Chapter 141: The Trouble with Resignation
If the women ever encountered a major problem they couldn't resolve, there was no need to worry excessively. As the hands-off boss, while Haruto might not excel at much else, solving troubles was something he was quite adept at.
When the time came, this behind-the-scenes big boss would go and reason with the other party. Whether this "reasoning" was done with words or with fists would depend entirely on the other party's attitude.
With S-class strength, a Sacred Gear in his possession, and the backing of the next heads of the Gremory and Sitri families, Haruto could practically strut through the human world without a care.
...
On January 10th, after spending one last day tangled up in bed with the three women of the Takamine family, the day for school arrival arrived unexpectedly.
With the winter break over for Haruto and the others, Kasumi also had to return to her company to report on her duties, after which they would begin implementing the previously discussed plans.
Hugging Rias's snow-white, perfectly rounded long legs was a delightful experience, but if possible, Haruto still hoped to become the thigh that others would cling to.
Therefore, it was necessary to not only develop his own strength but also to build a force that belonged to him.
On the first day of the new semester, after the opening ceremony, Haruto spent the morning getting cozy with the members of the Occult Research Club, whom he hadn't seen in days. In the afternoon, he headed to the student council of his other nominal master, Sona, and stayed there until the evening.
Having not been close to his dear vice president for so long, after school, Haruto shamelessly followed Tsubaki back to her apartment.
However, since Sona was next door, he wasn't able to successfully stay overnight. After their dual cultivation session, a blushing Tsubaki chased him out.
As he was leaving, Sona came out to see him off. Catching a glimpse of the beautiful short-haired girl with glasses, her legs tightly pressed together in an unnatural posture, Haruto felt that this trip wasn't entirely without gains.
Among the beauties he had been with, there were certainly those with a style similar to Sona's. Yet, every time he saw the dear council president, he couldn't help but feel an itch in his heart.
Perhaps it was because he had never managed to gain even the slightest advantage over her—the so-called "the grass is always greener on the other side."
"I really am a scumbag, fully showcasing the worst traits of men~"
Haruto rubbed his nose, shrugged, and muttered a self-deprecating remark before leaving Sona's high-end apartment in high spirits.
The next day, as soon as Haruto arrived at school, before the first class had even ended, he suddenly received a call from Kasumi.
"Haruto, I might be delayed for a few more days. The resignation isn't going very smoothly."
Hearing the weariness in Kasumi's voice, Haruto instinctively furrowed his brows. What kind of trouble could there possibly be with resigning?
Unless this company wasn't legitimate, or...
A long-absent premonition surfaced in his heart. Barring any surprises, this "surprise" was none other than the long-dormant Cuckold Protagonist Template acting up again.
After briefly comforting Kasumi over the phone, Haruto immediately requested permission from Rias to go out and rushed over.
Kasumi's workplace wasn't in Kuoh Town but in Meguro Ward, closer to central Tokyo.
To avoid causing a commotion, Haruto flew until he was near the office building, landed in a secluded spot, and continued on foot.
Though wearing his uniform on a weekday in the business district still drew quite a few stares, it was better than the stir caused by descending from the sky.
Originally, Haruto had planned to use illusion magic to waltz right into Kasumi's company and investigate, but upon realizing the Cuckold Protagonist Template might be behind this, he knew he wouldn't rest easy until every threat was eliminated.
Under the influence of the Cuckold Protagonist Template, if Blondie spotted him, hiding would be impossible—he'd inevitably jump out to confront him. So, Haruto deliberately used himself as bait.
Quietly casting a perception spell and combining it with his Eye of Insight, Haruto quickly located Kasumi.
With his handsome, gentle smile, he easily passed the front desk receptionist's inquiries and took the elevator to Kasumi's office.
After over a decade of work, she had climbed to a mid-level manager position with her own private office. Glancing at the surname plate on the door, Haruto knocked.
"Who is it?"
A mature, cool voice answered, completely devoid of the coquettish tone she used at home.
Haruto raised an eyebrow, cleared his throat, and said, "Kasumi-nee, it's me."
"Haru?!" Kasumi's voice shot up in surprise as she opened the door. "What are you doing here? Weren't you at school earlier?"
Haruto grinned, wrapped an arm around her soft, voluptuous figure, and the two stepped into the office, shutting out the curious stares of the employees outside.
