Hey there! This is going to be my first ever Free! fanfiction. This was originally supposed to be one large one-shot, but it morphed into a monster and it didn't seem right to just smash it all together
Apologies if Sousuke may seem just a tad bit OOC and just to be clear Gou is 16 here. Also, I tried my very best to research on how to become an assistant daycare teacher and the requirements, and even the possible lists of interview questions. That goes to say that, there may still be errors or things I may have missed. If any of you happen to come across any of those mistakes or anything missing, please let me know!
I hope you enjoy and any and every form constructive criticism is welcomed! Unbeta'd so there may be some mistakes even after all my self-edits.
"H-hey little guy…"
Sousuke is frozen to the spot and cringing from the shrill screams erupting from the mouth of the small boy crouching in front of him. He was on his way to the convenience store to once again buy himself one of the cheap box meals and some soda, determined to sit around all night and wallow in self-pity because Sousuke just couldn't seem to hold a job. It wasn't his fault that he naturally looked intimidating and unapproachable or that people were always quick to judge. Sousuke was only trying to help the customer pick up his dropped items for purchase today—not mug him, as the man so kindly called it. His boss hadn't bothered to hear his explanation—honestly, he was probably just waiting for a solid reason to fire him, seeing as his looks didn't really attract many customers (more like encouraged them to stay away).
And now, to top it all off, Sousuke just had to come across a sobbing child, wailing for their parent, abandoned on the side of the road.
Truthfully, Sousuke absolutely adores kids. Not in any creepy, perverted way—he sincerely loves the innocence and radiance they emit. Oblivious to the real complications of the world around them, they are able to think and say things that few would consider and effortlessly brighten up your day. Children are absolute angels in his eyes.
...
Except for this ball of sunshine.
Sousuke's eyebrow twitched and he started to nervously sweat. What was he supposed to do? Due to his appearance, children also rarely dared to go anywhere near him; therefore, even though he'd take thirty-seven of them (because, let's face it, Sousuke needed a lot of brightness and cheering up in his life), he had no experience with how to deal with them. As a result, all Sousuke could do was stand above the child and anxiously look around, hoping to spot anyone that even moderately seemed to be searching for any screaming child.
Unfortunately, once he spoke and made his presence known to the child, he looked up sniveling, and the situation worsened by tenfold (was that even possible, you ask? Hell-fucking-yes).
Once the child's eyes settled on Sousuke they widened in horror and he instantly paled, stuttering and chocking on his own tears. Sousuke froze.
Oh no, oh god no.
"H-hey, uh, need any help… or—" The child's lips stretched open in a silent scream, until it slowly escalated in volume to a full blown screech, and it briefly reminded Sousuke of a boiling tea-pot. Shocked, Sousuke cringed and jumped back, throwing an arm in front of him in reflex.
He hissed and continued to look around for a way out. He couldn't just run away and leave the child alone. However, as he continued to stand there uselessly, pedestrians were beginning to slow down and stare uncertainly at the scene and whispering.
At this, Sousuke paled. This was not a position he could afford being in; with his looks, people were certain to come to erroneous and ludicrous conclusions that could end with Sousuke helplessly handcuffed and shoved into the back of a wailing police cab.
Some heavenly deity must have been in a good mood today, though, because a tall figure of a man rushed forward and crouched in front of the boy and looked up at him silently shushing and urgently whispering.
"Hinata! Hinata, it's okay! Sensei is here, no need to cry anymore, I'm sorry we didn't notice sooner…"
At the sound of the soft, panicked voice, the boy's screams silenced gradually, and he looked up with his red, swollen eyes from his balled fists, violently sniffling. His small body jerked unevenly with the aftershocks of the crying fit, but he visibly relaxed when the man enveloped him in his arms and stood up.
The first thing Sousuke thinks when the man turns is: the heavens are definitely smiling down upon him, because they have sent him a full-fledged angel. Even from the side, his gentle, slanted emerald eyes, framed by a pair of black-rimmed glasses, and small smile as he rocks the child and quietly shushes him hits Sousuke like a million bricks.
