"Got it. Congratulations. I'll prepare the paperwork, so send me the documents later."
Click.
"Haaaaaah..."
After hanging up the phone from Kotori's report of her marriage and request for reassignment, a deep sigh escaped as if to say, "It's over."
"Something happen?"
One of the subordinates asked.
"Kotori and Kiyora got snatched."
"Ehhh?"
Really? That can't be true!
The reaction was casual, like they didn't really believe it.
"You know that man who was recently discovered? Apparently, he's even more amazing than we imagined—like, someone they've never seen before."
It sounded exaggerated, but that was the gist of it.
"Aren't those two the ones who've seen a fair amount of hell and landmines?"
People usually apply for this job thinking they'll meet a wonderful man, only to realize those don't really exist in this line of work.
Work here includes messy gender disputes, male exploitation, even cases where the man's been drained to near death. On the flip side, there are also abuse cases from men, despite women being stronger physically. Men, having privileges, often become arrogant and uncontrollable.
Even when rescuing male victims, they're often met with glares or insults like:
"You should've acted sooner."
"You're useless."
"Don't touch me, don't come near me, you're just another woman."
The ones who need saving often don't have kind hearts or appealing appearances.
New recruits come in all bright-eyed, but within a year, the sparkle's gone and they've become proper professionals.
"Even with that in mind, I guess he was a genuinely good guy?"
They hadn't met him in person, but judging from his photos—with his slightly awkward but soft expression—and the reports about his kind and earnest nature, he seemed like a decent man.
When Kotori and Kiyora left, their previously lifeless eyes were shining.
"Speaking of which, where's Hachikuma?"
The dependable figure who used to quietly do office work in the corner was gone.
"He's gone too—back to his hometown, his old post, specially requested, hired on the spot."
"Well, that's a celebration too."
"All three of them officially registered and married."
"How lovely! We should send a workplace gift."
There was even clapping.
"That part is certainly worth celebrating, but…"
She blankly looked around at the desks and seats that would soon be vacant.
"They all left at once?"
"Exactly. First, we need to arrange replacements."
She sighed again, deeply, in her heart.
The Male Protection Bureau is a reactive organization—it moves when called—but daily tasks still pile up.
Put simply, losing three people at once causes work overload—major capacity issues.
"Hachikuma was a rapid-response guard, so it makes sense, but don't Kotori and Kiyora plan to come back?"
"They've applied for relocation as joint bodyguards and are planning to stay put, with subsidy applications too. So, it's uncertain if they'll return."
"Oh boy."
"Even if it's a popular job, it takes time from application to deployment and training."
"Looks like it's going to be busy for a while, huh?"
There's popularity, so replacements will come, but whether they'll be usable right away is another issue.
"Even if Kotori and Kiyora handle the paperwork remotely, we're still short on field workers."
"Hey hey, can I take a break until the newbies arrive?"
"If you're gone, the place will collapse. So unfortunately, that's a no."
That was a valid excuse to prevent further personnel loss. No one's getting away.
Just imagining the upcoming busy days already made her feel weary.
"So first, we need to check if those three did anything problematic, yeah?"
"Let's hope nothing turns up."
Civil servants need to be tough on their own to maintain public trust.
"Next, we need to dig into the background of that man."
"I want to believe, but…"
A third-party perspective is important. If someone used seduction to get past checks, it'd be a serious problem.
"Let's hope it's not a scam."
Marriage fraud—fake marriage for money—is not uncommon.
Public opinion often gives men a pass due to privilege, and it gets ignored. Still, since it's their colleagues' happiness, they want to be thorough.
"And if everything checks out, maybe we can swing by on vacation and mooch a little off the three of them."
A hot spring inn where you can mingle with boys—expectations are sky-high.
"That does sound fun."
With those daydreams, they resolved to get through the upcoming chaos.
Later, after all that—
When they actually met him in person, all three of them fell head over heels instantly. No surprise there.
What the hell was that? There's no way we could win.
…Huh?
Can I hug him?
Can I ask for his baby?
Marriage proposal too?
Wait, maybe not that far…
Legally speaking?
Wouldn't that be considered prostitution?
We're just fellow guests getting a little closer?
No way you can brush that off so lightly…
No no, if I don't make a move here, I'm not a woman, right?
......…Hyaah!
They jumped him on impulse. The thing called love—also known as lust—cannot be stopped.