Daisuke sent Shouko to Futaba Kindergarten and told Teacher Ageo at the door that Tsuna had a cold and asked for leave.
"Do you feel dizzy and weak?" Shizuka pulled out another mercury thermometer from Tsuna's armpit, and the temperature dropped a little.
Tsuna watched Shizuka come up every ten minutes, and he was completely sleepy.
"Just a little bit of fatigue." Tsuna shook his head.
"Then I'll come back later." Shizuka stood up and prepared to go downstairs to watch TV.
Tsuna hurriedly persuaded, "Mom, I want to sleep for a while. You come to see me every ten minutes. I can't sleep."
"Okay..." Shizuka realized she had been a bit too worried. She nodded and gently closed the door to Tsuna's room.
Tsuna lay on the bed, bored and looked at the sky outside the window, slowly accumulating sleepiness.
————
A few sparrows flew past the window.
"Tsuna, it's time to get up! Today's the last day!" Shouko's excited voice came from outside the room. Tsuna's eyes shifted from the window to the door.
"You're not sleeping in today!" The door creaked open gently from the outside. As soon as Shouko walked into the room, she was surprised to find that Tsuna was already awake.
"You go downstairs and wait for me. I'll change my clothes," Tsuna said, sitting up in bed without answering Shouko's question.
Shouko nodded and headed downstairs. Tsuna quickly changed into his kindergarten uniform and followed after her.
"I can't believe Tsuna and Shouko are going to elementary school already. Time flies," Daisuke's voice drifted from the direction of the kitchen as Tsuna walked down the stairs.
As Tsuna passed the kitchen on his way to the bathroom, he turned his head and said to Daisuke with a speechless look, "Dad, are you going to say you're getting old next?"
Without waiting for a response, Tsuna disappeared into the bathroom, missing whatever Daisuke said afterward.
Once everything was ready, Daisuke drove Shizuka and the two adorable kids to kindergarten. Today, Shouko was even carrying a mysterious-looking pink backpack.
Since it was graduation day, the kindergarten was holding a ceremony. A simple stage had been built the week before, and parents were invited to watch a chorus performance the children had been preparing for months. Given the special nature of the Sakura class, the children in that class would perform a group dance together instead.
"Let's go, let's grab three seats in the front first." As soon as Shizuka got out of the car, she took one child in each hand and headed straight into the kindergarten, not bothering to wait for Daisuke behind her.
"Mom, when will Aunt Nishimiya come?" Tsuna asked curiously. He didn't even question whether Yaeko would show up; he knew how busy she was. If Shizuka hadn't mentioned saving three seats, he might not have asked at all.
"She'll probably come right before it starts," Shizuka replied. She couldn't give a definite answer.
After reserving three front-row seats, Shizuka asked Tsuna and Shouko to return to their classroom to hear Teacher Ageo's final instructions.
Finally, Yaeko arrived just before the Sakura class performance began. Shouko, who was already on stage, spotted Yaeko sitting beside Shizuka and the moment she did, she seemed to perform with even more energy and determination.
"Clap!… Clap!… Clap!"
As the final performance came to an end, a wave of enthusiastic applause filled the room. The children in the small and medium classes clapped the loudest, cheering loudly for their seniors.
"Wipe your tears."
Teacher Yoshinaga, seated in the audience, gently took a tissue from her bag and handed it to Teacher Ageo, who was crying uncontrollably, overcome with emotion.
"This is my first time leading a graduating class. I've never felt something like this before," Teacher Ageo said as she gently wiped her eyes, trying to explain her tears.
Teacher Yoshinaga couldn't help but chuckle. In a soft, understanding voice, she replied, "You say it's your first time, but you've been with me from the small class all the way to graduation. Of course, you'd be emotional."
Her own eyes were red too, though she wasn't quite as overwhelmed as Teacher Ageo.
After the performance, Tsuna and the others returned to their class. The little girls in the class took out the gifts they had carefully prepared and began to exchange them, and the little boys just gathered together to chat simply, without any sadness that would not be seen after graduation.
"Okay, kids, go back to your seats. The teacher has a few words to say," Teacher Ageo called out loudly as she walked into the classroom.
When Shouko returned to her seat, Tsuna glanced at her bulging schoolbag, unsure of what to say.
Noticing Tsuna's gaze lingering on her bag, Shouko smiled gently and said, "Don't worry, Tsuna. I prepared one for you too."
Clap! Clap!
"Alright, that's all!" Teacher Ageo clapped her hands energetically to signal that she had finished speaking.
After saying that, Teacher Ageo sat down on the small chair at the podium. Once all the other children had left, she checked the classroom and locked the door herself.
A little boy stood up, walked over to Teacher Ageo, bowed politely, said goodbye, and then opened the wooden door to leave. His parents were waiting for him downstairs.
After he left, the others followed one by one. Toward the back of the classroom, only five little girls and Tsuna remained, all waiting for Shouko.
Teacher Ageo was puzzled to see them still sitting in their chairs, their eyes fixed on Shouko.
"Tsuna, wait for me," Shouko said, then gathered her courage, stood up, and walked toward Teacher Ageo, holding a little white rabbit doll in her hand.
She gently handed the doll to Teacher Ageo and said shyly, "Teacher Ageo, thank you for taking care of me these past three years."
Teacher Ageo looked at the little doll, clearly surprised. She hadn't expected to receive any gifts and hadn't prepared anything in return, so she felt a bit embarrassed as she reached out to accept it. She tried to suppress her emotions, not wanting Shouko to see her lose composure.
Seeing Shouko take the lead, the other little girls also took out the small gifts they had prepared and walked up one after another.
"Thank you for taking care of us for three years, Teacher Ageo..." Several little girls spoke softly and somewhat incoherently as they handed various small gifts to Teacher Ageo.
Teacher Ageo barely noticed them coming forward. Looking at the different gifts in their hands, she felt deeply touched, even though their voices were faint and somewhat muffled.
"Wipe it, Teacher Ageo." Tsuna took a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her.
Realizing that tears had slipped out without her noticing, Teacher Ageo took the tissue from Tsuna and said with a slight sob, "I didn't prepare anything. You kids are too kind..."
"It's okay, Teacher Ageo, I didn't prepare anything either..." Tsuna comforted Teacher Ageo by using himself as an example.
"Yes! Isn't this the gift Tsuna prepared for you?" Teacher Ageo's eyes were moist and slightly red. A smile appeared at the corner of her mouth as she shook the tissue in her hand toward Tsuna.
"Does this count too...?" Tsuna asked hesitantly.
"Of course it counts. When the teacher needed it, Tsuna handed it to her how could it not count?" Teacher Ageo denied Tsuna's doubt and then reached out to hug Shouko in her arms. "Thank you, my lovely Shouko."
The little girls behind him put the gifts in their hands on a clean place on the podium and said one after another: "It's my turn, it's my turn, I want a hug too."