Takuto Kimura lay on his nap mat, his little chubby arms sprawled out as he carefully studied his crayon work. His gaze was focused, his furrowed brow the picture of concentration. On the inside of his arm, in vivid red and yellow crayon, he had written: "Feasibility Report on the Monopoly of Sandbox Production Materials." This was not some simple toddler scribble—it was the blueprint for the next big thing. Or, at least, his next big thing. Sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, casting striped shadows across his round face, making him look like a zebra plotting something very, very suspicious.
"Direct transactions are too risky," Takuto muttered quietly, instinctively licking the jelly residue at the corner of his mouth. "I need to establish an underground distribution network."
As his mind raced through potential strategies, a noise interrupted his concentration. Kenta, who had been lying next to him on his nap mat, rolled over with a grunt. Takuto quickly shoved his arm under the blanket and fell into his "sleep mode"—a toddler's version of pretending to be asleep, complete with exaggerated snoring. "Zzz... acquisition... Zzz... leverage..." Takuto's little body shook slightly, mimicking the motions of a seasoned corporate strategist lost in a deep REM cycle.
Three seconds later, Kenta responded in the loudest sleep talk possible. "Cookies... all mine..."
Takuto's eyes shot open, his professional demeanor cracking for just a moment. He silently cursed Kenta for the interruption. "Great," Takuto thought, "even in his sleep, he's already thinking of the competition. I'll have to rethink my pricing strategy."
As the nap bell rang, Takuto sprang up, nearly knocking over his mat in the process. With the energy of a caffeinated squirrel, he began his "Shovel Monopoly Plan 2.0." It was time to make his mark.
Supply Chain Restructuring Takuto tiptoed (okay, more like shuffled slightly, given his short legs and low clearance from the ground) and began his covert operation. He had learned long ago that one needed to be strategic in this kind of business. No more blatant transactions. No more risky exposure. The best way to corner the market? Distribute resources in a way that no one would suspect.
Ai-chan's bow hairpin box: Ah, yes. The most dangerous place is often the safest. No one would ever think to look there. Perfect camouflage.
Behind the classroom potted plant: Disguised as gardening tools. It was genius, really. Shovels in plain sight, but cleverly hidden amongst the faux greenery. Could this be Takuto's most ingenious move yet?
The book cover of "The Three Little Pigs": Who would ever suspect a shovel hidden inside the pages of a children's book? And the wolf would never expect it. Brilliant.
Payment System Upgrade Since building blocks were so easily confiscated by the teachers (seriously, how were they supposed to build their empires with no building blocks?), Takuto realized he needed a better system—one with more permanence. He needed something that couldn't be swept away by Teacher Yamada's all-seeing eyes.
Introducing, the new currency system:
1 sticker = 10 minutes of shovel use. A solid deal for the kids looking to make a quick trade.
3 stickers = VIP shovel. This was tied with a ribbon stolen from Teacher Yamada's sewing kit, which made it not only valuable but extra fancy. The more valuable the item, the better the trade.
5 stickers = sandcastle construction lesson (full guidance). A premium service, of course. It wasn't just about building sandcastles; it was about building the sandcastle—the ultimate sandcastle.
Corrupt Regulatory Authorities Now, Takuto had done his research, and he knew how to handle the pesky teachers who always seemed to intervene at the worst times. If there was one thing he learned from his past life in the cutthroat business world, it was that sometimes, you just needed to buy off the right people.
He bribed the life teacher with his cherished imported chocolate beans. "If Teacher Yamada asks," Takuto whispered conspiratorially, "just say the shovels were borrowed by magic little fairies." This should work. It was foolproof.
With the groundwork laid, Takuto thought he could finally rest easy. But, as with all great plans, disaster loomed on the horizon.
When Takuto tried to hide his last shovel on the top shelf of the storage cabinet, disaster struck. His suspenders—yes, the very suspenders he had been so proud of—got caught on the cabinet door handle. In his panic to free himself, Takuto stepped into empty air, and for a brief moment, he felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut. He dangled from the shelf, like a sausage left too long on the grill. The toy box toppled over, sending plastic fruit flying everywhere in a glorious mess.
