Chapter 31: The day I participated in sports meeting.
It’s May.
Before when I met Misaki I didn’t paid that much attention to the Golden Week but now I just realized how much it feels like Misaki-colored (Golden), That’s why right now I’m at the nursery school with a golden feeling.
Today, there’s sports meeting event at Ponpoko nursery school.
After hearing the explanation from them that they’d held the meeting on Saturday with parent’s convenience in consideration, I thought ‘I’m ok with it even if it’s on weekdays y’know’, but after hearing the parents around me said “That’d be very nice.”, I just obediently follow along with them.
In the center of the place that seems to be athletic field are almost-fifty meters tracks. Surrounding the track are simple fences made of iron pole and strings. Around one hundred people consisting of parents and children gathered around the fence.
There are people checking the video camera on top of the blue tarpaulin, their eyes are so serious as if they’re going to shoot a movie or something, and those who didn’t are talking with parents and children around the area.
I tried to find Yui-chan, thinking that I should at least greet her, but as I thought finding a child among a crowd of adults is difficult.
“Misaki, do you know where Yui-chan is now?”
“……Un.”
I asked her thinking that Misaki with the same line of sight height as her might be able to find her, Misaki nods and turns around. And at the end of her line of sight, Yui-chan is there.
“What a coincidence!” (Yui)
“……Coincidence?” (Misaki)
“You don’t know what it means!? It meant that we met by chance!”
“……Always saw, Yui-chan.”
“If you found me then you’d have just call me, don’t just stand there looking!”
I see, so the strange gaze that I felt earlier seems to be from Yui-chan. Maybe she’s looking for the perfect timing to call Misaki?
“Excuse me!”
Yui-chan called me suddenly.
“Are you Ryo-kun!?”
“Yes, I’m Ryo-kun.”
I nods while thinking that maybe Misaki already introduced me as Ryo-kun. Yui-chan takes an overly exaggerated deep breath and,
“I’ve always been taking care of Misaki!”
Wait wait, I’m Misaki’s parent here you know.
“Oh, thank you for getting along with Misaki.”
I’ll say thanks for the time being,
“And what about your father and mother?”
“They’re not here!”
What in the……?
“They’re working!”
On Saturday? And on top of that on their daughter’s sports meeting?
“I see, they’re busy huh……”
“Yes! They’re doing their best so that they can live!”
They’re even doing survival training too?
“That’s why, I’m not lonely!”
Said Yui-chan with her loud voice. When I take a look around me, there’s a lot of children getting spoiled by their parents. getting lifted up high, or asking them for a hug, there’s a lot of affection flying around. I don’t really get it but, I’m sure that’s how young children behave normally.
But what about Misaki. She never wants me to lift her up high or anything at all. Surely, it’s because her early mental maturity and it’s also exactly that reason that she can understand studying materials meant for sixth grader kids. Rather it’s me that want to do those not her. I’m not lonely at all. I can understand how painful Yui-chan felt.
“Alright, then how about just for today you think of me as your father.”
Ohー she seems to be happy about it.
“I’ll introduce you to my mama!”
“I see. I’ve been thinking that I want to have a talk with her.”
“Really!? Yayー!”
Yui-chan jumps around in happiness. After getting used to Misaki’s usual expression, seeing a kid expressing her feelings to the fullest like this is refreshing. Now I’m wondering what if Misaki acts like that usually too…… Misaki jumping around when she’s happy huh, that’s good too.
“Misaki! It seems like, the day when you become my little sister is getting closer!”
“Wait wait stop it at that. Listen here Yui-chan, absolutely do not say that kind of thing in front of your dad alright.”
If Misaki ever say that exact same words to me maybe I might really commit suicide.
“It’s okay! Papa is not here!”
“Well that’s true but even if he’s not here……”
“He’s not at home either!”
“……I see.”
My guess was wrong, at first I thought that the reason she doesn’t smile very much when she talk about him is due to her really hating him, but seems like that’s not the case. So this is Misaki’s friend, Yui-chan huh……
“That’s why, I’m searching for one!”
“Yui-chan, let’s talk about stuff like that when you grows up alright.”
