Bluebird: Chapter 5

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Two weeks after Takahiro Inukai’s transfer to the sales department at Kawai’s headquarters—a move earned by his success in developing new markets for the artificial kidney dialyzer "NH-II-46" at a regional branch—the promotion of sales manager Katori was officially announced. Though Inukai had little interaction with Katori since his transfer, as his direct supervisor, Inukai felt obligated to attend the celebratory drinking party, at least as a formality.

It was late July, and with the end of the rainy season, temperatures had soared, bringing with them oppressive humidity. At the party, pitchers of draft beer flowed endlessly across the large, wide table—nearly five meters long—where colleagues chatted and laughed.

Inukai sat at one end of the table, engaging in polite, noncommittal conversations while firmly deciding he’d leave after the first round. For the past three days, his mornings had started early, and he’d returned home late, catching only glimpses of his son’s sleeping face. He missed Yuu. If leaving after the first round felt awkward, he’d come up with some excuse... As he mulled over his plans, a voice called out to him.

"Excuse me."

It was the receptionist, Kamada. At work, she always wore a uniform, with her hair tied neatly at the back. She gave off a clean but somewhat plain impression. Tonight, however, she was dressed in a glamorous outfit with jewels on her chest, her hair curled, and her skin was shinier than usual. She was clearly aware of her youth and beauty.

"Thank you for the other day."

Kamada bowed her head politely. It was two days ago, or maybe three, when an employee from a textile company had been struggling in the company entrance, unable to confirm the appointment. He had mistakenly gotten the name of the person he was supposed to meet with wrong, and Kamada, unable to connect him to anyone, was at a loss. Just then, Inukai had returned from an external meeting. Since he was familiar with the employee from the branch, he had taken a guess as to who might be in the textile department, contacted them, and successfully helped the employee meet with the right person.

"It’s no big deal," Inukai replied, dismissing her thanks. There was nothing worth thanking him for—it had taken one phone call, no more than three minutes, to sort everything out.

Kamada sat down at the narrow space near the wall behind Inukai. It was a place where people walking by would be easily obstructed.

"Inukai-san, you came from the Yamate branch, right? The person I’ve worked with there, Mr. Kimura, has transferred to your branch. Do you know him?"

At first, Inukai thought she was asking about his acquaintance’s recent situation, but it seemed that was just an excuse. Soon, Kamada started asking him an unusual amount of personal questions. Does she not realize I’m wearing that?

Inukai laughed lightly, scratching his hair as he spoke. He subtly made sure to display the ring on his left ring finger. As expected, Kamada’s gaze was fixed on his hand. However, there was no sign of discomfort in her expression. If she was approaching him knowing he was in a relationship, that made her intentions even worse.

"Inukai-san, do you have a girlfriend or someone you’re seeing?"

She asked directly. Inukai was curious about what she thought the ring on his finger meant, but he answered smoothly.

"I’m married."

He smiled broadly with a friendly, approachable expression. Sitting next to him, Komaki, a man in his late thirties and a supervisor, blurted out, "Huh? Inukai’s married?" in a rather loud voice. The others nearby turned to look, surprised.

"Yes. I have one child, and my partner is pregnant with our second."

"From what I heard at the branch, I thought you were single..." Komaki, shaking his large, almost overweight frame, asked in confusion.

"It’s actually..." Inukai purposefully looked down, as if reflecting on his words.

"When I found out my partner was pregnant, I immediately registered our marriage. But he was pregnant and fell ill, so we couldn’t have a proper wedding. Eventually, the child was born safely, but I hadn’t had a chance to mention it at the branch. Since there were insurance matters involved, I reported it to the office when I came to headquarters."

Aside from the parts about "being married" and "having a child," everything was fabricated. But if no one suspected anything odd, it would be fine. People who might have tried to investigate the details weren’t likely to bring it up.

"I see... I see," Komaki nodded repeatedly, understanding the situation. Then, he confessed, "Actually, we also had a shotgun wedding," with a chuckle. The middle-aged female employee sitting next to him added, "Komaki-san, you’re such a hands-on dad."

"I think you really take care of your kid," she added.

"No, it’s nothing like that," Komaki said bashfully.

Inukai thought that although Komaki was loud and messy with his work, he seemed like a good person, and it was nice to have a boss who was involved with his child.

