Chapter 289: Kyoko Cries

However, just before Haruto truly left the house through the living room, a voice stopped his steps.

"Why did you come back here?"

Kaori suddenly asked a question that surprised everyone. Haruto, who was almost through the door, unconsciously stopped and turned to face Kaori.

"Hahaha..." Haruto chuckled softly before answering, "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

For a moment, Haruto fell silent, then continued, "Oh, speaking of Lex Gramen... don't worry about that man anymore. You don't have to be afraid of being chased by him because of debt. All your debts have been settled. So... live well from now on."

Haruto's smile seemed light, as if he genuinely wanted to deliver that good news.

However, Kaori's response was not what Haruto had hoped for.

"My life would be much better... if I had never met you."

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze.

Haruto was silent for a moment. Those words were so sharp, piercing without mercy. Haruto did not immediately realize how painful that sentence was, but as silence enveloped the room, that feeling slowly seeped into him.

However, instead of showing a meaningful reaction, Haruto merely smiled faintly. A smile that felt so silent.

Without saying anything else, Haruto finally stepped away, leaving the house with Kakashi and Sakura.

...

...

...

After Haruto left, Kyoko turned to her mother, Kaori, with a look of confusion.

"Mom... why did you say that to Brother earlier?" Kyoko asked innocently, her clear eyes looking at Kaori with curiosity.

Kaori paused for a moment, seeming hesitant to answer. Her face showed an expression that was hard to interpret, as if the words she wanted to say were too heavy to come out.

"It’s... because that man is bad," Kaori finally said, her voice sounding a bit shaky.

"But... Brother is a good person," Kyoko replied hesitantly. "He helped us stay here."

Kaori sighed, then looked at her daughter seriously.

"Kyoko... that man is not a good person," Kaori said more firmly. "The evil that man has done has hurt me. I feel hurt and broken... That’s why I can’t see him as a good person."

"But... but Brother has helped us, and..." Kyoko bit her lip, her big eyes filled with confusion. "And it seems like Brother is also trying to apologize to you..."

Kaori fell silent. For a moment, the look in her eyes showed a deep inner struggle. However, a moment later, Kaori shook her head slowly.

"Sweetheart... that man is the one I hate the most," Kaori's voice weakened, almost like a whisper. "My life became a mess because of him. So... please... don’t talk about him anymore, okay?"

As she said this, tears unconsciously flowed down Kaori's cheeks.

Kyoko, seeing her mother cry, was immediately shocked. Her eyes widened, and unable to hold back, Kyoko began to cry as well.

"Sniff... sniff... I'm sorry, Mom! Please don’t cry! I’ll be sad if you cry!" Kyoko sobbed, her voice trembling with pain.

Kaori was instantly startled to see her daughter crying so hard. Quickly, she wiped her tears and pulled Kyoko into her embrace.

"Sweetheart! I forgive you, okay? Don’t cry, alright!" Kaori said in a panicked tone, trying to comfort her child. She gently rubbed Kyoko's small back, trying to convey warmth through her embrace. "Forgive me too, okay! I promise I won’t cry again, see? I’m not crying anymore, so you shouldn’t cry either, okay? My beautiful and adorable daughter..."

Kyoko slowly lifted her face, where her swollen eyes were still filled with tears.

"Do you... sniff... promise you won’t cry again?" Kyoko asked in a soft tone.