Summer break

After the interschool meet, Torii Hearts gradually settled back into its rhythm.

Mornings began with yawning children shuffling into class. Hair half-brushed, hats crooked, wings tucked in lazily. Afternoons dissolved into laughter drifting through open doors. Evenings ended with the torii humming softly as it sent everyone home, one by one, like lanterns being extinguished in the right order.

They learned more things. Some of it was important. Some of it was practical. Some of it was allegedly educational.

Transformation practice became routine. Gon perfected subtle glamour tweaks that made him look like a perfectly normal, perfectly smug human child. Mon learned restraint, well, mostly. Akashi mastered switching between human and wolf without shredding his uniform. Meow practiced keeping her ears and tail faint enough to pass as accessories. Kojiro refined his wing suppression to the point where only the sharpest eyes could catch the shimmer. Kishin learned grounding techniques so his horns wouldn’t pop out when he got nervous. Honey, already human-shaped, focused on emotional control and not hugging strangers at full bear strength.

Sumire remained Sumire. Elegant, powerful and still stubbornly kappa.

They learned barrier basics too. Small shields. Emergency seals. How to recognize when the world was thinning and when to step back instead of pushing through. Mutsuki drilled this gently but firmly, repeating the same thing every time.

‘The human world isn’t fragile,’ he said. ‘But it’s not built for us. That means we adapt. Not disappear. Adapt.’

They nodded seriously. But as kids do, immediately asked if barriers could be sparkly.

Mutsuki learned to compromise. Between lessons, there was play.

There was chalk art on the courtyard stones. There were races that somehow always ended in a pile. There were impromptu dance-offs that Youchan pretended not to see but absolutely did. There were afternoons where Mutsuki found himself sitting on the engawa while Honey leaned against his knee, Mon practiced sleight-of-hand tricks, Gon narrated imaginary dramas, and Kojiro quietly corrected everyone, on anything, really.

‘Sensei,’ Mon said one morning with his eyes so bright. ‘We need a theme song.’

Mutsuki blinked in absolutely—what—now? ‘A what.’

‘Every good group has one,’ Gon added. ‘Like idols.’

‘Absolutely not,’ Mutsuki said immediately.

The kids stared at him with anticipation.

Sumire folded her hands. ‘As students of Torii Heart School, it would be appropriate.’

Honey bounced. ‘We can sing together!’

Meow raised her paw. ‘Quiet singing is okay too…’

Kishin nodded solemnly. ‘Songs make courage.’

Even Kojiro joined. ‘A unifying anthem improves morale.’

Youchan laughed softly from the doorway. Mutsuki pinched the bridge of his nose. Two hours later, he was at the piano. He told himself it was just to shut them up.

Being the prodigy that he is, the song came easily. A gentle melody that rose and settled like a breeze through shrine bells. Simple enough for children. Warm enough to mean something. The words were about crossing paths, about standing together, about finding a place where you belonged.

They sang terribly at first. It took Mutsuki a few vocal and posture lessons to get everyone in a decent singing level.

By the end of the week, they sang it every morning. Some sang off-key, some loudly, but, all were proud. Sometimes with choreography too, that Mon invented and absolutely refused to explain.

Summer eventually crept in quietly.

Cicadas replaced the hush of spring. Sunlight lingered longer on the steps. Youchan began leaving cold tea out for everyone. Mutsuki loosened the schedule without announcing it.

One afternoon, he clapped his hands and said, ‘Alright. That’s enough for today.’

The children froze, fearing they’ve done something wrong.

‘What do you mean?’ Gon asked suspiciously.

‘Are we in trouble?’ Meow whispered.

‘Is this a test?’ Kojiro narrowed his eyes.

Mutsuki smiled. ‘It’s summer break.’

Chaos ensued. Honey cheered so loud a bird fled the nearest tree in panic and kicked his nest off accidentally. They eventually put it back in place. Mon tried to throw his hat and caught it on a branch. Akashi howled. Sumire maintained dignity but grinned. Kishin processed joy without crying. Gon immediately asked what summer break was for yokai. Kojiro demanded a structured schedule.

Mutsuki waited for them to settle.

‘I’m not letting you run wild,’ he added calmly. ‘You’ll have assignments.’

Groans and complaints followed.

‘But,’ he continued, ‘they’re not exams.’

Interest sparked. He held up their journals. ‘Observe. Practice. Help others. Explore safely. Write or draw what you learn. It can be about herbs, barriers, human habits, or anything that helps you live better in both worlds.’

‘Can we sing?’ Honey asked.

‘Yes.’

‘Dance?’

‘Within reason.’

‘Pranks?’ Mon grinned.

Mutsuki stared at him.

‘…Educational pranks?’ Mon tried.

‘We’ll talk,’ Mutsuki said.

‘And when summer ends,’ he finished, ‘share in front of everyone a lesson you’ve learned over the break to the class. Preferably a “helpful” human interaction you’ve experienced.’

They filtered out that day with journals tucked under arms and voices buzzing with excitement.

Youchan lingered beside Mutsuki. ‘They’re growing,’ she whispered.

Mutsuki watched them disappear down the steps as they laughed and argued. Probably already planning their future selves.

‘I know,’ he replied. ‘And somehow, they’re letting me grow with them.’

The torii hummed gently in the heat. Summer had arrived.

And Torii Heart School gets to rest have fun.