Volume 3 Chapter 40 Girls’ Night Out ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(This is from Riko-sensei’s perspective.)
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”Good work today!”
And so, the girls’ night¹ began. You could almost hear someone scoffing, “Are they really doing this already, the day after Sports Day?” But autumn is a whirlwind of events², and these days off are few and far between. If we don’t spend them meaningfully, we’ll blink and it’ll be New Year’s.
Of course, even if I call it “meaningful,” we’re just doing the same old girls’ night with the same two members… Not exactly a change of pace.
”Sluuuurp-haaaah!”
That was Miku-sensei from the photography team, Pre-K.
”Sluuuurp-haaaah!”
And that was Ai-sensei, my colleague in the Pre-K and the homeroom teacher for the Chrysanthemum Class.
Since we were meeting at Miku-sensei’s place today, alcohol was technically on the table… but we stuck to soft drinks. Miku-sensei is a total lightweight, and Ai-sensei usually drives, so she doesn’t drink as a rule. I’ll have a little at home, but I stay dry when I’m out. It’s too risky if an emergency happens at work.
As for Miku-sensei’s place, it’s an apartment near the kindergarten. Since we can park at the school and walk over, it’s the perfect hangout whenever we need a place to hide. The 1LDK room is coordinated in whites and light blues-it’s actually quite cute. Lately, the bookshelf has been filling up with photography manuals, though I happen to know she has a stash of cheesy romance manga hidden behind them. For the sake of Miku-sensei’s honor, I keep that to myself.
”Urp… Man, this year’s Sports Day was a real barn-burner…”
Ai-sensei muttered, leaning against the wall like a burnt-out husk after chugging her soda. Even if it was just us, that burp was a bit unrefined. I suppose spending all your time around youngsters dulls your manners after a while.
”The Chrysanthemum Class actually managed to march in formation, didn’t they? I said. “They’ve really grown.”
”Hmph. Well, y’know. That’s just how it goes when I’m in charge,” Ai-sensei replied, brushing back her bangs with a c**ky, self-satisfied pose.
Things had actually been looking pretty dire right after summer break. To make Sports Day a success, the youngsters have to practice constantly. There are a mountain of things to remember, and when progress stalls because of constant bickering or kids refusing to listen, the pressure really starts to mount. Since it’s a chance to show off the class’s unity to all the parents, the homeroom teacher is under a massive amount of stress.
Ai-sensei, who was stuck with the most difficult kids in the Pre-K, looked like she was having a rough time. I shudder to think what would have happened if I’d been in charge of that group. She couldn’t show any weakness at the kindergarten, so we’ve been holding these weekly sessions to help her blow off steam. Thanks to that, we made it to the big day and got through it without a single incident.
”Well, the Rose Class was even more impressive, though,” Miku-sensei said.
”Don’t you start!”
Ai-sensei snapped, shooting me a look of betrayal. How unfair. I hadn’t done anything wrong; Miku-sensei was the one poking the bear.
”Listen, if I had Makoto-kun in my class, I wouldn’t have struggled half as much! Like, what even is a ‘Rose Ranger’? If that’s all it takes to make kids listen, nobody would ever have a hard time!”
”You don’t have to force that Southern drawl just because you’re mad, you know?”
”Ugh… why me? I’m done. I’m quitting this school…”
”Miku-sensei, she’s being a drama queen. Don’t egg her on,” I said.
”……”
”Wait, Riko-sensei, that was a total low blow!”
(Whoops, my inner thoughts slipped out…)
It’s such a chore having to comfort Ai-sensei whenever her ego takes a hit. I have to be so careful with my wording. Well, as long as she’s only saying “I’m quitting,” she’s actually fine. When she’s truly in trouble, she doesn’t say anything at all. Miku-sensei started patting Ai-sensei on the back, but she was the one who brought it up in the first place.
”Anyway, Miku-sensei,” I said, “you’re the one who really has it tough from here on.”
”M-more importantly…”
We decided to ignore Ai-sensei for a moment.
Sports Day-well, any event, really-is when the photography team has to shine. She must have taken thousands of photos. Now she’s facing the nightmare of sorting and editing them.
”How many shots did you take this year?” I asked.
Miku-sensei held up five fingers.
”Five… hundred?”
”Different ballpark.”
”Five thousand…?”
