Volume 3 Chapter 49 Christmas Party
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
For a week now, a Christmas tree so massive it almost reaches the vaulted ceiling has stood proudly in the main entrance, right in front of the shoe lockers. Multicolored ornaments dangle from the deep green artificial branches, shimmering even more brightly than the fairy lights that the morning sun has made hard to see.
A group of kids stands as close as the “No Entry” rope allows, craning their necks to look up. More than a few of them have their mouths hanging wide open in pure awe-a charming little sight.
Back at the Totsuka family home, we have a tree about our height-roughly three feet tall-which I helped Suu-chan and Mitsuhisa-san decorate the other day. But this one is on another level. It isn’t just the height; the sheer width of it is overwhelming. Looking up at it from a child’s perspective makes the scale feel even more staggering.
”Maa-kun, look! A star!”
”You’re right. They finally put it up,” I replied.
When the tree first appeared, it didn’t have a single ornament. They’ve been adding to it day by day, and today, December 24th, the star finally claimed its spot at the peak. I suspect this was a tactical move by the teachers-a bit of calculated suspense to keep the kids from losing interest.
After we had our fill of the finished tree, we headed toward the classroom.
”Makoto! Suzuki! Merry Christmas Eve…!”
”Eve…!”
”Morning,” I said.
The moment I stepped inside, Jun came charging at me. Even though the school gave the okay for kids to wear their long-sleeved tracksuits, Jun was still rocking the short sleeves and shorts combo. Just looking at him made me shiver.
”Good morning, Shiho-chan.”
”Morning,” Suzuki said.
”Morniiing! Merry Christmas Eve!”
”Eve!”
It was best not to overthink the phrase “Merry Christmas Eve.” As long as the kids were having fun, who cares?
”Suu-chan, did you ask Santa for something?”
”Mm-hmm. I did. It’s all set,” Suu-chan replied.
”What did you ask for?”
”…It’s a secret,” she said, letting out a proud little huff.
”Aw, come on, tell me!”
”Okay… but only because Shiho-chan is special.”
While some of the more innocent kids were buzzing about their letters to Santa, there were others already plotting the man’s capture.
”Makoto! How do you think we can catch Santa!?”
”I want to know too!”
”We need a capture mission!”
”I’m gonna stay awake as hard as I can when he comes!”
”But if you don’t go to sleep like a good boy, Santa-san won’t come!”
”I can’t risk not getting my game, though…”
”…Makoto!”
(Geez…) “Well, why don’t you just ask your mom and dad to catch him for you?” I suggested.
”…Oh! Good idea!”
”I’m gonna ask them as soon as I get home!”
”Hey, don’t get mad at them if they miss him, okay? Santa is fast. He’s slippery…”
”He’s like a legendary Pokémon!”
”If we had a Master Ball¹, we’d be fine!”
”Is that a challenge!?”
Since the big night was finally here, everyone was completely restless. The room had been a chaotic hive of excitement since the second the sun came up. I suppose a little festive madness is fine every now and then. Even our lessons were completely Christmas-themed.
First, we all decorated the classroom. Apparently, these decorations were separate from the ones out in the hallway. We’d already made a mountain of this stuff, but the kids didn’t seem to mind, working away with intense focus. We spent our time cutting and pasting construction paper into trees and stars to tape to the walls, making paper chains out of origami to loop around the entire room, and even fashioning Santa hats out of newspaper. Some of the kids-the Rose Rangers² and a few others-had even painted their noses bright red. Well, it was all washable markers, so it was probably fine.
Once the room was sufficiently festive, we all joined in for a rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” that we’d practiced for ages. Then came the main event of the day: the Treasure Hunt.
For the Pre-K group, the hunt was set in the building that houses the library and the multipurpose room-places we rarely get to visit. On our way there, we passed lines of the older kids. I guess the other grades were having their hunts somewhere else.
”Alright everyone, find these ‘Eggs’ and bring them over to Santa-san!”
Teacher Riko held up a piece of cardstock cut into an egg shape, covered in strange patterns. They were probably made by the older kids. She pointed over to where a man was standing in a full red suit… though his nose wasn’t actually red. It was one of the male teachers. He definitely wasn’t there a minute ago.
”Look, it’s Santa!”
”Give me a present!”
I couldn’t tell if they actually realized it was just a teacher in a suit or not. But man, Santa was a rockstar. He was instantly swarmed by a mob of toddlers. Usually, once you grow up, the “Lady Santas” are the ones who get all the attention.
Mio-san has a Santa outfit too, doesn’t she? I mean, if I said I didn’t want to see her in it, I’d be lying… but personally, I’d rather ask Mother to wear one. After all, in my world, Mother is the one who’s supposed to be my Santa.
”That Santa is a fake,” Kotarou said, sounding unimpressed.
