In the Zozo building, the downstairs lobby is decorated with giant kadomatsu and shimekazari decorations. I catch the elevator doors just as they close and find myself in a torrent of parents and children in winter gear.

“Belle-sensei, Belle-sensei!” The bustling mass of kids glomp me with their puffy limbs and chubby smiles. “Hello! How are you?! I’m fine, thank you!”

“Hi, everyone!” I try to high-five them one by one, and when that doesn’t work, I let them attack in one big cluster. “Hi, Soka; hi, Mimi; hi, Mami; hi, Sota; hi, Naoki; hi, Kotone; hi, Ai — It’s okay, Tomona, squeeze in! ‘High touch’! Sotaro, I almost didn’t see you there! What’s that, a present? For me? Aw, thanks, big guy! I missed you all so much! Akemashite omedetou!”

“Uwaaa! Sugoi! Mama, Papa, Belle-sensei nihongo shaberu yo!” The kids hurl themselves into their parents’ arms. “Sugoi, sugoi!”

“Oh!” the parents gasp and applaud. “You know akemashite omedetou! Nihongo jouzu desu ne! Happy New Year!”

“Thank you. That’s right! Have you considered taking one of our parents’ classes?”

“Ah, yes … class with Cybelle-sensei?”

“Well,” I pause. I hate this part. “It might be with me, but you may get another teacher. It’s really up to you!”

“Eh,” the parents look around at each other pensively. “Tabun.” Maybe.

“Okay, think about it! No pressure.”

We empty into another sea of children waiting for us in the lobby. Along with the exponential increase of students are the new hires: Yukako, Kana, Yukie, Ryoko, and Shigeyo have replaced Misaki, Yuki, Yuri, and Jun, joining Yoshino in the coolest team of teachers I’ve ever met. Seri-sensei, with her swollen baby bump, is surprisingly still here. My guess is it’s just for the week before her mat leave begins.

“Ohayou gozaimasu!” I bow to the teachers. “Akemashite omedetou!”

“Ooh,” Seri croons. “You know akemashite omedetou! Nihongo jouzu, Cybelle-sensei. Happy New Year!”

“Oh! You know ‘Happy New Year!’ Eigo jouzu!” I applaud back, which makes the other teachers laugh.

“How was your vacation?” Yukako asks me. “Did everything go well with your family?”

“About as well as expected,” I shrug. “Packing up most of my apartment was a breeze with seven extra pairs of hands and suitcases. They weren’t even sad to say goodbye; too busy fighting about where they were going to sit and just how much duty-free liquor they could sneak in their carry-on bags.”

“Did you go anywhere special?” Kana asks.

“Nowhere too far. The big cities were too far and too busy, so we just went to the deer park in Nara, and a bit of shopping in Osaka. Oh, and we went salsa dancing with Yoshino in Kobe!”

Yoshino nods enthusiastically. “Yup! I got to meet them! Her family is so adorable.”