Chapter 1
Tougo Tsubaki walked with weary steps along a dim, narrow path bathed in chilly night air. Even in the dim moonlight, partially obscured by clouds, his face shone with striking beauty. His soft, mysterious eyes — large and round with a gentle hazel hue — held an almost enchanting depth. His long, lush lashes curled delicately around his eyes.
His high, graceful nose exuded an elegant dignity. His petal-pink, plump lips were subtly alluring and hinted at sensuality. His porcelain-white skin, like freshly fallen snow, gleamed with a silky lustre. His voluminous, silky, chestnut-coloured hair swayed lightly as he moved. Overall, he radiated an almost otherworldly grace.
As one might expect of an Omega, he had a slender, delicately built body that carried a faint, sweet rose scent — a pheromonal fragrance that lingered gently in the air. Although his pale complexion and tall stature — an impressive 177 centimetres for an Omega — made him appear fragile, he was actually a vigorous and athletic young man with a talent for physical education.
After finishing his shift at the bookshop, Tougo walks alone along this winding path he loves, lost in thought. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from the bustling city centre, which is lined with stations, apartments and shops. Another 10 minutes of climbing the winding slope brings an ivory-coloured, five-storey public housing complex for low-income residents into view.
His beloved 80-year-old grandmother awaits him at home. Just thinking of her brings a bright, warm smile to Tougo's small, tired face. Their 2LDK apartment, complete with a bathroom, small kitchen, and living room, was built five years ago. It is spacious and clean enough for the two of them to live comfortably.
Tougo carefully opens the door to his grandmother's room, quietly entering and seeing her sleeping peacefully. Her serene, wrinkled face brought a wave of relief, softening his expression. He gently closes the door, puts his bag in his room, and heads to the bathroom. After a warm shower, he carefully applies the omega-specific cream Dr. Suzuki gave him to his entire body.
The living room contained only a two-seater brown leather sofa and a brown wooden table, both of which were gifts from Professor Suzuki. In his grandmother's small room, there was a small television and a hospital bed, also gifts from the professor. Tougo stepped into the spotless, white kitchen and checked the refrigerator. Seeing that the beef porridge and namul he had made that morning were completely gone, he realized his grandmother had eaten well. This made him so happy and relieved that he couldn't help but hum cheerfully.
The beige wallpaper and plain brown curtains complement the neatly made wooden bed adorned with wrinkle-free, beige polka-dot bedding. Next to the bed is a meticulously lined wooden desk and bookshelf filled with countless books. Dr. Suzuki gifted all the furniture in Tougo's room. Most of the books are heirlooms from his parents, with some given by Dr. Suzuki. Despite their frugal lifestyle, his parents had an abundance of books ranging from medicine and science to literature, astronomy, and spirituality, nurturing Tougo's intellectual creativity.
The built-in closet is neatly organized with clothes and elegant bags handed down from Dr. Suzuki's daughter.
On the tidy desk sits a framed photo—Tougo's treasure—a picture of his parents, who passed away in an accident, and his grandmother, who was much younger and healthier at the time, holding Tougo as a child. It's one of the few decorations in the house. The others are Tougo's watercolor paintings: a wildflower piece, a portrait of his grandmother, and an abstract depiction of the universe. All of these paintings won first place in national art competitions during his elementary, middle, and high school years. His grandmother proudly points them out to visitors, boasting, "My grandson is a genius! He's so talented at painting and has won awards!"
Tougo sits quietly at his desk and begins his homework for the day's classes. Engrossed in his studies, he glances at the clock and realizes it's after 2 a.m. He tidies his books and notes, then slips into bed. His fulfilling day comes to a close.
At 6 a.m., the alarm rings and Tougo gets up. He heads to the bathroom, washes his face, brushes his teeth, and carefully applies Omega cream evenly across his face.
He moves to the kitchen and takes green beans, onions, carrots, pumpkin, potatoes, tofu, and pork out of the fridge to make tonjiru(pork miso soup). He also prepares his grandmother's favorite dish, bean sprout namul. After setting breakfast on the round, white dining table, he sees his grandmother come out of her room.
"Hey, I wanted to cook! Sorry, Tougo," she said.
"No, it's fine. Cooking is fun, and it's not a burden at all." Grandma, how's your stomach? Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital? How's your back?"
"Oh, I'm all better now. Sorry for worrying you. I need to get ready to go back to the Omega support facility."
