Work in Nepal was far more difficult than Yoichi had imagined.
Every day, he ran between distributors, dealt with long-standing payment disputes, reorganized messy sales channels, and tried to motivate an unenthusiastic branch team.
After just one week—
He felt like he had lost weight.
And his skin had noticeably darkened under the harsh sun.
That afternoon, after finally convincing a particularly stubborn distributor, Yoichi decided to take a short break.
He headed to Thamel, Kathmandu's famous tourist district, planning to pick up some souvenirs for the Nohara family.
The streets were lively—
Filled with colorful handicrafts, spices, and trinkets.
The air carried a rich blend of curry, incense, and sandalwood.
Yoichi wandered through the stalls, occasionally stopping to browse.
He picked up a small handmade wooden elephant.
"Maybe Shin-chan would like this…"
Just as he was considering it—
"Uncle Yoichi!"
A loud, familiar voice rang out behind him.
Yoichi froze.
…No way.
He slowly turned around—
And saw them.
Running straight toward him.
Shin-chan in the lead.
Followed by Kazama, Nene, and Bo-chan.
The wooden elephant slipped from Yoichi's hand and hit the ground.
"Shin-chan?! Kazama?! Nene?! Bo-chan?!"
His voice trembled.
"What are you doing here?!"
Shin-chan ran up, hands on hips, chin raised proudly.
"Uncle Yoichi! We came to save you! We heard bad guys captured you and took you to Nepal!"
"…Save me?"
Yoichi blinked.
"When did that happen?! I came here for work!"
"Work?" Kazama adjusted his glasses suspiciously. "But Shin-chan said you went somewhere very far. That usually means kidnapping."
"My mom said you were on a business trip…" Nene tilted her head. "Does that mean being captured?"
Bo-chan quietly handed Yoichi a stone.
"Safe. Good."
Yoichi: "…"
He finally understood.
This entire "rescue mission"—
Was based on a misunderstanding.
"…How did you even get here?" he asked, massaging his temples.
"Nene's mom brought us!" Shin-chan said proudly. "We're on a trip!"
Yoichi: "…"
Of course.
Right then, a gentle voice called out:
"Kids, slow down—you'll get lost."
Yoichi turned.
Nene's mother approached, stylish as ever.
She paused in surprise.
"Oh… you're Yoichi-kun from the Nohara family?"
"Yes… it's nice to meet you."
"I didn't expect to actually find you," she smiled. "Nene insisted we come see you. I thought it would be a nice trip for the kids."
Yoichi didn't know whether to thank her—
Or question her life decisions.
"So… you weren't kidnapped?" Shin-chan asked, disappointed.
"No. Not kidnapped," Yoichi said quickly. "But thank you for coming to 'rescue' me."
Despite everything—
He felt a little warm inside.
"…Then let's play in Nepal!" Shin-chan declared. "Uncle Yoichi, you be our guide!"
"I—"
Yoichi was about to refuse—
But Nene's mother looked at him pleadingly.
"Yoichi-kun… I'm not familiar with the area. Could you help keep an eye on them?"
Yoichi looked at the five hopeful faces in front of him.
"…Alright."
He sighed.
"But only this afternoon. I still have work tomorrow."
"Yay!" the kids cheered.
For the rest of the afternoon—
Yoichi became the official tour guide of the Kasukabe Defense Force.
They wandered through Thamel together.
Shin-chan found an Action Kamen-style mask and refused to let go.
Kazama bought a book about Nepalese history.
Nene picked out a bright, colorful scarf.
Bo-chan collected several oddly shaped stones.
Their laughter echoed through the streets.
And for a moment—
Yoichi forgot all about work.
But that peace didn't last.
As they prepared to head back—
Shin-chan suddenly spotted a monkey.
"Hey! Wait!"
And ran into a narrow alley.
"Shin-chan! Stop!"
Yoichi chased after him immediately.
The others followed.
The alley was dark and cramped, cluttered on both sides.
After a short chase—
Shin-chan was gone.
"Shin-chan?!"
Yoichi's heart dropped.
"Shin-chan! Where are you?!"
No response.
Panic hit instantly.
If Shin-chan got lost here—
The consequences would be unthinkable.
"Yoichi-kun… what do we do?" Nene's mother was nearly in tears.
Kazama stepped forward, trying to stay calm.
"Let's split up. Uncle Yoichi, you go with Nene's mom. I'll take Nene and Bo-chan. Use the walkie-talkies if you find anything."
"Right!"
Yoichi ran through the alley, shouting desperately.
His chest tightened with guilt.
I should've watched him more carefully…
Just as he was about to lose hope—
"…Uncle Yoichi…"
A faint voice.
"I'm here…"
Yoichi froze.
Then ran toward it.
In a corner—
Shin-chan was crouched down.
Surrounded by monkeys.
Looking scared.
"Shin-chan!"
Yoichi rushed over and picked him up.
"Uncle Yoichi…"
Shin-chan burst into tears.
"They're scary…"
"It's okay," Yoichi said softly, patting his back. "I'm here."
Soon, the others arrived.
"Shin-chan! Are you okay?" Kazama asked.
"I'm okay…" Shin-chan sniffed. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have run off…"
Yoichi looked at him—
And sighed.
"It's good you know that."
He gently patted his head.
"Let's go back."
Back at the hotel—
Everyone finally relaxed.
Yoichi spoke seriously with Nene's mother, asking her to keep a closer eye on the kids.
She thanked him repeatedly.
That night—
Walking back alone—
Yoichi realized his back was completely soaked with sweat.
That moment earlier—
Had truly scared him.
I need to stay away from these kids…
Or something worse might happen.
But he didn't know—
This was only the beginning.
In the following weeks—
Chaos continued.
Kazama secretly attended a local school and was mistaken for a lost student.
Nene attempted to cook Nepalese curry—and nearly destroyed the hotel kitchen.
Bo-chan almost fell into a river while collecting stones.
Every evening—
Yoichi returned from work only to deal with disaster after disaster.
He was on the verge of breaking down.
The only thing he looked forward to—
Was going back to Kasukabe.
Finally—
One month later—
The business trip ended.
At the airport—
Yoichi saw familiar faces waiting.
"I'm back!" he called out.
"Welcome back!" Misae and Hiroshi smiled warmly.
"Uncle Yoichi!" Shin-chan and the others ran toward him.
Looking at them—
Yoichi felt something settle in his heart.
Even if life was chaotic—
Even if trouble never stopped—
This place…
These people…
Were his home.