Gypsophila • Izana Kurokawa

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Izana's penthouse..

Third Person's POV

Kakucho stepped outside. His gaze fell on Izana, sitting on a weathered swing at the small park near the penthouse. The same man who had once radiated control and power now looked small, defeated, with his head hung low and his body hunched forward. The swing creaked slightly as it swayed under his weight.

Without saying a word, Kakucho made his way to the swing next to Izana, settling into it quietly. He didn't need to speak; he knew Izana well enough to understand that silence was often more comforting than words. For a long moment, they both sat there, the only sound being the soft rustle of the leaves and the occasional creak of the swing.

After a long silence, Izana finally spoke. "How is she?" Kakucho, sitting beside him on the swing, didn't hesitate. "Locked herself in her room. Probably crying herself to sleep right now." His answer was honest, direct. Sugarcoating the truth wouldn't help.

Izana's gaze was still fixed on his hands, which trembled uncontrollably. He swallowed hard, his breath shaky. "I hit her, Kakucho..." The words came out weak, as if saying them out loud made the guilt even more suffocating. "I hit my own daughter."

His voice cracked under the weight of his shame, and the confession seemed to break something inside him. Kakucho's gaze softened, his heart clenching as he listened to Izana's pained confession. He leaned back slightly, the swing beneath him swaying. "I know," Kakucho said quietly. "And I can't tell you that it was right. You shouldn't have hit her." 

"She was right," Izana murmured. "I don't deserve to be her father. What kind of father hits his own child? I had been begging for her love, and now I'm making her hate me more. Screw me for my foolishness and temper."

"She's never had to face real consequences," Kakucho said gently, trying to reason. "I bet (Y/n) raised her without ever punishing her, not even once." He turned to Izana, studying his expression. "Is that true?"

Izana hesitated, but then nodded. "Yeah... it seems so." A sigh escaped his mouth. "(Y/n) could never do that. It hurts her just to raise her voice at Kana, let alone punish her."

Kakucho shifted slightly in his swing, the chains groaning with the movement. "That's why she's spoiled, Izana," he said, his voice calm. "No one was ever there to tell her 'no' or correct her. Kana's grown up without boundaries, thinking she can do whatever she wants without facing any consequences."

Izana flinched at Kakucho's words, his guilt deepening. "But I was wrong, Kakucho. Hitting her... it wasn't the answer. I let my anger control me. She was just a kid pushing my buttons, and I lashed out." His voice shook. "I didn't want to hurt her... I just... I didn't know how else to make her understand."

Kakucho sighed, turning his gaze toward the park ahead. "You're right. Hitting her wasn't the answer. But you can't keep carrying all the blame on your shoulders, Izana. Kana's rebellious because she's never been disciplined. And no one—especially you—was ever prepared to be her father, not with the life we've lived."