When Naoki stepped back through the entrance of the Sixth Unit's headquarters, the quiet stillness of the early morning had given way to the warmth of morning activity. Everyone was already up, neatly dressed in their uniforms, and gathered in the living room.
"Good morning, Naoki-kun!"
Without a thought for the gazes of her subordinates, Tenka immediately shot forward and threw herself into Naoki's arms, her face radiant. Both arms wrapped around his neck, clinging close as though she wanted to meld into him.
"Uh, Tenka..."
"I missed you~"
Tenka purred contentedly, rubbing her smooth cheek against Naoki's chest, damp with sweat.
"Tenka, I just finished exercising. I'm sweaty and I smell."
But rather than pulling away, Tenka pressed her face against Naoki's chest and drew a long, deep breath.
"Mmm~... I don't mind at all. In fact, I love this masculine scent. It makes me feel like you're really here with me."
Naoki could only let out a resigned sigh. "Suit yourself, then."
Meanwhile, on the sofa, Yachiho and Sahara could only sit frozen as they watched the scene.
To them, Tenka was the image of a composed, elegant, and authoritative Chief. Seeing her draped adoringly over a man's body like a teenager freshly fallen in love was a side of her that caught them both thoroughly off guard.
Sahara immediately looked away the moment Naoki's eyes briefly met hers. Her face flushed deeply; the memory of the bathroom incident that morning played back in her head like a broken tape. She felt acutely awkward and had absolutely no idea how to react.
"Ahem! Sorry to interrupt your lovey-dovey display so early in the morning." Yachiho cut in with a pointed clearing of her throat. "If you want to be affectionate, please do it somewhere without an audience. Have some pity on those of us who are still single."
Tenka released her embrace, but remained hanging from Naoki's arm. She turned to look at Yachiho with a teasing smile.
"Oh, is Yachiho-chin jealous? Do you also want to feel the warmth of a man's affection? Then you should just find a man of your own."
Yachiho tossed her twintails with a practiced flair, chin lifting slightly.
"My standards are quite high." She replied, her tone a touch defensive. "And so far, I haven't found anyone who meets them."
She stole a brief glance at Naoki before continuing.
"On top of that... now that I know there are men as remarkable as Naoki in this world, I'm worried my minimum threshold for finding a partner has gone even higher. It's possible I may never get married at all."
Tenka gave a small laugh, her eyes gleaming mischievously.
"In that case, Yachiho-chin, if you truly can't find a partner in the future, why not consider becoming Naoki-kun's lover? Naturally, I would remain the first wife."
"HAH?!"
The reaction came in unison from both Yachiho and Sahara. They stared at Tenka with expressions of utter disbelief, as though their Chief had just suggested burning down the headquarters.
"Chief, are you serious? You just gave your boyfriend permission to build a harem?" Yachiho demanded, her tone pressing for the truth.
Tenka only smiled serenely, completely unbothered by the shocked reactions from her two subordinates.
"Not permission." Tenka corrected with poise. "Support. There's a significant difference."
Sahara still looked stunned. "B-but... isn't that... strange? I mean, in this world..."
"Of course I'm serious." Tenka replied with an open-minded composure. "If the kings and emperors of old could have many consorts, then why couldn't Naoki-kun, who is far more remarkable than any of them? To me, that's not a bad thing at all. I rather like the idea of having a large, strong family."
Tenka then turned toward Sahara, who had been silent all this while. "Sahara-chin too—if you start developing feelings for Naoki-kun, don't keep them bottled up. Just let them out. I truly don't mind sharing."
Yachiho and Sahara exchanged glances, their feelings thoroughly mixed.
"Thank you for the offer, Chief, but I'd rather sleep than compete for a man's attention." Sahara declined politely, though the color in her cheeks hadn't entirely faded.
On the other side, Yachiho let out a long sigh. Her twintails swayed as she shook her head.
"Honestly... if my grandmother were to find out about Naoki, I'm worried she would do everything in her power to bring this man's bloodline into the Azuma family. And since I'm in the same unit as Naoki, I'd be the obvious candidate she'd choose to pair with him."
Yachiho looked Naoki up and down, then gave a quiet sniff. "Well, he is handsome enough and suits my taste. If it came to that, I wouldn't object to being with him."
Sahara snapped her head toward Yachiho, eyes wide.
"..."
Naoki, who had been silent all this time as the subject of everyone's conversation, finally felt the need to speak. The discussion about his future had gone on long enough without his involvement.
"Sorry to interrupt your discussion about my future."
All three women turned to look at him.
"Could we just let things unfold naturally? There's no need to rush into planning like this."
"I'm going to take a shower."
"Oh, right. The manager will have breakfast ready soon. Hurry up and shower, Naoki-kun."
Every Anti-Demon Corps unit did indeed have a domestic manager who handled all matters of cleaning and cooking, so that members could focus entirely on their combat duties.
Naoki simply gave Tenka a nod and walked out of the room.
Sahara let out a quiet sigh of relief once Naoki was gone. Yachiho still looked slightly stiff in her seat. Tenka settled back onto the sofa with grace, picked up her teacup, and sipped from it slowly—as though no particularly remarkable conversation had just taken place.
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