Volume 4 Chapter 55 Choosing Both Depends on the Time and Place
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Autumn at the kindergarten was long. Between the Hinomori Festival, the Pumpkin Festival, and mountain climbing, the schedule was packed. On top of that, the Older kids had their overnight trip, and the PTA was busy with the autumn bazaar. Having grown used to the fiscal year and enjoying a bit of a grace period before the next one began, the events were stuffed into the pleasant autumn weather as if there were no tomorrow.
Ryuhei-san, the photographer for the Middle Kids class, had been grumbling about how grueling it was to handle the massive influx of data this season. I just hope he isn’t neglecting Miku-teacher… Even Ai-sensei was complaining inside the “jail” during a game of Cops and Robbers, saying she had no time to breathe between schedules, simulations, and coordinating with stakeholders.
(I don’t really think that’s the kind of story you should be telling kindergarteners, though.)
Anyway, today was the bus excursion¹. Our destination was a zoo and botanical garden about twenty kilometers away—commonly known as “Akechi Park.”
It was a full-scale amusement park with a zoo, botanical garden, natural history museum, and a theme park all in one. Nine medium-sized buses were idling in the parking lot. I could more or less figure out how they got in, but I seriously wondered if they could actually get out.
Putting those worries aside, the Youngsters arriving at school were in high spirits at the sight of the unusual scene. However, not everyone shared that joy.
”Maa-kun…”
”Shall we recharge as much as we can for now?”
”Mm,” Suu-chan replied.
I hugged Suu-chan tightly in front of the bus. (I want to go with Maa-kun,) she whispered. (I know. I wish I could be with you, too.)
During last year’s trip, we were together the whole time. We sat together, held hands, and even shared our picnic mats at lunch. But this year, we were in different groups. The Sheep Group had Shiho-chan and plenty of other friends, but I wouldn’t be there. Since she couldn’t honestly look forward to the trip last night, I ended up letting her stay over just to keep her spirits up.
”Mufu…”
We “recharged” until the very last second. While the other children were making a typical racket, the space around us remained calm, held together by my dignity as the Boss. But we couldn’t stay like that forever.
”Um, you two. It’s almost time…” said Nao-teacher.
I knew. I was the Boss, after all. To maintain order in the kindergarten, I had to show that I would follow instructions, or I wouldn’t be setting a proper example.
”Suu-chan.”
”…Muu.”
”Look, Shiho-chan and the others are waiting. I’ll see you later,” I said.
”…Mm.”
I gave her one last squeeze before letting go. I watched as she waved a reluctant bye-bye and headed over to Shiho-chan. A heavy sigh escaped me the moment her warmth was gone. (An excursion isn’t about where you go; it’s about who you’re with. A trip without Suu-chan is like nigiri sushi without the fish. I mean, the seasoned rice is okay on its own, but still…)
I had to switch gears. If the Boss looked miserable, it would ruin the atmosphere for everyone. I took a breath, handed over my backpack, and boarded the bus. The seats were already assigned. I was in the third row on the left, aisle seat. Kotarou and Furukawa Kentarou—better known as “Hakase”—were in front of me. Behind me were Yuma and Kana-chan, who had apparently won the “battle of the toddlers” to sit there. Mihoshi-chan was across the aisle. As for the window seat next to me… well, you can guess.
”Tigers are way stronger!”
”Lions are the strongest! They’re the King of the Jungle!”
”Boys! Be quiet!”
”Did someone call me!?”
”The book says hippos are the strongest!”
”I think hippos are the best, too. But Makoto said humans are actually the scariest.”
”Wait, really?”
”Yeah, Makoto said so.”
The kids were already buzzing about the animals.
”Oh! Makoto is here!”
”Makoto-kun, Hiromasa-kun and Minato-kun are…”
”Himeno-chan is on it. Let’s leave it to her,” I replied to Mihoshi-chan.
Mihoshi-chan looked worried about the boys heating up, but Himeno-chan was fired up and the Taishou had mellowed out lately. We’d be fine. I settled into my seat. It was actually pretty nice—better than the usual shuttle. The only thing missing was Suu-chan.
”Makoto-kun… are you not excited?” Mihoshi-chan asked.