When the stranger lifts his eyes to look at Sousuke with an embarrassed quirk of his lips and upturned eyebrows, Sousuke's hit by a million and one bricks.
He's going to panic and accuse him—Sousuke just knows it. The angel is going to take one look at him, and quickly come to the conclusion that Sousuke probably tried to kidnap the screaming redhead. Sousuke's previous worries return and he fears the man might call the police under the pretenses of Sousuke seeming to be a suspicious character and then it's all over for—
"I'm sorry, thank you for looking after him…" The stranger smiles sheepishly at him and rests the fluffy, red head of the child against his shoulder, seemingly unfazed by the snot and tears now seeping through his shirt courtesy of the sniveling boy in his arms.
Sousuke's eyes widen slightly and he turns his head quickly, down turning his eyes, while he unconsciously scratches the back of his neck, "I didn't really help, but yeah…"
The man smiles knowingly at him and shrugs lightly as to not jostle the kid, "But it was nice of you to stop and worry. Have a nice day."
With one final nod of his head and a slight bow, he turns to leave and Sousuke is momentarily shocked still. Not only did the stranger not bat an eye at Sousuke or assume anything, he even thanked him. Hah! Thanked him—for standing around looking constipated and completely useless!
Sousuke shook his head and brought a hand up to his face, silently trying to compose himself. He suddenly realized that he hadn't gotten the man's name, and the disappointment ate away at him all through his walk to the convenience store and back to his apartment.
Once inside, he set the food and his keys down on the counter and grabbed the newspaper sitting outside this door, folded neatly and tucked into a plastic bag.
Right now was no time to sulk over missed chances with beautiful strangers. Sousuke's payment for rent was coming up soon, and lazing around moping instead of finding a new job wasn't exactly going to help him pay it. The last time he'd asked for an extension, the mousy, balding landlord had shied away and threatened that next time, Sousuke would just have to find a new place (even though he hands out extensions nearly every other month to the young girl down the hall).
Sousuke sighed as he sat down at his small, wobbly table, unwrapping the boxed meal and unfolding the newspaper to flip over to the job listings page. He'd done this so many times before, it was almost like reflex, expertly skimming over the small, bold printed words, and he wondered if he was doomed to live this way for the rest of his life—constantly falling in and out of jobs.
He grimaced as he popped a dumpling into his mouth, forcing himself to chew the bland excuse-for-food and swallow it down. After searching and finding nothing for almost a half hour, Sousuke's on the verge of leaving Iwatobi to make his debut as a sleazy dancer in some sleazy bar because hell yeah he's got some nice ass pecks and a well sculpted ass and he'd make thousands in tips because of it and he can live with a pocket full of singles. However, just before he can slam the newspaper down to start packing, a caricature of children's smiling faces beaming from the monochrome, crinkled paper catches his attention, and he pauses.
Iwatobi Daycare Center—
Assistant Teacher wanted!
Huh… Assistant teacher.
It's a far cry from exotic dancing and it's a bad idea—he knows it. Worse than his plan to run off and become a stripper if today was anything to go by. As much as Sousuke wants to get along with kids, he knows that his intimidating muscular build and the eternal wrinkle centered between his brows and narrowed eyes doesn't make for an inviting image to children. It's the worst idea of his life, and Sousuke's going to go for it.
(Because, honestly, he can't dance to save his life.)
The interview was set up after a simple phone call, informing the Iwatobi Daycare Center that Sousuke was interested in the new job position. He had a minuscule sense of excitement right below the surface of his skin, faintly buzzing, but he knew he shouldn't—couldn't get his hopes up yet.
Certainly, they had accepted his interview, but the most challenging part was yet to come. Over the phone, where the other caller had no possible way of knowing what Sousuke looked like, it was no difficult trial to nab an interview. After all, beneath his tough exterior, Sousuke was a properly raised and respectable individual (also, he'd gone through copious amounts of interviews already, so by now he knew the mechanics of it down to the last bolt).
The true obstacle came down to the actual meeting, because that's when his (possibly) future employer would come face to face with him.
