The morning of the new school year arrived earlier than usual. 水無月 栞 opened her eyes at four o'clock. Not because an alarm had woken her. It was a habit of five years. She woke before dawn to prepare breakfast for Rikuto. That ritual, she had not missed a single day in five years. Outside the window, it was still dim. The eastern sky was beginning to tint a pale purple. The sky over Shiomi City was quiet this morning too. From far away, the faint sound of the sea drifted in. The sound of waves breaking against the shore. For her, it was like background music woven into the fabric of this town. The kitchen of Corpo Hamasaki had only an old refrigerator and a small gas stove. When she turned on the tap, water came flowing out with a gurgling sound. That sound was what woke Rikuto. "Good morning, Rikuto." "Good morning, Mom." Her son's reply was as always. Despite being a child, his voice was oddly composed. A response that didn't seem to come from a nine-year-old. Breakfast was egg over rice. She reheated yesterday's leftover side dishes. Chikuwa and vegetable stew. Making dishes in advance was her way of economizing. "Today's the start of the new school year," Rikuto said. "That's right. A new grade. Are you looking forward to it?" "...I don't know." Rikuto tilted his head slightly while shoveling rice into his mouth. "I wonder what kind of person the new teacher will be." She crafted a smile. Her usual smile. "I hope it's a good teacher." In truth, she didn't know who Rikuto's new homeroom teacher was either. The roster for the new students had already arrived from the school, but the teacher's name wasn't listed. She would meet them for the first time at the parent-teacher conference. Time was up. She checked Rikuto's school bag and quickly tidied her hair in front of the mirror. A blue mark like a bruise on her left wrist peeked out from her sleeve. She quickly hid it. "I'm going now." "Be careful." She arrived at the school gate at seven forty. Ushio Wind Elementary School sat on high ground in Shiomi City. To the north, the green of Kuzuori Hills spread out; to the south, the Pacific Ocean. The reinforced concrete school building gleamed in the morning sun. Cherry trees were planted in the schoolyard, and now the fresh green leaves were pleasant to the eye. "See you later." "You do your best too, Mom." Rikuto's response was mature for his age. Words that showed concern for his parent. She felt those words tighten her chest, but she didn't let it show on her face. With her usual smile, she said, "Thank you." The parent-teacher conference was scheduled to begin at two o'clock. Until then, she would work at Shiomi Harbor Administration Office. She had already informed Director 毛利 修平 that she would be leaving early, and he had readily agreed. "A new school year conference. You must be worried about Rikuto," 毛利 had said kindly. She bowed slightly in gratitude. Her coworker 神谷 沙也加 also called out cheerfully, "Have a good day. What's the new teacher like?" "I don't know yet. I'll meet them today." "Oh, that's right. How exciting," 沙也加 laughed. Her smile seemed genuinely warm. She responded with only a surface smile. Two o'clock. She left Shiomi Harbor Administration Office and got on her bicycle. It was about a ten-minute walk to Ushio Wind Elementary, five minutes by bike. The sea breeze brushed her cheek. When she arrived at the school, other parents were arriving in succession. Some came with their children; others came alone. PTA officers were showing people around the building. "You must be 水無月 栞," Vice Principal 尾崎 紀子 called out to her. A thin woman wearing glasses. Her manner was businesslike but not unpleasant. "Third grade, Class Two is at the east end of the second floor." She followed the directions. Climbing the stairs. The second-floor hallway smelled of the new school year—the scent of new textbooks, new shoes, and something like a mixture of anticipation and tension. She arrived at the classroom entrance. A nameplate beside the door read: "Third Grade, Class Two — Homeroom Teacher: 朔間 翼" The name 朔間 翼 was one she had never heard before. When she entered the classroom, the parents were already seated. Desks and chairs had been arranged, configured to match the grade level. Behind the podium was a new classroom bulletin board. Children's artwork was carefully displayed. She took an empty seat. Then 朔間 翼 appeared. Her first impression was: "cold." A man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties. Tall—probably around one hundred seventy-eight centimeters. Black hair, short and neatly groomed. Calm gray eyes. He wore a navy suit well, and a small silver earring adorned his right ear. But his expression was rigid. A face that didn't move. You could call it expressionless. It gave the impression of a human being who possessed no emotion whatsoever. The atmosphere among the parents shifted subtly. Tension ran through the room. "Thank you all for coming today," 朔間 began speaking in a matter-of-fact tone. His voice was low and composed. But there was no warmth in it. "I am 朔間 翼. I will be the homeroom teacher for Third Grade, Class Two." She wondered if this person was really a teacher. What would the students feel in the presence of such an expressionless adult? "In this grade, we will respect each student's individuality and will not force them into a mold. However, basic rules for group living will be taught with strictness," 朔間 said. When she heard those words, she felt a slight sense of surprise. Perhaps he wasn't completely devoid of emotion. The phrase "respect individuality" was at least evidence that he was looking at the children. "For instruction, we will emphasize the establishment of foundational academic skills while also focusing on the development of applied abilities," 朔間 continued, explaining while showing materials. His explanation was careful and easy to understand. As the conference progressed, she began to notice something. This person wasn't simply cold. Rather, he was watching the children carefully. Throughout his explanation, the phrases "the students" and "your children" appeared repeatedly. Each time, his gray eyes seemed to soften slightly. After the conference ended, as parents dispersed, she overheard a conversation between other mothers. "That teacher seems cold, doesn't he?" one mother said. "Really. Something about him is scary. I wonder if our child will be okay," another mother replied. She said nothing to that conversation. But in her heart, she held a different impression. Perhaps that expressionless demeanor was a kind of defense. She picked up Rikuto from school after four o'clock. She waited at the school gate. Soon Rikuto emerged from the building with the other children. "Mom!" Rikuto ran toward her. She let out a small breath of relief at the sight of him running. "How was school?" "It was fun," Rikuto answered. "What about your teacher?" She found herself asking that naturally. "Teacher 朔間?" Rikuto's expression became thoughtful. "At first, he seemed scary. But..." Rikuto chose his words carefully. "When I was having trouble, the teacher quietly helped me." In that moment, a small ripple spread through her heart. A few days later, in the evening. It was when she went to pick up Rikuto from school. Because she arrived a little later than usual, Rikuto hadn't come out of the building yet. She waited in a corner of the schoolyard. That was when— She saw 朔間 speaking to Rikuto. "Rikuto, you did well in math today," 朔間 said in a quiet voice. "If there's anything you don't understand, please ask me anytime." Rikuto answered happily, "Thank you very much." In that exchange, she felt something. Behind 朔間's expressionless exterior, there was definitely something there. A heart quietly burning with the desire to watch over the children. It was warmth—entirely different from his appearance. 朔間 noticed her. Their eyes met. For just a moment, something soft seemed to dwell in his gray eyes. She bowed slightly in reflex. 朔間 responded with a light bow as well. But in that moment, another sensation welled up in her chest. He is a teacher. I am a parent of a student. She became acutely aware of this "wall between positions." On the way home, Rikuto talked happily about school. About his new friends. About Teacher 朔間. She listened to his words while remembering 朔間's figure. (That person...) Complex emotions tangled together in her chest. She didn't yet understand what it was. Only a small ripple had been born in her quiet heart. How that ripple would spread from here—she couldn't yet know. That night, after Rikuto fell asleep, she gazed at the night sky visible from her window. Stars were visible. For a rural town, Shiomi's sky was quite dark. (I'll see him again tomorrow, won't I?) That thought began to breathe quietly, softly, within her.