“And how old will that be!”
“……About fifteen I think?”
“I’m not going to wait for ten years! Within three years please!”
“……I-, I see.”
After this until the opening ceremony is announced, Yui-chan kept telling me her mama’s charm from her perspective. How do I put this, well it’s my first time experiencing being this tired. Misaki kept looking between me and Yui-chan’s face with an expression as if she’s thinking “I wonder what they’re talking about”. I really want to believe that Misaki’s reaction is normal for general people.
And so while she’s still confused the sports meeting has begun, and it was chaotic.
First of all there’s a Mom-san that’s sitting next to me starts tearing up from seeing her son in the parade during opening ceremony, second there’s a kid from the first year that’s participating in the so called “Running race” that did a false start because he doesn’t understand the rules, and then there’s also a kid being eccentric as he runs straight toward his mom with a smiley face instead of running toward the goal.
They should be competing with each other, but in this event the concept of winning or losing doesn’t exist at all. As long as the children enjoy what they’re doing, all of the parents would be happy and don’t really mind about what they’re actually doing.
And so although it’s delayed by first year kids, second year kid’s competitions are about to start, Yes it’s Misaki’s turn now! Or so I thought, but it seems like there are going to be a tug-of-war showdown between parents first. Alright Let’s show Misaki how awesome I am, I thought that but it seems like I’m not the only parent that participate with such motivation, and so the sports meeting that was filled with smiley atmosphere not long ago is completely flipped upside down and the time for adults to compare their full strength has begun.
I managed to win somehow and while a strange feeling of accomplishment is in my heart I high-fived my comrade parents, and walk back to Misaki and Yui-chan.
How’s that, I convey my question with my eyes.
“That’s so amazーing!”
Said Yui-chan with a happy look.
“Un?”
And for Misaki, What? She tilts her head while making a face as if to ask that. Dammit.
Then, it’s finally time for the main event…… Third year kid’s “Running race” has begun.
Misaki who can run fifty meters in fourteen seconds is definitely the fastest among the kids same age as her. I don’t know what is the standard for five years old, but assuming she’ll double her height after ten years, and so her speed should doubled too and it means she could run one hundred meters in fourteen seconds. That’s pretty fast.
And next is the race between third year children. After that was announced, Yui-chan who’s full of motivation pulled Misaki along with her and head straight to the battlefield.
In total there’s eight kids in the third year, and so they are separated into two race consisting of four kids in each race.
On the first race, there’s other three kids that Yui-chan didn’t know lined up at the start line. Is that kid a male, or female……? Well if that kid were to have a beauty like Misaki does I’d know immediately that’s a girl, but it’s hard to really distinguish a kid’s gender.
“Misaki watch this! I’m going to take the first place!”
Yui-chan declares her victory to Misaki with a voice that reached us here. MIsaki nods with a slightly serious expression.
“Very well then, On your marks~”
Get set, go! Four kids start running immediately after the signal. As expect of the third year kids they seems to understand the rules, there are no kids acting out of place but……
Slow, Yui-chan is too slow……!
Yui-chan who runs at such speed that I think if she walks she’ll be much faster, immediately got pulled ahead. But still she look straight in front of her chasing the back of other kids with serious expression, and I felt like cheering on her somehow.
Sure enough Yui-chan finished fourth, she sits right on the spot in exhaustion. Then with the help of the nursery teachers she stands up, her shoulders shake and the thought that she can’t believe she just lost is plastered on her face. She got escorted to the waiting area with regrets in her heart, and I can’t bear to watch her like that somehow.
And so, the second race begun.
“Misakiiiii!”
As soon as I shouted that our eyes met. Misaki nods like how she usually does, and set her feet at the start line.
And when looking at her with other kids on her sides, Misaki’s unusually short stature is really standing out. Compare her to Yui-chan and she’s shorter than Yui-chan by almost one head, and the same also applied when comparing her to other kids. Misaki tell me herself that she’s five years old, but is that really true…… Let’s stop, right now it’s time for me to cheer her.
“Miiiisakiiiiiii!”
“Please be quiet before the race has begun.”
