Hawks from the Land of Light are calling me a dove and an undercover agent in the chat group.

"I can't guarantee it to you. In fact, I'm pessimistic about it right now. The chances of success are probably very low. I can only say that I will try my best."

Yato Takeshi shook his head slightly. "Besides, as far as I can see, this has already happened before. Even if I succeed, the rift between your father and mother will only grow bigger and bigger, and you will still be in a lot of pain."

“None of that matters—” Marina Kirisaka asked urgently, “Are you really, really going to make that woman get out of Daddy’s side?”

Ya no Takeshi clarified again, "I can only try my best."

"Okay, okay, good, good, good!"

Marina Kirisaka murmured repeatedly, her face filled with unbearable longing and excitement, "I kept my word, I kept my word, so I'll tell you everything!"

“That woman started hooking up with my dad somewhere last May. At first, nothing happened, but later, my dad started staying out all night. My mom would wait for him all night, but he would only come back the next day, and he still smelled of that woman.”

"And then it just went on like that... Mom and Dad argued, and then, and then..."

At this point, Marina Mica-saka suddenly fell silent, stammering as if there was something she still didn't want to say.

In the end, she still didn't reveal what she was hiding. She just kept repeating and cursing the woman who had taken her father away, getting more and more agitated as she cursed: "Now my dad and mom are arguing every day, and my dad often doesn't come home for the whole day!"

"Mom scolded Dad for spending money on other women, and Dad scolded Mom for not working, saying that there was nothing wrong with him spending his own money on himself. Recently, recently... it seems that Mom and Dad have talked about divorce."

"It's all, all of it, it's all that woman's fault! Shizuka Kuze is completely unworthy of sympathy! All the money she had for school was swindled from my father!"

I knew it!

Ultimately, it all started with Kuze's mother.

Marina and her mother couldn't do anything about Kuse's mother, so the daughter took her anger out on Shizuka Kuse at school, bullying her since last year.

Perhaps in Kirisaka Marina's own eyes, this was just reciprocal revenge, but no matter what she thought, the objective fact is that she, like Kuze Shizuka's mother, committed disgusting crimes and persecuted innocent people.

Ya no Takeshi interrupted Kirisaka Marina's outburst: "Kuse's mother only started getting involved with your father last year. Before that, she had been alive and attending school all along, which proves that she didn't need to use the money her mother took from your father to support her life and school."

“Go back and take a good look at your backpack, your clothes, and your shoes, and then compare them with Kuze’s backpack, clothes, and shoes. Everything she uses is the cheapest kind. She didn’t get any so-called bonuses at all. Your anger doesn’t absolve you of any responsibility; it’s all just an excuse!”

From a universal human perspective, if high-ranking officials are corrupt, their children will also be implicated. This is because the children of high-ranking officials have also benefited from the money and wealth gained through corruption and the status of their parents, and therefore are not innocent.

But this principle does not apply to Shizuka Kuze.

All of Kuze Shizuka's possessions were only the cheapest, minimum necessities, and even if these things were bought with money her mother obtained by destroying other people's families, Kuze Shizuka had no reason to feel guilty about it.

Because this is just the bare minimum of "living" for her as a daughter, this is just the bare minimum that her mother had to give her, and it has nothing to do with enjoying any benefits or privileges.

Moreover, it's quite obvious that the expenses of Shizuka Kuze's life had nothing to do with the money of Marina Kirisaka's father.

"No, that's not true!"

Marina Kirisaka's pupils constricted. "She's that woman's daughter, that's her original sin, she deserves to die!"

"I'm not going to talk to you about this right now. If you dare to say another word against Kuze-kun, you're slowing down the time it takes for me to get Kuze-kun's mother away from your father. Swallow all those words and don't say another one!"

Ya's fierce rebuke retorted sternly, "Once you've settled your parents' affairs, there will be plenty of time for you. As for now, go back to the classroom immediately and study hard, then wait for my message. I will visit your home then."

"—"

Marina Mica-saka opened her mouth.

She was clearly still not satisfied, still not content, and wanted to hurl some more vicious insults.

But seeing Yagami Takeshi's serious and sharp eyes, Kirisaka Marina managed to hold back in the end, hating Yagami Takeshi while hoping that he would turn around and leave.

As previously explained, upon seeing Marina Kirisaka return to the classroom, Naoki Higashi, the class representative, immediately told Shizuka Kuze to go to the office to find Takeshi Yato.

Of the three, Shizuka Kuze walked the slowest. When she arrived at the office, she was still in a daze, as if she were in a fog.

"Kusei-san."

Unlike his demeanor when facing Naoki Higashi and Marina Kirisaka, Takeshi Yagami, though heavy-hearted, softened his tone and looked at Shizuka Kuze as she entered his office. He spoke softly and gently, "As promised, I have come here to become your teacher."

Shizuka Kuze was still muttering in a daze, "Really, really here?"

"Yes, I'm really here. I'm right here now."

Yashiro reached out and gently grasped one of Shizuka Kuze's small hands, enveloping it. The warmth from her body pulled her out of her daze, making her realize the change in reality.

"I won't leave this place. I will protect you. Neither Kirisaka nor anyone else can bully you anymore. I don't expect you to believe me right now, but I will tell you that I want you and everyone else to be happy."

Yato Takeshi said softly, "Kuse-kun, I already know about the entanglement between your mother and your father, Kirara-zaka. I want to ask you, where is your father?"

