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 56

A gentle morning sunlight, signaling the arrival of spring, shone upon a suburban residential area with scattered fields. In front of a newly built house, neighbors had gathered. At the center stood a family of five, likely the ones who had built the house.

A couple in their late thirties to early forties stood close together, appearing affectionate. The husband had an average build, short black hair, and wore a navy-blue suit. The wife had short black hair and was dressed in a white, form-fitting dress with a light pink cardigan draped over her shoulders. In her arms, she held a baby girl, who was peacefully asleep. Smiling happily, she returned her husband’s gentle smile.

The husband, likely the father, gently placed his arm around the shoulder of the girl standing beside him. She was a young, beautiful woman in her late teens or early twenties. She had light brown hair tied in a ponytail and wore a light gray hoodie, tight denim jeans, and white sneakers—her outfit was casual yet stylish. She laughed joyfully with her father and leaned against him affectionately while peering at the baby in her mother’s arms with a smile.

A short distance away, an older woman watched them warmly. She wore a light green satin blouse with a long, pale beige skirt. Her glossy, long black hair and elegant demeanor gave her an air of timeless beauty. Despite her age, she exuded a captivating charm and slender grace.

—

A neighborhood housewife approached the older woman.

“Ms. Nagata, congratulations on your new home!”

“Thank you very much.”

“I’m so envious that you could rebuild such a magnificent house!”

The woman glanced softly at the husband.

“My son-in-law rebuilt it for us. He said, ‘Let’s all be happy together in this house.’”

“What a kind son-in-law! His name was… Shinichi, right?”

“Yes, Shinichi. I’m truly grateful to him, even though my daughter Akiko was so thoughtless.”

“Speaking of your daughter, it must have been difficult…”

“I was shocked when I heard she was taken to the hospital. I still don’t know what exactly happened. I only know she was discharged soon after. But now, I have no idea where she is or what she’s doing.”

“But at least you have your lovely granddaughter, Misaki, and now a second grandchild. You must be happy as a grandmother.”

“Yes, I’m truly happy. My daughter-in-law, Ryoko, is very kind to me. Most of all… my son-in-law has been so good to me.”

The older woman blushed as if she were a lovestruck girl.

The neighborhood woman, noticing this, smiled and nodded several times.

“Even with everything that happened to your daughter, your son-in-law and grandchildren still stand by you. That just shows how wonderful you are, Ms. Nagata. Some families completely fall apart in these situations.”

“Fall apart?”

The older woman tilted her head in confusion as the neighbor leaned in to whisper.

“You know the Kouzuki family, a little further down the street? They moved back here a few years ago when the husband’s job transfer ended.”

“Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen his wife around recently.”

“That plump wife of his had been cheating with different men for years.”

“Oh my, she didn’t seem like that at all…”

“Apparently, the husband had been gathering evidence and eventually threw her out of the house. Their high school-aged son, disgusted by both his unfaithful mother and his domineering father, stopped coming home. You know how the husband was a strict, old-fashioned patriarch. Now, he lives there alone in a house full of garbage.”

The neighbor shook her head in disbelief.

“So, the wife returned to her parents’ home?”

The woman’s eyes sparkled.

“You’d think so, right? But no! Her parents cut ties with her too.”

“What? Then…”

“I saw her myself! By chance, when I went shopping in Togami’s downtown area!”

“The next city over?”

“She looked miserable as she entered the red-light district. You know that area just behind the station? She probably couldn’t pay the hefty alimony with a regular job.”

“Oh my…”

“That family completely fell apart. It’s a disaster. The husband and wife brought it upon themselves, but I feel bad for their son. He’s such a polite and kind boy. Infidelity, abuse—it only leads to ruin.”

The neighbor shrugged, while the older woman smiled wryly, slightly troubled.

“My own family became complicated because of my daughter’s mistakes, but… perhaps this is our own ‘shape of happiness.’”

“I think it works for your family, Ms. Nagata. Complicated or not, you accepted it, and now everyone looks happy. Plus, you all get to live in this wonderful house. A lively and joyful ‘shape of happiness.’ As long as the five of you are happy, that’s what matters.”

“Thank you. My grandchild’s cries might be noisy for a while, so please bear with us.”

“Haha, babies are meant to cry! Don’t worry about it!”

—

The granddaughter in the hoodie called out.

“Grandma! The photographer is here!”

“Alright! I’m coming! Excuse me.”

“Go get a lovely family photo taken!”

In front of the house, four family members and the photographer were already waiting. The photographer adjusted his camera on a tripod while giving instructions.

“Okay, stand together in front of the entrance! We’ll include the nameplate too!”

The nameplate beside the entrance read “Takagi-Nagata.”

They stood in order: the granddaughter on the left, the wife holding the baby, the husband, and the older woman on the right.

“Move a little closer! Dad, don’t be shy!”

The photographer’s words made the gathered neighbors chuckle. The family squeezed in closer around the husband.

“Let’s see some affection! Dad, put your arm around your wife’s shoulder… yes, perfect! Now, those on the edges, lightly place your hands on your neighbor’s waist. Wonderful! This will be a photo full of love and dreams!”

The photographer’s cheerful instructions made all four smile naturally. The neighbors watched warmly.

Looking through his camera’s viewfinder, the photographer saw a radiant family of five.

“Great! Get ready! Smile, everyone! Say cheese!”

*Click!*

“One more! Here we go! Say cheese!”

*Click!*

“Alright! Great job! Congratulations on your new home!”

The surrounding neighbors clapped sincerely for the happy family. The four bowed repeatedly, their hearts full of thoughts about the new life they would build in this house—their own “shape of happiness.”

—

“…Maybe we should have another baby.”

The granddaughter whispered to herself and smirked.