The next morning.
Sato was brushing his teeth in the bathroom when Kanna, dressed in pink pajamas, rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked in.
"Good morning, Kanna."
"Good morning, Sato."
Sato handed her toothbrush and cup, squeezed toothpaste onto the brush, then continued brushing his own teeth.
Looking a little listless, Kanna raised her blue eyes to him.
"Hey, Sato."
"Hm? What's up?"
he asked through a mouthful of toothpaste foam while looking into the mirror.
"Is she sleeping here again tonight?"
"Hm?"
Sato turned to Kanna in surprise.
"You mean Yuzuru? She probably won't be staying here tonight. Why?"
Kanna squeezed toothpaste onto her toothbrush and seemed to sigh in relief.
"She kept kicking the blanket all night."
Huh?
Kicking the blanket?
Just then, Sato heard footsteps behind him.
Turning around, he saw Yuzuru standing at the bathroom door with her face bright red, deliberately avoiding eye contact.
She had obviously heard what Kanna had just said.
"I... I'm going home now!"
After saying that in embarrassment, Yuzuru bolted away in the blink of an eye.
Heh, this little rascal.
Sato couldn't help laughing at the sight. Shaking his head with a smile, he went back to brushing his teeth.
...
After getting ready, Sato walked to school together with Nishimiya Shouko and Yuuki Asuna.
Quite a few students had already arrived in the classroom. Many waved at him and asked with concern,
"Nohara, why weren't you at school yesterday?"
"Were you sick?"
"How are you feeling today?"
"..."
Sato smiled and replied,
"Thanks but It was just a minor issue."
After chatting with his classmates for a bit, he returned to his seat.
Saiki Kusuo and Kirigaya Kazuto hadn't arrived yet, but someone else soon appeared full of energy.
"Nohara, tomorrow's group assignments and tasks are out."
Isshiki Iroha walked over and tapped on his desk.
"How do you know already, Miss Know-It-All?"
Sato was genuinely curious where Isshiki Iroha got all her information.
No matter what it was, she always seemed to know before everyone else.
"Hmph. It's not something you could learn."
Isshiki proudly lifted her chin.
Seriously?
Looking at her smug expression, Sato couldn't help finding it amusing.
"Fine. If I can't learn it, then I won't. Just tell me what we're supposed to be doing."
Isshiki pulled out the chair in front of him and sat down.
Holding up one slender finger, she said seriously,
"Since it's a social practice program, of course we're going out to practice. Our group's assignment is to spend a day as trainee teachers at a kindergarten."
"A kindergarten? As teachers?"
Sato looked at her in confusion.
What kind of social practice is that?
He couldn't help complaining inwardly before asking,
"What about the other assignments?"
"Oh... they're all different kinds of job experience."
"Then who's in our group?"
"Me, you, Nishimiya-san, and Yuuki-san. Well? You're happy, right? So many pretty girls keeping you company."
Isshiki's eyes curved into crescents as she gave him a sweet smile.
For some reason, though, it felt a little dangerous.
Asuna's in the same group too?
Sato turned toward Yuuki Asuna.
She smiled gently.
"I asked the teacher for a favor."
This is going to be troublesome.
Sato let out a sigh.
...
Before school ended, homeroom teacher Sakamoto announced the assignment.
Everything was exactly as Isshiki had said.
After classes, Sato headed to the clubroom.
The room was still filled with the faint, lingering fragrance of tea.
He even wondered whether, after so many years, everything in the room had become permanently infused with the scent.
He had apparently arrived earlier than everyone else.
The clubroom was completely empty.
Not long after he sat down, the door slid open.
Swish.sfx
Yukinoshita Yukino appeared.
The graceful girl carried herself with quiet elegance, her refined face as beautiful as a painting.
When she saw Sato, she paused briefly before giving him a small nod.
"Good afternoon, Nohara."
"Good afternoon."
After Yukinoshita took her seat, Sato asked,
"Yukinoshita, what kind of assignment did your social practice have last year?"
"Social practice?"
She thought for a moment before answering,
"We accompanied Hiratsuka-sensei to look after a group of children on a spring outing."
"Children?"
"Yes. A group of elementary school students."
"Elementary school kids... That sounds a little better than looking after a bunch of kindergarten brats."
"You're assigned to a kindergarten?"
"Yeah."
Sato nodded with both resignation and a headache.
Based on his experience with one particular little troublemaker, he found kindergarteners to be a real handful.
Seeing his troubled expression, Yukinoshita's bright eyes shifted slightly.
After thinking for a moment, she said,
"A kindergarten might actually be better."
"Why?"
"Bullying. Kindergarten children probably don't have that problem."
"So you're saying some of the elementary school students you looked after last year were bullying others?"
"Yes."
"Tch."
Sato clicked his tongue.
At this rate, Japan really is doomed.
That's just too depressing.
"Yo-ho! Your great club president has arrived!"
The clubroom door suddenly flew open, accompanied by Ritsu's loud voice.
The room instantly fell silent.
When she noticed that only Sato and Yukinoshita Yukino were inside, her expression froze.
After standing there awkwardly for several seconds, she scratched her head and laughed to cover her embarrassment.
"Haha! Sato, Yukinoshita-san, you're both here!"
Looking at the awkward Ritsu, Sato said helplessly,
"Our esteemed club president, could I trouble you not to embarrass the Light Music Club whenever you feel like it?"
"E... Embarrass us?"
Ritsu immediately put on a serious expression.
"Everyone in this clubroom is family. How could there be any such thing as embarrassing ourselves?"
"Comrade Nohara Sato, your ideological awareness is lacking!"
What a ridiculous argument.
Sato simply shook his head.