At the time, he'd thought this Head of the Family ability was a bit overpowered.
Half the votes equaling a full vote, and being able to make people genuinely follow his opinions.
For large families with many members, gaining the support of just half the members was enough to overturn the rule of the current head and patriarch.
Even for families with few members, it was still strong, if a family had only one mother and two daughters, getting the two daughters to acknowledge him meant the remaining person would also follow his opinions. For families with more sisters, he only needed half of the entire family to be sincerely convinced by him.
But now it seemed this Head of the Family ability, like the Service Aura, also had a special hidden effect.
After becoming head of the family, the family members didn't just agree with his decisions, they truly regarded him as a member of the household.
Among the three Tohsaka sisters, it was hard to say about the twin-tailed Rin, but the long black-haired Touka and the bob-cut Sakura were both very close to him and obedient to him, having been saved by him.
Under these circumstances, it seemed he had naturally become the head of the Tohsaka family.
And for Tohsaka Aoi, who was the head of the Tohsaka family?
Naturally, it was her husband, the father of Tohsaka Touka, Tohsaka Rin, and Tohsaka Sakura.
"Sakura, you knew Mother would act like this when she saw Hachiman-niichan all along, didn't you? Did you trick Mother into this?"
The black twin-tailed girl Tohsaka Rin's expression shifted unpredictably, and she suddenly whipped her head around to glare at Tohsaka Sakura, who had called out "Father" without hesitation, and demanded in a low voice.
She refused to believe that her always gentle, caring mother would fake illness for years just to deceive them.
If Mother had become like this, then it was very likely because Sakura had called Hachiman-niichan "Father" herself, causing their mentally unstable mother to also mistake Hachiman-niichan for their father.
"It's Father, not Hachiman-niichan."
Tohsaka Sakura looked at Tohsaka Rin, who was glaring at her, and instead of arguing, just smiled mischievously and corrected her.
"If Mother hears you being so disrespectful to Father, she might spank you."
"She wouldn't spank me!"
Hearing her younger sister Tohsaka Sakura say something so childish right back at her, Tohsaka Rin's face flushed red with anger.
Mother had always been gentle, she would never use something as humiliating as spanking to discipline her.
Even when she was little and only had vague memories, if she got into trouble or Sakura shifted the blame onto her, the worst punishment was being made to sleep with her sister or sleep alone.
That's right, Sakura had been sneaky even as a child. After causing trouble and pinning it on her, she'd be punished to sleep alone while Sakura ran off to sleep with Father and Mother.
Tohsaka Rin was so angry at Tohsaka Sakura that she remembered unpleasant childhood memories, and the atmosphere on the scene was still somewhat awkward.
Yukinoshita Haruno had previously thought that with the current relationship between the Yukinoshita and Tohsaka families, they might form an alliance or something.
How had the President suddenly become her best friend's father?
How were they supposed to ally now? She couldn't exactly make the President the head of the Yukinoshita family too.
The competition within the Service Club was fierce, with every small group deepening their own advantages while trying to develop new paths. But this kind of new path was just wrong.
If even Yukinoshita Haruno felt this way, Tohsaka Touka's feelings were even more complicated.
Her mother had been lovesick for so long. If there really was a suitable person, she actually wouldn't have minded.
As long as the person her mother liked was accepted by Rin and Sakura, she wouldn't have any objections.
'But... but... why did it have to be Hachiman-kun... Father...'
"Touka, Rin, why aren't you calling Hachiman-kun 'Father'?"
Seeing Tohsaka Aoi holding Hachiman again without speaking, gripping his hands tightly, the little landlady Asou Miyuri blinked and couldn't help reminding them.
"Hello, Father."
Tohsaka Touka pressed her lips together, hesitated no longer, and called out directly.
However, seeing her younger sister Tohsaka Rin standing at a loss nearby, wanting to speak but holding back, Tohsaka Touka pulled both her and Tohsaka Sakura forward to hug Hachiman and Tohsaka Aoi together.
"President... Father, please comfort Mother properly for now. Touka will thank you properly later..."
Taking advantage of her sisters' cover, on the side Tohsaka Aoi couldn't see, Tohsaka Touka pressed her lips to Hachiman's ear and whispered in a voice as soft as a mosquito's.
To take over the heavy burden on her mother's shoulders, she was willing to sacrifice her own marital happiness.
Before this, she'd been afraid that Sakura's way of addressing him might trigger her mother, so she hadn't dared to let Hachiman visit and meet her mother.
Now that her mother had acknowledged the President as "Father," she was even less willing to correct her mother's mistaken belief on the spot.
