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 5

A white light van with Misaki’s mother, Akiko, in the passenger seat is driving ahead of a red compact minivan carrying Misaki. The words “Super Matsunaga” are displayed on the rear gate of the van, just like on the doors.

Because it’s a company vehicle, the van doesn’t have tinted windows, and the interior can be roughly seen from the minivan. The streetlight along the national highway reflects and hides Akiko’s face as it passes by the rear window of the company van.

“Misaki-chan.”

“…Yes…”

“If it’s hard to answer, you don’t have to.”

“…”

“Who’s in the car we’re following?”

Misaki flinched for a moment at the question from Aika’s father.

Aika, who was watching Misaki, looked worried.

“It… It doesn’t matter who they are! Dad, don’t ask weird things! Misaki, you don’t need to worry about it!”

Aika, unable to bear the strange atmosphere, hurriedly tried to comfort Misaki.

“…It’s my mother…”

Misaki answered quietly.

Silence filled the minivan. The only sound was the engine and the road noise from the tires.

Both Aika and her father realized how serious the situation was for Misaki.

“Aika.”

“Yeah.”

“From here on, no matter what you see or hear, you must never tell anyone. Absolutely. Understood?”

“Yeah, I understand.”

Aika’s father gave his warning to his daughter in a serious tone, not the usual gentle voice. He knew that, in the worst case, this situation would leave a huge and permanent emotional scar on Misaki.

The two cars continued driving. It seemed that the company car was having cheerful conversations, but inside the minivan, all three were silent, with the heavy air of tension. They were all watching Akiko, Misaki’s mother.

Soon, they were stopped by another traffic light.

“Misaki-chan, do you want me to pull up next to them?”

“…No, please keep following them.”

“Got it.”

Aika’s father gripped the steering wheel again. Aika only watched her mother, Akiko, in the company car, worried.

Then, Akiko did something no one expected.

“What… No way…”

“No, I don’t want to…”

Aika’s father and Aika both gasped.

Akiko, still smiling, leaned toward the short-haired man in the driver’s seat.

“Misaki-chan, don’t look!”

Aika’s father shouted.

But Misaki clearly saw it.

She saw the moment Akiko’s face moved toward the man’s lower body, hidden by the seat.

What exactly was happening couldn’t be seen, but it was clear what Akiko was doing.

The traffic light turned green, and the company car started moving again. Akiko’s figure was hidden once more.

The three continued the pursuit. Misaki stared hard at the company car, while Aika, holding her face with both hands, silently cried, her shoulders shaking. Even Aika was in shock.

“Misaki-chan, do you still want to keep following them?”

Aika’s father asked, trying to suggest, in a roundabout way, that they should stop. Seeing how badly Aika was affected and considering Misaki’s emotions, he thought it might be better for Misaki not to know the end of this.

But from the rearview mirror, Misaki’s face was completely devoid of expression.

“Please keep following.”

“Misaki-chan…”

“I’m sorry. But as a daughter, I believe I need to see this through to the end.”

Misaki’s gaze stayed fixed, though her mother was hidden behind the seat.

Still, Misaki continued glaring at the company car.

Aika’s father silently agreed to respect Misaki’s decision.

The red minivan kept following. It seemed like the company car had no idea they were being followed.

The two cars sped down the national highway. Eventually, they approached an interchange leading to the highway. Would they continue on the highway for a longer trip, or…?

The left turn signal of the company car started blinking.

Aika’s father wanted to look up to the sky in despair at the worst possible scenario.

The company car entered a hotel near the interchange. The words “Super Matsunaga” disappeared into the ugly, castle-like building that was rarely seen these days.

The three in the minivan drove past and parked on the shoulder a little further down the road. The car was silent, no one saying a word.

“Misaki-chan…”

Aika’s father mumbled, and Misaki immediately unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the sliding door, and ran out onto the sidewalk.

“Misaki-chan!”

“Misaki!”

Misaki dropped to her knees on the spot.

“Hah… Ugh…”

Misaki vomited violently on the sidewalk.

“Misaki-chan, are you okay!?”

“Misaki, are you alright!?”

The nausea wouldn’t stop no matter how much she vomited.

Her mother treated her and her father like obstacles.

Yet, somewhere in her heart, Misaki had believed that her kind mother would surely come back, that the bond of family couldn’t be broken.

—But the bond of family was just an illusion.