Accidentally become a father-Chapter 16: The School Transfer
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The district elementary school wasn’t far from the apartment.
The building was simple.
The painted walls clean.
The signpost entirely too serious for a place meant for children.
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We weren’t here to learn.
We were here to hand over paper.
The administration office was on the left side of the lobby.
A female staff member in her forties greeted us with a formal smile.
Clearly well-trained in handling panicking parents.
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"I’d like to inquire about the transfer procedures," I said.
Handing over the juminhyo and the copy of our family registry.
She read them slowly.
Her eyes drifted from Yuna’s name to mine.
Then back again.
"Your relationship?"
"Guardian."
An automatic response.
Yuna bowed politely.
The staff member nodded.
Then began explaining in a professional tone.
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"Since this is an inter-district transfer, we only need her previous academic records, a copy of the guardian’s ID, and for this form to be filled out. There is no entrance exam."
She handed over a stack of paperwork.
I looked at it.
Five pages.
Japanese bureaucracy never did things halfway.
"When does she start?" I asked.
"If the documents are completed this week, she can begin next week."
Fast.
Efficient.
Undramatic.
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I nodded.
"School supplies?" I asked.
"Oh, the uniform can be ordered through the school co-op. We will provide the list of requirements once registration is complete. For now, a regular bag and standard stationery will suffice."
Good.
That meant we didn’t need to buy anything today.
Yuna stood quietly beside me throughout the entire exchange.
No interrupting.
No visible nervousness.
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As if she were already used to bouncing between systems.
We left the administration office with a folder much thicker than before.
Outside the school gates.
Yuna stared out at the empty field.
Classes hadn’t been let out yet, so it was still quiet.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
She thought about it for a few seconds.
"Ready to pretend to be normal."
"Good. That’s a crucial skill."
She offered a small smile. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
I looked at the school building one last time.
This place was about to become our new routine.
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Routine meant stability.
Stability meant fewer problems.
In theory, anyway.
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"Let’s go home," I said.
Halfway through our walk.
I glanced at the topmost form.
There was a small field that needed to be filled:
Emergency contact other than the guardian.
My hand stopped.
Other than the guardian.
I looked over at Yuna.
She was walking.
Her eyes tracing the pavement.
As if the world wasn’t hiding a massive secret inside that tiny box.
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I looked back at the paper in my hand.
The field was blank.
And for the first time today,
I honestly had no idea whose name to write down.
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