OMI 5

New Name, New Life

He told me he needed more time to think of a name, but he still had more questions for me.

(Is verse gender a thing in your old world?)

(There were Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. You’re an Alpha, right, Mr. Lumière?) 

It would be surprising if you were a Beta. 

(Just call me Lumière. We’ll be living together, so I want you to feel comfortable. Yes I’m an Alpha. You tested as an Omega, but is it the same in your world?)

(Can it change? If it could, I would have wanted to be a Beta. I was also an Omega in my world. However, as a child I was often mistaken for a Beta because my Omega traits were so weak.)

Some of the summoned one come from worlds that don’t have verse characteristics, and they seem surprised when they suddenly become Omega. A world without Alpha or Omega? I sometimes thought that if I was going to go there, it would be better to live in such a world.

(When you were little… may I ask you how old you are now? Your rights change depending on whether you are an adult or not).

(I am 19 years old. And you are 28 years old, right? You did show me using numbers. But I wasn’t sure it was correct.)

He seemed surprised to hear my age.

(19 years old! I wonder if they count the years differently… The adult here is 16. I’m sorry… but you don’t really look like an adult.)

(Oh! The age of majority in my world was 18. But I could work and drink alcohol before I became an adult, so it was as if there were no limits.)

I checked, and there was no big difference in the way they counted the months or the year. But in this world, there are slightly fewer days in one month, so if I count it in my world, he’ll be a little younger.

He was surprised that it wasn’t the other way around.

If you count the number of days since I was born, I would be older in this world.

(People in this world are kinda big, huh. I guess I thought that because most of the people I was meeting were Alpha.)

(It is true that the people you met with were Alphas, and there were many Betas among the staff of the facility. But even an Omega would be taller than you if he were an adult. My older brother, who is two years older than me, is an Omega. And he’s not as delicate as you.)

(Maybe it’s a racial difference? Hey, how old do you think I am?)

(I think you were about 13 or 14 years old.)

His eyes darted around quite a bit; he probably thought he was being generous with that estimate.

In this world, children attend lower schools from about 8 to 12 years old. Then, from about the age of 16, they go to high schools until they reach adulthood. This is just a general guideline – if a child falls behind in their studies, they will not advance to the next grade. 

Some children may take so long that they reach adulthood before advancing to high school. However, these children are not labeled as underachievers. 

Everyone is expected to find what they’re good at or what they want to do as an adult and pursue that career.

(The population is gradually decreasing, but everyone contributes to society through their specialties.) 

(Wow, even Omegas can do any job?) 

(Huh? Oh, yes, everyone takes different jobs. Most of them after raising their children, though.) 

(Really? Even teachers, doctors, government officials?) 

(In your world, Omegas didn’t take those kinds of jobs?) 

I couldn’t believe it. Most of those roles were held by Alphas, and even Betas only made up a small percentage. 

(Your brother is an Omega, right? What does he do?)

(My older brother is busy with his children right now, so he’s focusing on educating them. He loves animals and says he wants to work with them when he’s less busy.)

The Omega partner of his oldest brother loves fashion and works in the garment industry, while the Omega partner of his second brother worked in the government until he got married. 

I was really surprised – it is unheard of for an Omega to hold such a high position without a partner.

(Can I ask you something? You came of age when you were 18, right? Were you still in school?) 

Should I talk about it? My environment was so different from his. 

It was a common path for Omegas who weren’t from the upper class, but that was just the norm in my world.

(You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I was just thinking, in case you want a similar job.) 

(Wait, can I work too?) 

I thought being under protective custody meant I couldn’t go out anymore. 

(I’m sorry, but right now, since you’re still under state supervision, it’s difficult. Once you get used to living here and decide to become a citizen, you can be anything you want.)

“You can be anything you want.”

It was like hearing magic words.

(School…yeah, I went. Probably up to the equivalent of junior high here. I went until I was 15. Those who wanted to continue studying went on, but I couldn’t.) 

The truth is that I wanted to go to high school. I even prepared for the entrance exams. There were a lot of Betas who became Infrastructure Engineers, so I wanted to give it a try. 

(Why couldn’t you go to high school?) 

(We didn’t have the money. I like to think I had good grades, but who knows. I couldn’t even take the exams.) 

(It costs so much? Even though it’s for raising the next generation?)

In this country, if you want to go to high school but your family situation makes it difficult, there are government agencies you can contact. They can even help you financially. 

(But you know, the biggest problem was that I was an Omega.) 

