Responses
Um. Pretty sure she's not illiterate. Japan's literacy rate is over 99%.
Mishima's mom wrote "Labe" instead of "love" on his bento, therefore, she's illiterate.
http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/smells_like_green_spirit/bt/602b7c60f3a5a190/Vol1_Ch7/pg-2/
What is ironic here (or maybe not so much) is that the mom that is refined, we can assume "educated" turns out to be the conservative most destructive kind towards her gay son; while the mom that is poor and probably illiterate, turns out to be the most open minded and loving towards her own. I'm almost positive that the polarity of these two mothers will have a formative impact in the character development of their children; thus, I feel very hopeful for Mishima's future happiness but extremely pessimistic about Kirino's
(╥﹏╥)