Volume 4 Chapter 22 Girls’ Night Out ⑦
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Good work today, everyone!”
The girls’ night out¹ had finally begun.
Now that our annual Spring Field Trip was behind us, the direction for the new school year was finally starting to click. People might think Golden Week² is the natural finish line, but between the parent-teacher conferences and the sheer chaos of prep for the trip, it felt like we’d only just now managed to… breathe.
”Phew! I needed that!”
There was something a little bittersweet about three grown women spending their Sunday teatime at a family restaurant. I wondered how the other teachers were spending their day off. Then again, when I stopped to think about it, most of them had families of their own…
Recovering my spirits, I turned back to the conversation. Speaking of the Spring Field Trip, the goal is always recreation—deepening the bonds between new friends. For the little ones in the Youngsters Class, it’s also their first big event to get them acquainted with the nature trails right behind Hinomori Kindergarten.
In the Middle Kids Class, things had been a bit rocky for my Sheep Group and Ai-sensei’s Rabbit Group, so this excursion was a real make-or-break moment.
”I’m coming back to life!”
Gulp, gulp, slam!
Miku-sensei drained her soda in one go and slumped into the booth, looking like a discarded ragdoll. She was clearly wiped out, yet she had this weirdly satisfied aura about her.
”Looks like you got plenty of good shots again this year,” I noted.
”Burp… more like too many,” she groaned.
”That’s just proof your photography skills are leveling up, right?”
”It’s a complicated feeling…”
Miku-sensei is still in charge of the Pre-K photography team, a role she’s held since last year. Since we moved up to the Youngsters Class, we don’t see her as much at the kindergarten, but the bond between us three single women remains… complicated.
”I spent all morning sorting photos! I worked hard! I’m done!”
”Good work,” I said.
”Nice job,” Ai-sensei added.
”Praise me!”
”Miku-sensei is such a good girl,” we chorused.
The photos from the Spring Field Trip have to be ready for sale by the Parent Observation Day in a week, so speed is essential. Sorting and editing nearly ten thousand photos… it sounds exhausting just hearing about it. She has her regular duties during the week, so it looks like she gave up her holiday to get through the development process.
”So, what was Pre-K like this year?” I asked.
”Well… pretty much the same as always. It was basically just a struggle to herd a bunch of toddlers who’ve never followed directions up to the top of a mountain.”
”That sounds about right,” Ai-sensei said. “Normal. Perfectly normal!”
”Oh, well…”
There was a bit of a sting in Miku-sensei and Ai-sensei’s words. I might have picked the wrong topic.
”I don’t want to hear it from Riko-chan, who doesn’t know what real struggle is!”
”I agree!”
”Wait, what?”
The two of them stood up from the booth in a huff, clutching their empty glasses.
”Ah, I’ll have another Oolong tea, please,” I said.
”The nerve of her, making her seniors run her errands…”
”Riko-sensei is surprisingly bold, isn’t she?”
”Fine, whatever,” Miku-sensei said. “As your kind senior, I’ll fix you a special drink myself.”
”Wait…”
Please don’t do anything childish.
I watched Ai-sensei nervously as Miku-sensei sat back down and immediately changed the subject.
”So, how was the Middle Kids Class?”
Miku-sensei had been stuck with the Pre-K group, so she didn’t know the details of our excursion. Maybe she hadn’t heard from Meguro-sensei yet, or maybe she just didn’t care. Regardless… what was up with this fizzy Oolong tea she brought back? It was actually kind of refreshing.
”I heard you guys had a massive game of Doro-kei³? Someone told me the walk back was like a funeral procession because they were so tired.”
The Youngsters had used up all their energy at the Observation Athletic Plaza. By the time we headed down, they didn’t even have the strength to wave at the Pre-K kids we passed. We took frequent breaks and relied on their miraculous recovery power to limp back to the kindergarten.
And no, we didn’t carry them on our backs. If you do it for one, everyone wants a turn, and the teachers would have collapsed.
”Ai-sensei was the star of the show. She was running around at full speed the whole time.”
”Man, that was fun,” Ai-sensei replied.
The game had been organized—or sponsored—by Makoto-kun. The kids from the old Rose Class have stayed close even after moving up. As expected, when free time started, the Rose Class kids flocked to Makoto-kun. By the end, nearly fifty people, including kids and teachers, were involved.
”Hiromasa-kun finally had a chance to shine, too. He caught Ai-sensei and let out this huge battle cry. He was the hero of the police team.”
