Chapter 63 - Blindness

Translator's Note:

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A Fortunate Encounter?

 

 

The young man's gaze was so bright it was almost blinding, yet Suno couldn't look away. The man, too, met Suno's gaze directly, remaining silent and still for a while.

 

—Such beautiful eyes… And he smells so… wonderful.

 

Even though he had a different air from Aoi or Ren, this Alpha's enticing scent stirred something instinctual within Suno. Before this striking, capable Alpha, Suno felt his heart pound for the first time in ages.

 

The young man, who had been staring intently into Suno's eyes, blinked as if coming to a sudden realization. Taking in Suno's disheveled state, he spoke with a firm voice.

 

"I saw the back door left open and got worried, so I came in. …Can you stand? There's a medical room just behind the stage. I'll take you there and call the police…"

 

"Uh? The… the police?"

 

"You were attacked, right? If that's the case, we need to call the police and catch the culprit."

 

"The culprit… W-Wait a moment. Today's an important party for Mr. Shindo. We can't cause a scene by bringing in the police!"

 

"…Mr. Shindo? Wait… are you a guest of my father's?"

 

"Your father?"

 

—Wait, he's Shindo's son? So he's the one who recently had a child…

 

The realization made Suno feel momentarily dizzy. But considering his recent streak of bad luck, he tried to brush off the disappointment. He reminded himself that someone as refined and stunning as this young man was never within his reach anyway.

 

Suno steadied himself, ignoring the throbbing in his ankle and his heart. He bowed his head deeply and, in his most formal tone, offered his congratulations.

 

"Congratulations on this joyous occasion. May your child grow up healthy and strong…"

 

"What? No, I'm not the one who just had a kid. That's my older brother."

 

"…What?"

 

Suno's head shot up, and he found himself face-to-face with the young man, who blushed slightly as their eyes met.

 

"I'm the second son. Today's guest of honor is my brother, Ryutaro Shindo."

 

"Oh, I see…"

 

—The younger son, then. So he might be… single…? No, no. I can't get carried away. He's the son of a major politician, and such a fine-looking man. There's no way he's single. This is no good... After what happened, if he keeps being so nice to me, I'll get carried away...

 

Suppressing his fluttering heart, Suno forced himself to stay composed. The young man looked away, a bit embarrassed, and muttered gruffly.

 

"My name's Kotaro Shindo. Are you the one my father's been talking about—the Japanese dance master?"

 

"Yes, I'm Masami Suno, the 26th head of the Suno school."

 

"Head…? But you're so young!"

 

"Well… I may look young, but I am twenty-three this year."

 

"Older than me…"

 

"What?"

 

"Oh, nothing."

 

Kotaro's face reddened as he reached out to adjust the jacket slipping off Suno's shoulder. Suno flinched instinctively, and Kotaro quickly withdrew his hand with a whispered apology.

 

"Sorry… Look, you were attacked, right? And yet you're putting the party first… Is that really okay?"

 

"It's fine. Mr. Shindo is an important benefactor trusted by my closest friend. I don't want to disrupt this happy event over something like this."

 

"…'Something like this?'"

 

Kotaro's eyes widened slightly at Suno's words. Still looking deeply concerned, he reached out to support Suno's shoulder again.

 

"…Anyway, let's get you to the medical room. No one's usually there, so you can rest a bit."

 

"Ah, thank you… Ah!"

 

Just as Kotaro helped him stand, a sharp pain shot through Suno's injured ankle, nearly causing him to collapse.

 

Kotaro caught him instantly, his strong hands steadying him. The strength of his grip and the warmth of his touch sent a fresh tremor through Suno's chest, even as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.

 

—No, no… There's no way he's single… I can't let myself get swept up here…

 

"My ankle… I seem to have twisted it."

 

"Hey… with that ankle, there's no way you can dance. I'm telling you, you should just—"

 

"No, it's alright. If I just ice it and rest a little…"

 

"Huh? Are you serious? You don't need to go that far just to make my dad happy. How are you even planning to dance on that foot?"

 

'No matter the time or circumstances, never abandon a performance for your own convenience.' It was a principle Suno had inherited from his grandmother. Dancers in the Suno school would take the stage even if they had to rely on suppressants, refusing to allow anything to disrupt a performance, even if it meant risking their safety around Alpha patrons.

 

With such a belief ingrained deeply within him, Suno didn't consider an injury a valid excuse to step back. But Kotaro looked back at him with a fierce, almost angry determination.

 

"Nothing's worth you dancing through pain like that. How are any of us supposed to enjoy it, knowing you're suffering?"

 

"But…"

 

"No 'but' about it. I can pretend I didn't see you get attacked, but if you push yourself like this, you might ruin your ankle permanently. Do you want to never dance again?"

 

Suno was silent.

 

His ankle, peeking out from the hem of his black slacks, was painfully swollen, making it nearly impossible for him to stand. Still, he'd been planning to take painkillers if it meant he could go onstage, both tonight and for another show just days away.

