Happy Friday, gamers!  Borealis here!

As we get ready for the weekend, we continue our in depth exploration of the Venus: Improbable Dream characters!  This time, we're moving onto Kakeru's parents, starting with his mom.

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Mrs Akane is a model mother and wife, in a lot of ways.  She always puts family first, and is a very caring person.  When she's not at her part-time job, she enjoys providing for her husband and son, cooking delicious meals and making sure the house is clean - not because she feels like it's expected of her, but because she loves taking care of them - to her, her home and her loved ones are her heart.    Her relationship with her husband is both sweet and funny.  She enjoys his silly jokes, and never expects a bunch of romantic gestures from him, as she's content to simply be by his side.

When it comes to Kakeru, she has a somewhat conflicting approach.  Right from the start, she never felt as though he was flawed for having his hemangioma, and accepted him regardless.  She showered him with love just as any mother should, and remained proud of him as he grew, despite his shyness.  When his anxiety and depression really started to take over and prevent him from interacting with people normally, she became torn.  Because she loved him so much, she wanted to let him withdraw and honour his wish to be mostly left alone.  Anything that would make him feel more comfortable was okay in her eyes, even though it did hurt her deeply that her son would no longer show her affection, acting like a ghost in his own home.  While she's never been offended by the change, she wouldn't deny that it has felt like losing someone over the years.

Though she tried to get on with life and accept the new normal circumstances for the family, she's always maintained a wish to help Kakeru shake off his insecurities and become more confident, and at times, she's much more active in this than her husband.  Whenever she thinks of anything that might improve his outlook, she tries to gently nudge him towards it.  Sometimes, it causes Kakeru to feel as though she's a bit overbearing, and it also makes him feel as though she must be disappointed in him for being the way that he is, but that's not the case.  She simply wants him to be happier.  When she and her husband got the call from Kakeru's school to discuss his future and what could be done to prepare him for it, she was elated to hear that Matsumoto-sensei had come up with the idea of placing Kakeru in the music club.  Latching onto it like a lifeline, she prayed that Kakeru would feel able to give it a try and start to come out of his shell once more.

No matter what happens, Mrs Akane will always love her son, but her wish for him to feel happy and free is never far from her mind.  That's why she tries to maintain a tentative optimism that things will one day change for the better, and now that Kakeru is involved in the music club, her wish, or at least some of it, might just be granted.

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That's all for today!  On Friday, our last main character, Kakeru's dad, will be showcased!

Have a happy weekend!

Borealis