"Takuto Kimura!" Teacher Yamada's voice rang out, sharp and disapproving. "What are you doing again?"
Takuto, now buried under a pile of toy apples with only his butt sticking out, quickly thought on his feet. His mind raced. What was the best way to explain this? A quick glance around, and inspiration struck. "I'm playing... Fruit Ninja! The live-action version!" he blurted, managing to keep his voice steady despite the ridiculousness of the situation.
When Teacher Yamada yanked him out from the pile of toys, five shovels fell from his pants and clattered to the floor. The noise was deafening, like a corporate scandal unfolding in real-time. It was awkward. The entire room froze. All eyes were on Takuto.
With his Monopoly plans now exposed, Takuto immediately activated his Plan B. He had to act fast, and he had only one person who could save him. "Ai-chan! Execute 'Cuteness Offensive!'" Takuto hissed in desperation.
Ai-chan, ever the perfect accomplice, immediately understood the mission. She fluttered her big eyes and said to Teacher Yamada, "We were just playing house! Little Takuto is the boss, and I'm the secretary..."
Teacher Yamada's expression softened as she looked at the pair. "Aww, how sweet..." she cooed, her anger dissipating for the moment.
But just as Takuto thought he was in the clear, Kenta burst out from behind a bookshelf. "Liar!" he yelled, pointing a finger at Takuto. "He just let me trade stickers for shovels!" Kenta then pulled a damp sticker out of his nose and held it up for all to see. "Look! This is evidence!"
Takuto's eyes widened as he looked at the snot-covered Pikachu sticker. No… no… this is worse than a Bitcoin crash!
In that moment, Takuto was dragged to what could only be described as the "defendant's seat"—a small, uncomfortable stool. He now faced his first-ever commercial lawsuit:
Plaintiff (Kenta): "He monopolized the shovels! He even said I was too fat and should exercise more!"
Witness (Ai-chan): "Actually, Little Takuto was just... uh... teaching us to share?" (She caught Takuto's glare and quickly changed her story.)
Judge (Teacher Yamada): "Takuto Kimura, do you have anything to defend yourself?"
Takuto took a deep breath, summoning all the authority his 3-year-old self could muster. "Teacher, this is essentially supply-side structural reform! Through resource optimization..."
Before he could finish his impassioned defense, disaster struck: Takuto sneezed. And in what could only be described as poetic irony, the milk splotch that shot out of his nose landed perfectly on Teacher Yamada's skirt.
The room fell silent.
The teacher wiped her skirt and, without missing a beat, declared, "The verdict is as follows: Takuto Kimura is responsible for organizing all the toys this week, and—" She shook the shovel she had pulled from the picture book. "Every nap time, you will read 'Learn to Share' to everyone."
Takuto sulked all the way home. In the bath, while surrounded by bubbles, he used soap to carve a miniature financial report, recording today's losses:
Asset Impairment: 8 shovels
Goodwill Loss: Called a "greedy pig" by the whole class
Unexpected Gain: Discovered Kenta is ticklish, could be developed as a new weakness
"If monopoly doesn't work, I'll build a technical barrier..." Takuto muttered to himself. But as he was lost in thought, the soap slipped from his hand and landed with a plop in the tub.
Five minutes later, his mom knocked on the bathroom door. "Sweetie, why have you been shouting 'My balance sheet'?"
Before bed, Takuto summarized the reasons for his failure in his journal (which was actually a doodle book):
Underestimated regulatory oversight (Teacher Yamada ≈ Securities Regulatory Commission in my past life)
Overreliance on a single channel (Ai-chan's acting was too exaggerated)
Insufficient risk control (didn't expect Kenta to keep the snot-covered sticker as evidence)
Finally, he drew a crying face with the words beside it: "Tomorrow, I'll start studying the 'Anti-Monopoly Law' for children."