”Really?” asked Shiho-chan.
”Why?”
”The real Santa only shows up at night.”
”Whoa…”
”I didn’t know that!”
Kotarou calmly educated Shiho-chan and Yuma. (Yeah, that’s pretty wholesome.)
”Alright everyone, find those ‘Eggs’ that Santa dropped! Ready… set… GO!”
At Teacher Riko’s signal, the kids scattered in every direction. Even though they called it a “treasure hunt,” it was designed for preschoolers, so there weren’t any actual riddles to solve. If you look closely, you’d see the eggs peeking out from between books or tucked into obvious shadows. It wasn’t hard to find them if you’re actually paying attention.
”Look! I found one!”
”Lucky…!”
Some kids found theirs almost immediately. When they took them to Santa, he looped a ribbon medal around their necks. The teachers must have worked their tails off getting all this ready. Hiding the eggs, making the medals… I really appreciate all the hard work they put in just to see these kids smile.
”Grrr! There aren’t any left!” Jun groaned.
He was the type who searched with his feet, frantically pacing back and forth. Since running was banned indoors, he was power-walking with everything he had. The problem was, he kept blowing right past eggs that were sitting in plain sight. His lack of situational awareness was honestly tragic.
On the flip side, Yuma and Kotarou were the polar opposites of Jun, methodically checking the bookshelves one by one. Oh-looks like they found one behind a display flap. As for Shiho-chan, she and Suu-chan were just drifting around me aimlessly. Eventually, Shiho-chan gets distracted by a picture book and starts reading it right there on the floor.
”Shiho-chan, what about the eggs?” I asked.
”Ah…!”
She realized she’d forgotten the mission, but she looked torn because she wanted to know how the story ends.
”I’ll remember the title for you, so we can come back and read it later,” I said.
”Okay! Let’s do that!”
And then there was Suu-chan.
”I found some. This one is a present for Maa-kun,” Suu-chan said.
”Thanks.”
She let out a proud little huff.
She actually found two and insists on giving one to me. It felt like it would be rude to say no, so I accepted it gratefully. Once everyone had found at least one egg, the game finally wound down. For the record, I found one for myself, too. It was taped right to Santa’s back. He was being way too insistent about keeping his back to the wall, which made him incredibly suspicious.
In the afternoon, the whole school gathered in the gym for some group activities. We watched the teachers put on a puppet show and perform some magic tricks. The Principal and our very own Teacher Riko were the stars of the magic show. To think, back in the spring she didn’t know the first thing about magic, and now she’s become such a pro… it almost brought a tear to my eye.
For snack time, we got strawberry shortcake. The kids’ excitement levels hit an all-time high. A few of them were losing their manners, but since it was a special day, the teachers seemed willing to look the other way.
”Maa-kun, say ‘ahh’!”
”Ahh…”
(Wait, I don’t think “ahh” is technically bad manners, but…)
—
Summary:
The kindergarten holds its highly anticipated Christmas party, featuring a classroom decoration session, a festive treasure hunt, and a magic show. Makoto navigates the childish excitement with his adult perspective while observing the pure-hearted antics of his classmates. The day concludes with a special treat and a playful interaction with Suu-chan.
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Trivia:
- Teacher Riko’s sudden proficiency in magic suggests significant effort or off-screen character growth since the spring.
- Makoto’s preference for ‘Mother’ as his Santa highlights his deep attachment to his maternal figure in this new life.
- Kotarou’s quick deduction about the fake Santa sets him apart as one of the more observant children in the class
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Character Insight:
Suu-chan demonstrates her affection for Makoto by sharing her hard-earned ‘treasure’ with him, further solidifying their bond. Jun’s competitive but unobservant nature provides a comedic contrast to Makoto’s adult-level situational awareness.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The presence of ‘Rose Rangers’ suggests the children are influenced by modern Japanese media tropes (Sentai), and the mention of Master Balls confirms a world familiar with global pop culture icons.
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TL Notes:
The phrase ‘Lady Santas’ is a localization choice for the adult-oriented observation regarding the popularity of women in Santa costumes in Japanese marketing/culture.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Mitsuhisa – Mitsuhisa-san, 33, 184 cm, 71 kg, is Mio’s husband and father to Suu-chan, Fuu-chan, and Kyo-chan—currently on modified childcare leave, working from home while actively assisting with housework and childcare. Reserved and scowling, he hides a toned, sporty physique and a quiet passion for documenting family life with a video camera. Though emotionally distant with family photographer Akari, he shares darkly playful banter with Makoto, his former college-athlete friend, whose influence over his daughters unsettles him. Deeply lonely as his children grow independent, he balances breadwinning duty with tender, watchful fatherhood, harboring few material desires beyond niche adult interests—his quiet pride evident as he holds the twins during Suu-chan’s birthday, clearing the frame for the Producer.