I’m sorry Misaki, your Ryo-kun just got scolded.
And so during the silence, the race is starting.
On your marks, get set…… Go!
Misaki superbly dashed out of the start line!
Immediately after the signal, the smallest girl pulled ahead!
However, a cruel wall called physical constitution ruthlessly attacks her……! Even though Misaki’s leg rotation speed is much faster, but the length of her stride is too different! With each step the difference is clear, and that difference is piling up. At this rate she’ll……
“Misakiiiiiii! Do your beeeest!”
Immediately after I shouted, I feels like the light in Misaki’s eyes has changed. No that wasn’t just my feeling, she’s one step faster than before. Misaki runs alongside the kid that’s trying to overtake her and they lined up perfectly, they ran in parallel.
And that fast kid eventually overtake her one step ahead, and so the fight for second place between Misaki and the other two kid has begun.
I shouted so loud as if my throat is going to tear apart. The distance of this race doesn’t even reach fifty meters. And the time it takes to finish the race is slightly less than ten seconds, but I think I shouted about five years worth of my voice.
And so, the three reached the finish line side by side. Watching from afar it’s difficult to judge who finished first and last, but I didn’t care about the result anymore. Just by seeing Misaki did her best with all she has to offer, I can’t help but feels warm in my chest.
After the third year kid’s race has ended, the lunch break begins immediately.
Me and Misaki, and also Yui-chan sit together and while we’re eating our bento box that was prepared beforehand, a group of three obaa-san walk toward us. Then the obaa-san in the middle of the group who wears a dark makeup, look at me and said in a strangely sticky voice.
“You are Tendou-san right?”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Pleased to meet you, I’m Sato.”
And so I got invited to the so called “Parents meeting.”
During that event I’ll get to meet many parents, and also receive guidance on how to raise kids more serious than ever before.
When people starts thinking about something, they always remember the past they had left behind.
“This might be too sudden but, tomorrow, I’m looking forward to meet with you.”
“Yes, I understand.”
But there’s one thing I can say for certain, the past isn’t always left behind sometimes.
Chapter 31: The day I participated in sports meeting.
It’s May.
Before when I met Misaki I didn’t paid that much attention to the Golden Week but now I just realized how much it feels like Misaki-colored (Golden), That’s why right now I’m at the nursery school with a golden feeling.
Today, there’s sports meeting event at Ponpoko nursery school.
After hearing the explanation from them that they’d held the meeting on Saturday with parent’s convenience in consideration, I thought ‘I’m ok with it even if it’s on weekdays y’know’, but after hearing the parents around me said “That’d be very nice.”, I just obediently follow along with them.
In the center of the place that seems to be athletic field are almost-fifty meters tracks. Surrounding the track are simple fences made of iron pole and strings. Around one hundred people consisting of parents and children gathered around the fence.
There are people checking the video camera on top of the blue tarpaulin, their eyes are so serious as if they’re going to shoot a movie or something, and those who didn’t are talking with parents and children around the area.
I tried to find Yui-chan, thinking that I should at least greet her, but as I thought finding a child among a crowd of adults is difficult.
“Misaki, do you know where Yui-chan is now?”
“……Un.”
I asked her thinking that Misaki with the same line of sight height as her might be able to find her, Misaki nods and turns around. And at the end of her line of sight, Yui-chan is there.
“What a coincidence!” (Yui)
“……Coincidence?” (Misaki)
“You don’t know what it means!? It meant that we met by chance!”
“……Always saw, Yui-chan.”
“If you found me then you’d have just call me, don’t just stand there looking!”
I see, so the strange gaze that I felt earlier seems to be from Yui-chan. Maybe she’s looking for the perfect timing to call Misaki?
“Excuse me!”
Yui-chan called me suddenly.
“Are you Ryo-kun!?”
“Yes, I’m Ryo-kun.”
I nods while thinking that maybe Misaki already introduced me as Ryo-kun. Yui-chan takes an overly exaggerated deep breath and,
“I’ve always been taking care of Misaki!”
Wait wait, I’m Misaki’s parent here you know.
“Oh, thank you for getting along with Misaki.”
