The weekly notice was sent to the office, and Shinichi Iwahashi helped suppress the news.
Listening to her daughter's explanation, Chieko finally realized how the two young people who came hand in hand today felt.
Just as Chieko received a call from her creditor, she was worried that Akina would be affected. Akina and Iwahashi Shinichi were also worried that Chieko would be affected by Nakamori Akio's matter. Not only that, knowing that they would hear about it if they came here today,
Iwahashi Shinichi, who also chose to come along, was prepared to share everything with the mother and daughter.
When she realized this, Chieko suddenly felt in her heart that Nakamori Akio's matter was not worth mentioning.
The mother and daughter, who had finished whispering in the kitchen, were preparing to serve Iwahashi Shinichi's after-dinner tea together. Iwahashi Shinichi, who had been forgotten in the living room, looked around the room, and vaguely heard the sound of mother and daughter talking and laughing in his ears, and then
, the volume of the voice dropped.
He turned his head and looked at the small courtyard casually. In the midsummer afternoon, everything outside the window looked listless.
"Long time waiting~"
Akina Nakamori's voice sounds full of energy.
She was holding an exaggeratedly large tray that looked like something that would appear at a family gathering. When Iwahashi Shinichi saw this tray, he seemed to have seen the past of the Nakamori family. Chieko helped beside her and said with a smile: "Leave Shinichi-kun in the cold."
Step aside."
"After all, he is a person who has done nothing." Shinichi Iwahashi responded to Chieko's joke.
Akina Nakamori sat back down next to Shinichi Iwahashi. Chieko took her for granted and realized that her daughter had become someone else's family.
She and two young men sat across the table from each other. "Two days ago, a phone call came to my home."
Chieko briefly described the contents of the phone call, and Shinichi Iwahashi listened carefully. She changed the subject and thanked him, "Thank you also, Shinichi-kun."
Iwahashi Shinichi lowered his head slightly, "This is my responsibility."
"It's not your job to think about me, an old woman." Chieko was a little stubborn.
Akina Nakamori wanted to say something next to her. Shinichi Iwahashi said without hesitation, "Coming here today, I feel it is my duty." If she didn't consider Chieko, Akina Nakamori would not feel at ease.
"I don't often see people taking trouble upon themselves." Chieko smiled.
"It's not like you take all the trouble on yourself." Iwahashi Shinichi responded to her joke again. After he finished the light-hearted joke, his expression became more serious, "Chieko-san, what do you think about it?"
"In fact, I really want to yell at the other person on the phone, 'What does it have to do with me?!', so to speak." What Chieko said sounded more like a joke than every previous joke.
However, when she said this, her expression was more serious than ever.
"I didn't know anything, but I got a phone call out of nowhere, telling me that I had a debt of 15 million yen to repay. Isn't it pitiful to think about this kind of thing?" Chieko said.
Shinichi Iwahashi looked at her faded hair roots and remembered that Nakamori Akina's mother was never a weak housewife who would just stay at home, helpless to deal with troubles, and shed tears. On the contrary, she was full of courage and courage.
He is full of energy.
"Akina-chan is also very pitiful."
When a mother talks about how pitiful she is, the actual reason is to say this.
When he didn't know anything, his biological father was misbehaving outside and owed debts, and the daughter had to bear the consequences of being on the headlines of weekly magazines and being criticized by the world. She might even be asked to pay off the debts for her father.
For Akina Nakamori, it’s not like “it’s none of my business?”
Chieko said these words in front of Iwahashi Shinichi, not caring that he saw the bad side of the family.
Although the news has been suppressed for the time being, as long as the debt exists and Akio Nakamori is unable to repay it, there will always be a day when it will be used as material by another magazine and become a report feature again.
At that time, should we continue to suppress it until it becomes unpressurable and becomes the headline?
"Mother." Nakamori Akina felt the love from Chieko.
Then, she thought that after knowing about this incident, she was neither angry nor sad. She was no longer as easily affected by the affairs of the big family as before.