”Eh? No, that’s not it. Why do you ask?”
”You just look… a little more down than usual.”
(Dammit. It’s showing on my face. My poker face is getting weak…)
”I was just thinking about the animals. Is there anyone you want to see, Mihoshi-chan?”
”Yes! Penguins!”
”I want to see them too!” Yuma chimed in.
”Yuma, you missed out last year, so don’t overdo it, okay?”
”I’m fine! I slept a ton!”
”I see!”
”I was determined to get on this bus! My dad’s car isn’t this big, so I’m pumped!”
”Glad to hear it. You should conserve your strength for now, though. You don’t want to crash later,” I advised.
”Got it! I’ll conserve!”
”Then Mihoshi will conserve too!”
”Everyone, conserve!”
”Conserve—!”
”Conserve! Conserve!”
(I meant ‘stay quiet,’ you brats…)
Forty minutes later, after a round of riddles led by Ai-sensei in her “bus guide” persona, we arrived.
”Makoto! Race you to the gate!” Jun shouted the moment we stepped off, grabbing my hand.
I’d managed to keep her in her seat during the ride by taking her shoes and “cursing” her—telling her she’d turn into a “mommy” if she got her socks dirty. It worked, though she spent the whole ride fidgeting and asking if it would be faster to just run. Now that she was back in her shoes, she was like a fish back in water.
”Wait until the teacher is done talking,” I said.
”Fine! I’ll count to a hundred!”
”No, just listen.”
”Okay!”
Jun was a handful, but counting was one of the few ways to keep her still. Meanwhile, Himeno-chan was busy scolding Hiromasa-kun for not sitting—or standing—properly. It was chaos.
”Alright, let’s go drop off our bags first!” Teacher Riko announced.
We waved goodbye to the driver and started moving.
”Makoto! The bus was so cool!” Yuma said, waving at the departing vehicle. He seemed satisfied already, and we hadn’t even seen an animal yet. The kid really loved vehicles, probably thanks to his dad.
”I want to be a bus driver! But… I want to drive a GTR, too…. Makoto, what do I do!?”
He looked genuinely distressed.
”Why not just do both?” I suggested.
”Oh! Both! I’ll do both!”
There was no reason to choose. You can drive a bus and a sports car. Having a lot of dreams is what makes life rich.
”Hey, Yuma! Which do you like more? The bus or Moe!?”
”Both!”
”No! Say you like Moe best!”
”What about Kana-chan!?”
”I like Kana-chan, too!”
”…”
(Ah. Some things you do have to choose, Yuma…)
The girls were in full “date mode” for the excursion. Seeing Yuma get swamped, I realized my “do both” advice might have been a fatal mistake. (Sorry, kid. Even with a past life’s worth of experience, I have no idea how to navigate a toddler love polygon.) I decided to just look the other way.
”Makoto, how much longer do I have to conserve?” Jun asked.
”You’re good now.”
”Roger. Also, Hakase is acting weird.”
”What now?”
”He says he’s scared because he doesn’t have his encyclopedia.”
Kentarou—or Hakase—was a genius, but a quirky one. I didn’t want to stifle his intellectual growth by saying something stupid.
”Hakase, encyclopedias aren’t just books,” I said.
”They aren’t?”
”No. The whole world is an encyclopedia. This zoo? It’s just a living page. You aren’t without your book; you’re standing right inside of it.”
”Inside it!?”
”Exactly.”
Managing a genius was exhausting. I was barely making sense to myself at this point. Then, Mihoshi-chan started fidgeting next to me.
”Makoto-kun… what kind of animals do you like?”
”Hmm. Well, what about you, Mihoshi-chan?”
”Mihoshi likes penguins…!”
”I like them too. I hope we see them soon.”
”Me too!”
”Makoto! Race!”
”Stay.”
”Woof!”
My head was spinning. I needed to “recharge” with Suu-chan soon, or the Boss was going to crash.
* * *
A short distance away—
”Suu-chan, what are you looking at?” asked Shiho-chan.
”Maa-kun.”
”Eh? Where? Oh, there he is!”
”Maa-kun looks like he’s having a hard time…”
”Really?”
”Mm. Ssu knows everything about Maa-kun.”
