𝐃𝐈𝐋𝐅 || 𝐉𝐮𝐣𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐮 𝐊𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧

Chapter 1

"But Tsumiki, it was awesome," Megumi cries.

"If you want to stay at school, I can just order less pizza tonight," Toji calls out the window. "Or Tsumiki and I can eat yours."

"Dad!" Megumi howls as he gets in. "You wouldn't!"

"Well, you'd better come fight for it, huh?" Toji says, reaching over to ruffle Megumi's hair. "Your first day was good?"

"Oh my god, Dad it was amazing, Ms. L/N is the coolest!" Megumi says, practically writhing with excitement.

"And yours? How is Yuta Okkotsu in third grade? Still awful?" Toji ruffles Tsumiki's hair too, just to watch Tsumiki sputter and try to claw her hair back into place.

"Fine, ugh, Dad!" Tsumiki keeps finger combing her hair. "Yuta is whatever."

Toji fights the urge to smile.

They get an inordinate amount of pizza for two kids and one man, but the kids eat until they're lying on the couch moaning. The whole time, though, all Megumi can talk about is his "totally mega cool teacher", Ms. L/N.

It's a pretty typical pattern for them after that- the kids go to school and Toji goes to work, he drops them off in the morning, they take the bus home- Toji comes home and hears all about how amazing Ms. L/N is. Toji has to admit, based off of Megumi's description, Ms. L/N is like sunshine, candy, the Mythbusters and the holy trinity rolled into one- Toji is morbidly curious.

Tsumiki rolls her eyes and says Ms. L/N is perfect for Megumi, because they're both dweebs. Tsumiki does math in her notebook which doesn't faze her, but has to apologize to her brother, which offends her mortally.

"You could be apologizing to Ms. L/N, too?" Toji offers.

Tsumiki shuts her mouth and sulkily eats her vegetables.

The whole thing only serves to increase his curiosity, and in the meantime, Megumi continues to come home with increasingly crazy stories.

"Oh my god, Dad, Ms. L/N ate bacteria today and she said we all eat it, it was gross, is cheese really mold?"

"DAD, Ms. L/N made crystals today, but they're candy, can I eat mine?"

"Dad, I own a GREENHOUSE!"

"Just- Dad, Ms. L/N  had us paint in a cave! It was so awesome!"

Who is this woman?

***

Toji's neighbor is a young man, the same age as him who looks like he could  beat him on the tennis court, with a seemingly inexhaustible amount of patience for the kids- Jin watches them after school for the hours before Toji gets home. Toji actually thinks they're more scared of him than they are of him, which is good, someone has to terrify them into doing their homework. A couple of nights before the open house he makes sure to ask Jin if he wouldn't mind watching the kids for the evening, too.

"So, you'll get to meet Ms. L/N, huh?" Jin asks him, an amused glint in his eye.

"Megumi talks about her endlessly to you, too?" Toji asks, shaking Megumi from where he's tucked up under Toji's arm like a log.

Megumi giggles. "That's 'cause Ms. L/N is the best, Dad." Megumi explains.

"We're all disciples of Ms. L/N in this house," Jin agrees solemnly.

"It's like a cult," Tsumiki groans from under the other arm. Toji gives her a shake too, for good measure.

"Thanks, as always, Jin," Toji calls, hefting the kids along. "Better take these home."