A/N: Just a nice little school life fic where the story of Spirited Away is pretty much retold in the form of every student's nightmare- the dreaded report card! (I'm not looking forward to mine T.T) I mostly used the Japanese school system, but the report card itself is based on the one in The Artemis Fowl Files. And some trivia: 'Koutougakkou' means 'high school' while 'kouchou' means 'principal'. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away.
Kamikakushi Koutougakkou: Report Card
Student: Ogino Chihiro
Grade: Year One
Sensei: Kamajii Subject: Geology Grade: A
I wasn't sure what to make of that child when she first transferred here. She was a stubborn one. She kept on insisting that she wanted to help clean up my classroom at the end of the day even though I repeatedly told her that I didn't need an extra hand. Reminds me a bit of my granddaughter- so persistent. I really wasn't expecting her to get such a high grade in my class. First day here, she had a little incident with the Bunsen burner. Nearly burned off her eyebrows! But she's quick to learn, a much better student than her dust-brained classmates. It's nice to see that she's come to appreciate the Earth as much as I do. She's the only student I've had in a long time who could identify all the minerals, gemstones, and metals in my collection. She's also got the only perfect score on the volcano project too. Her proposition to use the heat from magma to open up bathhouses in areas without hot springs was quite interesting. Sen-chan is a strong-minded girl, and Kami-sama knows we need more people like her in the world. Mark my words: she will definitely go far in life.
Sensei: Rin Subjects: Physical Education/English Grades: A/A
The first time I saw Sen-chan, she was tripping over her own two feet. While walking on a flat surface with nothing in sight! Her first class with me? She finished last in every sprint and could barely even do ten proper push-ups! And during the English class, she mixed up nearly all of the words. I admit thinking that she was hopeless, not to mention having a great urge to bang my head against the wall. But that was just the first couple of days. I've never seen anyone work so hard in my life. She even placed third in the last Sports Day race! I was so happy for her! In addition to inspiring her classmates to work harder, she's been a great influence on the staff as well. I don't think I've ever seen Haku-sensei in such a good mood before she transferred here. In the past week alone, he smiled three times when he thought the staff wasn't looking. Three times! This coming from the man voted 'Most Unlikely to Laugh Even If It's To Save His Own Life' by his colleagues (including me)! That kid is a miracle worker, I say. Keep up the good work, Sen-chan! You're doing a great job!
Sensei: Kawakami Subjects: History/Japanese Literature Grades: A/A
When I met Sen-chan, she appeared to be like all the other students nowadays- clumsy and with no sincere respect for the traditions. Yet, there was something about her that caught my eye. She was different from them in a way, was what my instinct told me, a fish out of water if you will. I may be old, but my instincts are much better than today's youngsters. And will you look at that, I was right! She's got a mind for the classics, she does. Started out a bit rough, but that's to be expected of those raised in a country where modern technology and pop culture has taken over. She soaked up all the facts and stories like a sponge. She's also a very nice girl. One time I accidentally broke off the handle to the sink outside the classroom. Didn't know I still had that strength in me at my age! Anyways, the hallway was flooded, and somehow the trashcan had been overturned. Sen-chan jumped in and immediately helped me to clean up the mess. Very respectful and modest too. She thanked me when I gave her some traditional Japanese candy as a thank you gift. Sen-chan is a good child, and I'm honored to have her as a student.
Sensei: Sanatama Subject: Mathematics Grade: A
Sen-chan is a very, very, very smart girl. I didn't think so at first. Kouchou-sensei told me that she was rude and also a troublemaker. I therefore decided to keep a close eye on her for the first three days. Instead of being noisy and disrespectful as I expected, she was actually mild-mannered and pretty intelligent. I admit that I was wrong, wrong, wrong to think of her so badly before I got to know her. She didn't do very well on the first few tests, but I began to see signs of improvement after the third test. Before I knew it, she was one of the top three students in my class. Indeed, indeed, indeed, I was quite impressed with her progress. It wasn't just in an academic sense either. She kept to herself for the first couple of weeks, but she eventually made friends with her classmates. She's especially been a good friend to Bou-kun, Kouchou-sensei's son. The poor kid has a terrible case of mysophobia. After hanging around Sen-chan, Bou-kun loosened up a lot. He stopped polishing his desk and supplies every third second, and he no longer feels compelled to wash his hands three times in a row. Yes, yes, yes, Sen-chan's a wonderful student.
