Silence blanketed the space, despite the large crowd of family, relatives, and friends.
Everyone was dressed in black and had gathered to witness the burial of Nyoko's body, to cover her with soil, and to offer their condolences to Nagisa.
But all of this was happening around Nagisa—not with him.
He stood near her grave, void of emotion or feeling, staring at the earth that now fully covered his wife's body, as the story of their life together played out like a film reel in his mind.
He remembered the first moment he laid eyes on her….
The joy that filled his heart when he found out he'd be working at the same company as her.
The moment he confessed his feelings.
Every date they went on. Every laugh that echoed from her lips. Every time she called his name, every joke she made, every teasing remark she threw his way.
He remembered their wedding—the day that marked a complete turning point in his life.
He remembered the love they shared, the hardships they overcame.
No argument ever tore them apart. No hardship ever broke them.
And then Haruki entered their lives, turning their world upside down.
That woman had built his life…
And her death shattered him.
On the other side, Haruki stood beside his grandmother, dressed in a small black suit that fit his tiny frame.
But his young mind couldn't fully grasp what was happening around him.
All he could see were countless eyes staring at him—
He didn't understand that they were looks of sympathy or pity.
All those eyes frightened him.
He felt like he had done something wrong, and that's why everyone was looking at him.
His small hands clutched tightly at his grandmother's black dress, hiding behind her legs, trying to find the slightest bit of comfort in her presence.
Meanwhile, his grandmother stood silently, her gaze fixed on her only son.
She watched the light that once brightened her days slowly disappear from his face.
What remained was a hollow shell—his expression pale, and sorrow pooling in his eyes like a dark cloud hanging over his head… as if it were raining down on him alone.
The grandmother's gaze slowly drifted downward towards her little grandson, noticing how tightly he clung to her and hid behind her.
She gently ran her hand over his head with warmth and tenderness, then crouched beside him, lowering herself to his level. In a soft, delicate voice, she tried to uncover what was making him so anxious and afraid.
"What's wrong, my dear? Is something scaring you?"
Haruki looked up at his grandmother, his eyes full of innocence and confusion—the kind of uncertainty only a child who had lived through something like this could carry.
"Why is everyone looking at me, Grandma?"
His voice trembled, unsure and shaken.
The grandmother sighed, her hand never left his head, as if trying to reassure him that she was there, no matter what.
Then, in a gentle, quiet voice, almost breaking, she replied.
"They're sad for you… because your mommy has gone to the sky."
Haruki's eyes began to tremble in their sockets, tears welling up and forming a glassy layer over them.
He was struggling to process what his grandmother had just told him.
"What… what does that mean? Does it mean I won't see her again?... Ever?"
His voice wavered, barely holding itself together, and he was clearly on the verge of breaking into tears.
His grandmother couldn't help but notice the deep trembling in his words, and the expressions on his face tore at her heart.
No child deserves to be in his place.
But there was nothing she could do—everything was already over, and there was no turning back in time.
She swallowed the lump in her throat, then silently nodded her head… answering his painful question.
And the moment Haruki understood the answer, he burst into tears—loud, unrestrained sobs that echoed as the only sound during the funeral ceremony.
He threw himself into his grandmother's arms, burying his face in her chest.
She could feel his hot tears soaking through her dress, and her heart ached for him—splitting open under the weight of his sorrow.
She held him tightly, gently running her hand over his head, letting him release the pain inside him— letting him cry it all out…
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Thank you for reading! If this moment touched you even a little , please consider adding it to your library.💐