They said Omegas didn’t need an education. Well, that made sense. Even if they were hired, they’d have to take a week to ten days off every few months, and if their mating cycle was off, that would cause extra trouble. 

Even the Omegas who attended expensive private schools didn’t work in society. 

They attended to gain the education necessary to converse on equal terms with Alphas from good families. 

And they were expected to bear the Alpha heirs of the families they married into. 

(You can probably guess what kind of work I did, right?) 

When I came into this world, it was after work. I still had injuries from a recent job. During the initial examination after they took me in, they even saw marks from intimate encounters. 

He remained silent and did not answer. I couldn’t stand the look of pain on his face. I didn’t want to be looked at like that.

Somewhat annoyed, I pulled my own head up to his as he sat next to me.

I reach out and fold my hands behind his head. We’re sitting on the couch, so I can reach his face if I stretch up a little.

I bite his lips together, inviting him to open them. After I put my own tongue in there, he loosens it a little, as if surprised.

I nuzzled his mouth to tickle him, and he responded with a gentle twirl.

He wasn’t stiff, it was like he was playing with me.

Is this what you call being an adult? Oh, I feel like an idiot for being so stubborn.

(Was this enough to extend the drug?)

It was just an excuse, but when I said it, he nodded like he was worried.

(That’s more than enough. But… didn’t you hate that job…?)

(No way! I hated it. Not all customers are like you. Agh, now I’m so pissed off. I was sold by my father. So I had nowhere else to go).

(Parents sell their children? Not like you were kidnapped or something?)

(Things like that happened a lot, many families said, “We can’t raise Omega’s child!”)

He couldn’t believe it. Children are very precious in this country. There are even support systems for single-parent households, so it’s unheard of to give up a child because of financial difficulties. 

It seemed pretty comprehensive, but the declining birthrate has become a major social issue. 

(Is there such a red-light district in the world? Jobs that sell intimacy?) 

(Yes, there are. Betas especially seem to value physical compatibility in marriage, so there are various forms. However, there are no such places in the Central District.) 

(Why not in the central district?

(Alcohol is involved, and such places can make the area unsafe. But the main reason is probably lack of demand. Both Alphas and Omegas want to find their one and only.) 

(Oh! Destiny bonds! They exist here too?) 

(They existed in your world! Did you have a partner?) 

(No, no! When I was doing this kind of work, there was no way I could have a specific partner. Those bonds are just an excuse for Alphas and Omegas from good families to get married.) 

He looked shocked. 

(I see… so you don’t believe in destiny bonds.)

He mumbled softly, as if talking to himself made me a little nervous. 

(I don’t know if the fates work the same way here. It’s just that there’s no such thing around me, and I’ve only just heard about it).

The way they treat Omegas seems quite different, so maybe the nature of the bond is different too. 

If it is an important relationship, I hope I haven’t made light of it. 

It always seemed like a distant fairy tale to me. 

(So I’m going to live here from now on? What am I going to do?) 

So far it hasn’t felt very real, and I’ve been drifting aimlessly. I can’t go on like this. 

I’ve been told countless times that someone who just eats for free has no value. 

(Right… let’s start by going shopping tomorrow. You’re allowed to go out within the central district.) 

(I can look around the city? That might be…a little exciting.) 

The day I was taken into custody, I was outside, but it was dark, so I don’t remember much. After that, whenever we moved, I was kept in the back of the vehicle and couldn’t get near the windows. 

This is the first time I’m really going to see the streets of this world.

(Let’s decide on the interior design of your room now. Using this medicine outside can be dangerous, so we’ll communicate as usual when we’re outside.) 

Of course, it’s embarrassing to kiss a lot when the effect wears off. 

(Wait, did you say my room?) 

I was shown several rooms in the big mansion, but which one is mine? 

(The sunny room on the second floor. I had yellow curtains put up so people couldn’t see you from outside. Your favorite color is yellow, right?) 

The second floor… I remember it. It was as big as the room I was kept in. 

So that is my room.

It was probably many times larger than the dorm room I spent four years in, it was so small that if you added a bed and shelves, you could barely fit a person in it.

(Um… sorry, I haven’t really thought about favorite colors or anything, but I think yellow is a good color).

Then I ran my hand through his hair, which was soft and slightly wavy.

He patted my head gently as if to say, “I want you to return the favor.”

My hair, which had been coarse and damaged, seemed to have gained some luster in the last two months, probably because I had been eating properly. 

