Chapter 78 - Blindness

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

 

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.

  

I’ve finished setting up the Bella Novels Discord server! You can join us using this invite. There, you’ll be able to easily follow chapter updates for the novel(s) of your choice—along with access to many other features and community content.

I’m also introducing something new: the Chapter Boost System! This system lets you accelerate a novel’s releases by one, five, or even ten chapters.

Join the Discord to learn more about how it works and take part in this new feature!

 

If you’re able to provide me with the Raws of the Novels I need, you'll be the first person to receive my translation of them. You’ll also gain instant access to up to 30 advanced chapters for the novel of your choice, OR you can also request a SuperBoost for that novel.

For more details, you can check out the Raw Provider new page. 

 

Here you go, and I wish you a good read. 

Christmas Special

 

Chapter 78

 

 

Another season had come and gone—winter had arrived once more.

 

Today was the day before Christmas Eve.

 

Ren sat in his private room on the top floor of the Kunishiro Holdings headquarters, quietly watching the snow fall—earlier than usual this year. Reflected in the tall window were the pale gray skies and the sprawling cityscape of buildings below. It was a little past four in the afternoon, and the impatient sky had already begun to hint at the coming night.

 

"Ren."

 

A familiar voice called his name from behind, and Ren caught sight of his beloved mate's reflection in the glass. Turning slowly, he saw Mikado smiling warmly, two white mugs in hand.

 

"I made cocoa. Want some?"

 

"Oh? That's rare. Thanks."

 

The sweet aroma drifting in from the kitchen had been cocoa, it seemed. Mikado humming while working at the kitchen counter had become a daily sight. Ren stepped closer and gently accepted the cup.

 

"…It's good. Not too sweet."

 

"Right? I made it mild. You're not really into sweets, after all."

 

"…Don't act like you know everything."

 

"Oh? Am I wrong?"

 

"…You're not, but still."

 

He couldn't help letting a sharp remark slip to cover his embarrassment, but Mikado clearly knew him too well to be fazed. Smiling fondly, he took a sip of his own cocoa, eyes soft as they watched Ren.

 

Although Kunishiro Holdings had granted a three-day holiday for Christmas starting today, Mikado still had work duties. He'd managed to take today off because it was a public holiday, and so the two of them had a rare moment alone.

 

"Ren."

 

"…Hm?"

 

"Do you like snow? You've been watching it for a while."

 

"Yeah… I guess I do. It calms me somehow."

 

"I see."

 

Ren had always loved watching snow drift down from the sky since he was a child. The way the white crystals danced and fluttered in a gentle rhythm gave him peace, helping him forget the burdens of his hectic life. Forget that he lived hiding the fact that he was an Omega. Forget Aoi's eyes. Forget everything about his family…

 

But now, all the things that once weighed so heavily on him had more or less been resolved. His family knew he was an Omega. Aoi had regained his sight. And between Aoi and Yuto, a newborn child had just come into the world.

 

And for Ren himself—there was someone he loved deeply by his side.

 

The mate he had longed for, time and again, was now here, holding him close. He had never looked up at the snow with such serenity in his heart before. Leaning gently against Mikado, Ren let out a soft sigh.

 

"Haruhito."

 

"Yeah?"

 

"…Will you be home tomorrow night?"

 

"Of course!"

 

Tomorrow, on Christmas Eve, they were planning a quiet celebration with only their closest friends and family. The Kunishiro family, being Christian, had always spent Christmas together.

 

Up until now, Aoi had been the only family Ren had. He recalled how, back when they were just children, Seta and a few of the household staff would spend Christmas with them out of kindness. Those were quiet celebrations under a large tree—small, but filled with warmth.

 

But this year, things had changed. Their family had grown. And they had close friends who felt like family, too. For Ren, that change was something truly precious.

 

"Suno's coming too, right?"

 

"Yeah. Kotaro has class until the evening, so he'll be a little late, but Suno's here already—he had work in the area, so he's been staying with us since yesterday."

 

"I see. Even while pregnant, he's still running around everywhere."

 

"He seems busy, but he's much more full of life than he used to be."

 

"Then I guess it's alright. …Oh, that reminds me."

