"Um, big brother?"

I looked up from the couch in surprise, my gaze meeting the upside-down harpy. Suu, resting on my chest in her small blob form, mimicked me and asked, "What's going on, Papi?"

She shifted about where she stood, folding her wings behind her. Finally, looking uncomfortable, she said, "Papi's gonna lay eggs."

Crash!

"Whaaaaat?!" Miia shrieked from the kitchen, having dropped a plate in shock.

"Papi! Have you and Master been engaging in unsavory activities?!" Centorea exclaimed in a panic, her momentary distraction leading to her untimely demise by multiple impalements. Of course, this all took place in the world of Dark Souls, not in real life - just in case I needed to make that clear.

"The suspense is building!" Mero exclaimed excitedly from the sidelines.

Suu booped me on the chin.

"Calm yourselves," I said as I carefully guided Suu aside to allow me to sit up. "Is it unfertilized, I assume?"

"Mhm," Papi nodded, biting her lip.

Miia and Centorea breathed a collective sigh of relief, yet Mero had a slightly sad look on her face.

Miia asked Papi with a slight smirk on her lips, "Do you lay eggs every day, like a chicken?"

Papi cried out, "I don't usually do this, only every once in a while! But this is the first time since I came to Japan, so I'm feeling a bit nervous...."

I nodded in agreement toward Papi. "Yes, I will call Smith-san; she can provide the best advice for this situation." I hoped that I would not have to help her lay the egg, as I wasn't opposed to the idea, but if Kurusu and I had the opportunity to avoid the uncomfortable situation, then we would gladly take it.

It reminded me that I should get prepared to deal with the unwelcome advances of a particular perverted individual when they come knocking.

Papi nodded in agreement, and I quickly dialed Smith's number. As I finished dialing, the front door opened, and Kurusu called out, "I'm home!" I sensed that I only had a few minutes before the Director arrived. I quickly explained the situation to Smith, who promised to send people trained in assisting with this type of problem, and then hung up.

As the girls joyfully welcomed Kurusu, I offered him a friendly "Yo" before glancing out the front window. There was a bona fide white van with "Cultural Exchange Project Filmworks" written on the side, parked in front of the house. Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.

"Um, Aki?" Mero asked. "What are you doing?"

"Someone shady just pulled up," I told her and grabbed everyone else's attention. "I've heard of these guys before, so I'm gonna handle it."

"You sure?" Kurusu asked, hefting up his bag of groceries.

I nodded in agreement. "Yes, and the Cultural Exchange team should be here soon to help Papi lay her egg. So, if these guys are still here, they will soon be scared away."

"If you say so," Kurusu said, walking toward the kitchen. "Just be careful, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Ding-dong!

"Alright then..." I hesitated as I noticed Mero and Suu were still there while the rest had followed Kurusu. "Are you two not going too?"

"We just want to encourage and support you!" Mero shouted enthusiastically. Suu beamed and gave me a thumbs-up in agreement.

"Thank you," I said, feeling my ears flush with heat. I cleared my throat and grabbed the door handle.

Well, here goes nothing.

"EXCUSE ME!" shouted a short man as I swung the door open, thrusting a microphone into my face. "Is there a harpy about to lay eggs here?! We heard your conversation from outside and just had to come in and investigate!"

...

I rarely hate someone. It usually requires numerous transgressions over a prolonged time before I can truly hate someone.

I was almost ready to explode as I gazed down at the Director, observing the lewd smile that had crossed his face and realizing that he intended to capture inappropriate images of the girls.

"I don't see why that should concern some random stranger like you," I practically growled, slowly lifting my eyes at the rest of his crew. "Strangers," I corrected myself.

"Oh, my apologies! Allow me to introduce myself; I am Kisegi, a director of the Cultural Exchange. Here is my business card." He smoothly pulled a card out of his pocket and presented it with a polite smile.

"Excellent," I responded indifferently, putting the card away without glancing at it. "If we ever require a movie director, I'll contact you. Goodbye."

A hairy hand caught the door I was about to close in his face. Kisegi, with a plea in his voice, asked, "We're currently making a documentary for the Exchange, and we were hoping we could film your house to see how these lovely girls are adapting! We beg of you, in the name of journalism and friendship between species, let us do so!" He implored, desperately trying to force himself through the door.

"Hmmm..." I stroked my chin thoughtfully, pretending to consider his proposal carefully. "I'm sorry, but I will have to say no."

