The Shape of Happiness: A Family Crumbling Due to the Mother's Infidelity, a Wounded Middle School Daughter, and a Struggling Father Finding a New Form of Happiness. - Episode 3

Three years after moving into the house――

Early in the morning, while stars still twinkled in the sky, someone was sleeping on the sofa in the living room, covered by a blanket. It’s Shinichi, tossing and turning in his small bed.

The smartphone on the table lit up briefly. At that moment, Shinichi turned off the alarm. The wake-up music, “Canon,” did not play. The time displayed on the smartphone was 4:30 AM. Shinichi immediately sat up, got dressed, and put on his usual apron.

First, he quietly cleaned the whole house with a dry mop so as not to wake anyone. After that, he cleaned the toilet and the bathroom. Sometimes, Misaki would clean, which was a big help.

Once the cleaning was done, he started making breakfast and preparing bento. At 6 AM, the rice cooker beeped, signaling that the rice was ready. Hearing that, Shinichi rushed to make the bento first. Today’s side dishes were scrambled eggs, sautéed sausages, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes.

Misaki would be waking up soon, so he needed to prepare breakfast before that. He took the thawed salted salmon out of the fridge and started cooking it.

“Good morning, Dad.”

It seemed he didn’t make it in time. It was just past 6:30 AM, and Misaki had come downstairs. She was already dressed in her middle school sailor uniform.

Misaki had become a first-year middle school student. Her black hair was still in a ponytail, and she had grown into a kind and cute girl. Shinichi thought she was a beautiful girl, though he was a proud father.

“Good morning, Misaki. I’ll cook the salmon now, so please wait just a bit. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Thanks as always.”

Misaki smiled at Shinichi’s apology. While the salmon was cooking, he quickly prepared the spinach salad and seaweed miso soup, then set the table.

“Wow, it looks delicious!”

“I’m not sure if it tastes good, though.”

He placed the cooked salmon and a bowl of hot rice with a cute floral-patterned bowl in front of Misaki.

“Eat before it gets cold. I’ll make tea now.”

“Okay, I’m going to eat!”

Shinichi made two cups of tea and sat across from Misaki.

He happily watched Misaki eat, looking satisfied.

“Dad, it’s delicious!”

“Good, I’m glad.”

“Dad…”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you…”

“Sometimes, Japanese food is nice.”

Shinichi smiled and gently patted Misaki’s head.

“Hey, you said we’d have bread for breakfast!”

A loud voice came from the entrance to the dining kitchen early in the morning. It was Akiko, and her face showed clear anger.

“Oh, sorry, sorry. I thought it’d be nice to have Japanese food for a change—”

“Hurry up and make bread. Also, coffee. Who gave you permission to change it to Japanese food? Don’t do whatever you want.”

Akiko interrupted Shinichi’s words and complained.

“I asked for it. I wanted Japanese food.”

Misaki raised her voice, almost as if defending herself against her mother, glaring at Akiko.

“…Tch. Call me when you’re done.”

Akiko went back upstairs to the bedroom.

“That damn old hag… Making Dad do everything…”

Misaki’s face twisted in anger.

“Hey, Misaki. You shouldn’t speak like that about your mother.”

“But, Dad…”

“Come on, hurry up and eat.”

Shinichi put the bread in the toaster and started boiling water in the electric kettle.

“Oh, Misaki, you’re going to hang out with Aika-chan this weekend, right? Aika-chan’s dad is giving you a ride, right? Make sure to thank him for me.”

“Yeah, I’ll tell him!”

“Just leave the dishes in the sink after you’re done.”

Misaki ignored Shinichi’s words and carried the dirty dishes to the sink.

“Dad, I’ll leave the dishes in the sink. I’ll wash them when I get back.”

“Misaki, you don’t have to—”

“I’ll wash them! Don’t say it’s too much for me.”

“…Thanks. And don’t forget your lunch.”

Shinichi hands Misaki her lunchbox.

“I’m looking forward to the tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) ~♪”

“I might’ve put too much sugar… Sorry.”

“Hahaha! Alright, I’m off!”

“Be careful of the cars..”

Shinichi smiled as he saw Misaki off to school.

Then, his face turned serious as he looked towards the stairs leading to the second floor. His smile faded, and a slightly painful expression appeared.

Two years――

It had been two years since Akiko started working part-time. In just those two years, Akiko had changed. At first, she only worked once or twice a week. She would come home in the evening and handle the housework as usual.

But as time passed, with the preparations for sales and inventory checks, her return times grew later. Shinichi told her not to overdo it, but she smiled and said she enjoyed the work.

Before long, her work days increased, and she often came home late. During this time, she gradually stopped doing housework, and Shinichi began handling everything.

On weekends, she would stay in the bedroom, saying she was tired, and Shinichi was rejected from entering the bedroom because she couldn’t sleep. That’s why he slept in the living room.

For the past year, Akiko had started treating Shinichi and Misaki as obstacles. Despite that, Misaki still tried to stay close to her mother. However, last year, a decisive rift formed between mother and daughter. Akiko had been asked by Misaki about a very sensitive issue regarding becoming a woman, but instead of talking to Misaki herself, Akiko told her to ask her father, Shinichi.

Misaki cried as she talked to Shinichi about the fear and confusion of her body changing into an adult woman. Shinichi responded sincerely, but he also exploded in anger, as he knew that no daughter would want to talk about such things with her father. However, Akiko didn’t apologize. Instead, she threatened divorce. It was as if she had abandoned her role as a mother. Shinichi, wanting to avoid divorce for Misaki’s sake, didn’t argue further.

Akiko, once kind and bright, had changed so much in such a short time. Shinichi, not understanding why, desperately tried to keep the family together, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

However, the decaying atmosphere Akiko brought into the house had deeply infected the family bond, and it had already reached an irreversible point.

What had happened to Akiko in these two years?

Though Shinichi didn’t know yet, he would eventually find out.

The “family” they once knew, the “shape of happiness,” was falling apart.

The real nightmare was about to begin――