 

"But…"

 

"Oh, for heaven's sake. Fine, I'll say I accidentally bumped into you, causing you to trip and hurt yourself. That should be excuse enough."

 

"What!? But that's—"

 

"Stop arguing." Kotaro sighed in exasperation, and before Suno could protest, Kotaro scooped him up into his arms. Suno quickly wrapped his arms around Kotaro's neck to steady himself, and Kotaro, a little flustered, averted his gaze.

 

With purposeful strides, Kotaro carried Suno toward the wings of the stage.

 

—What... what's is with this guy...?

 

Before he knew it, they'd reached the medical room, and Suno was at Kotaro's mercy as he began to treat his injury.

 

Seated on the single hard bed against the wall, Suno watched as Kotaro knelt in front of him, retrieving bandages and an ice pack from a steel cabinet. Gently, he slipped off Suno's shoe and sock, carefully rolling up the hem of his slacks.

 

His downturned face, the long lashes shading his gaze…

 

In the bright light of the room, Kotaro's hair revealed a soft chestnut hue. Having an Alpha kneel before him like this was a first for Suno, and the gentle pressure of Kotaro's fingers over his swollen ankle made him hold his breath.

 

"…Ah…"

 

"Wait—does it hurt?!" Kotaro looked up in alarm.

 

"Oh… no, it's just…"

 

"Hold on, I'll be quick."

 

With practiced skill, Kotaro applied the ice pack and bandages. Suno, impressed by Kotaro's familiarity with the process, couldn't help but ask.

 

"…You're quite good at this. And you seem to know your way around this room pretty well."

 

"We use this hotel for a lot of my dad's events, so I've been sneaking around here since I was a kid. Besides, I've patched up my fair share of injuries in club practice. I'm pretty good at taping, too."

 

"Club practice?"

 

"Yeah, I'm in the kendo club. A lot of us get hurt, so I picked it up naturally."

 

"Wait… just how old are you?"

 

Suno had assumed the other was young but figured he had to be at least over twenty, judging from his appearance. But if he was in a club…

 

"Seventeen. Senior in high school."

 

"H-High school…?"

 

—He's… in high school…!? This… this can't be right! I'm already over twenty! Isn't it practically a crime to be involved with a high schooler…? But, no, no, no! Not that I'm even thinking of… anything like that, but… still!

 

Seeing Suno fall silent, Kotaro hurriedly added.

 

"B-But I'll be eighteen soon! I'm born in November, so…"

 

"Oh… I see. That's a lovely time to be born… Since you're in a suit and all… and so tall, I thought you were older."

 

"Most people do… Though I actually thought you were around my age, too."

 

"Wait, you thought I looked like a minor?"

 

"Well… you're so slender, and… you're beautiful…"

 

"Hm?"

 

"N-Nothing! It's just… I've never met an Omega outside of family or relatives before! So, um... I'm just not sure about age and all that, or, well… uh…"

 

As he spoke in a strangely flustered tone, Kotaro quickly wrapped Suno's ankle in bandages. Suno couldn't help but find the large, awkward Kotaro endearing, and he chuckled a bit. Kotaro shot him a fierce glare.

 

"Huh? What're you laughing at?"

 

"Oh, nothing. By the way, there are no Omegas at your school?"

 

"Right. They say it'd be a distraction, so both the students and teachers are all Alphas."

 

"Wow, that sounds prestigious."

 

"I don't think so. Mr. Ren and Mr. Aoi went to a school that has Omegas."

 

"Hmm? You know Aoi* and the others? Oh, I guess you would, since your families are close."

 

"Aoi*? Are you two close? …Don't tell me, are you and Mr. Aoi…"

 

[T/N: Suno usually addresses Aoi as "Aoi-kun". The term "kun" is often used with boys or younger men, and can indicate a level of affection or camaraderie. Especially since Suno is older than Aoi, and has known him since childhood.]

 

Kotaro's expression suddenly cooled, his face tensing. Suno quickly shook his head.

 

"No, no, it's not like that. I'm just an old friend of the Kunishiro brothers."

 

"Really? I've never heard a rumor about Mr. Ren or Mr. Aoi having anyone special. You're not secretly mated to one of them, are you?"

 

"Eh? Definitely not. We're just friends."

 

"…Huh. So that means you're… single?"

 

"Well, yes…"

 

"Huh… I see…"

 

—Wait… is this kid… into me?

 

Kotaro's feelings were plain as day, and seeing him so transparent stirred something warm in Suno's heart. After years of withdrawing from romance, doubting others and himself, Kotaro's openness made him feel something gently bloom inside. Yet…

 

—But he's still a minor. I have a reputation to uphold, and getting involved with someone underage… isn't that bound to cause trouble?

 

For the first time in ages, he felt as if he'd met someone special, but he couldn't fully let himself feel the excitement.

 

Wrestling with this tangle of emotions, Suno managed a faint, ambiguous smile as he subtly avoided Kotaro's intense gaze.

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