"If Kasumi-nee is in trouble, of course I'm coming to help."
Holding the beautiful widow in her office lady attire, Haruto planted a few fierce kisses before explaining his purpose.
He sat in the office chair, settling Kasumi on his lap, holding her intimately just like that.
Being this intimate with a man in public—and in her own office, no less—was a first for Kasumi.
Blushing, she pushed lightly against Haruto's chest. "Haru... don't do this. What if someone comes in and sees?"
"Let them see. Kasumi-nee is single—what's wrong with dating?" Haruto said nonchalantly.
Seeing she couldn't dissuade him, Kasumi reluctantly gave in.
If anyone did see, at worst they'd think she was robbing the cradle. Besides, she had no plans to stay here much longer anyway—so what if her image took a hit?
After some playful banter, Haruto asked about the issue. Kasumi held nothing back, pouring out all her troubles.
To summarize briefly, she faced two problems with resigning.
First, her supervisor refused to approve it, unwilling to let her go, and had resorted to both threats and incentives. If Kasumi insisted on leaving after a month, that month would likely be miserable.
The second issue involves the company president. As expected, there's no such thing as a free lunch. His initial kindness toward Kasumi wasn't just about having her raise his son—he also harbored intentions of taking his friend's wife for himself.
However, over the past decade or so, Kasumi never gave him an opportunity. Coupled with his own busy schedule, he had been biding his time patiently.
But this time, seeing Kasumi intending to resign, he finally lost his composure and made a direct advance on the beautiful widow.
"That president of yours..." Haruto frowned and asked, "Does he have blond hair?"
Kasumi gave him a puzzled look. "No, but I heard his son recently dyed his hair blond."
His son? The original male lead? Blond hair?
Haruto was momentarily confused. He tucked the question away for later and moved on to another matter.
"Was it the same person who sent you on that half-year business trip and is now preventing you from resigning?"
"Yes, that old man has a terrible reputation. He frequently harasses female employees, but because of the president, he never targeted me."
Kasumi nodded and added, "Sending me on such a long business trip last time was probably because I interfered when he tried to make a move on a new employee. He's held a grudge ever since."
Both suspects seem highly likely...
Haruto stroked his chin, unable to determine which one was the Blondie this time.
As expected, this kind of deduction wasn't his strong suit. In the end, he'd have to resort to a straightforward, albeit crude, method of entrapment.
As for resolving Kasumi's troubles—once Blondie was dealt with, her worries would naturally vanish.
If not for the concern that Blondie might target other women close to him later, Haruto could have easily resolved Kasumi's resignation issue with a few mental-type spells.
With Haruto's current abilities, ordinary people would perceive him as no different from a deity—an existence beyond resistance.
Biting Kasumi's ear, Haruto explained his plan. "Kasumi, here's what we'll do next... first this... then that..."
The more Kasumi listened, the more confused she became. The plan didn't seem to have much to do with her resignation but appeared more like a display of affection.
And she wasn't entirely wrong—Haruto's so-called plan was precisely to flaunt their relationship in front of Blondie and wait for him to make a move.
Considering that this might be a more cunning, high-level Blondie, aside from showing off their affection, Haruto also planned to use his Illusion Talent to disguise himself, crafting the classic image of a weak, suffering husband.
It was a pity he couldn't find those black-rimmed glasses from before—they would have made the act even more perfect.
After adjusting his physique and practicing a harmless expression and demeanor in front of the mirror, the two left the office to put the plan into action.
Though unsure how Haruto managed it, seeing her gentle and delicate-looking foster son filled Kasumi with motivation, and she threw herself into the role with gusto.
It wasn't entirely acting, either. Given their relationship, they had held hands, embraced, and kissed countless times before.
The only difference was that now they were deliberately performing these actions in front of others, with their usual roles reversed.
Haruto played the part of a shy, passive young man, while Kasumi took on the role of the assertive older woman.
Kasumi led Haruto around the company, engaging in ambiguous behavior, and deliberately kissed him in secluded but visible areas. Soon, gossip about them began to spread like wildfire.
As for when it would reach Blondie's ears, Haruto felt it shouldn't take too long.
Meanwhile, at Haruto's request, Kasumi chose to leave immediately.
She didn't even bother collecting her last month's salary, nor did she care about the company's evaluation—after all, she wouldn't be interviewing at other companies in the future.