Another problem was the fact that, due to the nature of the profession, the requirements were probably a little stricter than most jobs. He's already got first-aid and CPR training down, courtesy of an old job from a year or two back, and anything else that he might need to train for can be worked out after he gets the job—if, if he gets the job. His background check won't reveal anything alarming, seeing as Sousuke's never gotten into any unnecessary trouble, just a couple of speeding fines back during his teenage years that were all paid off on time. A high school diploma and his AA from the local college are also checked off the list and he has oodles of experience from past jobs. However, if Sousuke's every day struggle with his naturally menacing looking features was anything to go by, he was going to have to try extra hard to seem friendlier than usual (even though he had a small inkling that when he actually tried to look approachable, it had the opposite effect).
Either way, Sousuke goes to sleep that night with a newfound determination; he's going to get this job. He has to, to overcome this issue with his image and to prove to himself (and the people around him) that his appearance isn't the only thing that defines him. Also, working with children is something Sousuke has always dreamt of doing.
However, as if the universe isn't done smacking warning signs into Sousuke's face, he forgets to set his alarm. The interview is scheduled for 8:30 in the morning, and Sousuke lazily rolls awake to squint blearily at the alarm clock that informs him he currently has approximately 27 minutes to make it on time.
Needless to say, he's dizzy by the time he makes it to the bathroom to clumsily clean up and trips over the leg of his slacks while he hastily attempts to put them on and bounce on one foot towards his kitchen with his tie hanging around his neck (he probably doesn't need to go so far as to wear a tie, but one could never be too prepared). He wedges an apple between his teeth, grabs the necessary documents and runs out, almost falling face first when he steps on the flapping shoelace of his left foot.
Luckily, the daycare center is only a few blocks away (Iwatobi is a small town, after all) and by the time Sousuke sees the sign a few yards down, his half-eaten apple has already been disposed of, his tie is fastened snugly, and his shoelaces are properly strapped.
It's 8:33 when Sousuke walks in, and he's immediately aware of how alien he feels inside of the establishment. It's a simple layout; Sousuke's currently in the reception room, but to the left there's a door with a window for viewing purposes positioned to the right of it on the wall and from where he stands he can see what he would assume to be the daycare area, stocked with crates of toys, shelves of children's books, rows of cubbies, and miniature tables with miniature chairs. There's a gentle and dull scent of baby-powder and disinfectant, the walls are a mixture of soft pastel colors with a variety of Clean-up Rules and alphabet posters and bright children's drawings; they range between mildly neat to plain scribbling and blotches of colors. There's one that looks exceptionally drawn and Sousuke wonders if it was the work of one of the staff members, because no five-year-old could draw a dolphin surrounded by intricate depictions of waves like that.
Essentially, Sousuke feels like he may have jumped the gun this time but he has no time to turn back and march home to call in with an excuse of his absence because someone emerges from a door to the right of the reception desk. It's a woman with brown hair reaching her shoulders, parted down the middle, and she regards Sousuke hesitantly at first, but then shoots him a gentle smile.
"May I help you sir? We haven't opened yet," she asks. Sousuke gulps audibly.
"Yes, I called in yesterday regarding the job opening?" It comes out as a question, and Sousuke mentally slaps himself. There's no backing out now, so he collected himself and stood up straighter.
The woman brightened up, "Oh yes! Tachibana-sensei did mention someone would be coming in before hours for an interview!" Sousuke blinked; surprised at the fact she wasn't shying away from him (at least not visibly).
She gestured with a swing of her arm, "Come on in, you can wait here for Tachibana-sensei. He will be the one conducting the interview and will be arriving any moment now. I'm Amakata Miho, one of the assistants, it's a pleasure to meet you…"
"Yamazaki Sousuke, thank you for having me," he bows slightly and follows her into the room that he assumes is some type of staff lounge.
"Thank you for considering this position, Yamazaki-san," she smiles good-naturedly, and gestures to a chair positioned in front of one of the desks, "Please, take a seat here while you wait for Tachibana-sensei."
Sousuke settles down into the chair and exhales, willing himself to relax. Amakata seems to sense his uneasiness and fidgets restlessly, "E-eh, Yamazaki-san, t-there's no need to be worried!" Sousuke looks up with a questioning brow.
