First Lesson

Mutsuki leaned back, exhaling a long sigh. The chalkboard was filled with half-baked ideas, doodles, and a few questionable attempts at handwriting from the excited kids. Mon’s “TRANSFORM FIGHT” took up a quarter of the space.

He looked around the classroom. There was a window, if you could call it that, a narrow slit of light filtering from above, soft and golden, like the sun was peeking through earth and stone to spy on them.

‘Hold on,’ he said, squinting. ‘Why is there sunlight if we’re underground?’

‘Light tunnels,’ Youchan replied smoothly.

‘We’re in a basement.’

‘Magical light tunnels,’ she clarified.

He gave her a long, suspicious stare. ‘You’re making that up.’

‘Yes,’ she admitted, smiling serenely.

The kids giggled. One said it was like watching their parents.

Mutsuki sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Anyway… it’s stuffy down here. Don’t you all think we could use some air?’

‘Outside?!’ Tanuki Mon’s eyes sparkled.

‘Can we go?’ Honey Bear bounced in his seat.

Sumire sniffed. ‘As long as the ground isn’t muddy.’

You’re literally a Kappa though… Mutsuki thought there was a lot more about the yokai world that he needs to learn. But that wasn’t it. It wasn't about being a yokai. It’s just preference. It’s just cause Sumire is a little lady. Mutsuki had a long way to go, as a teacher and in learning about other’s hearts, but he is making progress.

Youchan hesitated. ‘The shrine grounds are surrounded by a protection veil… though…’ She looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping her chin. ‘The barriers have been stable lately. There’s minimal human activity nearby today. It should be safe.’

‘Should be?’ Mutsuki repeated.

‘Relatively.’

‘That doesn’t sound reassuring.’

‘It never is,’ Youchan said cheerfully. ‘But as long as you help me reinforce the defenses before the end of the day, I’ll allow it.’

‘You want me to help with a barrier spell?’

‘You are a prodigy, aren’t you?’

‘Former prodigy,’ Mutsuki corrected under his breath. ‘Now part-time teacher and full-time babysitter.’

But before he could complain further, the kids had already erupted into cheers.

‘We’re going outside!’ Tanuki Mon shouted, grabbing his hat.

‘Finally!’ Werewolf Akashi whooped, his tail already half-visible.

‘Wait, don’t transform yet!’ Mutsuki warned.

Meow accidentally knocked over a chair in excitement. ‘Sorry! Sorry! I’m just… yay!’

Sumire sighed, gathering her elegant bag. ‘Honestly, children these days,’ she murmured… though her smile betrayed her.

Kitsune Gon leaned toward Mutsuki, grinning. ‘So what are we doing out there, Sensei?’

Mutsuki looked at all of them. Bright eyes, twitching tails, the sheer chaos that was now his classroom, and smiled despite himself.

‘Alright,’ he said, dusting chalk from his hands. ‘New plan. We’ll combine normal class and special class. You’ll still color and draw like normal kids—’

‘That’s boring!’ Mon interrupted.

‘—with magic.’

The entire room went silent for a second. Then exploded again.

‘Magic coloring?!’

‘Can we use glitter spells?!’

‘Can I draw on Mon’s face?!’

‘NO!’

‘Yes!!’

‘So I can draw on his?’

‘NO NO NO!’

Mutsuki raised his hands. ‘Alright, alright! Grab your supplies, brushes, paper, whatever you’ve got. We’re going to make art history, or at least magical finger paintings!’

The students practically flew from their seats, gathering everything they could find. Crayons, scrolls, enchanted ink bottles, half-eaten snacks, all stuffed into their tiny bags like treasure.

Youchan watched the chaos unfold, the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. ‘You’re better at this than you think,’ she murmured as she passed him.

‘Says the woman letting me lead a group of explosive children into the open world,’ Mutsuki muttered back.

‘Trust is a beautiful thing, isn’t it?’ she replied sweetly.

He groaned. ‘This is going to end in fire, isn’t it?’

‘Undoubtedly.’

Sigh… Mutsuki smiled weakly as he picked up a water bottle on his way out.

