Volume 2 Chapter 16 A Small Back
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The thing that caught me off guard once my life started revolving around Ma-kun began was just how “bright” he was.
Whenever he wanted to tell me something-whether he was hungry or needed to use the bathroom-instead of crying, Ma-kun would gently tug-tug on my clothes and look me straight in the eye. Even when I was busy with chores and not looking his way, he’d rattle his Oball¹ just to get an “I’m here” across to me.
He is a child with incredible social gears. He reacts perfectly every time we call him, and he hit it off with Su-chan immediately. The way he listens to the adults talk with that dead-serious face makes it look like he’s actually trying to process the conversation.
You can see his curiosity burning as he looks around, yet he never recklessly grabs things or shoves them in his mouth. Because he’s so cautious, I actually get more moments where I can just breathe while watching him.
Before he was even six months old, he was already calling me “Mama.”
When I read him picture books, he isn’t looking at the pictures; his eyes seem to be tracing the actual lines of text.
Maybe I’m just a doting mother with rose-colored glasses, but I can’t help thinking Ma-kun’s learning curve is off the charts. At the very least, he feels miles ahead of Su-chan in terms of logic and self-control, even though she was born eight months before him.
Right after he was born, he had a persistent high fever. Even after he stabilized, he could barely stay awake during the day. I was terrified that he might have suffered some kind of permanent brain damage. Luckily, that turned out to be a groundless worry. The hospital sensei gave him a clean bill of health, saying he’s the picture of fitness and that his stamina will pick up as he grows.
Watching Ma-kun like that made me decide to cut my year-long childcare leave² down to six months.
When she heard, Mio worried about me. “Shouldn’t you stay with Ma-kun a bit longer?” she asked.
Her take on parenting is to cherish that family time and pour in all the love you can until they hit kindergarten. I respected that, and I honestly agreed with her.
I didn’t want to leave Ma-kun either. I wanted to hold him forever and give him everything I had.
But if this boy ever wants to take a shot at something big in the future, I refuse to let “we don’t have the money” be the reason he has to give up. That thought was what pushed me back toward the office.
I have Mio here, who’s a better mother than I’ll ever be.
And I have Su-chan. It might be too early to say they’ll be together “forever,” but she’s there for him.
I can leave Ma-kun with them and actually feel safe.
I feel bad for leaning on the Totsuka couple so much, but watching Ma-kun grow makes me feel like I’ll lose my mind if I’m not out there doing something too.
Mio gave me a look like she’d given up on me, but I guess that’s just my nature…
Once I went back to work, the days turned into a blur.
That gap in your career from maternity leave hits harder than you’d think. No matter how good the company policy is, your rivals aren’t going to wait for you.
The branch transfer reset my office network, and I spent every day chasing the heels of my peers who were already crushing it. I was desperate to keep my anxiety from boiling over.
Still, the image of Ma-kun’s face and his daily milestones were my fuel.
His physical milestones were a little slow. It took him a while to start walking. Then again, that’s probably just because Su-chan was so fast-she was standing at six months. The sight of Ma-kun waddling over to beg for a hug when I get home is enough to blow away a whole day’s worth of exhaustion.
He eats like a pro, too. He hardly spills a thing, and he hates getting his hands messy, always reaching for the spoon. Apparently, watching Ma-kun do that made Su-chan stop eating with her hands, too. As Mio put it, “He’s a good influence.”
Except for his face…
Ma-kun generally has a bit of a “worn-out” atmosphere. His eyes look like an adult who’s reached total enlightenment and just accepted his fate. He has a level of composure that no baby should have.
Especially right after a diaper change-he just goes limp like he’s emptied his entire soul. Mio says some pretty inappropriate things when she sees him like that, and while I scold her for it… honestly, I get where she’s coming from.
By the time he turned two, we could have actual conversations. He had a bit of a lisp, but I didn’t even have to remind myself I was talking to a toddler.
”I’m sorry I can’t be with you more, Ma-kun,” I said.
”Nuh-uh, it’s okay. I know Mommy is working hard for me,” Ma-kun replied.
”Ma-kun…”
”Besides, Su-chan and Mio-san are both really nice to me,” Ma-kun said.
”…Ma-guuun!” I sobbed.
My heart just felt too full.
There are moments I think Ma-kun is more of an adult than I am. Mio jokes that “maybe he’s a grown-up on the inside,” and I can’t completely shut that idea down.
With no Father around and my work taking up so much time, I’m always carrying this guilt. But Ma-kun understands and accepts it. Or maybe that’s just my own selfish wish.