Tohsaka Touka had never put herself first, or rather, she only ever cared about her family.
As long as her mother, Sakura, Rin, and the others were happy, she was willing to do anything.
Besides, calling the President "Father" didn't actually bother her that much...
Tohsaka Touka secretly glanced at the face so close to hers, her heart pounding wildly. The thought she'd once buried deep within her quietly began to surface.
"Father, please..."
Hearing Tohsaka Touka's words, Tohsaka Rin could only give Hachiman a light kiss on the cheek, her face flushed crimson, and call him "Father."
If her mother and Touka-nee were both like this, what else could she say?
As for Sakura, hmph, she'd settle accounts with her later.
"Father..."
Tohsaka Sakura glanced at Tohsaka Rin, who was still being tsundere and refusing to admit her true feelings even now, said nothing, and just squeezed into Hachiman's arms, staring straight at him.
She had gone to the comic convention with Komachi and the others today too, but she hadn't been able to spend much time close to Father, only exchanging a few words during the rotating companion shifts.
But from now on, it would be different.
She had her mother's support. Could anyone else say the same?
"Master..."
Tohsaka Aoi vaguely heard her daughters whispering with Hachiman, but she didn't pay it any mind. She just gazed at him adoringly, as if he might disappear the moment she blinked.
"You all... don't worry... I won't leave you."
Looking at this touching scene of mother-daughter affection between the Tohsaka sisters and Tohsaka Aoi, what else could Hachiman say? Aside from him, who had already won the Tohsaka sisters over completely, who else could be the head of the Tohsaka family? He could only accept their sincerity, lower his head, and seriously fulfill his duty as the head of the family.
"So that's what Aoi was thinking? Then should I find a father for Illya and Chloe too?"
Irisviel stared at Tohsaka Aoi passionately responding to Hachiman, excitedly covering her eyes, and suddenly thought of her two adorable daughters at home.
"Aunt Irisviel?"
Yukinoshita Haruno looked at Irisviel in horror, who was watching Hachiman like she was plugging her ears while stealing a bell.
One could be explained as a misunderstanding, a special case. But if this sort of thing started happening more often in the Service Club, what was the Yukinoshita family supposed to do.
"I'm just joking, Haruno. You're too tense."
Seeing that Yukinoshita Haruno was genuinely starting to worry, Irisviel covered her mouth with a light laugh and waved at her.
"..."
Seeing this, Yukinoshita Haruno only grew more worried, even wanting to go back immediately and discuss the Yukinoshita family's future with her mother.
If Tohsaka Aoi, who had mental issues, could do this, then Irisviel, with her carefree personality and unusual way of thinking, was even more likely to do something like this.
After all, the chances of Illya and Chloe entering the picture had never been high, so Irisviel joining the Service Club to find a father for her daughters was the only possibility.
———
Suddenly gaining three more snug little cotton-padded jackets?
No, big winter coats.
Hachiman looked down at the charming Tohsaka mother and daughters clustering around him, reaching out to stroke Tohsaka Sakura and Tohsaka Rin's glossy black hair while breathing in the faint scents emanating from Tohsaka Touka and Tohsaka Aoi's soft bodies. His mood was also a bit complicated.
He had many sisters, and being called "Father" wasn't a first, Shion had called him that plenty when playing games with him.
But having it said so formally and officially? That was a first today.
Especially with Tohsaka Aoi actively making her three daughters Tohsaka Touka, Tohsaka Sakura, and Tohsaka Rin address him that way.
Was this Head of the Family ability really that overpowered?
As long as half the family members acknowledged, supported, and liked him, the remaining members would fall in line?
For example, if the Nakano family had five sisters who all strongly rejected outsiders joining, but he won over three of them, would the other two change their attitude toward him because of the others' acknowledgment, support, and affection?
Or take Gabriel, he was close to her, and if he got along well with her younger sister, would her powerful older sister also become intimate with him?
The passive effect of Head of the Family, activating as long as more than half the members met the conditions, was too overpowered, making Hachiman feel a bit unreal.
Not that he'd ever encounter a truly unsolvable relationship without this ability, given he already had Absolute Taming, Forbidden Obsession, Dependent Affinity, and other such powers.
From Tohsaka Aoi's current behavior, after he became the head of the Tohsaka family, she genuinely regarded him as the master of the house. But since Tohsaka Touka and the others all said Tohsaka Aoi had mental issues, he couldn't be sure whether she was naturally like this or if it was caused by the Head of the Family ability.
"Master, Yuriko and the others have important matters to discuss with you. Please focus on your work first. Touka, Rin, Sakura, you can't keep clinging to Master either, go sit over there."
