Chapter 114
"This morning, your daughter, Yaeko, applied for a job at my shop," I continued calmly, keeping my tone steady so it wouldn't sound exaggerated or forceful. "And after I accepted her, I made the decision to help her family—not only as her employer… but also as someone who feels a sense of responsibility."
I then glanced briefly toward Shoko. The girl was now standing straighter than before; her shoulders were no longer slumped, and her body seemed more alive.
There was a subtle but unmistakable change, as if the dim energy that once lingered within her was slowly beginning to shine again.
Yaeko herself stood beside Shoko, positioned slightly ahead, unconsciously placing herself as a shield.
Her gaze was gentle, yet behind it, there was a faint glimmer of hope—one she was trying to hold back so it wouldn't be too obvious.
"I don't want Yaeko to work while constantly worrying about her own family," I continued, then looked back at Ito with a more serious expression, making sure every word truly reached her. "Yaeko's daughter, Shoko… and you, her mother, Mrs. Ito. You are the biggest reasons that would weigh on her mind once she starts working at my shop."
I took a slow breath before continuing, giving a slight pause so my words wouldn't sound rushed. "Because of that, to reduce Yaeko's worry and anxiety about her family, I chose to heal Shoko's hearing problem."
The room instantly felt quieter. No sound could be heard except for restrained breaths. The air itself seemed heavier, as if every word I had just spoken was still hanging between us.
Ito looked at me with a shock she couldn't hide. Her eyes widened slightly, her pupils trembling faintly, and her lips parted as if she wanted to speak—but no words came out.
"Now, Shoko can hear again," I added in the same calm tone, even though I could feel the tension spreading through the room. "Not only that… I also helped improve her thinking ability and memory. So she can not only hear, but also understand and respond much better—perhaps even slightly beyond children her age."
Ito remained silent. Her gaze slowly shifted toward Shoko, looking at the girl with a mix of doubt and hope. It was the kind of look that searched for proof, trying to confirm that this wasn't just empty words.
Shoko returned that gaze with a more vivid expression. Her eyes looked focused, no longer hollow as before. There was awareness within them—something that made the difference obvious even without explanation.
Ito then looked back at me. Her expression was still filled with shock, but now there was something else within it—a doubt that had begun to mix with the possibility that all of this might be real.
I took another slow breath, giving a small pause so everything wouldn't feel too overwhelming. I didn't want to force her to accept everything all at once.
"And… I also intend to help you, Mrs. Ito," I said at last, my voice steady, though slightly deeper than before.
This time, the change in Ito's expression was much more apparent. Her face showed a deeper shock, her eyes narrowed slightly, and her body seemed even more tense.
Wariness surfaced naturally, as if one part of her wanted to believe what she was hearing, while another part refused to accept something that sounded too good to be true.
"I want to restore your physical condition," I said, softening my tone a little, deliberately easing the pressure in my voice so it wouldn't sound threatening or coercive. "To make your body healthy again… even younger. Your aging process will slow down, and your body will regain the strength it once had—like when you were at your prime."
I paused for a moment, not continuing my explanation right away. I let my words hang in the air, giving them space to truly sink in. No one spoke.
Silence slowly filled the room, pressing in from all sides, making each passing second feel longer—as if time itself was waiting for a reaction to surface.
"Please… don't reject it immediately," I continued, my voice lowering slightly, losing some of its formality and replaced by something more sincere. "Don't you want to see Shoko grow up? Then get married… and eventually have a family of her own?"
I watched the subtle change in Ito's expression as those words reached him. His eyelids moved faintly, his breath hitched for a brief moment, and the look in his eyes shifted—as if my words had touched something he had long kept buried in silence.
"And what about your second grandchild… who hasn't even been born yet?" I asked, my gaze briefly shifting toward Yaeko's stomach before returning to Ito. "Don't you want to witness all of that? Watching them grow… until one day they build their own lives, living by their own choices?"
The atmosphere turned completely still. No sound remained—every slight movement felt pronounced. Slowly, Ito turned his head toward Shoko, then toward Yaeko's stomach. His eyes trembled faintly, as if his mind was being flooded with possibilities he had never allowed himself to consider before.
"That's why… please accept my help," I said at last, breaking the silence that had begun to feel too heavy to bear. "Let me help you regain a healthier body. Give you more time… to be with your family, without the constant worry lingering at the back of your mind."
"And… I want to apologize," I added honestly. This time, I lowered my head slightly—enough to show a sincerity that wasn't forced. "Earlier, I lied. I said I came only to check the location of Yaeko's house. That wasn't entirely true. So, I want to apologize to you."
I wasn't hiding anything anymore. Everything that needed to be said had been spoken—without restraint, without disguise. Now, only one thing remained—how Ito would respond to all of this.
Meanwhile, Ito simply stood there in silence. The shock on his face had not completely faded, but now there was something else beneath it—something deeper, more complex. Perhaps hope, long buried, was beginning to rise to the surface.
Ito's hand, which had been stiff, began to move slightly. His fingers trembled faintly—not merely from fear, but because his thoughts were racing, trying to grasp all the possibilities that had suddenly opened before him.
"You… is what you're saying really true?" Ito looked at me with widened eyes, his voice trembling slightly, caught between doubt that had yet to fully fade and hope that had just begun to grow—even as he seemed hesitant to fully believe it.
"Yes," I answered briefly, without hesitation, accompanied by a calm, faint smile. "I have no reason to lie about something like this. So please, accept the help I'm offering."
The silence returned once more. No one moved, no one spoke. The tension hung in the air like something fragile, waiting to fall one way or the other.
Ito drew a deep breath, slowly, as if trying to steady himself. His chest rose and fell in a slightly uneven rhythm before he finally closed his eyes for a moment, gathering the courage he needed.
A few seconds passed before his eyes opened again. This time, there was something different in his gaze—firmer, though still carrying traces of doubt.
"Alright," Ito finally said, giving a slow nod.
The decision came out faster than he might have expected himself, but the tone of his voice made it clear—this was not something made on impulse, but a choice he had considered seriously.
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