In a World Where Chastity is Reversed, I Ended Up Working as a Hot Spring Attendant - Chapter 138-139

Chapter 138: Around That Time with Ojiro (Ojiro’s Perspective)

“Wow, everyone’s so cheerful…”

I muttered to myself as I watched the women heading out onto the street. They all walked with a spring in their step, almost as if they were still dreaming.

Of course, there were also some with despairing faces, as though they didn’t want to wake up from their dreams now that reality had returned.

Overall, though, the mood was generally bright.

In contrast, the group heading in seemed to have heard some details along the way. They were walking awkwardly, as if overly excited and nervous about finally graduating from being virgins.

“The atmosphere is brighter than you described, Deputy Commander Ojiro,” one of my subordinates’ wives, Rina, remarked.

“We’re technically off-duty outside the base, so drop the ranks and titles,” I corrected her.

“Yes.”

I quickly adjusted how she addressed me.

“Just call me Ojiro-san or Ojiro-chan.”

“What about ‘Ojiro-sama’?”

“Forbidden.”

I was long tired of having a fan club that observed my every move from afar, commenting on this and that.

“Alright, Ojiro-san, then.”

“That’ll do.”

I nodded in approval.

“Whether a place thrives or not depends on whether there are men around. Just looking at the streets, you can tell, right?”

Twenty years had passed since Grandpa Kohaku passed away. I’m 28 now. When I was little, this place was a wonderful city filled with everyone’s smiles. By the time I reached adulthood, though, it had turned into a proper half-ghost town.

Feeling despair over the state of my hometown, I was lured by posters promising handsome men and lodging with guaranteed food and shelter. My sister Hakuto and I joined the Self-Defense Force Academy on a whim, and somehow, I ended up on the track to success.

Before I knew it, I became one of those system administrators barred from forming factions, destined to be assigned to regional posts periodically. After being sent to the northern tip of Hokkaido, I managed to achieve some noteworthy accomplishments. They used me for publicity, and when I recently downed a suspicious, unidentified crimson aircraft as ordered, it was framed as disciplinary action. That led to me being reassigned and relocated.

That’s how I ended up here, assigned as a bodyguard for a yet-to-be-seen husband, Misago, and Hachikuma, along with Hisui.

When we arrived at this base, my sister Hakuto fled, saying, “I’ll handle the greetings and arrangements with Grandma Yata!” That left me to take care of introductions and setting up camp, which is where we are now.

Incidentally, this place includes several properties we’ve acquired through the local government at bargain prices. It’s centered around our old haunt, the once-famous inn called “Torikoya,” and the main street’s abandoned shopping district.

After Grandpa Kohaku passed away, the town’s transformation into a ghost town became severe, so prices were dirt cheap.

If we rented, prices would surely skyrocket later, so we paid outright with a slight markup to avoid hassle. Besides, most of the original owners were acquaintances of ours, welcoming us back with open arms.

“That’s how it is, huh?”

“Honestly, it’s ridiculous how much fuss there is over having just one guy around.”

Half in exasperation, half in amazement, and with a touch of melancholy, I muttered my thoughts.

“Is this your hometown?”

“Yep. Lots of half-siblings from the same father. Unless they’re distant relatives, pretty much everyone’s familiar with each other.”

As we unloaded and unpacked moving boxes from the truck container, I answered the question.

Those who had been directly impregnated tended to stay emotionally attached to this place and didn’t leave often.

With Grandpa Kohaku gone, there wasn’t much choice in the matter. Still, quite a few remained.

The younger ones, not yet tied down, were carried off by youthful ambition, flying off like dandelion fluff in search of new horizons.

And so, the number of young people dwindled, leaving behind a full-fledged ghost town.

“Hello~! Got a moment?”

“Coming!”

Hearing a voice from the front, I stepped outside to answer.

“Oh? Ojiro-chan?”

It was a familiar face I hadn’t seen in a while.

“Uh… Mozu?”

It was Mozu, a police officer in uniform. She’s one of my half-sisters around my age.

“I’m on duty.”

She grinned, saluted, and showed me her police badge.

“Ah, a police officer, huh?”

“It’s Suspicious Persons Awareness Month.”

“Well, that makes sense.”

“When we see a new face, we check in.”

“Alright, here’s mine.”

I took out the IC card issued to us Self-Defense Force members for identification.

“Oh, a colleague?”

“Broadly speaking, yeah.”

Public servants like us appreciate when others are low-key and useless on the surface.

“I’ll just borrow this for a sec.”

“Go ahead.”

Mozu lightly held my IC card against her smartphone’s contactless reader.

Beep.

A green light blinked with a soft sound.

“Alright, verified, no issues.”

We exchanged grins.

“So, we’re in the same boat, huh?”

“Yep.”

“The guy everyone’s talking about—the one Misago captured—is here as Hisui’s bodyguard.”

“Over here, it’s just a heightened Suspicious Persons Awareness Month.”

Exchanging cards, we gathered information as colleagues should.

“Anyway, our ultimate goals are the same. Let’s coordinate as needed.”

“Got it.”

We shook hands firmly.

~Postscript

If identity checks were always this relaxed and straightforward, no one would have any complaints.

—

Chapter 139: The Messy Civil Servant Team (Ojiro’s Perspective)

“So, Mozu, have you met that person yet?”

“Not directly. Misago got to them first—brought them to the inn, established a residence, filed the paperwork with the Protection Bureau, formalized the connection by registering them at city hall, and took them to the hospital for various vaccinations. With all that, our involvement has been pretty thin.”

