In a small town, there lived a boy named Shizuka. He was known by everyone as a kind and gentle person. Shizuka had all the qualities that make someone a truly good human being. He respected people, helped others whenever he could, and most importantly, he loved his parents deeply.
Shizuka lived with his mother and father in their quiet town. Since he was their only child, his parents were very attached to him.
One evening, while they were sitting together at home, his mother looked at him with concern and said softly,
"Son, you are our only child. One day when you grow up, if you go to another city to earn money, who will take care of us here?"
Shizuka immediately replied with a warm smile,
"No, Mom. I will never leave you and Dad. I will always stay with you."
Hearing this made his parents feel peaceful and happy. Time passed, and their small family continued to live a simple but joyful life.
Years went by, and Shizuka grew into a young man. One day, something unexpected happened — he received a job offer from America.
When his mother heard the news, a strange sadness appeared in her eyes. She gently said,
"Son, when you were a child, I always prayed that the day would never come when you would have to leave us."
Shizuka held her hand and said,
"Mom, if I go, I won't go only for myself. I will go for you and Dad as well. I will send money every month and make sure you both have everything you need."
On one hand, Shizuka felt extremely happy. Getting a job in America meant a better future. It meant that his parents would never have to worry about money again. They would no longer need to look at price tags before buying anything.
But somewhere deep in his heart, another feeling was slowly growing — a feeling he could not yet explain.
As soon as Shizuka finished his walk and returned home, he was surprised to see something unexpected. In his garden, his boss was standing there… and with him was a young girl waiting for him.
At first, Shizuka thought his boss must have come to discuss some company-related work or perhaps remind him about a task he had left pending. But the situation was completely different.
As soon as he stepped inside the gate, Shizuka warmly welcomed them.
But the moment he looked closely, he was shocked. The girl standing beside his boss was the same rude girl he had bumped into earlier that day.
Even after realizing her mistake, the girl didn't apologize to him.
After greeting his boss respectfully, Shizuka invited them into his house. He asked them to sit down and prepared a nice cup of coffee for both of them.
While serving the coffee, Shizuka kept wondering in his mind if this girl might be a new employee who had recently joined the company.
Suddenly, his boss spoke.
"An important international client is coming to our company for a presentation. For this project, you and my daughter Rita will have to work together and prepare an excellent presentation so that we can easily secure this contract."
Hearing this, Shizuka was completely shocked.
Still, he quickly replied politely, "Yes, sir. Of course. I'll do my best."
Just then, Rita spoke in a cold and arrogant tone.
"Daddy, our work here is done. We should leave now. Staying too long in the house of an ordinary staff member is against our reputation."
Shizuka quietly stood there, pretending not to react to her words.
But the next day, something very unexpected happened…
The same girl, Rita, was kneeling in front of Shizuka—asking him for forgiveness.