time skip
Nemuri woke up feeling wrecked, but also determined. All sleepy, she wandered to the bathroom to clean herself up and begin her usual morning rituals. To her surprise, Nezu had given her the day off so she could devote it entirely to Sonic.
Finished with her morning chores, she quietly walked into Sonic's room to make sure he was still asleep. Seeing him sleeping peacefully, she smiled and quietly closed the door. On the living room table, the credit card the school had allocated for Sonic's needs and a shopping plan were waiting for her. Today she was going to splurge on the fidgety lump, providing him with everything he needed to live and learn comfortably.
As she prepared a simple but nutritious scrambled egg, Nemuri realized that eggs alone were not enough. Teenagers, especially active ones like Sonic, needed more energy-dense food. She decided it was worth stopping at some place with fast food on her way to the mall. Hamburgers, fries, drinks... all the things that teenagers usually like. It would be a nice addition to breakfast and a good start to the day.
Sonic finally woke up, stretched and yawned widely. Nemuri, wasting no time, placed a plate of scrambled eggs in front of him, from which a delicious steam was rising.
"Eat, eat," she said in a caring but unobjectionable tone. - I can't have you going hungry for the fourth day in a row. It's no business!" She watched Sonic reluctantly but obediently take in the food.
Finished with breakfast, Sonic was about to fall back onto the bed, but Nemuri stopped him with a gesture.
"Well, no, sweetie. Now put on that outfit you wore yesterday," she said, tilting her head slightly. - Yes, it's a little big for you, but walking around in just a towel is too much. Today we have big plans. We're going to the mall and restock your closet."
There was a disgruntled muttering in response to her words that was hard to make out. Something along the lines of "clothes... stupid." Sonic was clearly not thrilled at the prospect of changing clothes.
Finally, after much coaxing, grumbling, and a few disgruntled sighs, Sonic was bundled into the provided closet. "At least he looks human now," Nemuri thought to herself, looking him over with satisfaction. Without giving him a chance to change his mind or run away, she picked him up in her arms, despite his even louder protests, and quickly dragged him into the car.
After buckling Sonic into his seatbelt (to continued mutterings), she headed towards one of the largest malls in the city. The first item on the list was a clothing store. After trying on dozens of things and listening to Sonic's comments about "this is too boring", "this is too bright", and "this is uncomfortable to run around in", Nemuri was finally able to pick out a few sets that suited them both. They left the store with a couple of large bags. And Nemuri, engrossed in the process, bought a few things based solely on her own taste. She just couldn't resist the cute sweaters and stylish jeans, imagining how Sonic would flaunt them.
The next point on their route was a large grocery store. Nemuri, gauging her busyness for the days ahead, decided to stock up on groceries for the next few days. And then the real test of her patience began. Sonic wouldn't stop talking for a second. Every grocery item she put in the cart was met with a violent reaction.
"It's too green!", 'I'm not eating that!', 'Can we get more candy?', 'Why, do we live here?' - his comments seemed endless.
For a moment, Nemuri felt like her nerves were on edge. And then she saw the same mischievous glint in Sonic's eyes that always heralded trouble. She realized: it was now or never. With lightning speed, she grabbed a large scoop of ice cream off the shelf.
"Here," she held out the ice cream to Sonic, "this is for you."
The plan worked flawlessly. Sonic's eyes lit up and he fell silent, happily gorging himself on the sweet treat. Nemuri took a breath and continued to fill the cart with groceries, enjoying the few minutes of silence and the chance to focus on her food selection.
In between selecting yogurt and cheese, Nemuri stopped by the stationery department. She tried to think ahead and bought everything Sonic might need for school: pens of different colors, plaid and ruled notebooks, an eraser, a sharpener, a set of colored pencils, a drawing album, and even a couple of colorful textbooks for elementary school. She hoped it would help Sonic adapt to the learning process faster and make him a little more appealing.
And so, when Nemuri was finally about to take all the purchased food and school supplies to the car, Sonic suddenly tugged her arm sharply, interrupting her actions. His gaze was fixed on the brightly lit kiosk, from where the tempting aroma of fried sausage and a bun wafted out. Nemuri followed his gaze, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly. She was beginning to imagine putting her purchases in the trunk and heading home, but...
She lowered her gaze to Sonic's face and saw that same mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Hot dogs?" - She asked, already anticipating further events. Indeed, other than eggs and ice cream, they hadn't eaten anything serious today. Remembering Sonic's nearly endless supply of energy, Nemuri sighed.
"Okay," she thought to herself, reconciling herself to the inevitable.
"Why not? One hot dog won't hurt him." She was already imagining how tired she'd be, though, watching his activity after this "light" snack.
One hot dog...what's the big deal?
But the plans for 'one small hot dog' spiraled out of control with frightening speed. Nemuri, distracted for a moment, found Sonic already eating his twenty-seventh hot dog at an incredible rate! And judging by his shining eyes and active buzzing, he wasn't going to stop. Each bite was accompanied by enthusiastic comments:
"This is the food of the gods!", 'The best thing humans have ever invented!', 'I could eat them forever!'. Had those unsightly sausages in buns become his most favorite food?
Nemuri, waking up from her somewhat daze, shook her head sharply.
"Sonic, that's enough!" - She exclaimed in a stern, but still slightly surprised voice.
"You can't eat that many hot dogs! That's junk food! And heroes need to eat right to be strong and healthy!"
Ignoring the protesting sighs, pitying eyes, and mutterings about "favorite food rights," Nemuri grabbed his hand and headed for the car, decisively ending this unplanned hot dog eating marathon. She felt Sonic trying to resist, but her resolve was stronger. It was time to go home and get all the shopping, and more importantly, her own nerves in order.
And so the days went by, filled with endless hustle and bustle, Sonic's little pranks and the mild, almost imperceptible irritation Nemuri sometimes felt. Sonic seemed to be an inexhaustible source of energy and was always doing something, making Nemuri marvel at his extraordinary abilities and then clutch her head in despair as she imagined the consequences of his activities. But she never gave up, trying to channel his energy and secretly counting the days until he could start studying.
And then, finally, it happened. The phone rang, and Nezu's number popped up on the screen. Nemuri's heart raced. She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, and picked up the phone.
"Nemuri, good afternoon," she heard the principal's friendly voice. - Good news. Sonic's paperwork has been processed and he can join classes as early as tomorrow."