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Sayu Ogiwara's mother stord off into the house, her sobs echoing down the hallway like the final notes of a tragic ballad. Left standing awkwardly by the door, Hozuki Nozomi, Sayu, and her older brother Issa were caught in a heavy silence.
Issa Ogiwara glared at Nozomi, his jaw tight.
"Nozomi-kun… how could you hit soone? That was my okaasan! And what's the aning of this—" he snatched the crumpled guardian transfer form, "—this legal docunt? Are you even serious?"
Nozomi folded his arms and t his gaze head-on, not backing down even for a second.
"Issa-san, I used to think you genuinely cared for Sayu. But now…" He clicked his tongue, the disappointnt in his voice unmistakable. "I guess I overestimated you."
"Oi! What's that supposed to an—?"
Nozomi ignored the interruption.
"You saw how she treated Sayu. You saw it with your own eyes! If that's what you call 'family love,' then you're part of the problem."
Sayu, still rubbing the cheek that had been struck earlier, clung to Nozomi's arm. Her fingers trembled slightly, but her eyes were clear, fierce.
"Enough, onii-san," she murmured. "Let go."
Nozomi continued, his voice unwavering. "I ca here today to resolve this. If your okaasan doesn't care about Sayu, then I'll take her with to Kyoto. She can study, live peacefully, and not have to walk on eggshells every single day of her life."
Issa was speechless.
Of course, he knew how their mother had treated Sayu—her coldness, her biting words, the guilt she passed on like a family curse. But still, this wasn't how he expected things to go. A public confrontation, a slap, and now this boy—this random high schooler—trying to wrestle Sayu away from the family.
"But even so…" he finally muttered, "you shouldn't have hit her. Our mother… she's stubborn. If anything, you've made things worse. She'll never agree to sign this now."
"And what kind of mother slaps her daughter the second she returns ho?" Nozomi countered sharply. "Is this the warm reunion she deserved?"
He stepped forward, eyes blazing.
"Let handle this. I'll make her listen. You can either get out of my way, or stand by Sayu's side for once."
There was a sharp edge to his tone—one that made even Issa hesitate.
Silence.
Then, reluctantly, Issa sighed.
"…Fine. But she's injured. Let's at least wait until tomorrow to talk again."
"No," Nozomi said firmly. "We don't have ti. School resus tomorrow, and this is the best chance we've got. We talk now. Face to face."
Monts later, the four of them were gathered in the modest living room. The air felt stiff, like the calm before a typhoon.
Mrs. Ogiwara sat with arms crossed and a scowl etched onto her face, shooting daggers at Nozomi every ti he moved. Her cheek was still red from the slap—an expression of pent-up emotions finally boiling over.
Nozomi casually blew on his palm, as if it still stung.
Mrs. Ogiwara flinched and looked toward Issa with a wounded expression, as if to say, You're really just going to sit there while so boy bullies your mother?
But Issa didn't move. He simply stared at the floor, lips sealed tight.
Frustrated, she turned her venom toward Sayu.
"Why did you run away from ho?" she snapped. "Do you have any idea how much sha and trouble you caused us?"
Sayu bit her lip. Her fists were clenched tightly on her lap, her knuckles pale. But when she looked up, her gaze was strong and unwavering.
"Do you even rember what I said before I left, okaasan?"
Mrs. Ogiwara sneered, "How would I rember sothing like that? I forgot it the mont you walked out the door."
Sayu's smile was bitter.
"I left because I hated this house," she said clearly. "Because I hated you. You—who asked if I killed my best friend!"
Her words hit like a whip.
Mrs. Ogiwara's eyes narrowed in rage. "So what if I asked? You were always hiding things! If you're hurt, you should say sothing! But you never do—how's anyone supposed to know what's going on in that thick head of yours?!"
Sayu's voice cracked.
"Would you have listened even if I did tell you?! You couldn't even rember what I said when I left. You never cared to understand !"
"You—!" Mrs. Ogiwara's voice trembled with anger. "You were always a problem! Ever since the divorce, my life has been hell! I should've never given birth to you!"
Sayu slamd her hands against the table. "Then sign the damn paper!"
"If I'm such a burden to you, why keep around?! Just sign the guardian transfer and let go!"
Her voice broke completely, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I've done everything I could to disappear from your life! Isn't that what you wanted?! What more do you want from ?!"
The room went still.
Mrs. Ogiwara stared at her daughter, stunned by the sudden outburst.
Then she whispered, almost involuntarily, "I raised you… I raised you for all these years. And now you want to leave ? You're still my daughter."
"No," Sayu muttered, barely above a whisper. "You just needed soone to bla."
The silence was deafening. Even the air in the room seed to pause.
Nozomi took a deep breath and reached into his bag, pulling out the guardian transfer letter once more. He placed it on the table, his fingers lightly tapping the top.
"Please, okaasan," he said. "Take another look."
"If you sign this, not only will Sayu be free to live her life… but the Yukinoshita Zaibatsu will help open a branch of Ogiwara Foods in Kyoto."
Issa blinked. "Wait—what?! Are you serious?!"
Nozomi nodded. "Completely. I can arrange it through Yukinoshita Haruno—her family owes a favor."
