"Ding dong…"
Seeing no response, Akira pressed the doorbell again. "Ding dong…"
"Coming, coming."
Click—
"Akira? Are you here for Shin-chan? Come in, quickly."
Akira bowed politely to the slightly plump Nohara Misae before stepping into the house.
"Shin-chan's upstairs on the second floor. If you need anything, just come down and let me know," Misae said warmly. Her eyes flicked to the bag of chocolates in Akira's hands, and when she remembered the drinks Shin-chan had carried upstairs earlier, she couldn't help but chuckle knowingly before heading back toward the living room.
"Thank you."
Akira slipped off his shoes and went straight up the stairs. He knocked, waited briefly, then slid open the door.
The first thing he saw was not Shin-chan, but the three oversized bottles of orange juice lined neatly on the coffee table. Behind them sat Shin-chan himself, legs crossed like a little old man.
"…Are you trying to get yourself drunk?"
Shin-chan, dressed in his familiar red long-sleeved shirt and off-white pants, raised his cup dramatically and downed it in one gulp, imitating his father Hiroshi's mannerisms when drinking.
The room was simple: tatami mats, a desk, a wardrobe, and a coffee table. Ever since Shin-chan entered third grade, he'd moved upstairs into what used to be his aunt's room. At night, he simply pulled futons from the wardrobe and spread them across the tatami, just like the rest of his family—no permanent beds, only what space allowed.
"I'm heartbroken," Shin-chan sighed theatrically, his eyes glued to the Mr. Crocodile Chocobi box in Akira's hands.
"Here. Take it."
Akira sat down across from him and set the box on the table. His main goal today was to catch up with Shin-chan. The whole "heartbroken" act? He wasn't buying it… but he played along.
"I love you to death," Shin-chan declared, instantly perking up. He tore open the box and stuffed his mouth full of snacks.
Akira poured himself some juice. "By the way, why didn't you call Nini over?"
Shin-chan burped contentedly. "It's Saturday. Nini's out on a date with her new boyfriend."
"…She has a new one already?" Akira raised a brow.
Counting this one, Nini had gone through five or six boyfriends since junior high.
"Yeah. Don't know how long he'll last, though." Shin-chan shrugged, munching noisily. "Maybe a month or two. She still hasn't even had her first kiss. Most guys can't handle her temper."
Akira smirked. That sounded about right. Nini had always been a little too much for her partners, like she was training to be some future gang boss.
"What about Himawari?"
"She's shopping with friends," Shin-chan replied flatly, then leaned forward with mock grievance. "Akira, you're so cold. I told you I'm heartbroken, and all you've done is talk about other people."
Akira sighed. "…Fine. Then tell me—what's going on with you and Ai?"
"Shouldn't you be asking about me and Nanako?" Shin-chan countered.
"Alright then. Who's she marrying?"
"Her high school classmate."
"How long have they been together?"
"Three years, I think. I never noticed…"
"When's the wedding?"
"Next month. During the Sakura Festival."
Akira studied him. Shin-chan's answers grew duller with each question. Did he really like Nanako? Maybe. But with her being over thirty, and Shin-chan barely sixteen… there was no future in that.
"…It's fine. You still have Ai."
"I'm not interested in kids my age, okay?" Shin-chan shot back, downing another glass of juice like it was sake.
Akira chuckled. "Sure. Just wait until Ai's in high school. You'll change your tune."
He'd been hearing Shin-chan say some version of that line since kindergarten. From "I'm not interested in little kids" to "I'm not interested in kids my age." He wondered what the next version would be.
The two spent the rest of the morning chatting, mostly about Ai, until Misae called them for lunch. She invited Akira to stay, but he politely declined, saying his mom Shizuka had already prepared something.
After saying his goodbyes, Akira headed home.
"I'm back!"
"Wash your hands—dinner's almost ready," Shizuka called.
"Okay!"
Back at the Nohara house, Himawari spotted the empty snack boxes and tilted her head. "Onii-chan… did Akira come over? I know you already spent your allowance. There's no way you bought these."
"Yeah." Shin-chan kept his eyes on the TV, popping another biscuit into his mouth.
"Give me a box." Himawari lunged, but Shin-chan dodged nimbly.
"These were bought with my love. If you want some, go ask Akira."
"I'd rather not. Sister Shouko would murder me," Himawari muttered, backing off.
The siblings continued bickering until Misae marched in, confiscated the untouched snacks, and gave each of them a sharp flick on the forehead.
Dinner was eaten in silence, save for Shin-chan's sulking as Misae scolded him for drinking way too much juice.
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