Chapter 249: Father

“Excuse me, are you really Tani Masako’s father?” The literature teacher, wearing glasses, looked at the man in front of her with some suspicion. He didn’t look at all like a father and appeared rather unkempt.

“Yes,” Kuang Dao replied casually.

“But according to the records, Masako’s surname is her mother’s, I was wondering…”

“It’s nothing. I divorced that woman, so she took her mother’s surname.”

Hearing this, the literature teacher didn’t press the issue. She cleared her throat and said, “In that case, let’s talk about Masako. A few days ago, she got into a fight with a boy. The boy’s mother was extremely upset and wanted to speak with Masako’s parents. However, every time I asked her to bring her parents, she said both of you were working abroad and she couldn’t reach you.”

“So you got into a fight?” Kuang Dao turned to look at the little girl standing beside him. No wonder she hadn’t wanted her mother to know about it.

The girl lowered her head in embarrassment.

“Did you win or lose?” Kuang Dao asked.

“Of course I won. I made him cry,” the girl said proudly.

“That’s good,” Kuang Dao nodded in satisfaction.

The teacher stood there, dumbfounded, listening to the “father-daughter” conversation.

“Sir, the problem isn’t whether she won or lost, it’s that her behavior was completely wrong.” After a moment, the teacher, now alert, said seriously.

Kuang Dao nonchalantly replied, “What’s the big deal about kids fighting? When I was young, I often fought with my seniors. Look, this scar on my hand is from back then. Huh? Where did it go?” He forgot that the body he was currently in was not the one he had before.

“But…”

At that moment, a proud-looking woman entered the staff room, holding the hand of a young boy about the same age as the girl.

She walked up to the literature teacher and said, “Suzuki-sensei, has the parent of the girl who hurt my son arrived?”

The teacher stood up and introduced, “Watanabe-san, this is Tani Masako’s father, Kuang-san. Kuang-san, this is Watanabe-san, the mother of the boy who fought with your daughter a few days ago.”

“You’re Tani Masako’s father?” Watanabe-san looked Kuang Dao up and down after hearing the teacher’s introduction.

Kuang Dao lazily replied, “Yes, what’s the matter?”

With an angry look on her face, Watanabe-san pushed her son forward and said, “Take a look at what your daughter did. She scratched my son’s face.”

Kuang Dao looked at the several band-aids on the boy’s face and then turned to the girl beside him. “Why did you fight with him?”

The girl shot a glare at the boy and said, “He called me an unwanted little bastard and said my mom wasn’t a proper woman.”

Kuang Dao gave a meaningful look at the teacher and Watanabe-san, then asked, “Teacher, is what she said true?”

The teacher awkwardly replied, “Kuang-san, although Watanabe’s words were a bit excessive, fighting is still wrong.”

However, Watanabe-san sneered and said, “Suzuki-sensei, don’t just listen to one side of the story. My son Hiroto has always been the most well-behaved and well-mannered. There’s no way he would say such things. This child is just making excuses to avoid responsibility. Also, I didn’t come here to argue. If your daughter sincerely apologizes to my son, we’ll consider this matter settled.”

The girl shouted loudly, “I’m not lying! That’s what he said to me, and that’s why I hit him!”

“Baby, don’t talk,” Kuang Dao said impatiently.

“You…” The girl’s eyes started to redden.

Glancing at the arrogant woman, Kuang Dao suddenly grabbed the little boy by the collar. Before anyone could react, he growled fiercely, “Kid, tell me right now—was what Masako just said true?”

In an instant, not only the three women present but also the other teachers in the staff room were stunned. None of them could have imagined this man would suddenly act like a thug.

“Answer me! Is it true? Did you call her an unwanted little bastard and say her mother wasn’t a proper woman?” Kuang Dao pulled the boy closer, glaring at him menacingly.

“W-what are you doing?!” The boy’s mother finally came to her senses and screamed hysterically.

The frightened boy burst into loud sobs.

But Kuang Dao wasn’t about to let him go. He forcibly lifted the boy’s lowered head and shouted, “Damn it, speak up! Did you say those things or not?”

Terrified, the boy cried harder and stammered, “I-I’m sorry! I-I won’t do it again! Please let me go…”

“Let go of my son, or I’ll call the police!” the boy’s mother threatened loudly.

Ignoring her, Kuang Dao pressed on. “Who taught you to say those things?”