”Ah, that…”
Makoto-kun and Yuma-kun are already the center of the Rabbit Group. The only one who wasn’t happy was Hiromasa-kun. His pride kept him from joining the inner circle. Knowing he was finally able to play with everyone at full power made me feel relieved.
”Makoto-kun asked me to do it…” Ai-sensei said.
”Wait, what?”
”He told me Hiromasa-kun was frustrated. He couldn’t beat Jun-chan at climbing, and he couldn’t find a way to stand out. Makoto suggested that if Hiromasa-kun could catch one of the fast teachers, it would give him a good memory to take home.”
”I see…”
”I was worried about Hiromasa-kun too, so I went along with it.”
So that’s what happened. As expected of Makoto-kun; he’s always looking out for his friends. Actually, Makoto-kun asked me for a favor, too. I ended up playing a thief along with Masaki-kun.
I hope this helped improve his image with the girls. After all, he was the hero who rescued seven thieves from the jail at once. Masaki-kun, the master thief. Hiromasa-kun, the star policeman. And Makoto-kun, pulling the strings from the shadows.
Ai-sensei looked uncharacteristically solemn as she voiced the question we were all thinking.
”Hey, is Makoto-kun… actually a child?”
None of us spoke.
”Even when Hiromasa-kun ignores him or acts hostile, he doesn’t seem bothered at all. Who acts like that? He went out of his way to be kind and give the kid a win. That’s not how a child responds to a bully.”
”True…” I admitted.
”Plus, he naturally praises people and never forgets to say thank you. No wonder everyone loves him. Riko-sensei, what do you actually think of him?”
”Um, well… he’s just Makoto-kun…”
”This girl is hopeless,” Miku-sensei sighed.
”Yeah, she’s gone,” Ai-sensei agreed.
”Hey!”
I’d asked around during parent conferences, but it didn’t seem like he did anything out of the ordinary at home. The moms all just said, “That’s just our Maa-kun.”
”Even during the game, he cornered a thief just to let another kid make the catch,” Ai-sensei said. “His tactics were… well, a bit dirty, honestly.”
They were really ganging up on him. But it was true—for better or worse, that boy understood human nature.
”B-but he’s a really good boy!”
”I’m not denying that. But a good child is usually someone like Yuma-kun. He’s simple-minded. He’ll tell anyone he likes them…”
”Ah, right.”
Nobody can beat Yuma-kun when it comes to telling a girl “I love you” with total sincerity. He’s said it to me, too.
”Well, Makoto-kun has Suzuki-chan, at least,” I noted.
”Now that you mention it, he did grab her in a big hug to catch her. Then they were all lovey-dovey on the way back, holding hands…”
”Man, I wish I’d seen that,” Miku-sensei said. “I wonder if Ryuhei-sa… I mean, if the teacher in charge of photos caught that.”
Wait. Did she just say something weird?
”What? Why are you both looking at me like that?”
Miku-sensei kept a straight face, acting like she hadn’t made a slip of the tongue.
”Miku-sensei, didn’t you used to call him Meguro-sensei?”
”Yes,” I added. “And you almost just called him by his first name.”
”No… that was…”
”Ai-sensei, the verdict?”
”Guilty. If we aren’t satisfied, Miku-sensei is paying for the whole tab.”
”That’s tyranny!”
”Riko-sensei, we’re going to lose to Miku-sensei… and she’s so tiny.”
”It’s not a competition…” I said.
”Being tiny has nothing to do with it! I’m the oldest one here!”
—
Summary:
The chapter follows teachers Riko, Miku, and Ai as they unwind at a family restaurant following a taxing spring field trip. They discuss the immense workload of photo sorting and the success of the school excursion. The conversation shifts toward Makoto-kun, whose uncanny social engineering and mature behavior during a game of Cops and Robbers leave the teachers questioning if he is truly a child. They compare his ‘calculated’ goodness to the simple, earnest affection shown by Yuma-kun. The gathering ends with a playful interrogation of Miku-sensei after she accidentally refers to another teacher by his first name, suggesting a budding romance. The dynamic highlights the blend of professional stress and personal camaraderie among the faculty.
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Trivia:
- Miku-sensei’s slip of the tongue regarding ‘Ryuhei’ (Meguro-sensei) suggests a hidden relationship or deep familiarity that subverts her ‘lonely single daughter’ persona.
- The teachers’ growing suspicion of Makoto’s ‘tactics’ and ‘understanding of human nature’ hints at future conflicts where his adult-like mind might be exposed.