”Suu-chan, you’re amazing!”
”I’m going to help him.”
”No! Riko-teacher will get mad! Stay here.”
”Muu…”
”Makoto-kun asked me to look after you! I’m going to do my best!”
”Maa-kun said that? …Mm. Then Ssu will do her best, too.”
”Let’s do it together!”
”Mm!”
—
Summary:
The kindergarteners head out for a long-awaited bus excursion to Akechi Park, a massive zoo and amusement complex. Makoto deals with the emotional toll of being separated from Suu-chan, who is in a different group this year. He spends the bus ride and the arrival managing his classmates’ high energy and eccentricities while acting as their de facto leader.
—
Trivia:
- Makoto used a fake ‘curse’ to keep Jun from running away during the bus ride.
- Suu-chan stayed over at Makoto’s house the night before the trip to cheer up.
- Yuma’s father is the primary reason for his obsession with high-end sports cars like the GTR.
- Hakase (Kentarou) is considered a genius by Makoto, who fears ‘normalizing’ him with the wrong advice.
- Suu-chan can sense Makoto’s distress even when they are physically separated
—
Character Insight:
Makoto’s ‘Boss’ persona is tested as he realizes that even with adult wisdom, he can’t solve every social problem—like Yuma’s blossoming childhood love triangle. Suu-chan shows a level of intuition that borders on supernatural regarding Makoto’s feelings.
—
Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The author uses the ‘recharging’ metaphor (physical affection) to show the deep bond between the leads without making it overtly romantic, keeping the ‘modern kindergarten’ setting wholesome yet slightly absurd.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• Ryuhei – Staff/Office clerk and ace of the filming crew. Tall man with glasses. Hobbyist photographer since university; award winner in city contests.
• Miku – Petite, patient kindergarten teacher and Pre‑K photography lead, she’s exhausted from sorting thousands of excursion shots, obsessed with pricey gear and cash‑strapped by it. She reads romance manga, avoids alcohol, plays straight‑man to Ai, gossips at work, and quietly pines for coworker Meguro—an open secret—while now dating for three months.
• Ai – Dark‑brown short bob frames a fit former long‑distance runner now teaching Middle Kids homeroom at Hinomori Kindergarten. Cheerful yet blunt, she’s the kids’ beloved “Mom,” uses regional dialects when stressed, adores muscles and praises Makoto‑kun’s leadership. Single, devoted to her classroom family, wary of parents, protective of every student. Daughter of a farming family.
• Maa-kun – A young boy in the Rabbit Group at Hinomori Kindergarten. He is highly intelligent, capable of second-grade math and multiplication. He is described as calm, stoic, and helpful, often acting as a ‘handler’ for more energetic children. Akari’s son, nearly five years old. An extreme polyglot and polymath who secretly studies news, martial arts, and multiple languages. Highly sensitive to his parents’ moods. Also referred to as Makoto-kun. Narrator’s son in the Rabbit Group. Popular with other girls but maintains distance. Previously protected Suu-chan during the ‘April Incident.’
• Suu-chan – A refined young girl with soft skin who values etiquette and ‘lady’s grace.’ She holds Makoto to a high standard of grooming.
• Suu – A female student in the Rose Class. Very close to Makoto (Maa-kun). Has mud on her cheeks and makes high-quality dorodango.
• Shiho-chan – An early‑arriving student, this child is often seen waiting with Suu‑chan at school. As Suu‑chan’s close friend, he/she tries to act as a ‘stopper’ for her mischief, and is close enough to Yuma’s family to stay over at their home.
• Shiho – Four‑year‑old Rose‑Class girl of the Goto family, with a side‑up ponytail, kitten‑themed hair clip and a placemat, uses training chopsticks. She quietly vies with Suu for Makoto’s attention, often waits with Suzuki, loves picture books, Hiragana, swimming, mud dumplings and sweets, enjoys romantic dramas, fears scary things and fireworks, and is Suu‑chan’s close friend, asked to look after her.
• Nao – A kindergarten teacher who, after a past incident involving student Masaki, has grown more composed and gutsy, now commands quiet respect with a calm demeanor and steady presence, her once-nervous energy replaced by protective resolve—students trust her implicitly, colleagues rely on her judgment, and Masaki, now quieter but closer to her, often lingers near her side as if seeking reassurance she’s still there.