• Totsuka – The neighbor family consisting of a husband (Mitsuhisa), wife (Mio), and daughter (Suu-chan). They are hardcore gamers who provide hand-me-down consoles to the protagonist’s household.
• Makoto – Akari’s four-year-old son, Maa-kun, is a polite, clever, and observant boy who displays maturity beyond his years, acting as a gentle, protective figure—especially toward Suu-chan—in his kindergarten class. At 93 cm and 13 kg, he sits in a booster seat in Hinomori’s Rose Class, dressed in a neat shirt, cap, and backpack, concealing his true identity as the reincarnated 30-year-old salaryman living with the Totsuka family. Exceptionally intelligent, he reads and writes Kanji, learns English fluently, and approaches life with an adult-like efficiency. Quietly authoritative, he mediates conflicts, hides his architectural skills and social savvy, and is admired by peers and adults alike, though his mother still calls him Maa-kun. Recently injured palm aside, he remains athletic and deeply considerate, supporting his mother and neighbors with quiet grace.
• Suzuki – 4‑year‑old Suu‑chan, daughter of Mio and Mitsuhisa, wears a topknot, braided pigtails, sleepy sparkling eyes, pink rain boots and a tiny umbrella. She’s competitive yet nervous, hugs and pouts, coordinates Makoto’s things, and calls him her boyfriend. Close friend of sandbox‑leader Maa‑kun; in Hinomori’s Younger Class she’s shy, sits in a booster seat, clings to Makoto, once had seaweed on a tooth after a Rose‑Class footrace. Now pregnant‑mother’s older sister, energetic, follows Makoto with a sad big‑sister air, and as the narrator’s daughter she loves Maa‑kun and her father Mii‑kun, caring for her new younger sisters.
• Jun – Energetic, restless youngest of the Imai family, a Rose Class kindergartner and Rose Ranger, fast from mountain life with a huge appetite and ultra‑competitive spirit. He idolizes his mother, while his older brother warns of germs and Makoto reins him in. Heroic, physically gifted, and forced to be ‘it’ in tag.
• Shiho – Three‑year‑old Rose‑Class girl with shoulder‑length hair in a side‑up ponytail, wearing a white kitten‑themed placemat and training chopsticks. Sleepy, she leans on Makoto’s “secret” advice and makes mud dumplings. Neighbor of the Yoshikura family, classmate and peer of Makoto, younger sister of Hina, friend of Suu‑chan and Yuma. Older sister in the senior group, quietly competes with Suu for Makoto’s attention, wishes happiness for the Tanabata deities, overcame a childhood fear of water to love swimming, and is kind and considerate of Suzuka’s feelings.
• Riko – Lead teacher of Rose Class and PE instructor at Hinomori Kindergarten, she also doubles as school nurse, clad in rash guard and athletic shorts for pool duties. Calm, observant, and dryly cynical in her internal monologue—judging coworkers with sharp wit—she radiates quiet warmth in lessons, guiding children through conflicts, tending flowerbeds, leading excursions, performing magic tricks, and reading story shows. Impressed by Maa-kun’s athletic prowess, she’s increasingly aware of Makoto’s unusual maturity and subtle influence on the class, finding solace in their quiet presence amid her loneliness.
• Mio – 28‑year‑old pregnant Totsuka mother, round belly, bed‑resting; wife of 164 cm, 57 kg, baby‑faced Mitsuhisa (elegant in gray, G‑cup curves). Former relay runner and badminton star turned teacher, cook, photographer; bakes strawberry shortcake and chirashi‑zushi, adores babysitting Ma‑kun, subtly pushes his marriage to Suu‑chan, avoids crowds, devotes herself to her daughter’s education, playful, theatrical, neighbor/family‑friend in a joint‑destiny child‑rearing unit. Suu‑chan’s mother, aka “Producer” Mio‑P, orchestrates cute birthday interactions with a sketchbook, narrator’s elementary‑school best friend, mother of Suu‑chan, Fuu‑chan and Kyo‑chan, partner to Mitsuhisa, longtime “Love Guru” matchmaker, described as the cute type.
• Kotaro – A quiet, slender kindergarten boy in Rose Class, friend of Makoto and member of his sandbox crew. He shares typical childhood interests— toys and games— and reliably helps Makoto with building projects, all while being a fan of Kamen Rider.
• 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.
• Yuma – Frail, sickly kindergarten boy with an idol-like face from a wealthy land-owning family; his real-estate parents shape his quiet, observant nature. Member of Rose Class and Rose Group, younger brother of Miyu-oneesan, close friend of Makoto and neighbor of Shiho-chan. Learns paper-airplane folding from his father, offers technical insights on the Skytree’s triangular base, and now leads the block-building activity.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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