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Today was the day.
The day that Nanami had simultaneously been dreading, and looking forward to.
Yuuji’s first day of kindergarten.
Nanami spent the morning rousing a very sleepy Yuuji and getting him dressed, preparing his lunch while the boy ate breakfast. Nanami hadn’t been worried about it, because Yuuji seemed more and more excited to go the more he woke up; though, it was probably because he got to spend the whole day with his precious Gumi.
However, when Nanami and Yuuji arrive at the classroom, the boy begins to get quiet. He sticks close to Nanami, holding his hand.
“Ah, welcome!” the teacher greets them. Her name was Ms. Sato, and it was her second year teaching kindergarten. Her first class of kindergartners absolutely loved her, and so did the parents.
(Nanami had done his research.)
“Welcome, welcome, Yuuji-chan,” she says, kneeling down to be eye level with him and smiling. Yuuji takes a step back, hiding behind Nanami’s leg and holding onto his suit pants.
Nanami reaches down to pat his back. “Say hello, Yuuji.”
Yuuji shakes his head quickly, burying his face in the back of Nanami’s leg. Nanami sighs.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know he’d be so shy,” he apologizes to Ms. Sato. She smiles kindly and shakes her head as she stands.
“It’s alright. He’ll warm up,” she says. Nanami notices that Megumi and Gojo aren’t there yet and mourns.
He looks down and notices that Yuuji is starting to tear up. Just when he thinks he’s going to have to navigate a breakdown, a little girl with brown hair in a bob runs up to them.
“Hey, pink hair! I bet I can build a block house faster than you!”
Yuuji sniffles, looking very indignant for someone who was just on the verge of tears. “N-Nuh uh! Me and Gumi are the fastest!”
“Well I don’t need anyone to help me,” the little girl says proudly, puffing out her chest. Yuuji grows more indignant.
“Well I don’t either!” he declares, letting go of Nanami’s pant leg. Nanami holds his breath as he watches the scene. He feels a strange mix of relief and sadness as Yuuji runs into the classroom after the little girl.
“Ah, that’s Nobara-chan,” Ms. Sato says with an airy laugh. “She’s got quite a personality.”
Nanami gives her a small smile. “Seems like they’ll get along great.” They can both hear the children arguing to one another about how their block house is being built so much faster and so much better. He smiles and turns back to the teacher. “You have a copy of his emergency information?”
“Yes, sir,” she nods. “I have his pick up list memorized as well. You, and Megumi’s parents Geto and Gojo are the only ones allowed to pick him up.”
Nanami nods, impressed but appearing quite blank. “Right. Very well. I’ll…go.”
He steals another look at his kid, who’s playing happily with Nobara and another little boy who seems shy but eager to make friends. He’s finding it quite hard to turn around and walk out.
Ms. Sato notices. “Everything will be fine, sir,” she reassures, smiling knowingly. “Yuuji will learn and play lots.”
He takes a breath. “Yes, I know. I just…worry,” he says lamely. She smiles.
“Every parent does,” she answers. “But I promise that I will keep Yuuji safe and happy.”
His chest feels tight. “He didn’t even say bye,” he says weakly. He’s a little ashamed at this show of vulnerability, but he gets the feeling that Ms. Sato is used to it.
“Pick up is at 2,” she says kindly, not commenting on it. “We’ll line up at the front of the school and I’ll have you sign him out.”
He nods. He looks at Yuuji, who’s smiling and telling a grand story, making Nobara chime in with a disagreement, and the other kid looking at him with stars in his eyes.
He’s fine. Better than, really.
Feeling ridiculously on the verge of tears, Nanami turns and walks out with a single nod. He’s afraid his voice will tremble if he speaks.
Outside the school, he takes a deep breath. He’s really, really glad that Yuuji seemed to warm up to kindergarten so quickly, but was it silly to have his feelings a little hurt? He didn’t even say bye, or give Nanami a hug, or let Nanami kiss his forehead…
He witnesses Geto and Gojo pulling up with Tsumiki and Megumi. Tsumiki, in the second grade, had already been in school when she fell under their wings. However, he can see that both Geto and Gojo are having their own feelings about dropping off Megumi.
He nods at Geto who spots him, indicating that he’ll wait for them. Geto nods back, corralling the kids into the school. He knows that Gojo noticed his presence, Six Eyes and all, but he’s left unacknowledged as he asks Megumi if he has everything, is he hungry? Did he have enough to eat? Should he buy his favorite snacks and leave them with the teacher?
It’s ten minutes later that the couple come walking out.
“How did Yuuji do, Nanami-kun?” Geto asks. They begin to walk, hoping to meet Ijichi about ten minutes away.
“He didn’t even say bye,” Nanami repeats his lament, though it sounds considerably less pathetic than it did ten minutes ago. “A little girl named Nobara challenged him to a block-building contest, and he was off.”
“Megumi has already made an enemy,” Gojo says, amused. “Junpei. He didn’t like how the kid was hanging off of his best friend.”
“Is that the little boy with dark hair, looks shy?” Nanami asks, lips quirking up in amusement as Geto and Gojo confirm.
Once they’re picked up by Ijichi, they’re all sent off on their own missions. Fairly light and easy ones, as they’d requested - well, as Gojo’d commanded. They’d all wanted to be present to pick up their children at the end of the first day of school.
Nanami had been prepared to feel a lot of things once Yuuji was in school; relieved, relaxed, perhaps a bit worried. What he hadn’t expected to feel was…lonely.
He missed Yuuji. And he knew that was silly, all things considered. Was this what being a parent was?
He sighed, covering his eyes with his arm and leaning back in his chair.
God. How irrational.
He couldn’t deny the little spark of excitement when it was time to head back to the elementary school and pick up the kids. They were going to go to the park and have dinner wherever the kids wanted - it was up to Yuuji and Megumi to agree to a place, since it was their first day of school ever, but all the adults knew that Megumi would agree to whatever Yuuji wanted.
All of the students looked adorable waiting for their parents. The air was lively with childish chatter, happy screams coming from students who hugged their parents. When Yuuji spots Nanami, he lights up, running out of the line and running straight into Nanami’s legs, holding on.
“Nanamin!” he says, grinning brightly and looking flushed. “I had so much fun today!”
The teacher is fretting, calling for Yuuji to come back, and despite the fact that his kid just broke the rules, he smiles, ruffling Yuuji’s hair. “I’m glad. Tell me all about it.”
Yuuji rambles happily as Nanami drags him back to the teacher, signing him out. The teacher kneels down to speak to Yuuji. “Yuuji-chan, you can’t run off like that, okay?”
Yuuji pouts a bit. “But I saw my Nanamin!” he protests. Nanami roughs his hair a little, making the child whine.
“Listen to your teacher, little tiger. She’s only trying to keep you safe.”
“Okay,” Yuuji pouts. “Sorry, Ms. Sato.”
Nanami and Ms. Sato share a polite smile and nod before turning to wait for Megumi, Tsumiki, and their parents a little ways away. Unable to help himself, Nanami scoops Yuuji up into his arms, holding him close.
Yuuji lets out a happy cry, throwing his arms around Nanami’s neck. “I missed you, Nanamin!” he says. Nanami, who’d had a suspiciously Yuuji-shaped hole in his chest the whole day, felt whole again as he rubbed Yuuji’s back and rocked back and forth.
“I missed you too, little tiger.”