"I'm home!"
Along with that iconic shout, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed from downstairs.
Thump, thump, thump—
Then came Misae's slightly exasperated voice:
"Welcome back, Shin-chan. Were you a good boy at kindergarten today?"
"Of course I was! Today I played superhero with Masao, Kazama, and the others—and I was the universe's invincible Action Kamen!"
Shin-chan's voice was full of pride.
"Yes, yes, our Shin-chan is the best," Misae replied flatly, clearly just humoring him.
Upstairs, Yoichi sat frozen, his heart pounding uncontrollably.
He's here… he's really here!
That legendary existence!
He felt both nervous and curious. After all, this was a character he had watched since childhood—and now that very same Shin-chan was right downstairs.
Anyone would be excited.
But more than excitement, there was a sense of dread—
Like facing an unpredictable disaster.
"Yoichi-kun, come down for a moment. Shin-chan's back," Misae called.
"O-okay!"
Yoichi quickly responded. He took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, opened the door, and headed downstairs.
In the living room, a five-year-old boy wearing a yellow shirt and red shorts sat on the floor with his back to him, playing with his Action Kamen toy.
That round head.
That sturdy little build.
There was no doubt—
Nohara Shinnosuke.
"Shin-chan, turn around. I want to introduce someone to you," Misae said, then turned to Yoichi. "Yoichi-kun, this is my son, Shin-chan."
Hearing his name, Shin-chan slowly turned around.
The moment Yoichi saw his chubby, baby-faced cheeks and those mischievous, sparkling eyes—
His heart skipped a beat.
It's exactly the same as in the anime!
"Oh? Are you the cousin from the countryside that Mom mentioned?" Shin-chan tilted his head, looking Yoichi up and down with curiosity.
"H-hello, Shin-chan. My name is Nohara Yoichi. I'm your dad's cousin, so you can call me Uncle Yoichi."
Yoichi forced a friendly smile.
"Uncle Yoichi?"
Shin-chan blinked.
Then—
A strangely meaningful smile spread across his face.
That smile instantly gave Yoichi a bad feeling.
The next second—
Shin-chan suddenly stood up, placed his hands on his head like horns, and began wiggling his butt while singing in a loud voice:
"Elephant~ elephant~ why is your nose so long~Mom says a long nose is very nice~"
As he sang, he stared at Yoichi with wide, innocent eyes—like he was proudly showing off a special talent.
Yoichi: "…"
His smile froze instantly.
It's here.
The legendary Elephant Dance.
And it's happening right in front of him.
In real life.
This "welcome ceremony" was way too intense!
Misae hadn't expected this either. Her face turned bright red as she rushed forward and covered Shin-chan's mouth.
"Shin-chan! Stop that right now! Apologize to your uncle!"
"Mmph—mmph—!"
Shin-chan struggled, finally breaking free.
"Mom, I was just welcoming Uncle Yoichi…" he said, looking wronged.
"You call that a welcome?! That's completely inappropriate!" Misae snapped, veins popping on her forehead.
Watching the familiar mother-son dynamic unfold right in front of him, Yoichi was stunned for a moment—
Then suddenly burst out laughing.
It had always been funny in the anime…
But seeing it happen in real life felt completely surreal.
"It's fine, really," Yoichi said, waving his hand with a smile. "I think Shin-chan is pretty cute."
"Cute?" Misae blinked, clearly caught off guard.
Hearing the compliment, Shin-chan puffed up with pride. He put his hands on his hips, tilted his chin up, and declared:
"Of course! I'm the cutest kid in Kasukabe! Uncle Yoichi, do you have a girlfriend?"
Yoichi: "…"
That escalated way too quickly.
And what kind of question is that?!
"I—I don't have one yet," Yoichi replied awkwardly, scratching his nose.