'Clearly, life has already started getting back on track, so why… did it suddenly fall into the abyss?'
The burning pain of the slap on her face couldn't compare to the wound in her heart.
Togawa Sakiko wandered aimlessly on the empty street. The rain was pouring so hard not a single pedestrian could be seen, but she couldn't be bothered to care anymore.
'Living is really exhausting.'
'I have clearly worked so hard, so hard to live.'
'So why do I always encounter this kind of thing?'
Sitting on the edge of the soaked pedestrian bridge, it was a little chilly. The girl's calves swung slightly under her skirt.
'If I jump down from here, won't it all be over?', Looking at the cold asphalt ground beneath her, Sakiko suddenly had this thought.
The distant sky was still dark and gloomy. The new sun wouldn't rise for a long time, so long that she had no strength left to hold on.
'If only I can see Kurumizaka-kun one more time, that will be enough.'
'No… appearing in such a pathetic state will only make people disgusted, right?'
'Better to leave quietly, alone.'
She stood up. Her thin body in the pouring rain looked like a swift, petite, slender, on the verge of collapse.
"If there really is a next life, that'll do."
Sakiko gave a faint smile, "Kurumizaka-kun… goodnight."
She closed her eyes, letting gravity pull her, soaring toward the ground—
———
The pain she imagined didn't come. Her falling body came to a sudden halt.
Someone had grabbed her hand.
A handsome boy with delicate features was holding an umbrella, those light chestnut eyes quietly gazing at her, speaking in a calm tone, "Togawa-san, good evening."
"…Kurumizaka-kun?"
Sakiko was a little dazed.
'Could it be… a god heard my heart's voice?'
The girl lowered her eyes, not daring to look into those eyes that she couldn't bring herself to reject, "Why are you here?"
"For the same reason you are."
"…I came for a walk."
"Maybe it's a cultural difference."
Kaito said blandly, "In my country, walks don't usually involve jumping off buildings. Is this a unique tradition of Japan?"
"..."
Sakiko turned her face away. After a long time, she said in a low voice, "It's just my own habit."
'This girl's mouth is really hard.'
Placing both hands on the railing, Kaito was silent for a while, then said, "For humans, death is a holiday that inevitably arrives."
"..."
"What I mean is."
Kaito sighed, "Togawa-san, you really don't have to rush it."
He raised his head, gazing into the girl's evasive eyes, "Can you tell me the reason?"
Sakiko remained silent.
She didn't want to tell Kurumizaka-kun these filthy things. It wasn't just because of pride, but more because she didn't want Kurumizaka-kun to have even the slightest connection to that disgusting man.
"Forget it, just come with me for now," Seeing her like this, Kaito didn't get angry.
He brought Sakiko home. The girl had been out in the rain for too long, her clothes were completely soaked.
Using a clean towel, he helped dry her hair, then brewed a hot cup of ginger tea. Sitting on the soft sofa, Kaito pondered, "Let me guess, is it because you didn't do well on an exam?"
In the warm room, holding the hot ginger tea in her hands, Sakiko seemed a little more lively, quietly retorting:
"I'm not that weak…"
"I figured as much."
Kaito knowingly nodded, then casually said, "Then it's because of your father?"
"..."
The reply was a long silence.
But silence itself was an answer.
Kaito had known Sakiko for a while. Even though he hadn't deliberately investigated her family background, he'd picked up bits and pieces from the surrounding neighbors.
Sakiko was a tough girl. Hardships from the outside world wouldn't easily knock her down.
The only ones capable of making her lose hope in life and choose the most decisive way out, could only be those closest to her.
"So, Togawa-san," Kaito stared directly into the girl's amber eyes, and once again asked, "Can you tell me the reason?
"*Sniff* *Sniff* Wahhhhh! *Sniff!* *Sniff!* Uwahhhh!... T-today....."
.
.
.
A taut bowstring, no matter how tightly strung, always has a limit.
In the end, the girl named "Togawa Sakiko" had just come of age, not even two months ago.
Maybe she was strong, like a stubborn little blue hedgehog, but that was just a helpless camouflage.
Once that tough shell was peeled away, her soft inner self was laid bare.
In his 400-year cultivation journey, Kaito had seen many newborns.
He had seen wicked cultivators massacre entire cities just to refine the Ten Thousand Ghost Banner.
He had also seen wolves in sheep's clothing, turning on their saviors for the sake of treasures and opportunities.
But what Sakiko's dad had done still managed to make him hard.
His fists were hard.
Making his still-schooling daughter earn money to support the family was one thing. But to shamelessly steal her scholarship, even resorting to violence just to go out drinking and play pachinko?
Kaito rarely got angry.
But this time, he was truly a little pissed.
"Get some rest. It's okay now," He carried the still-sobbing girl onto the soft bed, tucked her in, and turned off the lights.
"I'll be back soon."
———
"Damn it! Just a bit more! Just a bit more!"
Covered in bruises, Togawa Kiyotsugu staggered out of the casino under the contemptuous gazes of the thugs, finally hiding in a remote alley, cursing and swearing only after confirming they were out of sight. He gave a hard kick to a trash can, "A bunch of bottom-feeding trash dares to lay hands on me? Just wait till I make a comeback, I'll make you bastards kneel and lick my shoes!"
He gnashed his teeth, "Yeah, a comeback! All I need is 100,000 yen… no! Just 100,000 yen! Give me another 100,000 and I'll definitely turn the tables!"
'Whether it is that nearly-successful council seat, or the massive wealth of the Togawa family…'
'In the end, it is all that damned bitch's fault!'
He had just accepted some small tributes using his position, and accidentally killed a few peasants during a forced demolition, only to be maliciously reported and lose his seat.
If only he'd used the Togawa family's connections, all those scandals could've been easily covered up.
But that heartless woman disregarded their years of marriage and directly kicked him out of the house.
Togawa Kiyotsugu's expression was full of venom.
'What is mine, I will take back sooner or later!'
"I'll go get some money from Sakiko again. I've been raising her for months, she should be able to give me a mere 100,000," Togawa Kiyotsugu calmed himself. Seeing the rain lighten, he prepared to rush home in one go.
"I thought you were complete human trash," A casual sigh echoed from the dark alley, "But I guess I still gave you too much credit by thinking of you as human."
"Who's there?", Togawa Kiyotsugu jumped in fright, thinking it was one of his old enemies trying to act tough, "I warn you! I'm the son-in-law of the Togawa family! Lay a finger on me and the Togawa family won't let you off!"
"You're the Togawa family's son-in-law?", The voice from the shadows sounded confused, "Does the Togawa family know about this mess?"
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.
https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y