"You're back."
The door of the Nohara Family home was pushed open, and a weak, listless voice drifted in from outside.
"It's 'I'm home,' actually." Misae poked her head out from the kitchen. Seeing Shin-chan covered in dirt, she was startled. "Oh my, how did you get like this?"
Instead of rushing for snacks as usual, Shin-chan walked sluggishly to the dining table, sat down with a thud, and slumped over the table.
"Mom."
"What's wrong?"
"I'm so tired."
Misae walked over and felt his forehead. "Is the training very hard?"
Shin-chan buried his face in his arms and said gloomily, "That Thick-Eyebrowed Uncle made me do handstands, push-ups, frog jumps, and tree climbing. He kept talking about Youth and limits. I'm exhausted."
Misae couldn't help but laugh. "Exercising your body—isn't that a good thing?"
"It's not." Shin-chan looked up with a serious face. "Mom, let me tell you, being a kid is really troublesome. I simply couldn't refuse."
"Hmm?"
"If you promise someone something, you have to do it, otherwise they'll be sad." Shin-chan sighed. "But doing it makes me so tired."
Misae was stunned for a moment.
"So you promised them you'd continue training?"
Shin-chan nodded. "Guy looked so pitiful when he cried; I didn't have the heart to say no."
Looking at her son's dirty little face, a sudden warmth welled up in Misae's heart.
This child, though usually irresponsible, could actually be quite reliable at critical moments.
"Shin-chan, wait here."
Misae turned and went into the kitchen. When she came out, she was carrying a plate.
The plate was full of chocolate bars.
Shin-chan's eyes lit up instantly. "chocolate bars!"
"Today was your first day of school, so I already wanted to celebrate." Misae placed the plate in front of him. "Now, I'm adding an extra reward because you kept your promise."
Shin-chan stared at the chocolate bars, his mouth almost watering.
"There's more." Misae went back into the kitchen and brought out plate after plate—fried shrimp, hamburger steak, miso soup, and rice. The table was full.
"Wow!" Shin-chan's eyes grew wide and round. "What special day is it today?"
"It's to celebrate your first day of school." Misae sat down and looked at him with a smile. "Even though your dad is away on a mission, we should still celebrate properly."
Shin-chan picked up his chopsticks, looked at the table full of food, and suddenly asked, "Mom, when is Dad coming back?"
"Probably in a few days." Misae stroked his head. "What's wrong? Do you miss him?"
Shin-chan thought for a moment. "Not really, I just want him to see that I did push-ups today."
Misae couldn't help but laugh. "When your dad gets back, you can perform for him."
"Okay!" Shin-chan picked up a piece of fried shrimp and stuffed it into his mouth. "Mmm, delicious."
"Eat slowly, no one is going to take it from you."
Shin-chan wolfed down the food, his cheeks bulging like a hamster's.
Outside the window, the moon rose.
The night in Konoha Village was quiet and warm.
Early the next morning.
Misae was busy in the kitchen, beating eggs while glancing at the clock on the wall from time to time.
Six-fifty.
She put down her chopsticks, wiped her hands, and walked toward the bedroom.
Yesterday, Shin-chan had followed Might Duy to train, and he came back covered in dirt. Although he seemed in good spirits during dinner, he would surely be sore and unable to get up this morning.
Thinking this, Misae pushed open the bedroom door.
There was a small lump in the bedding, and that lump was slowly wriggling.
"Shin-chan?" she called out tentatively.
"Mmm..." A muffled, indistinct voice came from under the covers.
"Are you awake?"
"Mmm..."
Misae walked over and yanked the quilt away.
Shin-chan was curled up like a shrimp, his eyes tightly shut, with a familiar trace of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth—exactly like yesterday morning.
"Shin-chan, time to get up." Misae gave him a nudge.
"Mmm... five more minutes..."
"Doesn't your body hurt?"
Shin-chan opened one eye a crack and looked at Misae dizzily. "Hurt? What hurts?"
"You trained for so long yesterday; don't your legs and arms hurt?"
Shin-chan blinked, as if only just processing the question. He sat up slowly, stretched, then lifted his arms and rotated them, and kicked his legs.
His movements were smooth, and his expression was calm.
Misae watched him nervously. "Well?"
Shin-chan tilted his head, thought for a moment, and then yawned. "They don't hurt."
"What?"
"I'm just a bit sleepy." After saying that, Shin-chan shrank back into the covers. "Mom, let me sleep for five more minutes."
Misae grabbed the back of his neck. "No, get up!"
"Wow, so violent."
"Cut the chatter!"
"But I'm really so sleepy."
A cross-shaped vein popped on Misae's forehead. "I'll give you three seconds. One, two..."
Shin-chan didn't move an inch; he even closed his eyes.
"Three!"
Misae hoisted him out of the covers like a disobedient kitten.
Shin-chan dangled in the air, his eyes still closed. "Mom, if you hold me like this, I can still sleep."
"Wake up already!"
Misae set him on the ground. Shin-chan stood for two seconds before his body began to slowly tilt to the side.
Seeing him about to fall back onto the floor, Misae quickly supported him.
"Nohara Shinnosuke!"
"Here."
"Are you getting up or not?!!!"
Shin-chan opened his eyes with an innocent look. "I am getting up, but my body doesn't want to."
Misae took a deep breath.
This familiar dialogue, this familiar scene, this familiar rising blood pressure.
Five minutes later, Shin-chan had put on his red short-sleeved shirt and yellow shorts, though the clothes were on backward.
Misae straightened him out and dressed him again.
Another five minutes later, Shin-chan had brushed his teeth, though there was still a patch of toothpaste foam at the corner of his mouth.
Misae wiped it clean with a towel.
Another five minutes later, Shin-chan had washed his face, though foam was splattered all over the mirror.
Misae couldn't even be bothered to wipe it.
"Alright, eat!" Misae pushed Shin-chan toward the dining table.
Shin-chan sat at the table, looked at the eggs, bread, and milk in front of him, and suddenly asked, "Mom, are there green peppers today?"
"How could there be green peppers for breakfast?"
"That's good." Shin-chan breathed a sigh of relief and began to eat.
Misae watched him from the side, finding it more and more incredible. After training like that yesterday, this child was actually lively and energetic today.
"Shin-chan, does it really not hurt?" Misae couldn't help but ask again.
Shin-chan's mouth was full of rice as he said indistinctly, "Mmm... doesn't hurt... just sleepy..."
"How is that possible? You did so much exercise yesterday."
Shin-chan tilted his head, thought for a bit, and swallowed his food. "Maybe because I didn't use muscles to do it?"
"Then what are you made of?"
"I'm made of chocolate bars."
Misae's mouth twitched; for a moment, she didn't know how to retort.