"Eriri, school's starting in a few days. After you meet Shin-chan again, how about inviting him over for dinner? We still haven't properly thanked him for what happened back then."
In Japan, school bullying is a very serious matter. Even the Emperor's daughter could suffer from bullying. Society generally believes that the problem lies with the victim, that being bullied or not fitting in is their own fault.
This is a very contradictory and complex social issue. Most teachers choose to turn a blind eye to school bullying.
Back then, even though Eriri was an rich young lady, she still couldn't avoid being isolated by others.
"Okay, I'll invite him."
Eriri was so happy she nearly passed out, wasn't this a god-sent opportunity?
Now that she knew this world also had Shin-chan in it, she didn't know how to approach him. But now, with this connection, once school starts, she could create a chance encounter and then invite Shin-chan to her house for dinner.
'Plan complete!'
"Stop smiling like an idiot. Did you finish your manuscript?"
"Huh?" Eriri's face stiffened, she was doomed. She had completely forgotten.
Looking at Eriri's expression, Sayuri couldn't help but laugh. Eriri really was too cute. Wasn't this pure smile exactly what she and her husband wanted to protect?
"Hurry and finish your manuscript. I've already talked to the website for you."
Eriri calmed down. Now that she had an extra fifteen years of memories, she wasn't the same easily distracted little girl she used to be.
However, having been so well protected by Shin-chan, her mental age hadn't grown much, it was just that she had become more patient.
Their first meeting had to be properly planned. If she could fall in love with Shin-chan…
'Ehehe…'
———
"Achoo!" Shin-chan, who was watching TV, suddenly sneezed.
'Weird, is someone thinking about me?' Hearing a sound from the entrance, Shin-chan opened the door.
"Oh, it's just Kuro."
Kuro had gone out to explore the area. There was a park and a riverside near the apartment, the environment was quite nice. Kuro was very satisfied.
Licking Shin-chan's outstretched hand, Kuro went off to rest on his own.
This sensation reminded Shin-chan of the time he had spent with Eriri in his memories.
'Sorry, Kuro, I already have another dog!'
The next day, Shin-chan, who had stayed up late, was woken by the sound of his phone ringing.
"Hello?"
"Shin-chan, I've already made the arrangements with everyone. Let's meet up for a meal this afternoon. I've already sent you the location."
"Got it, Kazama, I understand."
After hanging up, Shin-chan went right back to sleep. The long-awaited reunion of the Kasukabe Defense Force, it had to be properly prepared for.
Still, he'd deal with that in the afternoon.
After sleeping groggily through noon, Shin-chan finally woke up, stretched, and let out a satisfied hum.
'Staying up late once in a while… felt kinda nice.'
After washing up and changing clothes, Shin-chan headed out. He had arranged to meet Kazama early.
Since they didn't attend the same middle school, and now that they were older, maybe their relationships weren't as close as before.
Nene and Masao both had new friends now, each with their own social circles. Would this reunion feel awkward? Was this what the troubles of growing up felt like?
It was still early. Shin-chan strolled slowly down the street, enjoying the spring afternoon sunlight.
Cherry blossoms drifted gently through the air, and in the yard of a roadside house, neatly trimmed greenery stood out.
Japan might have many societal problems, but one couldn't deny, the cherry blossoms here were truly beautiful.
'Detective slope?' Looking at the uphill road ahead, Shin-chan suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
A gentle breeze blew, and a white beret with a faint floral scent flew right into Shin-chan's face.
"Damn it!"
Next to Shin-chan, a long-haired, messy-looking boy wearing glasses had an angry expression. The hat had nearly flown into his hands, but just missed.
"In this kind of rom-com scene, the male lead should clearly be me!"
"Hey, classmate! Could I have that beret back? I've just come up with a great idea. This can absolutely become the best galgame storyline! I've decided, I'm going to make my own galgame!"
Looking at the man babbling in front of him, Shin-chan more or less guessed his identity.
'Aki Tomoya, huh?'
No matter how you looked at it, he wasn't someone easy to like.
Shin-chan didn't like this kind of selfish person. Always talking about dreams, but having no real goals or plans. He didn't read the mood and didn't care about other people's feelings.
Ignoring Aki Tomoya, Shin-chan held the beret in his hand and looked up the hill at the girl standing there.
Pink blouse, white skirt, cherry blossoms fluttering around her, and her short hair swaying slightly in the breeze.
No wonder Aki Tomoya, upon seeing her, immediately decided she was his heroine.
Unfortunately, the beret was in Shin-chan's hands now. Without paying Aki Tomoya any attention, Shin-chan held the hat and walked up the hill. The girl also walked toward him.
This scene made Aki Tomoya even more furious.
What was with this dreamlike development, the male and female leads meeting like this? Why did he feel like he was being NTR'd?
He followed Shin-chan, trying to snatch the beret from his hands. But Aki Tomoya was only 171cm tall, and Shin-chan easily dodged him and continued ignoring him.
Because Shin-chan knew, this annoying guy, if you said even one word to him, he would start going off on a long monologue, making up a bunch of reasons and spouting tons of nonsense.
Shin-chan was always blunt with his words. If the two of them started arguing, it'd just be a mess.
"Thank you for picking up my hat."
Kato Megumi looked at Shin-chan, her cheeks slightly red. Her hat had flown into this guy's face, it was a little embarrassing.
"No need to thank me. The wind really is strong today."
"Hey, classmate! I'm Aki Tomoya! A second-year at Toyogasaki! Could I have your contact info? I want to invite you to be the heroine of my game!"
Maybe it was because of Shin-chan's provocation, but Aki Tomoya was extremely excited, staring at Kato Megumi and even bowing deeply, like if she refused, he'd go full dogeza on the spot.
"Aki-senpai, we're classmates. We've already been in the same class for a year."
Looking at Aki Tomoya, Kato Megumi looked helpless. She had always had low presence since she was young, often ignored. If she had to compare herself, she was like an NPC in a game, a background character in a manga who only gets a brief mention.
"Huh?"
Aki Tomoya looked shocked, this girl was his classmate? How did he not know? He couldn't even remember her name.
Sighing, though she was somewhat curious about the "heroine" thing Aki Tomoya mentioned, Kato Megumi still turned back to Shin-chan and took her beret from him.
"Thank you."
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