“Dad… got divorced a few years ago and went to another place…” Shizuka Kuze murmured, “Dad hasn’t called to talk to me for four or five years…”

"What about your mother? Has she seen the injuries on your body and face? Has she asked about them?"

"I've seen it so many times, but I've never asked about it even once..."

The Kuze family had already fallen apart long before the Kirisaka family.

In this family, neither the father nor the mother ever truly loved Shizuka Kuze, and no one truly cared about her.

“Is that so…” Yato Takeshi was silent for a moment, then cupped Kuze Shizuka’s cheeks in his hands, making her look up at him. “Then listen to me, Kuze-san.”

"Teacher, I want your mother to stop going on like that. Maybe then you and Yunmozaka will be happy in the future. So, if we succeed, that would be the best, but what if we fail?"

"Kuse-kun, if we fail, I have a request."

"At that time, I want to go to court to apply to strip your mother of her custody rights and take over raising you. Octopus Pi can come over too. If you have any pets, I will take them over to raise them with you."

"Kuse-kun, would you be willing to do something like this?"

Volume 1: 491. Shizuka Kuze's New Life

491. Shizuka Kuze's New Life

"...Huh?"

So, what exactly was my answer?

Shizuka Kuze didn't know how she answered; she was just in a daze, unaware of when she returned to the classroom, watching class after class pass by, until lunchtime, when she ate a perfectly fine lunch for the first time this year.

Whether it was morning or afternoon classes, it was the first time it was so quiet. No one bullied her or made fun of her. Even when she went to the toilet, no one suddenly poured a bucket of water on her from outside.

Kuze Shizuka floated on the air, and the octopus on her head seemed to be chattering away all day, but she didn't seem to listen to a word it said.

It just felt like I was walking on clouds, that's all.

It felt so light and airy, so light and airy, that it didn't feel like the life and reality I could possibly have.

When she came to her senses, the bell rang for the end of the last class, and Mr. Takeshi Ya appeared outside the classroom, waving at her.

“Let’s go,” said Mr. Yagami. “I’ll go home with you.”

Come home with me?

"What do you usually eat for dinner, Kuze? Do you cook for yourself or does your mom cook?"

My mom always eats out, so she doesn't take care of me at all.

Every day, I cook and eat alone at home from breakfast to dinner, but I never have money to buy groceries. I can only ask my mother for a little money occasionally when she is in a good mood, and when she is kind, I can save up some money to buy some cheap vegetables.

"Right... Let's change our destination then. The teacher suddenly feels like cooking, but we can't do without ingredients, hmm!"

Huh, did I answer? Or does the teacher have mind-reading abilities?

"How about chicken? Thigh meat. What kind of style would you like, Kuze-kun? I learned a few techniques from Nishimiya's mother before, so I can cook a lot of them."

No, it's too expensive.

"The prawns are good too. Hmm, how about some scallops and crabs? Beef stir-fried with onions is also a good dish."

No, I simply can't afford it.

"For vegetables, how about cabbage? And for soup, we'll use white radish, white radish stewed with chicken, yes, that sounds great!"

Stop talking. My parents haven't eaten these things since their divorce. My mom won't give me money to buy them.

"Okay, this should be enough. Let's go, Kuze-kun."

Why isn't the teacher holding my hand anymore?

What's the teacher holding in both hands? It's chicken, cabbage, radish, shrimp, scallops, crab, beef, and onions, plus so many bottles and jars of seasonings. Why are there all these things?

Why did the teacher carry so many heavy things to one hand? Hmm, is it to free up one hand to hold my hand?

Chabi's barking was so excited. Did it smell my return? What a good dog, the best Chabi that Dad left behind. I love him the most. I used to dream about Chabi all the time.

Ah, but why does today's dream feel so real?

Chabi pounced on me. It was so hot and lively. She had fluffy white fur and a fleshy bottom. It felt so comfortable to hold her. Why is it that Chabi is so real today?

The teacher put everything in the kitchen. Hmm, what is she doing? Is she marinating beef and shrimp? A long, long time ago... exactly how long ago?

It seems like my parents did the same thing, but I can't remember anything.

Chabi loves its teacher so much! It keeps circling around the teacher, but thankfully the teacher isn't afraid of Chabi and they have a lot of fun playing together.

"You're laughing so happily, Kuze-kun! That's more like it!"

Am I laughing?

"Beep! Shizuka is laughing so happily, beep, she's so happy, beep!"

Is that what Octopus Pi said?

"Alright, dinner's ready! Kuze, Octopus, let's eat together! I've also divided up some food for Chappie. Let's make sure we have a great time today!"

Why is it that the clock has already struck seven in the afternoon, the sun has already set, there's only a sliver of yellow light left, and the moon has already come out?

It smells so good, tastes so good, I love it, it's so gentle.

"Teacher, um, I'd like another bowl... is that alright?"

Am I speaking?

"Even if you don't say it, I'll still make you lick it. You won't leave the table until you eat three bowls, okay? Kuze-kun, kids are still developing, they need to eat their fill!"

The teacher's voice is so cheerful.

"I love beeping too! I want three more bowls of beeping!"

The octopus-shaped crack is quite interesting.

"Wang!"

It's just like how happily it's calling out.

Am I laughing? Am I talking? Am I eating?