Chapter 58 - 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.
The Prison of the Past
The Author has something to say:
Good morning, it's Antama here.
Starting today, I'll be sharing Suno's story with you.
I'd be delighted if you'd accompany me on this journey. Thank you very much for your support!
This story takes place roughly a year after the events of the main story.
***
"You are an Omega. From now on, you must dedicate yourself to serving Alphas."
"Why? Why do Omegas have to serve Alphas?"
"Alphas are like the sun to an Omega. They are dazzling, strong, and possess things that Omegas do not. True happiness for an Omega lies in being ruled by a powerful Alpha."
"So, are you happy, Grandma? Is Grandpa a strong Alpha? My parents are Betas. What does that mean for them?"
"Betas… They don't matter. This world is driven by Alphas and Omegas. I couldn't bear either one. I was a failed Omega."
"Why?"
"You mustn't make the same mistake. Choose a strong Alpha. You must choose one with strength, beauty, and superior genes. Do you understand? Because if you don't…"
*
That's when he woke up.
It was the first time in ages that he had dreamt of his grandmother.
His grandmother was the head of the previous generation of the Suno school.
Though she was an Omega, both of her children were Betas.
After giving birth to Suno's mother, she abandoned dance, convinced that her child would be either an Alpha or an Omega, and she loved her with an almost harsh intensity throughout her adolescence.
But her assigned gender turned out to be Beta. Even her second child, whom she hoped would be different, was a Beta as well.
Once she found out both of her children were Beta, she hired help to raise them and rejoined the social circles as a dance instructor. She acted as if she had never had children, pouring all her energy into teaching her students.
However, when she discovered that her grandson, Masami Suno, was an Omega, her demeanor changed instantly. She doted on him passionately but also imposed strict discipline.
In the name of giving him the best education possible, she separated him from his parents. Suno grew up entirely under his grandmother's care — in the training halls of the Suno school, living alongside her disciples.
He saw his parents maybe once a year. He resented them for not standing up to his strict grandmother, though he felt pure joy when they sneaked in to watch him perform. But when his grandmother found out, she harshly scolded his parents, warning them not to "interfere with the boy's progress."
Suno's Omega status was confirmed when he was twelve. By then, he had grown into an exceptionally beautiful child with an allure beyond his years.
As he grew older, his beauty became ever more striking. Alphas were drawn to his alluring presence, flocking to him relentlessly, and at times he became terrified of being on stage.
One time, when a client nearly assaulted him, he ran away, only to be met with a fierce slap from his grandmother.
"How dare you run? You should have let yourself be embraced gracefully."
"An Omega only holds worth if they are loved by an Alpha," she scolded, revealing her true nature.
Yet, a few months later, when the offer to become Aoi's partner came up, his grandmother was ecstatic, acting as if the assault attempt had never happened, and celebrated Suno's bright future. If not for the arrangement with Aoi, Suno would have been made to be the mate of some Alpha long ago.
"Even if you must slip into his bed at night or kick out other Omegas, use whatever means necessary to bear Aoi's child first," she had instructed.
"The more children, the better — heirs for the Kunishiro family, successors for the Suno school. Even if Betas are born among them, enough children would mean an Alpha or Omega would emerge…" Suno had grown weary of his grandmother's callous, almost inhuman thinking.
He had even begun to hate her.
Rigid and trapped in outdated views, his grandmother imposed her ideals on him. Though he questioned them, he pretended to comply. He had long since learned what kind of extreme reactions his grandmother was capable of, so he wanted to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Outwardly, he lived without opposing her.
It was like living in a prison.
That grandmother passed away four years ago.
She left a will instructing that Suno should inherit the family leadership upon turning twenty.
And as the will dictated, Suno assumed the position of head of the family at twenty.
Finally, he felt he could live according to his own will, that he could finally breathe freely.
Perhaps because of that dream he hadn't had in a long time, he woke drenched in cold sweat.
"...Sigh…"
Though his body felt sluggish, his mind was unnervingly alert. Gazing at the ceiling of his room, adorned with a stylish paper lantern, Suno slowly sat up.
"...Is it… a heat?"
He was naked, but that didn't surprise him. Nor did it shock him to find someone lying beside him. He gently shook the man's hip, urging him to wake up.
"Wake up... Hey, since when did this start?"
"Mmm…uh…"
The man sleeping with his deep-blue yukata loosely draped open was Eiki Suno, Suno's senior disciple*.
[T/N: 兄弟子 - Senior disciple, under the same master.]
Eiki, another male Omega and an important dancer within the Suno school, was not a blood relative. He had once admired the Suno school from afar and later came to join.
The two had been in an arrangement for some time, mutually comforting each other during their heats. Perhaps because they were close in age and had shared much in training and private life, they naturally became close this way.
However, Eiki now had a mate. They had agreed to end their relationship once Eiki found a partner, yet here he was. Suno tried to recall through his hazy memories how this had happened, but it was all a blur.
