Officially A School

The class, held the day after the parent–teacher meetings and all the bureaucratic chaos that followed, began not with a lesson but with a question.

Mutsuki stood stiffly at the front of the room, holding a single piece of chalk in one hand and a thick, crumpled pile of rejected name drafts in the other. He looked like a beautiful man who had waged war against paperwork and lost repeatedly.

‘That’s probably how he looked like when composing songs.’ Someone whispered.

The children sat cross-legged in a wide semicircle, their eyes shining with varying levels of anticipation. Youchan quietly amused by how nervous Mutsuki was, sat by the window as she wrapped up her own report to Maria.

Mutsuki inhaled slowly.

‘Everyone,’ he began, ‘Maria says… we need an official name for our school.’

Eight yokai children gasped as if he had announced their graduation, free konbini snacks for life, or the personal theft of the moon. If only they behaved like minions, obedient and predictable. But no, these eight were their own tiny masterminds.

‘A name?’ Gon leaned forward eagerly while manifesting glitter in his eyes using his magic. ‘Like… a real one? That other schools will see?’

‘Yes,’ Mutsuki sighed. ‘It’ll be on paperwork. On jerseys. On banners at school meets. A proper, official name that will represent us all.’

Mon leapt up so fast his human illusion flickered, briefly revealing his tanuki ears. ‘OH! OH! Can we call it The Super Awesome Yokai Powerhouse Academy?!’

‘No,’ Mutsuki said before the sentence even finished.

‘What about… The School of Eternal Flame and Supreme Dominance?’ Akashi suggested, eyes glowing with a rising fire aura that Mutsuki was already preparing to extinguish.

‘Absolutely not.’

‘Honey School!’ Honey cheered, hugging himself earnestly.

‘Tempting,’ Mutsuki admitted, ‘but still no.’

‘Royal Yokai Academy,’ Sumire offered primly.

‘A little presumptuous,’ Mutsuki murmured.

Kojiro flicked his bangs dramatically, feathers threatening to pop through the illusion. ‘Wings of Ascension Academy.’

‘…Kojiro, this is for everyone, not just you.’

‘Then I decline,’ he said flatly.

Meow raised her paw timidly. ‘Um… Lucky Paws School?’

The rest of the class held their tongue. Meow understood the silence and sat back down. Her ears wilted as she shrank into herself. ‘…Right. Never mind.’

‘It’s cute,’ Mutsuki said quickly, ‘but maybe not… representative of the class. Though, we will overcome trials together not by luck, but by hardwork.’

Mutsuki patted Meow’s head until she felt better.

Kishin, clutching his bat, scrunched his brows in deep thought. ‘We… we can call it… Home?’

Silence fell once more. This time it was thoughtful and not awkward.

Mutsuki stared at the chalk in his hand. ‘That’s… probably how we should think about this.’

Eight heads tilted at identical angles.

He turned toward the window, toward the bright red torii gate outside. The same torii that shimmered every sunset with portal light. The same one that carried the children safely home to whoever loved them and is waiting for their return.

‘Children,’ he said softly, ‘do you know what a torii represents?’

‘A doorway!’ Mon shouted.

‘A boundary between realms,’ Sumire said confidently.

‘A place where wishes pass through,’ Meow whispered.

‘A path,’ Kojiro added, half-distracted, ‘between what was and what will be.’

Mutsuki nodded. ‘Yes. A torii is all of those. But more importantly… the shrine says it responds to the strength of the heart passing through it.’

The room stilled completely. And behind the children, Youchan’s aura, normally calm and quiet, flared into a soft, pink glow of pride and admiration. A sweetness even the magically dense could feel. The more magically attuned children, Mon, Gon, Sumire, Kojiro, Akashi, noticed immediately and exchanged looks.

‘You walk through that torii every day,’ Mutsuki continued. ‘And it shines because of you. Because you trust this place. Because you’ve made this shrine… a home. Not just a building.’

Some of the kids slowly turned to peek at Youchan instead of Mutsuki.

‘So,’ he said, lifting the chalk again, ‘I thought… maybe our name could honor that.’