It was because Iwahashi Shinichi stood in front of her, and it was because she had her own home.
But in my own home, my mother Chieko no longer exists.
Nakamori Akina truly realized this when she listened to her mother telling her father's story. When she listened to her father's story indifferently, she also subconsciously ignored her mother.
When I came back today, the trace of guilt I felt in my heart from time to time may come from this.
Nakamori Akina felt uncomfortable thinking about this, and wanted to say, not for her father who broke her heart, but for her mother who would be hurt because of her father, should she do something...
But if you do this, the outline of the new life you just saw suddenly becomes a dream again.
Akina Nakamori called "Mother" but couldn't say anything. She was under the table and couldn't help handing over her hand, placing her fingers on Iwahashi Shinichi's hand.
When her fingers were gently grasped, she felt a burst of sadness in her heart. And that moment of sadness was slowly replaced by determination when she felt the strength of his fingers.
Can you forget this family and live your own life?
This thought came to Nakamori Akina's mind. When she looked into her mother's eyes, even though she was ashamed, she did not look away.
She was under the table, tightly grasping Iwahashi Shinichi's hand, as if she was grasping the happiness that finally came to her eyes.
…
Whether it is Chieko, Iwahashi Shinichi, or Nakamori Akina herself, they all know in their hearts that even if they pay off the debt for Nakamori Akio and resolve the matter this time, there is no guarantee that Nakamori Akio will change his mind and stop doing extraordinary things.
thing.
On the contrary, it is more likely that Akio Nakamori has tasted the sweetness and has no scruples. This is like a gambler, as long as he wins a game, he feels that he has the winning card in his hand.
Besides, for Nakamori Akina, a daughter, there is no obligation to "repay the father's debt". For Chieko, what is even more unwilling to accept is that this daughter should take on this undue responsibility for her mother and family.
It's her responsibility.
With great difficulty, I grasped the door handle to happiness and started living my own life.
"my own life".
This thought stung Chieko.
When I married Akio Nakamori, I chose my own life. Having as many children as possible was also my choice. It was my choice of life that brought Akina into this world.
When raising children, all the life is devoted to the children. It is not an exaggeration to say that life is left to the family. However, because it is your own choice, this "life without your own life" is also your own.
life.
The children left home and started their own lives.
The "life without her own life" that Chieko once had is gone forever. Now she is separated from her husband and lives alone in this house. This is also her own life. She did not actively choose it, but it has become natural.
"I was thinking that when I die one day, I would rather not be buried in the Nakamori family cemetery." Chieko suddenly spoke and told her daughter and Iwahashi Shinichi the thoughts that had appeared in her mind.
Nakamori Akina's eyes widened, and she couldn't tell whether she was surprised by her mother's sudden mention of death, or whether she was surprised by her mother's thoughts about her death.
"However, since I have changed my surname to Nakamori, there seems to be nowhere to go unless I enter the Nakamori family cemetery."
Chieko looked at her daughter, and a certain picture appeared in her mind.
A mother who raised six children with a thin body was surrounded by the children she had raised when she was dying. When she died, the children of the family followed the coffin, and the long line of people seemed to be her life
continuation of.
After listening to her mother's words, Nakamori Akina was at a loss and had no idea, so she subconsciously went to see Iwahashi Shinichi.
Iwahashi Shinichi felt that it might not be appropriate for him to say this, but it seemed that it was inappropriate for anyone else to say it except him. He answered Chieko
That's right "answer".
Chieko's words not only stated a "fact", but also raised a "question." He said, "It's not so much that you have nowhere to go, it's better to choose where to go."
"You're really good at talking." Chieko laughed hard.
Chieko previously felt that choosing "a life without her own life" led to the result of "there is nowhere to go without entering the Nakamori family cemetery."
But Shinichi Iwahashi said that "not entering the Nakamori family cemetery" leads to the result that "you have your own choice."
The mother and her boyfriend were chatting about death. Akina Nakamori was listening and could not interrupt. Whether she agreed or disagreed, it was not appropriate for her to say.