(Because of the use of Language Unification Medicine, a certain amount of acceptance is necessary… But do you personally find it unpleasant or frightening to be touched?) 

(I’m fine. I’m used to it.)

On the job, no matter how uncomfortable I was, I couldn’t refuse.

But it’s funny, I never felt bad about being touched by Lumière.

Because he has a nice face? I wondered, but maybe it was because he treated me like an equal.

All the guys I dealt with at work thought of me as a toy they could do whatever they wanted to me, and of course I was disgusted.

(Um, shopping is fine, but is there anything else I need to do? Like cooking, cleaning, and housework…)

I can’t do as much as someone who makes it their job, like a housekeeper, but I’m willing to learn if asked.

(You should be able to use everyday items, and I will teach you gradually. No need to rush. Why don’t we make learning the language a priority first? If you’re going to live in this country, you better know it.)

I wondered if he had a job for me, but he didn’t.

He said he was still on probation, so I guess I don’t have to work yet.

There was still a lot to talk about, but the day was over as we made a list of things to buy for the next day and prepared for dinner.

When I woke up the next day, Lumière had prepared breakfast. It was a simple meal, but there was a lot of it. 

Eating that much in the morning was quite a challenge. Sensing my struggle, he told me I didn’t have to eat it all. 

Although I felt it would be wasteful, I only managed to eat a little more than half. 

People in this country have bigger bodies and probably eat more than I do.

The first time I saw the streets during the day, everything felt so new and different from my country. The buildings had a distinctly foreign feel to them. 

They seemed to be made mostly of stone, not much metal. Some walls were beautifully inlaid with colorful tiles, like a picture. 

It was very different from my country, where everything was cluttered and the back alleys were overflowing with garbage. 

Only a few side streets are clean when you take a quick look from the main road. 

In every shop Lumière entered, a clerk would attend to him and give him attentive service. 

It wasn’t like that with everyone else, so he must be a regular. 

The mansion already had bedding and large appliances, so we bought miscellaneous items and daily necessities. We also added to our collection of dishes. 

He offered me choices for everything we bought. 

Honestly, it was overwhelming, I wanted him to choose according to his taste. I understood numbers a little, but I couldn’t tell which prices were high or low. 

Also, I don’t have the sense or taste to care much about things. 

If I had to choose, I’d go for something cheap, durable, and long-lasting.

But since I couldn’t estimate prices, I had to rely on my instincts. 

Lumière would end up buying whatever I pointed out. 

Honestly, I kept wondering if that was really okay.

Then we went to look at clothes and shoes. I was shown so many things that it was quite overwhelming. 

“Lumière, choose what you like, what you think suits me.” 

I wasn’t sure I got the words right, but he seemed very happy and ended up buying a lot.

After visiting several shops, I noticed another difference between this world and mine.

I rarely saw children. 

When I did, they seemed to be of school age. 

When we returned, I asked him why I didn’t see any children, and I learned that here, children don’t walk alone until they are old enough to attend high school. They also have someone to accompany them to and from school, which surprised me. 

Every morning I’d wake up, have breakfast with Lumière, and then walk around the garden with him. We’d recently planted some new plants, and I was anxious to see if they would grow. 

We made lunch together. There were many kitchen appliances that I didn’t know how to use. I was told I still couldn’t use the stove. Even the use of a knife seemed uncertain, but when I showed that I could peel vegetables properly, he at least let me do that.

In the afternoon, I’d talk to him while I read a book. He’d patiently explain things to me, which made it much easier to understand. 

At that rate, I felt I’d quickly get the hang of everyday conversation. Writing, however, still seemed challenging.

On the morning of the fifth day in this house, Lumière nervously showed me a piece of paper with several words written on it. 

He read each one slowly. 

“These are the candidates for your name. Which one do you like the sound of?”

I chose the shortest and simplest. 

“Éclair, this one is good.” 

“All right, from now on I’ll call you Éclair.” 

It apparently means “flash” or “shine”.

I guess it’s fitting to be struck by lightning and end up in this world. 

“Nice to meet you again, Lumière.”

“Nice to meet you too, Éclair.” 

A new name and a new place to belong. 

At first, when I didn’t know anything, I was just grateful to have food and shelter, and I wasn’t really worried. It all felt so unreal, and I had a kind of “whatever” attitude. 

But now I’m really starting to feel like I’m living in this world.

Éclair is happy about his new name and builds mutual understanding.