Chapter 36 - 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.

A "Soul Mate"?

 

 

The seasons were changing, and Ren's high school life was drawing to a close.

On a certain evening, Ren was informed by Seita that there was a visitor at the mansion, and he made his way toward the living room. It wasn't exactly an unwanted guest, but it was definitely the kind of visitor Ren would rather avoid.

To make matters worse, Ren was feeling terrible today. Although he had gotten used to the constant tension of school life, it seemed that his heat cycle was approaching, and he was overwhelmed by a persistent fatigue that felt like it was wrapping around him. On days like this, he just wanted to take his medication and sleep, but this was a visitor he had to meet. With heavy footsteps, Ren reached the living room door, straightened his back a little, adjusted his uniform collar, and quietly opened the door.

"Hey, Ren. Long time no see."

"…It’s been a while, Mr. Masachika."

Standing by the window, gazing out at the garden, was Masachika Kunishiro, Ren's father's cousin. Until Ren became an adult and took over as CEO, this man would be in charge of Kunishiro Holdings.

At forty-eight years old, Masachika looked much younger than his age, thanks to his youthful and vigorous appearance. His well-built physique was impressive, with pronounced chest muscles visible even through his suit.

He was a handsome man with striking features, his dark brown hair neatly styled, and his almost black indigo eyes were well-aligned. However, there was a slyness in Masachika's gaze that made it hard to tell what he was really thinking.

While Seita served Ren tea, Masachika continued to watch him with an intense, scrutinizing look. It might be more accurate to say he was observing him. Feeling an indescribable discomfort, Ren still managed to send Seita away.

"I hear you’re graduating high school soon. You mentioned wanting to start working at the headquarters while attending university; I hope you’re ready for that?"

"Yes. I want to learn the ropes as soon as possible. I've already spoken to the board, so please take care of me."

"…I see, so you've already laid the groundwork."

"I believe I contacted you about this recently, didn't I? Is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing at all. …Good grief, you’re young; you should be enjoying your university life a bit more. Do you think an old man like me can’t handle the top position?"

"That’s not true at all, Mr. Masachika, you’re still very young. Besides, we siblings are grateful to you. Please continue to take care of the company for a while longer."

"…"

Ren returned the words smoothly, forcing a polite smile onto his face. Masachika’s sharp gaze bore into him, his eyes swirling with a mix of complex emotions.

According to his late father’s trusted first secretary, Masachika was apparently scheming to stay at the top of Kunishiro Holdings.

However, it seemed that he lacked business acumen, as the company’s performance had been declining year by year. He had been engaging in deals that betrayed the trust built up by Ren's father with various countries and had ventured into unprofitable new businesses… Even Ren, still in high school, could see that Masachika's actions were risky at best.

Ren was feeling anxious. He needed to urgently take power away from Masachika and take charge himself.

Picking up on Ren's intentions, Masachika had recently been focused on finding faults in him. Ren thought that if Masachika had time for that, there were plenty of other things he should be doing instead, but he was determined to never show any weakness in front of Masachika.

However, today was particularly unfortunate. Ren felt a bit dizzy and quietly closed his eyes, pressing his temples. Being approached by an Alpha while he was trying to suppress his heat always made him feel more uneasy than usual. Depending on the person, he could even feel a wave of nausea that felt like a rejection response.

And this man was also someone Ren wanted to reject. He could feel Masachika's Alpha pheromones more intensely than usual, making it difficult for Ren to even breathe, as if something heavy was weighing on his chest. With a sigh, Ren decided he needed to leave quickly.

"I'm sorry, but I'm a bit tired today."

"Oh? Are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm just a little under the weather. I'll be off now."

"Well, well, you could show a bit more warmth. It must be tough not having parents at your age, right? You can lean on me a little more, you know?"

Before he realized it, Masachika was right beside him, having risen from the sofa. He was so close that Ren could feel his breath, and the sensation made every hair on Ren's body stand on end.

"My, my... you’re all flushed."

"..."

