"By the way… would it be okay if I hugged you?"
That unexpected request came from none other than my boss, Kusuri Usada. My brain instantly reacted with a "What is this person even saying?" but also with a reluctant "Well, I get it."
"Hm? Sure, go ahead?"
Without a hint of hesitation, Hisui-san sat up from the bed, spreading his arms with a casual, inviting smile. The person who made the request—my boss—looked stunned, clearly the most flustered of us all.
Hachikuma-san, observing from the side, simply nodded as if to say, "Well, yeah, of course."
I mean, I was surprised too, but honestly, I wanted a big, tight hug every time we met. Just from yesterday's hug and kiss, my whole body felt like it was glowing. My skin this morning was smoother than what makeup could ever manage, and that was just from a hug!
"Um… okay then…"
She tentatively spread her arms and shuffled forward slowly. Watching her inch closer, I couldn't help but think, Yup, this was me yesterday. It was like watching a reenactment, a full-on replay. Secondhand embarrassment had me turning red, but I kept watching anyway.
"Ah, just standing here waiting feels kind of awkward, doesn't it?"
With a casual comment, Hisui-san stepped off the bed, closing the last couple of steps with a light stride.
"Alright, here we go—squeeze."
It happened in a flash. My boss stood stiff like a scarecrow, unsure of what was going on, as she was gently wrapped in a hug.
"Now, just a little more like this…"
Hisui-san wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her in until their entire bodies were snug against each other.
Ah… that's so nice…
I watched the whole scene in a daze, completely captivated.
Knock knock.
"Excuse me, it's almost time. Are you feeling alright—"
The door opened right after a polite knock.
Time stopped.
"Alright, this is hush-hush."
Hisui-san proceeded to hug every single witness, leaving them dazed and blissful. Honestly, it looked like he was having a blast.
There's no way that counts as proper damage control. The glossy, floaty walk of those coworkers afterward? Yeah, definite suspects to be grilled later.
He's basically mastered the use of his charms. Is that okay, though?
Oh, and yes—of course I got a hug too. You think I'd pass up that chance?
Later on, someone set up a strange little event: "Let's Cheer Up and Comfort the Workers and Patients—With Hisui-san." Yeah, so much for keeping things quiet.
But surprisingly, Hisui-san seemed to enjoy it, so I guess there's no real problem.
Eventually, this whole thing reached even palliative care, which… yeah, got pretty wild.
Then someone, dead serious, published a ridiculous study claiming that hugs from young men extended health spans. The title alone was absurd, but they actually backed it up. Apparently, even elderly women on the verge of death unconsciously muster more strength in front of men, giving them a sudden boost of vitality. There's actual data now.
Unfortunately, the big problem became: where do we find enough young men willing to participate?
A pretty tragic, if amusing, problem to have.
"We're seriously short on manpower," he said with a sorrowful yet charming smile.