”Ding-dong…”
Miku-sensei groaned, her face turning pale as she made the “correct” buzzer sound.
”When you’re checking thousands of identical photos, you start to lose your grip on reality. I can’t just be sloppy since we have to sell them. I have to count exactly how many times every single kid appears. Anything the auto-correct can’t handle has to go to Kamata-sensei or Meguro-sensei. And then the PC crashes and I have to redo the whole batch…”
This was bad. Miku-sensei’s mood was tanking fast. “D-did you get any… best shots?” I asked. I remember her saying that catching a perfect photo gives her an incredible rush-like all the hardship was worth it just for that one image.
”Best… shot…?”
”Yes! Your absolute masterpiece!”
”Best shot…”
Miku-sensei stared into space, thinking. I nudged Ai-sensei with my foot, telling her to stop smirking and help me out.
”…Probably that one. During Makoto-kun’s footrace.”
”Oh! That moment!”
”Yeah, that was the winner… It made my heart skip a beat.”
It was the first heat of the Rose Class. Right at the very end, Suzuki-chan tripped. I knew she wanted to show her pregnant mother how hard she was working, so my heart sank just watching her fall. Then Makoto-kun, who clearly understood her feelings, called out to her at the finish line and welcomed her in. It was like a scene from a movie.
(I wish someone would embrace me like that… wait, let’s stop there. That thought just makes me sad.)
”The way Makoto-kun broke that fall was definitely impressive,” Ai-sensei said. “Even I got a chill for a second.”
”……”
I was an idiot for asking Ai-sensei for help. She was obviously thinking about the diving forward roll he did to avoid crashing into Suzuki-chan. I’ll admit, it was heart-stopping. That kind of fall usually ends in a broken bone, but Makoto-kun managed to roll perfectly to kill the momentum. Fortunately, he only ended up with a scraped palm. It was a magnificent move, but only a “sports idiot” like Ai-sensei would find that part heart-fluttering. You know what Miku-sensei’s into, Ai-sensei! You’re the one who snooped through her room!
”Exactly! Look at this!”
Miku-sensei said, pulling up her laptop to show Ai-sensei. Wait, this wasn’t the reaction I expected.
”Right here, his balance is shifting to the right, but… look! He plants his right hand first-“
”Mm-hm, mm-hm.”
”-and then, right here! He plants both hands and tucks his head in to force his lower body over so he doesn’t fall on top of Suzuki-chan!”
”I see, I see! That’s some high-level technique using what we practiced in Mat Exercises. Amazing.”
”Right? And look at this desperate expression. I’m actually moved seeing Makoto-kun show this much emotion.”
The two of them were geeking out over the frame-by-frame photos. It’s true that Makoto-kun is usually so cool-almost emotionally vacant-that he seems unfazed by anything. Seeing him make a face like that is rare. I suppose it really was for Suzuki-chan’s sake.
”This is definitely my best shot so far.”
”I see. So Miku-sensei is a fan of the ‘Gap Moe’³ trope,” I said.
”Wait, what?”
”How did we get here? We were talking about the best shot!”
I’d only brought up the best shot to fix Miku-sensei’s mood. Honestly, I didn’t care about the details, so I’d let my guard down.
”Miku-sensei likes ‘gaps.’ Mental note taken.“
”Why?! Nobody said that! At all!”
”I mean, look at these manga,” Ai-sensei teased. “It’s always the lead getting swept away by a sudden flash of kindness from a guy who’s usually different, right?”
”I-I mean-“
”No need to be shy, Miku-sensei. We’re all suckers for that kind of thing.”
”Ai-sensei, you just like muscles, don’t you?” I asked.
”Well, yeah.”
Miku-sensei just sat there, mouth agape. She should have known what she was getting into when she let Ai-sensei into her house. This is exactly why I never invite anyone to mine.
”So, what kind of ‘gap’ in Meguro-sensei caught your eye? Come on, spill.”
”I told you, it’s not like that!”
”Hmm. Maybe the face he makes when he takes his glasses off?” I suggested.
”Isn’t that a bit too cliché?”
”Hey, it’s Miku we’re talking about.”
”True.”
”Are you two trying to be rude?!”
And so, another girls’ night ended in success.
”Okay, then show me your favorite scene in this manga. Is it this surprise pin against the floor? Or this one where he protects her from bullies?”