• Kotarou – A slender, quiet boy with a focused gaze, often hunched over delicate origami or crouched gathering acorns; his precise care earns quiet respect. A Middle Kids classmate and close, level‑headed friend of Makoto, he takes the game seriously yet is easily distracted by social drama, sharing a playful bond with Yuma and the core group, and in house‑play he assumes the role of father/grandfather.
• Mihoshi – A classmate of Makoto who loves penguins.
• Kotaro – Quiet, slender kindergartner in Rose Class, friend of Makoto and member of his sandbox crew. He shares typical childhood interests— toys and games— helps Makoto with building projects, loves Kamen Rider, and often follows Makoto’s lead and social cues.
• 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.
• Yuma – Yuma Yoshikura, a frail four-year-old with an idol-like face and quiet charm, is the youngest in the Rabbit Group and eldest son of a wealthy realtor; Makoto’s childhood friend from Youngsters class, he’s adored in Rose Class for his gentle, imaginative spirit. He leads the ‘train’ line, loves acorns and nature, excels in creative play—building blocks, paper folding, and crafting clay models of his father’s car—while also being passionately obsessed with vehicles, especially buses and GTRs. He struggles slightly with math and stamina but thrives in role-play, often pretending to be a husband in Moe’s house-play. Born April 1, he’s cheerful, popular, and beloved for his tender creativity and quiet charisma.
• Jun – A tanned, hyperactive preschooler known as the Champion of her class, she’s the fastest runner with a massive appetite and loud, unfiltered energy, often mistaken for a boy. Wearing a track suit, she leads peers with wild enthusiasm but tires quickly and grows moody when games stall. She idolizes her calm brother Makoto, treating him like a superior, and fiercely admires him despite their clashing personalities—he quietly manages her chaos. She views Suzuki as a rival but maintains a resilient, sportsmanlike spirit. Trains weekends on Mt. Hiou, leaks secrets, and is a core member of the Rabbit Group, her boundless energy and appetite defining her even as she strives to match Makoto’s quiet restraint.
• Makoto – Four-year-old Rose-class student, 93 cm, 13 kg, in white shirt, blue vest, and cap—actually a 30-year-old salaryman reincarnated, known as the “Boss” of kindergarten. Calm, logical, and dependable, he mediates conflicts, hands out hand cream, protects Suu-chan, and manages Jun, earning quiet respect. Nicknamed Maa-kun and falsely believed to be Akari’s son, he’s the dry-narrator of the Rabbit Group, using coin tricks and adult wisdom. Target of Suzuki’s affection and Mitsuhisa’s teasing, his hidden “ace” is his transmigrated adult mind—calm, strategic, and quietly in control.
• Hiromasa – A large‑framed, energetic boy nicknamed Taisho, called ‘The Commander’/’The General’, wears a Rabbit Group placard. Once a rowdy problem child, he now stays calm after bonding with Makoto in Cops‑and‑Robbers and dreams of the future. He rivals Jun, refuses to admit fatigue, defies teachers, and bickers with Himeno. A former foot‑race dominant, he’s a Rabbit Group student and relay member for Districts 3‑5.
• 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.
• Himeno – A mature, highly intelligent girl of the Rabbit Group, wearing the neat uniform, a tidy bun and glasses. She radiates a justice‑driven, nosy older‑sister aura, often scolding Hiromasa with a motherly, bossy streak, yet remains a reliable classmate.
• Riko – Riko‑sensei, sixth‑year lead teacher and PE instructor at Hinomori Kindergarten, also serves as school nurse. Warm yet dry‑witted, she observes Middle Kids keenly, masks cynicism, and remains oblivious to Makoto’s hidden powers. She works with Seiko‑sensei on class dynamics, photography and interviews, judges coworkers sharply, finds calm in Makoto and skill in Maa‑kun. Magic‑trick fan and recent investor, she relaxes at staff girls’ nights, blending pragmatism with hidden whimsy.
• Moe – President of the ‘House-Play Association’. She enjoys setting up strangely realistic and dramatic domestic scenarios for roleplay.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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