10 a.m. on a weekday.

In the living room of Hibiki’s tower apartment, the elegant scent of coffee drifted through the air.

“…Mm, this is good.”

While drinking the coffee I, Akutsu Jō, had brewed, the ones relaxing on the sofa were the owner of this home, film director Kujō Hibiki and the national star actress Tennoji Karen.

The two of them were still in their pajamas, fiddling with their phones or using my bicep as a pillow.

It was a peaceful morning.

…No, it was too peaceful.

“…Hey.”

I set my coffee cup down on the saucer and voiced a question that had suddenly bubbled up.

“What about your jobs?”

Today was a weekday.

Karen was a super in-demand top star at the height of her popularity.

Hibiki should have been busy preparing for her next film too.

So why were they still lazing around with me at this hour?

“Mmm? Work?”

Karen, still rubbing her cheek against my arm, replied without a shred of guilt.

“Yeah, I cancelled today’s magazine cover shoot.”

“Huh?”

“Because I’m low on Jō, so my skin doesn’t have its usual glow. I can’t stand in front of a camera like this.”

“…Hibiki, what about you?”

“Me too.”

Hibiki answered without pausing her smartphone game.

“I had a script meeting for my next project but I skipped it. Eating Jō’s breakfast slowly is more important for my artistic sensitivity than sitting in a meeting room with women pressed face-to-face.”

I was speechless.

From what I heard, over the last few days alone they had been cancelling more offers and schedules than I could count under the excuse of ‘guarding Jō.’

Snap.

Inside me, something made the sound of breaking.

Thud!!

I slammed my fist onto the table and stood up.

“Don’t mess with me!!”

The air in the living room froze.

Karen and Hibiki flinched and went stiff.

“J-Jō?”

“Getting distracted by a man and punching holes in your work schedule is what third-raters do!”

I looked down at them and roared in a low, heavy voice.

“Are you trying to smear mud on the faces of the staff waiting on set and the people you’re dealing with? There’s no replacement for you!”

“B-but, we were worried about you…”

“Don’t make excuses!”

I barked.

“I like ‘pros.’ I like people who take pride in their work and put their lives on the line for it. I’m not going to let myself be ‘protected’ by women who throw their jobs away for one man!”

Maybe my words sounded like a stubborn old Showa-era father’s lecture.

But this was the pride I wouldn’t compromise on.

As a former chef, I couldn’t forgive making customers wait or closing a shop on a whim.

The two of them stared up at me blankly but gradually their cheeks flushed and their eyes grew wet.

“…I’m sorry.”

“…You’re right.”

Karen spoke in a trembling voice.

“We got complacent… I’ve never had a man scold me like this before.”

“So cool… Jō being strict about work is insanely sexy…”

Hibiki looked at me with heated eyes too.

…No, I didn’t expect them to fall for me all over again right there, but they did seem to reflect.

“If you get it, then call them already! Get your schedules back even if you have to bow on your knees!”

“Yes!”

They hurriedly grabbed their phones and started calling their managers and producers to apologize.

Several tens of minutes later.

After somehow finishing the rescheduling, the two returned to the sofa.

But their expressions still weren’t bright.

“…Going back to work is fine but there’s one problem.”

Hibiki said with a serious face.

“While we’re out on set, who’s going to protect Jō?”

At that, I crossed my arms and groaned.

If I went to the supermarket alone, it was attempted kidnapping, if I went to the convenience store, it was a storm of paparazzi.

“Normal security won’t work. Any guards they send will definitely attack Jō.”

“…That’s possible.”

I could only see a future where they abused their authority, calling it a body check and kept touching me.

I trusted my own fists, but dealing around the clock with riotous fans and hyena-like industry people would be exhausting.

“Doesn’t anyone come to mind? Someone strong and tight-lipped.”

“…No. There’s no such saint.”

“Then what do we do?”

Just when it seemed like we were stuck, I made a suggestion.

“…That president might have connections.”

“President Reiko?”

Hibiki made a face of open disgust, but we had no choice.

With obvious reluctance, she called Sumeragi Reiko.

“Oh my, Hibiki-san? Whatever is the matter?”

That cheerful voice came through the speaker.

When Hibiki explained the situation and asked her to introduce a trustworthy bodyguard, Reiko paused to think.

“I see… If it’s an ordinary security company, they’ll end up abandoning the mission because they can’t endure Jō-sama’s charm.”

“Exactly. Don’t you have anyone in your network?”

“…There is one company.”

Reiko’s tone became a little more serious.

“Valkyrie Guard. Have you heard of them?”

“…I’ve heard of them. The world’s top security company that specializes in VIP protection.”

“Yes. An ultra-elite group that even guards heads of state and royalty.”

Reiko continued.

“Their defining trait is thorough ‘removal of emotion.’ If it’s them, they should be able to keep their rationality even in front of Jō-sama.”

“A woman like a machine, huh…”

I muttered.

It would feel lonely without any warmth, but maybe I could trust my back to them.

“With my recommendation, they’ll assign a special A-rank agent. Shall I arrange it right away?”

“Please do.”

Hibiki answered immediately.

‘It was frustrating to owe Reiko anything, but Jō’s safety came first.’

“Understood. But their flexibility is truly nonexistent, so please be prepared for that one thing.”

The call ended.

We looked at each other.

“Valkyrie Guard, huh… Well, as long as they don’t lay a hand on Jō, I don’t care who it is.”

Karen said with a sigh mixed in.

And so, my new guard was decided and we would meet them soon.

An ‘impenetrable shield’ with no emotions.

Whether it could truly protect me in this abnormal world, with anticipation and anxiety mixed together, we drained our now-cold coffee.