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Life is unpredictable, and you have to learn to accept whatever it gives to you. Accept and smile and give your best and the next thing you know, it’s back on repeat and you’re faced with another new beginning.
Or that’s how Nagachika Hideyoshi likes to think. Finding his 33 year old self teaching kids on their first day at school is definitely not something he imagined he’d be doing with his life. He used to imagine bigger, grander things –never ending adventures that lead him to places; a sort of life that has his body and mind well spent by the end of each day. But life is full of surprises, and somehow spending the last few years facing different kind of kids is an adventure of its own.
The alarm on his bedside rings and Hide wastes no time turning it off and pushes himself off his bed. Today is another da capo; another set of new kids to get along with, and Hide can’t wait to see what life has to offer to him this time.
---
The first day ended in a whoosh and soon Hide is again being left with the task of cleaning after his classroom. His new students (his kids, as he likes to tell them) are alright, a bit noisy than his old ones but still loveable nonetheless. And oh they’re so interesting to learn; there’s Mika-chan with her loud voice and attitude in the making pointing at him and demanding him to carry her everywhere, there’s Aoi-chan with his big glasses and eagerness to learn, hand almost always risen up to ask a question, and Tsugu-chan with her unique laugh and cute ponytail, and Runa-chan, and Shino-chan, and–
Hide’s train of thoughts is interrupted when he catches a sniffing sound. Clipping the box of toys closed before putting it back on its place under the desk, Hide rises to his feet and follows the sound to find there, sitting alone in the backyard, is another one of his new students.
What’s his name again? Oh yeah, “Yuki-chan? Are you okay? What happened?”
His new kid shakes his head before trying to rub the tears of his eyes, and Hide pulls out his handkerchief and helps him to do the job. The little boy watches him between sobs as he gently pats the fabric on his cheek, his big eyes stays on his even after Hide’s done and scoots closer to him.
“Would you tell Hide-sensei what happened?”
Yuki keeps gazing at him, as if he’s contemplating on whether or not he should tell whatever’s bothering him, and Hide waits quietly with a kind smile on his face. He doesn’t look hurt –knees and elbows checked– so maybe his parents or whoever will be picking him up is late and he’s afraid to be alone. Or maybe some kids bully him or something, after all one of his first impressions of the boy is that he is a quiet kid and somehow quite kids are like magnets to bullies. But whatever it is, Hide’s ready with his stack of ammunitions –a jar of sweets he keeps on his locker for bad days– and of course, all kinds of coos at his disposal.
One minute later Hide is about to start with his mini speech of it’s okays when Yuki balls his tiny hands into a first and starts mumbling, “I’m.. I’m scared.”
“Hmm? Why would you be scared?”
“Kio-kun said p-people who like books are boring and they won’t have friends.” A pause. “Hide-sensei, is that true?”
Hide blinks. Kids these days. “Nah, I don’t think that’s how it works. You see, Yuki-chan, I’m a big reader myself, and I can tell you I have loads of friends!”
Yuki looks unsure, “..really?”
“Mhmm! Don’t you trust me?”
“But what if I’m different? What if I won’t have friends?”
Hide sighs. Well, this isn’t the first time he’s faced with a situation like this. Babysitting kids are all fun and games but some are like Yuki; the type who thinks a lot and asks a lot and honestly speaking it kind of reminds him of himself. Hide remembers being so young and just couldn’t shut his mouth and his parents, his teachers –everyone– had been so nice indulging him in his wonders; they made him feel important. So he knows it means a lot when an adult take a child’s question seriously.
“Listen, Yuki-chan, I had a friend who’s just like you..” Even as he reaches to pat Yuki’s hair, Hide is still wondering whether or not it’s appropriate to share the story. He never tell anyone about this–why would he, anyway? But the kid is already giving him his full attention, and really, why is it so bad telling him?
“He used to read everywhere, and I mean it, everywhere. He’d bring his book with him even when we’re going to the arcade!”
Yuki snorts. “Hide-sensei, I’m not like that!”
“We’ll see about that later.” Hide winks, flashing his grin. “But anyway, yeah, my friend is a big reader and most of the time he’s all alone by himself. But things happen –life has a funny way to connect people, you know– and by the end he found loads of friends who care for him a lot and would never leave him and oh, did you know? They even built a cafe full of books just for him!”
“Whoaa, really?”
“Uhuh!”
Yuki is in awe, Hide can see from the way the kid just gazes up, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Yep, a cafe full of books is definitely the way to win a book nerd's heart.
“But Hide-sensei,” Yuki hesitates. “I don’t think a-anyone would do that for me..”
“Why’d you think that?”
“..because I’m not special. Like your friend,” he adds.
“My friend wasn’t someone special either.” he shrugs, noticing Yuki moves closer to him, which equals he's gained a good point on the kid's book. “But trust me, you’ll find friends who will care a bunch about you. And they might won’t give you a cafe full of books,” the boy half pouts at the words and Hide reaches to give his dark hair a few more ruffles. “But they’ll be important to you regardless, and you to them too!”
