Kobayashi's Apartment – Living Room.
The air was heavy with awkwardness—so thick it could stop time.
You could still smell the splash of tea in the air.
The scorched scent of a dropped laptop lingered faintly.
And three adult women stood frozen, each radiating the same stunned aura:
"Who am I? Where am I? What did I just hear?!"
Kobayashi was frantically wiping her wet keyboard and the soaked carpet with tissues, her face a mix of disbelief and panic.
"Am I seriously so overworked I'm hallucinating?"
She was starting to question her own sanity.
Michiru had finally stopped her dramatic coughing fit, though her cheeks were still burning red.
She avoided looking at the three tiny troublemakers at the door—especially Kanna, who was still staring at them with big, hopeful eyes.
Yor sat as elegantly as ever, trying to maintain composure…
…but the tea stain on her skirt and her trembling fingertips gave away just how rattled she really was.
She glanced at Anya, trying to find even the slightest hint that this was all some elaborate prank—but came up empty.
Anya wanted a dad. That part was real.
But how they got here...
Right when the silence became so suffocating it felt like it could crush an entire apartment—
Ding dong!
The doorbell rang. Crisp. Clear. Heavenly.
It shattered the frozen air like a divine lifeline.
"Ah! I'll get it!"
Kobayashi practically jumped in relief.
That doorbell was her escape rope.
She didn't even bother drying her hands, just wiped them on her apron and rushed toward the entrance.
But someone beat her to it.
A small blur of silver dashed forward like a bullet from a gun.
Straight to the door.
Shin-chan.
"Wait—Shin?!"
Kobayashi froze mid‑reach, hand stuck in the air.
Why is she more excited than me?!
Everyone instinctively followed the silver streak with their eyes.
The soft sound of the door opening.
Barely audible murmuring.
Then—light, fast footsteps coming back, almost too eager to contain themselves.
And Shin-chan reappeared at the entrance to the living room.
Her face glowed with pride like she'd just saved the world.
Her silver hair swayed gently with each step.
But what really stunned everyone—
Was the adult-sized hand she was dragging behind her.
Large. Strong. Undeniably male.
She tugged him in like she was showing off a rare treasure, and with the biggest, brightest smile on her face, she declared:
"Kanna! Yor! I found us a dad!"
The man she pulled in was tall, well-built, and ridiculously good-looking.
Rei Ao.
Dressed in a sharp, dark outfit that fit him like a glove, he gave off the relaxed vibe of someone who didn't need to try hard to stand out—he just did.
He seemed to draw in the room's light, not in a blinding way, but like gravity.
His multicolored eyes were calm, deep. The faintest trace of a smile played at his lips—impossible to read.
His gaze swept across the room.
The wreckage. The frozen women.
Kanna's wide, curious stare.
Anya's gaping mouth.
Then finally back to the little girl clinging to his hand, eyes begging for approval.
He nodded.
Then his voice—low, warm, and impossibly smooth—cut through the silence like a charm spell:
"Sorry to barge in, everyone."
Time stopped.
Kobayashi stayed frozen in her half‑bent pose.
The tissue in her hand dropped to the floor.
Michiru's mouth opened—but nothing came out.
Yor swayed ever so slightly, her "perfect lady" mask cracking under the weight of pure shock.
Kanna's ahoge perked up like an antenna.
She tilted her head, clearly impressed with Shin's choice.
Anya clapped a hand over her mouth, emerald eyes sparkling.
It's the guy… the one I can't hear thoughts from!
Just like Kanna and Shin.
He's not normal either…!
Rei Ao's presence felt like throwing a kettle of boiling water into a volcano.
Without missing a beat, Shin pulled him to the couch—the only piece of furniture not completely destroyed—and sat him down like she was leading royalty to his throne.
The plush cushions dipped under his weight.
He sat naturally, like he belonged there.
Like everything around him was his.
And then—whoosh.
Three little girls swarmed him like birds to a nest.
Kanna was the fastest, and boldest.
Maybe it was her dragon instincts sensing his strength.
Or maybe something in Kobayashi's subconscious gave her a signal.
Either way, she climbed right onto Rei Ao's lap without hesitation, like a cat curling up on a heater.
Her big purple eyes stared up at his face.
Her ahoge swayed with content.
Shin, the proud orchestrator of this chaos, clung tightly to Rei Ao's right arm with zero shame or hesitation.
She leaned against him, silver hair brushing his shoulder, her expression pure satisfaction.
Anya hesitated.
She looked at Yor—who still looked like her soul had left her body.
Then, carefully, step by step, she approached Rei Ao's other side.
She reached out shyly and took his left arm into her little hands.
The moment she touched him—
Warmth. Safety. Stability.
All flowing through that deceptively ordinary fabric.
Her green eyes lit up. A soft blush crept onto her cheeks.
"If only he really were Papa…"
And just like that—
A picture-perfect scene came to life on the couch.
Rei Ao, calm and centered.
A blue-haired dragon girl on his lap.
A mind-reading pink-haired spy on his left arm.
A silver-haired holy sword girl on his right.
All three of them clinging to him like he was the strongest mountain in the world.
Kobayashi watched it all unfold, her temples throbbing harder by the second.
She rubbed her forehead, trying to piece together what the hell just happened.
"Um… Rei Ao-kun… I'm—really sorry about this. It's a huge misunderstanding. What happened was…"
She started rambling. Explaining.
Trying to piece together how the three little chaos gremlins in her house had suddenly decided they needed a dad—like, right now.
By the time she finished, even she couldn't believe how ridiculous it sounded.
Her voice got smaller and smaller, her cheeks flushed bright red.