"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yeah. How have you been lately, Chidori?"
"I don't go by Chidori anymore. I changed my surna after getting married," Sagara Kana said with a smile. "Just like how you changed yours after marrying that guy... Though according to his side's customs, you didn't really need to change it, right?"
"I didn't have a surna to begin with. I didn't even have a na," Rinji's mother replied gently. "He gave my na, and the surna was borrowed. After getting married, I naturally took his surna. It was my own choice."
"I see…"
"How's Rinji been here? Has he been giving you trouble?"
"There's been a bit of trouble, sure," Sagara said as she rubbed her temple with a helpless expression. "But compared to the idiotic things our husbands used to do back in the day, this is nothing. I'm honestly not too bothered."
"Thanks for your hard work."
"No need to thank . I still owe you both a lot from back then," she replied with a smile. "Are you leaving now?"
"Yeah. After seeing how Rinji's doing, I can finally rest easy. It's ti for to go back to his side."
"If you have ti, drop by again. Especially that guy—doesn't he care about his own son at all?"
"…He actually wanted to co this ti, but I insisted on coming myself," Rinji's mother said with a chuckle. "I just don't feel safe letting him go out alone."
"Haha, can't argue with that."
"But as long as Rinji's here, I'm sure he'll eventually co to see for himself."
"You're probably right."
———————————————————————————————————————
After the sports festival ended, the parents gradually left.
Shirogane's father, although quite free, knew it was ti for him to leave the school too.
During the event, he chatted with a girl—Shinomiya Kaguya—and he had a feeling sothing might happen between her and his son.
"Well then, Miyuki, I'm heading out," he said.
"Okay, just go already," Shirogane replied.
Next to him stood a blushing Kaguya. It was clear whatever Shirogane's dad had said had embarrassed her deeply.
Seeing her red face, Shirogane really wanted to know what kind of nonsense his dad had said to her.
After that, Fujiwara's father, Fujiwara Daichi, also left after saying goodbye to everyone.
The entire Fujiwara family ca to the event, including her mother, Fujiwara Maho, and her older sister Fujiwara Toyomi—who supposedly skipped her college classes to attend.
"Well then, Chika, big sis is heading off~"
"Okay, take care~"
Toyomi had a voluptuous figure and wore sowhat revealing clothes, but her sleepy, dazed expression and cute face made for a strange contrast with her mature body.
"Oh right, next ti can you introduce to that boy?"
"Huh? Who?"
"That super cute boy in the cheer squad, the one in the dress who looked like a doll!" Toyomi said with a grin.
"Oh, you an Rinji."
Chika's expression instantly turned hollow.
"Let's not... He's probably really mad at for helping him with the makeup."
"That's a sha~"
anwhile, after finishing her chat with Sagara, Rinji's mother also left the school.
Before she left, both Karura and Hayasaka accompanied her. Since Karura wasn't a student here, she just gave a quick goodbye before heading back to her own school—she had ditched class to see Rinji's performance after all.
Once she was gone, only Hayasaka remained with Rinji's mother.
"It's ti for to go too."
"Auntie, you're leaving already?"
"Yes. I've seen Rinji, and that's enough."
As she spoke, she pulled out her phone.
"Would it be alright to add you on LINE?"
"Eh? Of course, I'd be happy to!"
Hayasaka quickly pulled out her own phone and they exchanged contact info.
After putting her phone away, Rinji's mother looked at Hayasaka and said softly, "I feel relieved about Rinji right now, but who knows what the future holds. So... could I ask you to look after him?"
"O-of course!"
"Thank you. If you ever need anything, just contact . I may not always get the ssage right away, though."
She smiled.
"If I'm leaving him in your hands, then I really can relax."
"…"
Her words made Hayasaka blush and look down.
This was probably the day she'd blushed the most in her life.
———————————————————————————————————————
After the sports festival, the school custodians began cleaning the grounds.
anwhile, the student council mbers were tasked with putting away the equipnt used for the event.
Fujiwara and Ishigami carried a few lighter items to the storage shed, stacking them inside.
"This sports festival was so much fun~"
"Yeah, I haven't had this much fun in a long ti."
For Ishigami, who had always been distant from the student body, this was probably the most enjoyable festival he'd ever experienced.
He used to be very withdrawn. During events like this, he'd just sit alone watching others sweat it out, quietly mocking them for wasting energy on sothing pointless.
But after finally becoming part of the group, he understood what that joy really was.
"I hope the next event is just as fun."
"Of course! There's more coming after the sports festival, after all," Chika said cheerfully.
"Yeah. I hope the next one is just as great."
Both of them felt deeply satisfied with today's event.
As they basked in the afterglow, a pair of hands suddenly clamped down on their shoulders.
In that instant, cold sweat drenched their foreheads.
"Ishigami, Fujiwara," Rinji said in an unsettlingly gentle voice, right by their ears. "It's good to hear you two enjoyed yourselves. But now that the festival is over... it's ti to settle the score. Soone has to take responsibility for making do sothing that embarrassing."
His voice was calm, but the pain in their shoulders told them…
They were dood.
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