Chapter 1 School Disappearance
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The morning shift debriefing was underway, and I, Sanada Yoru, found myself on the receiving end of the night guard captain’s lecture.¹
”Sanada, what’s this report you submitted yesterday? Kanji mistakes again, and the grammar’s a mess! You think this is fit for the director? Half a year on the job, and you can’t even write a decent report? If you can’t cut it, quit already!”
”So, you’re saying I’m fired?”
If that’s what it takes, I’ll leave. It’s not like I’m desperate for money.
These four old geezers in their 50s and 60s might flinch at those words, but they don’t faze me.
”Don’t talk back at 25! You didn’t even finish elementary school—don’t act all high and mighty just ’cause the principal likes you!”
”I used an online translator for the kanji this time, though.”
I found a translation site and gave it a shot, but kanji’s still a weak spot.
Honestly, I’ve barely used kanji since elementary. For someone who could barely speak Japanese until recently, this is way too hard.
In daily life, I can get by without kanji. Online searches work fine in hiragana, and I can use English too.
”Learn your kanji already! You’ve got a muscle-head for a brain or what? You can’t even use polite speech with your superiors—are you even Japanese? This is why uneducated people—”
”The captain joined the Self-Defense Force² right after high school, right? Not exactly an academic powerhouse yourself.”
At least finish university before talking down to me.
”I’m better than you, you piece of trash!”
”Hmm, well, this conversation’s been recorded. Think this qualifies as power harassment?”
I held up my phone, showing the captain’s tomato-red face the recording screen.
I recently learned about power harassment online. Turns out, everything he’s been doing to me fits the bill.
I don’t care what he says—I could kill him anytime. But since he’s annoying, I decided to fight back. How’s this?
”W-Wait! I didn’t mean it like that… I just… Sorry, I went too far. I’ll fix the report myself.”
”Thanks for the trouble. Anyway, it’s almost time for the students to arrive, so I’ll head to the gate.”
Wow, the usual nagging stopped. Didn’t expect it to work this well.
But if this is enough for a lawsuit, Japan’s pretty worker-friendly, huh?
Ah, maybe I won’t have to deal with his nagging anymore.
Ever since we met, he’s been acting all high and mighty, bragging about his special forces background. Like I care—I’ve seen real killing, unlike him.
Still, he’s a former civil servant. At least he respects the law. Good enough, I guess.
* * *
After securing a comfortable work environment, I left the office and took my usual post at the school gate.
As the students in their winter uniforms poured in, I couldn’t help but feel envious.
I never went to middle or high school. Watching them, I wished I could’ve experienced that.
I wanted to go to school, enjoy the culture festival with classmates, and sleep with high school girls. That’s the youth I dreamed of.
This country is so peaceful.
In some places, even kids are handed guns.
Like me.
I was born in Japan but taken to a developing country at 11 when my engineer father was stationed there. During summer break, my mom and I visited him, only to be attacked by terrorists³.
My parents fought to save me but were killed right in front of me. In shock, I was kidnapped along with my father’s colleagues for ransom.
Back then, Japan, along with other advanced nations, had a no-negotiation policy with terrorists. We were abandoned.
As a kid, I hated the government, but as an adult, I get it. Negotiating would’ve made Japanese citizens targets.
But being abandoned left a scar. It’s not about logic—it’s emotional.
The terrorists, frustrated with no ransom, killed the adults and sold me to a rebel group in a neighboring country.
I was sent to a child soldier⁴ camp, trained to kill, and thrown into a civil war.
I killed. I fought in a war I didn’t understand, killed strangers, and nearly died myself.
But at 18, it suddenly ended. The government, backed by a superpower, crushed the rebels.
I killed my handler and escaped into the forest, crossing the border into the neighboring country. I sought help at the Japanese embassy.
Without a passport, my tanned skin and broken Japanese made them think I was an imposter. I was turned away.
Angry, I decided to return to Japan on my own. I worked as a bodyguard in the underworld, saving money for three and a half years.
Finally, I made it back to my grandmother in Tokyo.
She and my grandfather had searched for me tirelessly, using all their savings and my father’s inheritance. They never gave up, even when my grandfather fell ill and my grandmother’s health declined.
After over a decade, she recognized me instantly, despite my transformed appearance. She cried with joy.
I silently apologized for almost marrying into a drug cartel family during my time abroad. Close call.
The government, panicking over my return, paid me hush money—enough to live comfortably for life.
I spent my days training at the gym, catching up on manga, visiting soaplands, getting my driver’s license, and gaming online.
But after a year and a half, my grandmother passed away. The stress of searching for me had taken its toll.
Overwhelmed with grief, I traveled across Japan, visiting soaplands for a year. It helped me heal.
Returning home, I realized I needed to work. With no education, my options were limited, but then my grandmother’s friend offered me this security job.
Three years in Japan. Adjusting to peace was hard after a life of violence.
The tension of hiding from the government, the sight of friends dying, the faces of enemies I killed—none of that exists here.
* * *
At first, I felt restless. That’s when I realized I was broken.
But humans adapt. I’m finally getting used to this peaceful life.
I thought I could start over here.
Just as I was closing the gate after watching a late blonde student with a great body run by… it happened.
Suddenly, everything went dark. The gate, the sky—everything vanished, like being alone in a starless void.
Then, the ground seemed to disappear. I couldn’t tell if I was standing or falling. The last thing I heard were screams from the school before I blacked out.
—
Summary:
Sanada Yoru, a former child soldier turned security guard, faces workplace harassment from his superior but uses a recording to silence him. He reflects on his traumatic past and adjusts to peaceful life in Japan, only to experience a mysterious darkness engulfing the academy.
—
Character Insight:
Sanada’s struggle with kanji and formal Japanese highlights his disrupted education and traumatic past. His use of a translator shows resourcefulness, while his recorded counterattack reveals a pragmatic approach to conflict. His envy of students’ normal lives underscores his longing for a missed youth.
—
Behind the Scene:
The author likely drew from real-world issues like child soldiers and government policies on terrorism to add depth to Sanada’s backstory. The academy’s sudden disappearance sets up a supernatural or sci-fi twist.
—
T/L:
Notes:
• Yoru – 25-year-old security guard at Sakuragi Academy. Former child soldier with a traumatic past. Muscular build, 180cm tall, tanned skin, and a large scar on his left face. Struggles with kanji and formal Japanese but is highly competent in physical tasks.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply