"Is a hug okay?"
After explaining, I noticed Kiyora murmuring "Nice, nice" repeatedly, almost as if in a trance. It seems like she wants it, but does she not realize the value of this hug? I mean, the price could easily reach several thousand yen, or even tens of thousands, depending on the situation...
"Well then, excuse me."
I kicked away my inner conflict and took action.
Kiyora was the closest, but when she hesitated for a moment, I seized the opportunity and moved first.
I was embraced gently.
It was a mysterious scent.
It made me feel calm, yet my heart raced, and I wanted to keep breathing it in.
Instinctively, I moved my nose closer to the source of the fragrance and took a deep breath. In my mind, I started imagining a scenario like we had just fought together.
When I come home from work, I imagine being welcomed with a hug and a kiss.
"Shall we have dinner? Or take a bath? Or...?"
Of course, we would start with a bath, and naturally, we'd end up sharing an intimate moment. Afterward, we'd both be full, but still laughing, saying we were hungry again.
We'd sit together by the kotatsu, eating nabe and drinking, and I'd find his cute with his face slightly flushed. We'd do it again.
"Tomorrow's a holiday, so it's fine, right?"
Then we'd cuddle all night, waking up late together.
"Since it's a holiday, it's fine, right?"
We'd do it again in the morning, and still laugh that we were hungry...
"Eh?!"
Wait, was that just a dream? In that moment, my mind played out a vision of a happy newlywed life like a reel of memories.
This is wrong. This person is going to ruin women... There's an irresistible pull that makes it feel like I should just marry him. Despite my rational thoughts trying to distance myself, my instincts told me to savor this happiness more, and I tightened my arms around him.
But since we're at work, this is no good... I forced myself to pull away slowly, using all my willpower.
The sense of loss was overwhelming.
It was like a huge hole opened up in my chest, a massive feeling of emptiness.
"Well then, next?"
Hisui, with a smile, opened his arms again.
Kiyora, who had stepped back hesitantly, found herself caught off guard as Hachikuma embraced Hisui. The smaller Hisui was completely hidden by Hachikuma, who was much larger. From the outside, it looked like an incident, right?
If someone reported a guy being molested by a pervert, we wouldn't be able to make excuses. And Hachikuma's expression?
Ah, it was gentle and warm. I probably looked like that earlier, so I can't say anything. Honestly, it's not the kind of look that should be shown in public.
Hachikuma, a former self-defense force member turned bodyguard, was physically well-trained. She had built her muscles to protect men, but ironically, her muscle-bound, large frame didn't have much appeal with men. So she indulged in overeating and, despite her professional determination, couldn't avoid gaining weight, though she kept exercising to manage it. And now, her physique was more powerful than ever.
So, she was big, but still fit, with muscles that made her look well-toned. However, her imposing presence made her unpopular.
Because of this, these moments of physical contact were rare, so naturally, she cherished them.
Then, with a creaking, oil-less movement like a worn-out machine, Hachikuma pulled away. I understood—this is what happens, right?
Meanwhile, Hisui remained calm and smiled. His stature wasn't the issue—mentally, he was a very big person.
Then, Kiyora, who had been last in line, awkwardly raised both hands, standing back. She had never been treated this gently by a man before, and given her job, she had seen more than enough gender-related problems. I understood her hesitation, but I couldn't let this rare opportunity go to waste.
I exchanged a silent look with Hachikuma, blocking Kiyora's escape, and let her be hugged by Hisui.
We silently gave each other a thumbs-up. Nice job, us.
I wiped away some sweat, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
Kiyora, briefly struggling before settling down, eventually relaxed in Hisui's embrace. After a moment, Hisui released her as if nothing had happened.
Even after being released, Kiyora remained in a dreamlike state, frozen for a while. But since she listened to me, I guided her out, and we walked a bit.
At this point, we said goodbye to Hachikuma. Honestly, I was a little envious.
"Wait, where's the baby?"
Kiyora's first words, once she came to her senses, sounded like they came years after. She mimicked holding a baby, her face filled with disbelief and a hint of tears as she checked her flat chest and stomach. She looked despondent and let out a big tear.
This was bad—Kiyora was broken.
"How far did you imagine it?!"
"I mean, since we hugged, we're going to have a baby, right? Should I get a pregnancy test? And baby clothes, too..."
"Calm down a bit."
We decided to go to a nearby café to let Kiyora calm down. But she was still shaken. The hug had evidently affected her more than expected.
"Sorry, I need to call the protection bureau," I said, sighing as I pulled out my smartphone.
"Hello, Protection Bureau? Is this Kotori?"
As expected, my supervisor's voice came through the phone.
"Sorry, Kiyora's broken. We still have paid leave left, right? I'll let her rest here for a bit. I'll send in a report remotely via email..."
I called the workplace and explained everything to my boss, cutting her off before she could respond.
"Hold on...?!"
Click—the call ended. I'd passed on the message. Now, I could finally take Kiyora and ask Hisui about marriage.
By the way, considering Kiyora's behavior earlier, we started with her bowing deeply.
....
Kiyora's nonexistent memories.
In her mind, she saw herself and Hisui happily watching their children play in a meadow, with the next baby already on the way. Hisui leaned in to listen to the baby's movements, and they both laughed as their children made clover crowns and ran toward them. A beautiful, happy image.
Well, it's no surprise that Kiyora broke down, right?
She had deep subconscious desires for children and family, so it was understandable.
When the two returned, I could see from their expressions that they understood. It wasn't a bad situation for Kiyora.