Chapter 20

「By the way, Natsu.」

「What?」

Cute. No, that’s not it.

No, what? isn’t the issue, but Natsu, who hugged me to restrain my actions, still won’t let go.

Perhaps it’s the reaction from not seeing each other for so long. I feel like Natsu’s regression to childhood is progressing.

How can regression progress?

「I’d like you to let go soon.」

「Just a little longer, just a little bit more.」

Didn’t she say the same thing earlier…? Honestly, we need to deal with the aftermath, and more than anything, the stares around us are painful…

「Natsuki-oneechan has completely become like a child…」

「I thought Nanami-san was more reliable… Rather, Shougo, hurry up and help.」

「I’m so jealous. Maybe I should join in too.」

Hina and Daiki looked slightly exasperated. And Hikari, if you join in, it’ll get out of hand, so please stop.

「Look, Hina and the others are watching.」

「Eh? Ah!!」

It seems she had forgotten there were other people around. As expected, I guess.

Remembering that, Natsu finally lets go of me in a hurry.

「Ouch.」

Perhaps due to the sudden movement, she holds her ankle. She must have twisted it while running.

I sit Natsu down and take off her shoe. It doesn’t look too swollen at first glance.

I trace Natsu’s ankle with my hand to check for swelling.

「Hyah!? Shou-chan, it tickles.」

「Better than pain, right… It’s a bit swollen after all.」

It’s probably a sprain. If it were a fracture, it would be more swollen.

「Honestly… if you’re injured, stay put. Hina, can you stay with Natsu?」

「Ah, okay, got it.」

I leave Natsu in Hina’s care and start taking off the men’s pants with Daiki.

「Um… why are Onii-chan and the others taking off those people’s pants?」

Hina asks, trying not to look our way. Don’t you dare look. Your eyes will rot if you see this.

「We’re going to tie them up with these.」

Unless they have a particularly large build, spreading the pants wide is enough to tie up one person.

Daiki and I group them in threes, tying the ends of the pants together. Although jeans are made of a tough material, the drawback is that they tend to come undone easily even when tied.

Even though the pants are long enough, they can’t tie both the upper and lower body.

If it’s just one person, they might escape because their lower body is free.

With two people, one might carry the other, or they might coordinate their movements.

But with three people, communication becomes difficult, and synchronizing movements is even harder.

However, the more people you add, the larger the circle becomes, which could create gaps, so we go with three per group.

「Alright, that’s the last one.」

I tie the ends of the pants tightly.

「Hikari, what did Asaki say?」

While Daiki and I were tying up the men, I asked Hikari to contact Asaki.

Hina had already contacted Kaname-kaasan earlier, so that should be fine for now.

But we needed Asaki’s help for the aftermath, so Hikari was relaying the situation to her.

「Asaki-chan is already on her way here!! She said she’ll arrive soon…」

She’s probably arranging for a car. Just as we were tracking Natsu’s smartphone location, Asaki can track mine.

Normally, this feature is available through family contracts, but unfortunately, my original device was deactivated, and the moment that I, who had no relatives, returned to this world, was in a state where I didn’t have a guardian either. That’s why I was borrowing a smartphone contracted by Asaki.

Generally speaking, it’s probably not ideal, but since Asaki offered it to me, and I wanted a smartphone for communication, I decided to accept her proposal.

However, at that time, I didn’t think I would be using it in this way, which means, conversely, that Asaki can track my location 24/7.

It’s not that I don’t trust Asaki, but honestly, it’s a bit scary.

Before long, I could see lights approaching us.

Although I thought it was probably Asaki, there was also a possibility that it could be Amano’s allies, so I remained cautious just in case.

But that worry was unfounded, and I relaxed my guard when I saw a familiar face approaching.

However, Asaki arrived with a large group of people. Who are they? Are they related to Asaki?

「Shou-niisama, sorry for the wait.」

「No need to apologize. So, who are these people?」

I didn’t expect Asaki to come alone, but the number of people was more than I anticipated, so I asked.

「Most of them are police officers. From what I heard from Hikari-san, it seemed there were many miscreants, so I thought it best to bring a large group as well.」

「Ah, right, the police.」

Embarrassingly, I hadn’t thought of calling the police, which should have been obvious. Maybe it’s a consequence of my past lifestyle.

Indeed, looking closely, most of them are wearing uniforms that identify them as police officers. The area was dark, and the uniforms were primarily blue and black, so I didn’t immediately recognize them as police.

There are others dressed differently, probably Asaki’s associates. It would indeed be dangerous for Asaki to go out alone at this hour.

The police officers seemed momentarily surprised to see the men we had tied up, but as professionals, they quickly sprang into action.

