Chapter 37 - 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.

Fateful Encounter

 

 

And then spring came, and Ren became a university student.

As he had declared, Ren frequently visited the Kunishiro Holdings headquarters while attending university, learning the ropes of the job.

Working in trade turned out to be more interesting than he had expected.

The employees at the headquarters welcomed Ren warmly, and interacting with people he had never met before was a refreshing experience for him.

There were many business partners who knew a lot about his late father, giving Ren the chance to learn about sides of his father he had never known, and he felt reassured by the trust his father had built over the years.

However, Ren also discovered that there were more employees dissatisfied with Masachika’s leadership than he had imagined.

There were already active efforts to push him up to the CEO position, and it seemed like unnecessary factional disputes might erupt.

But Ren didn’t like hasty actions. Of course, he wanted to distance himself from Masachika as soon as possible, but Masachika was his father’s cousin and a fairly close relative. If he pushed Masachika away too abruptly, it could lead to complications later on—while soothing his subordinates who were excited by his arrival, Ren remained calm and thought ahead.

As a result, until Ren came of age, Masachika continued to hold the top position.

However, Ren didn’t grant Masachika any real decision-making power. While pretending to elevate Masachika, he ended up making all the major decisions himself.

Naturally, Masachika didn’t seem pleased with Ren’s attitude, but Ren possessed a clarity of mind and sense that Masachika lacked. Ren’s judgments were quick and appropriate, and he swiftly moved forward with tasks that Masachika had previously stalled. Once they saw the stark difference in business acumen and results, Masachika couldn’t argue back.

A new experience and sense of fulfillment in work.

And various encounters.

These things opened up Ren’s world, which had been largely closed off until now, into a wide and bright space.

Thus, Ren turned twenty and finally stood at the top of Kunishiro Holdings.

As Ren’s attractiveness and competence became known to the world, it was only natural that many Omegas flocked to him. Whenever he attended a party, beautiful and outstanding Omegas would come running to him. It was common for them to make overt advances, and some even tried to get close to him using pheromone enhancers.

However, such tactics had no effect on Ren.

He pretended to be busy (though he genuinely was) and kept the crowd of Omegas and the powerful figures behind them at bay. Rumors circulated in social circles, speculating things like, “He must already have a partner,” or “He might already have children and is secretly providing them with elite education,” but Ren avoided the topic entirely and maintained a distance from those trying to benefit from the Kunishiro family’s power.

This stoic attitude further elevated Ren’s reputation. Even though he was still in his early twenties, he achieved remarkable success in his work and became a central figure among the dazzling Alphas. Everyone admired Ren, their faces alight with anticipation as they eagerly awaited his words, or even, the hint of a smile.

However, fear always lingered in Ren’s heart.

The position he had built up.

The blood, sweat, and tears it took to get here.

He had succeeded. He had indeed succeeded. There was no one left in this world who doubted him as an Omega.

But the higher he stood, the greater the shock would be if his footing crumbled.

He was scared.

He couldn’t help but imagine the moment when the eyes of the Alphas looking up to him would suddenly turn filled with contempt.

—I am an Alpha. An Alpha above all others. The head of the Kunishiro family must be the most exceptional of all. Failure is not an option—

Work was enjoyable, and it was fulfilling. He had many subordinates following him.

But what if all of that were to disappear?

What would happen to the future of the company, to Aoi’s future… to his own future?

He had started to inject suppressants daily. He was still regularly using muscle enhancers. Along with that, he carried oral suppressants like a talisman and took them immediately whenever he sensed any unease… After repeating such actions, Ren’s body had begun to experience subtle changes.

Headaches, nausea, dizziness, stomach discomfort… these were constant torments for Ren, but he had been dealing with such pains for a long time. He always wore a calm expression while playing the role of an Alpha. He had become completely accustomed to wearing the mask of an Alpha.

Just a little longer…

Aoi had been confirmed as an Alpha.

Ritsu had also mentioned that, although still in the experimental phase, they had succeeded in eye transplant regeneration…

Ren had invested a vast amount of research funds into Ritsu's research team. How many more years would it take to adapt it for humans? Until Aoi's eyesight returned… how much longer would that take…?

“...Ren, Mr. Ren? What’s wrong? We've arrived.”

“Eh…?”

Ren suddenly realized that Seita had turned around from the driver’s seat and was locking eyes with him. Seita's brow was furrowed, his gaze filled with concern as he studied Ren.

“We are at Mr. Aoi's school… Are you okay? Should I just go in alone as usual?”

“Ah… no, it's fine. I was just lost in thought.”

“Your complexion doesn’t look good… As I’ve mentioned before, why don’t you take a little vacation? You’ve been traveling abroad more often than usual; it would be nice to take a break sometimes…”

“I'm fine. I feel more at ease when I’m busy.”

