Volume 4 Chapter 11 The Compromise
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It was probably best for me to be by Suu-chan’s side when she woke up. Besides, in my current state of mind, I felt like I’d only be a nuisance to the rest of the class if I went back now. Since there was no reason for anyone to scold me, I decided to ditch the afternoon lessons and stay in the Nurse’s Office. With Nao-sensei¹ helping me, we carried the sleeping Suu-chan over to a bed.
”If anything happens, just call for Yuzuki-sensei,” Nao-sensei said.
”I will. Thank you very much,” I replied.
Nao-sensei closed the partition curtain and left the room. I was sure she would relay the situation to Riko-sensei and Ai-sensei properly. Finally, I was away from everyone’s gaze. (Still, I can hear Yuzuki-sensei’s voice examining someone on the other side.) There seemed to be someone in the very last bed, two spots over, so I let out a deep, quiet sigh to avoid making any noise.
(Where do I go from here?) That thought had been consuming my mind for a while now. The situation was almost certainly one where Suu-chan was the victim. She had ignored his calls, sure, but that was because being around him made her uncomfortable and she was trying to keep her distance. The fault lay entirely with the stalker who tried to force his way into her space. (Well, the moment a boy makes a girl cry, he’s basically lost his standing anyway.)
Looking at it objectively, the villain was clear. While my heart agreed completely, the real problem was how to settle this. I’m the one saying it, but my ‘approval rating’ should be high. I’ve worked hard to build a network of allies to protect Suu-chan and the mothers, but those allies aren’t just children. Behind every kindergartener is a parent. And the information network of those ‘mom-friend’² networks is a truly terrifying thing.
This incident would be prime gossip. Everyone loves a topic where they can point a finger at someone. Additionally, since Shiho-chan and the others who rule the Sheep Class would be loudly proclaiming their ‘justice,’ the version that reached the parents would almost certainly be dramatized. Having Shiho-chan’s mother, Mayumi-san, there was a huge factor. She’s at the center of the largest mom-friend faction in the Middle Kids group, and the Yashiro and Totsuka families are part of it too. The fact that the Yoshikura and Sayanagi families-long-time local landowners-are involved is seriously bad news.
This wasn’t going to stay between the kids. (Honestly, they’re checkmated. I can only see a future where the Tomikawa family is living on a bed of needles.) Masaki would be constantly blamed by Shiho-chan and Chika in the Rabbit Class. The Tomikawa family would find it impossible to stay in the Rabbit Class parent network. I wanted to think it wouldn’t go that far, but you can’t underestimate a closed community like a kindergarten. And hurting Suu-chan meant making an enemy out of me.
(The Tomikawa family is going to face some private social sanctions. Personally, I’d love to see it, but the problem is what comes after.) What I feared most was a grudge. That was the number one cause of death in my previous lives’ rankings. Suu-chan and those around her would be exposed to that danger. To an outsider, this was just a fight between kids with no major or lasting injuries. If the punishment was too harsh, it wouldn’t be strange for them to feel wronged.
Could the Tomikawa family accept that? (Probably not. Parents get heated when it comes to their own kids.) I heard Masaki’s father is a middle school teacher, but I didn’t know his personality. The same went for the mother. Even if they were gentle people normally, that doesn’t mean they stay that way in an emergency. You never know what a cornered person might do. I had to do something before Shiho-chan and the others went home today. If the day ended without even an apology, it would be too late.
”Sigh…”
The more I thought ahead, the more of a pain this became. (Why does the victim have to worry this much? Since I’m on Suu-chan’s side, it’s not like I want to show the Tomikawas any mercy…)
I decided to just watch Suu-chan’s sleeping face to calm my heart. Maybe a good idea would come to me. After a while, she stirred.
”…Maa-kun?”
”Good morning, Suu-chan,” I said.
”Mmm, ‘morning,” Suu replied.
Suu-chan woke up and looked around restlessly, so I told her she was in the Nurse’s Office. She let out a small, satisfied huff. Perhaps because we were lying down together, her breathing felt a bit heavy. I was relieved she seemed more energetic than I expected, but her smile was short-lived, replaced by a guilty expression.
”…Maa-kun.”
”Yeah?”
”I’m sorry…”
”It’s okay, really,” I said.
She probably thought she’d caused trouble. There was no reason for her to apologize, but if saying it helped her move on, I’d accept it.
”Did he do something mean to you?”
”Yeah.”
”What was it?”
”……The hair you did for me…”
”He messed it up, didn’t he?”
”Yeah… and… he called me ugly…”
”That’s horrible,” I said.
”Mhm…”
Suu-chan’s expression darkened. It was painful to hear, but if we left it vague, she might carry it with her.
”Suu-chan, let’s sit up. I’ll fix your hair for you.”
