(So small...)
The moment I saw him, I couldn't help but mutter that in my mind.
I'm Hachikuma Yamano. Right now, I work as something like a male bodyguard.
I say "something like" because, while I do have the qualifications and profession of a bodyguard, I haven't actually had any assignments.
As a rule, you can't really call yourself a bodyguard unless you're actively assigned to protect someone.
While waiting for an assignment, I was considered a reservist. With my naturally large build, I was scouted by the Self-Defense Forces, but I grew tired of working in an all-female environment. So, I decided to switch jobs, using my previous experience to find something that involved men and had a bit more glamour. Becoming a male bodyguard seemed like the quickest option, so I worked hard and passed the notoriously difficult exam.
"With your massive build, you might make the men you're supposed to protect feel uncomfortable. There's a chance you won't get any assignments."
That blunt remark came from the final interviewer. But I didn't let it discourage me—I kept pushing forward.
Then, at my first assignment, the client took one look at me and said:
"You're huge. And scary."
At that moment, I crumbled inside.
I had always been aware of my size. In school, in sports, even in the Self-Defense Forces, I was always a head taller than most people. Even among those with sturdy builds, I could hold my own.
In the career aptitude guide, there was a line that said:
"Generally, to avoid intimidation, bodyguards should be smaller than their male clients."
I chose to ignore that part, comforting myself with the idea that size could also provide a sense of security.
But hearing those words directly from a client on my very first job? That stung.
I couldn't show weakness in front of the client, so I found a quiet place to collapse out of sight.
Luckily—or unluckily—I wasn't hired in the end.
Frustrated, I tried to relieve my stress by eating. A lot. So much that my colleagues were horrified.
And since I didn't have the bad habit of purging to balance it out, I exercised enough to compensate.
After about a year of this cycle, I somehow got even bigger—my chest, my hips, and even my height.
I had been around 180 cm in school, but after entering the workforce, I inexplicably shot up to 190 cm. I desperately wished my growth spurt would stop, but there was no reversing it.
After that, I got called in for introductions a few more times, but I was never actually hired.
Since it wouldn't do to just sit around as a reservist, I was put to work handling back-office paperwork instead.
Then, after all those frustrating days, I finally received an assignment as a bodyguard.
When I checked the details, I saw that the client was none other than my own family's main household.
Looking over the documents, I felt a nostalgic warmth seeing familiar names—Misago, my clingy little sister figure, and Suzume, the serious yet mischievous one.
I wondered if my grandmother, Yata, still looked the same as always.
But what intrigued me most was the presence of a man.
Where did they even find one? It's not like the government would send a male official to this place. That entire region is practically a blank zone when it comes to men. In the previous generation, men were driven out, so it's almost impossible for a free male to just show up.
That's why I left in the first place—to find a husband.
Not that I've had much success...
I averted my gaze from that painful reality.
When I finally returned to my hometown, it was as desolate as ever.
Without men around, even the women seemed to lack energy. If there are no men to impress, there's no reason to dress up, and without that, the economy stagnates. After all, competing with other women is just depressing.
I walked through the all-too-familiar streets with my colleagues from the Male Protection Bureau.
Back in my school days, I couldn't wait to escape from this suffocating, almost abandoned town. That old frustration resurfaced as I sighed internally.
Kiyora, on the other hand, seemed fired up, ready to assume guilt before innocence.
Kotori-san, ever the professional, was focused on handling the paperwork.
As for me, I was just the bodyguard. I had no authority to make any decisions, so I simply waited for instructions and let things unfold.
(Wait… is it lively here?)
The moment I stepped into a familiar hot spring inn, I saw faces I recognized—family members and relatives—looking unusually cheerful.
There was an air of excitement, even joy.
Even my half-sisters and cousins, whom I didn't get along with much, had bright expressions.
Kotori-san caught a maid at the entrance and exchanged a few words.
"Over there, in the back," she said, pointing.
When I followed her gaze, I met someone's eyes.
(Ah, that's nostalgic.)
I felt a familiar sense of warmth.
I gave a small nod and a wave in response—just a simple gesture since I was still on duty. Mixing personal feelings with work wasn't ideal.
Then, Kiyora—our ever-enthusiastic troublemaker—immediately charged forward, only to be swiftly taken down by the household's resident "loli grandma," Yata.
What followed was an unnecessary display of Yata's playful affection.
We eventually spoke with Hisui-san, but no evidence was found to convict him.
Kotori-san proceeded with the formalities, staying as calm as ever.
And as for me…
I found myself unable to take my eyes off this man, Hisui-san.
Since he specifically requested me, could this possibly mean that my springtime is finally here?
Caught up in my own thoughts, I watched events unfold with a hopeful heart.
This novel has been lovingly translated by https://www.patreon.com/Jenuinez_translation