"Ah, Professor Kashiwagi, you probably don't know this." Father Sakiko put on a deeply troubled expression and respectfully poured more tea for Miki Kashiwagi. Miki Kashiwagi took out an extra cup and placed it in front of Sakiko, gesturing for Father Sakiko to pour her a cup as well. Father Sakiko paused for a moment before complying. "Sakiko hasn't been home for days."
Why on earth would he fill Sakiko's cup right to the brim? How thoroughly impolite of old man Sakiko.
"In my eyes, Sakiko is an exceptionally brilliant student. How could she possibly run away from home for no reason?" Miki Kashiwagi picked up the cup of hot tea in front of Sakiko, took a small sip, and placed it in front of herself instead, handing the untouched cup to Sakiko. Sakiko took it nervously, all tied up in knots, daring neither to drink from it nor to set it on the table.
Miki Kashiwagi was merely making her stance clear: I am here to speak up for Sakiko.
Sakiko could already tell that the two people before her had begun a game of wits.
"You are quite right. I also suspect there may be certain reasons why Sakiko has grown disappointed in me." Seeing this, Father Sakiko's eyes narrowed slightly, though his tone remained unchanged. "If you'll pardon my speaking candidly, I have thought about it for a long time, and I surmise the conflict between her mother and me must have run too deep, affecting Sakiko's frame of mind."
"This has nothing to do with Mother—" Hearing Father Sakiko bring up her mother, Sakiko couldn't help but retort, only to be cut off mid-sentence by Father Sakiko's booming voice. "Sakiko, you have no right to speak here!"
Sakiko's face flushed crimson, and she was just about to bolt for the door when a slender, strong hand gently caught her. It was Miki Kashiwagi. "It's all right, Sakiko. Trust me."
After a brief stalemate, looking into Miki Kashiwagi's resolute eyes, Sakiko chose to trust Miki Kashiwagi. She sat back down properly in her chair, though she no longer paid attention to the conversation between the two adults, staring blankly at the cup of hot tea in her hands.
"Haha, I am terribly sorry, Professor Kashiwagi." Father Sakiko let out a dry laugh and resumed his smooth-talking routine: "Ever since I parted ways with Sakiko's mother, Sakiko has been rather depressed. It's my fault for always being caught up in my own affairs. Right now, all I want is to offer Sakiko a proper apology, smooth over the friction between us, and, if possible, take her back to my hometown for a while. I believe—"
Ah, listening to this man spout nonsense is dreadfully boring. Miki Kashiwagi decided to launch a small offensive.
"Mr. Toyokawa, if you please, hold that thought." Miki Kashiwagi waved a hand to interrupt Father Sakiko. "I would like to ask you a question. When was the first time you contacted Sakiko this past week?"
Cut off so abruptly, Father Sakiko looked somewhat annoyed, but he answered anyway: "Last Sunday, if I remember correctly."
"Sakiko, is that true?"
"Yes, that's right." Sakiko unlocked her phone and showed her call log to Miki Kashiwagi. Once last Sunday, once today, and nothing else.
"Did you have any idea where Sakiko was or what she was doing during these days she's been away from home?" Giving Father Sakiko no chance to jump in, Miki Kashiwagi pressed on, her sharp, blade-like gaze piercing straight into Father Sakiko's bloodshot eyes. "Of course you didn't. Let me tell you about some things that happened earlier."
"Last Friday, our school experienced a small-scale food poisoning incident. Although it was quickly contained, Sakiko bore the brunt of it." Miki Kashiwagi took a bag of bread from her tote bag—the very expired bread Sakiko had bought and left in the storage room. "Acute enteritis followed by a high fever. Heaven help us, a tiny little loaf of bread like this nearly cost the life of an outstanding student."
"You certainly had no idea, did you? Aside from some medicine prescribed by the school nurse, Sakiko pulled through almost entirely on her own. What a remarkably resilient girl. When I was sixteen, even a tiny bump or scrape would have sent me clinging to my mother's side."
"Indeed, there is so much I have failed Sakiko, and therefore—"
"Therefore, while Sakiko was in the most agonizing and painful state, did you not make a single phone call to her? Exactly what were you busy with last Friday?"
Father Sakiko smiled awkwardly, his fists clenched so tight the veins bulged. "Haha... I really was busy with some matters regarding a friend..."
"Let's set that aside for the moment. Do you know what Sakiko told me? She was entirely aware that these were expired items, but to save money, she still bought plenty of these cheap goods. She ate these inferior products for two days straight. To use a more radical word, it was all garbage." Miki Kashiwagi laid a heavy emphasis on the word "garbage."
"High school students should be enjoying their youth without a care in the world, yet you have forced Sakiko to worry about money. I seriously doubt whether your financial situation can even afford to support Sakiko's livelihood—"
"Enough!" Father Sakiko flipped the desk over in a rage. Books, disposable cups, and ceramic shards from the tea set scattered everywhere, splashing hot water all over Miki Kashiwagi. Miki Kashiwagi let out a long breath—she had finally reached her limit. She pulled Sakiko, whose eyes were already brimming with tears, behind her for protection, and gave Sakiko's sleeve a gentle tug to signal her to stay calm.
Without a shred of courtesy, Father Sakiko pointed straight at Miki Kashiwagi's nose and cursed: "What qualification do you have to point fingers at me? Sakiko is my daughter. I'll discipline her when I want to, and when I don't, it's none of your business—any of you!"
"I'll spell it out for you: I am demanding that Sakiko transfer schools. A useless school like yours and teachers who are absolute trash—"
"You have no right to insult Professor Kashiwagi, and no right to insult Haneoka Girls' High School." Sakiko's voice carried a slight tremor, but an incomparable firmness as well. "What on earth do you take me for? A daughter? Or a wallet?"
My word, Sakiko has entered the fray! Sakiko is about to explode on her old man!
Miki Kashiwagi glanced at the door. It was completely shut. Unawares, class time had already arrived; there were no outsiders in the office, and the soundproofing was good enough that the neighboring rooms couldn't hear a thing. So, let her explode. Everyone knows the score here anyway. With her protecting her, there was no need to fear whatever Father Sakiko might try to do.
"You're just a loser who shows your true colors the moment you leave Mother and the Toyokawa Family! Most of the money I earn from my part-time jobs goes toward funding your debauchery, and my time is squandered by you. You ruined my band, and you ruined my dreams! I wish I could go back in time and tell myself never to follow that man—he will ruin everything you have."
Father Sakiko stared in disbelief at the self-destructing Sakiko, utterly failing to find a retort for a moment.
"I... I no longer expect anything." Sakiko took a deep breath, gradually calming down, her eyes carrying a trace of supplication. "I... I'm begging you. Can you just pretend I never existed?"
"Consider it the last thing a father does for a daughter. Can you do that?"
Don't go soft now, Sakiko! He has no heart! No heart at all!
"...Ha, haha," Father Sakiko's mouth worked for a moment before he suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Is this the educational standard of your esteemed school? Turning my straight-A daughter, who used to respect her teachers and follow the rules, into such a rebellious, vicious, and useless wretch."
"I've made up my mind. Sakiko must transfer schools. Furthermore, because your school's failed educational standards have turned my daughter into a useless delinquent, I am going to demand compensation from your institution—"
Hearing this, Sakiko's heart shattered completely. She bolted through the door and vanished without a trace.
Good grief, Sakiko has run away!