"I’m still a beginner at parenting, so if I run into any problems, would it be okay to ask for your advice?"

"Yeah, sure. Ask me anything."

Komaki didn’t seem displeased by the request. He was probably the type who liked being relied on. With the second child on the way, and with Yuu, his eldest son, about to start kindergarten soon, he’d definitely need to figure out how to take time off for events like that. It seemed like Komaki would be the type to offer helpful advice.

Kamada was watching the exchange between the married men with an openly disappointed look. That’s fine. He’d use the power words "children" and "marriage" to keep any would-be pursuers at a distance. He didn’t want to waste time or energy on people who were showing interest in him when he wasn’t interested in them. Even when he was at the branch office, there were many approaches from women, but from the beginning, he had consistently turned them down by saying, "I’m seeing someone." It wasn’t a lie.

"How many months is your partner along?"

Komaki asked eagerly.

"Nine months."

"He’s about to give birth, huh? That must be tough."

Just thinking about the child growing steadily inside his partner, Kentaro Kawachi’s belly, made Inukai’s lips curl into a soft smile.

"As long as the baby’s born healthy, that’s enough for me. But if I could make one selfish wish, it would be that the baby looks more like my partner."

"Really? If it looks like you, it’ll be a beautiful baby. You’re a handsome guy."

“I…” Inukai covered his mouth with his hand, feeling embarrassed.

"I really like my partner," he said, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

It was supposed to be a casual declaration, but suddenly, he felt genuinely embarrassed. Still, he couldn’t stop talking. He wanted to share this feeling, to be heard.

"That’s why I want the baby to look like the person I love. But if it’s a girl, I’d never be able to let her go when she gets married… Ah, I haven’t asked about the gender yet, so I don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl."

Komaki laughed loudly, slapping Inukai’s back, "Already worrying about marriage before the baby’s even born, huh?"

Inukai hadn’t even realized it, but Kamada had disappeared from the scene. With this, it seemed unlikely she would ever approach him again.

The first round of the party had started at 7:00 PM and ended just after 9:00. There was a second round, but people were split on whether to join. Komaki seemed to be going, so Inukai, feeling a bit reluctant, said, "If I stay out too late, my partner will worry."

"Ah, yeah, with the baby coming soon, you should head home," Komaki said, officially letting him off the hook with a casual dismissal.

The restaurant for the first round was about a fifteen-minute walk from the subway station. The temperature had dropped by the time he left, but the air was thick with humidity, clinging to his neck. After walking for just a bit, sweat began to bead at his sides.

The train was air-conditioned, and the cool air quickly dried the sweat from his skin. He hung onto the strap while typing on his smartphone with one hand. He sent a message: The drinking party’s over. I’m heading home now, but it took a while for the message to be read.

Yuu might be fussing, or maybe he’s trying to put him to sleep, he thought, browsing other apps while waiting for a reply. About ten minutes later, there was a soft ping—the message had been read, and a curt reply followed: “Got it.”

Taking this as a sign he might still be paying attention, Inukai sent, “Is Yuu asleep yet?” Almost immediately, he received, “Almost.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come home while he was awake these past three days,” he texted, adding a sticker of a sad, drooping cat. Though the message was marked as read, there was no immediate response. Maybe I’m being annoying, he thought, regretting his insistence. Just as he was considering leaving it alone, another ping drew his attention.

It was a photo of Yuu, lying face down and looking on the verge of sleep. Warmth flooded Inukai’s chest. I want to fly home and nuzzle him right now.

“Thank you. He’s so cute!” he quickly replied. This time, the response came even faster: “Bye.”

Clearly, he was busy putting Yuu to sleep and didn’t want to be disturbed further. Inukai zoomed in on the photo of Yuu’s sleeping face and stared at it intently. Yuu looked so much like him, though his nose resembled Kawachi’s more. Still, regardless of whom Yuu took after, his ever-cheerful, smiling face was irresistibly lovable.

Even if it had been forceful and one-sided, he was glad he had married Kawachi. It was a relief to be raising their child together as official partners. Perhaps Kawachi hadn’t wanted this kind of family, but for him, this was the ideal family he could have ever hoped for—nothing more, nothing less.

Another message came in. At first, he thought it was from Kawachi, but it turned out to be from his older brother, Takaki. It was rare for him to reach out, and when he did, it was never for anything good, so he didn’t really want to see it. But ignoring it would just lead to more trouble later on, so he reluctantly opened it.

