Tap, tap.
I was in the usual lobby, gathering information by reading newspapers and magazines, when I heard brisk footsteps approaching.
Someone was getting close—not just nearby, but right in front of me. I looked up.
"Welcome?"
The words slipped out as I glanced up.
(She's tall...)
Well, I was sitting down, so of course I had to look up—but even from this angle, her eye level was higher than Hachikuma-san's.
"Hakuto-neesan?"
Hachikuma-san's stunned voice rang out. So she's someone they know?
Without warning, I felt hands slide expertly under my arms, and I was effortlessly lifted. Now we were eye to eye, face to face, at shoulder height.
There was a "Free Hugs" sign posted around, so the sudden embrace wasn't completely out of nowhere—but still surprising. Not that I minded.
(Figures, they're sisters—she's just as stunning.)
With her finely shaped nose, large cool eyes, and snow-white hair that looked more elegant than aged, she had a clean, defined facial structure without a trace of excess fat.
Unlike Misago, who still had a hint of youth, this woman radiated mature beauty.
"Cu…"
(Cu…?)
"Cuuute!"
She hugged me tight, like I was a stuffed animal.
Let me stress—my feet were off the ground, so I was completely at her mercy.
If I were a cat, I'd scratch or squirm or something. But I'm a human from a timeline where I was constantly bullied by feminists—so the thought of hurting a girl doesn't even cross my mind.
Put simply, I just let it happen. Honestly, it's not the worst thing in the world.
That soft, firm feeling unique to well-toned women, her sweet body scent that somehow echoed in my brain, and her warm body temperature… yeah, I soaked it all in.
"Feeling better now?"
"Yes, sorry, I got a bit carried away."
Once she calmed down and let me go, Yata-chan and the others gathered around, and we all took seats on the sofas.
The beautiful woman from earlier, it turns out, was named Hakuto. Judging by the naming style, she was probably based on the bald eagle.
Her white hair likely inspired the name.
She didn't look Japanese, but her Japanese was flawless.
"I'm good now, totally calm," she said with a relaxed smile, adding an expressive hand gesture for emphasis.
"Hakuto-neesan, weren't you up north—like in Hokkaido or even further—for a while?" Misago tilted her head.
"Yeah, I was. Why?"
"There was a breaking news alert about an unidentified red-flagged aircraft being shot down."
"Hmph, that was my unit's doing," she said proudly, puffing out her chest. She was the kind of person who looked like a scene from a movie no matter what she did.
"Are you sure that's okay, internationally speaking?"
"This one didn't have any identification marks. No flags, no emblems. So technically, it's fine."
She corrected him with a finger wag.
"If we don't shoot them down, they'll get cocky and come flying in with flags next time. Then it becomes 'effective control,' and suddenly they're redrawing maps."
"Ah, I see."
Apparently in this world, the country had the guts to stand up to its neighbors. Honestly, I'm jealous.
"Besides, they were the ones who violated our airspace first. We've got nothing to apologize for."
She grinned, totally unabashed.
"But you came here directly after that. Is this punishment?"
"Nope. Wasn't told to shoot it down, per se. Just a tiny bit of insubordination."
She chuckled and made an "almost zero" gesture with her fingers.
"And although I was supposed to come alone, some of my subordinates tagged along anyway."
Behind Hakuto, a line of tall, strikingly beautiful women had somehow appeared.
"Will the northern defense be okay?"
"Usually after a takedown, they keep quiet for a while. So we're fine… probably."
"You added a 'probably' in there."
"We can only guess at what the other side's thinking. We can never know their true intentions."
"Fair point."
Everyone chuckled wryly.
"Oh, and no one died from the takedown, just so you know."
"Huh? Really?"
"These days it's mostly drones or AI-piloted aircraft. It costs a fortune to train real pilots, so they don't risk human lives much anymore."
"Modern engines are so powerful, humans often pass out from the G-forces. Only the real monsters still fly those things manually."
I wonder how many Gs that one pulled…
"Plus, with global declining birthrates, no country wants casualties. That's why these skirmishes rarely result in deaths anymore."
"Is that so?"
"Yep, that's the reality."
"Though even drones are still pretty pricey, huh?"
"Sure are."
For some reason, I suddenly thought I saw Noru Koiru flash through my mind.
"So, what's the real reason you're here?"
"In the back, right?"
Yata-chan gestured toward the back, and Hakuto gave her a cheeky wink in return. She's the kind of person who looks cinematic just standing still.
Author's note :
Hakuto herself thinks she's just wearing practical clothes, but everyone sees her as a beautiful woman in men's fashion.
She has a large chest, and the kind of outfit that clearly outlines her frame—so even someone like Hisui wouldn't mistake her gender.
On her days off, she's always in denim pants, shirts, and jackets. She'd totally rock a rider's jacket or coveralls.
She doesn't wear mini-skirts, but she might wear a long skirt—especially if it flares up dramatically when she does a high kick. That'd be pretty cool.