Chapter 107
As Yaeko Nishimiya saw her daughter still hesitating, she slowly raised her hand, as if afraid that even the slightest movement might shatter the tension hanging in the air.
Yaeko's fingers moved gently yet firmly, forming a simple gesture filled with encouragement, urging Shoko Nishimiya to eat the candy.
Yaeko's gaze was filled with hope that could barely be concealed. Her eyes trembled faintly, her breath unconsciously held, as though all the belief and fear she had carried for so long now rested on that small, seemingly trivial moment.
Shoko obeyed. With movements that were slightly stiff and full of caution, she brought the candy to her mouth.
Her fingers paused for a fraction of a second just in front of her lips, as if still giving herself one last chance to pull back, before finally committing to the decision.
Her lips moved slowly, closing with hesitation, then parting slightly again, as though still questioning what was truly happening. There was uncertainty in every small movement she made, yet beneath it all, she still chose to trust.
After that, I poured water from the iron kettle I had brought. The sound of the flowing water was soft yet clear within the silent room, its gentle echo only emphasizing the heaviness of the quiet that had already settled. I then raised my hand, giving a simple gesture for Shoko to drink the water.
Even if it was only a little, Shoko obediently took a sip. Her throat moved slowly as she swallowed, the small motion clearly visible along her neck. Then she lowered her hand gradually, as if waiting for something she did not yet understand.
Once she finished, Shoko looked back at me and Yaeko with a face full of confusion. Her brows furrowed slightly, and her eyes moved quickly from one face to the other, searching for answers she could not find.
Not long after, something strange began to happen. Slowly, Shoko's body started to emit a soft light.
The glow emerged from within her, at first dim—so faint it was almost imperceptible, like a trace of light seen only at the edge of one's vision. But within seconds, the radiance grew clearer, more real.
The light spread like a thin, glowing mist, enveloping Shoko's small body in a warm, calming shimmer. It moved gently, as if alive, wrapping around her without leaving any gaps.
The light pulsed softly, like the steady rhythm of a heartbeat, reflecting faintly against the walls of the room.
Those reflections formed subtle, swaying shadows, making the room feel different—quieter, yet somehow more peaceful.
The air around them changed. It felt warmer, lighter, as though something heavy had been silently lifted from the space.
Shoko's eyes widened, staring at her own body. Her breath caught slightly, her chest rising and falling faster than before.
Both of her hands slowly lifted, her fingers moving hesitantly, as if trying to feel something unseen yet undeniably present.
Then, with a quick movement that was almost reflexive, Shoko turned to look at me. Her face was filled with shock and confusion so clear, as though the world she had always known had suddenly changed without warning.
"Hello, Shoko… can you hear me now?" I said with a wide smile, deliberately moving both of my hands to catch her attention. "I just want to say that your mother is very beautiful, and you are very cute. Let me introduce myself again, my name is Kenji. Nice to meet you. Can you say the name Kenji? Come on, repeat after me… Kenji… Kenji… Kenji…"
Shoko stared at me, her body still trembling slightly, as if she had not fully understood what was happening. Her lips parted slowly, hesitant, yet there was something urging her to try.
"Ke… Ken… Kengi… Kengih… Ken… Jih… Kejih! Kenjih! Kenji!" Shoko's voice came out haltingly at first, each syllable unstable, like a sound being discovered for the very first time—foreign, yet strangely compelling to follow.
Her tongue struggled to adjust to the movements, the small muscles around her mouth working awkwardly, unaccustomed to shaping such sounds. Even so, Shoko did not stop.
Something shifted in her expression—confusion slowly giving way to determination as she tried again and again.
Gradually, her pronunciation began to improve. The voice that had once wavered grew steadier, clearer, as if she was beginning to understand how each sound was formed.
Until finally, with a slightly breathless but excited inhale, Shoko managed to say my name clearly—complete, intact, and without hesitation.
Seeing that, my smile widened on its own. A warm sense of satisfaction filled my chest, slowly spreading until even my breathing felt lighter, as though everything I had done so far had truly not been in vain and had finally produced a tangible result.
"Alright, this is your mother, Yaeko," I said, pointing at the woman standing beside me, who had been holding her breath this whole time, her face tense and full of hope. "Or you can call her Mama. Now, let's try again… Mama… Mama… Mama…"
"Ma… Maw… Mah… Mam… Mamaw! Mamah! Mama!" This time, Shoko Nishimiya's voice sounded stronger, clearer, and far more certain. The word no longer stumbled as before, but instead flowed from her lips with a clarity that had never existed until now.
It was not just a word—it was something that had long lived in silence, tightly locked within her heart, buried deep inside a quiet world she had never been able to fully share with anyone.
A simple call that she had only ever been able to feel, but never truly hear, let alone speak—and now, for the very first time, that word was truly born into the world.
Hearing it, Yaeko Nishimiya seemed to lose control of herself. Tears instantly filled her eyes, spilling over uncontrollably, falling freely as if all the emotions she had kept buried for so long had finally found their way out.
Her body trembled slightly, her breathing faltered, her chest rising and falling unevenly, and without a moment of hesitation, she immediately pulled Shoko's small body into a tight embrace.
The hug was strong—so tight, so firm. As if she feared that if she let go, the moment would vanish, disappearing like a dream too beautiful to be real.
"Y-yes… this is Mama, sweetheart… this is Shoko's Mama…" Yaeko's voice trembled violently, breaking under the weight of overwhelming joy. "Mama loves you so much… so, so much… more than anything…"
At first, Shoko seemed a little startled within the embrace. Her small body stiffened briefly, unaccustomed to such a sudden surge of emotion.
But slowly, she began to return the hug. Her small hands moved hesitantly, pausing for a moment in midair before finally clutching onto Yaeko's clothes tightly, her fingers gripping the fabric as if afraid of losing something incredibly precious.
The embrace felt warm—not only physically, but emotionally as well. A warmth that soothed, a warmth that filled an emptiness that had long existed unnoticed.
Within that embrace, so many feelings blended into one—overflowing happiness, calming relief, and a deep, overwhelming emotion that could hardly be put into words.
It was as if all the suffering they had endured over the years—all the silence, all the misunderstandings, all the pain—had finally been repaid in full by a single, simple word: Mama.
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