After seeing Tsutsuhara Shiori out of the reception room, only two people remained inside—
Him, and Shiori's mother.
Hirakawa Tetsubumi returned to his seat beside the table, sitting properly once more. His expression turned serious as he looked straight at the woman across from him.
To be honest, before meeting her, he had still held some hope for a peaceful, reasonable conversation.
But after everything that had just happened
He understood.
A cage built by a mother with such overwhelming control was not something that could be broken by a single argument, a single clash, or a single emotional outburst.
Stories where protagonists easily shake beliefs built over years—decades even—just through a few passionate words?
That kind of thing only existed in fiction.
If beliefs could be shaken that easily, then they were never that strong to begin with.
And anything that weak would never last long anyway.
Realizing this now only meant one thing—
He hadn't thought things through carefully enough.
Not everyone could be reasoned with.
And Tsutsuhara's mother…
Was exactly that kind of person.
Her will was firm.
Unyielding.
But that didn't mean he would give up.
"Madam Tsutsuhara."
"Yes, Hirakawa-sensei. I apologize for letting you see such improper behavior from Shiori."
Her expression remained gentle, as if the earlier confrontation had never happened.
"It's nothing."
Hirakawa shook his head lightly.
"Then, is there anything else you'd like to discuss?"
"Yes. There is."
"What would that be? Please, go ahead."
Hirakawa didn't answer immediately.
He was preparing to use the system.
This was the worst-case scenario.
Any rational adult would understand:
When dealing with an unknown external tool—one with unclear origins and mechanisms—the safest approach was always caution.
If it wasn't absolutely necessary
It should never be used.
But now, he had no choice.
If he failed today, what awaited him was resignation.
And more importantly
Shiori's expectations.
The promise he had made.
He couldn't betray that.
Most importantly
Words had already lost their power here.
They couldn't shake her beliefs.
Couldn't change her will.
So in this situation
Using the system was the only path left.
But before that…
"Madam Tsutsuhara, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course, please."
Hirakawa spoke.
"How do you view your daughter?"
Shiori's mother paused slightly, then asked:
"In what sense?"
"In terms of the place she holds in your heart. For example—if something happened at school, say, a conflict between her and another student… how would you respond?"
She fell silent for a moment, thinking carefully.
Then, with a faint smile—
"No."
Hirakawa didn't speak.
He simply observed her, analyzing that single word.
"No."
Normally, when parents hear such a question, wouldn't they first care about who was right and who was wrong?
But she didn't.
She didn't care about right or wrong at all.
She simply said
"No."
So what did that mean?
Did it mean Shiori must never behave improperly?
Or did it mean
No one was allowed to have conflicts with Shiori?
Both were possible.
Perhaps both were true.
Which led to a deeper question:
What exactly is control?
From his brief interaction with her
Hirakawa had already found part of the answer.
To her, Shiori was "her daughter."
And that identity—as her possession, as an extension of herself—
Was everything.
To something she owned, she gave importance.
Because it was her extension.
An extension of her will.
Something she intended to shape into a form she found satisfactory.
That was why she valued it.
But
The real Shiori?
The person within?
Her thoughts, her soul, her individuality
Those were completely ignored.
Simply put
In her eyes, Shiori was split into two parts:
The external body—her daughter, her possession, something to be valued and controlled
The internal self—her personality, her will… something that didn't matter at all
The body was acknowledged.
The person was denied.
That
Was the source of her control.
And perhaps
The origin of that so-called "surface-level respect."
"How troublesome."
Hirakawa thought quietly.
But for what came next
One thing was enough:
She valued her daughter.
She valued what she considered hers.
Which meant
That could be used as leverage.
Hirakawa finished his thoughts.
He raised his head, looking directly at her.
First, silently apologizing in his heart
And then…
"Madam Tsutsuhara…"
"Yes?"
Her calm, refined eyes reflected his figure.
He spoke.
Slowly.
Like reciting a spell—
"You wouldn't want your daughter… to be bullied at school, would you?"
In that instant
Something changed.
Within the eyes of the elegant young lady in the kimono—
Everything shifted.
An invisible force seemed to bind her.
Her body stiffened.
Her thoughts locked.
And the atmosphere
Turned strange.