"What? You're not quitting your cleaning job? They told you not to overdo it."
His grandmother sits at the table with a spoon in hand and smiles. "This tonjiru is delicious. It warms you to your core. Having a job at my age is something to be grateful for, though. It's more fun to go out, talk with people, and stay active than to sit at home and watch TV. Plus, it brings in some money. It's a win-win."
"I'm working part time and receiving a merit-based scholarship, so please don't push yourself."
"Yes, this namul is crisp and tasty, too. Hurry up and eat, Tougo."
Relieved to see his grandmother in good spirits, Tougo finishes cleaning up after breakfast and heads to the university. He takes the elevator from the fifth floor down to the first. The new public housing complex has an elevator, which is very convenient.
After the first and second periods, the students leave the lecture hall noisily. Tougo grabs his bag and heads to the restroom designated for Omega students. As an elite institution under the Peace Foundation, Peace University is renowned worldwide and in Japan for admitting only the most talented individuals. Even rare Omegas are enrolled, so the facilities, including the restrooms, are top-notch.
After washing his hands carefully in the restroom, Tougo heads to the first-floor cafeteria. While others go to the student dining hall, Tougo, mindful of his budget, opts for the free coffee in the cafeteria. He sits by a sunlit window. With his coffee, he pulls out disinfectant wipes and a lunchbox from his bag. Soft, sweet jazz with a rainy mood plays in the background as students quietly sip coffee or read. Peace University is vast, with each department boasting its own cafeteria, dining hall, health center, and library, all of which are impeccably equipped. Tougo munches on his lunch of namul, kimchi, stir-fried anchovies, tamagoyaki, and multigrain rice, his cheeks puffing out as he eats quietly.
Before entering university, Tougo attracted intense gazes because of his striking, slender appearance. But at Peace University, filled with exceptional talent, people were initially curious, yet they soon became absorbed in their own affairs. Tougo loves the university—it's comfortable, and studying is enjoyable. He still struggles with obsessive-compulsive anxiety and cleanliness issues stemming from an unfortunate incident in high school. Dr. Michiko Suzuki was a tremendous help during that time. He remains close to Dr. Suzuki even now. She is a rare dominant female Omega in her fifties and a brilliant doctor renowned for her work in trait research.
After slowly finishing his meal, Tougo wipes his hands and mouth with disinfectant wipes. He sips his coffee and puts his lunchbox back in his bag. Then, he heads to the restroom to wash his hands again before spending the next 30 minutes reading in the library.
After the third, fourth, and fifth periods, Tougo heads to his part-time job at Peace Bookstore.
"See you later, Tougo."
"See you, Aiko."
Tougo and Aiko met at the entrance ceremony, and they've been friends ever since. She asked him to take a photo with her, and their friendship grew from there. Aiko is a Beta studying English and American Literature. She occasionally shares general education classes with Tougo, who is in the French Literature department.
At 160 cm tall and with a chubby build, Aiko is bright and cute. She has already found a boyfriend and is enjoying a rosy campus life. On Fridays, Aiko has lunch with her boyfriend, so Tougo eats alone. He has joined them a few times, but he makes excuses to eat alone in order to avoid intruding on their romance and because he finds it more relaxing. Aiko's boyfriend is a year older, also studies English and American literature, and is tall and sturdy with a calm demeanor. He has offered to introduce Tougo to his friends several times, but Tougo has politely and earnestly declined each time.
Peace Bookstore, a major chain in Japan and around the world, is located on the seventh floor of Peace Department Store. According to the store manager, it carries around 2 million volumes of books, ranging from spirituality to manga. With a cozy reading area and a stylish café serving delicious coffee, the store is always bustling with people.
Tougo is responsible for inventory checks and restocking. He changes into his uniform and heads to the warehouse in the back of the store.
Tougo was hired as a special case to work weekday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. due to his status as an honor student and merit-based scholarship recipient at Peace University. He earns a high hourly wage of 2,000 yen, and his book reviews are well-regarded, earning him a free book each month. On weekends, he works from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tougo works earnestly, as he always does. The store manager, Yukio Takahashi, watches over him quietly. When Tougo's résumé first arrived from headquarters, Takahashi saw the photo and thought, "If I put him out front at the counter, it might cause a stir." So, Takahashi assigned Tougo to the back storeroom instead.