But even though she wasn't shrewd enough, she still had a delicate and sensitive heart, and she somewhat understood why her mother suddenly mentioned this matter.
Nakamori Akina felt something in her heart. On the other side, the conversation between her mother and her boyfriend became increasingly exaggerated and outrageous. Chieko smiled and asked Iwahashi Shinichi, "Is it okay to go anywhere?"
Iwahashi Shinichi gave her an affirmative answer, "Of course."
The two of them talked openly about the topic of "death".
Iwahashi Shinichi said to Chieko, "If you want, you can enter my family's cemetery."
These words made Chieko laugh. She was obviously amused, but she kept a straight face and scolded him, "It's really rude and impractical."
Iwahashi Shinichi answered her, "It is possible to be rude, but as long as you are willing, there is nothing unrealistic."
He seemed to be making some promise to Chieko, and also seemed to be responding to Chieko's thoughts.
Akina Nakamori was beside her and was speechless. Chieko looked at her overwhelmed daughter and smiled, "Just relax, Akina-chan."
She assured Akina Nakamori, "This matter can be solved beautifully with a little thought. So, there is no need to worry."
Chieko was not trying to comfort her, "Compared to the hard work in the past, these are nothing now."
Indeed, for Chieko, who has endured many hardships since she was a girl and has been faced with the situation of running out of food and ammunition many times, the debt problem caused by her husband's misbehavior outside is nothing.
When Chieko made such a promise, Akina Nakamori felt at ease as long as she received her mother's assurance when she was young. She couldn't help but believe in her and rely on her. But Shinichi Iwahashi looked at Chieko and thought of Akina Nakamori.
A shopping street kid showing off his biceps.
I have to think about it, there really is a blood connection between this mother and daughter.
…
Before saying goodbye, Chieko remembered what the two of them had said about moving, and suggested, "How about I buy Akina-chan the new rice cooker as a moving gift?"
The person who answered was Iwahashi Shinichi, "That's perfect."
Chieko didn't spare him and joked with him, "Shinichi-kun answered so quickly."
"After all, you can actually eat delicious food." Shinichi Iwahashi responded to Chieko's joke again and again, taking the trouble to do so.
Nakamori Akina glanced at her smug boyfriend, "With a new-style rice cooker, you can have delicious rice... If that's the case, Shinichi, you can cook it, wouldn't it be delicious too?"
Shinichi Iwahashi responded, "The reason I'm sure I can get delicious rice with the new rice cooker is because today's rice was cooked by Chieko-san."
Didn’t Akina Nakamori inherit her cooking skills from Chieko?
He flattered both the mother and daughter with his gentle words. Nakamori Akina disliked him, "You're so naughty."
Chieko found it quite useful, "There's nothing wrong with being able to talk."
The mother's reaction made Nakamori Akina realize that "the mother-in-law loves and cares for her son-in-law extraordinarily" was indeed true. She put away this discovery that was not a discovery, and said to Chieko: "When we move, you are welcome to come and play."
"After receiving the postcard about moving, I came to the house with a rice cooker." Chieko was in a good mood and joked again and again.
…
In the end, there was no standard answer to how Nakamori Akio should deal with his debts. The three of them sat together, Iwahashi Shinichi and Chieko talked about something, and then stopped the topic.
But Akina Nakamori vaguely guessed something in her heart.
Standing in front of the entrance, looking at her mother who sent her and Iwahashi Shinichi away, Nakamori Akina tried to read something from her mother's face. But Chieko happily sent the two of them away.
Looking at her mother as if nothing had happened, Nakamori Akina felt uncomfortable again. Today, it was Iwahashi Shinichi who chatted with her mother more than herself. It seemed that Iwahashi Shinichi was more concerned about her than herself.
Akina Nakamori's helplessness in not being able to say anything may not have been affected by that feeling of guilt.
On the way back, she suddenly said to Iwahashi Shinichi: "Thank you."
Iwahashi Shin glanced at her on the way back, then let him drive.
He reacted, thought for a moment, and asked her, "What's wrong?"
