At the Dinner Table:
Souya and Hiroshi clinked their glasses and treated each other like brothers, enjoying their drinks together. All that was missing was a sworn brotherhood ceremony.
As the saying goes, "When you meet a kindred spirit, a thousand cups are not enough." Hiroshi's gentleness came from the heart, and he always made others feel comfortable.
"Mr. Nohara, I really can't drink anymore."
Kurasaki waved his hand, politely declining Hiroshi's offer to refill his glass.
"Ah, don't be shy! We're neighbors now, and we should help each other out in the future. If you don't drink, it means you don't consider me a true friend," Hiroshi said. His face flushed as he snatched Souya's glass and forcefully refilled it.
Half-amused and half-exasperated, Souya replied, "Fine, fine, I'll drink. I'll drink, all right?"
"That's more like it," Hiroshi said with a satisfied nod.
[Congratulations, host! You have made your third friend. First-time reward: Alcohol Immunity Constitution.]
[Congratulations, host! Your friend Nohara Hiroshi's affection level is now at 54. Reward: 10 million yen.]
Upon hearing the system's notification, Souya breathed a sigh of relief. Ten million yen wasn't a huge amount—just over 500,000 Chinese yuan—but it was enough to solve his immediate financial crisis.
"Hey, hey, Kurasaki-kun, we're just getting started! Don't stop now!" Hiroshi patted Souya's shoulder and urged him on.
"Alright! Tonight, we're drinking until we drop!"
With his newly acquired alcohol immunity, Kurasaki felt confident. He picked up his glass and downed it in one go, completely shedding his earlier polite habit of sipping slowly.
"Good! Drink until we drop!" Hiroshi was fired up by Souya's enthusiasm, too. The two began toasting and drinking each other under the table.
Hiroshi thought he could easily handle Souya, thanks to his years of honing his drinking skills through workplace socializing. But to his surprise, Kurasaki only grew more energetic with each drink, downing every glass in one go.
At first, Hiroshi could keep up with Souya's pace, but as glass after glass was emptied, his speed slowed noticeably.
Soon, his eyes rolled back, he passed out, and he collapsed face-down on the table. Misae thoughtfully covered him with his jacket to keep him from catching a cold.
"Really, why push yourself when you can't handle it? You're so stubborn, bringing suffering upon yourself."
"Hic—"
Souya burped, stood up unsteadily, and walked toward the living room entrance. "Mrs. Nohara, it's getting late. I should head back now."
"Let me see you out," Misae said, concerned about Souya's unsteady state. She stood up as if to support him, but he sidestepped her with a small, quick movement.
"No need, Mrs. Nohara. I can make it back on my own. Don't worry."
"Shin-chan, Himawari, goodbye."
He waved goodbye to Shin-chan and Himawari and walked out the door.
"Eee, ah, ah!"
"Goodbye!"
Shin-chan and Himawari watched Kurasaki Souya leave, closing the door behind him.
Misae gave Shin-chan instructions before heading into the living room. "Dinner really took over two hours. Shin-chan, go help Mom run the bathwater and keep an eye on Himawari. Mommy needs to clean up the dishes."
"Okay!" Shin-chan replied, picking up Himawari and heading to the bathroom.
Meanwhile, on Kurasaki Souya's side...
After leaving the Nohara residence, his body instantly became steady and his footsteps became steady, with no trace of being drunk.
He looked up at the dark, overcast sky and walked toward his house. As he reached the door, he suddenly noticed a glimmer of light in the bushes, which immediately put him on alert.
"What's that?"
Souya cautiously approached and pushed aside the grass. He saw a silver moon pendant lying on the lawn.
"You scared me."
He muttered to himself, picked up the pendant, and put it in his pocket. Then, he took out his keys, opened the door, and walked inside.
Back home, he took out a futon and laid it on the tatami floor. There was no other way—now that he was in the world of Crayon Shin-chan, he had to adapt to the local customs.
A thought suddenly crossed his mind: Why did Kazama's family, who were clearly wealthier than the Noharas, live in an apartment while the Noharas lived in a house?
Where he came from, apartments like that were practically uninhabited.
After thinking it over, he couldn't figure out the reasoning behind it, so he decided not to dwell on it. He took a quick bath and went to sleep.
The next morning 🌅
Souya woke up unusually early. In the past, he would have slept until noon, but after transmigrating to this world, he found that he was unable to fall back asleep after waking up at 7:00 a.m. to use the bathroom.
While washing his face in the bathroom, he looked at his reflection and was surprised to find that he looked exactly like he did before transmigrating.
"I'll familiarize myself with the streets and see where the breakfast shops are," he muttered to himself.
He muttered to himself, put on his clothes, and headed out. He walked quickly through various streets and soon gained a clear understanding of the area.
The neighborhood was mostly residential, with only one or two convenience stores and hardly any shops.
He entered a store, bought some bread and milk, and paid with the bank card provided by the system.
[Daily mission refreshed.]
[Today's mission: Meet and befriend Matsuzaka Ume.]
[Mission reward: A limited-edition sports car with unlimited fuel.]
Matsuzaka Ume?
Wasn't she the teacher of the Rose Class at Futaba Kindergarten?
As soon as Souya stepped out of the convenience store, he froze in surprise. He was completely unaware of the woman in a trench coat walking toward the store from the left. The two collided instantly.
Kurasaki was fine, merely pausing for a moment, but the woman fell to the ground.
He quickly turned around and offered her his hand. "Are you okay?"
The woman started to scold him, saying, "Don't you watch where you're—*ahem*—I'm fine," but immediately became ladylike upon seeing his face.
"Glad to hear it."
He helped the woman up. Only after pulling her to her feet did he notice that her outfit looked familiar.
She wore a khaki trench coat, cool sunglasses, and white high heels—the epitome of a city sophisticate. Her long black hair and sunglasses, which hid her eyes, couldn't conceal her beauty.
"Is something wrong?"
The woman noticed Souya staring at her blankly and wondered if there was something on her face.
"Have we met somewhere before?"
Kurasaki felt that the woman looked familiar, but he couldn't place her, which frustrated him.
Is he hitting on me?
Should I play along?
Even if the pickup line is cliché, he's so handsome!
The woman froze for a moment. In the next second, she was already envisioning their wedding.