”Okay.”
She sat up on the bed. I reset her pigtails, just like I do every morning on the bus.
”There, all done,” I said.
”Thank you.”
”You look cute.”
”Mmm… hehe…”
She hugged me in embarrassment, and I hugged her back.
”Suu-chan, listen. I love you very much. That’s why when I heard Masaki-kun called you ‘ugly,’ I was actually kind of relieved.”
”…?”
”If Masaki-kun doesn’t like you, that means I don’t have to share you. I can have you all to myself, right?”
”All to yourself…?”
”Yeah. I was worried he might try to take you away. I’d hate that.”
”No way! I like Maa-kun!”
”I know. Thank you. So you don’t need to worry about what he said.”
”Mhm, okay.”
Casual words can stay in the heart forever. I still remember my mother in my previous life saying, ‘I wonder why you can’t do it’ when I was in second grade. It was probably a stray thought, but I felt depressed whenever I compared myself to my successful brothers. If you can’t use that as fuel for growth, it’s just painful. I couldn’t even turn it into a joke.
”Suu-chan, do you think you can go back to the classroom?”
”……Mhm.”
She nodded, but I saw the hesitation.
”Shiho-chan and the others are probably worried too,” I added. (I know that’s a bit of a dirty trick,) I thought with a bitter internal smile.
”It’ll be okay,” I said, looking straight into her eyes. It was almost snack time, and the going-home meeting would follow. Seeing Masaki would be over soon. I took Suu-chan’s hand and opened the curtain.
”Can you make it back?” Yuzuki-sensei asked.
”Yes.”
”Thank you for everything.”
”Thank you very much,” Suu replied.
”Oh, it was nothing. I couldn’t really do much… Hang in there, okay?”
Yuzuki-sensei patted Suu-chan’s head. Nao-sensei came to pick us up, and we headed to the classroom together. In front of the Sheep Class, Shiho-chan noticed us first.
”Ah! Suu-chan!”
Shiho-chan and the other friends rushed over.
”Suu-chan, are you okay?”
”Mhm, I’m okay now,” Suu replied.
”Oh, thank goodness!”
Suu-chan nodded firmly, but I could feel her acting tough through her hand.
”Masaki-kun was so mean to Suu-chan!”
”He called her ugly!”
”No way! That’s so mean!”
The girls vented their frustrations. The boy who said those things was standing there looking miserable, with the teacher blocking his escape.
”Suu-chan… I-I’m s-sowwy—”
”Stop calling me Suu-chan,” Suu said.
Her voice was cold. I’d never heard her sound like that. Masaki flinched, seemingly shocked by the direct rejection.
”…I’m s-sorry for pulling your hair. And… for calling you… u-ugly… I’m s-so sowwy…”
Masaki started sobbing midway through. I wondered if he thought crying would make it okay.
”…Fine. I heard you,” Suu replied. She accepted the apology, but she didn’t say she forgave him. He had crossed a line. The apology was done, but I had to decide if I should push him further.
”Masaki-kun?”
”…?”
”Nice to meet you. I’m Yashiro Makoto,” I said.
Masaki looked confused. That was the normal reaction. The teachers and Shiho-chan, who accepted my presence as natural, were the ones who were strange.
”Suu-chan is my girlfriend,” I said, staring him down. “If you want to talk to her, you come and ask me ‘May I talk to her?’ first, okay?”
I spoke as gently as possible, but Masaki looked away. I stepped into his line of sight.
”Do you understand?” I asked. Masaki nodded at the weight of my voice. “Good. I’m glad you understand. We’re in different classes, but I hope we can get along, Masaki-kun.”
I patted his shoulder. I knew it was childish to do this to a four-year-old, but I’m not perfect. I didn’t want to go home feeling uneasy. This also made it look like a fight between kids over a girl, which might distract the mom-friends. (Please handle it well, Mayumi-san.)
I left Suu-chan with Shiho-chan and the others and made a quick exit.
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Summary:
Following a bullying incident where Masaki pulled Suu-chan’s hair and insulted her, Makoto stays with her in the Nurse’s Office. He navigates the complex social landscape of kindergarten ‘mom-friends,’ fearing that excessive social punishment of Masaki’s family could lead to a dangerous grudge. After comforting Suu-chan and re-braiding her hair, they return to the classroom where Masaki offers a tearful apology that Suu-chan accepts but does not forgive, and Makoto asserts his territory as her ‘boyfriend.’
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Trivia:
- Makoto’s reference to his ‘death rankings’ highlights that social grudges were a recurring fatal flaw in his previous lives, suggesting a potential future threat from cornered parents.
- Suu-chan’s cold rejection of her nickname from Masaki signals a permanent shift in her character, showing she is not just a passive victim.