“Next month, there’s going to be a birthday party for Mom. Are you coming?”

He had no intention of going, but now that he had seen the message, completely ignoring it wasn’t an option. He started thinking about sending some kind of gift instead. Then, another message came through:

“Isn’t this a good chance to talk things over as a family? Your second child’s going to be born soon, right?”

Inukai hadn’t shared any details about his family with them, so the source of this information was likely Sawako, the housekeeper his family used to employ. Sawako had once mentioned, “Your mom asks me a lot of questions.” Though Inukai hadn’t hidden his life with Kawachi, he hadn’t expected this much prying.

“You feel responsible for the pregnancy, but I think the problem lies with the Omega who went to work during his heat. Legally speaking, you bear no responsibility whatsoever.”

“If I had to put it into words, it’s like you’ve been in an accident. Financial compensation was the best solution, or at least that’s what our family, including me, still believes. But now that you've already married, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“From here on out, if anything happens, it’s not like you can claim complete detachment from our family. Legally, you'll be considered relatives, so it’s probably best if you at least meet face-to-face. I also want to get a sense of the guy you’re involved with.”

As he read the message, a wave of nausea washed over him. He didn’t want Kawachi to meet his family, who seemed intent on sizing him up. After years of unrequited love, he had finally won Kawachi’s heart, and they were living happily together. He didn’t want anyone to interfere with that.

Even if he brought Kawachi to his parents' house, it would only result in heartless words being thrown at him from a family eager to cast blame on the Omega. Kawachi would be hurt, and he might even leave him because of it. No... Kawachi couldn’t leave him. If Kawachi were to leave, it would only be because he chose death.

Just imagining it made his chest tighten with a crushing pain. In reality, even though Kawachi had the means to live, he had once tried to choose death. He seemed so open and carefree, yet he was fragile, kind... and so, so very vulnerable.

Inukai had spent nearly eight years in unrequited love with him.

He shoved his smartphone into his bag, the device suddenly reduced to an irritating nuisance by his brother’s messages. Letting out a heavy sigh he stared at his feet. The sound of paper rustling caught his attention—the train’s air conditioning stirred the hanging advertisements. The word “employment” caught his eye. That’s right… it was because I took the job exam at Kawai and fell in love that my entire life changed. He had never regretted it, not even once. Inukai’s thoughts drifted back to the first time he met the love of his life.

…In the spring of his fourth year of university, Inukai accompanied his friend Mizukuchi to an employment seminar at the medical device company Kawai. Inukai had already received a job offer from one of his father’s affiliated companies, with plans to eventually take over its management. His father’s company was intended to be inherited by his older brother, and their parents hoped the two brothers would work together harmoniously to grow the business.

Inukai’s older brother, seven years his senior, was exceptionally talented, and Inukai had no complaints about playing a supportive role under him. Their family had been established for generations, both parents were Alpha, and all their children were also Alpha. Even the extended family was mostly Alpha, with the rare Beta popping up in distant branches, but there were no Omega in the family at all.

When he was in elementary school, Inukai had learned about the three categories—Alpha, Beta, and Omega—but it was something he had always known intuitively, long before the formal lessons on them. Then, once they entered middle school, they underwent testing to determine their own attributes. If someone was Omega, special care was needed during their heat cycles. However, because the number of Omega was so small and they were often subjected to discrimination, no one ever revealed their attribute to others.

Among the three categories, Alpha was often associated with exceptional intelligence and athletic ability. Even before the testing, rumors circulated: “That person must be an Alpha.” Inukai had always been outstanding academically, and his test results confirmed he was Alpha—something he never felt the need to hide. His parents and relatives were all Alpha, so it was only natural.

Inukai’s older brother, Takaki, married an Alpha woman during Inukai’s second year of university. She came from a good family, was intelligent and beautiful, and their parents immediately approved of her. By the following year, they had an Alpha child, and their parents were overjoyed. Having an older brother who lived as a model Alpha, Inukai had always thought he would choose a similar woman for himself in the future.

He knew that there were Alpha individuals who chose Omega as partners, but in Inukai’s mind, they were seen as those whose "rationality" had been overtaken by "desire." Inukai himself was highly sensitive to the scent of Omega pheromones, and even if they used suppressants, he could always tell when an Omega was in heat.