When Takahashi met Tougo in person, he sensed right away that he was a sincere and pure-hearted young man. Of course, Tougo's beauty was so striking that it almost made Takahashi forget to breathe at first. However, being the man he was, he quickly returned to his senses.
Tougo is a quiet and diligent worker—a truly remarkable young man—but store manager Takahashi couldn't stop wondering why Tachibana, the executive secretary at headquarters, had personally reached out to order his hiring.
At 10 p.m., the store's closing music plays, signaling that it is time to lock up. After finishing his data entry, Tougo changes in the staff room, visits the restroom, puts on a large mask, and says goodbye to his colleagues before exiting through the department store's back entrance.
Tougo boarded the Fukutoshin Green Line at the department store in front of Hibari-gaoka Station and rode it for ten minutes to Hoshizora Station. From there, his apartment, the Ginga-sui Public Housing Complex, was about a 30-minute walk away.
The area around Hoshizora Station had plenty of police boxes and security cameras, and officers on patrol were a common sight. Hoshizora Town, the district surrounding the station, was one of the few places where Omegas lived in many numbers, so the government had taken strong measures to enhance safety and public security in the neighborhood.
Thanks to Dr. Suzuki's recommendation, Tougo was able to secure a spot in this public housing complex.
Tougo sees light shining from the fifth-floor window of his home and thinks, "Grandma's still awake," quickening his pace.
"Tougo, welcome back! Have you eaten?"
"Yes, I'm home." I had a bento box for lunch and a salad at the bookstore for dinner. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. My back doesn't hurt anymore, so I can return to my part-time job at the Omega support facility next week. Hehe."
"Don't overdo it. Have you eaten?"
"Yes, I ate. I mixed the leftover rice with the tonjiru, and it was delicious. Tougo, you'd make a great chef! Or a painter, for that matter. Haha! Grandma will always cheer you on."
On Saturday morning at 6:00 a.m., Tougo is busy making curry.
"Breakfast is ready!"
"It smells great. You should sleep in more. I can handle the cleaning."
"It's the weekend, so let me take care of it."
After washing the breakfast dishes and tidying up, Tougo sends his grandmother to her room. Then, he opens the large living room window and the small kitchen window. He vacuums and wipes the floor with a damp cloth. Then, he cleans his own room. He opens the window and meticulously wipes down the bookshelf, desk, and bed, as if erasing a painful past.
Despite the chill in the air in November, Tougo never skipped his daily cleaning routine. Mindful of his obsessive cleanliness, his grandmother made extra efforts to keep the home comfortable for him. On sunny winter days, they made sure to air out the bedding, too.
"Grandma, I'm finished here. Next is your room."
Tougo closes the living room window, turns on the heater, and grabs the vacuum. He cleans his grandmother's room. After cleaning for over an hour, he hangs the washed laundry on the balcony to dry. Since the thorough cleaning this morning took time, he decides to take the bus to Hoshizora Station.
Weekends are always busy, and time slips away quickly.
When Tougo arrives at Peace Bookstore, he greets everyone energetically before heading to the staff room.
He is working tirelessly today as well. During the 1 p.m. lunch break, he gets a free salad, bread, and a drink from the neighboring café—a perk he deeply appreciates because it saves on food costs. He heads to the employee break room behind the department store with his salad bowl and coffee.
Peace Department Store prioritizes employee satisfaction by offering excellent welfare benefits. The clean and stylish break room has large windows that open to a terrace. Soft, elegant sofas and the fresh air coming in from the slightly open windows create a warm, relaxing atmosphere. Colleagues glance at Tougo with admiration for his beauty, not malice. As he listens to the soft piano melody in the background, he slowly eats his salad. As he checks the news on his phone, he receives a message from Aiko:
Tougo, at work?
I'm at uni for my boyfriend's club stuff. Hey, there's a poster on the Japanese literature department's bulletin board about a National University Creative Writing Contest, hosted by the Peace Foundation. The grand prize is 1 million yen!
First prize is 1 million yen, and the special prize is 500,000 yen for a short story up to 100 pages.
It's a famous contest held every two years.
Haha, I'm totally doing it!
You should try too, Tougo!
Oh, he's calling me. Gotta go.
I'll send you a pic of the contest flyer. See ya!
Let's meet next week!
Tougo carefully reads the contest flyer that Aiko sent him. His large, light brown eyes sparkle with a mystical glow.