Tohsaka Aoi slowly released her tight hold on Hachiman, looked at her daughters, whose flushed faces and hugging postures showed just how much each relied on him, then glanced at Kamishiro Saya, Kuraki Yuriko, and Sawamura Sayuri, who had been standing by, and softly reminded Hachiman and the Tohsaka sisters.
Though she desperately wanted to properly feel the long-missed warmth with Touka, Rin, and Sakura right now, as a proper wife, a good wife who waited behind her husband, with so many outsiders waiting, she had to be sensible and observe propriety.
"Understood, Mother."
Since their mother had spoken, Tohsaka Touka and Tohsaka Rin reluctantly left Hachiman's embrace.
Though they both knew Hachiman wasn't really their father, and that their mother had simply mistaken him, they had to admit, calling him "Father" to his face while their mother watched, lying in his arms as he stroked their heads, really did give them the illusion of being children again.
Perhaps what the Tohsaka family had always lacked was a father, a head of the family they could rely on.
However, only the two of them obeyed. Tohsaka Sakura still hadn't let go of Hachiman, and with them leaving, she sat directly in his lap.
"Sakura! Didn't Mother say not to cause trouble for Father?"
Tohsaka Rin saw Tohsaka Sakura being sneaky again and couldn't help but put on a stern face, stepping forward to pull her up by force.
"No! I don't want to leave Father!"
Tohsaka Sakura clung tightly to Hachiman's waist, burying her head in his chest, refusing to let go no matter how hard Tohsaka Rin pulled.
"Let it go, Rin. Since Sakura doesn't want to leave Master, as long as she doesn't blurt things out and disturb him, it's fine."
Seeing this, Tohsaka Aoi quickly stopped Tohsaka Rin, who was about to pull harder, and reminded Tohsaka Sakura instead.
Of her three daughters, the one most attached to their master was Sakura. Ever since their master had left, she'd closed off her heart and was unwilling to speak much.
Now that they'd finally reunited with their master, there was no need to force Sakura away from his side.
"Then I want to sit in Father's lap too! Father, no playing favorites!"
Tohsaka Rin paused, saw the triumphant smile on Tohsaka Sakura's face, and quickly hugged Hachiman, throwing her own tantrum.
She'd felt embarrassed calling Hachiman "Father" at first, he was Komachi's brother, and calling him "Hachiman-niichan" was plenty good enough. But after saying it a few times, it rolled off the tongue, and soon it felt natural.
She wasn't attached to Father's lap or anything, she wasn't a little kid anymore, why would she still want Father to hold her? But she didn't know what kind of mischief Sakura was cooking up.
Mm! She just didn't want Sakura to do anything bad. With her watching, Sakura couldn't just do whatever she wanted with Father.
"This... Master..."
Seeing Tohsaka Rin swinging her twin tails and refusing to let go, Tohsaka Aoi was now at a loss and looked to Hachiman.
Letting Sakura stay but not Rin was clearly playing favorites.
And Master had always told her not to treat the daughters differently, and she'd followed that all these years, which was why her daughters respected and loved her.
But once it involved Master, she couldn't handle it herself and had to listen to his decision.
"It's fine. Let them stay with me for now. If they get too noisy, I'll send them to you for discipline."
Hachiman looked at the gentle smile that never left Tohsaka Aoi's face, pulled his hands free from the two sisters, slowly stroked Tohsaka Aoi's smooth, soft cheek, and gave her a light kiss on the forehead.
"Aoi, you don't have to keep calling me 'Master.' Just call me by my name."
"Whatever Master says. Touka and I will wait for Master over there."
Feeling the warmth from Hachiman's large hand, Tohsaka Aoi's gentle smile remained. She shook her head lightly, didn't change how she addressed him, just lowered her head to zip up his pants, and led Tohsaka Touka to sit on the neighboring sofa.
"..."
Tohsaka Touka watched Tohsaka Rin and Tohsaka Sakura glaring at each other in Hachiman's arms, then looked at her mother, who seemed to know everything yet said nothing. She opened her mouth but no words came out. She followed Tohsaka Aoi to the neighboring sofa alone, looking at Tohsaka Sakura and Tohsaka Rin in Hachiman's arms with envy.
The Tohsaka family atmosphere had always been warm, treating every member equally, and their father's love was shared by everyone. But she was already this grown up, how would it look if she clung to Father's lap and acted spoiled like Sakura and Rin?
Sakura and Rin were still young and could get away with it, but she was actually older than "Father" and could be his older sister.
When Sakura's hair grew a bit longer, and Rin let her twin tails down, the Tohsaka family would have four long black-haired beauties.
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