Chapter 114: Chapter 113: The Wheel of Change Begins to Turn
In the following days, Fang Zheng did not immediately spring into action; instead, he went about the same work day after day. He taught lessons, took leaves, and then sipped tea in the infirmary, waiting for someone to come for consultation. Perhaps because the profession of Psychological Consultant was deemed prestigious, or maybe because Fang Zheng’s so-called “overseas study” background was quite eye-catching, quite a few children came to seek his help. Of course, the issues the children brought up to Fang Zheng were the likes of “he stole my toy,” “I have a crush on OO, but I don’t know how to express it,” “I’m being disliked, what should I do?” Nonetheless, Fang Zheng patiently counseled them one by one.
Because Fang Zheng was well aware that only in this way could he gain the recognition of certain beings.
As expected, perseverance paid off, and after a week, a visitor Fang Zheng had anticipated arrived at his “Psychological Counseling Office.”
“Um… Teacher, I’m not disturbing you, am I? I’m not, right?”
Looking at the girl in front of him, dressed in a white sundress, Fang Zheng smiled, stood up and made a welcoming gesture.
“No, not at all, it’s part of my job, after all. Please, have a seat… would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee? I also have some cake here.”
“Ah, then I’d like a cup of black tea.”
“Of course, no problem.”
Upon hearing Rena’s request, Fang Zheng nodded and then poured a cup of black tea, before taking out a slice of fruit cake from the refrigerator next to him. Seeing the fruit cake, Rena’s expression instantly changed. freёwebnoѵel.com
“Ah, it’s so cute, I want to take it home!!”
This must also be a kind of psychological illness.
Watching Rena, who squinted her eyes as if magnetized by the fruit cake, swinging back and forth, Fang Zheng murmured a critical comment to himself. Then he shut the door of the room, sat back in his chair, and snapped his fingers. Immediately, the soundproofing magic took effect, converting the entire room into a sealed chamber.
This was one of Fang Zheng’s techniques, after all, this was just an ordinary rural school with pretty average construction. Most of the school’s population was children, and because of this, they were particularly sensitive to such matters. Fang Zheng would not want someone eavesdropping while he conducted psychological consultations; while they might seem like trivial concerns, if someone outside were to overhear and then speak to the parties involved about them, that would be a major problem for him. That’s why Fang Zheng always deployed soundproof magic before each “treatment” to eliminate this issue.
Of course, from another perspective, this also meant that no matter what happened inside the infirmary, no one on the outside could hear any sound… hehehe…
Alright, that’s enough thinking.
Perhaps due to the tea and cake, Rena was no longer as tense as she had been when she first arrived; she took a sip of black tea and then looked towards Fang Zheng.
“Actually… Teacher, I have something really troubling to discuss, I don’t know how to say it… it’s about my father…”
As he listened to Rena’s story, Fang Zheng began to recall the related plot.
Rena’s story was quite tragic, too. Her mother was an excellent designer, and her father had resigned from his job and moved to where his wife worked in order to make her job go smoother. Unfortunately, his decisions did not lead to a happy outcome, as his wife, whose status had gradually risen, clearly disdained her husband who had quit his job to be a homemaker, turning her eyes toward men who were in the same position as she was. Eventually, Rena’s mother engaged in an extramarital affair and divorced her husband, leaving Rena deeply hurt.
But this was only the beginning. After moving back to Hinamizawa, Rena’s father became despondent, seeking solace in alcohol day after day. Then, he met a woman at a hostess club—Mamiya Rena.
This woman was Teppei Hojo’s mistress and his partner in crime. She and Teppei Hojo played a badger game to lure Rena’s father in, making him spend a great deal of money on her and even fooling him into buying her an apartment in the name of marriage.
After the apartment was bought, Teppei Hojo showed up in time to severely beat Rena’s father under the pretext of “You dare lay hands on my woman,” resulting in him being cheated both personally and financially, utterly defeated.
