Work Text:
Hitohito can only shiver as a gust of cold wind blows right past him. It’s close to winter, but the temperature has already dropped to low levels.
The evening sky is covered by dark clouds, with only the street lights to illuminate the road he’s currently walking through. His suitcase feels heavy in his hands, and he’s only barely able to stop himself from collapsing in the middle of the street - a monumental task considering how heavy his eyelids feel, threatening to close his eyes like a curtain.
It’s been a really tiring week for him. At first, he was honoured to be chosen by the job-assignment committee and the principal to be the homeroom teacher of Class 1-3 of Hiroo Senior Highschool. But the responsibility of being chosen is starting to weigh on him.
Sure, his uncanny ability of being able to read the room is a huge boon in handling people, especially impressionable students who are preparing to become a functioning member of the next level of society - whether it be college, university, or whatever else his students are inspiring to be - but having to handle and lead the same forty-three students for three years straight and act as counselor, a therapist, and even as a foster parent for each and every one of them does takes its toll.
He can only sigh, thinking of all of his students. There is no doubt in his mind that he loves every single one of them, each with their own little quirks and personalities and aspirations, though he knows that quite a few of them are still trying to figure themselves out on what they want to be.
He thinks back to the day’s homeroom class - Igarashi Kohaku did say that he’s planning on following his parents’ footsteps in going to a national university before inheriting their family restaurant, but based off his extracurriculars and the fact that he almost always goes out of his way to watch Rakugo performances and attempts to perform his own Rakugo whenever he thinks no one else is looking makes Hitohito question whether or not what Kohaku said is something he wants to do, or something that have been a foregone expectation for him placed by his parents. That is probably going to be something he might want to bring up in the next career guidance session - perhaps bring up the option of universities with a big Rakugo club.
Hitohito puts a file in his head to remind himself to look for suitable universities that would have prominent Rakugo clubs.
There have also been rumours of Mita Mikio being bullied out of school since she came from the countryside instead of being born and raised in the city. Hitohito frowns at that thought - this might have been something that Inaka-san was worried about back when he was still in highschool. Though, so far Mikio looked like she’s been having a lot of fun with her own tight-knit group of friends after a few days of adjusting to the city life. And the last time he talked to her, she was conversing quite animatedly with how fun it is to live in the city, and all the new friends and experiences she’s going through. Hitohito takes solace that all of his students seem to fully trust him, each of them often reaching out to him for any problems they might have - whether it be social or academic. Even so, he’s going to look a bit deeper into those rumours just to make sure there really is nothing problematic going behind the scenes.
All of this is not even mentioning the unexpected problem that seemed to have come up with the Science faculty, so his year-long schedule of the once-per-week homeroom classes needs to be revised again.
He almost groans to himself as he reaches into his pocket to pull out his home keys - he just remembered that he has to finish marking all of those Japanese essay assignments before Wednesday as well.
The warm air envelops him like a comforting embrace, one that he happily embraces - his hands regaining their feeling as the temperature pretty much melts the numbness away. The first thing he notices though is the delicious smell coming from the kitchen at night - oh right, it isn’t his turn to cook dinner tonight.
“I’m home!” Hitohito calls out, beginning to remove his shoes.
“Welcome home dear”, a beautiful yet soft voice replies. Hitohito walks into the dining room and looks at his lovely wife in the middle of cooking several different dishes for dinner. His wife turns to face him, eyes making contact. Hitohito moves towards her, and wraps his arms around Shouko from behind, and places a small kiss at the crook of her neck. Her only response to that is a small giggle, before saying, “I’m still in the middle of cooking… should be ready in 40 more minutes”
Before Hitohito even has the chance to respond, he hears the pitter patter of little feet going straight towards him.
“WELCOME HOME PAPA”, a little girl, barely 7 years old, shouts as she runs up to him. Despite how tired he currently is, Hitohito puts two hands under the armpits of the little girl and raises her up into the hair. The girl immediately goes into a fit of giggles as Hitohito places her back onto the floor and relentlessly tickled her sides.
For the most part, she looks quite average for a girl her age, but that Tadano-cowlick on her hair, those large eyes, that small button nose and small mouth that voices out things much louder than it has any right to be proudly conveys who her parents are. Hitohito mostly blames her hyperactivity to be a gene from either her maternal grandmother, or her paternal aunt. Or both.
“PAPA - S-STOP!”, one of the lights of his life says in between her laughter. Hitohito finally stops his tickling assault, finishing it off with a kiss on her forehead. He helps the little girl up to his feet, before she starts running towards the living room. After a single glance at Shouko, Hitohito follows his daughter, where it looks like she’s just finishing up her homework - likely to try and finish it all quickly so that she can catch her evening cartoons.
Luckily, his daughter seemed to have inherited her mother’s smarts, so he doesn’t have much to worry about. So he pats her head, and starts taking out the papers he has to finish marking, and sets them down next to her. “Since you’re doing work, let me finish mine next to you”, Hitohito says, taking out a red pen in order to start marking. He looks down at his daughter, and is greeted with a blinding smile.
“Am almost done… Can I watch TV after?”, she predictably asks with large puppy dog eyes.
“Of course, but don’t be too loud, okay?”
She only responded with a cheer, and for a moment it looked like a pair of cat ears sprouted from her head, as she returned to her homework, working faster than before..
—
Hitohito’s eyes flutter open, a bit disorientated. He does not move though, as the pillow under him feels a bit too comfortable at the moment. Not to mention the relaxing feeling of a hand combing through his hair, a soft melodic voice over the sounds coming from the TV.
He eventually starts to regain full consciousness, but the first thing he sees as he looks up is the face of his beautiful wife. It takes a moment for him to register that he’s currently being given a lap pillow, and almost startles upright before Shouko calms his down with one hand, and a finger of her other hand to her lips.
Hitohito follows her line of sight before realizing that their child decided the little space by his stomach is the best place to nap, his arms laying atop of her.
“How long have I been sleeping?”, Shouko hums at the question, before raising a few fingers, “thirty-five minutes?”
“Long day?” Hitohito nods at that.
Shouko continues to hum a small melody, and Hitohito can’t deny that the feeling of her fingers massaging his scalp is extremely relaxing.
“Honestly, more like a long week”, Hitohito sighs before looking at the bundle of sleeping joy in his arms, “but it’s all worth it if this is what I return home to.”
Shouko giggles at that, before giving her husband a peck on the cheek. After a moment, Hitohito leaves his lap pillow, to his - and his wife’s - disappointment, and shakes his daughter awake.
“Dinner smells delicious. Come, let’s eat.” His daughter’s eyes seem fully awake after that statement, before she rushes to the dining table. Hitohito and Shouko only look at each with a look of adoration and affection before following their daughter.
All the stress and work is indeed worth these moments of respite.