Volume 3 Chapter 4 Going to School
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Seven-thirty had come and gone, meaning it was just about time for the bus.
I switched off the TV and the lights, then gave the balcony door a quick tug to confirm the lock was secure. I figured Mio-san¹ would be stopping by later to handle the chores, but I checked anyway just to be safe.
I did a final scan of my belongings to ensure I hadn’t missed anything: pocket tissues, three towels, three handkerchiefs, a change of clothes, a tracksuit, a water bottle, my chopstick set, and a single sheet of newspaper for today’s lesson-actually, better make it a full day’s worth, just in case. Finally, I grabbed my communication folder.
I finished verifying that everything was tucked inside my backpack-the one sporting the Hikonokami Kindergarten² sun emblem-just as the doorbell rang.
”Ma-kun, it’s about time~”
”Coming!”
Mio’s bright voice carried through the front door. I slid the lock and turn the knob.
”Ma-kun!”
”…Whoops. Morning, Suu-chan³.”
”Morning!”
Suu-chan lunged at me with everything she had, and I braced myself to catch her. If I wasn’t careful, we’d both end up on the floor with bruises. After all, Suu-chan was taller than me, and her weight was… No, wait. I reminded myself that such thoughts were strictly forbidden when dealing with a lady.
She was dressed in the school-mandated gym uniform-a white top with orange stripes that matched her shorts. Even though it was spring, I couldn’t help but think short sleeves and shorts were a bit optimistic for this weather. Then again, children ran hot, so they usually managed. We had tracksuits in our bags if it got chilly, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
After our customary morning hug, I gauged Suu-chan’s mood and led the way down the apartment stairs. It was only proper for a gentleman to go first.
””Good morning!””
At the bottom of the stairs, our other neighbors-the Hagiri family-were already waiting for the Sannen Hoiku⁴ bus.
”Good morning, Ma-kun, Suu-chan.”
”Good morning, pwease!”
Yuna-chan chirped her greeting. She was a grade below us, but since she’d started her “professional” life at the nursery when she was only one, she was technically my senior in the world of society. I figured I’d better stay on my best behavior.
Hitomi, her mother, looked relieved; Yuna-chan had apparently made some friends recently and was actually excited for school. She’d even started acting like a big sister, helping out at home. It seemed she’d been a bit jealous when Suu-chan and I started kindergarten in our matching gym clothes, but I’d managed to soothe her by telling her how great her nursery uniform looked.
Hitomi’s struggles weren’t over, though. She currently had her hands full with the younger brother, Jin.
”Is he in the middle of a meltdown today, too?” I asked.
”He’s been in full ‘No’ mode since he woke up… It took five minutes just to get his socks on, then he cried because he didn’t like the buttons. I finally had to just carry him out.”
He was nearly two, right in the thick of the “Terrible Twos,” and apparently, school was the latest victim of his defiance. Hitomi was lugging him around just to get him out the door. I can’t blame the little guy; I knew all too well how much it hurt to want to stay with your mom.
To take some pressure off the visibly exhausted Hitomi, Suu-chan, Yuna-chan, and I spent a few minutes playing “don’t step off the white lines” in the empty parking lot until the bus arrived. It was just us walking back and forth, but the girls were squealing with delight. Eventually, the small yellow Sannen Hoiku bus pulled up.
”Yuna-chan, have a nice day!”
”See you later!”
”I’m going now!”
Yuna-chan boarded with her head held high. Jin was handed over to the Sannen Hoiku Hospital Doctor⁵. He was wailing like the world was ending, but apparently, he’d be perfectly fine the moment he reached the nursery. (Talk about the ‘Terrible Twos’-his mood swings are like a light switch.)
Hitomi let out a long breath as the bus pulled away.
”That’s quite the workout,” I noted.
”Tell me about it… Just when I thought I was done with the older sister, Round Two starts without a single breather.”
”A mother’s work is never done, huh?”
”Truly. In that sense, I’m so jealous of how well-behaved Ma-kun and Suu-chan are.”
”Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Mio replied. “Ma-kun might be fine, but the moment he’s gone, Suu-chan is a different story…”
”Really?”
”Oh yes. I’ve had to pull out every trick in the book just to calm her down.”
As I listened to Hitomi and Mio swap war stories, the white kindergarten van arrived.
””Good morning!””
”Good morning. You two are as lovey-dovey as ever!”
”Mm-hmm!” Suu-chan chirped.
At the Hospital Doctor’s comment, Suu-chan-who was still clutching my hand-nodded emphatically. (Back in my previous life, saying two people were ‘lovey-dovey’ was usually code for ‘get a room,’ but I’m sure a teacher wouldn’t be thinking that about toddlers.)
””We’re off!””
”Have a safe trip!”
I followed Suu-chan onto the van. I gave the driver a polite greeting, and we took our usual spots in the yellow toddler seats at the very back on the left. I missed the security of a proper car seat. These seats were a bit nerve-wracking; my feet didn’t touch the floor, so there was nothing but the backrest to keep me steady.
We waved to Mio and the others through the window as the van quietly pulled away. Suu-chan was sitting “quietly” on the aisle side… if you could call it that. If she had wanted to see the view, she should have taken the window seat, but she insisted that doesn’t give her enough “closeness.” So, after the first day, I became the window-sitter while she huddles up against me.
My morning entertainment consisted of feeling Suu-chan’s warmth and watching her eyes as she tracked the world passing by outside. Occasionally, our eyes meet and her mouth twitched. (We’re in public, so I have to behave like a lady…)
”Suu-chan, you’re so cute,” I whispered.
”……Ngh… phew. …Ma-kun, I’m being good.”
”Sorry, sorry.”