 

Something seemed to cross Mikado's mind, and he tilted his head slightly. Ren straightened up from where he'd been leaning.

 

"What is it?"

 

"Suno still doesn't know you're an Omega, right?"

 

"…Huh?"

 

"I was just wondering when you'd tell him. You're close, after all."

 

Now that he mentioned it… Ren realized he still hadn't told Suno. Maybe it was because they'd known each other for so long, but the distinction between Alpha and Omega had ceased to matter. Suno simply felt like an old, trusted friend.

 

Ren still felt guilty about all the trouble and emotional strain Suno had endured during Aoi's partner selection. But now, Suno had found a strong and kind mate of his own—and was carrying new life. He had always been striking, with a graceful charm, but these days he seemed to shine even more brightly than ever. Whenever Ren caught a glimpse of him on television or in a magazine, he felt an inexplicable mix of relief and happiness.

 

"…I missed the right moment to say it. I'll tell him over the holiday."

 

"Alright. I wonder how he'll react."

 

"I just hope it doesn't shock him too much—it wouldn't be good for the baby."

 

"You think he'll be that surprised?"

 

"I mean, finding out I'm an Omega—and that you're my mate? That'd be enough to knock anyone off their feet."

 

"Hah, yeah… fair point."

 

With an easy smile, Mikado wrapped an arm around Ren's shoulder. Ren leaned into his warmth, resting his head gently against him.

 

"What did Dr. Ayase say, by the way? You had a checkup recently, didn't you?"

 

"Ah… yeah."

 

Because of long-term overuse of suppressants, it turns out Ren—like Yuto—had developed a body that would struggle to conceive.

 

On top of that, Ren had also been on anabolic steroids for a while, making his hormone balance even more unstable.

 

The heat cycles he had once feared so much now barely happened. Ever since he stopped taking suppressants, they had returned—but became weak and infrequent. Though the constant health issues had faded, he hadn't experienced a proper heat since. At times he would feel a vague feverishness and think, "Maybe this is it," but it would fade away within a day or two.

 

That heat he had gone into the day Masachika Kunishiro attacked him—when Mikado had come to his rescue—perhaps that had been his body's instinctual cry not to lose the soulmate it had finally found… or so Ren believed.

 

Still, life was busy now. He was preparing to hand things over to Aoi, managing loose ends—it wasn't a time when he could afford to dwell too much on his health. But Ayase, who conducted Ren's physical checkups regularly, had begun urging him more and more insistently to begin treatment. "You finally have such a wonderful mate," he'd say, or "Now that things have settled down with Yuto, it's time for you to take care of yourself."

 

Eventually, Ren agreed to a more detailed examination, and that's when he discovered the new issue affecting his body.

 

"…I see."

 

As Ren quietly explained all this, Mikado reached up and gently stroked his head. In Mikado's soft exhale, Ren thought he sensed a faint trace of sorrow, and he slowly lifted his face.

 

"...Are you disappointed? That I turned out this way?"

 

"Huh? No, of course not. You've been saying for a while that the meds might've done something."

 

"Yeah…"

 

"I just… wonder what I can do for you."

 

"What?"

 

Mikado frowned thoughtfully, a sigh escaping his lips.

 

"You've already been through so much, Ren. Honestly, I wish you could just have some peace—time to rest, both body and soul. But you're still busy with so many things. And as far as work goes, there's only so much I can do to help…"

 

"It's alright. I'm more than happy right now."

 

"…Really?"

 

"Of course I am. Having you as my mate has brought me a calm I've never known before. Aoi can see again. He has Yuto. They have a child together… I've never felt so blessed in my life."

 

Just thinking about his newborn nephew softened Ren's expression, a tender smile blooming on his face.

 

Aoi and Yuto had welcomed a baby boy.

 

It was a sweltering mid-September morning, with the faint scent of autumn riding on the early breeze, when Yuto gave birth to a healthy boy. Ren had been secretly surprised to see such an expression on Aoi's face—the ever-cool, unflappable Aoi, who had stayed by Yuto's side all night, shed tears the moment he heard the newborn's cry.