He wrote it slowly, unaware of the silent gossip happening behind him.

Torii Heart School

The words glowed faintly under Mutsuki’s magic. The children leaned forward as one.

Honey gasped first. ‘It’s… pretty!’

‘Sounds important,’ Akashi said.

‘Elegant,’ Sumire declared.

‘Very… transportational,’ Kojiro said, pretending he understood.

Meow’s tail swayed with excitement. ‘It feels… warm.’

Mon squinted. ‘Does it come with a logo? Can it sparkle?’

Gon folded his arms. ‘It does sound cool. Like… we’re the heart that makes the magic move.’

Mutsuki blinked, impressed. ‘Yes, actually. That’s exactly the meaning.’

‘IVE DECIDED,’ Gon declared. ‘I LIKE IT.’

‘Me too!’ Honey cheered.

‘If Gon likes it, I hate it,’ Mon countered automatically… then paused as he saw everyone else light up. ‘Actually no. I like it too. It makes my tummy feel fuzzy.’

‘It’s… good,’ Kishin whispered, clutching his bat. ‘Feels like… everybody’s place.’

Youchan stepped forward, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

‘It suits you all,’ she said. ‘You children truly are the heart of this shrine.’

Mutsuki’s head snapped away immediately. Did she count me as a child? Or… as a heart Dangerous question. No time to explore.

Sumire raised her elegant kappa hand. ‘Sensei, does this mean we can make a school crest?’

Kojiro perked up. ‘And uniforms?’

‘And flags!’ Honey beamed.

‘And a school theme song?!’ Mon vibrated violently.

Gon pointed dramatically. ‘Sensei is an idol. He can compose it.’

Mutsuki choked. ‘W-wait… Now is not the time to join forces!’

‘Sensei theme song!’ Honey squealed.

‘YES!!’ the whole class roared.

Mutsuki prayed to every deity that Maria would never learn of this idea.

Sumire nodded with regal finality. ‘Then it is settled. We are students of Torii Heart School.’

Meow raised her paw. ‘Sensei… can a name make us stronger?’

Mutsuki crouched to meet her eye level, smiling gently.

‘Names give shape to who we want to become,’ he said. ‘And all of you… you’re becoming something wonderful.’

She blushed, ears and tail twitching shyly.

Mon suddenly shot up like a firework. ‘GROUP HUG TO CELEBRATE!’

‘NO—’ Kojiro began.

Too late.

Mon launched himself like a tiny affectionate missile. Honey followed, then Akashi lunged to cushion Honey, which sent Gon tumbling into Sumire, which toppled Kishin, which made Meow yelp and fall onto Mutsuki. A perfect avalanche of yokai children buried their teacher alive.

Youchan sighed fondly as she took photos. Kojiro flew behind her to seek refuge.

Mutsuki wheezed under the weight of small bodies, flailing limbs, and suspicious sparkles of magic.

‘This… is… not part… of the naming… ceremony,’ Mutsuki panted.

Honey hugged him tighter. ‘It is now!’

The children were all giggling, until, Mutsuki joined in. This time, not the high pitch laugh he practice to match his current girly look. Not the idol laugh. Not the polite laugh. But the deep, warm, rumbling laugh of a man who finally felt he belonged. A laugh that made the torii outside shimmer. 

Youchan didn’t miss it. The portal is… awakened? Without Maria-sama and mine’s combined power?… Only Mutsuki’s? Hmmm… No… it wasn’t just reacting to magic. It was recognizing and welcoming him. 

When the chaos finally peeled off of him, Mutsuki stood shakily and dusted off his clothes. Now far more muted and adult compared to his usual idol and lolita wardrobe. He placed a hand over the chalk-written name. The letters warmed beneath his palm.

‘Torii Heart School…’ he said softly.

He turned to his class, his students, and smiled.

‘Let’s do our best to make this name proud.’

The children erupted into cheers that shook the room.

And outside, the torii gate glowed faintly once more, as if nodding its approval, blessing the name, and acknowledging the future that would unfold beneath it.