Volume 3 Chapter 35 The Reason to Push
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The summer sun was still out in full force as we held class on the Hinomori Kindergarten¹ playground.
”On your marks…”
Three children lined up in a single row, crouching into their starting stances. The rest of the kids, myself included, sat nearby and watched.
”Get set…”
They adjusted their arms so they were ready to pump in sync with their legs. The teacher circled around, gently correcting the ones who hadn’t quite mastered the form yet.
(………)
The children stole glances at the teacher, waiting for the whistle currently gripped between her teeth.
-Snap!
One kid couldn’t take the tension anymore and bolted early.
”Okay, hold it! Everyone back!” the teacher called out. The others at the line had been lured into starting too, but the teacher ushered everyone back to the starting positions. Once they reset, she put the whistle back in her mouth.
”On your marks… Get set…”
(………)
-Tweet!
The short, crisp sound of the whistle echoed across the grounds.
The kids took off. Some flinched for a split second before moving, and there were a few minor false starts, but it looked like the staff was willing to turn a blind eye for now. The three runners exerted every ounce of energy in their tiny bodies as they sprinted half a lap-a distance of about thirty meters. The kids waiting for their turn joined those who had already finished in a chorus of cheers.
”Go for it! You can do it!”
Spurred on by the shouting, the kids ran and ran. They nearly collided with the runners in front of them; they almost tripped over their own momentum; and as they neared the finish line, their pace slowed to a crawl.
When the first group was about halfway through, the next three lined up. All the while, the kids on the track kept pushing toward the goal on the opposite side. The cheering didn’t stop until the very last child crossed the line. Once the final runner finished, the teacher praised them with a “Great job!” and guided them back into the center of the track to line up.
We kept repeating this until the entire Small Class² was done.
As it happens, we’re currently in the middle of practicing for the upcoming Sports Day, which is only a week away. Between the entrance and exit ceremonies, the school song, the gymnastics, the dances, and the footraces, the practice that started before summer break is finally reaching its climax.
I occasionally see news reports these days worrying about the declining physical fitness of children, but you’d never guess that from the Hinomori students. We hike up Mt. Hiou³ right behind the school almost every week, and the curriculum puts a heavy emphasis on physical activity. They even coach us on starting stances and arm-swinging drills. It isn’t my imagination-ever since summer ended, the “playtime” aspect of PE has dropped, replaced by a serious drive to turn “I can’t” into “I can.”
”Next group!”
The group before mine took off, and the teacher called us to the line. The heats are organized by speed, though the teachers also consider personality mesh and how obsessed a kid is with winning or losing. They’ve been reshuffling us constantly based on practice results.
I’m in the fastest trio in the Rose Class⁴. Call me unchildish if you want, but I’m in a kid’s body; it would be weirder to go out of my way to throw the race. Besides…
”I’m gonna win this time!” Jun shouted.
”Nuh-uh! I’m not gonna lose!” Suu-chan shot back.
(……)
It was just a practice run, but these two were already at each other’s throats. I think you get the picture.
”On your marks… Get set…”
-Tweet!
We bolted at the whistle. Thanks to my adult timing, I was a split second faster off the block, but I was immediately overtaken and fell into third. On a short thirty-meter sprint where half the course is a curve, there are almost no opportunities to pass. It’s no exaggeration to say that the ranking at the five-meter mark is the ranking at the finish line.
I’m running against kids with similar speeds, so catching up is a tall order. Stamina management doesn’t really exist for a thirty-meter dash. Unless kids as athletic as these two actually trip, it’s nearly impossible to pass them. Consequently, I crossed the finish line in the exact same position I started, without any exciting highlights.
”Yes! First place!” Jun cheered.
”Phew… Next time, ssu’s gonna win,” Suu-chan panted, her breath coming in heavy gasps.
Jun broke the tape first, followed a hair later by Suu-chan. I followed a beat after that. Setting aside Jun, who spends his entire life running, Suu-chan is surprisingly fast. It would sound cool to say I was “letting her win” because she’s a girl, but the truth is I couldn’t catch her even when I went all out. At this age, there isn’t much of a gender gap anyway. Speed is usually determined by height or how early in the year you were born.
