After giving her final instructions, Teacher Yoshinaga dismissed the parents.
Miyamura Shizuka stood beside the teacher's platform, crouched down slightly, and gently patted Akira's head. There was a faint reluctance in her eyes as she said:
"Mommy's heading off now, okay? Be good and listen to your teacher."
She paused for a moment, her voice softening. "I'll come pick you up at noon, alright?"
The same scene played out across the Sunflower Class: parents whispering reassurances to their children, encouraging them to feel at ease, promising that they weren't being left behind.
When Akira heard her last line, he looked up at her face, expression unreadable. Internally, he felt a little exasperated, but didn't let it show. Instead, he replied:
"Your acting needs work, Shizuka-chin. But don't worry, Mommy—I'll be just fine here."
Miyamura Shizuka blinked in surprise when he called her by name again, but before she could get upset, she caught the tail end of his sentence and smiled. He'd always been like this—strangely reassuring for a child.
She gently ruffled his hair one last time, then stood and made her way to the classroom door.
Akira remained in his seat, hands folded neatly on his desk. He watched as Shizuka turned at the door and gave a final wave. He smiled in return, watching her push the wooden door open and leave.
Teacher Yoshinaga stood at the front, observing with practiced detachment. She'd seen the same scene every year.
Then, like clockwork, the classroom began to erupt into cries. One after another, kids started wailing—first in trickles, then in waves.
Teacher Yoshinaga moved quickly, weaving between rows to help comfort the sobbing children and assist any parents who were still present.
Akira glanced toward the Sakura Class across the hall, wondering if Shouko had started crying after Auntie Nishimiya left. He felt a twinge of concern.
But before he could dwell on it, the sound of crying nearby became so sharp it nearly pierced his eardrums. Grimacing, he stood and walked over to the loudest culprit—one of the kids on his right, whose tear-streaked face and snot-filled nose made for a comically tragic sight.
The child's mother noticed Akira approaching. She turned, expecting to see his parent nearby, but quickly realized he was alone. Surprised by how composed he was, she assumed he'd come over to help and felt a surge of gratitude.
As she noticed snot about to drip into her child's mouth, she hastily pulled tissues from her bag and wiped his face clean.
Afterward, she pointed to Akira and said brightly, "Yongli, look! This big brother didn't cry at all—he's a brave warrior!"
The little boy paused, sniffling, and looked up at Akira with watery eyes. His mother pressed on:
"Don't you want to be brave too? If you can wait until Mommy picks you up at noon, you'll be a brave warrior, just like him."
Still sobbing, Yongli managed to stammer, "Y-yeah… I… I want… to be brave… too!"
With that, he wiped his face with the back of his hand, tears and snot smearing together—a gesture that made Akira wince internally.
He briefly entertained a wicked idea: What if he told this kid his mom wasn't coming back? But he quickly took a deep breath and held it in. No need to scar someone on day one.
Roughly ten minutes later, most parents had finished soothing their children and gradually left. With Teacher Yoshinaga's help—and Akira's unexpected support—the class finally settled down.
Akira returned to his seat near the middle of the room.
At the front, Teacher Yoshinaga dabbed at her forehead with a tissue and swept her damp bangs to the sides. Once she was composed, she clapped her hands to get the class's attention.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down! Did you notice the little toys in the cubbies under your desks?"
The kids perked up. Some peeked underneath with wide-eyed curiosity, while a few who had already noticed earlier beamed with excitement.
Akira reached into the space under his desk and pulled out a small, furry cat plush. He studied it for a few seconds, then casually tossed it back.
Cute, but boring, he thought.
But then he paused. Wait—Shouko would probably love this.
He quickly retrieved the plush again and examined it closely to make sure he hadn't damaged it with his careless throw earlier.
From the front, Teacher Yoshinaga watched the children enthusiastically play with their toys or swap with neighbors. She smiled.
Her gaze lingered a little longer on Akira. Seeing someone as mature as him guarding a small cat plush like treasure—especially not letting the girl beside him touch it—made him seem even more endearing.
Suddenly, loud sobbing erupted from the far-left corner of the classroom.
Teacher Yoshinaga hurried over. The child in question explained—between sobs and hiccups—that he'd wanted someone else's toy, but they wouldn't give it up. That was why he'd started bawling.
Akira, still in his seat, sighed in disbelief. Crying over someone else's toy? Must be spoiled at home, he guessed. Well, that trick won't work here.
Teacher Yoshinaga handled the situation calmly, clearly used to this sort of thing.
Once the matter was settled, she returned to the front and had all the children stand up one by one to introduce themselves. After that, she told them a short story.
By noon, class was over.
Teacher Yoshinaga asked the students to wait in the classroom until their parents arrived.
Akira raised his left hand.
"Yes, Akira?" she asked, curious.
"Teacher Yoshinaga, can I go to the Sakura Class and wait for my guardian with a friend?"
She immediately thought of the sweet little girl who'd been with him earlier and nodded with a smile. "Of course. Go ahead."
Akira didn't have anything to pack. With the plush cat in his left hand, he stood, gave a polite goodbye to Teacher Yoshinaga, and walked to the classroom door.
She followed him to the doorway, watching as he headed toward the Sakura Class.
The other kids in Sunflower Class overheard their exchange but didn't question it.
To them, Akira was already the "boss"—and the boss could do whatever he wanted.
Arriving at the Sakura Class, Akira raised his right hand and knocked lightly on the wooden door.
"Please come in," came a voice from within. It was Ms. Ue'o.
He pushed open the door gently and stepped inside. Ms. Ue'o was standing at the front of the class. Akira bowed politely.
"Excuse me, Ms. Ueo. I came to find Shouko."
Ms. Ueo recognized him instantly and gave him a kind smile. She waved her hand as if to say no problem, and motioned for him to go ahead.
Akira hadn't looked around yet, but after standing up from his bow, he glanced over—and realized something.
The parents in the Sakura Class hadn't left yet.
They were already looking toward the door from when he knocked. And now, every eye—adult and child—was on the boy standing in the doorway.