Seeing what her father had suffered, Rena naturally could not stand idly by. In the end, she killed Mamiya Rena and Teppei Hojo, starting the legend of the Hinamizawa Darkening, with the machete becoming one of the three infamous weapons, known throughout the world.
Considering the situation from Rena’s perspective, Fang Zheng thought anyone would be unable to tolerate such events, especially since winning a lawsuit over such matters would be incredibly difficult. In fact, most people experiencing what Rena did would likely have the initial reaction to simply kill the malevolent couple.
So, this really had nothing to do with being infected by a virus, anyone in that situation would have taken action, right?
Regrettably, Fang Zheng had a premonition that in this world, he absolutely could not commit murder, or else he would have already found a way to dump those two people into Tokyo Bay.
“My father is still planning to buy that woman an apartment… I really don’t know what to do…”
This was the “child’s” limit.
Quietly observing Rena as she lowered her head, Fang Zheng sighed.
“Children” are ultimately just “children.” No matter how clever or powerful they seem, they all yearn for their parents’ assistance and reliance. And for someone like Rena, coming from a single-parent household was already quite stressful. With such an incident on top of it all, despite Rena’s typically carefree nature, she probably could not find happiness.
However, Fang Zheng was not entirely without a plan.
“Rena, do you trust your father?”
Startled by Fang Zheng’s question, Rena hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
“I, I don’t know, teacher… I just feel that my father can’t go on …”
“Then let me rephrase the question.”
As he spoke, Fang Zheng took a sip of his coffee.
“Do you believe that your father still loves you?”
“Of course, my father loves me!”
At this, Rena stood up abruptly, her fists clenched with emotion.
“I also wish, I want my father to forget the past and live well, but that woman… that woman has deceived him! Now all he sees is that woman!”
At that moment, Rena’s face became increasingly fierce, and even Fang Zheng could feel the terrifying murderous intent emitting from the girl before him, as if a ferocious beast was about to bare its fangs.
Is this the Hinamizawa Syndrome?
What’s more, to Fang Zheng’s surprise, Rena’s strength had increased! According to the Main World’s classification, Rena’s strength had been at an average human’s level, but now, she was gradually approaching Entry Level standard!
Could this virus be likened to a Saiyan reincarnation? Could it also lead to a super super super transformation?
“Then, go and have a proper talk with your father.”
Fang Zheng was, of course, well aware that the last thing to do when someone is angry is to try to pacify them. Venting anger is everyone’s instinct, and pacifying feels like forcibly holding down a lid that should be lifted, only making the anger burn more fiercely. So, he was not trying to pacify, but to open the lid, and then… extinguish the flame.
Perhaps it was an unexpected answer, Rena stopped short, staring blankly at Fang Zheng. The ferocious expression slowly faded from her face, and at the same time, the savage killing intent and aura began to recede.
“If you’re truly dissatisfied with what your father is doing, then tell him directly. Suffering in silence won’t change anything. If you want to speak out, then do it loudly. If you still believe that he is your father, then you shouldn’t be afraid of this, should you?”
With that, Fang Zheng took another sip of his coffee, looking at Rena with a half-smile.
“Or do you think… your words won’t matter to your father, that he cares more about that woman instead of you?”
“That’s impossible, Dad loves me the most! And I love him the most too!”
Fatherly love is like a mountain, huh? Should there be a twist of a fiendish father here?
“Then, find your father and have a proper talk.”
Fang Zheng put down his mug and watched Rena with a smile. He had similar experiences and understood well what these children had in their hearts. They all knew they had been wronged, but to be “obedient” and “understanding,” these children kept their grievances to themselves and never released them. They just hoped that by doing so, their parents would have a change of heart or grow closer to them. But clearly, that was impossible.
“If you don’t speak up, your father won’t know. People need to use words to communicate because not everything will happen the way they want it to. Perhaps you should try it.”
After hearing Fang Zheng’s response, Rena stayed silent for a moment; then it seemed she made up her mind, bowing respectfully towards Fang Zheng.
“Thank you, teacher, I’ll do my best.”
“I wish you success.”