unyielding Reality

 

 

The moment I realized I was an omega, all I felt was despair.

 

It was during the health examination just before turning fifteen. He still remembers the deeply troubled expression on the face of Dr. Ayase Seiichi, who delivered the results to me.

 

The Kunishiro family lineage had a high incidence of alpha births. As if showcasing the excellence of the Kunishiro bloodline to the world, every direct descendant in the family was a beautiful and outstanding alpha.

 

At that time, Ren's parents were already gone, and he had become the young head of the Kunishiro family. Despite being too young to be involved in business, Ren's presence was already a symbol in the social circles, and there was no one who didn't know Ren's face and name.

 

With the sudden loss of both his parents and Aoi's blindness, anything related to him would always bring tears to adults' eyes. His existence has been strikingly etched into the hearts of people, leaving a profound impression.

 

Ren himself was a smart child who already understood his position and the expectations placed upon him. Therefore, the moment he realized he was an omega – Ren literally felt the world go dark before him, experiencing a sensation of falling as if his legs had given way beneath him.

 

Dizzy and on the verge of collapsing, Ren was instinctively supported by Dr. Ayase Seiichi, who, like Ren, was also an omega. In contrast to the Kunishiro family, the Ayase family was a lineage with a tendency for omega births, and Seiichi's son, Ritsu, was also an omega.

 

Dr. Ayase Seiichi promised never to disclose Ren's omega status. However, he also said that if Ren wanted to come out, he would support that choice. At the same time, if Ren chose to hide his omega status for the sake of the Kunishiro family, Dr. Ayase Seiichi pledged to fully support that decision.

 

Although Ren's mind was swirling and unable to form coherent thoughts, the option of coming out was already not within Ren's considerations at that time. The emotions swirling in Ren's mind were only filled with a sense of self-blame – "I must be an alpha no matter what; I must be an alpha more outstanding than anyone else."

 

There was no other choice.

 

To protect his blind younger brother, it was necessary to establish the Kunishiro family's strength in the world.

 

Ren already knew that the cause of his parents' deaths was not an accident. He was also aware of the existence of some alphas who envied the prosperity of their Kunishiro family.

 

Ren made up his mind.

 

No matter what happens to himself, he will protect Aoi. He will never let the Kunishiro family decline under his reign.

 

+

 

It has been a few months since Ren entered high school. He was still not used to high school life.

 

Ren was attending a prestigious private school, the top educational institution in the country. The educational system goes from kindergarten to university, with about 90% of students being alphas, and the remaining 10% being betas. Every few years, there may be omegas joining.

 

However, the omegas who enroll would quickly drop out.

 

Some found mates and left school, while others couldn't keep up with the alpha's high abilities, leading to voluntary withdrawal. It was said that there were also cases where omegas, unable to control their unpredictable heat, unintentionally triggered the alphas in their class.

 

During adolescence, when the second puberty is likely to occur, omegas' pheromones are still unstable. It's common for the heat, said to occur every few months, to start without any warning.

 

Therefore, omegas themselves could inadvertently induce the alphas in their class to go into heat in turn, due to their uncontrollable pheromones. This often led to scenarios where primal instincts triumphed over rationality, potentially resulting in alpha-on-omega aggression. Instances of alphas vying for a single omega and the ensuing conflicts, sometimes escalating to violence, were not uncommon. The school even entertained discussions about the prospect of discontinuing the enrollment of omegas.

 

However, to maintain the image of an "equally open place of learning," this school still has a few omega students. Perhaps due to thorough sex education since kindergarten, there haven't been any such incidents for the past decade.

 

But it doesn't mean one can be complacent.

 

Ren was acutely aware of the prevailing societal perception, in which alphas are seen as dominant and omegas as submissive.

 

If his omega status were to be exposed, it was obvious what would happen to him.

 

Everywhere he looked in the school, there were only alphas around him. What if the suppressants suddenly stopped working? What if a sharp-nosed alpha sensed his pheromones? Ren was already a famous figure throughout the school, and there would undoubtedly be those who envied his existence. If such people were to impregnate him...

 

Suppressing such fears, Ren took pheromone suppressants on a daily base, experiencing occasional severe headaches and nausea since starting them. Due to the medication's side effects, he often found himself in a daze during class.

 

However, Ren couldn't afford to lose to anyone, whether it be in academics or sports. Fortunately, due to the superior blood flowing in the Kunishiro family, Ren's intelligence and physical abilities were no less than that of alphas. However, the alphas around him were not dull either. Ren needed to study diligently every day to keep himself among the top students in his class.

 

Living such a strenuous life, there were still moments when the thread of his rationality would unexpectedly snap.