I’ll say thanks for the time being,
“And what about your father and mother?”
“They’re not here!”
What in the……?
“They’re working!”
On Saturday? And on top of that on their daughter’s sports meeting?
“I see, they’re busy huh……”
“Yes! They’re doing their best so that they can live!”
They’re even doing survival training too?
“That’s why, I’m not lonely!”
Said Yui-chan with her loud voice. When I take a look around me, there’s a lot of children getting spoiled by their parents. getting lifted up high, or asking them for a hug, there’s a lot of affection flying around. I don’t really get it but, I’m sure that’s how young children behave normally.
But what about Misaki. She never wants me to lift her up high or anything at all. Surely, it’s because her early mental maturity and it’s also exactly that reason that she can understand studying materials meant for sixth grader kids. Rather it’s me that want to do those not her. I’m not lonely at all. I can understand how painful Yui-chan felt.
“Alright, then how about just for today you think of me as your father.”
Ohー she seems to be happy about it.
“I’ll introduce you to my mama!”
“I see. I’ve been thinking that I want to have a talk with her.”
“Really!? Yayー!”
Yui-chan jumps around in happiness. After getting used to Misaki’s usual expression, seeing a kid expressing her feelings to the fullest like this is refreshing. Now I’m wondering what if Misaki acts like that usually too…… Misaki jumping around when she’s happy huh, that’s good too.
“Misaki! It seems like, the day when you become my little sister is getting closer!”
“Wait wait stop it at that. Listen here Yui-chan, absolutely do not say that kind of thing in front of your dad alright.”
If Misaki ever say that exact same words to me maybe I might really commit suicide.
“It’s okay! Papa is not here!”
“Well that’s true but even if he’s not here……”
“He’s not at home either!”
“……I see.”
My guess was wrong, at first I thought that the reason she doesn’t smile very much when she talk about him is due to her really hating him, but seems like that’s not the case. So this is Misaki’s friend, Yui-chan huh……
“That’s why, I’m searching for one!”
“Yui-chan, let’s talk about stuff like that when you grows up alright.”
“And how old will that be!”
“……About fifteen I think?”
“I’m not going to wait for ten years! Within three years please!”
“……I-, I see.”
After this until the opening ceremony is announced, Yui-chan kept telling me her mama’s charm from her perspective. How do I put this, well it’s my first time experiencing being this tired. Misaki kept looking between me and Yui-chan’s face with an expression as if she’s thinking “I wonder what they’re talking about”. I really want to believe that Misaki’s reaction is normal for general people.
And so while she’s still confused the sports meeting has begun, and it was chaotic.
First of all there’s a Mom-san that’s sitting next to me starts tearing up from seeing her son in the parade during opening ceremony, second there’s a kid from the first year that’s participating in the so called “Running race” that did a false start because he doesn’t understand the rules, and then there’s also a kid being eccentric as he runs straight toward his mom with a smiley face instead of running toward the goal.
They should be competing with each other, but in this event the concept of winning or losing doesn’t exist at all. As long as the children enjoy what they’re doing, all of the parents would be happy and don’t really mind about what they’re actually doing.
And so although it’s delayed by first year kids, second year kid’s competitions are about to start, Yes it’s Misaki’s turn now! Or so I thought, but it seems like there are going to be a tug-of-war showdown between parents first. Alright Let’s show Misaki how awesome I am, I thought that but it seems like I’m not the only parent that participate with such motivation, and so the sports meeting that was filled with smiley atmosphere not long ago is completely flipped upside down and the time for adults to compare their full strength has begun.
I managed to win somehow and while a strange feeling of accomplishment is in my heart I high-fived my comrade parents, and walk back to Misaki and Yui-chan.
How’s that, I convey my question with my eyes.
“That’s so amazーing!”
Said Yui-chan with a happy look.
“Un?”
And for Misaki, What? She tilts her head while making a face as if to ask that. Dammit.
Then, it’s finally time for the main event…… Third year kid’s “Running race” has begun.
