By the time Hiroshi got home from work at the Hokage Tower, it was already completely dark.
He pushed open the door, but before he could even say his usual "I'm home," a little red figure came charging straight at him.
"Dad!"
Hiroshi jumped in surprise.
Shin-chan looked up at him, his expression unusually serious. He opened his mouth, about to say something—
"Hiroshi, you're back." Misae's voice came from the kitchen. "Come here for a second."
Hiroshi answered and looked down at Shin-chan. "Hang on a sec. Let me go check on Mom first."
The words got stuck in Shin-chan's throat. He watched Hiroshi head into the kitchen, opened his mouth again, then closed it.
In the kitchen, Misae was holding a spatula. When Hiroshi walked in, she lowered her voice and said something to him.
Hiroshi leaned in, and the two of them began whispering quietly.
Shin-chan stood at the corner of the hallway, secretly sticking out half his head.
A few fragments drifted over.
"...hospital..."
"...tomorrow..."
"...don't let the child hear..."
Shin-chan's heart dropped straight to the bottom of his stomach.
Hospital.
So Mom really was going to the hospital.
He slowly pulled his head back and leaned against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. His eyes stung a little, but he held it in.
He couldn't cry.
He had to be strong.
Shin-chan took a deep breath and walked into the living room.
At dinner, Hiroshi and Misae noticed something strange.
Shin-chan sat at the table, staring at the plate in front of him.
There were green bell peppers in it.
He stared at them for three seconds.
Then he picked one up with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.
Chewed.
Swallowed.
Then picked up another one.
Put it into his mouth.
Swallowed again.
Hiroshi's chopsticks stopped in midair.
Misae's mouth slowly opened.
The two looked at each other, equally stunned.
"Shin-chan," Misae said carefully, "what are you eating?"
"green bell peppers," Shin-chan answered calmly.
"Aren't those your most hated food?"
Shin-chan set his chopsticks down and looked at her seriously. "Anything Mom makes tastes good."
The whole living room went silent for three seconds.
Misae reached up and touched her own forehead.
No fever.
Then she touched Shin-chan's forehead.
No fever either.
"A-Are you feeling sick or something?" Misae's voice trembled slightly.
Shin-chan shook his head.
"I'm fine."
He picked up another piece of green bell pepper and ate it, chewing very carefully.
Misae and Hiroshi exchanged another look, both thinking the same thing.
What was wrong with this child?
After dinner, Shin-chan stood up.
"I'll wash the dishes."
Misae nearly slid off her chair.
"You... what did you just say?"
"The dishes," Shin-chan repeated. "I'll help wash them."
He carried a plate into the kitchen, moving very carefully, as if he were carrying a treasure.
Misae sat frozen in place, unable to move for a long moment.
Hiroshi leaned over and lowered his voice.
"What's wrong with him today?"
"I don't know." Misae sounded dazed. "He was already acting weird this afternoon, saying he wanted to help. I thought I was hallucinating."
The two of them looked toward the kitchen.
Shin-chan was standing on a little stool at the sink, washing the dishes with great seriousness. Water was splashing everywhere, but he was completely absorbed in it.
Misae's mouth twitched.
"He broke my favorite bowl."
"And you still let him keep washing?"
"..."
Misae fell silent.
Because she didn't know why she hadn't stopped him either.
Probably because she'd been too shocked and forgot.
When Shin-chan came back out of the kitchen, half of him was soaked.
But he had a smile on his face, and he walked over to Misae.
"Mom, I finished washing them."
Misae looked at the praise me, please expression on his face, then at his dripping clothes. In the end, all she said was,
"Mm. Go change."
"Okay!"
Shin-chan ran into his room.
After a while, he came back out.
He was holding the dirty clothes he had changed out of.
"Mom, where do these go?"
Misae froze again.
Normally this little brat would just throw his clothes wherever he felt like, and the next day she'd find them under the sofa, under the table, or even behind the fridge.
And now he had actually brought them over on his own?
"Put them in the laundry basket."
Shin-chan nodded and put them away.
Then he ran back to his room.
A little later, he came back out again.
"Mom, I brushed my teeth."
"Huh?"
"And washed my face."
"..."
"And washed my feet too."
Misae just stood there with her mouth open, unable to say anything.
Shin-chan walked over and looked up at her.
"Mom, get some rest early."
Then he turned and headed for the bedroom. At the door, he looked back.
"Good night."
The bedroom door shut behind him.
Misae sat on the sofa, staring at the door without moving.
Hiroshi came over and sat beside her.
The two of them sat there side by side, both staring at the same door.
They were silent for a very long time.
"Misae," Hiroshi finally said.
"Yeah?"
"Has our son... been possessed or something?"
Misae didn't answer.
Because she had been wondering the exact same thing.
After another long silence, she said, "He even ate green bell peppers."
"I saw."
"And he volunteered to wash the dishes."
"I saw that too."
"And he brushed his teeth, washed his face, and even washed his feet."
"Yeah."
Silence again.
Then Hiroshi suddenly stood up.
"I'm going to check on him."
He walked to the bedroom door and gently pushed it open.
Moonlight streamed through the window, falling across the bed.
Shin-chan was lying there perfectly straight, the blanket tucked up to his chin, both hands resting outside on top of it.
His eyes were closed, and his breathing sounded even.
Hiroshi rubbed his eyes.
Normally this kid either kicked the blanket off, rolled all over the bed, or ended up sleeping sideways somehow. He had never seen him sleep this neatly before.
He quietly shut the door and returned to the living room.
"Well?" Misae leaned in and whispered.
Hiroshi sat back down, his expression complicated.
"He's sleeping very nicely."
Misae fell silent.
The two of them sat there a while longer.
"Hiroshi."
"Yeah?"
"What do you think is wrong with Shin-chan?"
"I don't know." Hiroshi shook his head, his mind a mess.
What they didn't know was that inside the room, Shin-chan's eyes were wide open, staring at the ceiling.
He couldn't sleep.
His head was full of a jumble of thoughts.
Mom was going to the hospital.
He rolled over and buried his face in the pillow.
One small patch of it grew damp.
But he didn't make a sound.
Because Mom had said that boys weren't supposed to cry at every little thing.
He had to be good.
He had to be really good.
He had to make Mom happy.
Even if...
He didn't let himself think the rest.
Moonlight fell across his tiny back, and the sight of it was enough to make anyone's heart ache.
The next morning.
When Misae got up, she found Shin-chan already sitting at the table.
He was fully dressed.
His school bag was packed and ready too.
There was a glass of milk in front of him, untouched, as if he had been waiting for her.
Misae froze where she stood.
"You... what time did you get up?"
"Six," Shin-chan answered. "Mom, I can make breakfast for you."
Misae's legs nearly gave out. She put both hands on the wall, slowly walked over to the table, and sat down.
The Shin-chan sitting in front of her felt... unfamiliar.