TWENTY-ONE
"I recommend this one," Miss Kaname says, pointing at a pamphlet partially buried under the rest.
She pulls it out, reading aloud the name in thin serif: "Mitakihara Elementary School."
Miss Kaname nods enthusiastically, "Yes! That's where Takkun and I went when we were kids. Mitakihara is the next city over, so it's something of a commute, but I think it's definitely worth it for the kind teachers and good curriculum, and the main city itself is one of the calmest and safest, which is hard to find these days!"
"I do not recommend any of the private schools," Miss Akemi adds, peering over Miss Kaname's shoulder and making Maria jump (that stealth of hers is going to scare the life out of someone someday). "Those are much stricter—perhaps ill-suited to a child of timorous temperament."
"Ah?" Hm. She has heard—from Tsubasa, mostly—that private schools are much more competitive and exacting, even at the elementary school level. She moves that collection to the side; that'll be the 'reject' pile. No need to taint Elfnein's love of learning with that sort of thing.
The rest are public schools in the city and the city's closest neighbors. She's leaning towards 'no' for the ones that are further away, but it'll be Elfnein's choice in the end.
"Do you know of any schools that might be particularly well with foreign-raised children?" she asks, because so far none of the pamphlets mention anything of the sort, which she supposes is understandable, since most students don't begin to travel until high school.
Still, it'd make her feel better to know that Elfnein wouldn't be stuck floundering in a sea of native speakers—then again, Elfnein's Japanese is surprisingly fluent. She'd never thought to ask about that, had she?
Miss Kaname replies, "Not that I know of, unless you go to one of the military-affiliated schools, but if you meet with the principle they're generally accommodating."
"There are military-affiliated schools?"
"Few and far between," Miss Akemi states. "My father went to one. I do not recommend such a school, either, unless your student requires additional discipline."
Well that is a definite no, though she doesn't have any military schools on her list. Still, it's the principle of the matter.
"Honestly, it all comes down to whether or not you feel comfortable there. I suggest choosing a few that are close by and taking tour, see which campus you like best."
She sighs. Finding a suitable high school for Kirika and Shirabe hadn't been nearly so difficult, and she'd only been twenty-one at the time! Granted, there had been only one possible choice of school… but still!
She complains, entirely jokingly, "Don't schools know that there's such a thing as too many choices?"
a/n: Please review!