Junko Kashihara had a great burden of guilt on her shoulders. From where it came, she did not know.
It had started years ago, on an otherwise unmemorable summer evening. Junko was idly gossiping with other housewives, when one asked her what kind of father her husband was. She was about to slander him, half out of boredom, when a great surge of guilt suddenly sprang up in her chest. It stopped her from spewing vile lies; instead, she told the truth, how her husband was greatly involved with his son, how well the two got along, and so on. The women sighed in jealousy, wishing that they could have a man like Kashihara-san.
It was the same guilt that kept her from ever uttering a cross word towards her beloved son, Jun. The same guilt that gave her the tools to balance family life and a successfully revived career. The same guilt that made sure she was home at least three nights a week for dinner with her family. The same guilt that had transformed her from a bitter, resentful woman into a caring mother and wife.
Junko Kashihara was eternally thankful for this guilt, even if she had no idea where it came from.