Though he was sensitive to the scent, he had developed enough resistance to it that when encountering an Omega in heat on the streets—especially one who wasn’t using suppressants—he could maintain his composure and simply walk away. Because of this, he might have unconsciously looked down on Alpha individuals who, unable to resist the pheromones, gave in and slept with an Omega.

Mizukuchi, who had applied to Kawai alongside him, was a rare case: an Alpha born to Beta parents, a genetic anomaly. While Alphas naturally formed tight-knit communities, Mizukuchi had been the target of ridicule throughout high school for being an Alpha despite his Beta parents. Because of this, he had kept his distance from the Alpha groups when he entered university.

It was when they ended up in the same seminar that they started talking, and they hit it off. Inukai liked Mizukuchi’s straightforward, no-nonsense personality, and they often spent time together on campus.

So, when Mizukuchi told him he had gotten an Omega girlfriend, Inukai was stunned. His first thought was that he might have been tricked. While there were individual differences in the heat cycles of Omegas, they couldn’t go out or work during that time, which created a lot of inconvenience. This often meant that their jobs were unstable, and their standard of living tended to drop. As a result, some people would try to manipulate Alphas into relationships during the Omega’s heat cycle, either to have children and force responsibility onto the Alpha or to take the place of a partner and secure a more stable life.

Such cases were common, and Alphas who were seduced by an Omega's heat... to put it bluntly, rape... were rarely prosecuted unless the act was particularly malicious, such as when it involved forcibly marking them as a mate.

Mizukuchi, with flushed cheeks and a spark of excitement in his eyes, confessed to Inukai, "You know, she and I... we’re ‘fated mates.’"

Inukai had heard of the special bond between an Alpha and an Omega, known as the "fated mate" relationship, but he had never encountered anyone in his circle who had actually formed such a bond. He had always thought of it as something that only existed in movies and novels, almost like an urban legend.

"But how did you know she was your fated mate?" Inukai asked, his voice laced with skepticism.

Mizukuchi replied confidently, "The scent was different. Completely different!"

"I never believed in the whole fated mate thing either. I mean, sure, Omegas all have their own variations in scent, but when they’re in heat, they all pretty much smell the same, right? But the moment I met her, it was like nothing I’d ever smelled before. It was like my brain melted… it was such an intoxicating, almost drug-like scent. Just like how I think she smells amazing, she must’ve thought the same about me. And that same day… well, we became mates."

Inukai was struck by the revelation—not just that Mizukuchi had chosen an Omega as his partner, but that he had made her his mate. It was more than he had expected, and the confession hit him harder than he could have imagined.

"Is... is everything okay?"

Inukai had never heard of such a rapid progression. The bond between an Alpha and an Omega, once made, couldn’t be undone by the Omega. Additionally, once an Omega became a mate, they could no longer accept sexual relations with anyone else. If abandoned, they would have to endure their heat cycles alone for the rest of their life. To become a mate, the Omega had to be fully prepared, willing to follow the Alpha to the end, even to the point of death.

Mizukuchi leaned back against the bench, his hands clasped under his chin as he spoke with obvious pride.

"You see, the fated mate bond, it’s the best compatibility there is. There’s no one else who could possibly be a better match. Even if it happened by accident, I didn’t want anyone else to be her mate. I thanked God every day that she never belonged to anyone else before me."

A few days later, Mizukuchi introduced Inukai to his fated mate, a woman named Sari. She was short, with a round face, giving off the image of a squirrel. From the gentle air around her, Inukai could see that she and Mizukuchi shared a similar vibe.

Indeed, she was an Omega, and though her heat cycle was nearly over, Inukai could still detect the faint scent of her pheromones. It was the same familiar scent he’d encountered many times before—nothing special, nothing that stood out as unusual. When he honestly told Mizukuchi that, he only laughed and said, "If you think she smells good too, that’s a problem!"

The two of them were officially engaged, with both families approving. In the winter of Mizukuchi’s third year of university, Sari became pregnant, and the couple married. Mizukuchi, now about to become a father, threw himself into job hunting with the desire to secure a position at a company with better conditions. However, he was prone to anxiety, and with the pressure of needing to provide for his growing family, he became overly nervous. At his first interview, he was so anxious that he fainted. It was unheard of for an Alpha to fail an interview, especially at a prestigious company, and Mizukuchi was devastated.