"L-l-like the late Albert Einstein once said," she clears her throat and brings her hand up to point a finger to the ceiling, "A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new." She finishes with a nervous smile and a tilt of her head.
Sousuke can only blink dumbly and cough into his fist, "R-right…"
She stumbles off quickly with a quick wish of good-luck, and Sousuke is left to wait alone.
Not long after, the telltale chime of the front door swinging open travels into the office, followed by a tall man with tousled light-brown hair and black-rimmed glasses quickly walking into the room, apologizing for being late. Sousuke looks up from his seat and immediately recognizes him as the man with the crying child from a few days prior and his eyes widen.
As the man looks up, he also seems to recall the incident and smiles warmly, "Ah! It's you! You're here for the job opening, correct, Yamazaki-san? I'm Tachibana Makoto, the head teacher here."
Sousuke shakes himself from his astonishment and gets up from his chair to bow slightly and swallows the lump in his throat, "Yes, I'm Yamazaki Sousuke." When he straightens up he realizes Makoto is only an inch or two shorter than him and just as broad, and Sousuke momentarily feels a little less out of place.
The green-eyed man, Tachibana-sensei, chuckles and looks him up and down "Well, you clean up nicely. How about we get started, hm?" Sousuke's cheeks heat up at the comment but Makoto just smiles politely and walks over to the other side of the desk where Sousuke turns to face him and accepts the hand being held out to him, shaking it once, and mirroring Makoto as he sits down.
The necessary documents are taken out and Makoto begins the interview with basic questions, ranging from why he wants to work with children to his life at home and what he likes to do in his free time. Then there are the more technical questions, where Sousuke is quizzed on how he would handle certain situations and if he's ever had any firsthand experience in any type of emergency and about his health. Sousuke had already done his research on the possible questions he'd encounter and so he answers each with practiced care and consideration. He didn't, however, account for the overwhelming attractiveness of his interviewer, and therefore has trouble getting his mind to properly function half the time.
Finally, Makoto asks the one question Sousuke dreads: "Do you have any experience in taking care of and dealing with children?"
Sousuke tenses up, but quickly forces himself to relax, because he's aware that when he feels under pressure, his facial features turn darker and his body language apparently oozes murder because people quickly become frightened. Makoto continues to regard him with a gentle smile, though, patiently waiting for his answer and this soothes Sousuke's nerves. He looks down at his hands, opening and closing his mouth as if he is about to say something, then thinks better of it. He knew this question would be apart of the interview, without a doubt, but Sousuke was continuously torn on how to answer it. It was a crucial portion of the interview and he didn't want to ruin it. He looked up with a resolve flashing in his teal eyes.
"To be entirely honest, I do not. I have no younger siblings, and frankly, due to my face and large body children are frightened and refuse to come anywhere within a five-foot radius of me. The other day when you found me with that child, I was completely frozen in place without any clue of what to do. I guess you could say I was almost inspired by the way you quickly reacted and comforted the child, and that's why I'm here today, because I want a chance to work with children and become accustomed to them like I've always wished I could…" Sousuke slowly trails off, and looks up suddenly, worried he might have said too much or if it wasn't a good enough answer.
Instead, Makoto only blinks and breaks out into a fit of sniggers. Sousuke immediately straightens up and looks at him with a mixture of confusion and worry.
"That was very honest of you, it was refreshing," Makoto says between small chuckles as he nudges his glasses up to wipe at a stray tear with his knuckle.
Sousuke's face begins to heat up and he can almost hear the tips of his ears sizzling, "I, uh, I'm sorry—I don't know what came over me…" He trails off again as Makoto brings up a hand to dismissively wave it back and forth.
"No worries, I liked it. You showed me passion and determination, I think my decision has been made," the corners of his lips curve up into a delighted, gentle smile, his green eyes narrow and gleam behind his dark-rimmed glasses, "You've got the job, Yamazaki-san, I look forward to working with you."
Well there it is! Thank you for reading. Again, if there are any types of errors, please let me know. Comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to hearing your reactions and thoughts.
P.S. Yes, that ball of sunshine was exactly who you thought it was.