What To Do When You Start Somewhere New

“Thank you, Ms. Takeuchi!” The young boy I was helping bowed to me as I bandaged his wound. It wasn’t anything major, and I’m thankful it wasn’t. The kid fell off of a tree, he got very lucky.

“No problem. Just remember, don’t go climbing any trees without supervision,” I warned him as I finished patching him up.

“Not even on a dare?”

“Especially not on a dare. If you just don’t take the dare, then you get the last laugh. It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” I said. That seemed to comfort him for the time being.

“Okay!” The boy said, before running back out for the last stretch of recess. I sat back in my chair, watching him leave to go back outside.

My name is Minako Takeuchi. I’m 26-years old and I had only just recently gotten my first job as a school nurse. It’s been six-months on the job, and I thought I was doing pretty well. Luckily, the school infirmary wasn’t super busy, so my workload was easier than I would have expected. Not that I was complaining.

I moved to Magakawa-cho and started working at Magakawa Elementary School because it was the closest place to me offering work, and it was also fairly cheap to live here. The town itself is fairly quiet, but I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s completely rural. There’s still a fair amount to do in the area, and we’re not living in shacks or anything. It’s a nice balance, I would say.

And, I think I made a positive impression on the kids in the first 6 months. But that’s just me guessing, I don’t actually know for sure. But, I’ll let myself keep on believing in that for now at least.

As recess settled down, I checked and it was my turn for a break. Not a particularly long one, but just some quick snacks before I had to teach a class. As the school nurse, I was responsible for health education, and on the itinerary was healthy eating. It was a simple enough topic. Thus, I headed towards the breakroom to get some of my hard-earned rest.

I figured I would practice what I preached and began to eat a small salad meal I prepared for myself earlier. Tasty, at least in my opinion. I’d struggle to convince some kids that eating this was a good idea. But, that was for future me to think about.

“Hey, Takeuchi!” A man’s voice rang out from behind me. It was one of the homeroom teachers, Seita Takahara.

“Good afternoon, Takahara,” I responded politely, still eating. “I’m not teaching your class today. Is there anything I need to know?”

“Nah, nothing school related,” Takahara responded. “Just wondering if you wanted to grab a drink after today. I mean, it’s a weekend tomorrow, so you know, I thought it’d work.”

I raised my eyebrow at the offer. “I’m—”

“Relax, it’s not a date or anything. Inukai is coming as well. I just wanted to have a drink with friends after all. Normally it’s just me and her, but I figured I’d try inviting you along too.” He immediately cut off what I was about to say. With that, I reconsidered the offer.

Tsumugi Inukai was another coworker of mine, and the one I was covering for the next period. I would say she was probably my closest work friend, and she helped me a lot with introducing the kids to me. It’s not like I had much to do after school anyways, so I might as well come along.

“Sure,” I said. “Do I have to pay?”

“Nah. I’m covering the drinks,” Takahara gave a thumbs up. “I got a lot to complain about so you better get your ears ready.”

“Well, I already know you can’t get a date. So, I’ll be ready,” I threw a shot.

“Gah—! Even if I’ve given up on you it still hurts to hear. Give me some mercy next time,” Takahara laughed before walking out of the break room. I finished my salad too, and it was about time for me to start teaching.

I got up, pulled some documents out of my purse, and began walking towards the classroom. Exiting out, a lady with fluffy dirty blonde hair and red glasses walked by me. A few years my senior, though I’d have to note the teaching staff of this school was surprisingly young. Not that I was complaining, it’s easier to talk to people in my age range.

“Good luck in there, Takeuchi,” she said to me.

“I’ll see you after school, Inukai,” I said back.

“Oh. Takahara asked you? Well, thank god I’m not going to be alone for once,” Inukai said.

“You could always say no, if you want,” I proposed the thought.

“Nah. We go pretty often. I can’t say no to him. He just talks way too much, especially when drunk. But, you know, it’s not like there’s anyone else for him to complain to.”

“I see.” Looks like I got roped into something pretty dramatic, then. “Well, I’d be happy to spend more time with you.”

“Same! I considered asking you before, but I didn’t want you to suffer the same fate that I do. But, maybe it’ll be better together.”

“I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

Inukai only let out a small laugh before going down the hallway. I walked into the classroom, which was in the midst of some gossip.

“Oh, there’s Ms. Takeuchi!” a boy in a group very loudly whispered. “One day, I’m going to marry her.”

“I dunno, I think Ms. Inukai is better.”

“Really? Why so?”

I had been this exact subject of debate by many boys in this school. I didn’t think I looked too exceptional. I do put in extra effort to styling my short pink hair, but my dress every day was fairly unremarkable, I think. I just put on whatever dress I felt was nice, like the beige one I was currently wearing. Regardless, I dunno if I personally was beating Inukai, but it was quite the subject of discussion among the students.

Admittedly, there were a few kids who actively injured themselves just to see me. That was one of the major headaches I had to deal with, but I hoped as I stuck around that the trend wouldn’t be too big of a problem.

“Attention, class!” I called out. Everyone got back to their usual positions and desks as I stood in front. “Today we’re going to be talking about healthy eating.”

One boy instantly raised his hand.

“If I don’t eat healthy, then will I be able to visit you more?”

“No.”

I shut that down immediately. The class got a good laugh at the kid’s expense, though I told them to quiet down as well.

“Eating healthy is important for your everyday life. In that sense, you are what you eat—”

Another kid raised her hand.

“What food do you eat to become so pretty, miss? I want to become just as pretty as you.”

“I will not be answering any more questions until the designated question period.” As much as I wanted to answer with something witty, I firmly stood my ground. A small sigh came out, though I wasn’t upset. At least these kids were somewhat interested in my lesson, and that was a good thing.

I liked being a nurse. It was sometimes rough, but to me, seeing these kids interested and happy was worth it. I resumed my lesson, with a smile across my face. And after this, a few drinks to unwind, I could always use that.