Kanjuro's provocative and beguiling mention of "excitement" was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, setting off massive waves in Sonoko's heart that refused to settle for a long time. She followed behind Kanjuro with unsteady steps, those words echoing in her mind along with Kanjuro's face—a blend of pain, malice, and endless charm.
Just as Kanjuro thought she needed more time to digest this shocking fact, Sonoko suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Sensing this, Kanjuro also stopped and slowly turned around. The night breeze ruffled his hair, and the moonlight outlined a hazy halo behind him. He watched her quietly, waiting.
Sonoko looked up, tear streaks still on her face, but in those eyes that were once full of struggle and pain, an unusual light—almost like a desperate gamble—was now burning. Kanjuro's mention of "excitement" was like a key, opening a Pandora's box deep within her that had been tightly locked by morality and ethics.
She was a decent girl who had always lived in the sunshine, enjoying a privileged life and the care of her friends. But now, a strange, dark throb with an aura of destruction was hitting her heart's defenses with unprecedented force. The thought that the charming young man who made her heart flutter was actually the father who gave her life caused a twisted, defiant sense of excitement to spread rapidly like venom, overcoming her initial fear and disgust.
"Kanjuro... Papa?"
She tentatively uttered this incredibly taboo title with a trembling voice. It was very soft, yet it sounded like a thunderclap between the two of them.
Hearing this, Kanjuro was slightly stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. The laughter was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, carrying a complex and inexplicable meaning. He took a step forward and reached out, as if to ruffle her hair as he used to, but his hand paused in mid-air. Ultimately, he only said gently:
"Sonoko, don't be like this. What you need is time to calm down and accept this, not to be carried away by a momentary surge of emotion."
He tried to maintain an illusion of "rationality," as if he were acting in her best interest.
However, these seemingly discouraging words were like the final straw that completely broke Sonoko's teetering sanity. Looking at Kanjuro's eyes—which pretended to be calm but couldn't hide the deep meaning within—and his handsome face so close to her, the dark impulse in her heart could no longer be suppressed.
"No! I don't want time!"
Sonoko suddenly lunged forward and hugged Kanjuro tightly, her arms wrapping firmly around his waist. She buried her tear-stained face in his chest, as if trying to feel the warmth and heartbeat beneath his skin through his clothes. Her voice carried a sob but was full of desperate determination:
"Daddy Kanjuro! I think you're right! It's exciting... it's really too exciting!"
She looked up at his beautifully lined jaw through teary eyes, pouring out her feelings incoherently, as if confessing her love or trying to convince herself:
"I don't care! I don't care who you are! Whether you're Brother Ye Xiao or... or my father! My feelings for you won't change! I love you! I just love you! I've loved you since the first moment I saw you!"
Her tears gushed out, a mixture of grievance, pain, and a distorted sense of pleasure.
"Even if you are my father, so what! This doesn't change how I feel! Instead... instead, it makes me feel like... what's between us... is even more special! Right?"
She hugged him tightly, as if trying to merge herself into his very bones and blood. Her voice was choked with sobs yet carried a strange firmness:
"Papa... Daddy Kanjuro... don't push me away... please..."
In this moment, Sonoko completely cast off the shackles of the world, sinking into the dark whirlpool Kanjuro had woven for her—a mixture of lies and twisted emotions. She was no longer his "cute" pursuer, but had become his even more perfect... collection, branded with sin.
Feeling the trembling yet burning body in his arms and hearing her confession that defied human ethics, the gentle mask on Kanjuro's face slowly faded. It was replaced by a cold, satisfied smile, like someone admiring a perfect work of art.
He reached out his hand, this time without hesitation, and placed it gently on Sonoko's head. It was like a real father comforting his daughter, yet also like a master confirming absolute control over his possession.
He didn't speak, but his silent acquiescence was more impactful than any words.
Under the moonlight, the embracing father and daughter formed a scene that was both beautiful and sinister to the extreme. After Sonoko's confession—a mixture of tears, throbbing heart, and taboo desire—even the night wind seemed to stagnate for a moment. Kanjuro looked down at the trembling but determined girl in his arms, the glint of absolute control in his eyes intertwining with a trace of almost cruel pity.
