Volume 3 Chapter 28 Summer Preparations
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Outside, the cicadas were screaming their courtship songs at the top of their lungs. Perhaps the reason summer had felt so unbearably hot lately was because those cicadas were so desperate for love… or maybe it was just that Suu-chan was the one bringing the heat.
As for the “hot” person in question:
”A-a-a-h-h… m-a-a-a… k-u-u-u-n…”
Suzuki’s perfectly groomed hair fluttered softly in the breeze of the electric fan. I sank into a pool of nostalgia, remembering how I used to do the exact same thing when I was a kid, watching Suu-chan as she played by throwing her voice into the spinning blades.
(Kids are so cute. I can almost understand the perspective of the “lolicon” crowd… no, if we’re talking preferences, I’m more of a “Mother” guy… wait, that just makes me a mama’s boy. Where exactly is my life headed? Goddess Inuanna-sama, I beg of you… give me a divine sign…)
”M-a-a-k-u-n… l-o-v-e… y-o-u-u-u…”
Putting that nonsense aside, the rainy season had finally let up, and the topic of summer break was starting to float around. Even so, the sense of liberation and excitement I used to feel as a child was almost entirely gone. Going to kindergarten was basically just “playtime” anyway, and since I’d only been going for about three months, it wasn’t like I was desperate for a vacation. It would likely just be a continuation of the same chill days at home we had one season ago.
Except, there was one thing different this time. Mio-san’s belly was getting big, and she couldn’t move around as freely as she used to. Mother and Mitsuhisa-san had work during the week, and while Grandma Haruko came over to help, it was a lot to ask of her to support Mio-san while also wrangling both Suu-chan and me.
That was where Summer Enrichment was in handy. Hinomori Kindergarten offered a service where kids could attend during the break just like usual. Apparently, it was quite popular, though the price felt like a total gouge. The burden of labor versus the burden on the wallet—Mother and the others were being forced to make a call.
”I hereby call to order the 40th Joint Family Council!” Mio-san announced, officially kicking off the meeting.
Suu-chan and I clapped our hands. Hype was essential. The Totsuka and Yashiro families were basically a “joint-destiny” unit when it came to child-rearing, so we usually think through these big decisions together.
(…Wait, have we really done this forty times?)
”I’m pretty sure it’s only the 24th,” Mother said, naturally shutting her down. “And you never used to call it that, so why the sudden theatrics?”
”Ahem! Anyway!” Mio-san replied, displaying a masterful ability to ignore criticism. She slapped down the kindergarten’s summer program pamphlet along with several extracurricular flyers to grab our attention. “Today, we are here to decide how Suu-chan and Maa-kun will spend their summer break!”
”Shouldn’t we hear what the kids think first?” Mitsuhisa-san asked.
”Fair point,” Mio-san agreed.
All eyes turned to Suu-chan and me.
”Suu-chan, Maa-kun, do you guys want to go to school during summer break?” Mio-san asked.
”Summer… bweak?” Suu-chan whispered. She tilted her head and looked at me. It made sense; there was no way a toddler in the “Younger Class” understood the concept of a summer holiday. But since I was supposed to be a toddler too, I had to play dumb even when she looked at me for an explanation.
”During the summer, kindergarten goes on a long break,” Mother explained.
”A bweak?”
”Yep, a break.”
”No kindergarten?” Suu-chan asked, her face falling. I guessed she was sad she wouldn’t be able to play with her friends, like Shiho-chan.
”But, you can still go if you want,” Mother added.
”Go even on bweak?”
”Exactly! That’s ‘Summer Enrichment’! Isn’t that amazing?!” Mio-san shouted.
”Yeah! ‘Mazing!”
”Heh, I know, right?” Mio-san said, beaming with pride.
”It’s not like you are the amazing one here,” Mother replied, giving her a freezing look.
(I think I’ll join in on that gaze.)
”The cold glares from that mother-son duo are physically hurting me…” Mio-san muttered. She scurried away from our judgment, busily pulling the enrichment pamphlet toward her and adding it to the “Confirmed” list before handing it to Mother. I bet Mother was the one who had to do all the actual paperwork.
”Suu-chan, is there anything else you want to do?” Mother asked.
”Hmm… p-pool?” Suu-chan said. She stared at the flyers on the table with the intensity of a high-stakes card game until the illustration of a pool caught her eye. With this heat, the pool lessons at school had become her favorite thing lately.
”Swimming, huh? Suu-chan, do you want to try swimming in a huge pool?”
”With Maa-kun?”
