Yoshie Takemoto, mother to Chie and estranged wife of Tetsu Takemoto, abandoned her family years earlier, driven by Tetsu’s chronic unemployment, gambling addiction, and refusal to shoulder household responsibilities. Her absence forced Chie into managing the family izakaya while enduring her father’s unpredictable behavior.

Yoshie preserves fragile connections through quiet gestures—a lone flower left on their doorstep, sporadic phone calls—signaling her unresolved hope for reconciliation. She voices measured concern for Chie’s burdens while maintaining that Tetsu must demonstrate lasting reform before she returns fully.

Mediation by Wataru Hanai, Chie’s homeroom teacher and son of the matchmaker who orchestrated Yoshie and Tetsu’s marriage, leads to tense family discussions. During one visit, Yoshie tentatively agrees to reintegrate into the household after witnessing Chie’s emotional exhaustion and Tetsu’s faltering attempts at self-improvement. A subsequent trip to an amusement park—marked by fleeting laughter and temporary camaraderie—begins thawing years of estrangement.

Though Yoshie’s return gradually alters the family’s rhythm, Tetsu’s sporadic relapses into old habits test their precarious balance. Her presence embodies guarded optimism, intertwining a mother’s protective instincts with the slow, deliberate work of mending fractured trust.