Volume 3 Chapter 17 The Youngest of the Filming Crew
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I’m Rakuma Miku, a “Hospital Doctor”¹ at Hinomori Kindergarten.
It’s a rare surname, but since I usually go by my first name at work, it’s practically a secret. Most of the time, people are too busy asking me to do impressions of a certain twin-tailed Vocaloid to worry about my last name anyway.
(And yet, here I am, camera in hand, filming the “Youngsters”².)
It all started around the summer before last. During one of our regular “single ladies” nights with the other professional staffers my age, I apparently let slip that I was “kind of interested in cameras.” That comment somehow reached the ears of Hospital Doctor Kamata, the head of our filming crew. By the following week, a camera had been shoved into my hands.
The crew consists of the leader, Hospital Doctor Kamata Hiroyuki, the ace, Teacher Meguro Ryuhei, and… well, me. That’s it.
Hospital Doctor Kamata is the veteran, pushing fifty. He’s terrifyingly good with machines. Cameras, PCs, appliances, cars, bikes, even the multi-seat strollers-if it has a motor or a circuit, he can fix it. He’s the unofficial mechanic for Hinomori Kindergarten, and word is his family’s photo studio has been the school’s go-to for generations.
Then there’s Teacher Meguro, a tall guy with glasses. He’s been a hobbyist since college and has even placed in city-wide photo contests. Apparently, he and Kamata have known each other for years, which is how he got scouted to work in the office.
With me added to the mix, we’re a trio.
Hospital Doctor Kamata seemed to bask in the glow of my arrival, muttering, “Finally, my dream has come true…” but he stubbornly refused to tell me what that dream actually was. Teacher Meguro seemed to be in on the secret, but he just dodged the question. “Well, it’s definitely easier now that we have one person assigned to each grade,” he said. I haven’t forgotten how he snickered at me when I started overthinking it.
Since I was “successfully” appointed as the camera person for the junior class, my days have been filled with photography boot camp under those two.
As a total amateur, most of it was Greek to me. The first rules I burned into my brain were: 1. Do NOT touch the lens. 2. If dust gets on it, use this “puff-puff” air blower. 3. If that doesn’t work, call the pros. The demonic expressions they made when I almost touched the glass with my bare hands still haunt my dreams.
These photos aren’t just for fun; they’re sold to the parents. I can’t afford to slack off. (The responsibility is actually pretty heavy.)
For now, I’m sticking to the “spray and pray” tactic-take enough shots and surely one will be good! I’m just glad I don’t have to deal with film. Hospital Doctor Kamata gets a thousand-yard stare whenever he talks about how “hardcore” things used to be in the old days.
Also, wearing a camera around my neck every day is giving me killer shoulder cramps. (If this is the kind of weight people with big chests have to deal with, I guess I’m glad I’m small-no! That’s a completely different issue!)
* * *
Today is the first field trip of the new school year. I participate every year, but “Field Trip Day” is always a brutal ordeal.
It starts with the prep. Before Golden Week even hits, we’re handing out flyers to the neighbors to keep them happy. We have to do the rounds and greet the managers of Mt. Hio to get permission to use the clearing. Then we scout the trail to ensure the safety of the kids, and finally, we pick up trash.
I can push myself if it’s for the kids, but the sad reality is that this is all “volunteer” work. Sure, the school provides drinks and lunch, but… yeah, it’s a total black company³.
Then comes the big day. While the other teachers are keeping a sharp eye out for danger with a smile, I’m busy making my lens shine. (Heh, wasn’t that a bit clever?)
”Teacher, you’re smirking!”
”What’s up, Teacher?”
Ahem. Focus. I have a job to do. I’m in charge of the junior class, and since it’s their first big trip, everyone is looking pretty tense. The other staffers have digital cameras too, but I’m the main attraction. On big event days like this, I actually feel like the protagonist. My camera has way more “presence” than theirs, anyway.
By the way, I’m doing video too. Between the spare batteries and the tripod, my bag is weighing me down.
Finally, we’re off. The juniors watch the older kids depart with wide eyes. (Don’t worry, kiddos-you’ll be just like them in a year or two.)
Wait, these guys again… of course it’s the Rose Class. This group is always “picture-perfect.” I have to make sure to keep things fair, though. I really don’t want to deal with a “Why aren’t there more photos of my kid?” lecture from the parents.
Click. A shot of the kids saluting. Click. Leaving the gates. Click. A wide shot. They’re so cute holding hands. Click. Total healing. Click.
What? I look like I’d blend right in with them?
(No way! For your information, I am one hundred thir… forty centimeters tall!)
The Chrysanthemum Class passes through first, looking a bit sluggish. They’ve got a “problem child” who’s built like a tank, so it looks like a struggle. Their teacher, Hospital Doctor Ai, looks nervous as the weather starts to turn. She won’t even get to use that legendary stamina of hers. I bet I’ll be hearing her vent about this later.
Next is the Rose Class. Makoto Taro-the kid everyone in the staff room talks about-seems to be acting as the “watchdog” for the rowdy ones. He looks like he’s got his hands full, as usual.
Teacher Seiko is a total ogre! (Ack, I didn’t say that! I’d never say that out loud! Teacher Seiko is terrifying when she loses it.) Click.
But thanks to her, they’re heading out smoothly. They’ve got a weird sense of composure compared to the other class. Click. It’s amazing how much of a difference one calm kid makes in a group of toddlers. Click.
