Yumi, a 30-year-old woman, is shocked to find out her cousin Kenji has remarried to his late wife’s friend Kaori. Suspicious of their relationship, Yumi confronts Kenji through a LINE message, only to receive a self-absorbed response from him. Despite Kenji’s efforts to gain support for his new marriage, Yumi questions whether their relatives truly approve. Yumi reflects on the pain of Kenji’s late wife Chi’e, as well as the moral implications of attending the wedding for the sake of the children. Frustrated with Kenji’s behavior, Yumi prepares to continue the story in Episode 5.
Continuing from last time. My name is Yumi, I am 30 years old. I live with my 3-year-old daughter and husband, Satoshi, who is around 30 years old. About three months ago, my cousin’s wife, Chiaki (30 years old), passed away, leaving behind a 3-year-old and 1-year-old child. Chiaki and I are colleagues at work and best friends. When Chiaki passed away, I was saddened, but I was shocked to find out that Kenji had remarried Chiaki’s friend, Kaori. The suspicion that Kenji and Kaori were having an affair lingers, and my distrust only grows. However, Kenji said he would create a group on LINE to get approval for their marriage from relatives.
A few days after talking with my sisters, Kenji created a LINE group with his relatives as planned.
I was surprised and sent a clear message, “I do not recall asking for an explanation or excuse. If you want to remarry, please feel free to do so. There is no need for an explanation.” A few minutes later, Kenji sent me a long message on LINE.
Frankly, I thought it was a self-righteous and self-indulgent message. Also, doesn’t Kenji seem like someone who wants to live without feeling any guilt towards anyone? He seems to be trying to increase the number of people supporting his new marriage to alleviate his guilt even slightly.
Do the relatives other than my mother really support Kenji’s remarriage? If so, what are our relatives doing? Why can’t they think as adults about Chiaki’s regret at not being able to see her children grow up or about the feelings of Chiaki’s parents, who lost their daughter at a young age? Even if we agree to the remarriage for the sake of the children, I can’t believe attending the wedding. I’m fed up with Kenji’s moralistic and pushy messages on LINE.
Continued in [Episode 5].
Original text: Mamasta Community Script: Rolling Dell Illustration: Mayuka! Editing: Mika Yokouchi