"To move on is to carry the memory, not the burden."
Hidden away from bustling cities lives a young boy named Taiki Riju in a small household in the town of Tonoraki.
Inside, the house is filled with the rhythmic tapping of his father's keyboard Hiroshi, a brilliant scientist, accompanied by the elegant songs that his mother a gifted pianist would play.
The gleaming trophies and certificates on the mantelpiece each a testament to his parents' brilliance, seemed to watch him with overwhelming pressure.
When Taiki’s father suddenly lost his job, the house that was once filled with joy and chatter fell silent. Taiki's father spent his days isolated in his room, drowning in despair, looking at his past achievements.
His mother, burdened by the weight of being the one responsible as the new breadwinner worked timelessly, slowly her smile and passion for playing the piano faded.
Taiki was left to take care of himself; he found solace in the logical world of knowledge, giving him a safety net to fall back on after all the emotional chaos at home.
Taiki, a boy with dark, serious eyes, sat at his desk, a thick textbook open before him. The faint, yet sharp, sounds of his parents arguing echoed through the thin walls.
"…Hiroshi, the electric bill is almost due…" His mother's voice, usually warm, was edged with worry.
"I'm working on it," his father replied, the tone flat and weary. "Working on it." The phrase echoed in Taiki's mind, a hollow promise that he has heard a thousand times. His small hands tightening around the edge of his textbook.
"You always say that!" His mother's voice cracked.
"I told you, I'm working on it! Things will go back to the way they were!" A flash of frustration,
like lightning, in his father's usually calm and monotone voice.
Taiki, iritated by the noise cover his ears and stared at the complex equations on the page, the symbols a comforting, ordered world. Unlike the chaos seeping through the walls.
"When, Hiroshi? When will things work out? We barely see you anymore! Taiki needs more than just promises!"
Upon hearing his mother Taiki forced his attention back to the textbook, the numbers a refuge. "If I just focus, I can ignore it." Taiki whispered to himself.
Despite the turmoil at home, Taiki excelled in school. Mathematics and science, disciplines of logic and certainty, were his sanctuaries. His teachers spoke of his "gift," a silent testament to his unwavering determination.
To his classmates, he was an enigma, a solitary figure lost in a world of numbers and theories. They saw only the surface: a quiet, distant boy. They didn't see the storm raging beneath.
Mioka’s childhood was a bitter sweet balance of joy and hardship, the Shimizu household that was once filled with laughter, suddenly fell silent after an accident which had taken the life of Mioka’s older brother, filled with grief, each member of the family had locked themselves in their own worlds.
Mioka’s father a marine biologist left home to go to his laboratory abroad, her mother who ran a small bakery struggled to cope against the loss of her son.
Mioka was determined to help, so she started juggling her school work and helping with the chores in the bakery.
Before her father left, Mioka overheard a conversation between parents while passing through the corridor. Her parents' voices, low and strained, drifted from their room.
"What are we going to do about Mioka?" Her father's voice, usually strong, sounded fragile. "I don't think she'll be the same without her brother. He had a bright future..."
Her mother's reply was a choked sob. "I don't know..."
About me? Mioka's heart clenched. They were talking about her, like she was a broken doll. Without him... The words stung. She wasn't broken. Just empty.
Caught between her parent’s silent grief, Mioka vowed to honor and fill her brother’s legacy. Her extroverted nature and kindness made her the favorite among teachers and classmates.
But underneath her cheerful personality lies fear and anxiety of losing another loved one, thus she thrives for perfection in everything she did.
Her developed resilience and empathy made her cross paths with someone who also deals with some inner problems.
Please log in to leave a comment.