After finishing the meal at the hotel, I returned home.
"Then we'll visit again tomorrow. For indoor filming, we've set up cameras in advance, so if you want to do anything, you can use a GoPro to film it."
"Understood. What time tomorrow?"
I needed to know the time so I could wake up early. Plus, I had to wake Ai too.
"We'll come by around lunchtime. Do you have any schedule tomorrow?"
"Hmm... no, not really. I plan to spend the whole day tomorrow with Ai."
I'd have to start thinking tonight about where to go play tomorrow.
"Ah, understood. Then we can film tomorrow like today."
"Alright. Thanks for your hard work today."
"We should be the ones thanking you. We must have been a bother, following you around. And thanks to Yume and Ai, we had a good experience too."
"Haha, I'm glad you're satisfied."
If I think of this as part of social life, it's not too hard.
I saw off the filming team as they got into their car and left, and as soon as I got home, I let out a small sigh at Ai's behavior, who went straight to wash up, saying she felt sticky.
Not that I wanted Ai's behavior to change... well, I did, but I had no intention of forcing it, so I kept it to myself.
"Ahh~ that feels great!! Yume, hurry up and wash too!! I drew the bath!!"
"Ai, since we're filming, at least your clothes... oh, you're wearing something."
Fortunately, Ai was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and—again!!—my dress shirt, with hot pants as bottoms.
If it weren't for the filming, she probably wouldn't have worn a shirt and might have been in her underwear.
Why? Ai always preferred comfortable clothes, even when Aqua or Ruby were around.
I don't remember her being like this before; maybe it's because she's getting older... but I never wanted her to change like this...
"Ai is dressed normally!!"
"........."
"Why are you looking at me like that!!"
"No, I was seriously wondering if you have any conscience at all."
"Ehh~?"
At my words, Ai looked at me with a 'what are you talking about?' expression, but since I had nothing to feel guilty about, I went in to wash up.
As I washed up, I worried about how Aqua and Ruby were doing, but since they were with the senior, I didn't have to worry.
Given the senior's personality, she must be taking great care of Aqua and Ruby, right?
Since she couldn't have children of her own, she treated Aqua and Ruby, my children, like her own family.
Looking at it this way, didn't Aqua and Ruby practically have three parents? I had this frivolous thought.
"Haha... well, maybe that's not so bad?"
Are you doing well, Aqua, Ruby?
SIDE Hoshino Aqua.
"Aqua-kun, Ruby-chan, welcome! It's been a while since you've come to our house, hasn't it?"
"Yes! Auntie!!"
"Yeah... well... it has been a while."
We relied on them a lot when we were young, but we've been getting busier too...
Aqua felt awkward coming to the senior's house for the first time in a long time, but he tried not to show it.
By the way, Ruby was thrilled.
Because she felt like she had gained parents different from Ai and Yume.
"Then, shall we have lunch first? Is there anything you'd like to eat, Aqua-kun, Ruby-chan?"
"I don't really mind anything."
Aqua genuinely didn't care about the lunch menu. Since he always ate meals prepared by Yume at home, he wasn't picky.
But Ruby was different.
"Auntie, I want sushi!! Sushi!!!"
"Oh my, then shall we go to a sushi place I know well?"
"Yes!"
"I don't mind."
By the way, before Ruby was left with the senior.
"Ruby, you know that the senior thinks of you and Aqua as her own children, right?"
"Yeah! Papa!!"
Since we were little, when Yume and Ai didn't have time, the ones who looked after Aqua and Ruby the most weren't Ichigo and Miyako Saito, but the senior.
"When you go, ask for whatever you want. The senior will buy it for you, no matter what."
"Yes!"
Yume was telling her to milk it for all it's worth while she's at it.
(What a good father, teaching her that?)
"Hello? Yes, I have a favor to ask. I'm planning to go to a Japanese restaurant we usually go to, specifically for sushi, so can you set it up as usual?"
"Yes, I'm thinking of taking some children I cherish, so I'd appreciate it if you could put in a bit more effort than usual."
"Don't worry about the money; prepare everything with the highest quality, okay? Good, I'll be there in about 30 minutes."
"Alright, I'll leave it to you."