The warm hand placed on his forehead felt so unsettling that it made Ren’s skin crawl. He instinctively slapped Masachika’s hand away, but the sudden movement made him stumble, collapsing onto the sofa. Masachika gazed down at Ren with a curious, slightly predatory look.

"What’s wrong? Making such a cute face..."

"W-What do you mean...?"

"...Ren. When you're feeling sick, you miss your parents, right? Come a little closer, it’s okay. I’ll stay by your side."

“...!”

Masachika placed his hands on the back of the sofa, leaning over Ren, who had fallen onto it. Although their bodies didn’t touch, the overwhelming scent of Masachika’s alpha pheromones made Ren feel like he was being completely devoured. The sensation was so repulsive that sweat began to pour from Ren’s body.

—Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting...!! I hate this guy, I hate this smell, I hate it so much...!!

Overcome by a wave of revulsion, Ren nearly gagged. But he couldn’t let himself show any weakness here. Not in front of this man. Ren clenched his teeth and swallowed his nausea, then glared up at Masachika with sharp eyes.

"Please step aside. If it’s a bad cold, you might catch it too, Mr. Masachika."

“A bad cold, huh... Is that really it?"

"What else could it be? ...Please leave. I’ll call for your car right away."

"..."

Seeing Masachika falter under his harsh gaze, Ren pushed him away and stood up. He walked quickly toward the living room door and opened it, immediately giving orders to Seita, who had been waiting just outside.

"Mr. Masachika is leaving. Get his car."

"Yes, the car is already at the front door. I’ll escort him out."

"Thanks."

As Seita appeared from behind the door, bowing politely, Masachika seemed to snap back to his senses. Masachika shot Ren a suspicious yet slightly regretful look before following Seita out of the living room.

“...Haah..."

Once Masachika's unsettling presence had finally disappeared, Ren let out a deep sigh. He collapsed back onto the sofa, burying his head in his hands.

—No good. Right now, even just the presence of an alpha feels disgusting.

Ren hated the overpowering pheromones emitted by a mature alpha like Masachika. Just smelling that aggressive scent made vivid images flash through his mind—of Masachika raping him. The thought alone made him feel sick.

Masachika was the very embodiment of the predatory alpha who would take advantage of an omega’s heat, forcing himself on them with violence and consuming them completely. The image of him being ravaged, his deception exposed, and being socially ruined, filled his mind. Moreover, having Aoi trampled on, losing the home he desperately tried to protect, and being made to bear some unknown alpha's child... The worst scenarios kept racing through his mind, and the horror of it all made him want to scream, but he held back, covering his mouth, and tried to steady his ragged breathing.

—Calm down. That would never happen. This is all just my paranoia. These are the delusions born from my own weakness. Stop thinking like this...

“I need to take my meds..."

—I need stronger suppressants. My body’s tougher than it used to be. Maybe I can handle stronger ones now...

As he thought that, Ren pulled out a tablet of suppressants from his inner pocket. At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a simple mint tablet, but it was actually a high-concentration pheromone suppressant.

“...Haah..."

He popped about ten pills into his mouth at once, chewing them with his molars before swallowing. He knew it was an absurd amount to take all at once, but it was the only way he could feel any sense of relief.

He could feel his body temperature slowly dropping, and, as if by magic, the horrific illusions began to fade. However, the discomfort in his stomach remained, causing Ren to press a hand to his chest, his brows furrowing in discomfort.

“...Damn it..."

He realized that sweat was trickling down his temple. Wiping it away with his fist, Ren glanced out at the night sky through the window.

The dark, night-stained glass acted like a mirror, reflecting Ren’s figure as he sat there, pale and drained. Startled by the sight, he gasped.

The person staring back at him looked gaunt, their face ghostly pale, as though they were a spirit. It was a far cry from the ideal image of the “Ideal Alpha of the Kunishiro family” that Ren had always carried in his heart. Confronted with this pitiful reflection of himself, Ren involuntarily caught his breath.

“...I need to increase the dosage. At this rate, I won’t be able to protect anything."

Ren slowly approached the window, murmuring to his reflection.

But there was no one there to answer him.

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