The sun was just rising when Taki met Yuki at the school gate.
"Good morning," she said with a soft smile.
"Morning," Taki replied, but his voice sounded a bit off.
Yuki tilted her head. "You okay? You look tired."
Taki smiled quickly. "I just didn't sleep well."
They walked together toward their classroom, talking about simple things. But Yuki could feel something was on Taki's mind. He was quiet. His eyes kept looking at the ground. He didn't laugh at her small jokes like he usually did.
During break time, Taki sat alone at the back of the classroom, staring out the window. His thoughts were heavy.
Yuki isn't allowed to talk to me, he thought. She's breaking her own father's rule just by being near me.
He remembered her saying, "There are rules. My dad doesn't like me being close to anyone, especially boys."
Taki clenched his fists under the desk.
I don't care about rules. I care about her. I can't just sit here and watch her live like that.
Later that day, Taki found Hayato standing near the vending machines behind the gym.
"Hayato," he called.
Hayato turned around, surprised. "Oh, hey. What's up?"
Taki looked serious. "I want to talk to Yuki's father."
Hayato blinked. "What?"
"I want to ask him to stop," Taki said. "To let her live her life. To let her be free."
Hayato stared at him, eyes wide. Then he laughed a little, but there was no smile on his face. "That man doesn't listen. He's strict. Cold. Even Yuki can't stand up to him."
"I know," Taki said. "But I want to try."
Hayato crossed his arms. "Why are you doing this?"
Taki looked down, then back up. "Because she deserves better."
There was silence between them. Only the sound of the wind moving through the trees.
Finally, Hayato sighed. "Fine. I know where he works. He's usually at his office in the afternoon."
Taki nodded. "Thank you."
Hayato added, "But promise me… don't tell Yuki."
"I won't," Taki said. "She might stop me."
---
That evening, Yuki sat alone in her room, staring at her phone. No new messages.
She thought about Taki. About how he looked today—distant, quiet.
Is something wrong? she wondered. Did I do something?
She typed a message: "Are you okay?"
But then she deleted it before sending.
Meanwhile, Taki stood in front of a mirror, fixing his hair. His heart was beating fast. His palms were sweaty.
This is crazy, he thought. But I have to do it.
He picked up his bag and walked to the door. His mom called from the kitchen, "Going out?"
"Yeah," he said. "I'll be back soon."
As he walked down the street, his steps felt heavier with every block.
When he reached the office building, he stood outside for a full minute before walking in.
The front desk lady looked at him. "Can I help you?"
"I'm here to see Mr. Yukimura," Taki said.
She raised an eyebrow. "Do you have an appointment?"
"No… but it's important."
She hesitated, then picked up the phone. After a short call, she pointed down the hall.
"Third door on the left."
Taki walked slowly to the office. His hands were shaking.
He knocked.
"Come in," a cold voice said.
Taki stepped inside.
A man with sharp eyes and a serious face sat behind a desk, looking over some papers.
Taki bowed slightly. "My name is Taki… I'm a friend of your daughter."
The man's eyes narrowed. "So you're the one."
"I came to ask… please stop controlling her so much. She's not happy."
The man stood up. "You think you know what's best for my daughter?"
"No," Taki said. "But I know how she smiles when she's with her friends. I know how she tries to hide her pain. She wants to live freely. You're her father. Shouldn't you want that too?"
The man was silent.
Taki continued, "I'm not asking for your blessing. I'm just asking… don't stop her from being happy."
The silence grew heavy.
Finally, Mr. Yukimura sat back down and looked out the window.
"You're brave," he said. "But being brave doesn't change how the world works."
Taki bowed again. "Maybe not. But someone has to try."
Without another word, he turned and left the room.
Back in her room, Yuki sat on her bed, looking at the ceiling.
She didn't know that somewhere, across the city, Taki had stood face-to-face with the man who scared her most.
And she didn't know that Taki had just taken the first quiet step to change everything.
[End of Chapter 13]