"Masami, I heard someone drugged you."
"...What?"
"Do you remember being invited to the private room of some high-ranking bureaucrat, at that restaurant?"
"...I might not remember."
"It seems they made you drink a heat stimulant. Lately, I've been hearing more and more about people trying to force a bond that way."
"No way…"
"Luckily, a young waitress, who wasn't informed, thought you were unwell and called for help, which is why you ended up safe. Afterward, they called me and asked me to come get you."
"I… contacted you?"
"No, it was the office. They said you were having a heat and couldn't manage alone, so they asked me to pick you up."
"...I see…"
Realizing the danger he'd been in, Suno gripped the futon tightly. He shivered, horrified by the thought of being drugged; it was the first time anyone had gone that far. Though he wore a neck guard whenever summoned to such gatherings, which usually prevented forced mating, there was no way to prevent an outright assault.
Recently, the intense interest Alphas showed in him, a single Omega, had grown exhausting. Omegas were rare as it was, but finding an unattached one made it all the more difficult for Alphas to hold back.
Moreover, Suno was a performer who danced openly before audiences. For ravenous Alphas, his pheromones on stage were nothing less than bait. He'd lost count of how many times he'd heard complaints along the lines of "Why flirt if you don't intend to follow through?"
—Why are there so many Alphas like this around me…?
For some reason, he suddenly longed to see Aoi and Ren.
The noble and majestic Kunishiro brothers, unmatched in grace, made him believe Alphas weren't all bad.
But recently, it had been a string of forceful approaches from Alphas, leaving him weary. To make matters worse, some were now desperate enough to drug him. Running his fingers through his long hair, Suno let out a deep, gloomy sigh.
"Masami."
"...Huh?"
"You're already twenty-four, aren't you? Have you found a mate yet?"
"Well, no…"
"It's been nearly a year since things ended with Lord Aoi. What have you been doing all this time?"
"Excuse me? What's with that tone?"
Annoyed by Eiki's prickly comment, Suno's response became defensive. Eiki retied the sash of his yukata around his slim figure, then draped a robe over Suno's bare shoulders. His cool, double-lidded eyes filled with a quiet worry as he looked into Suno's.
"I'm worried about you. You've got talent, charisma, and that flashy title as the family head."
"So what?"
"So it gives you the confidence to talk back. But don't underestimate Alphas too much. Physically, we can't match them, you know?"
"It's not that I underestimate them. I'm just sick of these lecherous old men who only chase me for my body and my fame."
"..."
Eiki's graceful brow furrowed as he held Suno's gaze in a silent rebuke. Suno met his stare with defiance, causing Eiki's eyes to narrow slightly.
"Aoi isn't the only Alpha in the world. If you really look around, you might find an Alpha who would truly value you."
"This has nothing to do with Aoi. And besides, I don't want a mate right now."
"But I'd feel better if someone was by your side to protect you…"
"Alright, that's enough of this conversation! And by the way, what exactly did you do to me? My back is killing me. Don't tell me you put it in?"
Suno had occasionally gone as far as penetration with Eiki when he asked, since Eiki preferred feeling it inside and wasn't keen on just having his penis caressed. But thinking of himself being penetrated by Eiki was too much for Suno, so he had strictly forbidden Eiki from doing it, no matter how much he* would beg when overcome by his heat.
[T/N: Suno]
Eiki propped himself up on his elbow, looking up at Suno with a playful smile on his glossy lips.
"Don't worry; I don't get hard easily. Just used my fingers."
"Your… fingers… Fine, I guess."
"Sorry, blame it on my erectile dysfunction. You cried a lot about being unsatisfied, but what am I supposed to do? Should I bring some toys next time?"
"I don't need that!! And if you tell anyone I cried, you're out of the school!"
Flushed with embarrassment, Suno threw a pillow at Eiki, making a soft "thump" sound.
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything."
"Ugh…"
"You're frustrated, huh? Seriously, there aren't any good Alphas around?"
"...Shut up."
It wasn't as though there were no faces that came to mind. But still slightly hung up on Aoi, Suno could hardly feel in the mood, so he'd left it alone.
—I don't have the luxury for that right now.
Standing up, he slipped on his yukata and cinched the sash tightly.
"For the tour in Kanto* the day after tomorrow, you don't need to come, Eiki."
[T/N: The Kanto region is a geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa.]
"Huh? Why not?"
"There aren't many shows on this tour. For me, it's practically a vacation. So stay here, hold down the fort, and get some paperwork done."
"Huh? What kind of excuse is that?"
"And your husband is possessive. Two weeks in Kanto would be out of the question, right?"
"...Ugh."
"Anyway, I'm counting on you to hold down the fort."
"...Alright, fine."
Looking down at the dejected Eiki, Suno gave a faint smile.
He then headed to the bathroom to wash away the lingering stickiness on his skin.
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