Kyoko is sitting at the dining table reading a note. She is also nibbling on some amazing breakfast Shin has made for her. Omelet with baked beans and a healthy smoothie. There is also some jam and toast. Somehow Shin always has breakfast ready and just right for Kyoko when she wakes up every day. But he had been missing in the morning when she had woken up. She had felt a momentary pang of anxiety. What if he had again gone off to do something drastic. But she had relaxed when she saw the breakfast and the note next to it. The note is what Kyoko is reading right now. Or more like staring at with worry lining her face.

'Why does it have to be this? Why of all things?' she says loudly.

The message reads

"CHALLENGE NUMBER 1: MOTHER OF SEVEN KIDS"

"Why does it have to be a mother? Where will I find seven kids to be a mother to? And why seven? Am I Snow White or Maria von Trapp or something?"

Kyoko is very nervous and it comes out as annoyance. She has played a mother role in some dramas before, but she is more worried about living up to Shin's standard of a mother. Especially after what he told her about himself.

'The kid can see through me very easily if I don't do a good job. But how can I do a good job as a mother of seven kids when I don't know how to be a mother of even one kid. The only mother I had was close to not having a mother. And if I fail, Shin might think that there is no such thing as good mothers. Arrrghhh, so much pressure. What should I do?'

As she is wondering this, the bell rings. She opens the door and Shin is standing there alone.

"Okaasan," he says.

Kyoko freezes on hearing that word. Her head starts spinning. 'I never knew how much I yearned to hear that word until today.'

And then, from behind Shin, six more heads pop out at decreasing heights.

"Okaasan" continues Shin blissfully unaware. "I brought my brothers and sisters home." And all the kids enter and surround Kyoko shouting various versions of Okaasan - kaachan, momma, mummy, mom, and so on.

Kyoko is still frozen and overwhelmed.

" They are kids from the orphanage" Shin whispers in her ear "They'll take any love you give them. Don't worry."

And then Kyoko's nervousness melts away and she starts creating her version of Okaasan - single mom, trying to make ends meet and take care of her seven kids. Feed em, wash em, clothe em, love em. Should be easy.

IT. IS. NOT. EASY. Not by a long shot. For one, the kids are just brats. The boys are annoyingly naughty and act like they hate the girls. The girls pretend they are better than the boys and act all high and mighty and mean. And the minute Kyoko tries to sort out their squabbles, they gang up on her.

"Okaasan, its because you gave us only one biscuit that the whole trouble started. Okaasan bad. "

Or.

"Okaasan you didn't let me play some more. Okaasan stingy."

Or.

"Okaasan why can't I dunk my brother in the water?" at bathtime. "Okaasan boring."

Or

"Okaasan I hate you." The first time Kyoko hears that her heart breaks. But before she can wallow in self-pity another of the kids has had a rather smelly accident. Two more are trying to break the TV and almost succeeding and the one who reportedly hated her is pulling Kyoko's hair trying to get Kyoko down to her level to play.

Kyoko is woken out of a sleep/stupor. "What? What happened? Who needs a snack?" she asks out of reflex. All the kids who had been sleeping all around, over and under her have disappeared. Only Shin is left.

"Congratulations, Kyoko-san," he says. "You didn't break character even after being woken up. You passed with flying colors."

"I am not so sure Shin. " Kyoko replies feeling the empty hole in her chest ache more acutely now that the kids have left.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think I did a good job parenting those kids. It was just pandemonium. "

Shin just looks at her and replies. "Do you know Kyoko-san what is the most important aspect of the role of a mother?"

"Make sure her kids are happy?" asks Kyoko.

"No. Of course not. A cartoon show can do that. Its love. Everything that a mother does for her kids is out of love. And today, not once did you act with anything but love towards those kids. They annoyed the hell out of you. But you didn't lose your temper or go all nuclear. Did you feel out of control of your emotions at any time?"

Kyoko considers, "No. I didn't feel like I was out of character at any time. Nor did I feel afraid of losing control of my emotions, even once. There were also some fun moments. Like when Nia-chan and I built a fort of pillows and we all jumped into it." she laughs remembering but starts frowning, "But they didn't get fed right and were messy most of the time and covered in dirty clothes."

"Why don't we leave that for the next challenge?" Shin says but laughs on seeing the horror-struck Kyoko's face. "Those things are important too, Kyoko-san. That's probably why people try not to have seven kids."

Kyoko smiles at that. She says, "Today, for the first time in a long time, I felt a love for the role I created. I am sad for it to end. Things were hellish when they were here but now that they're gone I miss them so badly."

"You don't have to miss them Kyoko-san. They will be more than happy to visit you again anytime you want. Maybe they might not call you Okaasan next time but still."

"That's ok. I would love to see their smiling faces again. Just not seven at a time, maybe?"

Kyoko and Shin start laughing at that.