5 "What's in the box?"
Seina's parents greeted everyone and urged them to come sit down.
Seina sat down and kiriko poured everyone tea,
"But why are you here neiju"
"Minaho dropped me off"
"Oh you know each other?"
"Yes father. The other day I got into some trouble and Seina and his team kept me safe."
"father?.... .... well I guess I can't say no to a cute girl like you calling me that."
"Did she tell you anything else?"
"yes, you are now assigned to be my escort. Here's the paperwork."
Neiju handed him a letter that had seto's seal on it, he opened it up
"... .... This letter is to officially assign you to guard Neeju · Na · Melmas from now on she will be joining your team ... ....by order of both Seto · Kamiki Jurai, and Airi Masaki ..."
"She's what?!"
"I look forward to being part of the team! "
".... PS have you seen the luggage I sent with her yet?"
".... Luggage?"
"Oh right when Neiju was dropped off here they also brought a big box it's in here."
Seina's mother opened a screen door to reveal a large refrigerated shipping box.
(No way!)
When kiriko saw it she prayed it wasn't what she thought it was.
Seina went up to it and opened the seal with his hand print.
psssssssssh
The sound of air escaping ran out as it opened to reveal ringo inside asleep.
"aaaaah!"
everyone was taken aback especially kiriko who was being reminded of a past sin of hers.
"R-...Ringo?!"
seina went to check her pulse and suddenly she started to wake up which scared him.
"Oh...Seina? Is this a dream? I don't remember going to bed."
"Do you know where you are?"
The nanobots quickly wore off and took a deep breath closed her eyes then opened them to look around
"Seina....... what is this all about?" his mom asked confused
"Are we... at your home?"Seina nodded
"I'm sorry to alarm everyone...I bet this is the work of my boss.."
she got out of the box and greeted his mother
" My name is Tatsuki Ringo and I work for a business that is partners with Seina Yamada .Seina has rescued our company from crisis many times and I'm so glad to finally be able to meet you so I can express my thanks.... originally my boss was supposed to come here to greet you herself, but it seems she has sent me instead. please forgive her. "
"Heh... uhm... Ringo's boss is also my main benefactor."
"It's nice to meet you, please take your time to wake up. i thought you were dead... you sure have a funny boss."
"do all of you work for her?"
"oh no. Were seina's assistants." amane said
"his assistants? really?"
"Kiriko would you please introduce us"
"I uhm uh...." kiriko was visibly upset so hakuren talked to her over a private communication channel
"I remember you sent ringo back to jurai a while back in this exact manner is that why your so nervous? I thought you two made up."
"I know! i know! but i sent her back to keep her out of the fight for seina, and now seto has mailed her here!"
"um hello........ kiriko seems to be distracted... yoshiko can you get her attention?"
"huh! oh sorry! next to me is Amane · Kaunaq. The team's vehicle specialist pilot and controller of our weapons systems."
"nice to meet you Father, Mother, Yoshiko."
"Oh my your so pretty, I thought you were a model!"
"Well I was once actually"
"Haha I knew it!" seina's mother said
"Next is Ryoko · Balta. our Specialists in information analysis"
"Nice to meet you, Ryoko · Balta"
"Thank you"
" The next few girls, they have codenames to keep them confidential since they work security for us."
"I am a leader of this four-person team, I am Hakuren, nice to meet you."
"They have been dispatched to us by Ringo-sama's boss as our assistants and substitute personnel."
"I'm sorry our kid is so much trouble, please give our regards to your boss"
"Oh no, It's worth it, We don't mind, and we trust seina's judgment."
"Worth it?What..." his mother was confused
"I'm Karen. Nice to meet you."
"Next is gyokuren"
"Nice to meet you"
Everyone was happy that she kept it simple.
"well then now that were done with that... how about we...."
"Wait! What do you mean there's one more..."
"One more?"
"huh?" everyone said at once not just his mother
"I'm suiren..." suiren said in a voice that seemed to fade.
"Ah! oh! OH! Hi suiren! I didn't notice you! I'm sorry"
but suiren was use to this and she just sat and sipped tea
-------this is the first confirmation that the seto scouts names are actually aliases--------
"Miah!"
"Oh I forgot we have one more person! This is fuku!"
Yoshiko stared at Fuku as she approached Neiju.
"Hey Neeju, can I hold her?"
"oh, OK."
Yoshiko took fuku from Neiju and petted her.
"Oh she is so cute can i keep her big brother?"
"uhm... no ... you see uhm.... " seina couldn't explain that she was a computer unit so he stuttered for a moment.
"She is one of our important teammates" kiriko stepped in
"Team mate?"
"Like a drug sniffing dog or a seeing eye dog, she was made specially for seina by a researcher, don't you see the fancy jewel on her head?"
”Oh I see it, It's pretty!"
"Also she is very attached to seina, fuku do you want to go see him?"
"Mya!"she ran to seina and cuddled him
"Oh I see, she seems happy."
"But you can play with her while she's here."
"Yay"
"Well if that's all done with, then we have to go head off to the shop, but we have a welcome party planned for everyone tonight when we get back.
"hey uhm... since you remodeled the house... where is the shop? "
yoshiko handed him a flyer for the Yamada superstore
"We were doing so well that we had to buy a bigger location! It just opened up a few months ago actually."
"This way when you come back home it won't interfere with out business."
"So you just want me to stay here till your done is what your saying?"
"yes, but don't think were ungrateful for all the money you've given us."
"Money?"
"Uhm... well.." kiriko got nervous
ringo stepped in
"Actually seina you've been making quite a lot more then just your salary there are bounties and other rewards that go to you every time you capture someone.... It was quite a lot of money so we've had kiriko manage it for you so it didn't get all spent or stolen." she said which made kiriko only feel worse about herself.
"I didn't want to tell you but I've been sending part of the interest back to your family to help them out."
"The interest? "
"You're not mad are you?"
"No. I understand"
"Well then... we have to get going... it may take us a little while to get back once the store's closed, we have to finish out accounting settlement today."
"ACCOUNTING?" ringo's eyes lit up at that word
"we have to see how much we have netted these past three months since opening the store and give that info to the bank, but it's not as easy as it used to be because this new store gets so much business, so it will take a while. "
"I am the head accountant where I work, Will you please let me assist you?" she jumped to ask them like a carnivorous beast
"No we couldn't"
"Auntie I suggest you take her help" kiriko said
"Well ... If kiriko says so... then I guess we have no choice"
"oh good!"
"Oh may we also help out at the store?"hakuren volunteered
"oh no you're our guests there's no need for that."
"please, we would love to."
"Auntie, these women are the kind who like to keep busy, please by all means let them help you, think of it this way, you can get to learn how competent the people assisting your son are."
kiriko advised
"Well ok, if you insist."
"Karen and I will help after work to prepare for the welcoming party, Seina, Neiju, you can stay and keep yoshiko and fuku company."
"understood!"
"ooh brother! How about I show you and neiju our new garden!"
yoshiko said
kiriko smiled and her and the other girls left with seina's parents
End of chapter
Click for Chapter 6