That night, a black chauffeured car glided to a stop in front of Kujō Hibiki’s tower apartment.

The passenger-side door opened and a tall woman in a black suit—Saotome, who as of today was my exclusive bodyguard—swiftly stepped out.

She swept her sharp gaze over the surroundings once, then opened the rear door.

“…Perimeter clear. Please disembark.”

Hibiki, Karen and I got out of the car.

We passed through the apartment entrance and took the elevator up to the high floors.

The moment Hibiki unlocked the front door with her smart key, Saotome moved.

“Excuse me.”

She quickly pulled shoe covers over her shoes and, without a sound, burst into the apartment.

It was like a SWAT breach.

“Eh, hey—!?”

Before Hibiki even had time to protest, Saotome tore through the living room, bedroom, bathroom and toilet at lightning speed, like a gust of wind.

“Living room clear. Bedroom clear. Wet areas normal. No wiretap signals detected.”

A few seconds later she returned to the entrance and reported, her breathing perfectly steady.

“All green. Target occupants are cleared to enter.”

At that thoroughness, Hibiki and Karen looked at each other.

“…It’s convenient, but if she does this every day, it’s a little hard to relax.”

“Well, she’s wearing shoe covers at least. Saves on cleaning, right?”

We let out wry smiles and finally stepped inside our home.

Once in the living room, we sat down on the sofa.

Only Saotome didn’t sit.

She kept moving constantly—watching outside through gaps in the curtains, visually checking the corners of the room.

“Hey, Saotome.”

I called out.

“Yes. Is there an issue?”

Saotome immediately moved in front of me and snapped to attention.

“There’s issues everywhere. If you keep that up even inside the house, we can’t relax. For now, sit down and introduce yourself. We’re going to be living together.”

At my urging, Saotome hesitated for a moment, then, apparently deciding that ‘the target’s orders are absolute,’ she moved like a robot and perched shallowly on the edge of the sofa—the farthest possible position from me.

Her back was straight, like a ruler had been inserted.

“Then, once again.”

She clenched her fists on her knees and puffed out her chest like a soldier.

“I am Saotome of Valkyrie Guard’s Japan Branch, codename ‘Saotome.’ My real name is Saotome Rin. I am 24 years old. My specialties are close-quarters combat, explosive ordnance disposal and VIP protection. From this point on, I will serve as the target’s shadow and shield.”

Her voice was stiff.

So expressionless it felt like her facial muscles had died.

This was going to take time for her to warm up to Hibiki and Karen.

“…Hey. Can’t you say that a little more softly?”

I frowned.

“This isn’t a military barracks. Talk like a normal human being. Relax.”

“Like a normal… human being?”

“Yeah. Try smiling, at least once.”

Maybe it was too much to ask.

Saotome blinked in confusion, then froze for a few seconds.

Gradually, her facial muscles began twitching and the corners of her mouth pulled up at an unnatural angle.

“…N-nice… to… meet… you?”

It was less a smile and more like a reptile staring at prey—or some kind of urban legend apparition.

But that clumsy effort loosened the taut atmosphere just a little.

“…Pfft. What is that? You’re not smiling at all.”

“Hehe, you’ve got a surprisingly cute side.”

Karen and Hibiki burst out laughing.

Saotome’s ears turned bright red and she immediately returned to her blank expression.

* * *

After that came a late dinner.

The menu was reheated chicken and root-vegetable stew I’d made in advance, served on a large platter.

That’s when a physical problem arose.

The dining table in Hibiki’s living room was basically sized for one person, two at most.

So what happens when a giant like me, Karen, Hibiki and the tall Saotome all sit down?

“…This is cramped.”

“Our elbows keep hitting…”

Our shoulders brushed and there was barely any space to set plates down.

When I tried to bring my fork to my mouth, I almost hit Karen beside me.

On top of that, the living room floor was littered with Hibiki’s work tools—piles of scripts—and Karen’s costume cases, leaving hardly any room to step.

Add in Saotome’s equipment-filled duralumin case and the population density had blown past its limit.

“…Itadakimasu.”

Saotome cautiously moved her spoon.

One bite of the stew.

At that moment, behind her sunglasses, her pupils dilated.

Alarms blared in her mind.

‘What is this? It should just be an ordinary stew. So why this depth?’