 

In a trembling voice, he thanked Yuto, over and over, holding both his exhausted mate and their newborn tightly against him. His face, now charged with the weight of protecting his new family, was more resolute, more masculine, and somehow even more beautiful than ever.

 

Ren had been deeply moved by the sight of this small, growing family wrapped in love.

 

And when he finally cradled the tiny newborn in his arms, his heart swelled. The baby was so small, so fragile—and yet bursting with a fierce vitality. Though its eyes hadn't even opened yet, its limbs quivered as it breathed in with all its strength and wailed loudly into the world, announcing its arrival. Ren couldn't help but feel proud.

 

He had become the child's godparent. The moment they'd learned of the pregnancy, Aoi and Yuto had pleaded with him to choose a name. Ren had spent countless days turning over possibilities in his mind.

 

In the end, the name he gave was Shion.

 

He had chosen it thinking of the cluster of purple aster flowers blooming at their peak beside the rose garden he had once tended for Aoi.

 

The aster wasn't a particularly showy flower, but it carried a quiet loveliness. Its soft lilac petals exuded elegance, and its golden center gave it warmth. When they bloomed together, they reminded him of a starlit sky glowing in the blush of dawn. There was something in those flowers that felt akin to Aoi's eyes, and to Yuto's quiet strength and kindness. And so, Ren gave that name to the child.

 

And yet… Ren himself still wasn't ready—not ready to live as an Omega, not ready to carry a child in his own body. No, he thought, it's not about being ready—I just can't picture it.

 

He adored little Shion. Holding the child in his arms every day filled him with love. Watching the tired but serene expression on Yuto's face gave him comfort. The heir issue for the Kunishiro family had been resolved. Their bloodline would continue.

 

But could he imagine himself in Yuto's place?

 

He still wasn't sure.

 

For so long, he had clung fiercely to the image of himself as an Alpha—in body and in spirit. And that made it all the harder now to accept what he truly was.

 

He loved Mikado. That much was certain. Mikado was irreplaceable.

 

And though he had once felt awkward and uncertain in bed, he was growing more comfortable. Mikado was always passionate and gentle, treating him with great care. Being enveloped by that strong body had become something Ren found joy in. The physical connection between them had deepened, and so had the emotional bond. And yet…

 

He still couldn't imagine what lay beyond.

 

It wasn't that he didn't want children. It was just that… his heart hadn't caught up.

 

He had shared this with Mikado more than once. Mikado had always smiled patiently, telling him, "I'll wait however long you need."

"Just being with you like this makes me so happy I could die."

 

Every time he heard those words, Ren felt relief… and hesitation.

Was it really okay to stay like this?

 

"Haruhito," he murmured, "you don't have to do anything more for me.

You're already enough. Just… stay by my side."

 

"Mm… Thank you. I love you, Ren."

 

"..."

 

Mikado took his hand and pressed a soft kiss to his fingertip.

 

Just watching those lips touch his pale fingers sent a quiet tremor through Ren's body. His skin, his senses, all stirred with longing—wanting to be loved more, deeper, with those lips, that tongue…

 

Ren averted his gaze, pressing his lips into a thin line and letting out a quiet sigh. Then, carefully—mindful not to let thorns hide among his words—he spoke with as much sweetness as he could muster:

 

"W-would you… like to go to bed? I—I feel like… being a little spoiled tonight."

 

"Huh?"

 

"I-I said… I mean, um…"

 

Flustered by his own words, he trailed off, unable to continue. As he stood there awkwardly, Mikado suddenly scooped him up into his arms and strode toward the bedroom without hesitation.

 

"Of course! Spoil away! As much as you want!!"

 

"W-wait, I can walk, you know!"

 

"Ahhh seriously, you're too cute! 'I wanna be spoiled'—how can you say stuff like that and not expect me to lose my mind?! You always say the exact things that make me happiest!"

 

"Y-you idiot, shut up!"

 

Ren grumbled under his breath, but a smile was already tugging at the corners of his lips.

 

That snowy Christmas Eve turned into an evening of sweet, blissful indulgence.

Last Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter
⥼ Bonus Discord Chapter ⤴

 

❧ Join Bella Novels' Newsletter by clicking here ↫ and
receive an email for each New Update -͙✧˖*°࿐