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 6

At night, in the free parking lot of a nature park near Misaki’s house, a red compact minivan was parked under the light of a streetlamp. There were no other cars in the lot. A man leaned against the minivan, sipping a can of coffee. It was Aika’s father. The sound of insects chirping from the nearby bushes served as background music as he quietly sipped his coffee, waiting for someone.

After a while, a dark purple wagon car, almost black, drove into the lot and parked near the minivan. Aika’s father finished his coffee in one gulp, seeming to confirm that the person he had been waiting for had arrived.

The man who got out of the wagon was Misaki’s father, Shinichi. He wore a casual outfit: an olive-green polo shirt and khaki shorts. He approached Aika’s father.

“Are you Aika’s father? I’m Misaki’s father, Shinichi. Thank you for taking care of Misaki today. Please accept this for the fuel expenses…”

Shinichi tried to hand over a white envelope, but Aika’s father declined it with a smile.

“No need for that. We’re grateful to Misaki for being good friends with our Aika.”

The two men exchanged respectful bows.

“About Misaki…” Shinichi began.

Aika’s father’s expression turned serious.

“She’s with us at home right now. She said she doesn’t want to return home, and I also felt it would be dangerous to leave her alone. I apologize for acting on my own.”

Aika’s father bowed deeply, causing Shinichi to panic.

“P-please don’t! I’m truly thankful for all your help. But… what happened?”

Aika’s father hesitated, struggling to find words.

“There’s no need to worry,” Shinichi said with a reassuring smile.

Aika’s father sighed deeply, then made up his mind.

“Please stay calm as I explain.”

“I will. Go on.”

“Actually… we saw your wife.”

“My wife?”

“Yes, Misaki-chan recognized her, so there’s no doubt.”

“Where did you see her?”

“On the highway… She was in a ‘Super Matsunaga’ company car.”

“Super Matsunaga? That’s where she works part-time.”

“I see. The driver was a man around our age.”

“W-well, it could’ve been work-related…”

Aika’s father shook his head sadly.

“The car… entered a hotel near the interchange.”

“And… uh…”

“Please tell me everything.”

“While they were driving… your wife… she was…”

“What?”

“She was… doing something to the man… with her mouth.”

“What?! Misaki saw that too?”

“I yelled at her not to look as soon as I realized…”

The sound of insects chirping in the bushes felt strangely loud to the two men. Even the flapping of moths drawn to the streetlamp seemed audible.

Aika’s father took a microSD card out of his pocket and handed it to Shinichi.

“What’s this?”

“It’s footage from my car’s dashcam. I copied it onto this card. If you have a card reader, you can watch it on a computer. I checked, and it’s very clear—faces and everything.”

“Thank you. I’ll take it.”

Shinichi accepted the SD card.

“We’ll look after Misaki for now. It’s just the two of us at home, and Aika really wants to stay with her.”

“Thank you. But… your wife?”

“She passed away in a car accident five years ago.”

“I’m so sorry. That was rude of me.”

“Don’t worry about it. By the way… what will you do now?”

Shinichi hung his head.

“To be honest… I’ve suspected my wife was cheating for a while.”

“I see…”

“But when I think about Misaki, I can’t bring myself to choose divorce.”

Shinichi still loved Akiko. He had hoped that someday she would realize her mistakes, regret her actions, and return to being the bright, kind wife and mother she once was. He dreamed of rebuilding the happy family they used to be.

“For now, I think I’ll talk to my mother-in-law about taking care of Misaki. Until then, could you look after her a little longer? I’m sorry for the trouble…”

“We’re happy to help. Misaki is a wonderful girl, and Aika loves having her around. But are you sure involving your wife’s family is okay?”

Shinichi smiled reassuringly.

“My parents have already passed, but I have a good relationship with my mother-in-law. I believe she’ll help us.”

“Then that’s good to hear. If anything comes up, message me on LINE. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Thank you for everything.”

The two men shook hands, and Shinichi smiled.

But his heart was heavy.

Akiko’s affair—and the fact that Misaki had witnessed it—weighed heavily on him. Until now, he had endured everything, trying desperately to hold the family together. But now that Misaki had seen the truth, he knew he had to resolve things with Akiko in some way. Even so, Shinichi couldn’t bring himself to accept divorce as an option. As he got into his car, he wondered if a heartfelt discussion could make Akiko realize her mistakes and wake her up to the damage she was causing.