”Of course!”
”And Shi-chan?”
”Shiho-chan… should we invite her?”
”Yeah!”
Mother circled the flyer for the local sports club’s swimming school. They had several summer-only plans for kids in the “Younger Class” and up. They even had a “Parent & Child” class, though it looked incredibly expensive.
”Well, let’s keep that under consideration,” Mother said. “Maa-kun, is there anything you’re interested in?”
The other flyers included music classes, English, abacus, calligraphy, cram school, and gymnastics. I wanted to do all of them—or rather, I wanted her to have the chance to do them. From a long-term perspective, English was the obvious choice, but it felt a bit early for a kid who hadn’t even mastered Japanese. Music was also tempting; I’ve heard it’s great for brain development, plus I’d love to see Suu-chan all dressed up for a recital.
(Since ‘Summer Enrichment’ is basically a lock, we won’t have that much free time. Plus, considering the logistics of drop-offs and the financial strain on Mother and the others, I can’t just blurt things out.)
As I sank into silence, Mother asked me with a mischievous glint in her eye, “Makoto. What do you want to do?”
”I wan—wait, what?” I scrambled to play it off. I had almost answered her in English.
”Maa-kun, you like English, right?” Mother asked.
(Well, it’s not so much that I ‘like’ it as it is for the sake of my future.)
”I know you’ve been recording and watching those English programs on TV, you know,” she added.
(She knew. I’d been studying in that window between her leaving for work and me going to school, but since I set the DVR, I guess it was obvious. I really wanted to see the look on her face when I surprised her…)
”Wait, Maa-kun can speak English?” Mio-san asked, shocked.
”Hoh…” Mitsuhisa-san grunted.
”Maa-kun, tell us the truth,” Mother said.
”Well…”
”(Suu-chan, tell Maa-kun: ‘Please tell me!’)” Mother whispered.
”Maa-kun, tell me?” Suu-chan repeated.
(That is so cheap! If Mother and Suu-chan both ask me, I don’t have a choice.)
”…Just a little,” I said.
”I want to hear Maa-kun’s self-introduction!” Mother cheered.
”My name is Makoto. I’m three years old. I go to Hinomori Kindergarten. I play with building blocks as a hobby. I love my mom and Suu-chan.”
”…Maa-kun, do you know what this is in English?” Mother asked, pointing at a table.
”Table.”
”And this?”
”Chair.”
”How about this?”
”Cabinet.”
”And finally, this?”
”Pear.”
”……”
The Totsukas were speechless. Suu-chan just blinked at the sounds she doesn’t recognize.
”Hey Akari, what is going on with Maa-kun’s English skills?!” Mio-san shouted.
”Oh, this is bad,” Mother said. “Hey, was that last one ‘pear’? Like the fruit? Honestly, I didn’t even know that. Mitsuhisa, did you?”
”Yeah, he’s right,” Mitsuhisa-san said.
(I mean, a native three-year-old could say this much, right?)
”Maa-kun…” Suu-chan whispered. She tightly gripped the hem of my shirt, looking incredibly lonely.
(Right. If I suddenly start speaking English, I must seem like I’m from a different world. No more English.)
”Suu-chan, do you want to know what Maa-kun was saying?” Mother asked. “Maa-kun was speaking a language called English. Do you want to try learning it too?”
”Yeah! I’ll learn!”
”Well, I have good news for you, Suu-chan! This English school right here apparently teaches English! Imagine that!” Mio-san said.
”I’ll go!”
”By the way… does Makoto even need to go to an English school?” Mitsuhisa-san asked.
Mio-san froze at the blunt observation. I really should learn properly from someone, but for now…
”My… name… is…” I stuttered, trying to look like a beginner.
”Maa-kun, you’re laying it on a bit thick now,” Mother said.
(Well, what the hell am I supposed to do?!)
”I’ve got it! Hey, Suu-chan, why don’t we just have Maa-kun teach you?” Mio-san suggested.
”Yeah! Maa-kun, teach me!”
”Oh…” I groaned. Mio-san had hit my weakness—not being able to say no to Suu-chan—dead center.
”The school isn’t free, after all. I think it’s a great idea,” Mother added.
”Good luck, Makoto,” Mitsuhisa-san said.
”Maybe I’ll have Maa-kun teach me too…” Mio-san teased.
The meeting continued for another hour. In the end, we settled on Summer Enrichment, with a side of swimming and music classes for the break.