*****

The door to the shrine opened with a soft creak. Light spilled in, bright and inviting. The children ran ahead, their laughter echoing through the hall as they burst onto the mossy courtyard.

Mutsuki followed, one hand in his pocket, the other shielding his eyes from the sudden glare.

For a moment, he just stood there, watching them dart around. Tiny bursts of magic flickering like fireflies in the air, laughter mixing with the rustle of trees.

Youchan stepped beside him, arms folded. ‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah,’ he admitted quietly. Then, with a grin, ‘Until they start setting things on fire.’

‘Which will be in about five minutes,’ she replied.

‘Three,’ Mutsuki corrected.

And right on cue, something exploded in the distance.

‘…Called it,’ he sighed.

Youchan chuckled softly. ‘Welcome to teaching, Sensei. Magical mischiefs in particular.’

Mutsuki smiled faintly, shaking his head as he walked toward the smoke. ‘Alright, everyone! New rule… No explosions before lunch!’

The children cheered again anyway.

And for the first time since he’d arrived, Mutsuki couldn’t help but laugh with them as they made chaos. 

Mutsuki and Youchan selected a corner of the garden to set up as the kids run and flew around. Even with little attitudes, kids are still kids. They end up running, jumping, doing everything a child should be doing.

Around them, the shrine courtyard shimmered under a thin layer of sunlight. Magic threads sparkled faintly in the air where Youchan had reinforced the barriers.

After waiting for everyone to be sat, Mutsuki clapped his hands. ‘Alright, everyone! Show me what you brought!’

Eight pairs of small hands eagerly revealed a wild assortment of items. Paintbrushes, scrolls, paper cranes, enchanted crayons that glowed faintly, even a pot of water that seemed to bubble with its own will.

‘We’re doing art today,’ Mutsuki announced. ‘Draw, paint, sculpt, fold, summon, well maybe not that, for today at least, whatever counts as creative output for you.’

What does a mythical folklore creature summon though? They are the ones that gets summoned. What else can they call on? Mutsuki mulled on these questions as he walked around like a real teacher (or at least he tried to look like one).

Mon sat cross-legged, hat on his lap, pulling supplies from it like a clown with an infinite bag.
‘What’re you making, Mon?’

‘Origami zoo!’ Tanuki Mon declared. ‘See! Tiger, dragon, banana!’

‘Banana isn’t an animal.’

‘Now it is!’ Mon blew on the paper banana, and it slithered away like a very confused eel.

Mutsuki blinked. ‘Okay. Sure. Banana spirit. Great start.’ He observed until the banana stopped moving and became just a regular paper.

Kitsune Gon was already posing dramatically over a glowing canvas. ‘Sensei, behold! I shall paint your beauty in nine tails of color!’

‘Don’t d—’

‘Too late! I’m inspired!’

A swirl of illusionary foxfire danced over the parchment, forming a glimmering portrait of Mutsuki… with sparkles, wings, and an overly dramatic halo.

‘That doesn’t even look like me,’ Mutsuki muttered.

‘It’s your soul, Sensei!’ Gon said earnestly.

‘My soul looks like an idol merchandise poster?’

‘Exactly!’

Mutsuki shooked his head in disbelief, but he couldn’t hide the laughter on his face.

Kappa Sumire, meanwhile, was painting delicate lotus flowers with absurd grace. Each stroke of her brush summoned real petals that floated around her.

‘This is amazing, Sumire.’

‘Of course,’ she said primly. ‘I was trained by the River Court Artists. We paint with purpose.’

‘What purpose is that?’

‘To be stronger than everyone else. But I already achieved that. So my next goal is to look better than everyone else.’

‘…Right. You got this.’ Mutsuki blinked.

Meow sat apart, trying to draw a cat pawprint, only for the ink bottle to tip over and spill all over her sketch.

‘Ahhh I ruined it again!’

Mutsuki quickly flicked a small spell, lifting the ink off the paper and reforming it into a tiny paw-shaped blob.

‘There,’ he said, smiling. ‘Fixed.’

‘Sensei’s luck magic beats mine!’ Meow gasped in awe.