Suu-chan pouted, her frustration written all over her face. She isn’t usually the competitive type, but she has a reason she can’t lose this time.
It started last week.
”Mama, you okay?”
”I’m fine. Thank you for worrying, honey,” Mio-san said.
She was lying on her side, propped up by cushions, as she stroked the head of her anxious daughter. She’s in her third trimester now, and her stomach is so big it looks like it might burst. She’s been feeling unwell lately, spending most of her day lying down, only moving to go to the bathroom or the bath.
Mitsuhisa-san negotiated with his company to work from home so he can be there the second she needs anything. He and Grandma Haruko have split the housework, and Mitsuhisa-san is the one handling the kindergarten bus drop-offs now. My mother helps out where she can, too-hanging out with Mio-san to help her de-stress or watching the kids. I’ve been assigned the “Major Mission” of making sure Suu-chan doesn’t feel lonely. (It’s basically my usual routine, just with more chores.)
With everyone on high alert for the baby’s arrival, the talk of the house is that the due date is probably going to land right on the day of the Sports Day.
”I’m sorry I won’t be able to go see you, Suu-chan,” Mio-san told her. “But Papa is going to film everything for me. I’ll be cheering for you from home.”
”Okay… If ssu gets first place, will that help you cheer?”
”Definitely! If I see you working hard, I’ll feel like I can work hard too.”
”Then ssu’s gonna do her best!”
After that heart-to-heart, Suu-chan has been fired up to support her mom. She’s determined to beat Jun, the undisputed king of the Rose Class. She’s been hitting the park with Mitsuhisa-san to practice and using a jump rope to build leg strength. My mother even tried to give her tips on “vectors” and “centers of gravity,” but Suu-chan is strictly an intuitive learner…
Seeing Suu-chan work so hard for her sake seems to be giving Mio-san a second wind.
Of course, since she’s cheering for me too, I plan to give it my all. Taking first in the dash might be a pipe dream, but luckily, there are plenty of other events at the meet.
—
Summary:
The narrator and his classmates are undergoing intense training for the Hinomori Kindergarten Sports Day. Suu-chan is particularly determined to win her race to support her mother, Mio, who is facing a difficult pregnancy. The chapter highlights the competitive nature of the Rose Class’s top runners and the family’s support system during a tense time.
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Trivia:
- The kindergarten is located near Mt. Hiou, which is used for weekly hiking.
- The narrator is a reincarnated adult but still struggles to beat athletic children in a race.
- Mio’s due date coincides with the Sports Day event.
- The protagonist’s mother tries to teach sports physics to a toddler (Suu-chan)
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Character Insight:
Suu-chan shows significant emotional growth by shifting from a non-competitive child to a determined athlete to provide moral support for her mother’s upcoming childbirth.
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Behind the Scenes:
Author’s note implies the kindergarten’s focus on physical activity is to combat the modern trend of declining physical ability in Japanese children.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Jun – Energetic, restless boy in Rose Class, youngest of the Imai brothers and member of the Naughty Five. He chases anything strong or cool after his siblings’ tales, idolizes his mother, while older brother Ko‑san warns about germs and Makoto reins him in. Possesses a heroic, physically gifted, ultra‑competitive nature.
• 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.
• Mitsuhisa – 184 cm, 71 kg, 33‑year‑old IT specialist; slick‑back hair, deep voice, often scowling. Breadwinner of the Totsuka family, doting husband of Mio and father of Su‑chan. Reserved with Akari, family photographer with a DSLR and tripod. Close to former college‑athlete Makoto, sharing playful‑sometimes‑sinister humor and gaming lag. Desk‑working salaryman, surprisingly toned, protective yet occasionally lonely as kids grow independent. Now works from home to care for pregnant Mio and manage household duties.
• Haruko – An elderly grandmother with silver hair and sharp eyes, dressed in a bold‑patterned kimono, is the eccentric mother of Mio and grandmother of Suu‑chan. She stays at the Yashiro house on weekdays to aid Mio’s pregnancy, helping Mitsuhisa with housework and childcare.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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