Volume 3 Chapter 34 Evacuation Drill
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Summer vacation was finally over.
Even though I’d still been heading to the kindergarten on weekdays and doing my lessons on the weekends, the whole period had basically just felt like playtime. Since I wasn’t being haunted by a mountain of homework, I never really got that “summer break” sensation. Before I knew it, we were already into September.
The kindergarten had closed for the Obon¹ holidays, of course, but since Mother’s relationship with her parents was pretty strained—or maybe she just wanted to use her rare time off to actually rest—we didn’t have any big family events. Since it’s still difficult for Mio-san to move around much, we mostly just stayed in the air-conditioned room, playing games, watching English animated movies, and flirting the days away.
Then came the first day back.
We had our monthly evacuation drill, a staple for the start of the month. They prepare for all sorts of scenarios like fires, tornadoes, or intruders, but this time the drill was for an earthquake. That’s why we were currently huddling under our desks.
When it comes to earthquake drills, the initial response is a classic: hide under the desk to protect yourself from falling objects. (I feel like I remember hearing in my previous life that hiding under a desk might not actually be the best move, but I’m no expert, so who knows? For now, I just have to stay low, protect my head, and follow the teacher’s lead to keep things from devolving into chaos.)
Right next to me was a teacher, crouching low just like us kids. The staff was split into two groups—one to act as role models for the Youngsters and another to give us directions. I’m not sure if the other Youngsters actually understood how important this was, but they’d at least learned to follow instructions. They’re just kindergarteners, after all; being obedient is more than enough. A few of them tried to get rowdy, but they settled down the moment the teacher caught them.
Of course, Suu-chan was doing a great job too. She crawled under the desk and pressed herself right up against me. Even at her age, she must have sensed the serious atmosphere. (So please, take it easy on her if her mouth is working away like she’s mumbling to herself. We usually play like this at home under the guise of hide-and-seek, anyway.)
I could hear Teacher Ai’s frantic voice coming from the classroom next door. Compared to that, the kids in Rose Class—Suu-chan included—were doing pretty well. Even the “Rose Rangers” were staying quiet for the sake of Madoka.
I had to make sure I took this seriously, too. I’m someone who actually experienced a massive earthquake in my previous life. Back then, I was just a toddler who didn’t understand what was happening and couldn’t do anything but let the adults rescue me. It’s different now. Suu-chan’s life is on the line… or at least, that’s the premise of the drill. That’s enough to make me focus.
”Everyone! Please come out from under your desks!” Riko called out.
The usual gentle vibe was gone; I could tell from her tone that she was in total “teacher mode.” These drills aren’t just practice for the Youngsters; they’re practice for the staff to give evacuation orders. When you’re responsible for a room full of kids, that weight of responsibility is massive. Because of that, the teachers were strictly business.
”Put on your disaster hoods²!” Riko commanded.
Following her lead, we unfastened the hoods attached to our chairs—they usually double as seat cushions—and pulled them on. It’s a pretty convenient system; I didn’t even recognize what they were when I first saw them. The teachers helped the kids who were struggling, while I did a quick check to make sure Suu-chan had hers on straight.
”Mmph…” she let out.
Yeah, she looks adorable. (Seeing her like that reminded me all over again: this is what I have to protect.)
”Hold your handkerchiefs over your mouths and head outside quietly!” Riko said.
I pulled my handkerchief from my pocket, covered my mouth, and followed behind her. The other teachers stood by the windows to keep the Youngsters away from the glass and ensure the path was clear as we filed out through the back door. Since the Small Class rooms are on the first floor, the door led straight to the playground. We moved away from the building and sat down in our assigned groups.
Rose Class turned out to be the gold standard; we were the first ones to finish the evacuation in the whole school. I felt a little surge of pride. While we waited, we watched the other kids. Since the middle and older classes are on the second floor, they came down using the emergency slides. Maybe because they practice on them during recess, the kids didn’t seem scared at all as they zipped down. Those slides are actually pretty high and wide—it’s a total rush.
My friends were watching them with pure envy. (Hey, cut it out, you guys. This isn’t supposed to be fun. This is a drill. Besides, you’ll get your turn to ‘play’ on them next year.)
Once every grade was lined up, they announced the “time it took for everyone to get quiet,” and then we listened to the Principal speak.
For the record, Hinomori Kindergarten is a designated evacuation shelter. It sits at the foot of a mountain, but since the ocean is right on the other side of that peak, you can’t be careless. It’s a bay surrounded by a peninsula, but the sea is still the sea. Naturally, I’ve got the hazard map memorized. This is the school Suu-chan attends, after all.
I haven’t been slack about our house, either. Actually, there’s a river nearby, and we’re in a “Red Zone” for flooding, so the location isn’t ideal. Luckily, I haven’t had to evacuate once since I was born, but it never hurts to know the assembly points.
Maybe because Mom and the others have been told “The Big One is coming!” for as long as they can remember, their disaster awareness is actually pretty high. We have a hazard map at home, and I managed to get them to show it to me. I’d been worried about how to ask without sounding like a weirdo, but after we watched a news special on disaster prevention, I brought it up and it went smoothly.
In fact, they ended up printing it out, framing it, and hanging it on the wall. Now we can check the map whenever we want. It really killed two birds with one stone.
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Summary:
The chapter follows the transition from summer vacation back to kindergarten. The main event is an earthquake evacuation drill where the narrator’s past-life trauma and modern knowledge of disaster safety surface. The protagonist balances their child persona with adult-like meticulous planning for Suu-chan’s safety.
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Trivia:
- The narrator has a habit of watching English animated movies with Mio-san.
- Hinomori Kindergarten is located at the foot of a mountain near a bay.
- The narrator’s house is in a designated ‘Red Zone’ for flooding due to a nearby river.
- Disaster prevention awareness is a recurring theme inherited from the narrator’s past life
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Character Insight:
The protagonist’s protective nature toward Suu-chan is highlighted; they even check her disaster hood. Their anxiety regarding natural disasters shows that while they enjoy their new life, they carry deep-seated caution from their previous existence.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Rose Rangers’ and ‘Madoka’ mentions suggest a structured classroom hierarchy or a specific social group within the kindergarten classes typical of Japanese ensemble school stories.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Mio – 28‑year‑old pregnant mother of Suu‑chan, round belly, bed‑resting for health; wife of Mitsuhisa (164 cm, 57 kg, baby‑faced, G‑cup curves, elegant in gray). 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, theatrical, neighbor/family friend in a joint‑destiny child‑rearing unit.
• Madoka – A character or peer mentioned as the person for whom the ‘Rose Rangers’ stay quiet.
• Ai – She is the lead teacher of the Chrysanthemum Class and Riko’s senior—a dark‑brown short‑bob‑haired former long‑distance track star, famed as a stamina beast. Now teaching in the room next to the narrator, her frantic voice cuts through drills.
• Riko – Lead teacher of Rose Class at Hinomori Kindergarten, she wears a rash guard and athletic shorts for pool duties and also serves as school nurse. Initially stiff, she becomes cheerful in lessons, practices autonomy‑based supervision, lets kids resolve conflicts, tends flowerbeds, leads excursions, performs magic tricks, reads picture‑story shows, and is mildly cynical about being single.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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