I’m Kengo. My mom has always been overbearing. She’s kind and not a bad person, but ever since middle school, I felt smothered by how much she treated me like a child. She was always at home, and it felt like she was constantly watching me. There was no abuse, and I was grateful for her kindness—but still, it was hard to breathe.
I felt ashamed of how little I could do and guilty that my wife, Yurika, had quit her job. So when she said she wanted to start working again, I promised myself I’d support her this time—so she could keep going.