It’s not like Ma-kun isn’t lonely.
When we’re together, he sticks to me like glue and won’t let go.
Every time I feel that warmth, I truly believe I was blessed with this child.
* * *
As much as Ma-kun is “on it” enough to put adults to shame, there is one thing he absolutely cannot stand.
”M-Mommy…” Ma-kun called out.
”What’s wrong?” I asked.
I ran over to his trembling voice and found Ma-kun standing there, posed like a superhero about to fire a laser beam from his arms.
Ma-kun is the type who doesn’t show much emotion; it’s hard to tell when he’s happy or sad. I wanted him to be more expressive, so I’d always squish-squish his cheeks when I held him to work those muscles, but it hasn’t really worked yet.
Still, just because he’s stoic doesn’t mean I don’t know what he’s thinking. If you watch his eyes and his body, he’s actually an open book.
Right now, Ma-kun is in “High Alert” mode. He’s locking eyes with the enemy, concentrating every fiber of his being.
The thing Ma-kun was staring down was-a massive huntsman spider³ stuck to the wall.
It was bigger than Ma-kun’s palm. I know logically that it’s a “good bug” that eats the pests in the bathroom, but gross is gross.
Su-chan is the type who’d try to grab it without a second thought, but Ma-kun is a lost cause here. He’s a tidy kid, maybe even a little fastidious. His love for cleaning is probably stem from that.
Click.
”………Mommy?” Ma-kun asked.
”…Give me a second,” I said.
The way Ma-kun looked so guarded was just too cute; I had to take a picture. That earned me a protest from the boy himself, who was still stuck in his battle stance.
I’m not a fan of bugs either, especially the leggy spiders. In the Yashiro and Totsuka homes, the only ones who can deal with them are Su-chan-who’s just a baby with no fear-and Mitsuhisa, who got used to them on a college campus crawling with spiders. Mio is a hard “no,” obviously.
But I can’t exactly call Mitsuhisa over. There are things I don’t want a man seeing in here.
I grabbed an umbrella from the door and tapped the wall to herd the spider toward the exit.
”Ma-kun,” I said.
”Yeah,” Ma-kun replied.
He caught my drift instantly. He cracked the sliding door to the balcony just enough and backed off. Once the spider scurried outside, he slammed the door shut.
With the threat gone, Ma-kun and I both let out a sigh of relief. When our eyes met, he came over and gave me a big squeeze.
”…Thanks, Mommy,” Ma-kun said.
”You’re welcome,” I replied.
I’m a mess in a lot of ways, but… I wonder if I managed to step up as Ma-kun’s mother today?
—
Summary:
The narrator reflects on her son Ma-kun’s unusual growth and maturity as he reaches age two. Despite her guilt over returning to work early to secure his future, she observes his high intelligence and ‘adult-like’ composure. The chapter concludes with a lighthearted moment where Ma-kun, terrified of a huntsman spider, relies on his mother for protection.
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Trivia:
- Ma-kun was born with a high fever that lasted a long time, causing fear of brain damage.
- Su-chan was born 8 months before Ma-kun.
- Mio’s parenting philosophy is to stay home until kindergarten.
- The narrator’s job involves branch transfers and competitive corporate environments.
- Ma-kun specifically dislikes eating with his hands and prefers spoons.
- The huntsman spider is referred to as a ‘beneficial insect’ (益虫) in Japan because it eats c**kroaches
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Character Insight:
The narrator (Mother) is driven by financial pragmatism, sacrificing her time with Ma-kun to ensure he has every opportunity later. Ma-kun shows signs of ‘enlightenment’ or adult reincarnation, being unusually aware of his mother’s hard work and minimizing his own emotional demands to support her.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author uses the ‘spider’ scene to contrast Ma-kun’s adult-like rationality with his physical toddler limitations and irrational fears, humanizing the ‘genius’ trope.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Mio – A 25-year-old fashionable and kind young mother, she is Akari’s (Makoto’s mother’s) best friend and Ma-kun’s godmother. Known for her playful and teasing personality, she enjoys babysitting Ma-kun and encourages a future marriage between her daughter, Su-chan, and him. She’s skilled in cooking and photography, admired for her beauty—even in casual, unpolished moments—and is married to Mitsuhisa.
• Mitsuhisa – A tall, handsome man with a deep voice who works as the breadwinner for the Totsuka family. He is Su-chan’s father. Su-chan’s father. An IT professional over thirty years old. Described as a doting husband who is hardworking and somewhat reserved toward Akari.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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