Side Story: Sorrow behind the Smiles

(Miki's POV)

My name is Miki Hyoudou. I am Gorou Hyoudou's wife. We fell in love when we were young and got married. We thought we will make a happy family but...

"I am very sorry, please give up on the child in your belly."

The doctor said when I was pregnant with my first child. I burst into tears. My body makes it difficult to conceive a child and it was very difficult to become pregnant after all those years. But because of my body, the child wasn't born.

I cried in my husband's arms apologizing to him. But he comforted me and encouraged me to not give up. After two years, there was another opportunity. This time, we were very careful so that the child will be safely born. But it didn't happen.

"Hyoudou-san, although it's painful for you, you definitely didn't do anything wrong but there are a lot of other factors..."

The doctor explained to us when I am pregnant with my second child.

"I give up." On the way back home, my husband burst into tears. "If anything happens to your body again like last time, I... won't be able to bear it."

We embraced and wept in sorrow. We gave up and chose to adapt to a different style. We began a modest and harmonious life together. But in the eighth year...

"Uwaaaah!"

A child was left at our door. She has a peculiar pink hair. We never were able to find out who left her there. And that's when it occurred to us. We can't give birth to a child but that doesn't mean we couldn't raise one. I couldn't help but laugh at how easy the answer was.

She isn't our blood and flesh. But that doesn't matter. We will raise her like she's our own. She became our hope. So, we gave her the name 'Nozomi' which means hope. Nozomi doesn't even need to know that she's adopted or that's what I thought...

Nozomi's pink hair really stands out. Everyone would ask about it. Eventually, I would try and explain to them what happened.

"I am sorry to hear that. It was hard, wasn't it?"

They would say.

"No parents must ever go through what you went through. You were really unlucky. I am really sorry."

Every one of them would say the same thing. Everyone shows pity that isn't needed. I know that there isn't any ill will in that but I wish they didn't say it. They keep reminding me of the sorrow we went through.

But my greatest fear was Nozomi to find out the truth if they keep asking it. I even thought of turning Nozomi's hair color into brown with a dye or covering her hair through something. But my husband refused it. And one day my fear became true. Nozomi overheard the truth about her birth. She came to me. I was afraid of the questions she would ask me. But she asked me just one thing.

"Mom, you look sad when everyone talks about my hair. Do you want me to cut my hair?"

That was enough to make me break into tears and hug her tight.

"I am sorry! I am sorry!"

I apologized continuously to my daughter who was ready to sacrifice her hair. I regret the thought of coloring her hair even came to my mind. How can I think of taking her uniqueness for my own selfish reasons? After the crying stopped, I smiled at my daughter.

"No need. Your hair is really beautiful. Mom likes your hair a lot."

From that day, Nozomi knew the truth. We told her how lucky we were to find her and that it's the fate that we met. I also told her about how it was fate that I met her father. And I told her that fate will let her meet her destined person who will make her happy.

My husband and I did our best to answer the question about her hair with a laugh so that Nozomi wouldn't feel bad. They would still see us with pity. And I can't say that I don't feel sad when they do. But we still put on a fake smile so that Nozomi won't notice it. Because we are proud of Nozomi's uniqueness. We want her to be proud of it too.

But there was another obstacle. Bullying. The kids from school bullied Nozomi for her hair. We didn't know about the bullying because Nozomi covered it up. She didn't want to let me know about hair I like being made fun of. So, Nozomi took all the bullying without saying a word to me about it and acted like everything is alright. This made her develop a complex about her hair. Although the problem of bullying is solved, the complex developed from that remained in Nozomi. We failed miserably.

Nozomi is really our child. She also started to put a brave front just like us to hide her complex. She acts like she is proud of her hair since we said it's beautiful just like she did back when she was being bullied. Really, this daughter of mine... Just how far is she willing to go for us?

Days passed by and Nozomi's only friend remained as Shidou-chan. They became friends because when Shidou-chan came to the city and entered Nozomi's school, she tried to stop the bullying which was the reason the bullying ended.

And finally...

"Mom, I am home! I brought a friend!"

I was surprised that my daughter made another friend. My husband was also surprised, so we went to the door and surprised to find a white-haired foreign boy. The reason she chose him must be because of his unique white hair. Although some people have white hair, the locals don't. So, Nozomi must have thought he's unique like her.

The boy is well-mannered. But it looks like he's a curious type too. Because he asked about her hair. And it's back again. The same hidden sorrow. My husband and I hid it but our daughter frowned.

"Ah, don't get me wrong. Your hair is really beautiful. It's the most beautiful hair I have ever seen! But it's kinda unique when your parents have brown hair. So..."

This made me a little happier. He praised her hair. He called it beautiful. So I am fine with the sorrow that he's going to give us to my answer. So, I told the truth as I laughed it off bracing myself for the pity he's going to give me.

"Wow... Nozomi is really lucky to have parents like you, Miki-san and Gorou-san. If everyone in this world is as kind-hearted as you, the world itself will be heaven. And you are also lucky that you found a beautiful girl like Nozomi with beautiful hair. Well, it must be fate that brought you together."

There was no pity in his eyes. Just respect and admiration. He said it's fate. He said that the three of us are lucky. He didn't know what it meant to us. Ah, who could have thought that all we ever needed was a simple innocent childish response...

For a moment, I felt that this child is an angel sent from heaven. I did everything to stop my tears that came with this happiness and sent the children to the living room. Once they are gone, I embraced my husband and let my tears flow.

After that, we found out that Mike doesn't have parents and his guardians mostly stay away for work. We felt a bit of sadness in his words. So, we proposed it.

" "Please marry our daughter!" "

How could we not? My daughter likes him. He made my daughter feel better about her hair complex. He made us smile genuinely without sorrow. So, we want to return the happiness he gave us. We will try to be his parents. But he's also a good child, well-mannered, cute face. What more qualities do you need for a son-in-law?

If he pairs up Nozomi, she can be happy and get over her complex and we will also get a son and we can give him the happiness he gave us.

He doesn't need to know the sorrow behind our smiles that he unconsciously took away. So, he doesn't need to know the real reason behind our proposal. But he took our sorrow, so it's our turn to take away his by giving him all the love we can.