“I-I just said it without thinking. I didn’t mean it! I overheard my mom talking with some other aunties, saying Masako’s mom isn’t a proper woman. They said she’s someone’s mistress, and Masako must be an illegitimate child born from her fooling around with other men. Please let me go, I promise I won’t say it again!” The boy cried even harder, trembling as he spoke.

Kuang Dao sneered coldly. “What a well-raised child,” he said, releasing the boy with a flick of his hand.

The moment he was freed, the boy collapsed to the ground, bawling uncontrollably.

“What are you trying to do?!” The boy’s mother, her face flushed with anger, quickly helped her son up.

Ignoring her, Kuang Dao turned to the still-stunned Suzuki-sensei and said, “Teacher, I think it’s quite clear now. This brat’s foul mouth caused the fight, and that’s why Masako hit him. And since it was a fight, and he’s a boy, there’s no reason to demand an apology from a girl. Am I right, Sensei?”

“Well… I…” Suzuki-sensei stammered, unable to form a coherent response.

“You bastard! I’ll sue you, I’ll…” The boy’s mother pointed at him and began yelling furiously.

Before she could finish, Kuang Dao suddenly slammed the desk with a loud bang, startling everyone in the room.

“Shut up, you vile woman!” he roared. “Look at your disgusting face. Even with layers of makeup, you can’t hide it. Talking so maliciously behind someone’s back in front of a child—what an excellent example you’re setting. No wonder your son turned out exactly like you. I’ve met plenty of vile women, but I’ve never seen someone as shameless as you. Let me guess—your husband hasn’t touched you in a long time, right? Otherwise, why do you look like a hormone-raging lunatic, biting at everyone around you? Honestly, if it were me, just hearing your voice would make me go limp.”

“You…”

“I’m not finished,” Kuang Dao cut her off. “If you care so much about your son, put him on a leash and keep him at home. The world is a dangerous place. This was just a small fight between two kids, but you’ve made a big deal out of it. And now you want Masako to apologize to your useless son who couldn’t even beat a girl? Go to hell.”

At this point, the woman was so furious she was practically choking. She trembled violently, glaring at him, but was too angry to say another word.

Kuang Dao’s skill in verbal abuse was no less impressive than Lei Yin’s. While Lei Yin relied on precision and impact, Kuang Dao overwhelmed his opponents with sheer volume. The moment his opponent opened their mouth, he would unleash a relentless tirade, giving them no chance to retort.

“You better remember, I absolutely—” After some effort, the woman finally managed to get a word in.

“Absolutely what? Shut up and get lost!” Kuang Dao snapped, glaring at her with an aura of menace.

The intensity of his gaze was more than most people could handle. The woman immediately froze, too terrified to say another word. Grabbing her son, she hurried out of the staff room without looking back.

Once the tension dissipated, Kuang Dao turned to Suzuki-sensei. “Sensei, I hope you handle these matters more fairly in the future. Yes, Baby scratched that little brat, but you can’t judge right or wrong solely based on the severity of injuries. If you followed that logic, would a criminal shot by the police have the right to sue the officer for shooting them? If there’s nothing else, we’ll be going now.” With that, he took Baby’s hand and left the staff room.

All the teachers, including Suzuki-sensei, stood there in stunned silence, watching the “father and daughter” walk away.

“Why are you still crying when the issue’s already resolved?” Kuang Dao asked impatiently.

But Baby didn’t respond. Instead, she clung to his neck and continued sobbing loudly.

After leaving the elementary school, the little girl suddenly burst into uncontrollable tears, no matter how much he tried to calm her down. At a loss, Kuang Dao carried her to a nearby park, sat her down, and waited for her to cry it out. Meanwhile, he walked over to a vending machine, bought two cans of beer, and began sipping them leisurely.

It wasn’t clear how much time passed, but eventually, Baby’s sobs began to subside.

“Kuang Dao-ojisan, will you be my dad?” Baby suddenly climbed onto his lap, her tear-streaked face looking up at him.

“No way! Not in a million years, not even for money!” Kuang Dao instantly rejected her as if he’d been bitten by a snake.

“Why not? Wouldn’t being my dad be great? If you agree, I’ll be super well-behaved! I promise I won’t fight with you over the TV, I’ll share all the yummy food with you, and I can even scrub your back when you take a bath. Isn’t that good enough?” Baby’s big, tearful eyes stared at him earnestly.