“But…”

“It’s nostalgic to be back at my alma mater. I’ll go pick up Aoi by myself. You wait here.”

“...Yes.”

Today, by chance, Ren's schedule had cleared up in the evening, so he went to pick up Aoi, who was now a second-year high school student. Aoi had turned seventeen, and naturally, he no longer relied on Ren like before. On top of that, due to Ren's busy schedule, they hardly exchanged any words. To put it simply, he felt lonely.

Ren stepped out of the black vehicle alone, feeling the presence of the guards who had followed in another car quietly behind him. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the familiar air of his old school for the first time in a long while.

The brick school building stood proudly, surrounded by a beautifully maintained courtyard filled with vibrant flowers. Elegant students in chic uniforms—dark green jackets and black slacks—moved gracefully through the grounds. The scene was unchanged from the time Ren had attended; it felt as if nothing had altered in this school.

Although student life had been nothing but painful back then, looking back now, Ren thought that he had lived a fairly typical student life… He had made friends. Those friends were now connected to him through work. It wasn’t that there hadn’t been any enjoyable moments.

—But it seems I still don’t have the leisure to genuinely feel nostalgic about this place…

As he pondered this, Ren slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks and walked through the courtyard. The weather was pleasantly dry during the day, and it was even a bit hot in the evening. Unusually, Ren had taken off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, gazing up at the school building that was starting to buzz with activity after classes. The wind blew through his golden hair, carrying a distinct summer scent.

——It feels like it’s been a while since I felt the outside air on my skin. Summer is almost here. Maybe I should add some new varieties to the rose garden…

Just as he inhaled the early summer air while thinking about the rose garden he had created for Aoi, a sweet scent tickled his nostrils.

The moment he took in that fragrance, his heart started racing—thump, thump, thump… Ren was bewildered and pressed his hand tightly against his chest.

——W-What is this?

His skin tingled, and he felt an intense restlessness. That sensation was strikingly similar to the signs of arousal. In a panic, Ren tried to pull out the suppressants he had in his slacks pocket.

——This is weird; I should have had my heat about a week ago. There’s no way I’d be aroused at a time like this…

“Brother…? Are you there?”

Just as he was about to take the pills out into his palm, he heard Aoi’s voice from a little distance away. Ren flinched and dropped one or two pills onto the ground.

In a rush to pick them up, Ren suddenly noticed a boy standing next to Aoi, holding his hand.

It might be more accurate to say his gaze was drawn to that boy.

——Thump…!!

Ren’s heart raced even more. At the same time, a strange feeling of lightheadedness washed over him.

Standing next to Aoi was a refreshing boy with a handsome build. Though his features still held a hint of youth, there was a vivid brightness about him, and he had a well-defined, masculine appearance.

The shape of his double-lidded eyes seemed to reflect his lively spirit. The moment that boy's strong gaze intertwined with Ren’s, his heart raced again.

——Thump…!! Thump…!!

The shock of being pierced by that heated gaze left Ren momentarily speechless. In the boy’s steady stare, he could clearly sense something distinct.

——I want him… I want him, I want him…

Regardless of his will, his body started throbbing with desire for the boy. The instincts of an Omega, which had been forcibly kept asleep, suddenly surged violently. His breathing became shallow, and his fingertips trembled. Struggling to maintain a calm expression while resisting the urge to reach out to the boy, Ren made his way toward Aoi.

“Aoi, I came to pick you up. Let’s go home.”

“Oh, okay… It’s rare for you to come, Brother.”

“We can take our time to talk in the car. Now, let’s go.”

Just as Ren turned to leave, gripping Aoi's hand, the boy called out, "Ah, um!!" The moment he heard that voice trying to stop him, heat surged into Ren's ears, making them tingle.

"Ah, um! I’m Aoi’s friend, Mikado! I... I wanted to—"

“We’re in a hurry. Sorry about that.”

"Come on, Brother, it's fine. Mikado has always looked out for me."

“Enough already! Let’s go!! Aoi, get in the car quickly!”

“Eh…? But Brother, at least say hello."

“We’ll take our leave now. Please continue to look after Aoi.”

“...Y-Yes…”

Gripping Aoi’s wrist tightly, Ren hurriedly left the scene. He felt an overwhelming fear that if he stayed there any longer, something that wasn’t him would reveal itself.

That boy’s presence stirred Ren’s Omega nature against his will. The scent, voice, and strong gaze acted like an aphrodisiac, provoking Ren’s arousal.

Ren had a gut feeling. He understood the reason for the sudden change in his body.

——There’s no doubt about it. That boy is my…

‘Soulmate.’

That boy was, without a doubt, Ren’s destined pair.

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