After finishing the call to somewhere, the senior looked at Aqua and Ruby and then.
"Shall we go then? To eat sushi."
"Yes!!"
"Yeah..."
Aqua thought, "She's not one to be underestimated either."
"Wow, a limousine...!!"
"I didn't expect this..."
As Aqua and Ruby followed the senior outside, the vehicle waiting there was an incredibly expensive-looking limousine.
"Come on, get in. If anything's uncomfortable, feel free to say so, okay?"
"Brother, what are you doing? Hurry up and get in!!"
"You... are..."
As soon as the senior finished speaking, Ruby called Aqua from inside the limousine, having gotten in who knows when, and Aqua saw Ai's image reflected in that.
Aqua began to understand how Yume felt when dealing with Ai.
As Aqua let out a small sigh and got into the limousine, the senior seemed to find it amusing and laughed as she got in last, and the limousine set off.
"Wow, wow... I've never ridden in a limousine before, but it's so comfortable...!"
"Well, not many people ride limousines in the first place..."
But Aqua said that, never having imagined he would ride in one.
"Well, given the youngest's personality, he probably just drives an ordinary car around, right?"
"Papa has two cars: a big one and a regular one!"
"The big car must be for family trips, and the small one for dates with Ai. Pretty clever, huh?"
"No, well..."
Aqua barely held back from saying, "If you call that clever..."
Aqua thought it might be a bit awkward, but surprisingly, there was no problem conversing, and as they chatted about this and that.
"By the way, Aqua-kun, what about Akane-chan? You two seem to get along well; what do you think?"
"Well... I'm not sure..."
Aqua was momentarily flustered by the senior's sudden question, but he quickly composed himself and brushed it off since he hadn't made up his mind yet.
Seeming to understand Aqua's attitude, the senior said.
"I see. Well, it's your life, so you'll choose. But I think you two make a good pair?"
"Ehh!? Brother, are you dating Akane-chan!?"
"I said no..."
Aqua broke out in a cold sweat as Ruby's target suddenly shifted to him, and he avoided answering until they arrived at the sushi place.
"Here we are."
As the vehicle stopped, the senior got out first, and following her, Aqua and Ruby also got out.
"Ehh..."
"Huh......."
Both Ruby and Aqua couldn't help but be surprised. And for good reason.
"A hotel!?"
"No, and not just any hotel, this is..."
"Fufu, I can't serve you something light, Aqua-kun and Ruby-chan. This auntie pulled some strings, okay?"
This isn't just pulling strings...? Aqua thought to himself.
"Come on, let's go in."
As the senior went in first, Aqua and Ruby slowly followed behind.
Yume had taken them to many hotels like this, but this one was unknown even to Yume.
Because this hotel was built exclusively for the senior, so the only people who knew about it were Director Kuma and the senior's husband.
It could be called a hidden luxury hotel.
"Welcome."
"The menu?"
"It's already prepared."
"Then please guide us."
"Understood. This way."
As they entered the hotel, a person with a name tag saying "General Manager" was waiting and guided them, familiar with the process, but didn't forget to look after Aqua and Ruby.
Ruby just went "Heh... hehe..." and let the senior lead her by the hand, and Aqua also went "Uh..." and followed the senior's lead.
In fact, part of the reason the senior brought Aqua and Ruby here was to see this sight, so she was quite satisfied.
When they arrived at the guided location, it looked like a traditional Japanese restaurant fit for a master, and a person exuding the aura of a sushi master was waiting.
"Long time no see."
"Indeed. It has been quite a while."
"As always, omakase, please."
"As you wish."
As soon as the senior finished speaking, the chef went into the warehouse to get fish, and.
"Now, Aqua-kun and Ruby-chan, sit and wait; he'll prepare it for you."
"Wow! This is my first time having omakase!!"
Ruby was simply enjoying every moment, and.
"Omakase... and at a hotel like this, the price must be..."
Aqua was worried about the price, but.
"Fufu, when the owner of this hotel comes to eat, there's no way they'd charge, right?"
"Huh?"
Aqua gave up thinking further at the senior's words.
========================
The website for reading paid chapters is available on my Patreon. The number of chapters on Patreon: 105
Link: patreon.com/UltraMagnus_T