Tear Jerker / Aki-chan's Life

• Asuka has just seen another child who is being fed with the same "You have to be the best or you will get no respect" crap that ruined her childhood, but she feels that she can't do anything because she would be just a stranger telling a child that she should not listen to her mother, and she would lose any way.
• When Aki asks about Asuka's mother, Asuka tells Aki the tale of her family, which includes how her parents were originally happy but slowly fell off of love with each other. Aki becomes utterly terrified and saddened at the revelation that you can lose love. Fortunately, Aki is reassured by her mother that no matter what happens, even if things change between her and Shinji, both parents will never stop loving her.
• During the trip to visit her parents in Germany, Asuka gets to talking with her stepmother. It's shown that the older woman really tried her best to connect with Asuka and avert the Evil Stepmother trope, but Asuka treated her terribly due to her own mess of issues. Asuka admits to feeling guilty about everything and that she really did want her stepmother to be around and love her, but her own wounds and stubbornness kept her from ever admitting as much. It's a tragic set of circumstances that (hopefully) may finally start to heal.

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