He tightened his arms around her, leaving no space between them. His chin rested gently on the top of her head as he whispered twisted words of love into her ear in a low, magnetic voice:
Moonlight flowed like water, silently pouring into the quiet car. The hazy mist condensed on the windows seemed to isolate this small space from the mundane world.
"Sonoko... my Sonoko..." His sigh was low and long, carrying an ancient rhythm that struck the chords of Sonoko's heart, which was no longer guarded. "Yes, you are my daughter. This unchangeable blood bond makes me feel an unprecedented... bond. I love you too. This love is deep and complex; it transcends worldly definitions. It's not just simple romantic love, but a resonance and attraction stemming from our bloodline..."
His words were like a dark orchid blooming silently in the night, its fragrance rich and dangerous, seeping into Sonoko's intoxicated heart. She tilted her head back, the flush on her cheeks looking exceptionally enchanting in the moonlight, her misty eyes sparkling with a complex light of boldness and cowardice.
"Then we... now..." She summoned her courage, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, yet carrying a desperate determination, as if she were completely surrendering herself to this immoral whirlpool.
Their eyes met, and a dangerous, ambiguous silence filled the air, as if even time had frozen. Kanjuro didn't answer with words; he just looked deeply into her eyes. There seemed to be whirlpools spinning in those deep pupils, swallowing her consciousness, her hesitation, and all her resistance... After an unknown amount of time, the hazy mist on the luxury car's windows gradually dissipated, like waking from a dream.
Inside the car, Sonoko curled up slightly in the passenger seat, her hair a bit disheveled. Her face bore a dazed look as if she were in another world, along with a strange and fragile sense of satisfaction. She stole a glance at Kanjuro, who was calmly adjusting his collar in the driver's seat. Her heart was a whirlwind of emotions—lingering shame, instinctive fear of crossing moral boundaries, but mostly a bizarre sense of peace, as if she had finally found her home, along with a dark sweetness laced with guilt.
After tidying himself up, Kanjuro's expression had returned to its usual calm, perhaps even more languid and profound than before. He turned his head, his gaze falling on Sonoko, deep and inscrutable. He reached out and gently smoothed a strand of hair that was stuck to her forehead with sweat, the temperature of his fingertips brushing against her skin.
In that moment, a silent contract seemed to have been completely forged under the quiet moonlight.
"I'll take you back." His voice was gentle, without a hint of emotion, as if the shocking entanglement that just occurred was merely a dream.
Sonoko obediently nodded. At this moment, she was like a completely tamed little beast, dependent and submissive.
The two swapped seats. Sonoko sat in the driver's seat, buckled her seatbelt, and started the car. Amid the low growl of the engine, the luxury car smoothly drove away from the riverside that had hosted the turning point of her fate.
On the way back, the car was silent. Sonoko focused on the road ahead, but her eyes frequently drifted toward Kanjuro, who was resting with his eyes closed beside her. His profile flickered in the flowing neon lights outside the window, handsome as a sculpture, yet also carrying a distance and mystery that made her heart race.
(He's actually my father... and we actually...)
(But... why don't I... regret it? Instead...)
A sinful pleasure grew wildly in her heart like vines, wrapping around her heart and bringing waves of trembling.
The car finally came to a smooth stop in front of the grand Suzuki Family Mansion.
"We're here," Sonoko said softly, with a hint of subtle reluctance.
Kanjuro slowly opened his eyes, his deep pupils appearing exceptionally bright in the darkness. He looked at Sonoko, the corners of his mouth curving into an extremely faint, ambiguous arc.
"Get some good rest, Sonoko." He paused, then added, "Remember tonight... the'secret' between us."
His words were like a final brand, deeply engraved into Sonoko's soul.
"Mm..." Sonoko lowered her eyelids, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I... I will. Kanjuro... Papa..."
