A Liar's Truth [UNDER FINAL REVISION]

Ch 12: Resolve

Third person point of view 

The air inside the dimly lit office was suffocating.

Behind his large mahogany desk, Gakuho Asano sat calmly, fingers interlocked as he observed his two children standing before him.

His expression was unreadable. But Ginka knew.

She knew disappointment when she saw it.

Gakushu, standing stiffly beside her, was visibly seething. He had spent the entire walk to the office scolding her, and it seemed he was far from finished.

"Have you lost your mind?" he hissed, shoving a hand through his disheveled hair. "I am already exhausted from having to cover for your reckless behavior—must I really do so again?!"

Ginka remained silent, eyes focused forward. She had expected this.

Yes, why did she do that? She must have gone insane. 

It was in her best interests to swallow her pride and go with the flow of things. After all, that was what she had been doing her entire life to survive.   

"You've embarrassed yourself," he continued sharply. "No—you've embarrassed me. Your naivety was one thing, but that—" he exhaled sharply, "that little outburst of yours? Absolutely disgraceful."

Ginka took a deep breath upon collecting her thoughts. She found his anger reasonable and it was wrong of her to drag it during the assembly, but also with the belief that while he wasn't all wrong, she wasn't either.

"I only asked a question."

Gakushu scoffed. "That was not 'just a question.' You openly opposed the council. In front of the entire school. Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Ginka tilted her head, expression calm, almost amused. "You seem more concerned about optics than the actual issue at hand."

Was this truly what her father meant with his education? She certainly thought it was more noble than this. Turns out she knew nothing, after all. 

She cannot deny that there is at least a tiny regret in her heart. Rebelling like this would mean back to square one. 

"Because that's what matters." Gakushu's voice was cold. "Kunugigaoka thrives because of its hierarchy. It works because it produces results. That is the foundation of its strength. And you—you, of all people—chose to question that in front of hundreds of students?"