Morning classes ended, and it was finally time for the much-anticipated lunch break.
Even though many students lived nearby, they usually didn't go home for lunch. Instead, everyone ate the school's standard meal.
During the last class before lunch, cafeteria staff brought several large metal buckets and placed them at the classroom door.
Dekisugi led several students in serving the food. Today's dishes were stewed potatoes with meat, stir-fried bean sprouts, a cup of milk, and half a roasted sweet potato.
Hiroshi took his tray and returned to his seat. He also got a portion for Shizuka.
His deskmate was still sitting quietly with her head lowered, looking a bit gloomy. The net-like imprint from the badminton racket was still faintly visible on her face.
Nobita timidly walked past Shizuka, his expression filled with shame. He regretted showing off earlier; Shizuka must hate him now.
"Shizuka, hurry and eat. Actually, Nobita didn't do it on purpose. The red mark on your face will disappear soon."
While eating his meal and glancing at Shizuka, Hiro felt that the food tasted even better. She really was a feast for the eyes.
"Oh, Nobita is always so clumsy. I'm starting to get used to it. If only he could learn from you, Hiro."
Rubbing her slightly aching nose, Shizuka's mood brightened when she saw her favorite roasted sweet potato. She quickly forgot about what had happened during gym class.
She held the sweet potato in her hand and nibbled at it little by little like a small hamster.
Out of politeness, the girl didn't dare show just how much she liked the food.
After all, eating too much sweet potato could cause flatulence, which would be extremely embarrassing for a girl.
After enduring the rest of the day's classes, the final period finally arrived—math.
Their teacher, Terakoya Eiichirou, assigned a pile of "interesting" math problems.
For example: if you drink half a cup of milk and then pour water into the cup, then drink half again and refill it with water, will you end up drinking more milk or more water?
Another question involved a farmer locking chickens and rabbits in a cage and asking students to determine how many of each there were by counting their legs.
The entire classroom fell unusually quiet as the students frowned and stared at their papers. Everyone was struggling with the problems.
In truth, the questions only looked tricky. They were actually quite simple and only required flexible thinking.
Dekisugi was the first to finish the assignment and calmly returned to his seat to preview the next lesson.
Hiroshi had also finished long ago. He was currently tutoring Shizuka beside him, as well as Gian and Suneo, who had come over to ask questions.
As for Nobita, he was too embarrassed to ask Hiro for help. He would rather ask Dekisugi instead.
"Students, I have one more thing to tell you. There will be a math exam tomorrow morning. Please study hard when you go home and strive for a good score.
This exam might be a bit difficult, but it's still closely related to the textbook. For those whose scores are not ideal, I will talk to their parents. Especially you, Nobita."
After class, Terakoya Eiichirou made the announcement before leaving.
Many students looked bewildered, and Nobita's face instantly turned pale.
"What? An exam?"
Nobita hugged himself, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. The thing he feared most in the world was exams.
If nothing unexpected happened, he would most likely get a zero tomorrow.
And if the teacher called his parents, his mother would definitely nag him all day long. Just thinking about it made his ears hurt.
"No, I must ask Doraemon for help, otherwise I'm finished."
He immediately thought of Doraemon's gadgets. As long as he went home and whined a little, Doraemon definitely wouldn't abandon him.
"An exam, huh…"
Looking at the blackboard, Hiroshi casually twirled his pencil.
He wasn't worried about the exam at all.
First, he definitely wouldn't fail. Even if he somehow did, his parents had already passed away, so where would Terakoya Eiichirou even find them to talk to?
His eyes drifted to the side and landed on Shizuka, who was frowning slightly. Her ten fingers were tightly intertwined, and her gaze was lowered.
Her pretty face was full of worry.
"What's wrong, Shizuka? Are you troubled by something?"
A young girl's thoughts were easy to read. Seeing her like this, Hiro immediately guessed that she was worried about the exam.
Shizuka looked at Nobi Hiroshi beside her, her expression slightly conflicted.
"To be honest, Hiro, I'm very worried about tomorrow's math test."
"Those problems earlier were all thanks to your help. What if I fail and the teacher calls my parents?"
She spoke with a hint of embarrassment. She had once said that if Hiro had questions he could ask her, but in reality it was always her asking him for help.
"Oh, so that's it. Don't worry, just face it with a calm mindset."
"If you're really concerned, I can help you study after school."
"This… wouldn't that trouble you too much?"
"Of course not. We're friends, after all. Helping each other is only natural."
Nobi Hiroshi smiled at Shizuka. Tutoring such a cute deskmate after school was absolutely no problem.
Human relationships were built step by step, like streams gradually forming a river.
And if he wanted to completely prevent Nobita, Shizuka's childhood friend, from getting closer to her, the cautious Hiro naturally wouldn't miss any opportunity.
"Then I'll trouble you, Hiro. I'll prepare juice and snacks to treat you properly."
Hiro's caring offer gave Shizuka an inexplicable sense of comfort, and she smiled softly.
"Alright, it's settled then."
Seeing Shizuka's smile return, Nobi Hiroshi quickly packed up his stationery, ready to head to her house.
Actually, she didn't need to prepare any snacks or drinks.
cough cough Just being invited over by her was already good enough.
…
…
After school, Nobi Hiroshi and Shizuka walked home together.
It was Hiro's first time going to Shizuka's house, and he felt slightly excited. Spending time studying with a cute girl was truly a wonderful thing.
Both of them silently agreed not to invite Nobita. Bringing him along wouldn't help with studying at all; he would only cause trouble and drag them down.
"Shizuka, you're back."
"And who is this with you?"
The door opened from inside, and a gentle female voice greeted them.
A middle-aged woman with a high ponytail stood at the door wearing casual home clothes. She was Shizuka's mother.
Looking at her, Hiro immediately understood why Shizuka was so pretty. The woman in front of him was still very charming, no less graceful than Nobita's mother.
Each woman had her own unique charm.
"Madam—no, I mean, Miss. I'm Nobi Hiroshi, the new transfer student. I came to your home today to help tutor Shizuka."
Hiro's gestures and speech showed remarkable politeness. Combined with his appearance, he instantly left a very good impression.
"I see. Nobi Hiroshi, please come in."
"Thank you so much for helping tutor our Shizuka today. Auntie will go prepare some snacks and drinks for you."
Shizuka's mother warmly welcomed him inside. She hadn't expected this child to be so sweet, even calling her "Miss."
Perhaps… she really was that young.
...
Author's Update 18+ 📢
The fanfic Naruto: Raised by Kushina, Took His Brother's Wife – Part 1 is now officially fully completed!
It is now available on Patreon for all tiers, including the lowest Tier 1.
The complete Part 1 has been uploaded on Patreon.
📚 Category: Naruto 18+
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Thank you all for your continuous love, support, and patience for this story 💙