Finally, the Sunflower Class. They’re struggling just as much as the first group, but since they have a male assistant teacher, he’s handling the high-energy kids all by himself. The lead teacher, Hospital Doctor Sae, looked a little salty that he was stealing all the popularity. Click.
And with that, we hit the trailhead. Click.
…Rose Class again. They’re bowing to the gate. Are they being… polite? Click.
After that, I just keep snapping away. Click. A kid showing off a perfectly round pebble. Click. Someone playing with a pill bug. Click. A kid sprinting up the hill. Click. To the “lovey-dovey” couple-get a room! Click.
I’m jumping between groups, crouching down, getting swarmed-the fatigue is definitely settling into my legs, but seeing all their different expressions makes it worth it.
Then, lunchtime. But for the filming crew, there’s no such thing as a “break.” The other teachers look like they’re having a blast eating with the kids! Even if trying to manage an unruly toddler with a lunchbox in your hand looks like a nightmare.
As for me? I’ve got a “ten-second energy” pouch. But that’s not enough, so I’m breaking out the “solid fuel” bars too. (It’s not a snack. It’s a meal. Ugh, saying that out loud makes me depressed.)
Click. Kids munching away. Click. High-effort lunchboxes. Click. Kids feeding each other-how sweet, I’m gonna barf. Click. Showing off empty boxes. Click. The kid who finished in two seconds and is already running circles.
Before we start the climb back up, we clean. A bird does not foul the nest it is about to leave, after all. What do we do with this crop circle they made? Well, commemorative photo first. Click.
I spend the afternoon zig-zagging all over the place, my shutter working overtime. Finally, we reach the group photo at the lookout point.
”Everyone, look over here! Did you have fun on your first field trip?”
”It was fun!”
”Yeah!”
”I’m tired!”
”I can still climb!”
The gap between the energetic kids and the exhausted ones is huge. Well, they’ll build up that stamina over the next few years of hiking. I know I’ve definitely leveled up since I started hauling this gear.
”Okay, one last photo together! Everyone, count down with me!”
I raise my left hand, holding up three fingers. “Here we go~”
”Three! Two! One!” the kids shouted.
The secret is to snap about five shots per second. That’s how you avoid the “accidental half-closed eyes” disaster. As for Makoto Taro… that’s just how his eyes always look, right? (Please don’t complain to me later.)
Once the group shots are done, my official duties are mostly over. I spend the rest of the time taking candid shots of the kids messing around in the clearing. Click. Kids sprinting. Click. Using ropes to scale the embankment. Click. A kid napping. Click. A kid getting rolled like a log. Looks like fun! (Wait, I should join? Fine, fine-roll, roll, roll!)
Then, the bus ride back. I’m hitched a ride on the Sunflower Class bus. The kids are wiped out, and I’m right there with them. I work out, but I can already tell my muscles are going to be screaming tomorrow.
Gotta document the bus ride too. Click. Sleeping kids really are angels. (I mean, they’re angels when they’re awake too! Just… slightly mischievous angels.)
Even after the kids go home, our shift isn’t over. Some teachers head back up the trail to check for lost items. Others go to thank the volunteers and neighbors. And the rest handle the extended childcare as usual.
Once that’s all done, we have a “reflection meeting”-which is just code for a staff meeting. And then, I have to go through all the data…
Oof. I took way too many. I’ve got to get these organized and ready for sale within a week.
—
Summary:
The chapter introduces Rakuma Miku, the youngest member of the kindergarten’s media crew, as she documents the school’s first field trip of the year to Mt. Hio. She observes the different class dynamics, focusing particularly on the Rose Class and the unusually calm Makoto Taro. The day ends with a successful group photo and the looming dread of sorting thousands of images.
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Trivia:
- Miku is self-conscious about her height, nearly slipping that she’s 130cm before ‘correcting’ to 140cm.
- Kamata Hiroyuki’s ‘dream’ for the camera crew remains a secret that Meguro knows.
- The term ‘Hospital Doctor’ is used consistently in the raw as a specialized title.
- Makoto Taro’s eyes are noted as looking ‘accidentally half-closed’ by default, which causes photography issues.
- The ‘black company’ comment highlights the unpaid labor (volunteering) expected of the staff
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Character Insight:
Miku shows a mix of professional pride in her photography and the typical ‘modern worker’ fatigue. She admires Makoto’s influence on his peers, noting how a single calm child can stabilize an entire group of toddlers.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author uses ‘Hospital Doctor’ and ‘Youngsters’ as loanwords in the Japanese text to create a specific quirky atmosphere for the kindergarten setting.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Rakuma Miku – Hospital Doctor at Hinomori Kindergarten. Youngest member of the filming crew. Height is 140cm (claimed). Often compared to a twin-tailed Vocaloid.
• Kamata Hiroyuki – Hospital Doctor and head of the filming crew. Nearly fifty years old. Expert with machinery, electronics, and vehicles. Family owns a photo studio.
• 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.
• Ryuhei – Staff/Office clerk and ace of the filming crew. Tall man with glasses. Hobbyist photographer since university; award winner in city contests.
• Hiro – A boy in the Rose Class who gets bored easily and runs around the classroom, accidentally breaking Suu’s paper.
• Ai – Hospital Doctor/Teacher for the Chrysanthemum Class. Boasts significant physical stamina.
• 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.
• Seiko – Lead teacher of the Rose Class, a veteran with a steely, battle-hardened aura. Polite yet intimidating when serious; Miku calls him an ogre when angry.
• Sae – Hospital Doctor/Teacher for the Sunflower Class.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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