Your Summer, My Storm Episode 9

A Father Learning to Understand His Son

Today is Father’s Day in Australia, so this episode touched me even more than it normally would. When Natsuki’s father found out that his son liked boys and that there was something between Natsuki and Sota, he immediately told him not to bring Sota over to tutor him anymore. To be fair, I can understand his initial reaction. Imagine trusting someone to tutor your son and then suddenly finding out that they have developed feelings for each other. Luckily, Natsuki and Sota are around a similar age, so I don’t really have an issue with it. If there were a large age gap and it was an actual teacher and student relationship, then I would feel very differently because the teacher should know better.But what touched me the most was Natsuki’s mother and sister. ❤️ They sat down and talked to him, and even before he officially came out, they basically told him that they already knew and understood. There was no judgement or rejection. They simply wanted him to know that they loved and supported him. That scene was so beautiful and emotional.I also understand his father a little more after seeing the whole episode. Same sex marriage is still not legally recognised in Japan, and this was completely new territory for him. What mattered to me was that his reaction did not end with rejection. He invited Sota to dinner and genuinely tried to understand their relationship.When he admitted that he was still getting used to everything, I actually found it really touching. He even Googled relationships between men because he was trying to understand his son better. 🥹 He might not understand everything immediately, but he is trying, and sometimes that first step means so much.I would honestly be happy to have a father like Natsuki’s. He may need time to understand something unfamiliar to him, but instead of turning his back on his son, he chose to learn, accept and love him.Maybe that is what made this episode hit me so hard today. A parent does not have to understand everything immediately. Sometimes love is simply choosing to keep trying to understand your child.Happy Father’s Day to all the dads in Australia today. 🇦🇺

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