 

Ren was still fifteen. No matter how much he pushed his body to the limit, an omega would always be an omega. Their inherent potential was different in the first place.

 

Watching alphas enjoying their school life carefreely made Ren inexplicably angry. Simultaneously, he often felt an unbearable disgust and an impulse to hurt himself due to his own omega nature.

 

However, no matter how he struggled, the reality couldn't be changed. Ren could only bite his lip and let his tears flow silently.

 

During such times, Ren only found solace and strength in his younger brother.

 

Aoi was only ten years old but had already displayed remarkable intelligence, surprising even his private tutors. Ren felt proud and reassured by having such a brother.

 

Every time he looked at his younger brother, there was never a day when Ren didn't wish for Aoi to be an alpha.

 

Otherwise, the future of the Kunishiro family would be...

 

"Brother...? Brother, you're here? Welcome back!"

 

"I'm home, Aoi."

 

When Ren went to visit Aoi's room, accompanied by a female beta servant, Aoi's face, as he was tracing his fingers over a braille book on the bed, visibly brightened without Ren saying a word.

 

Though Ren hadn't called out to him, Aoi turned his cloudy eyes toward the door, slid off the bed, and rushed straight toward Ren. Aoi seemed to sense Ren's scent and presence keenly.

 

Ren knelt down to catch Aoi, and he tightly embraced his brother.

 

"Hey, do you have to study today? Will you sleep with me tonight?"

 

"Um... no. I won't study any more today. I don't have classes tomorrow, so..."

 

"Really? Then, will you stay with me?"

 

"Yeah. I'll stay with you. We don't get to spend much time together on weekdays."

 

"Yay..."

 

Aoi's small hands gripped Ren's shirt tightly. Rubbing his face against Ren's chest, Aoi let out a light giggle, making his heart all ticklish.

 

It was impossible not to find it adorable; his brother, greatly depended on him and cherished his presence. Ren easily lifted Aoi up, shooed away the attendant from the room, and went to spend some alone time with his brother.

 

In the bed, listening to Aoi passionately talk about what he learned that day, Ren's fatigue melted away. Running his fingers through Aoi's silky blond hair, Ren dozed off, while attentively listening to Aoi's voice.

 

Nevertheless, upon observing Aoi's hazy gaze directed towards him, Ren was overcome with an inexplicable sadness. He wanted to do something to cure those eyes. What should he do to make Aoi's eyes see again? The question haunted him.

 

"Brother, it tickles. What's wrong with my eyes?"

 

"Ah, sorry."

 

Unconsciously, Ren was caressing the area around Aoi's eyes with his fingertips. Aoi blinked his long eyelashes and turned his gaze toward Ren, tilting his head adorably.

 

"...Aoi, I want to do something to make your eyes see again."

 

"Ah... yeah. Sorry."

 

"Eh? Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault that your eyes can't see, right?"

 

"...Even so. Brother, you would always sigh sadly when touching my eyes."

 

"Ah... I see. I'm sorry."

 

"No, it's okay. I can still do many things even though I can't see."

 

"Ah, that's right. Aoi is so smart, so I'm proud of you being my younger brother."

 

"Hehe..."

 

Ren said while patting Aoi's head, Aoi blushed happily and clung tightly to Ren. Embracing his adorable brother on the soft bed, Ren couldn't help but wish for them to stay like this forever.

 

"Brother... You smell so nice."

 

"…Eh?"

 

"I wonder what it is... It smells really sweet and nice. I really like Brother's scent."

 

"…"

 

——Is he really sensing it... Aoi...

 

During the times when he restrained his heat cycles, Aoi would always say that Ren's scent was "sweet and nice." Despite being still young, it seemed like Aoi's alpha instincts could already sense Ren's omega pheromones.

 

While it was a pleasing thought that Aoi might be an alpha, at this point in time, it was inconvenient for Aoi to know about Ren's omega nature. Ren instinctively distanced himself from Aoi and let out a dry laugh, trying to cover it up.

 

"Ahaha, maybe it's the scent of the bath salts. Well, it's already time to sleep, right? I'll be here until Aoi falls asleep."

 

"…Yeah…"

 

"You're a good boy. I love you, Aoi."

 

"I... love you too, Brother..."

 

Aoi fell asleep obediently while being patted on the back. Ren turned off the lamp by the bedside and sighed, gazing into the darkness.

 

"...Will I have to distance myself from Aoi as well?"

 

Feeling somewhat sad, Ren clung to the sleeping Aoi as if seeking some sort of comfort.

 

While deeply inhaling Aoi's gentle scent, Ren shed a few more tears.

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