Back to the Village (A Ten-Thousand-Word Update as an Apology)

When I got home, the door was closed.

Shin-chan stood on tiptoe, reached for the doorknob, and pressed it down.

The door opened.

You're back!

He stood in the Genkan, kicked off his shoes. One flew to the shoe cabinet, while the other flipped over and lay upside down in the middle of the hallway.

There was a sound of something falling to the floor coming from the Living Room.

Miya rushed out of the Living Room, and the moment she saw Shin-chan, she froze as if she had been frozen in place.

"Shin- Shin-chan?"

Shin-chan stood in the Genkan, tilting his head to look at her.

"Mom, your belly has gotten bigger again."

Miya quickly walked over and hugged Shin-chan tightly.

Shin-chan's face was pressed against Mi's shoulder, his lips were pouting, and his voice was muffled.

"Mom, I can't breathe."

Miya didn't let go, her voice trembling slightly.

"You're finally back."

Shin-chan reached out and placed his hand on Miya's head, gently patting it.

Just like Miya usually pats his head.

"Mother."

"Um."

Your belly is pressing against me.

"You silly child, I was so worried about you, you know?" Miya let go of Shin-chan, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Alright, come in."

Shin-chan followed Miya into the Living Room. On the table was a glass of milk and a rice ball with two bites in it.

Miya looked at him.

You've lost weight.

"No." Shin-chan pinched his cheek. "It's still round."

Did you eat well while you were out?

"Yes, in the Doggy Village, they even gave me a bone this big." Shin-chan stretched out his hands as wide as he could to show it, "But I couldn't bite it."

Miya was silent for a second.

Why are you biting a bone?

"Because Doggy can bite through it," Shin-chan said matter-of-factly. "I thought I could too."

Miya took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

Reasoning with this child is sometimes really useless.

She reached out and turned Shin-chan around, looking him over from all sides.

Arms, legs, back of the head.

There were no wounds or abrasions.

There was just some dust on his face.

Miya wiped the dust off his face with her hand.

"Mommy, it hurts!"

"Just bear with it."

After wiping the left side, I wiped the right side.

Shin-chan's face was scrunched up from being rubbed.

Miya withdrew her hand and looked at him.

Shin-chan tilted his head back, suddenly remembered something, and reached into his clothes to rummage around.

He took out a scroll.

"Given to me by my Grandpa Hokage."

Miya looked at the scroll; the strings tied on it were neatly arranged.

"What's this?"

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique," Shin-chan recited, as if reciting a memorized text, "A forbidden technique, not something ordinary people can learn."

Miya frowned slightly.

Is it dangerous?

"My Grandpa Hokage said it's not difficult, so it's not difficult for me either." Shin-chan tilted his head and thought for a moment. "But he didn't say whether it's dangerous or not?"

Miya glanced at the scroll again and hesitated for a moment.

"Then you must study hard."

"Mm." Shin-chan- chan nodded.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, and then the door was pushed open abruptly.

Hiroshi stood in the doorway, panting heavily. "Shin-chan!"

The small figure emerged from the Living Room.

Hiroshi rushed in without even taking off his shoes, scooped Shin-chan up from the ground, and hugged him tightly.

Shin-chan's face was pressed against Hiroshi's shoulder. "Dad, you smell awful."

Hiroshi didn't let go; instead, he hugged her even tighter.

"You brat!"

His chin brushed against Shin-chan's face.

"Dad, your beard!" Shin-chan frowned. "Ouch!"

Hiroshi then relaxed his grip slightly and looked down at him.

"Let Dad see."

He looked Shin-chan up and down, then turned him over and looked at him again; Miya's.

Are you alright?

"No," Shin-chan shook his head, then touched his face. "But I got pricked by Dad's beard."

Miya walked over to Hiroshi's side.

"Why are you back? Weren't you at work?"

I took the day off.

"Ask for leave?"

"I heard Shin-chan is back, and all I can think about is that kid." Hiroshi put Shin-chan down and ruffled his hair. "I told him my son was back, and I wanted to go home."

"Is it okay to ask for leave like this?" Miya, looking at him.

"Who cares?" Hiroshi squatted down in front of Shin-chan, putting his hands on Shin-chan's shoulders. "Our son's back; even the biggest problems can wait."

Shin-chan tilted his head and looked at Hiroshi.

"Dad."

"Um?"

"You're very handsome."

Hiroshi's nose suddenly stung with tears, and he picked Shin-chan up again.

Miya wiped her eyes with one hand and then hugged him too.

Shin-chan was sandwiched in the middle, his face squeezed shut.

"Dad, Mom."

"Um?

"You two are crowding me, I can't breathe!"

Miya and Hiroshi simultaneously let go of each other's hands, exchanged a glance, and both smiled.

"Alright, alright, it's good that you're back."

Hiroshi sat down on the sofa and patted the seat next to him.

Shin-chan climbed up and sat down next to him.

Miya sat down next to him, picked up the milk from the table, and handed it to Shin-chan.

Shin-chan -chan took it, gulped down two mouthfuls, and left a ring of white milk stains on his lips.

Miya reached out and wiped it off for him.

Hiroshi leaned back on the sofa, his gaze sweeping around the Living Room.

"."

"What's wrong?" Miya, looking at him.

Where's Shiro?

Miya paused for a moment, then looked down at Shin-chan.

"Didn't Shiro come back with you?"

Shin-chan put down his cup and licked his lips. "Shiro stayed in the Doggy Village."

Miya and Hiroshi were both stunned.

"Left there?" Hiroshi sat up straight. "Why?"

"Because Shiro wants to learn a technique." Shin-chan spread his arms wide to the sides, as wide as possible, "A technique that allows him to grow as big as a mountain."

"As big as a mountain?"

"Hmm." Shin-chan nodded. "Gray Ridge said only members of the Doggy royal family can learn it, and after learning it, they can protect the people they want to protect."

Miya frowned slightly and glanced at Hiroshi.

Hiroshi opened his mouth, about to say something.

"However," Shin-chan spoke up again, "I can call Shiro back."

"Call them back?"

"That's called Summoning Technique; it can summon Shiro over in a flash."

"Summoning Technique? You've even learned that?" Hiroshi was somewhat surprised. "That's impressive, Shin-chan."

"Hey," Shin-chan scratched his head, "No, not really."

Then he looked down at his hands, and then at the empty space in the middle of the Living Room.

"Then I'll call Shiro back now."

He stood up, walked to the open space, and pressed his hand to the ground.

His face turned bright red.

But nothing happened.

Shin-chan, still pressed to the ground, blinked. "Strange."

He tried again.

There's still nothing there.

"I definitely felt it."

He tried a third time.

There's still nothing there.

Shin-chan opened his eyes and looked down at the floor.

"Dad."

"Um?"

"This floor might not be very good."