- The ‘fizzy Oolong tea’ serves as a lighthearted symbol of the unusual, refreshing atmosphere Makoto creates, even when it’s just a prank drink from the soda fountain
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Character Insight:
The hierarchy of the ‘three single daughters’ is tested as Ai and Miku express playful jealousy toward Riko’s ‘easy’ time with her class. However, Miku’s potential romance with Meguro-sensei creates a new rift, shifting the dynamic from mutual singlehood to a ‘gotcha’ moment where the others demand the ‘guilty’ night out pay the tab.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The Japanese school year structure is detailed, specifically the ‘Field Trip’ and ‘Observation Day’ pipeline. The ‘Rose Class’ legacy shows that student social circles persist across grade levels in Hinomori Kindergarten.
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TL Notes:
The term ‘Joshikai’ (Girls’ night out) was localized to ‘Girls’ Night Out’ vibes while keeping the family restaurant setting. The slip between ‘Meguro-sensei’ and ‘Ryuhei-san’ is critical as it indicates a breach of professional naming conventions in Japan, signaling intimacy.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Ai – Dark‑brown short bob hair, former long‑distance track star turned homeroom teacher of Chrysanthemum Class and Riko’s senior; athletic yet unrefined, never drinks, drives. When stressed she slips into regional dialects, voice frantic over drills. Now a kindergarten teacher and Rabbit Group “Mom,” blunt with parents, single and job‑frustrated. Fast, playful, competitive in Cops‑and‑Robbers, suspicious of Makoto’s maturity, responsible and cheerful guide for the youngsters.
• Miku – Miku‑sensei, a petite, patient kindergarten teacher who heads the Pre‑K photography team, is single and visibly drained from sorting thousands of excursion shots. An obsessive collector of pricey gear, she secretly reads romance manga and shuns alcohol. She plays straight‑man to Ai’s antics, joins office gossip, and nurses a quiet, unrequited crush on coworker Meguro—an open secret among staff.
• Riko – Riko-sensei is the lead teacher and PE instructor for the Sheep Group at Hinomori Kindergarten, also serving as school nurse; she nurtures children with warm observance but harbors a dry, cynical inner wit. Formerly Makoto’s homeroom teacher, she remains blissfully oblivious to his extraordinary nature, unlike her more perceptive colleagues. She manages class dynamics, photography, and progress interviews alongside Seiko-sensei, sharply judging coworkers yet finding solace in Makoto’s quiet influence and Maa-kun’s uncanny skills, often unwinding at girls’ nights with fellow staff.
• 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.
• Makoto – A 4‑year‑old Rose Class student (93 cm, 13 kg) in a white shirt, blue vest and cap—actually a 30‑year‑old salaryman reborn as a child. He is the calm, analytical Boss, handing out hand cream, mediating fights, protecting Suu‑chan, and earning peers’ respect as a mature, athletic leader. The narrator with a slightly cynical adult mind.
• Hiromasa – A competitive boy who views Jun as a rival. He is stubborn and refuses to admit exhaustion. Known as ‘The Commander.’ A rowdy problem child who frequently defies the teacher and bickers with Himeno.
• Hiro – Rose Red, a boy in the Rose Class and leader of the Rose Rangers, gets bored easily, runs around the classroom, and accidentally breaks Suu’s paper.
• Yuma – Yuma Yoshikura, a frail four‑year‑old with an idol‑like face and quiet charm, is the eldest son of a wealthy family and Miyu’s younger brother. In Rose Class he unintentionally attracts multiple girls, is a close friend of Makoto, and leads the ‘train’ line with infectious excitement over acorns and nature. Despite low stamina he eagerly explores, builds blocks, folds paper, and admires Makoto.
• Jun – A hyperactive track‑suit‑clad kindergartner from the Imai family, pure‑hearted yet easily tricked, idolizes her mother and playfully clashes with brother Makoto (same class). Trained on weekends at Mt. Hiou, she has top‑tier stamina and speed, a blunt speaking style, a large appetite, leads energetic preschoolers, leaks secrets, and balances her wild energy with Makoto’s calm restraint.
• Suzuki – Totsuka “Suu-chan” Suzuki is a doll-like 4-year-old with dark braided pigtails, a topknot, sleepy sparkling eyes, and pink rain boots. A model student and Makoto’s fiercely possessive, self-proclaimed girlfriend, she is quiet, helpful, and competitive in word games. Daughter of Mio and Mii-kun, she is clingy, affectionate, and often clutches a pink candy tin while navigating life with quiet grace.
• Ryuhei – Staff/Office clerk and ace of the filming crew. Tall man with glasses. Hobbyist photographer since university; award winner in city contests.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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