I’m Masato. I live with my wife, Kana, and our three kids. I’d always wanted to start a family early. I think that feeling came from my older brother, Hiroki, who’s five years ahead of me and has been shut in since right after I graduated college. He used to be everything I admired—smart, athletic, popular.
But one day he quit his job, and after that, he just… stopped leaving the house. Little by little, my parents and I started hiding the fact that he existed. My mother told me, “There’s no reason to bring it up and worry people,” so I kept quiet… and married Kana without ever telling her.
In the beginning, my parents and I really believed Hiroki would bounce back quickly. He’d been so bright, so capable. We thought he just needed a break. We wanted to stay positive, so we chose not to tell anyone—didn’t want to burden them or make them uncomfortable. I did the same with Kana when we first started dating. She assumed I was an only child, and even when we started talking about marriage, my mother insisted there was no need to mention him. “Your brother will be himself again soon,” she said.
Looking back now, it was incredibly naïve. But at the time, I honestly believed I was protecting Kana. The truth is, Hiroki never recovered. He’s still unable to rejoin the world… and this is where things stand today.