The parents of the Shimizu household sat together at the table while the children were asleep.
"Kyouka, what do you think we should do about the schools of our kids?" The father was pouring tea into a cup for his wife and himself. "I wonder, Kousuke. It will be hard. I don't want our son to be put in a special school, since special education limits their students on their true potential. This can affect his entire life. But for Clara, we don't have to worry that much. We can try to enroll her in that school close by. I heard there are many intelligent children there. I hope Kyo can enroll there too." She takes a sip from her cup. Her husband started to speak. "We should try it then, if that is what you wish. Both of us have enough money to even pay the school if necessary."
"But is that really the right way? He still is a smart boy. And besides, he might get better by the time he gets six." He moved his chair next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "For now I have a different idea, I hope you will hear me out." She nodded. "Let's separate the twins from their nursery." She pushed his hand away. "What?! Separate...? What are you trying to do?"
"I told you to hear me out. If we put Kyo into a kindergarten where he stays half a day instead of the entire day, we can take the burden of having to communicate with a mute child away from the teachers there." His wife looked at him in disbelief.
"What? Are you trying to say he is a burden or will be one to everyone?"
He turned towards her and tilted his head. "No, that is not what I mean at all. I meant like this way we could try to monitor him or just have more time to send him to the therapist."
"Ohh," Kyouka's hands are covering her face. "So that's what you meant. I'm sorry I might be a little too sensitive these days about matters concerning Kyo. "Hey, it's alright. This way we can also take more free days to take care of our children." She let out a chuckle. "Thank you." She looked up to his eyes. "What are you thinking about?" A relieved smile from him. "Well, I thought of you going to work during the day, and I go in the evening and night. In the mornings we let Kyo go to the kindergarten until about 2 or 3 o'clock and Clara will be in the nursery until half past 6. And then when either you or I pick her up, I go to work." He clapped his hands together, concluding his great idea.
Kyouka clasped her own hands around his, "But Kousuke, won't this tire you out, or even have consequences for your work?" He saw her concerned thoughts, "Don't worry, did you already forget that I am the owner, and the CEO. And besides, it is a hotel. Their doors always open up for me, even behind the scenes." She let out a small laugh. "Yes I remember those days where you really wanted to avoid me so you just took night shifts and had the excuse that you were 'so tired' so you kept sending someone else to do your business with me." Kousuke's cheeks flushed red. "T-that was a long time ago dear. I liked you so much that seeing you would've distracted me from any business thoughts."
Another chuckle. "I mean, I too am an owner and CEO of a clothing and event design company, we were doing business."
Kousuke smiled looking at his wife. And that smile grew even wider when she looked back at him with her smile. "So do you think my plan is going to work?" She weakly pushed against his shoulder and laughed. "Sure, if it gets too hard we will hire a nanny or something, okay?" He put his hand on her head and gave her a peck on the forehead. "Thank you, my love."
And they kept chatting the rest of the night until it was their time to head into bed.
~~
3 months later
~~
"Alright Mr Shimizu we have noticed that your son Kyo is an incredibly smart boy, it's just that he won't talk." The kindergarten teacher was having a teacher-parent conversation after 2 months of Kyo being enrolled here. "I already mentioned that, didn't I?" Slightly annoyed by the teacher's comment he continued to remain professional, "Miss, thank you for everything you do regardless. But I would still like it if you would take into consideration that my son is a mute." He finally accepted that term. Mute. Kousuke had a hard time accepting it. 'It is just a phase' he'd like to say. After months of therapy he saw no improvement on Kyo's ability of speech, he finally gave in.
"Yes, we are still trying our best. It's just that he doesn't bond with the other children, it worries me for his social development." She looked at Kyo who was playing with stapling toys at the other side of the room, which was in sight of both Kousuke and the teacher. "Oh, that is something concerning. Luckily I have another child, his twin sister who loves to play and talk to him."
"Oh really? I didn't know that. That is good for Kyo's development, but still his circle would be limited this way." She put her hand on her cheek to show her concern. "I mean Kyo always plays alone unless we do activities that require everyone to play."
"Thank you for telling me. I will try my best at home as well to help him develop socially too." He stood up, indicating that it was enough talking. "We have to go now, Kyo has his therapy session today. Let's go, Kyo." He nodded his head to the side and Kyo immediately put the stapling blocks away. His little feet hurried after his dad. Kyo waved to his teacher. "Bye bye, Kyo see you tomorrow." She waved back. What a sweet child nonetheless.
~~~
"Hello there Kyo," the psychiatrist expected him. "Kyo, you know what we are going to do right?" He cutely nods. "Yay, wave to your father and then we will see in 30 minutes." They both waved to Kousuke. This made Kousuke have a little grin on his face. "Bye son, be good to her alright?" A nod. "He will be in your care then, miss Nakahara." He left through the door again and closed it.
"Kyo, today I want us to try to communicate about the things and people we love the most. I have paper and coloured pencils prepared." She offered her hand for Kyo to take, so she could lead him to the prepared table. Kyo took her hand and so they started their exercise for the day.
"So I want you to draw or write anything you love." She picked an already used sheet of paper and showed it to him. "For example I made this drawing of flowers and my husband. Also I drew my parents, though they are stickmen so they don't look that well, but that is alright. Nakahara showed a reassuring smile, "Go ahead." And Kyo started drawing. "I am sitting right in front of you, but I will do some extra work on my laptop, give a sign if there is anything."
10 minutes passed and Kyo looked at his drawing. 4 stickmen, he, Clara and his parents. He drew his parents bigger than the twins and drew some strings for the women's longer hair. Kyo knocked on the table, this is something Nakahara and Kyo decided to do if he wanted to call her in the past sessions. Nakahara closed her laptop and looked up to Kyo, "Are you done?" He nods rapidly. "Why look at that, is this your family?" She looked at it in awe. "Good job. I think it would be a great idea to bring it back home and show your parents." She stands up, "Well Kyo, let's go play with our letter blocks, you know it right?" Kyo also stood up and ran to the shelf where these blocks were, and put the box on the ground. "Thank you. Now you remember, I will show you a letter block and you mimic your mouth the way you would say the letter.
Kyo nods. Nakahara puts up a hiragana 'a'. Kyo opens his mouth wide. "Great job, aaaaa. What is this?" he mimicked the letter, "Yes that's right, 'no'. And they continued this for the rest of the session.