Shadowborne Light

This is a story my mother once shared with me
a story about her most treasured memory,
the happiest gift she ever received.

There was a time when a drink from a vending machine cost just 100 yen.
My parents had their first child at a very young age,
and raising my older brother was incredibly hard.
They lived far from their families, who disapproved of their choices,
with no one to rely on,
no support,
just surviving each day the only way they knew how.

Every morning, my father left for work with a lunch my mother made
and a single 100yen coin for a drink.
He had no allowance at all.
They had chosen to start a family early,
so there was nothing he could spend on himself.

My mother carried those hard days on her shoulders.
In a town where she knew no one,
with nobody to lean on,
nobody to confide in,
she believed her birthday would pass quietly, unnoticed.

But on that day,
my father came home from work and softly said:

Happy birthday.

Then he handed her a bag.
Inside was a sturdy, beautifully made handbag.

My mother stared at it in disbelief and asked:

How did you get this?

My father answered:

The 100 yen you gave me every day for a drink
I never spent it.
I saved every single coin.

My father has a condition that makes him easily thirsty.
He truly needed something to drink.
But he endured it, drinking only the tap water at his workplace.
No matter how thirsty he felt,
no matter how hard it was,
he just wanted to see my mother smile.

For an entire year.
Without missing a single day.
Without spending even one yen.
Telling no one.
Doing it all for her.

My mother told me this story with a warm, quiet smile.
I thought no one would celebrate my birthday
I never imagined he was doing something like that for me.
She spoke as if reliving that exact moment.

Hearing this story made me realize something:
My father chose love over comfort and simple temptation.
He set aside his own needs
and dedicated an entire year to one person.
He is truly a strong man.

And I was born from those two people.

I may not be as remarkable as they are,
but I inherited their strong will, their deep love, and their drive to act.

As ZAKITO,
I pour that same hope into every original song I create
hoping my music can help someone move forward in their life.

Because that, to me,
is the true heart of songwriting.

I want to pass on this capacity for love that I inherited
to the rest of the world.