"All right, Shizuka, you can get down now."
Now out of the danger zone, Kevin's arms, sore and trembling, finally gave out. After gently setting the girl down, he collapsed onto the sidewalk.
Still too weak... He didn't have much strength to begin with, and on top of that, he'd been carrying two fully loaded backpacks along with her.
"Thank you, Kevin."
Shizuka's feet touched the ground. A faint blush crept up her ears.
They were standing very close. Kevin's breath brushed against her ear, sending a tingling shiver down her spine.
She tucked a few stray strands of her warm hair behind her ear and followed Kevin with small, delicate steps. There was something oddly pleasant about his scent.
Soon, they arrived at Shizuka's house.
Her mother, Mrs. Minamoto, beamed with joy as she looked at her daughter's perfect score. Clearly, Shizuka had made an excellent friend. She immediately rushed off to the kitchen to prepare some snacks.
Once homework was done, the two began playing a game.
It turned out Kevin wasn't familiar with the rules of Japanese Reversi. Shizuka was surprised, but couldn't hide the small joy in her voice as she explained how the game worked.
"Shizuka, I didn't know you kept a diary," Kevin remarked casually, glancing at the pink notebook on her desk.
"Mm-hmm, it's one of my hobbies."
"Do you keep one too?"
"Of course I... don't. Haha…"
After some light chatter, Kevin packed his books and left her house.
Before leaving, he agreed to write a shared diary with her. That was no small gesture it meant her feelings toward him had deepened significantly.
After all, for a girl to suggest keeping an exchange diary was something shy and deeply personal.
Kevin thought back to how flushed Shizuka's face had been. She had looked truly adorable.
"Good afternoon, sir!"
"Oh, Kevin, what a coincidence. I didn't expect to see you here. I'm actually on my way to the Nobi residence right now."
On the way home, Kevin happened to run into Mr. Terakoya, who was on his way for a home visit. Kevin respectfully greeted him and walked along while listening to the teacher's praise.
Inside the Nobi household, Noby had just gotten out of the bath. Fully dressed, he was kneeling in front of Doraemon, pleading desperately.
"Doraemon, you've got to help me get revenge! Takeshi went too far this time. I've never been so humiliated in my life!"
"Okay, okay, Noby. I already know what happened. I'll figure something out."
Doraemon looked down at Noby, a trace of disdain in his eyes, though their friendship kept him from saying anything too harsh.
Honestly, Noby's return home had been traumatic he'd looked like a yellow blur, leaving "markers" everywhere he went.
And to make matters worse, Doraemon had been in the middle of eating dorayaki when it all happened. The psychological damage was immense.
Now, staring at the half-bitten dorayaki on the plate, he had no appetite whatsoever.
"That boy... He's already this old, and still doing things like this..."
At the front entrance, Tamako Nobi angrily scrubbed the floor with a mop, grumbling to herself.
Then came a knock at the door. She opened it to find Mr. Terakoya and Kevin. Hastily, she ushered the teacher inside with the utmost courtesy.
"Mrs. Nobi, Noby failed the exam again today. While he wasn't dead last, second-to-last isn't much better."
"I do hope you'll discipline him more strictly in the future. He would do well to learn from Kevin."
Mr. Terakoya's words were stern. Tamako kept a smile on her face, but inside, the volcano was already bubbling.
The moment the teacher left, she erupted.
"Noby! I've had enough of you! Another failed test!"
"If this keeps up, I won't be giving you any more allowance!"
On the second floor, Tamako roared at her son, her fury echoing through the house. Once she'd vented, she sighed and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
"Mrs. Nobi, would you like some help?"
"I've finished my homework and don't have anything else to do."
Kevin stepped forward, not just observing, but genuinely offering to help.
"Oh? That would be very kind of you."
"You worked really hard on today's exam…"
"I'll have to give you a special reward later."
She ruffled his hair with a fond smile. Seeing Kevin's bright, handsome face eased her temper somewhat.
A special reward? Kevin thought. If it's something I like, then all the better! But he knew it probably wasn't what he was imagining.
Tamako opened the fridge and took out some pork, preparing to make hamburger steaks.
Kevin helped with the vegetables at the kitchen table, all while quietly admiring her precise, practiced movements.
The curve of her back, the graceful sway of her hips, and the long, elegant legs… Her proportions were almost too perfect.
"Kevin, your veggie chopping is way off. Let me help."
Sure enough, he'd been too distracted to focus on the task at hand. The green peppers and carrots were cut into big chunks useless for hamburger patties.
Now standing beside her at the counter, Kevin resumed helping with the meal prep.
"Ah! A mouse!"
Suddenly, a scream rang out from upstairs. A mouse dropped from the ceiling and landed squarely on Doraemon's head, knocking him out cold.
Noby came running in with a baseball bat, chasing the rodent straight into the kitchen. In his panic, he slipped and crashed into both Kevin and Tamako.
"Eek!"
A soft, startled cry escaped Tamako's lips.
Kevin felt his head sink into something warm and gentle a sweet, irresistible trap.
"My glasses! I can't see!"
Tamako flailed, unable to see clearly. Everything was a blur, sending her into a nervous frenzy.
"Kevin... could you get off now…"
"Sorry, Mrs. Nobi! I swear it was an accident!"
Kevin reluctantly helped her up and handed back her glasses, savoring the lingering warmth on his hands.
She actually looked even more beautiful without the glasses, but sadly, she couldn't see anything without them.
"Thank you."
She adjusted her glasses and looked at Kevin. There was a trace of regret in her expression but she composed herself quickly, as though nothing had happened.
The two of them resumed preparing dinner as if it were just another ordinary evening.
Upstairs, Noby was still swinging his bat, chasing the mouse, completely oblivious to what had just occurred.