All Grown-Ups Were Once Children¹

Phew… That felt great. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to take a nice, relaxing bath like that.

(I was worried about the kids the entire time… But I think I did a good job, even though it was something I wasn’t used to.)

And that means I deserve a reward!

Udon snacks and olive oil rice crackers! Fancy traditional sweets! And to top it all off, locally-made sake!

Here we go! *munch, munch…*

I-It’s so delicious…!

The refreshing aroma of the olive oil fills your sense of smell, followed by a fantastic savory scent! The flavor leaves you satisfied without being too heavy!

It’s so appetizing that I’m finding myself reaching for more before I even realize it…!

(We were all having fun in Shodoshima just yesterday. It feels like it was over a week ago…)

…It’s so quiet.

I see you are reminiscing about Shodoshima.

Sa-Sakujiro-san… I’m sorry, was I being too loud…?

Not at all. I was simply coming to fetch a beverage while on break.

Ah… How are their study trip report cards looking?

I am currently in the process of grading them.

(Their scores will determine whether or not they’ll become ward mayors…)

(Those five problem children at the bottom of their school hierarchy…)

I’ll admit, I’m a little nervous for them.

It seems as though the students themselves have forgotten about it.

Ahaha, yeah…

Is something the matter?

Ah, no… I was just thinking about them. None of them seemed to be very excited about the trip at the beginning, but they all pitched in and put in a lot of work at the end. It makes me really happy.

That is very true. They displayed incredible grit.

I try to stay prepared because I think it’s better to be safe than sorry. I thought the same when I was in high school, but…as I get older and experience failure and regret…

I have to think about how to come to terms with those kinds of things when they actually happen…

But watching the students made me realize that I had gotten too used to just trying to make things work.

Yes, I agree.

I was never able to find hopes and dreams I could be passionate about like they did…

So I am glad I wore sunglasses for the duration of the trip to protect myself from the blinding brightness.

Ahaha! You’re right!

I feel that brightness from you as well.

Oh, what are you saying? It’s never too late to find your dream!

I’ve met a lot of older people who tell me with a smile that they’ve come to enjoy traveling in their old age, despite previously thinking that it was a hassle and that it didn’t suit them.

That is wonderful. I envy them.

However, though there may be people who have found their dreams in that stage of their lives, there are others who have not.

……

Hm? Chief, what is this?

It’s for you. It’s the tastiest sweet out of the ones I got.

…Thank you very much. I shall humbly and whole-heartedly accept it.

And if the students become mayors, they might revolutionize their school’s caste system, so please keep this gift in mind…!

I am afraid bribes will not work. I shall grade them without bias.

Kh…!

I shall return to work for now. We shall meet again tomorrow.

Yeah, see you tomorrow.

(They’ll be okay. I know they will.)

Yoooo, I’m here! It’s been a couple days, bros! How’s everyone doin’?! Yay, yay!

It’s too early for this… Stop doing that weird dance and just close the door already. You’re letting in the heat from the hallway.

We’re gonna hear about our grades today, right? Hype! I thought I was gonna be too nervous to sleep, but I slept like a baby!

Ahh, that high energy takes me back to Shodoshima.

Yes, it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. This is a joyous occasion.

I don’t really agree.

Honestly, I don’t really care about this whole ward mayor thing. It’s annoying. I hope I fail.

The two of you should be more honest with your feelings.

What?

…I literally am.

Ahaha, Ushio, you’re such a textbook tsundere!

Kiroku, dude, why are you in depression mode right now?

……

He heard about the egg going missing. Sucks for him.

I understand you cared about the egg very much. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it’s living a happy life with the sea anemones.

……

God, cheer up already. It’s already humid enough, we don’t need your gloomy mood making it more⁠—

Good morning, everyone!

Good morning.

Morning, Teach and Mr. Kari! I got my hair and fit perfect for to…day… Hm?

Who’s that behind you?

……

……

Very good. It has taken you merely one second to fall silent.

We will be announcing your long-awaited Shodoshima study trip grades today, but we have something to discuss before that.

Allow me to introduce you. This is the HAMA Tours President and Chief Executive Officer…

It’s nice to meet you, “low-ranking students.” I’m Oguro Kafka.

……

I came here to talk about something that we didn’t explain to you before.

It might take a while, so take a seat and get comfortable. Chief Kaede, could you please put up the informational holography?

Of course!

I’m sure our chief already told you about this, but HAMA has not been doing very well as a designated tourism region for a while. To be frank, we’re on the verge of ruin.

At HAMA Tours, we’re working to improve those conditions.

……

(As expected from Kafka… He’s so good with his words. Even Ushio-kun can’t find anything to criticize. I should follow his example…)

So we’re looking for friends who’ll help revive HAMA with us. We’d be glad to have you on our team.

……

Now, allow me to talk about why we chose you as our candidates.

(I don’t even know the reason myself…)

When my mother was still alive, she was very close with the principal’s “relatives.” So I asked the principal who he thought would be a good candidate for ward mayor from an educator’s perspective.

…The principal…

What’s up, Muu-chan?

…It’s nothing.

He told me that he thinks people with potential would make good candidates. I saw the logic in it. I, for one, like potential that hides itself within imperfection.

So after great consideration within our company, we landed on you.