Chapter 12: Epilogue
"Rinaaa—"
"Rina..."
"Rin-chan! Anju-chan!!"
Three days had passed since the incident where Rina was kidnapped.
Rina woke up a while after the incident, but she didn't remember anything about the time her body was possessed by the Demon.
We checked her body for any abnormalities, and there were none. She was immediately taken to the hospital for examination and admission when reinforcements arrived, but today, three days later, she was finally discharged.
Since Rina doesn't remember anything, I'm the only one who knows the truth about the incident, and I was forced to cooperate with the police for questioning for these three days.
Of course, I told the police about fighting a Demon, but they didn't believe in Demons, and I wasted time pointlessly until someone with a Skill to detect lies arrived.
Well, Rina couldn't attend school for these three days and was under a no-visitors policy, so she only showed her safe face to Rin and the others and her parents.
"Rina... I'm so glad you're safe."
"Seriously! We were so worried when you got kidnapped, you know?!?"
"I-I'm sorry...!"
"But... I'm so glad you're okay~~"
Rin and Anju-chan cried and hugged Rina, and Rina's parents and a man and woman who seemed to be Rin and Anju's parents watched them with warm smiles.
Then, Rina's parents, who were standing a little distance away, walked toward me.
"Amamiya-san, once again... thank you for saving Rina!"
"Amamiya-kun. Thank you so much!"
Rina's mother and father bowed their heads to me.
Her father was a tall, middle-aged man, and her mother was a petite woman.
Both of them had called me to thank me on the day I saved Rina, and they thanked me repeatedly then, but meeting them in person now, I can strongly feel how much they care about Rina.
"No... more importantly, is Rina completely alright now?!"
"Yes. Fortunately, she didn't have any noticeable injuries, and she was only unconscious due to emotional shock!"
"I see..."
I'm glad I was able to save Rina, but I couldn't ask about her symptoms. Since I'm not a doctor, all I knew was that her life wasn't in danger.
"So, we are very grateful to Amamiya-kun. However..."
"However?"
Did she suffer some kind of after-effect?
I looked at her father, harboring that anxiety, but his expression was serious, unlike what I expected.
However, her mother's expression was a wry smile.
"Rina, I won't hand Rina over...!!"
...Huh?
"Um... what did you just say?"
"I said! I will absolutely not hand Rina over! She is our precious, precious daughter!!"
What should I do... I have no idea what this man is talking about.
And why is he suddenly talking about handing Rina over...?
"The same goes for my Rin-chan!!"
"...And my Anju, too!"
"They multiplied."
Rin's father, who had been standing a little distance away, and even Anju's father joined in, and for some reason, I was surrounded by four people.
This is scary.
"W-Wait a minute! Dad!?!"
"Papa!? What are you saying?!?"
"...Father...?"
Rin and the others noticed the commotion their fathers were making and approached us.
Rin and the others were surprised, their faces flushed red, but there's something else I'm more concerned about.
"…!"
The mothers of Rin and the others, including Rina's mother, who had been wearing a wry smile until now, were standing behind their husbands, who were still arguing with Rin and the others, with terrifying expressions.
And then the mothers slowly wrapped their arms around their husbands' necks—
—SQUEEZE!!! ×3
"Gueh!?!"
"Gah!!!"
"Ugeeh...!!"
They firmly held their husbands' necks and started choking them simultaneously.
...Huh?
And after a while, the fathers' faces turned bright red, and they started foaming at the mouth.
"Um... what exactly is going on here!"
I couldn't help but mutter the question, and Rin's mother turned to me with a bright smile. But her eyes weren't smiling; they were like a beast targeting its prey.
"Hehe, I'm so sorry. Your fathers just started saying strange things. Now, you young people, please enjoy yourselves."
Then, all three of them grabbed their unconscious husbands by the scruff of the neck and dragged them away.
Left behind were me, Rin, and Anju. Rin was the first to snap out of the daze we were all in.
"Ah—um, Kaede-san. Don't worry too much about our dads!"
"I-Is that so?!"
The situation is so chaotic that my head is spinning, but for now, I'll believe Rin's words. Otherwise, I feel like I'll be the one hunted next... Yeah. I'll stop thinking about that.
"...Excuse me."
"...Huh?!"
As I was still dazed by the actions of Rin and the others' mothers, I heard a woman's voice that wasn't Rin's or her mother's. I turned toward the voice and saw a familiar woman.
"...Who might you be..."
She approached us from behind without any presence?
Even though she's a familiar woman, given the recent incident with Rina, being completely unguarded is impossible. For now, I stepped forward to shield Rin and the others, ready to move at any moment.
"...Please don't be so guarded. I am not a person who would harm you."
"Even if you say that...!"
"Besides, I believe I've met you once before...?"
"Even so...!"
I have certainly met her once at the Association... well, not exactly met, but I've seen her face.
Since it was at the Association, her identity is probably guaranteed to some extent, but I'm not so foolish as to trust her easily.
"—You idiot!"
"Ahn."
As I was struggling to deal with the woman, a man who approached from behind hit her on the head. Behind the woman, who was holding her head, stood a man in a suit.
The man wore glasses, was tall, and looked like he was very capable at his job.
"Hey, you... These people, especially Kinasaki-san, are victims of an incident, you know? I told you not to make them wary!"
"...You're right. I'm sorry, it's just a habit!"
"Haa... well, whatever. No, I apologize for startling you. She's always like this!"
"Haa...!"
I feel like being cautious is starting to feel ridiculous.
And I don't know how to react to being suddenly apologized to...
Also, what is the relationship between these two?
"Now then... I know you must be confused by the suddenness of this, but please rest assured that we have no intention of harming any of you."
"…Um. W-We don't really mind that much... right? Kaede-san, Rin-chan, Anju-chan."
Rina said she was fine, but she looked at me, a little uneasy.
Well, I certainly can't completely let down my guard yet, and Rin and the others are also giving them suspicious looks.
"For now, I'll explain the details later, but please listen to me for a moment. Ah, this is my business card. Here you go."
"Haa... thank you."
I took the business card and looked at the name written on it.
It read: 'Tsukasa Kamisaka, Representative Director and President of Astral Co., Ltd.'
"...The President of Astral?!"
"Yes, I am. Ah, Kinasaki-san and the others, please take one too."
"Oh, oh!"
"Um, thank you."
"...Thank you."
It seems the President himself will explain.
And Rin and the others also received a business card.
"Well then, once again. I am Kamisaka, the President of Astral Co., Ltd. I apologize for the abruptness, but Amamiya-san, Akagi-san, Kinasaki-san, Takanotsume-san. Would you consider joining our company?!"
"...Huh?!"
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