To his credit, Kisegi didn't miss a beat. "I understand why you may be distrustful," he nodded solemnly, "We journalists tend to ask the hard questions, which would make anyone uncomfortable. But we do so with good reason! We seek only to better-"

"Look, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to stop you right there," I interrupted, exhausted from dealing with him. Was that how Kurusu had allowed him in so quickly? "I'm afraid I can't believe anything you say unless I hear it directly from the local Cultural Exchange coordinator. Let me call her and find out what's going on."

"Now, don't be so hasty!" Kisegi shouted as I reached for my phone, "We are only trying to get to know our new friends better and build a relationship of trust and respect. Please, allow us to demonstrate that we are worthy of your trust!" His voice filled with urgency, and he even bowed to emphasize his point.

"Hmm...well, maybe there is something that would make me trust you," I mused, "Don't move." I then turned back and waved Suu over, who happily joined me by the door. "Suu, could you please place your antennae right here?" I asked her, gesturing to the top of my head. She looked perplexed but complied all the same.

It was a strange yet exhilarating sensation, feeling the instant connection between our minds, and I regretted not exploring it sooner because it almost made me forget everything else. It was hard to explain the feeling; it felt like a door had opened that I never knew existed. Still hesitant, I concentrated solely on what I wanted Suu to do for me.

Suu's wide, emerald eyes pierced into mine, and she nodded with a subtle smile that spoke volumes.

Thank you, Suu, I thought, unsure if she could hear me. I'll make it up to you somehow.

"OK," I said firmly, looking Kisegi in the eye as Suu moved away. "If you can prove yourself, you'll be allowed entry!"

"Be still for wha-!"

Suu's feeler latched onto his head, cutting him off.

"What the fuck is this freak doing to me?!" came the Director's voice, "All I wanted was to make a small fortune off a damn harpy egg, hopefully, score some shots of her laying it! Maybe even sneak a panty shot or two...."

...out of Suu's mouth.

Kisegi gasped in surprise, seemingly unable to find the words to express his thoughts. But his expression was enough for me to know what he was feeling and thinking, and that was all that mattered.

"Thanks, Suu," I said, keeping my voice warm until I shot Kisegi a stern glare. Once Suu removed her feeler from his greasy head, I firmly told him, "Get lost."

"Now wait just a goddamn minute!" he hollered as I was about to slam the door in his face, "I didn't say that shit!"

"Don't even think about it. No one should be objectifying my friends like some twisted, perverse desire. Now get out of here!"

Then I slammed the door in his face.

"Ugh, that was incredibly irritating," I muttered, massaging my forehead as I re-entered the house. "Perhaps I was overexerting myself..."

Something poked my side. "Boop?" Suu softly asked.

I couldn't help but smile. "Boop," I responded warmly, gently poking Suu's cheek affectionately. "You did an amazing job, Suu," I added as the slime beamed at me with pride.

"Aki..." Mero breathed in front of us. I looked up to see her staring at me with wide eyes. "That was..."

"Oops, I think I may have gone a bit overboard," I laughed nervously, "Guess I got a bit too enthusiastic!"

"On the contrary, I thought that was superb!" Mero exclaimed, clapping her webbed hands enthusiastically. Her expression quickly shifted to curiosity as she inquired, "But if I may be so bold, how did you know Suu could read minds?"

Oh shit, right; I forgot that Suu hadn't showcased that particular ability yet.

"I had seen the information in my counselor info binder," I quickly answered, "so I took a chance that it would work out."

"Mm," Mero nodded, though she still seemed unsure. "I see."

"Anyway! You want some water, Suu?" I asked the slime girl beside me, bidding a hasty retreat to the kitchen: Smooooooth, man, and not raising any suspicions.

Mero's ability to keep getting me flustered was getting pretty frustrating, safe to say—damn hormones.

The people from Cultural Exchange arrived promptly. The group comprised a middle-aged human woman and an elderly poultry harpy that defied the stereotype of her species' cowardice. It was clear that the harpy had lived to a ripe old age, and perhaps she had outgrown any such reputation. In no time, they brought Papi to her room and assisted her in laying the egg - a process that I remained blissfully unaware of.

The rest of the day was a pleasant surprise, as nothing eventful occurred, much to my delight. I was confident that if the Director still ended up with Rachnera, even though my attempts to push Smith in that direction and the arachne came knocking, she would likely still go after Kurusu since he was the household's primary occupant. The events would probably play out as they did in the source material, especially since I knew that Rachnera had no intention of causing any harm, thus alleviating my worries.

That was what I thought until I suddenly found myself wrapped in a thick cocoon in my bedroom.

"Damn it!" I cursed as I got dragged through the window, the spider silk muffling my words into an incomprehensible mumble.

To be continued!