As I stood frozen, unable to move, my mind muddled and disoriented, my father’s angry and authoritative voice snapped me back to reality.

"I’m talking to you, Yui! What are you doing here?!" he thundered.

I reluctantly turned toward him, dreading this confrontation. Multiple emotions surged within me: fear, anxiety, shame. A knot formed in my stomach, and my throat tightened as I struggled to hold back tears.

As I tried to find an explanation, my father raised his phone, holding it toward me to show something on the screen. I clearly saw a GPS tracker.

The sunlight, which had previously seemed so joyful in illuminating the cat café windows, now felt harsh and unforgiving.

The revelation paralyzed me even more. My friends, standing behind me, appeared shocked, their gaze expressing anger and disgust toward my father’s actions.

A wave of nausea rose within me as questions whirled in my mind. If my movements were being tracked, was I also being listened to? Had my parents hired people to follow me? Was there more I didn’t know? I had no idea at all.

"Did you think I wouldn’t find out?! We told you, no distractions or unnecessary socializing!"

His cold gaze fell on my friends, implicitly accusing them. Akemi clenched her fists, her knuckles whitening under the pressure. Outraged by this intrusion, she couldn’t help but respond.

"Excuse me? You’re crossing the line by trying to control your daughter’s life completely. Let her breathe a little!"

I was pleasantly surprised by Akemi’s courage. Meanwhile, I trembled, unable to defend my own cause.

"Low-class. Is this the kind of company you keep, Yui? They rub off on you without you even realizing it!"

That was false. I was the one who suggested this outing, even though my friends were against it out of concern for me. I couldn’t let them be insulted and wrongfully accused. Gathering the little courage I had, I spoke up, my voice trembling.

"No, f-father… They had nothing to do with it; it was I who suggested—"

"And you dare to talk back?"

His piercing gaze silenced me, and I instantly lost the little courage I had gathered. That gaze, so cold, filled with contempt and anger, made me feel like he could kill me on the spot.

"I thought you were smart enough and that I could trust you. In the end, your mother and I were wrong about you."

Those words struck me like a punch. Nonsense, I thought. If you trusted me, why use such abusive means? Why stop me from doing the slightest thing?

I stood there, head bowed, ashamed of my behavior and the situation my friends had to witness. I wanted to disappear. All this emotional pressure was draining me of energy.

Suddenly, my father grabbed my wrist with a grip so tight I knew I could never escape. The pain was intense, but I couldn’t say anything. His anger showed through his grasp. What would happen to me once we were home?

"That’s enough now; we’re going home! I see there are gaps to fill in your education. And you, don’t ever think of approaching my daughter again. One wonders if your parents taught you any manners," he said, casting a scornful look at my friends.

Akemi, indignant, wanted to respond, but Aiko, casting desperate glances around, held her back, trying to calm her. I felt so ashamed of my father and the remarks he made to my friends. I felt sorry for them.

As my father turned to leave, taking me with him, I cast a final fleeting glance at my friends and silently mouthed my apologies. I saw in their eyes a mix of anger toward my father and concern for me.

In the car, the atmosphere was heavy and suffocating. I didn’t dare lift my head to look at my father or my friends through the window. The silence in the car was deafening, each breath felt like an enormous effort. My father kept his eyes fixed on the road, but I could feel his anger radiating like an oppressive heat.