—
Summary:
The families gather for a ‘Joint Family Council’ to plan for the upcoming summer break. Makoto’s hidden English language skills are accidentally revealed to everyone during the discussion. To maintain the family dynamic, it is decided that Makoto will tutor Suzuki in English while they attend summer classes together.
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Trivia:
- Mio is currently pregnant, which dictates the need for summer childcare.
- Makoto is technically a toddler but possesses adult-level self-awareness.
- The ‘Joint Family Council’ is an ongoing tradition between the Totsuka and Yashiro families.
- Makoto uses DVR recordings to self-study English programs early in the morning.
- Suzuki is extremely sensitive to Makoto appearing ‘distant’ or ‘different’ due to his skills
—
Character Insight:
Makoto demonstrates a protective instinct toward Suzuki, prioritizing her emotional comfort over his own desire to show off his abilities. Akari shows she is far more observant of her son’s behavior than he realized.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The mention of ‘Summer Enrichment’ (Kaki Hoiku) is a common cultural staple in Japanese preschools to assist working parents during long holidays.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Suzuki – Suu‑chan, 4, daughter of Mio and Mitsuhisa, wears a topknot and braided pigtails, sleepy eyes that sparkle, pink rain boots and umbrella, loves strawberries, salmon roe and clams, practices etiquette and water play. Energetic, loyal, Makoto’s “Queen of the Jungle Gym” who gives hugs, pouts, coordinates his things, toddler lisp and paper‑tearing games. Close friend of Maa‑kun, shows sandbox leadership, snuggles, sings, uses chopsticks skillfully. In Hinomori Kindergarten’s Younger Class she’s shy, socially anxious, sits in a booster seat, and is possessively attached to Makoto.
• Inuanna – Goddess of life, death, and reincarnation. Approximately 15 years old appearance, 150cm. Hasty and pure personality. Goddess who presides over life, death, and the cycle of reincarnation. Clad in a white toga with flowing silver-white hair reaching the floor and sickly pale skin. Appears to be on the boundary between girlhood and womanhood.
• Mitsuhisa – 184 cm, 71 kg, 33‑year‑old IT specialist; slick‑back hair, deep voice, meticulous grooming, often scowling. Breadwinner of the Totsuka family, doting husband of Mio and father of Su‑chan; reserved with Akari, family photographer with a pricey DSLR and tripod. Close to former college‑athlete Makoto, sharing playful‑sometimes‑sinister humor and gaming lag in motion‑control. Desk‑working salaryman, surprisingly toned, enjoys physical skinship, protective yet occasionally lonely as kids grow independent. Mio’s husband, weekday worker, level‑headed and observant, occasionally blunt.
• Haruko – Mio’s mother (Grandmother to Suu-chan). Described as an eccentric version of Mio. She stays at the Yashiro house during weekdays to help with the pregnancy.
• Mio – 28‑year‑old pregnant mother of Suu‑chan, round belly, wife of Mitsuhisa (164 cm, 57 kg, baby‑faced, G‑cup curves, elegant in a gray suit). Former relay runner and badminton star turned 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, dresses the protagonist’s mother, devotes herself to her daughter’s education, playful and mischievous as a Totsuka guest, neighbor/family friend in a joint‑destiny child‑rearing unit, enthusiastic and theatrical in family meetings.
• 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.
• Shiho – Shiho‑chan, a three‑year‑old Rose‑Class girl with shoulder‑length hair in a side‑up ponytail, uses training chopsticks and a white kitten‑themed placemat. Sleepy, she leans on Makoto’s “secret” advice and makes mud dumplings. Neighbor of the Yoshikura family, friend of Makoto, Suu‑chan and Yuma, older sister in the senior group, and quietly competes with Suu for Makoto’s attention while wishing happiness for the Tanabata deities.
• Makoto – 93 cm, 13 kg three‑year‑old boy in a neat shirt and cap, short hair, backpack, booster seat in Hinomori’s Rose Group. Reincarnated 30‑year‑old salaryman with architectural know‑how, social‑management skill, hidden English, analytical mind. Lives with Totsuka family (mother works) and protects Suzuka‑chan; called Maa‑kun by Suu‑chan and leader of Rose Class.
• Akari – 28‑year‑old single banker, 168 cm, 56 kg, dark‑brown hair, slender, melancholic smile, wearing a gray casual pantsuit after childcare leave; lives next to best friend Mio, drives a black light‑compact car, cares for newborn son, prefers quiet home, feels guilty missing the party. Mother of Maa‑kun and Makoto, polite and formally poised in high‑class settings, observant and occasionally mischievous, having uncovered Makoto’s secret English study.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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