Chirp, chirp...
Squelch, squelch.
I woke up to the sound of birds and something wet. The warmth around my groin made me wonder—
"...Did I wet myself?"
Still groggy from sleep, I mumbled to myself. What the hell is a grown man doing...?
Hesitantly, I pulled back the covers.
Slurp, slurp.
She smirked.
There was a small figure under the blanket. Our eyes met, and she gave me a mischievous smile—just with her eyes.
Of course, it was Yata-chan, the one I'd gone all out with last night before crashing together in bed.
"What are you doing first thing in the morning?"
"Well, you were up and ready, so I figured I'd help take care of it."
She pulled her mouth off with a wet pop, looking utterly pleased with herself—like some kind of succubus.
Needless to say, my other half was fully awake.
"Right... makes sense."
At this point, I didn't even have the energy to comment.
"Anyway, I'll drain one out first, okay?"
And just like that, I got thoroughly drained from the get-go. The freshly-squeezed morning cream? She swallowed it like it was the tastiest thing in the world.
"Man, this is seriously decadent."
After being aggressively milked first thing, I was left completely spent.
Sure, it's easy when someone else takes charge, but when they go all out like that, it's still pretty intense.
A luxury problem, sure. The kind that my past overworked self would've killed me for saying.
Still, there's no work today. I'm free.
"Since your second round of vaccinations is done, this is your recovery period. Taking it easy is your job right now."
"Yeah, yeah, I know..."
The second round was milder than the first, so the side effects were less intense—just enough to feel off, not exactly sick.
We were lounging in the ryokan's lobby. Breakfast was done. I was sipping tea and flipping through magazines and newspapers, the usual routine.
Yata-chan had her spot: lying on my lap—not just her head, her whole body sprawled out, practically glued to me.
Even after our "first night," the closeness hadn't lessened. Honestly, I was already getting used to her warmth, to the point where being apart felt kind of lonely.
A little distance away, Hachikuma-san was keeping an eye on us, like usual.
Kotori-san and kiyora-san were buried in paperwork, tapping away at their laptops day after day.
They doubled as security, so they never went too far, but they definitely looked busy.
"You know, a guy's job is basically the same as that over there."
Yata-chan pointed to a cat yawning lazily nearby. The one slacking off was Chinpira-san, I think, and the one getting wrestled to the ground was Buchou-san.
"So I'm in the same category as that, huh..."
Meanwhile, some of the guests were eyeing me from a distance again. I guess they were waiting for another surprise "Free Hugs" declaration like last time.
"If you just get us wives and other girls pregnant, your status as a man in society is secured. We wives will take care of your life. Plus, you've got one wife who's also your bodyguard. So just think of yourself as a stay-at-home husband—responsible for keeping us happy and getting us knocked up."
"...That's really all it takes?"
Coming from a world where working yourself into the ground was the only proof of masculinity, this was quite the culture shock.
"Just make sure to give the guests some attention too, and no one will complain."
"Alright then... Maybe I should set up a sketchbook with a stand and officially offer Free Hugs again?"
The moment I said that—loud enough to be heard—there was a buzz of excitement around me.
"Feel free to come up, one at a time."
I stood, smiling warmly at the guests, arms open wide.
In seconds, a long line had formed.
Apparently, demand was still very real.
Tiring? Maybe. But in this world, I can legally touch beautiful women. Most of them were only wearing a yukata and some underwear—not much different from being naked, really.
So yeah, as a healthy young man, I was all smiles.
"This is it... time to check out."
One of the guests looked like the world was ending.
"I'll still be around here, so please come back any time, okay?"
I gave her one last hug, patting her on the back and head.
"Y-yes! I'll definitely be back!"
She responded in a hilariously high-pitched voice.
"...You really are dangerous," someone muttered under their breath.
Am I, though?
Author's note :
For the record, Hisui typically hangs out around the large bath or the lobby. If there are any guests or volunteers around, he offers hugs and other services.
It's just that the first batch of visitors were unusually proactive. Most of the general guests are still feeling things out.