The police handcuffed the men’s wrists, removed the restraining pants, and began to take the men away.

The reactions of the men being taken away varied.

Some were carried away unconscious, while others, regaining their senses, cursed, “Let me go!! You bastards!!”

Some glanced our way and screamed, but I hope they become traumatized so this never happens again.

After all the men, including Amano, were taken away, the police asked us for details, but since we had nothing to be ashamed of and were in the position of victims, we honestly explained the situation and were released.

They said we might be called for further questioning later though…

As for Amano’s arm, maybe I can say that in the struggle, when he fell, it got caught under his body…

The police kindly offered to take us home, or perhaps it was their duty, but Asaki declined, saying she would take responsibility for getting us home.

Can you even refuse that? I wondered, but I don’t know the details. Maybe Asaki pulled some strings, or that’s just how it is.

However, it seemed we couldn’t part ways just yet, so we got into the car Asaki had prepared, escorted by police officers.

After confirming we were settled, the patrol cars carrying the men left one by one.

Looking at the outcome alone, Amano and his group were arrested, and Natsu wasn’t harmed, so it could be considered a satisfactory result.

But when I think about the minors, I feel uneasy, wondering if their punishment will be lighter than that of the adult men.

「Hey, Natsu, was this okay?」

「Yeah… Honestly, I never want to see their faces again, and I wish they’d stay in prison forever…」

「That’s unlikely. But don’t worry.」

Asaki says, as if seeing through my thoughts.

「I plan to have them imprisoned for now, but that wouldn’t satisfy Shou-niisama, would it? Even with the juvenile law, they’ll eventually return to society.」

「…Yeah, I’m not satisfied.」

I don’t think every crime deserves a punishment as severe as death. If something can be undone, of course, there should be a chance for rehabilitation.

That’s what people who aren’t directly involved say, but it’s unbearable for the victims.

The fear that the person who attacked you might come back into your life.

Or the fact that someone who ruined your life is given a chance to be happy again after just a few years.

It’s not the same in every case, but I can’t understand the point of defending someone who committed a crime with clear malicious intent.

「I thought so. That’s why I’ve already taken measures.」

Asaki prefaces by saying not everyone is covered yet.

「I’ve asked my grandfather to ensure that the minors will be sent to a certain place after their release. Since this involves attempted rape and group assault, they’ll probably all be adults by the time they’re released. Some with too many additional crimes may go missing two or three days after their release…」

Apparently, the parents of these boys have already been informed. But would parents really agree to such a thing just because their child committed a crime? I don’t know what methods were used, but I’m once again impressed by her skill.

「Well, officially, it’s a labor facility run by the Kujou family. They’ll be working there.」

「Isn’t that just securing a job for them after release? Wouldn’t that be a benefit for them?」

「Yes, it may seem that way at first. But they are essentially going to become miners.」

「Miners?」

I can somewhat understand the nature of the job from the word. But in my heart, I was just surprised that such a profession still existed in Japan.

「Modern miners work in improved conditions to prevent serious illnesses like miner’s disease. But that depends on the country──」

「Ahh, so it doesn’t have to be in Japan.」

「Yes, additionally, we’ll be sending certain individuals there at the same time.」

「And by that you mean?」

「Simply put, strong men.」

In other words, supervisors who can control them by force.

「We still have time, so the selection process is yet to come, but in addition to the previous conditions, we’ve added the requirement that they be homosexual.」

I see, in addition to the harsh working conditions, they will be unable to escape because they can’t overpower the supervisors. On top of that, being used for the supervisors’ pleasure. Yeah, that’s Asaki for you. Merciless. Certainly not the idea of a girl who just became a high school student.

But since Asaki had arranged everything, I finally felt relieved.

On the other hand, Natsu and Hina were turning pale and horrified as they listened to Asaki.

「If you’re going that far, I’ll leave it to you, Asaki.」

「Thank you very much.」

Asaki smiles sweetly. But I’m not fooled. Right now, something black is definitely oozing from every part of her body…!!

「Then, now that Shou-niisama is satisfied, shall we head home?」

「Yeah, thanks for all the arrangements and for taking us home. I appreciate it.」

In this matter, Asaki handled the most difficult parts, like calling the police and dealing with the men’s associates, while we just physically resolved the situation.

But I was genuinely grateful to her for not showing any sign of it.

「It’s for the reward, after all.」

At those words, I freeze up.

Indeed, I vaguely remember making such a promise before leaving the house.

「Everyone must be tired today, so let’s go home first. ──Now, what shall I have you do?」

Asaki said this while looking at me with an even brighter smile than before.