“You really think so..?” The kid no longer sound that much doubting now.
“I don’t think so, I know so!” Hide taps his chest, expression smug, and that successfully puts a small smile on Yuki’s face. But a small smile is never good enough in Hide’s book, and so he bends closer to him, getting into Yuki’s eye level, and offers his pinky.
“Tell you what, I promise that one day Yuki-chan will find friends who’d love Yuki-chan as much as you love them; friends who are willing to do anything for you just as you would for them. And until that day come, I promise I’ll be your friend. What do you think?”
Yuki only stares at his finger, “Promise?” He asks timidly.
“Only if you do!”
Yuki doesn’t make a move at first, and Hide only half expect he’d do it, after all, again, Yuki is the type who thinks a lot. But then he feels something tugging on his finger and then Yuki is linking their pinky together with twinkling eyes.
“I promise.”
“Then I promise I won’t break this promise to you, friend!” Yuki giggles at the word friend and Hide pats himself in the back for another job well done. He didn’t just say this for show, he is going to be the best friend Yuki would have (for now), at least until he can find friends who would like him. And seeing the way the boy just shines when he laughs, Hide assumes it will happen very soon.
The next half an hour is spent with Hide and Yuki talking about books. Yuki seems to have a tendency to like detective stories and just because they share almost the same taste, Hide promises he would lend him some of his light-sized novels, to which Yuki eagerly accepts. And they are halfway through a shiritori game when a voice breaks through the empty hall.
“Yu-chan!”
At the call of his name Yuki whips his head. “Papa!” He calls back, waving almost too eagerly with such an excitement on his face one wouldn’t realize this he’d just spent few minutes earlier crying.
“Papa, over here!” Hide helps the kid to stand before he too follows suit so he can greet Yuki’s father with a nod and his ever-so-present smile. The man looks tired as he bows in return, his hair is all over the place, seemingly blown by the wind, and the coat he’s wearing looks messy as if he’d just ran all the way here. But despite his appearance and overall spent look, he complies when Yuki raises his hands, pulling his son up to his arms with ease before nuzzling his nose against Yuki’s small one.
“Papa's sorry for being late. Are you having fun today?”
The boy nods. “Mhmm! Hide-sensei is so nice! He.. umm.” Yuki throws a quick glance to Hide and then shakes his head. “Nevermind, papa, it’s a secret between me and Sensei!”
Yuki’s father faked a hurtful expression, to which Yuki replies with a pout of his own.
“Can’t papa know the secret?”
“Nope!” Yuki’s father then turns to look at Hide asking for help but Hide only snickers, raising his hands in a surrendering manner as he eyes Yuki, who is now leaning his head against his father’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry, but Yuki-chan said no so I won’t spill anything!”
Yuki’s father looks down as he stares at him and for a second Hide swears he almost give in. Almost. But luck is on his side because Yuki starts to whine about how sleepy he is and then his father promises they’ll be home in no time.
A few minutes later they’re standing on the front gate, Yuki’s father is all set with the boy’s blue school bag, his bento box, and Yuki dozing off on his back. Thanking Hide for his assistance, Yuki’s father gives a small bow before turning on his heels.
“Sasaki-san!” Hide finds himself calling the name after a few steps, and Sasaki-san – Yuki’s father – turns back, a questioning what? on his face.
“It’s…” there’s so many things to say, so many things left unsaid, but in the end it doesn’t matter. Not anymore.
“It’s nothing big, really.” Hide decides, just like what he did years ago. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
Sasaki looks confused, but then something clicks on him and he gives Hide that smile.
“I know, I have a feeling I can trust you.”
Hide returns the smile and then he’s waving back to Yuki who waves his tiny hand, replying a take care and be careful! to Yuki’s sleepy bye bye Hide-sensei!
Once again Hide’s being left all alone. But he means it, what he said earlier– it’s nothing big. It was, he admits, it was everything to him, but life goes on and people moves on and it’s funny because even when life gives you all sort of cruel things, it also gives you the time to heal; months and years to get used until the painful pangs on your chest is nothing but a dull pain that can heal over seconds.
Stretching his arms, Hide walks back to his class. He needs to pack his stuffs and head home now that the school is empty. ..okay, he needs to write on the reports first, but they take no time at all and who knows, maybe he can still get that deal on eggs he saw on the brochure earlier. Omurice for breakfast sounds great, doesn’t it?
And speaking of omurice, maybe he can have ‘breakfast’ for tomorrow’s topic of discussion. What do you eat for breakfast today? What’s your favorite breakfast? Which one do you like more: rice or toast?
Smiling at the thought of his students getting all hyped up to answer, their small hands reaching up and all those excitement whenever they get to share something with the class, Hide gazes up into the cloudy sky. He can’t wait for tomorrow.
For another da capo.
Da capo al fine.