Sensei: Zeniba Subject: Home Economics Grade: A
I don't think I've ever met such a sweet child like Sen-chan before! Of all my years of teaching here, she's the one that has made the biggest impression on me. Sen-chan is such a delightful student. My classroom is the farthest one on the campus, so quite a few students don't bother showing up to class. Not Sen-chan though! Every single day, she comes on time, sweating and tired, but always here. She's done remarkably well in my class. You never would've known that she was the one who burnt her meal to a crisp on the first day! Isn't that just precious? She is such a wonderful role model for the other students as well. Take Kaonashi-kun for example. He used to be such a rascal, stealing and eating the food that everyone else made. You should have seen how big he got! Then, dear Sen-chan transferred in and she persuaded him to stop that nasty habit. And now, the two of them are my best students! It always makes me smile to see the two of them working together. I really cannot see what Yubaba has against her for Sen-chan is such a caring person. She's truly a lovely girl, and simply a joy to have in my class.
Comments from- Kouchou: Yubaba
Though I suppose she does have one or two good points, this girl is one of the worst students I've ever had. I allowed her to transfer here even though I had my doubts. I was right. Sen-chan is a horrible student- I've never seen anyone get such low marks as she did! I wanted to kick her out right there and then, but all of her teachers begged me to give her another chance. I did so against my better judgment. She flooded the hallways once (Kawakami-sensei insists that it was his fault, but he's old and clearly confused), not to mention she made a huge mess of the home economics classroom along with that kid with permanent laryngitis she hangs out with (my naïve sister is always trying to see the good side of people even when they don't have one). It cost me a fortune to get the school clean again! I suppose she did bring in a big crowd with her suggestion that her class dress up as traditional Japanese spirits and run a café during the Cultural Festival. However, I cannot ignore her negative influence on my precious Bou as well as Haku-sensei. She is a menace to my school.
Additional comments from- Sensei: Kohaku
Ogino-san, please do not take any offense from Yubaba-kouchou's comments- she says the same thing for all the students. Also, Sen-chan does refer to Chihiro-chan. Yubaba-kouchou has a habit of shortening the students' names to make them easier to remember, and so the staff uses the nicknames as well. I apologize if there was any confusion. As the advisor of the Drama Club, I think Chihiro-chan is an outstanding student. Not only does she maintain excellent grades while giving 110 percent in the Drama Club, but she is also considerate towards others. This is a good combination for someone to have, a combination that I advocate among my students. She encourages the shyer students, such as Kaonashi-kun and Bou-kun, to do their best. She even brought me medicine when I got food poisoning from eating leftovers (Zeniba-sensei had warned me that the food spoiled quickly, but I'd forgotten). Overall, I believe that Chihiro-chan has greatly improved since she transferred here- her progress is extraordinary. She continues to amaze me every day. It is my belief that the school is really fortunate to have her as a student, and I know my fellow colleagues are of the same opinion. I look forward to seeing Chihiro-chan play the lead role in our upcoming play, Spirited Away.
Chihiro's parents stared at the report card in their hands. "Well, I'm glad Chihiro's doing fine in her classes," Yuuko said finally, setting the report card on the table. She grabbed a handful of chips from the bag lying nearby and began nibbling on them one by one. "But this Yubaba-kouchou… Do you think someone like her should be running the school?"
"Don't think it really matters." Akio waved the issue aside. "As long as our Chihiro is getting straight A's and making friends, the principal could be a complete witch for all I care." He picked up the bag of chips and started shoveling them into his mouth.
"Otou-san! Okaa-san!" Chihiro's parents looked up to see their daughter in front of them, a rather exasperated expression on her face. She snatched the bag of chips away. "It's almost dinner time," she admonished. "You guys shouldn't be ruining your appetite." She marched off into the kitchen to deposit the chips in a cabinet.
Akio laughed jovially. "That's our girl, always looking out for our waistlines," he joked, patting his belly.
Chihiro walked back into the living room. "Well, I can't have you two looking like pigs, now can I?" she teased.
"Chihiro, dear." Yuuko held up the report card. "What's this about you having the lead in your school play?"
"Ah." Chihiro blushed. "I kind of got lost on my first day. Haku-sensei found me outside the Drama Club classroom, and he said that I might as well try out since I was there. And I somehow ended up with the lead role. Haku-sensei's been helping me practice a lot."
"That's nice of him," remarked Akio. He got off of the couch and clapped Chihiro on the shoulder. "But you know, you've made us proud of you ever since we moved here," he told her gruffly. "Really proud." Next to him, Yuuko nodded before coming over to hug her daughter affectionately.
Chihiro smiled at both of her parents and hugged them back. "Thanks," she whispered. "I love you guys too."
A/N: So yeeeaaah. Kawakami-sensei's real name is 'Kawa no Kami', but I shortened it to make it more name-like. I wasn't sure what Yubaba's three green bouncing heads were called, so I just named them Sanatama since 'san atama' literally means 'three heads'. Also, I made Chihiro 16 years old and Haku a 25 year old student teacher so that they can have a student-teacher relationship if you want to see it that way. Anyways, thanks for reading, and reviews would be greatly appreciated! ^.^