Surprise, surprise…!
[CLOSED RP WITH @vkusno-viktor ]
“You can’t just hide him forever, you know…” Yuuri heard his mother say, and he knew those words to be true. If only it weren’t that hard, though…
“How do you determine student’s initial aptitude in language? Shinobu and I have worked on a little Russian here and there, but I’m more a language student than a teacher,” Viktor explained. “He knows enough to get through most of a basic children’s book, but his writing isn’t as strong. He only knows a couple letters.”
“So, we’d be starting from zero with his writing.” She confirmed. “While we can adjust to a student’s level, that would be a different story. Right now, we have three more kids at around the same level looking to apply. We’re considering opening a class for them to start in, but we need at least a few more students so it can be feasible. We could add you to that waiting list and get back to you in a few weeks while we confirm whether we’re able to make that happen.”
That was not what Yuuri would have liked to hear.
“So, you’ve offered that basic course before. Do you have a copy of the curriculum we can review?”
The headmaster rolled back on her chair, opening one of the drawers on her desk, filing through it for a few moments. She pulled out a thin binder labeled, in English, ‘Kindergarden— Russian as Second Language’. Made for the parents of such children, who were probably not fully fluent in the language, either.
Thanking the woman, Yuuri opened the binder, leaning slightly over Shinobu on the smaller chair in order to review it with Viktor for a few moments.
To Yuuri, it seemed adequate. But they still had a few more schools to visit, so they he kept his mind open.
“I did have one other question about the culture of your school. Can you tell me what the climate is like for non-Caucasian and mixed race students?” Viktir asked bluntly.
He wanted to make sure any place they sent Shinobu would be safe. And he didn’t want the bigotry of self righteous idiots ruining that.
He also knew the question would likely be taken more seriously coming from him, unfortunately.
“Please keep in mind that I can and will be doing thorough checks on our top choices. I would appreciate honesty more than lip service.”
Yuuri looked at Viktor for a moment, trying to keep his expression neutral. They’d talked about this and agrees it’d be best for the alpha to bring up the subject. Still, seeing him step up to the plate and be so protective of Shinobu…
Madame Antonova seemed to be caught off-guard by Viktor’s question.
“The second language classes are the most diverse in the school. We have a no tolerance policy for bullying, and students are sent home and reprimanded as soon as anything gets reported. We don’t believe in treating our students differently. The core values we promote as an institution are important, regardless of your background.”
It was a dodging kind of no-answer.
“And what measures does the school take to promote that students get involved amongst themselves and in the community?”
“We have a calendar of extracurricular activities all year that are put together by the teachers to ensure the integration of all classes and programs. Some of those activities involve field trips to various locations in the city and visits by members of the community, as well. Would you like a tour of the school?”
Yuuri looked at Shinobu and Viktor, and nodded.
“Please, follow me.” She said, standing from her chair and opening her office door. Exiting the building, she led the way through a courtyard into another structure. “This is the kindergarden area. As I’m sure you know already, kindergarden is our youngest level and, depending on the student, can continue until ages six or seven.” She led them through a hallway where they could hear children talking and singing from different rooms. “And this is the Russian as a second language classroom.”
The headmaster knocked on the door and, after a few moments, a teacher emerged from the room.
“Hello, Madame Beaumont. Do you have a moment? These are Shinobu and his parents, Mr. Nikiforov and Mr. Katsuki. Shinobu might be joining the new kindergarden class we’d like to open. Madame Beaumont would be teaching the class.”
Viktor gave the teacher a look, humming thoughtfully. “What would excite you most about teaching a class of Russian as a second language students?” he asked curiously.
It would be interesting to see how she answered. It was clear to both the teacher and headmaster that Viktor was carefully weighing their responses.
The woman smiled at them, warm and welcoming. “Hello, Shinobu. Nice to meet you!” She said in Russian.
“…Nice to meet you,” the boy replied in kind.
“Seeing the children’s faces when something finally clicks.” She looked at Viktor and Yuuri. “I’m from France and learned Russian as an adult, so I understand how challenging it can be.” She seemed genuine.
Yuuri watched Shinobu’s face light up at that. “How do you deal with the differences in fluency level between students?”
“I attune to the students’ style of learning to help them catch up. And offer extra tutoring to kids if they need that extra support. I also tutor adults.”