- The mention of land-owning families like the Yoshikura and Sayanagi establishes a hierarchy of power within the kindergarten that extends beyond simple childhood friendships
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Character Insight:
Suu-chan moves from a state of total vulnerability to one of firm boundaries, explicitly stripping Masaki of the right to use her nickname. Makoto’s relationship with her is reinforced through physical care (fixing her hair) and a possessive claim of being her ‘boyfriend’ to deter others.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The chapter expands on the power of ‘Mom-Friend’ factions, which act as a shadow governance system within the Japanese educational community. It illustrates how social capital in a kindergarten is tied to adult landownership and institutional positions (like Masaki’s father being a teacher).
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TL Notes:
The ending particle ‘ssu’ used by Suu-chan is a linguistic quirk often associated with a polite yet casual boyishness, here repurposed as a cute character trait. The transition of ‘Teacher’ titles from suffixes to prefixes follows modern US localization standards for readability while preserving the school environment.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Suu-chan – A refined young girl of the Sheep Class, exceptionally cute with soft skin and embodying ladylike grace, she enforces strict etiquette with childlike warmth, closely bonded to Makoto whom she holds to high grooming standards—yet she’s also a victim of hair-pulling by Togawa Masaki, revealing a tender vulnerability beneath her polished exterior.
• Suu – A young girl in the Sheep Class and also a female student of the Rose Class, her cheeks streaked with mud as she crafts high‑quality dorodango; she is fiercely attached to Makoto, ends sentences with the particle “ssu”, and draws the obsessive, bullying gaze of Masaki.
• Riko – Riko-sensei, the lead teacher, PE instructor, and school nurse at Hinomori Kindergarten, balances a nurturing, observant warmth toward children with a dry, cynical internal wit. She manages class dynamics, photography, and progress interviews alongside Seiko-sensei. While she judges coworkers sharply, she finds solace in Makoto’s influence and Maa-kun’s skills, often unwinding at girls’ nights with colleagues.
• Ai – Dark‑brown short bob hair, former long‑distance track star turned homeroom teacher of Chrysanthemum Class and Riko’s senior, athletic yet unrefined, drives a car and never drinks. When stressed she slips into regional dialects and a frantic voice pierces drills in the next room. Now a kindergarten teacher, she vents bluntly during off‑duty parent‑teacher conferences, single and frustrated with her job.
• Shiho-chan – A member of the friend group who arrived early and is close enough to Yuma’s family to stay over.
• Totsuka – Totsuka Mio is the wife of Mitsuhisa Totsuka and mother of Suu-chan. She is a hardcore gamer, part of the neighbor family that supplies hand‑me‑down consoles to the protagonist’s household. Mio attends parent‑teacher conferences and worries about her daughter’s growing dependence on Makoto.
• Mayumi – Elegant and refined, she often appears in soft pastel dresses, accompanying her daughters Hina and Shiho to swimming lessons and helping them change. A graceful, trusted “mom‑friend” to Mio‑san, she is close to Nanami and Akari, balancing maternal care with warm parent‑circle friendships. A veteran of the neighborhood mother circle, she’s also close to the mother of the rumored boy, Makoto.
• Shiho – A four-year-old Sheep Class girl, daughter of Mayumi-san, with a side-up ponytail and her favorite hair clip, she’s a natural leader fiercely protective of her friends and vocal about justice. Younger sister to Hina and close to Makoto, Suu-chan, Yuma, and Suzuka, she quietly competes with Suu for Makoto’s attention. Often seen with her kitten-themed placemat and training chopsticks, she loves picture books, worked hard to learn Hiragana, enjoys swimming, and makes mud dumplings using Makoto’s advice.
• Masaki – A boy in the Rabbit Class. He bullied Suu-chan by pulling her hair and calling her ‘ugly’ due to complex childhood emotions. Son of a middle school teacher.
• Chika – A young girl in the Rose Class at Hinomori Kindergarten who gives Makoto Valentine’s chocolate. She has a mother who accompanies her.
• Yashiro Makoto – Yashiro Makoto, a 30‑year‑old salaryman reborn as a 4‑year‑old (93 cm, 13 kg) in Rose Class, wears a white shirt, blue vest and cap. He is the calm, analytical “Boss” of his group, protective of Suu‑chan, and mediates conflicts with a cynical, mature demeanor despite his father’s gender confusion.
• Makoto – Four‑year‑old, 93 cm, 13 kg Rose Class student, actually a 30‑year‑old salaryman reincarnated as a toddler. He wears a white shirt, blue vest and cap, short bangs recently trimmed by Suu‑chan exposing his forehead, and calls himself a “Toilet Master.” Calm, analytical “Boss,” carries hand cream, mediates fights, protects Suu‑chan, and is revered as a mature, athletic idol despite his cynical, gender‑confused father.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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