“It’s not about whether it’s good or not. I’m used to living a carefree life, single and without attachments.”

“But isn’t that lonely? Kuang Dao-ojisan, I was so happy today. This is the first time someone’s trusted me and treated me so kindly. You were amazing back there!” Baby looked up at him, her face full of admiration.

“It was nothing. I just couldn’t stand that woman anyway,” he muttered, tossing his empty beer can into a nearby trash bin.

“Kuang Dao-ojisan, please agree to be my dad! I’m begging you!” Baby persisted, unwilling to give up.

“I already said no. Let’s go. I’m getting hungry,” Kuang Dao said, standing up and stretching before pulling her along.

Seeing his firm refusal, Baby pouted and sulked in silence.

Kuang Dao ignored her, continuing to pull her along as they walked.

After a while, Baby suddenly stopped and said, “Kuang Dao-ojisan, I want you to carry me back.”

“No way. You’ve got legs, don’t you?” Kuang Dao refused without hesitation.

“If you don’t carry me, I’m not walking,” Baby declared, planting her feet firmly on the ground.

Realizing she was determined to outlast him, and eager to get home and eat, Kuang Dao sighed. Muttering complaints, he crouched down and said, “What a troublesome brat. Hurry up and get on.”

Baby gleefully climbed onto Kuang Dao’s back. Once she was securely settled, Kuang Dao resumed his brisk pace.

Hugging his neck tightly, Baby whispered, “Kuang Dao-ojisan, I really want you to be my dad. All the other kids have dads, but I don’t.

Mom tells me that he went abroad to work, but I know he must be dead. It’s just like the stories on TV. Whenever a woman tells a child that their dad or mom has gone far away, it actually means that they’ve passed away. But Mom doesn’t know that I’ve figured it out. So when others ask me about my dad, I just say he’s working overseas.”

Her voice grew more strained as she spoke.

Hearing this, Kuang Dao’s steps unconsciously slowed.

Baby continued softly, “Ever since you came into my life, I’ve been so happy. You’re the first adult who’s ever played with me and treated me so well. I know Mom is working hard for me, but I really wish she could spend more time with me. Let me tell you a secret: I’m actually afraid of getting gifts from her. That’s because whenever I get a gift, it usually means she has to work and can’t be with me—just like last Christmas and the one before, or even during Girl’s Day.”

She went on, recounting all her happy and sad memories, occasionally reminding Kuang Dao to keep her secrets.

Having cried earlier, her voice grew softer and softer until, at last, she fell soundly asleep on his back.

Hearing her steady breathing, Kuang Dao adjusted his pace to be as smooth as possible. Yet his eyes burned with an unmistakable rage he couldn’t conceal.

Almost a month had passed since the semester began. With Kazumi and Takeshima Shinobu’s help, Rumi had slowly adjusted to university life and even joined the school’s kendo club.

Over time, more and more male students—particularly upperclassmen—began to notice the innocent and adorable kendo girl. Unbeknownst to Rumi, her name had been enthusiastically added by some seniors to the voting list for the “Freshman Beauty Queen,” where she quickly became a top contender.

Despite her popularity, no upperclassman dared to approach her. After all, she was often seen in the company of the infamous “human weapon” who had sparked terror-inducing rumors on campus.

No matter how beautiful a girl was, it wasn’t worth risking your life. In such a perilous situation, the old-fashioned method of love letters became the tool of choice for many admirers. Though somewhat outdated, it was undeniably safer. Surely, even the “human weapon” wouldn’t hunt them down one by one for something like that—at least, that’s what they reassured themselves.

Unfortunately for them, their well-intentioned hopes were ruthlessly dashed by Rumi’s second protector, Kazumi, who lived with her. Every day, when returning to the apartment, Kazumi would be the first to check the mailbox. If she spotted anything resembling a love letter, she would immediately throw it into the trash without even opening it. She didn’t do this out of malice—she simply didn’t want the innocent Rumi to be influenced by the frivolous thoughts of those boys.

As a result, much like in high school, Rumi continued to live a carefree campus life under the protection of her two guardians.

But one day, an incident disrupted her peaceful existence—and it wasn’t just her life that was shaken, but many others as well.

Note: Changed Taniguchi to just Tani for accuracy. Also updated previous chapters.