”No, I bet she likes this one where they just happen to sit next to each other and their shoulders touch.”
”Really? Isn’t that a little too… childish?”
”I have a feeling Miku-sensei is surprisingly pure. Just look at the lineup of these books.”
”Hm. You might be on to something.”
”WILL YOU TWO JUST GO HOME ALREADY?!”
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Summary:
Following a successful Sports Day, teachers Riko, Miku, and Ai gather for a ‘girls’ night’ at Miku’s apartment to blow off steam. They discuss the physical and mental toll of managing young children during high-pressure school events. The conversation shifts to Miku’s photography and her specific ‘best shot’ of the student Makoto-kun saving another student from a fall.
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Trivia:
- Miku-sensei is part of the ‘Photography Team,’ not just a regular homeroom teacher.
- The Chrysanthemum Class is noted for being particularly difficult compared to others.
- Ai-sensei and Riko-sensei are both Pre-K teachers, but with different homeroom assignments.
- Makoto-kun scraped his palm but avoided serious injury through advanced ‘Mat Exercise’ techniques.
- Miku-sensei hides her shojo manga stash from her colleagues
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Character Insight:
The chapter highlights the professional camaraderie and the hidden ‘otaku’ interests of the characters. Miku’s focus on Makoto’s ‘gap’ (the difference between his usual stoicism and his desperate effort) reveals her romantic sensibilities, while Ai’s appreciation for his technique reinforces her ‘sports-brain’ personality.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author uses this chapter to provide a ‘breather’ after the action of the Sports Day, grounding the supernatural/isekai elements in the mundane reality of adult work-life and social bonding.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• 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. Calm and level‑headed, she narrates with a dry, cynical edge about her loneliness, while cheerful in lessons, guiding kids to resolve conflicts, tending flowerbeds, leading excursions, performing magic tricks and reading picture‑story shows.
• Miku – Miku‑sensei, a petite kindergarten teacher of Rose Class and lead of the Small Class photography team, is patient and professional. She obsessively buys pricey camera gear, draining her marriage savings, yet remains beloved by students and staff. A secret fan of sweet romance manga, she hides her hobby behind manuals and can’t tolerate alcohol.
• Ai – She is the homeroom teacher of the Chrysanthemum Class and Riko’s senior—dark‑brown short bob hair, former long‑distance track star known as a stamina beast. Athletic and unrefined, she speaks in regional dialects when stressed, drives a car and never drinks. Her frantic voice often cuts through drills in the room next to the narrator.
• Makoto – Maa-kun, a 93 cm, 13 kg three-year-old boy in a neat shirt and cap with short hair and a backpack, sits in a booster seat at Hinomori’s Rose Class—he’s the reincarnated 30-year-old salaryman protagonist, now living with the Totsuka family, secretly wielding architectural expertise, social acumen, and hidden English fluency. Nicknamed by Suzuka-chan and the Rose Class’s quiet leader, he’s cool, emotionally detached, yet surprisingly athletic—his right palm recently injured, his calm demeanor cracked only during Sports Day. Narrator of the group, he mediates among children, protects Suzuka-chan, and navigates kindergarten life with adult wisdom, all while his mother calls him Maa-kun.
• 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 Teacher (teacher/staff), giving information to Makoto. An amateur prize‑winning photographer and avid road‑bike rider, he cycles regularly.
• Suzuki – Suu‑chan, 4, daughter of Mio and Mitsuhisa, sports a topknot, braided pigtails, sleepy sparkling eyes, pink rain boots and a tiny umbrella. Competitive yet nervous, she’s Makoto’s Jungle‑Gym queen — hugging, pouting, coordinating his things. Close friend Maa‑kun (sandbox leader, sings, chopsticks pro). In Hinomori’s Younger Class she’s shy, socially anxious, sits in a booster seat, clings to Makoto. Seaweed stuck on her tooth during an intimidation battle; she tripped in the Rose‑Class footrace, eager to excel for her pregnant mother.
• Kota – Makoto’s biological father. Met Akari while working as a cram school tutor during their second year of university. He disappeared suddenly after six years of dating upon learning of the pregnancy.
• Ein – A member of Team Sakaki. She has significantly improved her skills through recent training, reaching a level comparable to main characters. A party member capable of using ‘Cursed Eye’ and high-speed sword flashes.
• 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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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