"I heard there's a man staying there! Tell me the truth—what's really going on?!"
An overly loud voice burst through the phone—definitely more aggressive than inquisitive. I sighed internally. Here we go again...
It wasn't a video call, so I couldn't see their eyes, but somehow, I could feel the crazed intensity from the other end.
"I'm afraid I can't disclose information about other guests."
As a representative of the inn, I deflected using the classic privacy policy line. Not exactly a lie Hisui-san is technically our husband, but he's also staying here as a guest. He's in a guest room, not staff quarters. Sure, he isn't paying, but on paper, we're keeping up appearances.
"Would you like to make a reservation?"
I followed up with the standard line.
Click. Beep—beep—beep.
I hung up and sighed deeply. That was one down.
"I heard Sansuke is there!"
"I'm sorry, but Kohaku-sama passed away twenty years ago..."
"Not him! The other one!"
"Ah, well... there's no one here now."
"Fine then, forget it!"
Click. Beep—beep—beep.
Two down.
Calls like these had been coming nonstop all morning, all more or less the same.
Ping.
The emails were just as bad—flooded with similar inquiries. I sighed again and typed out replies. Since there's been no official announcement yet, we can't exactly go public about having a man—or a "Sansuke"—on the premises. If word got out, the Male Protection Bureau—or worse, the self-proclaimed feminists—would come swarming.
The Bureau is still an official agency, so as long as your paperwork is in order, they follow procedures and laws. But those rogue feminists? They're driven by feelings, not facts. Dealing with their outrage eats up both time and mental energy.
Turns out, someone had spotted us holding hands on a livestream camera, which led to the leak. Others say it was a passerby in a car who made a report. But that route should be restricted to the Bureau or family—only Hachikuma and those two agents should've had access.
Either way, word's gotten out online, at least in some corners. If we try to erase it, people just dig it up more. So we've decided to just let it be.
Riiiiing.
"Can I make a reservation?!"
They sounded completely out of breath, but this one—this was a valuable customer. People like this meant we couldn't just dismiss them.
"We're fully booked for the next two months. I can offer you the next available date after that."
"That's fine! The soonest you've got!"
"Alright, then. How about [Month][Day]? May I have your name?"
"Tanaka Tobi!"
Pfft!
I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"What the hell, Tobi-nee?!"
Yup—family. My professional mask cracked completely at the surprise.
Now that she'd said her name, I realized I had recognized her voice.
"Yeah, there's a bit of an online frenzy right now. I just got caught up in it!"
She didn't sound the least bit apologetic, but honestly, dropping in like that felt a bit tactless.
Even without video, I could picture her grinning without a care.
"If it's you, Tobi-nee, we can offer a family discount or even let you use staff facilities."
Bird family members who help out often get treated like staff, so there's some flexibility.
"I'm coming purely for fun, so just the discount is fine."
"Feeling fancy, huh? Got it."
The family discount is usually more than half off—pretty sweet deal.
"So? What's the real story behind all the buzz?"
"He's real. Right now, Hachikuma-nee and I are officially married, and Grandma Yata is next in line."
"Well, congrats!"
"Thanks."
"So, little Misago finally did it, huh? Does that mean you're in your honeymoon period?"
"Yup. Though with all these callers, it's not exactly exclusive anymore."
"There really are so few men these days..."
Her voice was laced with genuine emotion.
"You don't have anyone over there either?"
"Nope. And the ones around aren't worth mentioning."
She sounded totally fed up.
"Figures."
"So, is he a good guy?"
"He's amazing."
Honestly, I don't think I'll ever see anyone else as "a good guy" again.
"That's all I needed to hear. Looking forward to meeting him!"
She laughed, sounding totally satisfied.
"Alright, see you then!"
Click. Beep—beep—beep.
And just like that, the call ended.
"Tobi? She sounded well?"
My mom, Tsugumi, had apparently been listening in.
"Yeah, she seemed happy and in good spirits."
"That's good to hear. Let's give her a warm welcome when she arrives."
"It's still a couple months away, though."
"She's probably trying to be considerate in her own way."
Mom sighed softly.
Riiiiing. Click.
Our chat was cut off by another call.
"Hello, this is Toriyu Inn at Onokawa Hot Springs."
"I heard there's a boy staying there!"
Looks like this is how today's going to go. I sighed inside and got back to work.