Issa examined the docunts again, his eyes widening with realization. "It's true…"
Mrs. Ogiwara blinked, stunned. The way she looked at Nozomi shifted ever so slightly—from contempt to wary curiosity.
She looked torn. Her pride scread at her not to yield, not to be manipulated. But this was no longer about pride—it was about opportunity.
Still, her voice was firm. "I won't sign it."
Back to square one.
Sayu lowered her head, defeated. Her hands were shaking in her lap. No matter how hard she tried, it always ended like this—with walls, not bridges.
Nozomi exhaled softly, his sharp gaze unwavering.
"Ogiwara-san… You said you regretted giving birth to Sayu. But have you ever thought—maybe Sayu also regretted being born into this family?"
His voice, though calm, carried a cutting weight that made the air grow heavy.
"Parents can't choose their children, and children can't choose their parents. You only have Sayu as your daughter… and she only has you as her okaasan."
"You claim she never talks to you, that she bottles things up. But did you ever consider why? Have you ever tried seeing things from her perspective? Your coldness, your constant bla—it crushed her spirit until she was too afraid to speak."
"You say she brought you trouble, so you slapped her the mont she walked through the door. But even after all that… she still ca back. Why? Because deep down, she still held onto hope that her mother would care. That maybe… this ti, things could be different."
"Tch… Don't twist it. I don't care about that girl," Mrs. Ogiwara snapped, but even her tone lacked conviction.
"Then prove it," Nozomi challenged, narrowing his eyes. "Sign the guardianship transfer. Let her go."
"I won't sign!" she shouted, face contorting in stubbornness.
"You're just being selfish now," Nozomi muttered. He took Sayu's hand without hesitation. "Fine. Then we're leaving. No point talking to a woman who only knows how to hurt her own child."
"Stop! You can't do that! You're an outsider—you have no right to interfere in our family! And you hit !"
Nozomi's expression darkened. He slowly raised his hand, letting the silence stretch.
"Do you believe I'll do it again?"
Mrs. Ogiwara imdiately flinched, stumbling back, clutching her cheek instinctively. Her eyes burned with fury… and sothing else—sha.
Nozomi gave her a half-smile. "Whether you approve or not, I can take Sayu away. I have the power to give her a new life. A new na. A future far away from this place."
He stepped forward.
"The only reason Sayu even ca back… was because she still believed in you. That's what hurts the most."
"Yate… please, stop…" Mrs. Ogiwara finally broke, covering her face as she began to weep.
"Kaa-san…" Sayu's voice trembled, her fingers tightening around Nozomi's.
Ogiwara Issa looked on anxiously. His mother's emotional state had been fragile ever since their father left. But right now… it seed like sothing inside her finally cracked.
Nozomi's slap, harsh as it was, had shaken her out of her delusions more than any argunt ever could.
After a long silence, Mrs. Ogiwara wiped her tears and whispered hoarsely, "You're right… I can't deny it anymore."
"Sayu only has as her hahaoya. And yet, I've ignored her, resented her, even blad her for everything."
Her voice broke. "When I was pregnant… my husband had already moved on to another woman. He left behind. And in my pain… I took it out on Sayu."
"I distanced myself. Scolded her. Expected perfection. I thought if I controlled her, maybe I could fix what I lost. But in truth… I was just being cruel."
Sayu's eyes shimred with tears. "Kaa-san…"
"I… I will try to be better," Mrs. Ogiwara said, standing slowly. Her posture was shaky, but there was determination in her voice now. "I'll take responsibility. I'll support Sayu until she graduates from university. After that… she's free to choose her own path."
Nozomi raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "How noble of you. A bit late for that, isn't it?"
Too little, too late…
Still, he said nothing more. He glanced at Sayu, who seed torn but nodded faintly. He would respect her wishes.
In the end, the decision was made: Sayu would go to Kyoto. Her mother would not stand in the way any longer. But she would never sign the guardian transfer papers.
To Mrs. Ogiwara, signing would an relinquishing her role completely—and she wasn't ready to do that. Not yet.
Nozomi didn't care. If she dared to mistreat Sayu again, he'd be back—and this ti, he wouldn't stop with just one slap.
For so reason, as he turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of sothing strange. A faint blush on Mrs. Ogiwara's face.
Was it… embarrassnt?
…Or sothing else?
Weird…
Still, she had needed that slap. So people only woke up when pain knocked on their door.
Sayu bowed deeply toward her mother. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble… Kaa-san. I never ant to be a burden."
It was a strange mont of peace. A fragile truce, stitched together with pain, apologies, and the quiet understanding that ti could not be rewound.
Even Issa was stunned. That fierce, stubborn woman—his mother—had finally backed down. And all because of Hozuki Nozomi.
Then again, what choice did she have?
Nozomi had the strength to take Sayu away without asking. He had the money, the power, the influence.
But he hadn't done it.
Because at the end of the day, true strength wasn't about power—it was about holding on. It was about giving people one last chance… even when they didn't deserve it.
And maybe, just maybe, Mrs. Ogiwara would learn to cherish what she nearly lost.
In this world, nothing hurt more than regret.
And the ones who left scars… were often the ones carrying them deepest.
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