"Uu-nyaa."
Amid the constant ringing of phones, I let out a pointless cat-like cry. What I meant was "I'm so tired," but saying negative things too often tends to become a habit, and it brings down the atmosphere. So, as a rule in this workplace, we express our complaints in cat-speak during busy lulls like this.
As if to say, Did you call me?, the more thuggish-looking cat (we call him "Chinpira-san") hopped up onto my desk with his usual squinty-eyed glare.
Without thinking, I buried my face into the soft fur of his belly.
Whenever someone makes a meowing noise, the cats in charge of guest service come rushing over. For the record, the department chief cat is quite sociable, so he's probably off entertaining guests right now.
Because Chinpira-san has a higher "free time" rate, he drops by more often than the chief, which has made him more popular among the staff.
"Nyaa."
"Meow."
Chinpira-san gave a What the heck is this human doing? kind of meow, and I answered back in meaningless cat-speak.
"Nyaa."
"Try not to overdo it, okay?"
That was Tsugumi my mother, answering the phone beside me, offering a gentle scolding with a wry smile. I responded instinctively, still in cat-speak.
"Meow."
"Excuse me~."
A voice rang out suddenly, catching me off guard. I sat up with a start.
I guess my job here is done, Chinpira-san seemed to say as he silently hopped off the desk.
"I heard things are... well, kind of blowing up. Sorry for the trouble..."
Hisui-san apologetic expression was oddly cute as he said this.
Chinpira-san brushed his body against Hisui-san, giving him a soft stomp on his slipper-clad foot before vanishing off somewhere. What a cat—always so assertive.
"We're used to this kind of thing. It's no big deal."
I laughed it off reflexively. Honestly, it's not that rare. Whenever some magazine, website, or TV program runs a feature on famous historical figures or legendary heartthrobs, our dearly departed Grandpa Kohaku always ends up mentioned. That usually results in a flood of fiery inquiries. Things get especially annoying when men's rights groups or certain feminists start getting involved.
But this time, it's just Hisui-san, our husband, staying with us. Thanks to our privacy policy, we're allowed to say nothing about our guests. That makes it much easier to dodge the heat.
In contrast, back when it was Grandpa Kohaku, he had officially declared himself a "sansuke" (male bathhouse attendant). That made it harder to deflect attention, and apparently it turned into quite the hassle.
"Besides, we're fully booked right now. We're raking it in—no complaints here."
I kept my tone as light as possible. Honestly, when it comes to the deceased, we get a flood of angry inquiries, but none of them turn into paying customers. It's all noise and no revenue—just exhausting. But this time? We've got business, so it's not all bad. I was just surprised by how much work there was.
"Well, I'll leave it at that for now."
Before I realized it, I was being hugged. Huh? When did that happen?
"Thanks for your hard work. In this world, I hear this kind of thing is what men are supposed to do..."
The familiar scent of hot springs, the clean smell of fresh sweat after a bath, the warmth of his embrace, and those kind, caring words—every part of it overwhelmed me with gentleness.
I couldn't help but melt into his arms and hug him back with a dreamy sigh.
His body may be small, but every part of him is toned and strong. The feeling of his solid muscles under my hands just made me fall for him all over again.
"Well, I'm heading out for a bit."
Hisui-san said, waving lightly as he left. I waved back, murmuring a soft Take care.
"He really is a wonderful person, isn't he?"
Tsugumi-mother was smiling gently beside me.
I nodded instinctively.
"You should let him hug you too, Mother. Seems like a waste not to."
I mean, he is here, after all.
"I'm fine."
Even though she had just been watching, she had this completely satisfied smile on her face.
Author's note :
Tsugumi: "Oh my, how lovely~" — That kind of vibe.
This novel has been lovingly translated by https://www.patreon.com/Jenuinez_translation