”Hmph.”
I couldn’t help it. By the time I was done doting on her, we’d already arrived. Time moved way too fast. I was supposed to be young, yet…
Once we reached the kindergarten, we kicked off our shoes at the lockers and went barefoot. At Hikonokami Kindergarten, being barefoot was the rule-classroom, gym, playground, everywhere. I was sure it was for some noble reason, like developing sensory awareness, and not just because it was a pain to put socks on kids. (If only I had internet access to look it up.)
Since we were mostly barefoot at home, it didn’t feel that weird indoors, but the playground was a new experience. It was surprisingly clean; the Hospital Doctors must have kept it meticulously clear of stones.
We pitter-pattered down the hall to the classroom and stowed our bags in the cubbies at the back. There were nameplates, but most kids couldn’t read their names yet, so the Hospital Doctors usually had to help them. Suu-chan, however, found her name with a smug look and put her things away herself. She loved picture books, so she’d already mastered hiragana and can even write the names of everyone in the family.
(Actually, Suu-chan, isn’t that a bit too fast for a kid? I guess I’m not one to talk, though.)
With that done, it was free play time-a buffer for the staggered arrival of the other kids. Naturally, I stayed with Suu-chan. She picked out a book from the hallway shelf and we read together. I focused on her cute voice, tuning out the surrounding racket. I’d had over three years of training in focusing only on her, so the noise wasn’t an issue.
But then, a shadow fell over our peaceful moment-
”Morning! Hagiri Makoto! Suu-chan!”
”Morning, Shiho-chan.”
”…Morning.”
Shiho-chan had arrived. And with her comes our daily morning ritual: the staredown. Even after two weeks of this, I still had no clue what was going on in their heads. Suu-chan used me as a shield, peeking over my head to glare at Shiho-chan. Shiho-chan dropped into a W-sit directly in front of me, staring right back at Suu-chan.
The Hospital Doctors were used to it by now. They just left our little bubble of frozen time alone and went to tend to the other kids. It wasn’t like they hated each other. If anything, they were close. Shiho-chan is the only person Suu-chan spends time with besides me, and they even call each other “Suu-chan” and “Shi-chan.”
”””……”””
The silence stretched on. (I’ve seen enough idiots get caught in the crossfire of women’s ‘discussions’ to know I should stay quiet.) I just moved my eyes, watching the staff work.
-I really hope today stays peaceful.
—
Summary:
Makoto and Suu-chan navigate their morning commute to Hikonokami Kindergarten. They encounter their neighbors, including a toddler dealing with a ‘No-no phase’ (Terrible Twos). Once at school, the duo engages in their usual routine, which is interrupted by Shiho-chan, leading to a silent, territorial staredown between the girls.
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Trivia:
- Hikonokami Kindergarten has a ‘barefoot’ policy to encourage sensory development.
- Suu-chan is remarkably fast at learning hiragana, possibly matching Makoto’s adult-aided pace.
- Makoto’s previous life experiences inform his ‘gentlemanly’ behaviors and his fear of non-secure toddler seats.
- Shiho-chan is the only other child Suu-chan is close enough to use a nickname with (Shi-chan)
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Character Insight:
Makoto continues to act as a stabilizing, gentlemanly force for the toddlers around him, while Suu-chan shows a possessive streak that manifests in silent confrontations with Shiho-chan.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The barefoot policy is a real pedagogical trend in some Japanese preschools (zori/barefoot education).
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Mio – A 28‑year‑old housewife (164 cm, 57 kg) with a baby face and G‑cup figure, she is the mother of Su‑chan (also called Ssu‑chan) and the wife of Mitsuhisa. With a gentle, rounded composure and friendly elegance, she often wears a gray casual suit and skirt and is noted for her prominent chest. As a licensed kindergarten teacher, she handles housework and morning routines with a cheerful, playful personality. She is Suzuka’s mother and Akari’s best friend (the mother of Makoto), serves as Makoto’s parent/guardian figure, and is the godmother of Ma‑kun. Perceptive and teasing, she enjoys babysitting Ma‑kun and encourages a future marriage between her daughter Su‑chan and him, while being skilled in cooking and photography. Her beauty shines even in casual, unpolished moments, and she is admired for her kind, fashionable demeanor.
• Yuna – Hitomi’s daughter, a nearly two‑year‑old (92 cm, 13 kg) childhood friend who lives next door, is currently in a no‑no phase and experiencing baby regression. She is enrolled in a three‑year preschool program at Sannen Hoiku nursery and is one grade below Makoto.
• Hitomi – A 25-year-old (now 26) neighbor from Building B, standing 155 cm tall and weighing 51 kg, works at City Hall, is the mother of Yuna and Jin, and is visibly exhausted by her toddler’s ‘Terrible Twos’ phase.
• Jin – Hitomi’s younger son — originally a six‑month‑old who stayed in a stroller — is now a 1‑year‑old boy (81 cm, 11 kg) in the ‘Terrible Twos’ (No‑no phase), and also Yuna’s younger brother.
• Makoto – The protagonist, the son of Akari who now lives with the Totsuka family while his mother works, is a reincarnated adult who retains memories of a past life in modern Japan. He is a three‑year‑old boy (93 cm, 13 kg) attending Hikonokami Kindergarten, presenting a gentlemanly demeanor that contrasts with his age, protective of ssu‑chan, and endowed with a cynical, socially‑aware inner monologue that makes him appear as a child prodigy with advanced behavior.
• Shiho – A girl at the kindergarten. Competitive or territorial relationship with ssu-chan regarding Makoto. A soft, quiet girl with shoulder-length hair in a side-up ponytail. She becomes Makoto’s first kindergarten friend.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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