As the two spoke, a gentle voice suddenly came from the side. The moment he heard it, the principal's expression shifted, revealing both surprise and inner turmoil.
"Ami, why are you here?"
"I came to ask you something, Dad, but I don't need to anymore."
Following Ami's words, the principal's composure visibly crumbled. He parted his lips, yet in the end could only force out a few words.
"Ami, you, you have to understand. You're still young, there's so much you don't know. Things aren't what they appear..."
"Then what are they? Please, Dad, explain to me why you'd do this, even knowing it could hurt me and my friends."
No father wants his image in his daughter's eyes to become that of a villain. Hearing her words, the principal still tried to argue.
But Ami was not as easily fooled as ordinary children, especially after witnessing the truth with her own eyes.
Just as the principal was about to continue explaining, a roar from an Ethereal suddenly echoed nearby. Moments later, a massive Ethereal appeared before everyone.
Its sudden arrival instantly cut the conversation short. Seeing the creature, the gang members immediately disappeared without a trace.
Koleda initially moved to join the others in confronting the beast, but to her surprise, Wise struck first.
He closed the distance swiftly and drove a blade straight into its core. Before anyone registered what happened, the Ethereal collapsed lifeless.
Wise casually withdrew his lightning attribute short sword and glanced back at Koleda and the others.
They had already stopped in their tracks, weapons still raised, their stunned expressions clear in their wide eyes.
"So, so cool!"
Ami's voice broke the silence. For a father, having his image shattered in his daughter's eyes was already painful.
But hearing her praise another man right in front of him made it even worse. The principal was clearly hit by that moment.
Even so, he still refused to give up and showed no sign of regret. His plan was to take Ami away from this dangerous Hollow first.
However, she glared back at him angrily, her expression full of defiance.
Seeing this, the principal still wanted to lecture her about the complexities of the adult world, but Koleda felt compelled to speak up, sharing her own perspective.
"I've always found the phrase 'adult world' strange. Aren't adults and children living in the same world? Even for the sake of children, shouldn't adults be working to make this world better?"
She fell silent for a moment, then went on.
"When I was little, I thought this world was like a dark ocean that turned innocent fish black. Back then, I was furious every day, fighting back with all my thorns... but I was also terrified. Scared that this disgusting world would corrupt me into something equally disgusting."
Ami listened quietly from the side. Hearing this, she couldn't help but ask,
"And now?"
"Now I understand that becoming bad and growing up are completely separate things. Someone's an asshole simply because they choose to be an asshole. Isn't that right, you asshole principal?"
However, the principal scoffed at this, refusing to budge from his convictions.
"I don't need to argue with some naive little girl! You inherited your parents' company so young. What would you know about us ordinary people? If I don't work myself to the bone, I won't have anything to leave my daughter!"
The principal showed no remorse, but how could he possibly understand what Ami had been going through, enjoying wealth while simultaneously experiencing something far darker?
He had no idea that Ami constantly used hand sanitizer because she believed the Dennies she spent were nothing but dirty money gained through corrupt dealings.
Ami didn't look at her father. Instead, she turned to Koleda and asked her what to do. Koleda simply admitted that she wasn't skilled at handling father-daughter drama.
But Wise immediately picked up on what Koleda was really thinking. She wanted to take Ami away.
Saying it so directly like that made Koleda cross her arms with a bit of an attitude though.
"I didn't say that, Wise did. But... what do you think? You can't stay permanently, obviously, but it should be fine temporarily until a guardian you actually trust comes for you."
Despite her words, it wasn't hard to tell that Koleda genuinely cared about Ami's wellbeing.
The principal ultimately decided to report everything to the Investigation Association and let them handle it. For now, the matter was settled.
A few days later, Wise and Koleda received word about what happened next. Ami was now living with her mother and had transferred schools, because she couldn't pretend that nothing had happened and continue as if everything was normal.
Moreover, if the truth were discovered, she would certainly be treated differently by her classmates. She was also worried that her two friends might get dragged into the trouble because of her.
As for her father, although he had been dismissed from his position, it didn't take long before someone approached him with another offer to serve as a principal.
This time, however, it wasn't a public school, but a corporate school similar to those managed by TOPS.
Under the fading glow of the sunset, Koleda and Ami leaned against the riverside railing, sharing pineapple buns while waiting for the siblings who had gone to buy drinks.
The two chatted casually, but Koleda nearly choked when Ami mentioned that she "regretted not being able to send her father to prison."
'Does she really want to send her own father to prison?' Koleda thought, bewildered.
Somewhat at a loss for words, Koleda took several more bites of her pineapple bun, while Ami shared her dream. When she grows up, she doesn't want to turn into a horrible adult like her father.
She wants to become someone like Koleda instead.
Though based on genetics, she'll probably end up around 1.7 meters tall, right?
As Ami said this, she glanced at Koleda with a faint smile. Koleda couldn't take it anymore, insisting that good genes don't necessarily mean much.
Irritated, she chomped down on her pineapple bun a few more times. Without realizing it, she'd devoured not just her own bun, but Wise's and Belle's as well.
By the time she noticed, all that remained was the half-eaten bun in her hand.
"Phew, finally done. A quarter of a pineapple bun definitely isn't enough."
"Uh, I'm sorry."
"Ah, don't worry about it, Koleda. I'm not mad. My Brother already got the groceries. We can eat more when we get home. You'll get to try his cooking too."
On the street, Wise, Belle, and Koleda strolled side by side.
If Wise, the tallest one, wasn't standing in the middle, and Koleda was there instead, they'd probably look like parents walking their kid around.
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Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
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