Misae stood at the bedroom door and took a deep breath. "Shin-chan, wake up!"
There was no response from the lump under the blanket.
"Shin-chan!" she shouted again, louder this time.
The blanket shifted once, then went still again.
Misae walked over and yanked it off in one motion. Shin-chan was curled up into a ball, eyes squeezed shut, a string of drool still hanging from the corner of his mouth.
"Get up. Someone's here to see you."
"Mmm…" Shin-chan rolled over. "Five more minutes…"
"No! She's already waiting in the living room!"
"Who…" he mumbled.
"I don't know. A girl. She's dressed really nicely, and she even brought bodyguards."
One of Shin-chan's eyes cracked open. He glanced at Misae, then closed it again. "A girl… then she can wait a little…"
A cross popped on Misae's forehead.
"Get up!"
She reached for his arm, but Shin-chan wriggled away like an eel, rolled to the other side of the bed still wrapped in the blanket, and turned himself into a spring roll.
"Mom's so mean…"
"Nohara Shinnosuke!"
Misae stormed over, grabbed him by the back of the neck, and hauled him right out of the blanket.
Shin-chan dangled in the air, his eyes still closed.
"She came all the way to our house and you're still sleeping?!"
"Who is it…" he asked groggily.
"How would I know? She said you invited her."
That finally made him open his eyes. He looked at Misae, then at the window, then back at Misae. "I invited her?"
"You don't remember?"
Shin-chan thought about it. "Not at all."
Misae took a deep breath and set him down on the floor. "Get dressed. Go see who it is."
Shin-chan slowly pulled on his red short-sleeved shirt and yellow shorts, yawning the whole time. Halfway through, he stopped standing there and fell asleep again.
"Nohara Shinnosuke!!!"
Misae's roar jolted him awake, and he hurriedly finished getting dressed.
"Move it, move it. She's been waiting forever."
She shoved him toward the living room. Shin-chan rubbed his eyes and looked up.
A girl was sitting there.
She wore a pale yellow kimono, her hair styled neatly, and her posture was perfectly straight.
Shin-chan stared at her, tilted his head, and asked, "Who are you?"
Misae's fist nearly came down on his head.
"You don't know the person you invited?"
Shin-chan scratched his head and looked at the girl again. She seemed kind of familiar… and not familiar at all.
The girl rose to her feet, folded her hands in front of her, and bowed slightly. "My name is Ai Suotome. Yesterday, we ate dumplings together at the dango shop."
Shin-chan thought about it.
Yesterday?
The dumpling shop?
He vaguely remembered going to a dumpling shop, and he vaguely remembered eating dumplings with someone, but what had that person looked like again?
All he really remembered was the pretty big sister.
Ai glanced at Kuroiso.
Kuroiso immediately stepped forward, holding an elegant wooden box in both hands.
"A small gift for our first visit."
Shin-chan took the box and shook it a little. "Are there chocolate sticks in here?"
At the sight of the lacquered pattern on the box, Misae's eyes widened. She had seen that design in magazines before. One item like that cost several months of Hiroshi's salary.
Shin-chan pressed his ear to the lid, trying to figure out what was inside.
Misae took the box away from him, then politely asked, "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"
Ai shook her head.
"Then… would you like to eat with us?" Misae asked, and regretted it the moment the words left her mouth.
Kuroiso's brows twitched. His lips moved, like he wanted to say something.
Ai gave him one look.
Kuroiso shut his mouth and stepped back.
"Alright," Ai said.
Misae stood there, getting more and more confused.
Who exactly was this girl? She gave gifts like that, and came with bodyguards too.
She didn't have time to think about it long and hurried back to the kitchen. "It'll be ready in just a second."
In the kitchen, the miso soup was still warm, the grilled fish was sitting on the stove, and the rice had just finished cooking.
She hurriedly served everything up, then remembered who that little girl probably was and, after hesitating, swapped out the ordinary bowls for a nicer set.
Breakfast was set on the table.
Miso soup, grilled saury, white rice, and pickled radish.
Shin-chan was already seated. He picked up his chopsticks and stuffed a piece of grilled fish into his mouth.
Misae watched Ai nervously.
Ai looked down at the dishes in front of her, then at the food on the table. Kuroiso bent slightly behind her and whispered something. Ai shook her head.
Then she picked up her chopsticks, took a small piece of pickled radish, and put it into her mouth.
Misae felt like her heart was climbing into her throat.
Ai chewed twice.
Then she swallowed and moved on to the miso soup.
Misae let out a breath.
By then, Shin-chan had already eaten half a bowl of rice. With his mouth crammed full, he asked, "Is it good?"
Ai thought for a moment. "It's… a flavor I've never had before."
"Mom made lots of food today," Shin-chan said, still with grains of rice stuck around his mouth.
Ai took another piece of fish.
It was a little salty, and a little burnt.
Back in the capital, the kitchen would never have served something like this. But she said nothing and quietly finished her meal.
When breakfast was over, Shin-chan set down his chopsticks and patted his belly. "I'm full."
Then he jumped off the chair and ran to the entryway to put on his shoes. "I'm going to school."
Ai looked up. "School?"
"Yeah."
"What kind of noble school?"
"Ninja school," Shin-chan said. "The place where you learn ninjutsu."
Ai nodded and said nothing else.
At the entryway, Shin-chan put on his shoes. Shiro came trotting out from the corner, circling his feet twice, tail wagging furiously.
"Shiro, we're going to school."
Shiro barked and trotted along at his heels.
"Do you want to come?" Shin-chan glanced back at Ai.
Ai stood in the entryway, looking at that little red figure. "Can I?"
"Sure," Shin-chan said. "But class is really boring. I never understand what the teacher's saying."
Ai looked at him, then smiled. "Then I'll go see for myself."
"Princess," Kuroiso stepped forward, clearly trying to stop her.
Ai looked at him once.
Kuroiso closed his mouth and stepped back.
Shin-chan had already run outside. "Hurry up, hurry up, we're gonna be late!"
Ai followed him. At the door, she turned back and glanced once at the Nohara house.
A tiny house, a narrow hallway, a low ceiling. The dishes were still sitting on the table, and the miso soup was still steaming.
Then she turned around and followed the red figure ahead.
Morning light spilled across the street. Everything felt completely different from life in the capital.
Shin-chan ran ahead two steps, then stopped and waited for her.
"You walk way too slow."
Ai quickened her pace. "How about now?"
"Still slow." Shin-chan ran back, grabbed her sleeve, and tugged her forward. "Hurry, hurry."
Ai stumbled a little as he dragged her along, the hem of her kimono almost tangling around her legs, but she didn't tell him to stop.
Kuroiso followed behind them, his brows furrowed so tightly they could have crushed a fly. He hesitated for a moment, but in the end said nothing.
Three people and one dog disappeared around the corner.
~~~
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