"Ms. Ue, I'm going back to the Sunflower Class. See you in the afternoon," Akira said politely as he walked to the podium. After speaking, he turned and headed toward the classroom door.
Just before stepping out, he glanced back toward Shouko's seat—and sure enough, she was watching him. Smiling slightly, he raised his hand and waved before quietly walking out of the Sakura Class.
Outside, the playground was filled with children enjoying their lunch break. The slides and sandbox were bustling, especially the area around the slides, which had drawn the most kids.
Akira only took a quick glance and was about to head back to Sunflower Class for a nap when a sharp cry suddenly rang out. He paused and turned toward the source.
It came from the sandbox. Looking closer, he saw a small child crying—apparently upset after failing to win a tug-of-war over a toy and getting sand kicked in their face.
Instead of concern, Akira found himself oddly entertained. The crying wasn't as grating out here as it was inside the classroom. From a distance, watching the chaos was… kind of fun. Especially since it didn't involve him.
He recalled something a teacher once said:
"Everyone experiences joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness differently."
Just then, a familiar figure stormed into view—and Akira's curiosity instantly spiked.
Striding toward the sandbox was none other than the boss—Director Takakura.
With a gloomy expression, Director Takakura marched up to the scene. The once-noisy sandbox fell dead silent. Even the crying child quickly slapped a hand over their mouth, trying not to make a sound.
Akira watched from afar as Director Takakura resolved the issue with just a few sharp words. He couldn't help but be impressed. Fierce as he looked, the man was very efficient.
Once the drama died down, Akira continued his stroll back to Sunflower Class, feeling surprisingly cheerful.
But as soon as he entered, he noticed something irritating—his seat was already taken by another boy.
Sighing inwardly, Akira walked forward and retrieved his hat from the cubby in the desk where he'd stashed it that morning.
Thankfully, the kindergarten had accounted for things like this: everyone's hat had their name printed on it.
When Akira showed the boy the name tag, the kid had no choice but to give up the seat and go find his own.
Akira patted the chair the boy had warmed, letting it cool down a bit before sitting. He tucked his sun hat back into the desk and lay his head down, preparing for a nap.
He'd just closed his eyes when a shrill voice broke the peace:
"That's my seat! You're in my spot!"
Akira figured she was talking to someone else and ignored her, trying to settle into sleep.
But then she yelled again, louder:
"Don't pretend you didn't hear me! I know you're faking it!"
Reluctantly, Akira opened his eyes. Standing beside him was a girl with a high ponytail and an odd glint in her eyes—equal parts innocent and mischievous.
Not interested in pointless arguing, Akira answered flatly, "You remembered wrong. Your seat's the one next to the podium."
To his surprise, she didn't budge. She just stood there staring at him like he'd stolen her prized candy.
Akira ignored the look and laid his head back down.
Moments later, a soft sobbing sound reached his ears.
He peeked up and spotted Ms. Yoshinaga at the front of the class, enjoying her lunch. He hesitated.
He really didn't want to deal with this, but he didn't want to bother Ms. Yoshinaga either.
He sat up and looked at the crying girl.
"…Fine," he said with a sigh. "How about I help you find your seat? As long as we can find your hat, we'll know where you're supposed to be."
To prove his point, Akira pulled his own hat from the desk hole and held it up.
"See? Our names are written on these."
The girl didn't respond. Her sobbing only grew louder.
Akira frowned. "Okay, okay—what do you want me to do so you'll stop crying?"
The girl paused, wiped her tears, and sniffled before declaring:
"I want you to play house with me!"
Akira blinked.
What a cunning little imp.
He refused instantly.
"Me? A grown man in a kid's body? Playing house with you? What do you think I am, Nitro?"
The girl's wailing resumed louder than before.
Akira sighed in defeat. He knew there was no way he could get any sleep like this.
Then an idea struck him.
Maybe I can bring Shouko over. She could meet new friends here.
"Alright, wait here. I'm going to bring someone to play too."
Before she could respond, Akira darted out of the room.
Back in Sakura Class, Ms. Ue looked up, surprised to see Akira back at the door.
"Akira? Did you forget something?" she asked curiously.
"No, Ms. Ue. I came to play with Shouko."
Ms. Ue left the podium and crouched down beside him, lowering her voice.
"Of course you can—but Akira…" She hesitated before continuing. "When you take Shouko out to play, be mindful of the other kids."
Akira blinked, not understanding. He waited for her to explain.
Ms. Ue gently cupped his cheeks and said softly, "You're still young, so maybe you haven't noticed…
Some kids will say exactly what they think. If a classmate has something a little different about them, they might start treating them strangely—staring, whispering, leaving them out."
She paused, watching his reaction, then continued:
"At first, it might just be one or two. But over time, it spreads. Humans are social creatures, Akira. Even children follow the group."
She gave his head a reassuring pat.
"I've taught the Sakura Class for several years now. Sadly, this sort of thing happens every few months."
Akira lowered his head, deep in thought. He had never considered this before.
Since he was a baby, it had always just been him and Shouko. No other kids. No real chance for her to be judged or excluded.
He'd never thought about how others might treat her.
Ms. Ue gently nudged him back to the present. "Go on, find someone kind to play with."
Akira nodded. "Okay."
He walked over to Shouko, who was lying on the desk in a daze, eyes wide open.
Standing behind him, Ms. Ue chuckled to herself.
What a sentimental kid.
"Hey, want to play house?" Akira asked.
Still half-asleep, Shouko heard his voice and blinked in surprise.
She clearly remembered him leaving the classroom earlier. So why was she hearing him now?
Looking up in confusion, she saw Akira standing in front of her.
Her sleepy daze instantly vanished, replaced by surprise and curiosity.
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