Misaki who can run fifty meters in fourteen seconds is definitely the fastest among the kids same age as her. I don’t know what is the standard for five years old, but assuming she’ll double her height after ten years, and so her speed should doubled too and it means she could run one hundred meters in fourteen seconds. That’s pretty fast.
And next is the race between third year children. After that was announced, Yui-chan who’s full of motivation pulled Misaki along with her and head straight to the battlefield.
In total there’s eight kids in the third year, and so they are separated into two race consisting of four kids in each race.
On the first race, there’s other three kids that Yui-chan didn’t know lined up at the start line. Is that kid a male, or female……? Well if that kid were to have a beauty like Misaki does I’d know immediately that’s a girl, but it’s hard to really distinguish a kid’s gender.
“Misaki watch this! I’m going to take the first place!”
Yui-chan declares her victory to Misaki with a voice that reached us here. MIsaki nods with a slightly serious expression.
“Very well then, On your marks~”
Get set, go! Four kids start running immediately after the signal. As expect of the third year kids they seems to understand the rules, there are no kids acting out of place but……
Slow, Yui-chan is too slow……!
Yui-chan who runs at such speed that I think if she walks she’ll be much faster, immediately got pulled ahead. But still she look straight in front of her chasing the back of other kids with serious expression, and I felt like cheering on her somehow.
Sure enough Yui-chan finished fourth, she sits right on the spot in exhaustion. Then with the help of the nursery teachers she stands up, her shoulders shake and the thought that she can’t believe she just lost is plastered on her face. She got escorted to the waiting area with regrets in her heart, and I can’t bear to watch her like that somehow.
And so, the second race begun.
“Misakiiiii!”
As soon as I shouted that our eyes met. Misaki nods like how she usually does, and set her feet at the start line.
And when looking at her with other kids on her sides, Misaki’s unusually short stature is really standing out. Compare her to Yui-chan and she’s shorter than Yui-chan by almost one head, and the same also applied when comparing her to other kids. Misaki tell me herself that she’s five years old, but is that really true…… Let’s stop, right now it’s time for me to cheer her.
“Miiiisakiiiiiii!”
“Please be quiet before the race has begun.”
I’m sorry Misaki, your Ryo-kun just got scolded.
And so during the silence, the race is starting.
On your marks, get set…… Go!
Misaki superbly dashed out of the start line!
Immediately after the signal, the smallest girl pulled ahead!
However, a cruel wall called physical constitution ruthlessly attacks her……! Even though Misaki’s leg rotation speed is much faster, but the length of her stride is too different! With each step the difference is clear, and that difference is piling up. At this rate she’ll……
“Misakiiiiiii! Do your beeeest!”
Immediately after I shouted, I feels like the light in Misaki’s eyes has changed. No that wasn’t just my feeling, she’s one step faster than before. Misaki runs alongside the kid that’s trying to overtake her and they lined up perfectly, they ran in parallel.
And that fast kid eventually overtake her one step ahead, and so the fight for second place between Misaki and the other two kid has begun.
I shouted so loud as if my throat is going to tear apart. The distance of this race doesn’t even reach fifty meters. And the time it takes to finish the race is slightly less than ten seconds, but I think I shouted about five years worth of my voice.
And so, the three reached the finish line side by side. Watching from afar it’s difficult to judge who finished first and last, but I didn’t care about the result anymore. Just by seeing Misaki did her best with all she has to offer, I can’t help but feels warm in my chest.
After the third year kid’s race has ended, the lunch break begins immediately.
Me and Misaki, and also Yui-chan sit together and while we’re eating our bento box that was prepared beforehand, a group of three obaa-san walk toward us. Then the obaa-san in the middle of the group who wears a dark makeup, look at me and said in a strangely sticky voice.
“You are Tendou-san right?”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Pleased to meet you, I’m Sato.”
And so I got invited to the so called “Parents meeting.”
During that event I’ll get to meet many parents, and also receive guidance on how to raise kids more serious than ever before.
When people starts thinking about something, they always remember the past they had left behind.
“This might be too sudden but, tomorrow, I’m looking forward to meet with you.”
“Yes, I understand.”
But there’s one thing I can say for certain, the past isn’t always left behind sometimes.
