"So, did you ever meet that person?"
"Not directly, no. Misago was the one who brought him to the inn first, got him settled, reported it to the Protection Bureau, registered the bond officially at the municipal office, and took him to the hospital for all the necessary vaccinations. With all that handled, there wasn't much left for the rest of us to do."
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
It seems like they took care of everything upfront and then brought the person into the fold.
"I do have a photo, though?"
Those words couldn't be ignored.
"You do?!"
I instinctively snapped my head toward her, eyes gleaming.
All we got was a single, rather underwhelming ID-style photo—one that didn't quite capture the subject's charm. I definitely wanted to see a better one.
"Where'd you get it?"
"Apparently, when Misago went to register the bond at the office, Tsubame and the others turned it into a mini photo shoot. I managed to get one of the leftovers."
This felt like the kind of high-priority data that should be circulated through the family network.
"I guess they just wanted to get everything squared away first."
Noticing the hint of resentment in my tone, she offered a little consolation.
"Here you go."
Mozu swiped her phone and turned the screen toward me.
"Wha—?!"
Small. Cute. Slightly nervous and offering a stiff smile—there was something so raw and real about it. It hit hard.
With Misago and Hachikuma standing next to them, the size difference was striking.
"Are they even of legal age?"
"He claim to be a 30-year-old man."
"No way…"
I couldn't help but groan.
"No official registry, deemed a Marebito—so their self-reported age takes precedence."
"So it's legal?"
"Yep."
(Hyaaaha!)
A strange, feral noise rose up from within me—but I kept it inside. Didn't want to get labeled as a weirdo.
The cop in front of me is family, so I should be fine—but the wives lurking in the shadows, eavesdropping, were a bit unnerving.
"By the way, who's that behind you?"
Mozu had noticed them too.
"My subordinates. Also my wives."
"Wow, you're really living it up..."
She laughed heartily.
"Well, I don't have a dick, so it's all just yuri action!"
Might as well lean into the vibe.
"Pfft—!"
Mozu burst out laughing and practically collapsed. Victory: mine.
"What are you two doing out in public like this, Ojiro-nee and Mozu-nee?"
"Oh hey, Tsubame?"
A blast from the past—my half-sister.
"That vacant house on Main Street under the local office's management—will that do?"
Looks like she came by to follow up.
"Perfect, thanks!"
I gave her a thumbs up with a smile.
The place just had a bit of dust. With the help of the Self-Defense Force, pros at construction and cleaning, that's nothing.
"Seriously..."
"For real..."
Both of them let out matching sighs.
"What?"
"We're just wondering why Ojiro-nee doesn't have a dick."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Shut up already!"
Don't say that with such heartfelt sincerity! I've heard it a million times.
"Anyway, where's Hakuto-nee?"
"She went ahead to greet Yata-gradma."
Tsubame pointed toward the inn.
"Hya-ha-ha! Try and catch me!"
Hakuto-nee dashed by, effortlessly laughing with something small and cute tucked under her arm. Hachikuma chased after her in all seriousness.
"That again, huh..."
I sighed. Hakuto's training sessions for rookies often got weird thanks to her love of spontaneity and chaos. Cleanup was always a chore.
That "something" she was carrying looked heavy—but clearly, she didn't train for nothing.
"Here ya go."
Without me realizing, Hakuto-nee had looped around and handed it over with a casual underhand toss. I caught it—it didn't drop, but it was soft and surprisingly heavy.
"Got... you..."
The moment she let go, she got tackled by Hachikuma and went down.
"Right there!"
From behind Hachikuma, a small figure lunged at me—and I dodged with a backward step.
Whoosh.
Or so I thought—my back foot got swept.
Wait... where's my breakfall?
Asphalt behind me... am I gonna hit my head? Best I can do is curl up?
"Whoa, that was close..."
Mozu's voice rang out—somewhere below me.
Instead of hard asphalt, my back landed on something soft. She had thrown herself under me just in time.
"Thanks... you saved me."
I muttered blankly.
"I was part of it too, you know?"
The person who swept my leg—now beneath my head—had a hand behind my collar, keeping me from getting hurt.
"And with that, we win. Hisui-san secured and retrieved."
The leg-sweeper declared as the one I was holding squirmed and stood up.
"I don't even know what's happening anymore, but... are you hurt? May I help you up?"
The one I'd been carrying—now properly standing—was Hisui Umino. With a troubled smile, he offered me his hand.
His yukata was a total mess—exposed thighs, panties, stomach, chest—everything.
This kind of accidental exposure... is ridiculously sexy, right?
Our meeting was a chaotic disaster, but that awkward little smile of him felt downright angelic.