Knowing that Inukai had already secured a job, Mizukuchi pleaded with him, "Please, help me with job hunting—for my wife and child."

Inukai understood how critical finding a job was for Mizukuchi, and with some extra time on his hands, he agreed to help out. It wasn’t that he had any particular attachment to the medical device company Kawai, where Mizukuchi was hoping to work; he was simply offering a helping hand.

Inukai and Mizukuchi both passed the first round of document screening and moved on to the second round. Kawai had a third-round test, followed by a final interview. Inukai planned to accompany Mizukuchi through the third round but was intending to withdraw before the final interview. Mizukuchi had his sights set on the company’s research and development department.

The second-round test was held in a hotel ballroom. On the same day, another recruitment exam was taking place in a different hall for a local bank, and the lobby was packed with students from both companies.

Inukai had just returned from an overseas trip and was still jet-lagged, his head foggy. Since he was only accompanying Mizukuchi to the test, he felt no real tension or pressure. Mizukuchi hadn’t arrived yet, and Inukai, not wanting to stay in the crowded lobby, decided to leave the hotel and kill some time at a nearby coffee shop.

While sipping his coffee and gazing absentmindedly out the window, he pulled out his smartphone to check the time and saw that he had several messages from Mizukuchi on social media. He had put his phone on silent, so he hadn’t noticed earlier.

"I’ve arrived at the venue! Where are you?"

"The briefing’s started, so I’m heading in."

"The exam’s about to start, you know."

"Hey, respond!"

A wave of panic washed over him. He quickly typed, "What time does the exam start?"

The reply came almost immediately: "It’s starting now. Where the hell are you?"

The time was 10:12 AM... Could it have started at 10:15? He hadn’t even bothered to check the exam details properly and had assumed the test started at 10:30.

Inukai rushed out of the coffee shop and bolted toward the hotel. The lobby, which had been so crowded just moments ago, was now completely empty. He had no idea where the exam hall was. What should he do? As he wandered around, someone called out to him.

"Hey, you!"

A well-built man in a suit was approaching. He looked to be in his late twenties. As the man drew closer, the scent that wafted from him was so pleasant it was almost startling. Despite having a rather plain face at first glance, his fragrance was overwhelming.

"Are you here for the second-round exam for Kawai?" the man asked.

"Ah, yes. I got distracted and ended up being late..." Inukai replied, his words trailing off.

The man smiled widely.

"Alright, run!"

With that, the man took off, and Inukai scrambled to follow him. They raced up the stairs, and the man led him to a hall at the far end of the second floor. A table was set up in front of the entrance, where a woman in a suit stood, her lips puckered as she asked, " Kawachi-san, where have you been?"

The man responded casually, "One of our applicants was wandering around in the lobby, so I went and picked him up. There's still just enough time."

He quickly attached the last available number tag to Inukai and handed him a folder of documents. Then, the man, who had been called Kawachi, escorted Inukai inside. The other applicants shot them quick, furtive glances, and Inukai could feel the pressure of their stares.

The man guided Inukai to an empty seat at the very back of the room. As he patted Inukai on the shoulder, he said, "Good luck!" and then left.

Thanks to that man, Inukai had managed to take the exam. After it ended, Mizukuchi, who had been sitting in the middle of the hall, rushed over, saying, "I thought you were going to bail on me!" He also added, "But, well, I was worried about you, so it saved me from having to think about too many other things."

After the exam, they collected name tags at the reception outside the hall, but the kind man who had pushed Inukai into the venue at the last minute was nowhere to be found. Inukai assumed he was an employee of Kawai, but perhaps his role was limited to just the initial reception.

"Are you looking for someone?" Mizukuchi asked, and Inukai mentioned the kind employee who had guided him in, explaining how the man had helped him.

"When I checked in, there were a man and a woman at the reception. I think it was the man who helped you. He seemed like a nice guy. He was talking to the applicants, trying to calm them down because they were so nervous."

"Did he have a good scent?" Inukai asked.

"A scent?" Mizukuchi tilted his head in confusion.

"Like a sweet fragrance."

"Hmm... I didn't notice. I guess I was too focused on the exam."

Inukai, however, couldn’t forget the fragrance. That man wasn’t the type to wear strong perfumes, but there was something about his scent—sweet, subtle, and lingering. It had been fleeting, but Inukai could still faintly recall it.

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