Volume 3 Chapter 20 Tower of Babel
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Sunday morning.
Usually, I’d be glued to the TV trying to keep up with whatever the other kids are into, but today I was being tossed around in the back of the kindergarten shuttle. Suu-chan¹ was with me, of course. The vibe was off, though. We had “guests” today-unfamiliar faces filling up the bus.
Mother, Mio, and Mitsuhisa were squeezed into the back seats. Since those spots are usually for the Youngsters, seeing adults crammed in there was pretty hilarious. Mitsuhisa is especially tall, which made it even funnier-until he caught me staring and glared. (How did he even know?)
Anyway, today was Sunday Visitation Day². It’s that special day where parents come to watch the Youngsters in their natural habitat. Even the teachers³ seemed on edge; you could practically feel the tension in the air since breakfast.
Ideally, they’d want parents to sneak in on a weekday to see how the kids actually act, but reality isn’t that kind. Between work and everything else, most parents requested Sunday, so that’s what they got. To keep the neighbors from losing it over illegal street parking, the parents were all required to pile onto the bus with us. It was a Youngsters-only day for the youngest class too, otherwise the place would have turned into a mosh pit.
Meguro-one of the teachers-gave me the play-by-play on all that. It’s definitely nice having an inside source.
”…Huff… Whew…”
”…”
I looked over to see Suu-chan huffing with excitement. Since we were the only ones from our class on this shuttle, it was basically just us and family, minus the driver and the teacher. She was probably just feeling relaxed enough to let her guard down.
Since we didn’t have any other stops and the Sunday traffic was non-existent, the bus made record time. You’d think the school would be quiet with only one grade attending, but with all the parents there, it was a madhouse. The kids were already losing their minds just because their parents were watching.
”Good morning,” I said.
”Good morning,” Suu-chan added.
”Morning, you two! Still as lovey-dovey as ever, I see!”
”Nn!”
The teacher at the lockers hit us with the usual teasing. I really wish she wouldn’t do that with all these other parents around, though I guess holding hands makes the whole “secret” thing a lost cause anyway. We headed into the Rose Class room with Mother and the others trailing a few paces behind.
”Morning,” I called out.
”Mornin’,” Suu-chan echoed.
Immediately, a swarm of kids-my “friends”-descended on us. One kid who was being held by his mom started squirming. “Mama, put me down!” he yelled, charging toward us. His mom looked totally floored.
”Morning!”
”Good morning gozaimasu!”
”Morning-o!”
”Hey!”
”Mornin’!”
”Hello!”
”Suu-chan, you’re so cute today!”
When the Youngsters gather, the parents’ eyes follow. Being under the microscope like that made even me nervous. I had to watch my step. (It’s surprisingly hard to act like a normal kid when you’re actually trying to do it…)
”Makoto, what are we playing today?”
”Eh? Uh, hmmm… what do you want to do?”
”Let’s go run outside!”
”I’ll think about it once you catch Jun,” I replied.
”Alright! Jun, you’re it!”
”Wait, what? Hey! Follow meeeeeeee!”
Led by Jun, the high-energy pack sprinted off to join the kids already outside. Since it was just our grade, the playground was wide open. I was about to follow them when I saw someone fidgeting nearby. I figured I should probably say something.
”Morning, Yuma.”
”Morning!”
That was Yoshikura Yuma. He’s a frail kid-thin as a rail and constantly getting sick. He misses so much school that his attendance is probably under fifty percent. He’s managed to miss every big event so far: the entrance ceremony, the field trips, even the farm day.
”Want to play?” I asked.
”Yeah!”
Because of how he started school, I was worried he wasn’t fitting in. It wasn’t just me being nice, though; he’s a neighbor of Shiho-chan, so we just naturally ended up as a group.
”What are we doing? Babel?” Yuma asked.
”…Sure, let’s go with that.”
”The Tower of Babel”⁴ is just a game where you stack flat blocks as high as they’ll go. I came up with the name, but if I’d known it would catch on like this, I would have picked something less chuunibyou. If I’m alone, I’ll build something cool, but you can’t get fancy when you’re playing with others. (Plus, the parents are watching.)
”Makoto, what are you making?”
”Tower of Babel. You in, Kotaro?”
”Yeah. I’m not losing today,” Kotaro replied.
Morihashi Kotaro is the quietest of my guy friends. (And yes, I do have guy friends! I just spend more time with the girls because of Suu-chan, but I’m cool with everyone in the Rose Class.)
”I got ’em!”
Yuma and Kotaro dragged over the block bins. We have these at home, but the kindergarten stash is massive. Some alumnus who works for the block company supposedly donates a fresh batch every year. Much appreciated.
”ssu playing too,” Suu-chan announced. “Today, I’ll beat Maa-kun.”
”Shiho too!”
No picture books today, I guess. Suu-chan and Shiho-chan joined the pile.
”Suu-chan, you’re slow. Just like Makoto-kun,” someone teased.
