Notice me Senpai?! My 8-year-old’s secret admirer

Well, that was unexpected! My eight-year-old son just came home with what may be the most … unusual … secret admirer note?

In case you’re not used to kiddie-writing, it says …

Dear Dexter,

Hi. I really like you. Like not as a friend. Like a boyfriend.

I always call you Senpai. You’re my Senpai. 

I always look at you at recess.

Love from, your secret admirer

***

Adorable, right???

It was typical cute-kid stuff, really, except for the word “Senpai.” I thought it might be Mi’kmaq since it’s the third language of our school, and both D and C take Mi’kmaq lessons every week. Or possibly another Japanese word for Sensei, but that seemed far-fetched.

A quick Google search and I figured out that “Senpai” basically means someone who is older than you and/or more experienced than you, and the phrase “Notice me, Senpai” is a cool way of talking about your crush when you don’t think they know you exist. (D was very flattered by this point.)

But wait! It gets even more … interesting?

D and I found a cute-looking anime video on YouTube called “Notice me Senpai” and figured this is likely where an elementary-aged kid in Nova Scotia learned about the phrase.

Naturally, we watched it …

At first, it was very sweet! The girl likes the boy! The boy actually looks a little like D! Aww. 

Senpai, I saw you at school today
Took your picture then I snuck away
I want you to notice me …
but I’m just someone you don’t notice!

Then things took a dark turn …

Please notice me, Senpai
Please notice me, Senpai
Please notice me, Senpai
or others will have to die

EVERYONE ELSE MUST DIE
ONLY YOU AND I WILL BE LEFT STANDING
WHOAH THERE’S BLOOD ON MY KNIFE
AND I DON’T KNOW WHY

Luckily, my darling boy didn’t seem freaked out. He’s happy with his note, and suspects it’s either a fellow Grade 3 or a girl in the 2/3 split class.

I suggested he give the note to his teacher and ask her to pass it around the staff room for handwriting identification. He loved this idea, so YOU’RE WELCOME, TEACHERS! 😉 

In the meantime, um, I suppose we’ll be on the lookout for little girls at our school who love anime and perhaps show murderous tendencies to other little girls who may stand in her way of winning my boy?

GRADE 3, WHAT THE HELL?!?!