The umami of chicken simmered until tender, the sweetness seeping from the vegetables and the dashi aroma binding it all together rampaged violently in her mouth.

‘…Record in report. The target’s cooking contains… pleasure-inducing substances at a level of mental contamination… dangerous…’

She struggled desperately to keep her expression neutral, yet the speed of her spoon clearly increased.

She was chewing at a terrifying pace, completely stone-faced.

If she liked it, that was fine, but being that serious made it scary instead.

* * *

After dinner.

Just as Karen stretched her legs to relax on the sofa, there was a dull thud.

“Ow!”

“Ah, my apologies. That was my equipment case.”

Karen had kicked Saotome’s luggage.

Seeing her study space swallowed by our belongings, Hibiki let out a deep sigh.

“…We’re at the limit.”

“Yeah. Definitely at the limit.”

I nodded while sipping coffee.

One man and three women, all with lots of stuff.

This place, meant for a single creator, was clearly over capacity.

“Let’s move.”

That offhand comment became the decisive blow.

“I’m in! I want a bigger bath!”

“Me too. I want an environment where I can focus on writing again and add more equipment.”

Karen and Hibiki agreed immediately.

Saotome, speaking as a security professional, added her input.

“…From a security standpoint, relocation is recommended. This property is on a high floor, but it has multiple resident elevators, allowing unspecified individuals access. There are too many potential intrusion routes, making defense difficult.”

“Alright, it’s decided.”

We gathered around a tablet and started an emergency ‘new-home selection meeting.’

“So, what kind of place do we want?”

When I asked, everyone’s desires poured out at once.

“I want an open-air bath! Big windows and a jacuzzi with a night view! And a hidden-bedroom-like space where I can have private time with Jō!”

Karen declared, eyes sparkling.

“I want a basement. A studio where I can completely shut out light and sound and immerse myself in editing and writing. A theater room with a huge screen and sound system is a must too.”

Hibiki wouldn’t budge either.

Then I looked at Saotome.

“What about you? Any preferences for the house?”

“Preferences?”

She thought for a moment, then answered seriously.

“Security performance is top priority. The ability to install sensors for early detection of intrusions onto the grounds and shielding from external lines of sight. And ideally, a structure that ensures multiple escape routes in case of emergency.”

Very realistic—and very necessary.

We weren’t building a fortress, but given my position, those conditions made sense.

“As for me…”

I crossed my arms and spoke of my dream as a cook.

“The kitchen. A regular home stove doesn’t have enough firepower. I want space for a commercial three-burner range. Also, a stainless-steel worktable that’s easy to clean and a large pantry to store ingredients in bulk.”

An open-air bath, a basement studio, high security and a commercial kitchen.

A property that met all of that wouldn’t be easy to find.

“…What about the budget?”

When I asked cautiously, Karen and Hibiki exchanged looks and grinned.

“Budget? Unlimited, obviously.”

“Don’t underestimate what Karen and I earn. If it meets the conditions, the price is just a rounding error.”

Reliable wives.

Hibiki opened a ‘VIP confidential property list’ on her tablet—places not shown on normal real estate sites.

“The issue is location. Too far out and it’ll interfere with work.”

She traced a map with her finger.

“Considering travel to TV stations and studios, we can’t go too far from the city. But right in the city center won’t give us the space or security.”

“Then how about here?”

I pointed to one corner of the map.

A quiet upscale residential area about a few dozen minutes by car from downtown.

Lots of greenery, with large plots.

Access to studios wouldn’t be bad either.

“…That’s good. We might find something that fits here.”

Hibiki refined the search conditions and refreshed the list.

Among several candidates, one property stood out.

“…What about this one?”

She enlarged the image.

It was a stately Western-style mansion surrounded by high walls.

“It’s a renovated former noble family’s villa. The land area is more than sufficient and the garden is large, so outside sightlines aren’t an issue. The building looks old, but the structure’s been reinforced with reinforced concrete.”

“The kitchen looks spacious too. With renovation, commercial equipment could be installed.”

Saotome nodded at the floor plans.

“There’s a basement as well. With soundproofing, it could be used as a studio.”

“And the bath looks big! Let’s renovate and add a jacuzzi!”

Everyone was in agreement.

“It’s settled. Let’s go see it tomorrow.”

And so, leaving behind the cramped apartment, we set into motion plans to secure a new base that would satisfy both desire and safety.