That last title was spoken almost in a breathy whisper, carrying endless shyness and a twisted intimacy.
Kanjuro didn't respond again; he only gave her a deep look before pushing the car door open. His figure quickly blended into the night and vanished.
Sonoko sat alone in the car for a long time without moving. She touched the corner of her lips where Kanjuro had just touched them, feeling the lingering sensation within her body that hadn't yet subsided, as well as the abyss-like, insatiable, immoral throb in her heart.
She knew that from this moment on, her life had completely changed. She had stepped onto a path of no return, a forbidden road filled with thorns and darkness. And the guide was none other than her eternally eighteen-year-old, demonic... 'father'.
The next day, when Sonoko appeared at Teitan High School, everyone sensed an unusual aura about her.
The most direct change was the disappearance of her signature headband, which she almost never went without. Her full, smooth forehead was completely exposed, and her long chestnut hair draped softly over her shoulders. She had lost some of her usual lively bounce, but gained an indescribable softness and charm.
The moment she walked into the classroom, it was as if an invisible halo enveloped her. Several girls who were usually close to her gathered around, looking at her in surprise.
"Sonoko! You... seem a bit different today?"
"Yeah, yeah! I almost didn't recognize you without the headband! So pretty!"
A faint smile appeared on Sonoko's face, different from her usual boisterous laughter. It carried a hint of shyness and an imperceptible satisfaction. As her eyes flickered, she possessed the delicate grace of a newly blooming flower.
She subconsciously touched her smooth forehead and said softly, "Is... is that so? Brother Ye Xiao said... I'd be prettier without the headband."
In her voice, there was an intimacy and dependence as if mentioning a private secret.
At that moment, Ran also walked over. She looked at Sonoko, a flash of amazement crossing her eyes, followed by deeper confusion and a vague sense of worry. As Sonoko's best friend, she keenly captured the change in Sonoko that went beyond appearance.
"Sonoko..." Ran called out softly, her eyes carefully tracing her friend's features. "You... you're really beautiful today." She paused, seemingly searching for the right words. "But... it feels different from before. It's like... you've matured a lot all of a sudden, like... overnight..."
Ran couldn't find the exact words to describe that feeling. It wasn't just the visual change from removing the headband; it was more like a transformation of temperament coming from her very core. The old Sonoko was like a vibrant little sun, bright and direct; but now, she was like a rose soaked in night dew, petals unfurled, exuding a languid fragrance. A hazy and complex charm belonging to a woman occasionally flickered in her eyes.
This beauty carried a soul-stirring sense of being prematurely ripened.
Hearing Ran's words, the flush on Sonoko's face deepened. She lowered her head in a bit of a panic, hiding the complex emotions surging in her eyes.
She knew what Ran was wondering about. It wasn't just a matter of the headband; it was the indelible mark left on her by that indescribable entanglement from last night.
Her body remembered the trembling and pleasure, and her soul was branded with an immoral seal. These internal upheavals eventually leaked out through her external temperament.
"Oh, come on!" Sonoko tried to cover it up with her usual tone. "Maybe it's just the change in hairstyle that makes it feel different! Ran, don't talk nonsense!"
She took Ran's arm, trying to change the subject, but that unique charm radiating from the inside out—a mix of a young girl's shyness and the allure of a newlywed woman—could not be hidden.
The surrounding classmates continued to whisper, marveling at Sonoko's exceptionally moving beauty today.
Only Ran, deep in her heart, planted a seed of unease.
She vaguely felt that Sonoko's 'beauty' seemed to have some overly close connection, which she didn't want to think too deeply about, with that mysterious Brother Ye Xiao.
And Sonoko, under everyone's gaze, felt both shame and a dark, twisted pride.
She had successfully pleased the man she called 'father,' changing herself according to his preferences. Moreover, she was clearly branded with his unique marks. This 'beauty' nurtured by love was the proof of her sinking, and also her... pathological medal of honor.
This was the heart-trembling transformation, scented with sin, of a young girl who had taken a step toward the abyss under the devil's guidance.
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.