That piqued Yuuri’s interest. He’d have to remember her name.
“You do? Good to know.” Viktor hummed thoughtfully. “Thank you for your time today. This was exceptionally helpful.” He nodded his head slightly, and reached down to take Shinobu’s hand. “Yuuri, dorogoy, did you have any other questions?”
Yuuri thought about it for a few moments. “What kind of immersion level do you aim for in your class? And how much homework do you foresee them getting on a typical week?”
“I find that the 50/50 model works best in my classes, since I have kids with different native languages in the class. We work on reinforcing what needs work in the classroom every day, so I try not to give them more than two hours per week. With room for adjusting as needed depending on what works best with each student.”
The omega smiled at the staff, taking Shinobu’s other hand. “Thank you both for your time. We’re still weighing our options.”
“We’ll be in touch if the class opens up.” The director said. “Thank you, Madame.”
The teacher returned to her class. The older woman walked them back to the office and they made their way out of the school.
Once he deemed they were far enough away, Yuuri looked at Shinobu. “Did you like that school?”
Looking up at Yuuri, Shinobu shrugged. “Yeah,”
“…I liked some things. Others, not so much.” Yuuri said to Viktor in a lower voice. “I liked the teacher, but the director was vague when answering the question about working with mixed race students. What do you think?”
“My thoughts exactly. And speaking bluntly, I don’t have the patience for cardboard cutout responses when it comes to that and ensuring Shinya’s safety. I’ve been to private schools in Russia. They can be cutthroat. I don’t want that for Shinobu.”
He looked towards the boy, smiling. “You did very well. Were you still a bit nervous to talk to the teachers?”
The boy nodded. “知らない.” Shinobu did not take to strangers very easily. “でも, Madame Beaumont was nice.”
“I agree. But I’m thinking she might be a good tutor for me instead of your teacher!” He chuckled. “I just hope we find the best school for you today. Our next appointment is at 11am. We should head over there directly from here, right? Is it still walking distance, or do we need to go back and get the car?”
“It’s within walking distance, but it does cross one of the busier streets. I wouldn’t let Shinya walk there alone, I’d probably rather drop him off. Though I hear they do offer a service if that’s something we’d like to look into.” Viktor glanced at the address, and turned down one street. “We do have some time to kill, but the school has a playground. Perhaps we could use it until our appointment time?” He suggested.
“Yeah!” Shinobu reacted immediately and Yuuri chuckled. “That sounds good. Let’s go.”
The walk was about ten more minutes after crossing the busy street. Shinobu exclaimed his excitement as soon as the park was within view, and ran to the slides as soon as he was given the okay. It was the most animated he’d been that day.
Yuuri watched him climb the ladder, watching his balance, with a small smile. The slide was connected to other games, and he met with another, slightly younger boy at the top of the slide.
He looked around, taking in their surroundings. “I like it here. There’s lots of trees… it feels welcoming.” He said to Viktor.
Viktor nodded. “I agree. The trees aren’t common in playgrounds, either. I liked the reviews that this school had, as well. Apparently one of the activities they do is having a culture share day once a month where they learn about cultural practices from around the world. Their website used Obon as the example — apparently, the children were able to make floating lanterns and send them down the creek behind the school.”
Yuuri smiled. “That sounds wonderful. I’m kind of hoping that this going to be the one.” He admitted.
Shinobu waited for his turn on the slide after the other boy went down. The younger child waited for him at the bottom, then they laughed at something together.
“Did they also have Russian as a second language?”
Yuuri had tried to do research on his own as well, but most of the websites were only available in Russian language, and he was not very good with reading. So, Viktor had ended up doing most of the search online.
“Mmmhm. I didn’t bother scheduling anything with schools that didn’t. Shinya is at a disadvantage without it, and that isn’t fair to him. He is an incredibly bright boy. The speed he’s picking up Russian proves that. Did you know he told me he wanted to speak French, too? He heard me talking with Chris.”
“He loves languages. Just like you. He’s going to become the second polyglot in the family.”
Shinobu had recently asked Yuuri whether Viktor would mind it if he called him Papa. The moment seemed to be coming soon.
He reached down to quietly take his fiancée’s hand into his own, lacing their fingers together.
