"I… I understand." Yaeko finally nodded slowly. Even so, it was clear that the shock had not completely faded from her face.
Her breathing was still slightly uneven, and her eyes blinked more frequently than usual as she tried to calm herself and accept what she had just heard.
"So, will you apply for this job?" I asked afterward, getting straight to the point without letting the silence linger for too long. My tone remained calm, yet firm enough to draw Yaeko's focus back.
"Of course. This is my job application." Yaeko answered quickly, almost without pause, as if she feared the opportunity would disappear the moment she hesitated. She immediately took a brown folder from her bag and placed it on the display counter with both hands.
Her movements were neat, though still slightly stiff, revealing the lingering tension that had yet to fully leave her. Her gaze tried to steady itself, even though the remnants of her shock had not completely vanished.
The way she held the folder was tighter than before, as if that simple object carried all the hopes she currently had.
Her fingertips pressed lightly against the surface of the folder, forming a small crease at the corner. There was a subtle tension there, something difficult to hide even though she tried to remain composed.
"In that case, please have a seat first. I'll review your personal data and your job application," I said as I picked up the brown folder from the glass counter. The surface of the glass briefly reflected my hand before the folder was lifted, creating a faint glimmer that quickly disappeared.
Yaeko nodded gently, then walked toward the metal bench in front of the counter. Her steps were quiet yet steady, though there was a slight stiffness in each movement she made. The faint sound of her shoe soles brushing against the floor echoed softly, adding to the silence that already dominated the room.
She sat down neatly, both hands resting on her lap. Her fingers were tightly intertwined, as if she was trying to calm herself through that simple gesture. Her back was straight—too straight for someone truly at ease—while her shoulders were slightly raised without her realizing it.
Occasionally, her gaze shifted toward me, only to quickly look away when our eyes nearly met. Her breathing still seemed a little uneven, even though she tried to hide it by taking deeper, slower breaths, as if hoping to return it to a normal rhythm.
I opened the brown folder and began to read its contents carefully. Page by page, I examined everything slowly, letting the soft sound of paper brushing against each other fill the silence.
I paid close attention to every small detail—from her personal identity, home address, to her work history, all arranged in a simple yet clear and orderly manner.
The writing wasn't excessive, but it was sufficiently informative. There were no unnecessary embellishments, only data presented in a way that was easy to understand. Indirectly, it gave the impression that Yaeko was a practical person who disliked unnecessary complexity.
It didn't take long before a particular piece of information caught my attention.
It turned out that the woman in front of me had once worked as a nurse for one year. That experience was quite solid for someone who hadn't been in the field for very long. From the records, it was evident that Yaeko had a good level of discipline and rarely made mistakes during her work.
There were a few notes indicating that she was capable of working under pressure, something not everyone could handle well. In some parts, it was even implied that she was quite meticulous when handling patients.
However, Yaeko stopped working after getting married. She chose to focus on her household life, leaving her job without hesitation.
That decision might have been made with complete confidence at the time, without any thought of what would happen in the future.
I paused for a moment, my gaze stopping on a particular section of the file. My memory immediately connected it with the information Mei Mei had shared a few days ago about Yaeko Nishimiya, along with fragments of the story I knew from the anime *Koe no Katachi*.
As often happens, reality does not always unfold according to expectations.
Several years after her marriage, Yaeko's first child was found to have a hearing impairment. The information was written briefly—only a few words—but it was enough to convey the immense burden she had to bear. That simple sentence felt heavy, as if it held a long story that had never been written on the page.
Such a condition was certainly not easy to face, whether emotionally or financially. Especially for someone who had previously left her job and now had to confront a reality she had never imagined.
I glanced toward Yaeko, who was still sitting neatly on the iron bench. From a distance, she appeared calm. However, from the way she held her hands, it was clear that she was suppressing no small amount of anxiety.
Her fingers remained tightly interlocked, occasionally shifting slightly, as if pressing against each other unconsciously.
Her shoulders looked slightly tense, and her back remained straight, as though she was trying to maintain a composed posture in front of me, even though her mind was likely filled with clashing thoughts.
The pressure that gradually emerged began to erode their household, creeping in unnoticed yet clearly felt in their daily lives.
Problem after problem came one after another, like waves that never truly receded, leaving them no space to simply breathe in peace.
Small matters that once could be resolved through simple conversations had now turned into long, exhausting arguments filled with emotion. The tone of voice that was once gentle slowly became sharp, and every word spoken seemed to carry more weight than before.
Day by day, the atmosphere grew colder—not only in their attitudes, but also in the way they looked at each other. Eventually, the distance between them was no longer something that could be bridged with ordinary effort. And in the end, Yaeko's husband chose to leave without a word, at the moment he learned about their child's hearing condition.
That departure did not only leave behind a deep wound, but also a burden that had to be carried alone. There was no long explanation, no final attempt to fix things, not even a proper farewell.
Only a one-sided decision that ended everything, leaving Yaeko in a silence that felt heavy and suffocating.
The divorce forced Yaeko to stand on her own, facing reality with little choice. The world she had once built with someone else collapsed just like that, like a fragile structure losing its support, forcing her to start over from the beginning without a clear direction.
With the responsibility now fully resting on her shoulders, Yaeko had no other choice but to look for work again, even if it meant facing the uncertainty and fear she had long kept to herself. Yet beneath all of that, there was a determination that slowly began to grow, even if it was still overshadowed by doubt.
I then closed the folder slowly, my fingers pressing lightly against its brown cover before lifting away. The soft sound of paper brushing echoed faintly in the quiet air.
There was a brief pause before I shifted my gaze back toward Yaeko, who was still sitting calmly on the iron bench, her posture upright yet quietly carrying an unspoken fatigue.
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[Note: This novel is updated on every even-numbered date]
[Note: This is my other novel: As the White Spider-Man in Earth-76 with the Spider-Man System]
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