Father... a word that made Misato Katsuragi's cheeks burn even hotter, a word she almost dared not think, yet it sprang uncontrollably into her mind.
Not the man in her memories who would forget his own family once he became absorbed in his work.
But the idealized figure she fantasized about on countless lonely nights—the one who could hold up the sky for her, whom she could rely on unconditionally, whose physique was as mighty as a mountain.
The man before her seemed to be slowly merging with that phantom image.
"It's alright, Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi."
Hansen wore a warm smile, a smile that made Misato feel her recent panic seemed especially foolish.
He glanced at her weather-beaten, battle-damaged blue sports car, his deep platinum eyes holding a hint of good-natured teasing: "It looks like you ran into a little trouble, so this minor lapse is completely forgivable."
"Eh, really? Uh... I mean, I am so sorry!"
Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Misato scrambled to straighten up and gesture for him to enter. "Please, get in quickly, Mr. Hansen! Headquarters is waiting for us! And... the one in the car is..."
"Shinji Ikari."
Glancing at the alluring curves of the sexy, mature Lieutenant Colonel, slightly tensed beneath her crisp professional suit due to nervousness, Hansen didn't wait for her introduction and proactively spoke the name of the boy huddled in the passenger seat.
Immediately, he leaned down slightly, his tall figure almost completely obscuring the light from the car window.
He looked at the handsome young boy who had been secretly observing him out of the corner of his eye since he appeared, and proactively extended his hand.
"Hello, Shinji-kun, I am Hansen. We might be seeing a lot of each other in the near future."
Shinji Ikari was stunned. He hadn't expected this handsome man, who had such a powerful presence and seemed like a big shot, to speak to him first.
He hesitantly took off his old headphones. The chaotic noise from outside rushed in like a tide, making him instinctively frown.
Shinji looked at the long, strong, well-defined hand before him, then looked up at the sincere smile on the man's face, hesitating for a moment.
Finally, as if possessed, he reached out his own hand and lightly shook the other man's.
Instantly, an indescribable warmth and strength flowed from the other man's palm, completely enveloping his cold fingers.
It was full of goodwill and comfort.
—Completely different from that man...
A stern, indifferent figure flashed before his eyes, and he couldn't help but think distractedly.
"Let's go, it's not safe here."
Hansen's words brought Misato Katsuragi back to reality. Only then did she remember that her two-door sports car required tedious seat adjustment to allow access to the back row.
Secretly annoyed that she had chosen to drive this precious car to pick someone up today, Misato quickly bent down, intending to pull the switch under the seat.
"No need for all that trouble, Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi."
"Eh..."
The magnetic voice sounded in her ear again. Before Misato could react, she felt a sudden dizzying spin.
Accompanied by a suppressed yelp, she completely lost her balance.
When she came to her senses, she realized that Hansen had somehow already taken the driver's seat, and she... was sitting sideways, clinging to him like a small bird, perched on Hansen's lap, her entire body pressed tightly against his broad, solid chest!
"The situation is urgent. To save time, I'll drive."
An undeniable reason, coupled with an irresistible, top-tier physique.
Vroom—!
Misato felt her brain and cheeks simultaneously steaming, all the blood rushing to her head: "Aaaah, how embarrassing...!!"
"No time to explain, hold on tight!"
As the masculine breath lightly brushed Misato's earlobe, Misato Katsuragi was instantly speechless.
The man smoothly shifted gears and accelerated, his series of movements flowing like water and filled with satisfying power.
The blue sports car, on the verge of breakdown, let out a tortured roar, as if it would fall apart the next second.
But in the end, it launched forward like a blue lightning bolt with unprecedented ferocity, rapidly leaving the ruins on either side behind as blurry streaks.
After experiencing the initial, powerful acceleration that nearly threw her soul out, Misato Katsuragi belatedly realized she didn't have time to feel sorry for her beloved car, which still had twelve payments left.
Because of the extremely cramped space and the scandalously intimate sitting posture... she could clearly feel the solid contours and strength of the man's thigh muscles moving as he pressed the pedals, while her back was pressed against his rock-steady chest and his powerfully drumming heart.
In the air mixed with smoke and dust, a clean, crisp masculine scent aggressively invaded her nostrils.
Her heart pounded uncontrollably. Her eyes, usually sharp and capable, now only reflected the man's profile, which was inches away.
—Not only is his appearance perfect, but his demeanor is also so... so refined.
—And his attitude toward Shinji-kun, so kind and reliable, like an elder worthy of complete trust.
—Aaaah, this man... is damn sweet!!
The space inside the car was cramped. Shinji Ikari huddled in the passenger seat and put his headphones back on, but this time, he wasn't playing music.
He just wanted to use this method to isolate himself from the outside world.
Yet he could still feel the occasional glances cast by the man beside him named Hansen.
The gaze wasn't unpleasant; there was no scrutiny or sense of oppression, just a peaceful observation, as if it could see through the fragile barrier he had built with music.
Misato Katsuragi had slowly transitioned from her initial restlessness into a strange state of intoxication.
Although movement was restricted, Hansen's profile as he concentrated on driving, his sexually charged, strong chest muscles, and his pleasant scent all made this long-single professional woman feel what heaven was like.
—Ah, I like him♦~~~
"Shinji-kun, do you like listening to music?"
Hansen's gentle voice suddenly rang out, breaking the subtle silence inside the car.
The boy huddled in the seat suddenly stiffened, seemingly not expecting the other person to speak to him first.
After a few seconds of silence, he squeezed out an almost inaudible syllable from his throat.
"...Mm."
"It's a very nostalgic model." Hansen's gaze fell on the Nuclear-Powered Personal Stereo tightly clutched in the boy's arms, his tone like an old friend chatting. "However, if you're always immersed in your own world, you'll miss a lot of interesting scenery."
For some reason, Shinji's tense body seemed to relax slightly.
Miss Misato was the same earlier; he had never met two adults like them before.
His teachers only called him withdrawn, and his father acted as if he didn't exist, but the man before him seemed capable of truly understanding him.
He hesitated, repeating softly in a voice only he could almost hear: "Interesting... scenery?"
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"