Makoto kept hiding his face in Mafuyu's chest until the contest was over. He didn't even notice the announcements, just trying to sleep, and to forget everything that had happened.
As Yuna, Ayane, and Mika went back to their booth, he finally felt their presence loom over him. Slowly, he peeked out from his sanctuary and screamed. "I will cut your gacha allowance next month, Yuna, I swear!"
"No, you won't," Yuna's smug voice cut through the comforting darkness of Mafuyu's bosom. "Because we won, stupid stepbro." She was standing there, holding a ridiculously oversized trophy and a check of 50,000 yen (about $350).
Ayane was draped over her shoulder, still wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. Mika just stood next to Mika, clutching the gaudy gold-painted trophy together.
"The fat, perverted demon lord and his three wives," Yuna continued, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "The judges said our character dynamic and storytelling were unforgettable."
She practically purred the last word, her violet eyes sparkling. "It was my speech that got us first place," she declared, puffing out her chest. "They ate it up. Turns out everybody loves a good harem story."
"You should have seen your face, harem king!" Ayane gasped, finally catching her breath. "Priceless! Absolutely legendary! Someone probably made a meme already."
"Congratulations," Mika said serenely, holding out the trophy to Makoto. "This belongs to you, Muzan-sama. You are, after all... our boss."
Makoto snorted and took the trophy from Mika. "Fine, fine. I should have brought a face mask instead."
Mafuyu just looked between them with a fond smile on her face. "Well, I think this calls for a celebratory dinner." She said softly, continuing to pat his back.
As they finished selling the remaining photobooks at their booth and cleaning up, Makoto turned to Mika. "So, how was our revenue, Mika? Was that enough to cover the costume cost?"
Mika, who had already removed her bamboo muzzle, pulled out a neatly organized notebook and a pen. She was no longer the silent demon doll; now she was their Chief Financial Officer.
She clicked her pen. "Let's see," she murmured, her eyes scanning the figures. "Total production cost for the printed merchandise, photobooks, and four costumes, including fabric, wigs, props, and your cheap Taobao kimono, was approximately 78,500 yen."
Yuna and Ayane both winced.
"Total merchandise sales, including pre-orders and today's walk-ins for 150 photobooks, 200 polaroid photos, 120 sticker sheets, and 120 acrylic stands, come to..." She scribbled a final calculation. "...285,000 yen."
Mika looked up with a triumphant smile. "Adding the 50,000 yen prize money, our total revenue is 335,000 yen. After subtracting the production costs, our net profit is 256,500 yen (~1.600$)."
Mika closed the notebook with a soft, definitive click. "Yes. I'd say it was more than enough, darling."
"Holy shit," Ayane breathed. "We're rich!"
Yuna's eyes were practically glowing. She looked at the numbers, then at Mika with a suspicious grin. "Two hundred fifty-six thousand yen..." she whispered. "Do you know how many fucking gacha rolls that is? I'm gonna get my Jane Doe from ZZZ for sure!"
"That's not your money, Yuna," Makoto flicked her forehead. "That's our money."
"Ow!" Yuna yelped, rubbing her forehead with a glare. "My money and our money are the same difference! You're the one who pays for everything anyway, you fat pig." But she wasn't really angry. Her eyes still sparkled from the successful venture.
Makoto turned to Mika. "I guess we can split 200,000 yen five ways, and use the rest for the celebration dinner?"
"Fifty thousand for dinner, boss?" Ayane's eyes went wide. "We could get some serious high-grade Wagyu for that. Or a staggering amount of cheap karaoke and highballs." She looked at him, her expression full of adoration. "You're the best harem king ever!"
Mika nodded. "That makes sense, darling," she said, already making a neat note in her ledger. She wrote a small "5 x 40,000" in the note.
"Oh, no, you don't have to include me in the split," Mafuyu said quickly, her hands fluttering in gentle protest. "I didn't do anything... I just helped out a little."
Her protest was immediately drowned out by the other three.
"Don't be stupid, Mafuyu-nee," Yuna sniffed, though her voice was surprisingly gentle. "You cooked for us, kept us hydrated, and prevented us from killing each other. That's worth at least forty grand."
"Yeah, Mama-fu," Ayane agreed, slinging an arm around her. "You were our emotional support, our cook, and our mama, too. You earned it!"
"She's right, Mafuyu-san," Mika said with quiet finality. "You are part of the team now."
Mafuyu looked completely overwhelmed, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I... thank you," she whispered, her voice raw but happy. "Thank you all."
She looked at the four of them: the tsundere queen, the angelic manipulator, the predatory joker, and the fat demon lord who held it all together. "I really do have the best family," she said, her voice full of sincere warmth.
===
They collected their things and left the con. 56,500 yen (~360$) turned out to be just enough to feed the whole team a Wagyu and sushi buffet at the fancy Japanese restaurant he went to with Yuna after their love hotel trip[1].
"Damn, we should print more next time! At least Yuna and the Backups should have some fans now," Makoto groaned as he snatched a grilled piece from Yuna's plate.
"HEY!" Yuna snarled, swatting at his chopsticks with her own. "Get your own damn Wagyu, you thief!" But her movements were slow, her protest half-hearted. She was in a state of meat-induced bliss, like a small, happy carnivore in her natural habitat. "And Yuna and the Backups is just a temporary title! We're still workshopping the name!"
"I still vote for Harem Scarem," Ayane said through a mouthful of fatty tuna. "It's catchy and accurate." She gave Makoto a slow wink, then expertly snatched a piece of grilled eel from his plate. "And you're right, we need to up our production run next time. Maybe we can afford a better-looking Muzan, too."
"The costume was fine," Mika said softly. She delicately placed a piece of perfectly seared beef onto Makoto's plate. "He just needs to accessorize more. Maybe with some earrings or... collar?" Her eyes sparkled with wicked amusement.
Mafuyu, who was quietly working her way through a plate of tempura, offered a faint smile. "I think," she said gently, "that we should call ourselves... Makoto's Family."
It was a simple, earnest, and completely out-of-place suggestion. Yuna just stared at her, a piece of beef halfway to her mouth. "That's the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard," she said, her voice dropping to a growl.
But then she looked around the table, at the four insane people who had become her world. A small smile touched her lips. "...But I don't hate it."
"You're surprisingly kinky, Mafuyu-nee," Makoto said, stealing a shrimp tempura from Mafuyu's plate with a chuckle. "Do people in a family fuck each other as we do?"
Another blush flooded Mafuyu's face, so intense it looked painful. She dropped her chopsticks with a soft clatter. "I... I didn't mean it like that, Makoto!" she whispered, utterly scandalized by the bluntness of his question.
"You're such an idiot, big bro," Yuna snarled, jabbing a piece of meat in his direction. "You dared to tease the most dangerous woman in your harem. And stop stealing her food, you fat pig! Steal mine instead so I can fight back!"
"No, he's not an idiot," Mika corrected her. She took a delicate sip of her tea. "He's just... easily distracted." She looked directly at him, her smile widening just a fraction.
Ayane leaned back with her usual shit-eating grin as she watched the chaos unfold. "To answer your question, boss," she said lazily, "our family fuck a lot. And it's fucking great."
Mafuyu, who had been trying to become invisible, took a deep, shuddering breath. She looked down at her plate, her blush still burning bright. She couldn't meet Makoto's eyes, but she answered his question anyway.
"I... I don't know about other families," she whispered, so quietly he had to lean in to hear. "But... I'm glad our does."
She picked up her chopsticks, her hands trembling just a little, and put another piece of beef from his plate. "Eat more, honey. You need more stamina to keep out for later!"
[1] see chapter 8