‘That’s… not a competition I want to win,’ Mutsuki muttered.

Werewolf Akashi was folding thick paper furiously.

‘What’re you making?’

‘A wolf mask,’ Akashi said, grinning wide. ‘So I can transform faster.’

‘You don’t need a mask for that.’ Mutsuki’s face furrowed as he tried to understand the logic. ‘You already transform in world record speed. And I don’t I am even exaggerating in saying that.’

‘I know. But it looks cool.’

Mutsuki paused, then nodded. ‘Fair.’ I can beat most of Japan in magical prowess, but I will never be able to beat seven year old logic.

Honey Bear had made a mound of clay shaped vaguely like a bear holding a heart.

‘It’s you, Sensei!’ Honey said proudly.

‘Why am I a bear?’

‘Because you’re soft!’

Mutsuki spluttered. ‘I… I’m not soft!’

‘Yes, you are,’ Honey said seriously. ‘Inside.’

Mutsuki looked down to his legs. Well, now I am…

Oni Kishin sniffled while sculpting with mud. ‘Mine fell apart again.’

‘That’s okay,’ Mutsuki said gently. ‘Oni are strong. You’ll make it stand up next time.’

‘Really?’

‘Really. Believe in your big strong crybaby arms.’

Kishin giggled, wiping his nose with his sleeve.

Even Tengu Kojiro, perched nearby on a bench, was carving a figure with focused precision. 

Mutsuki made a barrier from thin air and sat on it. Then he made it float, allowing him to sneak behind Kojiro.

‘AWWWW! Don’t tell me you’re carving me!’ Mutsuki exclaimed. He is a softie after all!

‘Wha—, why would you think it is you?’ Kojiro looked deeply offended. ’It’s Miss You…’ He confessed.

‘Ah… of course…’ Mutsuki felt dejected. Maybe a bit jealous.

Kojiro flew off to a higher branch and scoffed at Mutsuki.

At first, everything went smoothly. The children were focused, laughing, sharing paint. Mutsuki actually smiled as he watched them get along.

Then Tanuki Mon’s origami banana flew into Sumire’s painting. Kappa Sumire shrieked. Werewolf Akashi laughed. Kitsune Gon tried to “calm” everyone by summoning a fox illusion that startled Maneki Meow, who tipped over her ink again.

Mutsuki sighed. ‘Here we go again…’

‘HEY! No magic fights!’ he barked.

They ignored him.

‘Alright, fine! Everyone take a breath!’

Nothing.

He flicked a light spell, a soft chime echoing through the air. The kids looked at him—

then immediately went back to bickering.

Mutsuki groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. His grumpy face made three of them pause.

Kappa Sumire whispered, ‘He looks like a girl when he frowns.’

Tanuki Mon snorted. ‘That’s because he is a girl!’

‘No, he’s not!’ Gon protested, standing up dramatically. ‘He’s a beautiful man!’

‘What’s the difference?’ Akashi asked.

‘A lot!’ Gon shouted.

‘Not really,’ Sumire muttered.

‘He’s prettier than my mom,’ Meow said innocently.

Mutsuki just stared at them, dead-eyed. ‘…Thanks, I guess… Don’t say that in front of her.’

The debate only grew louder. “Is Sensei a boy or girl?” “Both!” “Neither!” “A vampire idol!”

He sighed, trudged over to the picnic mat Youchan had laid out earlier, and collapsed onto it.

‘They’ll stop eventually,’ Youchan said from her spot by the barrier stones, clearly enjoying herself.

‘Let them debate my existence. I’m done,’ Mutsuki mumbled, covering his face with his arm.

The chatter turned into whispers, then giggles. Tiny feet shuffled closer.

By the time he dozed off, they had already started doodling whiskers on his cheeks with enchanted markers, sticking their art pieces all over his lolita dress. A paper crown perched neatly on his head read: Best Sensei (Probably a Boy).

Youchan, watching from a distance, lifted her phone. Click.

She stifled a laugh as she sent the photo to Maria with a caption:

“Class morale: excellent. Sensei: artistically defeated.”

He suits this place more than he thinks…