“Yeah, makes sense.”

It seemed like they locked things down by making them part of the family first.

“I do have photos, though.”

That was something I couldn’t ignore.

“You do?!”

I couldn’t help but react with gleaming eyes.

The documents we had only included one standard ID photo that didn’t capture much charm. I absolutely needed to see this picture.

“But where did you get it?”

“Apparently, when Misago and the others went to city hall to register them, Tsubame and the others took the opportunity to hold a full-blown photo session. I managed to snag one of the leftovers.”

This was valuable data, the kind that should have been shared across the family network.

“Well, I guess they wanted to control the situation carefully.”

Sensing my slight frustration, Mozu tried to soothe me.

“Here, take a look.”

Mozu fiddled with her phone before showing me the screen.

“Wha—?!”

The figure in the photo was small, cute, and slightly awkward, smiling nervously. It had a natural and vivid feel, making it even more captivating.

Standing next to Misago and Hachikuma made their size difference even more pronounced.

“They’re not underage, are they?”

“They claim to be a 30-year-old man.”

“That’s a lie…”

I groaned instinctively.

“Since they’re unregistered and classified as a ‘rare being,’ their self-reported age takes precedence.”

“So, it’s legal?”

“Yeah…”

(Yesss!)

I couldn’t help but scream internally. I barely managed to keep it in so I wouldn’t seem suspicious.

Even though the police officer in front of me was family and unlikely to raise concerns, I was wary of the reactions of my subordinates’ wives, who were eavesdropping nearby.

“By the way, who are those people behind you?”

Mozu seemed to notice them too.

“They’re my subordinates-slash-wives.”

“Wow, you’re living it up.”

She laughed heartily.

“It’s all Yuri, though, since I don’t have, you know… that.”

I decided to roll with the situation.

“Pfft!“

Mozu couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing, collapsing in the process. Victory was mine.

“What are you two doing out here in the middle of the street, Ojiro-nee and Mozu-nee?”

“Oh, Tsubame?”

It was my half-sister, someone I hadn’t seen in a while.

“I came to check if the vacant house along the main street managed by the city office would work for you. Is this okay?”

She seemed to be following up on things for us.

“Thanks, it’s perfect!”

I gave her a thumbs-up and smiled.

The house only had a bit of dust on it. For the self-defense forces, who excel in civil engineering and cleaning, it was no big deal.

“Seriously…”

“Really…”

The two of them sighed in unison, shoulders slumping.

“What’s the matter?”

“We were just wondering why Ojiro-nee doesn’t have, you know… that.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“Shut up!”

The two of them spoke as if lamenting something profound. I’d heard this countless times before.

“By the way, where’s Hakuto-nee?”

“She said she was going to greet Yata Granny first.”

Tsubame casually pointed her thumb in the direction of the inn.

“Catch me if you can!”

Hakuto-nee dashed by with a small, adorable figure tucked under her arm, laughing cheerfully. Behind her, Hachikuma was running after her, visibly determined.

“Same old routine…”
I muttered with a sigh.

Whenever Hakuto trained newcomers, she’d sometimes throw in quirky exercises on a whim, making follow-ups a hassle.

The object tucked under her arm looked pretty heavy. Hakuto must have trained her body not just for show.

“Here you go.”

Before I knew it, Hakuto-nee had completed a lap and returned, tossing the object toward me in an underhand throw. I managed to catch it, but it was soft and surprisingly heavy.

“Got you…”

The moment she passed it to me, Hakuto-nee froze, and Hachikuma caught her, pinning her down.

“Right there!”

A small figure emerged from behind Hachikuma. I reflexively stepped back, dodging their advance.

Whoosh!

Or so I thought. Before I realized it, they’d swept my back leg out from under me.

Huh?
No time to break the fall. The asphalt below loomed dangerously close—was I going to hit my head? My only option was to curl up slightly.

“That was close…”

Mozu’s voice came from below—or rather, behind me. I landed on something softer than asphalt. Mozu had slid in and cushioned my fall.

“Thanks for saving me,” I mumbled in shock.

“You’re welcome, but someone else helped too.”

The culprit who had swept my legs stood behind me, holding my collar to prevent me from hitting the ground too hard.

“So, this means we win. We’re rescuing and retrieving Hisui-san.”

With that declaration, the figure I’d been holding—Hisui Umino—stood up, wriggling.

“What can I even say at this point? Are you hurt anywhere? Here, let me help you up.”

The child I’d been carrying, Hisui, offered me a hand, looking troubled.

Their yukata was a mess, exposing bare thighs, underwear, and parts of their chest and stomach.

Wasn’t this way too suggestive?!

Our meeting was a total disaster, but their bashful, troubled smile seemed to radiate divine light.

~Postscript

Hachikuma → Kiyora → Kotori

A jet stream attack in motion.

Kotori: “Even if it’s not as seamless as the traditional three-in-one style of the Chushingura, a 2-to-1 advantage against a superior can still work.”
Hakuto: “It was just a moment of weakness. Don’t take it too seriously—it was just training. Also, Hachikuma, you’re heavy. Please get off me.”

While they weren’t wearing their military uniforms, Hachikuma and Hakuto were top-tier combatants: Hachikuma held a combat badge, while Hakuto was an advanced combat instructor.

If things had gotten serious, Hisui would’ve been intercepted before they could even leave. Yata Granny’s hairpins would’ve flown like throwing stars, embedding themselves deep enough to pierce through tatami mats.