"Eriri, school starts in a few days. How about you invite Shin Chan over for dinner after you meet him? We never properly thanked him for what happened back then."
In Japan, school bullying is a very serious issue. Even the daughter of an emperor can be bullied, and society often places the blame on the victim for "not fitting in."
It's a contradictory and complicated social problem, and most teachers choose to turn a blind eye to it.
Back then, even though Eriri was a young lady, she couldn't escape being isolated.
"Okay, I'll invite him."
Eriri was so happy she nearly fainted on the spot.
Wasn't this a heaven-sent opportunity?
Now that she knew Nohara Shin Chan also existed in this world, she had no idea how to approach him.
But with this connection, once school started, she could create a chance encounter and then invite him to her house for dinner.
Perfect plan.
"Stop smiling like an idiot. Have you finished your manuscript?"
"Ah?!"
Eriri's expression froze.
Oh no—she had completely forgotten.
Seeing her reaction, Sayuri Sawamura couldn't help but laugh. Eriri really was too cute.
What she and her husband wanted to protect was exactly this innocent smile of hers, wasn't it?
"Hurry up and finish the draft. I've already talked to the website for you."
Eriri calmed herself down.
With an extra fifteen years of memories, she was no longer the restless little girl she used to be.
Still, having been extremely well protected by Shin Chan, her psychological age hadn't grown that much—she just had more patience now.
I have to carefully plan our first meeting…
If I can fall in love with Shin Chan… hehehe…
"Achoo!"
At that moment, Shin Chan, who was watching TV, suddenly sneezed.
Weird. Is someone thinking about me?
Hearing a sound at the door, Shin Chan got up and opened it.
"Oh, it's just Shiro."
Shiro had gone out to familiarize himself with the surroundings. There was a park and a riverbank nearby, and the environment was pretty nice. He seemed very satisfied.
After licking Shin Chan's outstretched hand, Shiro went off to rest.
That familiar sensation reminded Shin Chan of the time he'd spent with Eriri in his memories.
…Sorry, Shiro. I've had other dogs.
The next day, Shin Chan—who had stayed up late—was woken by his ringing phone.
"Hello?"
"Shin Chan, I've already made arrangements with everyone. We're having a get-together this afternoon. I've sent you the location."
"Got it, Toru."
After hanging up, Shin Chan flopped back onto the bed.
The long-awaited reunion of the Kasukabe Defense Force still required proper preparation—but that could wait until the afternoon.
Shin Chan slept until noon, then woke up groggily, stretched, and hummed in satisfaction.
Occasionally staying up late really was comfortable.
After washing up and changing clothes, he headed out.
He had arranged to meet Toru Kazama first.
They hadn't attended the same middle school, and everyone had grown up. Their relationship might not be as close as it used to be.
Nene and Masao both had new friends and new social circles now. Would this reunion make everyone feel like strangers?
…Is this the trouble that comes with growing up?
Since it was still early, Shin Chan walked slowly down the street, enjoying Kasukabe's afternoon sunlight.
Cherry blossoms drifted gently through the air. In the courtyard of a nearby detached house, green plants were neatly trimmed.
Japanese society had many problems, but one thing had to be admitted—the cherry blossoms here were truly beautiful.
Detective Hill?
Looking at the uphill road ahead, Shin Chan suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
A gentle breeze blew past, and a white beret carrying a faint floral scent flew straight into Shin Chan's face.
"Damn it!"
Beside him, a boy with glasses and messy long hair looked furious. The hat had been just within his reach.
"This kind of classic development—I should be the male lead!"
"Hey, could you give me that beret? I've already got a great idea. This will definitely become the best galgame plot ever. I've decided—I'm making my own galgame!"
Watching the guy talk to himself nonstop, Shin Chan roughly guessed his identity.
Tomoya Aki.
From every angle, he was not a likable person.
Shin Chan disliked people like this—selfish types who talked endlessly about dreams but had no plans, no goals, and zero awareness of the atmosphere or other people's feelings.
Ignoring Tomoya Aki, Shin Chan held onto the beret and looked up the slope.
A pink blouse, a white short skirt—and as cherry blossoms danced through the air, the girl's short hair gently swayed in the breeze.
No wonder Tomoya Aki had decided at first sight that she was his heroine.
Unfortunately for him, the beret was in Shin Chan's hand.
Ignoring Tomoya Aki completely, Shin Chan walked up the slope with the hat. At the same time, the girl walked down toward him.
This scene made Tomoya Aki even angrier.
This dream-like development—what was with this hero-meets-heroine nonsense? Why did it feel like he'd just been NTR'd?!
He followed after Shin Chan, trying to snatch the beret from his hand.
But Tomoya Aki was only 171 cm tall. Shin Chan easily dodged his grasp and continued ignoring him.
Shin Chan knew very well that if he said even a single word to this troublesome guy, Tomoya would start monologuing endlessly, spewing nonsense without stopping.
Shin Chan was blunt by nature, and things would only get messier if they argued.
"Thank you for getting my hat."
Megumi Kato looked at the boy in front of her, her cheeks faintly flushed. Having her beret fly straight into his face was admittedly embarrassing.
"You're welcome. The wind really is strong today."
"Student! My name is Tomoya Aki! I'm a second-year at Toyonosaki High School! Could you give me your contact information? I want to invite you to be the heroine of my game!"
Perhaps provoked by Shin Chan's presence, Tomoya Aki suddenly turned to Megumi, speaking excitedly and even bowing deeply—looking like he'd kneel on the spot if she didn't agree.
"Aki-kun… we're classmates. We've been in the same class for a whole year."
Megumi looked at Tomoya Aki with helpless eyes.
Her presence had always been extremely faint. Since childhood, she'd often been overlooked.
If she had to describe herself, she was like a background character in a game—or a nameless panel briefly mentioned in a manga.
"Huh?"
Tomoya Aki looked utterly shocked.
She was his classmate? He hadn't even noticed? He couldn't even remember her name.
With a small sigh, Megumi—though somewhat curious about the "heroine" role—still turned toward Shin Chan and took back her beret.
"Thank you."