Chapter 5: Beautiful Memories
"I'm so tired—finally home."
Kawakami Yuichi complained as he opened the door.
Although there had been a few minor hiccups on the way back, they didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that both Shin-chan and he were unbearably hot and needed the air conditioning to cool them down quickly.
As for Mew, it was considered the ancestor of all Pokémon, so this heat wouldn't affect it at all.
"Shin-chan, hurry up! Go to the bedroom and turn on the aircon. The remote is on the desk."
"I'll put my things down first and then join you."
After successfully opening the door, Kawakami Yuichi took Mew and the two large bags of groceries to the kitchen.
Shin-chan, on the other hand, kicked off his shoes and dashed off to the bedroom like a speeding bullet train.
Pitter-patter-patter...
Soon, Shin-chan arrived in the bedroom, picked up the aircon remote from the desk, and pointed it at the unit.
"Power on!" He then pressed the switch.
Beep!
Whoooosh!
A cool breeze dispelled the sweltering heat, bringing instant relief.
"Ahh, this is the best! Standing under the aircon is definitely the most comfortable thing on a hot day like this," Shin-chan said, wriggling closer to the vent.
He then lazily sprawled out under the vent, basking in the air-conditioned bliss.
Meanwhile, Kawakami Yuichi, having successfully put everything away, entered the bedroom carrying two boxes of Chocobi and some drinks.
Upon entering, he saw Shin-chan sprawled on the floor enjoying the aircon and thought with a touch of exasperation, Which little goofball wasn't feeling the heat and was playing kakurenbo in the park just now?
"Shin-chan, get up! Look what I brought!"
Kawakami Yuichi placed the Chocobi and drinks in front of Shin-chan.
He then sat down under the aircon vent to enjoy the cool air himself.
"Wow, it's my favorite Chocobi! Itadakimasu!" Shin-chan quickly grabbed a box of Chocobi after seeing what Kawakami Yuichi had brought.
After deftly opening the packaging, he lifted the lid and started tossing the chocolate biscuits one by one into the air, then caught them precisely with his mouth, displaying a series of impressive acrobatic feats.
Clap clap clap!
Seeing this, Kawakami Yuichi couldn't help but applaud, praising, "Sugoi, Shin-chan! You're amazing! I must say, your talent in certain areas is truly astonishing!"
"Ehehe~, it's nothing really. You're making me embarrassed with all that praise," Shin-chan replied somewhat shyly upon hearing Kawakami Yuichi's compliment.
"But Shin-chan, can you truly appreciate the deliciousness of the Chocobi eating them that way?" Seeing his reaction, Kawakami Yuichi asked curiously.
"Of course I can!"
"Then tell me, what does it taste like?" Kawakami Yuichi pressed.
"To be honest, the taste is really hard to describe. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it's the most delicious thing in the world," Shin-chan replied earnestly.
Hearing this explanation, Kawakami Yuichi reached into the Chocobi box in Shin-chan's hand, took a biscuit, and tasted it.
Mmm~
Savoring the taste of the chocolate biscuit in his mouth, Kawakami Yuichi had to admit that Shin-chan was right—the taste was indeed indescribable.
"Yabai!" Shin-chan suddenly exclaimed in alarm.
"What's wrong?" Kawakami Yuichi asked, puzzled.
Then he saw Shin-chan look at the watch drawn on the back of his hand and say, "It's time for Action Kamen!"
With that, he dashed to the TV in the bedroom, grabbed the remote, and turned it on.
Shin-chan's hand-drawn watch was truly the most amazing thing Yuichi knew—it was always so accurate.
Sure enough, as soon as he turned on the TV, the Action Kamen theme song, "Action Kamen no Uta," started playing.
"Action Kamen no kamen (The mask of Action Kamen)"
"Go! Go! Go! Let's Go! (Charging forward)"
"Chikyuu no heiwa mamoru tame (To protect the peace of the Earth)"
"Action sei kara yattekita (Coming from Action Star)"
"Action Beam! (Action Beam!)"
"Action Punch! (Action Punch!)"
"Action Kick! (Action Kick!)"
"Action Beam omimai suru ze! (Take this Action Beam!)"
"Go! Go! Seigi no Action Kamen!"
...
"Action Kamen! Shin-chan, I'll watch it with you," Kawakami Yuichi said, coming to Shin-chan's side to watch Action Kamen together.
And you know what? As expected of a tokusatsu hero based on Kamen Rider, it really felt like watching Showa-era Kamen Rider—it was actually quite entertaining.
He was also a Kamen Rider fan himself, though not a hardcore one.
As he watched, Kawakami Yuichi became completely engrossed.
However, no matter how good a show is, it has to end eventually, and the TV screen showed that today's episode of Action Kamen had finished.
"Shin-chan, that was really good! I've realized I'm hooked on Action Kamen," Kawakami Yuichi said to Shin-chan.
"Right? Right? Action Kamen is super awesome! Wahahaha!" Shin-chan then struck the iconic Action Kamen pose, raising his hand and laughing loudly.
"Then I'll do it too—wahahaha!" Kawakami Yuichi also raised his hand and laughed.
"No, no, Kawakami-niisan, raise your hand a little higher. It should be like this—wahahaha!" Shin-chan demonstrated for Kawakami Yuichi.
"Oh, oh, I see! Wahahaha!" Following Shin-chan's suggestion, Kawakami Yuichi tried again.
"Yeah, yeah, that's it! Wahahaha!" Shin-chan joined Kawakami Yuichi in striking the Action Kamen pose.
"Hey Shin-chan, do you want to stay for dinner tonight? I'm making Japanese home cooking!" Kawakami Yuichi asked after finishing their poses.
"Eh! Really? Hai, hai!" Shin-chan replied excitedly.
"In that case, go home and tell your mom first, so she won't worry. Then come back over. I'll go start preparing now," Kawakami Yuichi said to Shin-chan.
"Ryōkai!" Shin-chan raised his hand to indicate he understood, then ran straight home to tell his mom.
After Shin-chan left, Kawakami Yuichi headed to the kitchen and started preparing.
—Time passed—an hour later.
Kawakami Yuichi carried the prepared dishes to the table one by one: nikujaga, karaage, oyakodon-style chicken and egg, ohitashi spinach, and miso soup.
Shin-chan and Mew were already sitting at the table, eagerly waiting.
They were overjoyed to see the delicious dishes being served.
"Alright, all the dishes are ready. Shin-chan, let's eat!" Kawakami Yuichi said after placing the last dish on the table.
"Itadakimasu!"
With that, Shin-chan eagerly picked up a piece of karaage and tasted it.
"Umai~! It's delicious! Kawakami-niisan, your cooking is way better than Mama's!"
"Really? Thank you for the compliment. Here, try this one too—don't be shy."
Hearing the praise, Kawakami Yuichi happily placed a serving of nikujaga into Shin-chan's bowl.
Dinner continued in this warm, harmonious atmosphere until the end.
Today's experience left Shin-chan, Kawakami Yuichi, and Mew with wonderful memories.
[End of Chapter 5]