”Nn. Maa-kun said the foundation is what matters.”
”Foundation…? What’s that?”
”……The bottom part?”
As we worked, more kids kept joining in. It’s hard to stay away when everyone else is having a blast. Before long, “Towers of Babel” were sprouting up all over the room. Everyone got so focused that the room actually went quiet. Then-crash-the sound of blocks falling would trigger screams, laughter, and cheers from the parents.
The whole room felt cozy and relaxed. Even the teachers looked like they were finally breathing again. We were off to a good start. (No idea what the kids outside were doing, though.)
But seriously… isn’t it cheating for the “Giants”-the parents-to help? This is supposed to be an observation day, right? Hands off! With their height advantage, my throne is in serious trouble…
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Summary:
Makoto attends a special Sunday visitation at his kindergarten alongside his parents and fellow classmates. The classroom atmosphere shifts as parents join the Youngsters in their activities. Makoto engages his frail classmate Yuma in a block-stacking game called the ‘Tower of Babel,’ which quickly becomes a class-wide competition.
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Trivia:
- The ‘teacher’ term refers to the teaching staff, suggesting a unique institutional structure.
- Yoshikura Yuma has missed almost every major event due to poor health.
- The kindergarten receives annual block donations from an alumnus.
- Makoto consciously ‘acts like a kid’ while maintaining an adult internal monologue
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Character Insight:
Makoto shows a protective and inclusive side by reaching out to Yuma, the ‘frail’ kid who struggles to fit in. Despite his adult mind finding the games trivial, he takes pride in his ‘throne’ as the best block builder.
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Behind the Scenes:
The term ‘Tower of Babel’ reflects the protagonist’s ‘chuunibyou’ naming sense, contrasting with the mundane activity of stacking wooden blocks.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Mitsuhisa – Tall (184 cm), 71 kg 33‑year‑old IT specialist with slick‑back hair, deep voice, and meticulous grooming; often scowls. Breadwinner of the Totsuka family, doting husband of Mio, father of Su‑chan (Suzuka), reserved with Akari, and family photographer with a pricey DSLR and tripod. Close to former college‑athlete Makoto, whose playful‑sometimes‑sinister humor matches his gaming habit where he lags in motion‑control accuracy versus his wife. Desk‑working salaryman with a surprisingly toned physique, enjoys physical skinship with his family, and appears as a guest likely related to one of the children.
• Mio – 28‑year‑old mother of Suu‑chan, wife of Mitsuhisa (164 cm, 57 kg, baby‑faced, G‑cup curves, gentle elegance in a gray suit and skirt). Ex‑relay runner and badminton star, now teacher, cook, photographer who bakes strawberry shortcake and chirashi‑zushi, adores babysitting Ma‑kun, subtly pushes his marriage to Suu‑chan, avoids crowds, captures family chaos on camera, dresses the protagonist’s mother, dominates motion‑control bowling, and devotes herself to her daughter’s education. As a ‘guest’ and mother‑friend of the Totsuka family, she’s playful and boasts about her husband.
• Meguro – A 28‑29‑year‑old single man, 179‑180 cm tall, 67 kg, lives below the Totsukas on the first floor. He works as a kindergarten office clerk and hospital doctor (teacher/staff), giving information to Makoto. An amateur prize‑winning photographer and avid road‑bike rider, he cycles regularly.
• Makoto – A 93 cm, 13 kg three‑year‑old boy in a neat shirt and cap, gentle‑looking yet actually a 30‑year‑old reincarnated salaryman. He lives with the Totsuka family, his mother works, and protects Suzuka‑chan. In Hinomori Kindergarten’s Rose Group he uses a booster seat, has short hair and a backpack, and wields adult memories, analytical skill, high dexterity, stock tricks and magic.
• Jun – An energetic, restless boy in the Rose Class, the youngest of three brothers who all attended the same kindergarten. He shows extreme curiosity and surprising physical strength, often needing Makoto to rein him in. Competitive and prone to believing his brothers’ tall tales, he quiets when his intimidating mother watches, and his speech can be clumsy.
• Yuma – A frail boy with a low attendance rate due to illness. A neighbor of Shiho-chan. A boy in the Rose Group who is proficient at making paper airplanes, taught by his father.
• Shiho – Three‑year‑old Rose‑Class girl, shoulder‑length hair in a side‑up ponytail, easily excited by decorations and food. Uses training chopsticks and a white kitten‑themed placemat, often sleepy and leans on Makoto’s “secret” advice. Older sister in the senior group, attends monthly extended childcare, shares a quiet, competitive bond with Suu over Makoto’s attention, and is a neighbor and friend of Yuma.
• Kotaro – A quiet boy and friend of Makoto in the Rose Class.
• Kota – Makoto’s biological father. Met Akari while working as a cram school tutor during their second year of university. He disappeared suddenly after six years of dating upon learning of the pregnancy.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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