"Alright, you don't need to worry about Onii-chan. He'll definitely be fine at school."
Nohara Himawari felt a little helpless looking at her worried mother.
She understood her older brother better than her parents did, knowing that Shinnosuke's unreliable behavior since childhood was just an act.
The Shinnosuke of the past was indeed a troublesome child, but the current Shinnosuke had become a reliable man like Nohara Hiroshi.
Besides, she had received secret information that behind the merger of Shuchi'in Academy and Sobu High this time, there was the shadow of the Suotome family. She was sure her brother would be very surprised when he met her when school started later.
Thinking of this, Himawari couldn't help but give a small smile.
"Just relax! We'll pack up tomorrow and leave!"
"Shiro, you're coming with me this time!"
Shinnosuke hugged Shiro. He would definitely bring Shiro with him when he went to Sobu High School.
Don't look at Shiro who currently looked very healthy, but in fact, Shiro was already over ten years old, already considered an old dog.
It would be bad if something happened to Shiro while he was at school.
"It happens to be a holiday tomorrow, Dad will drive you. To celebrate Shinnosuke entering high school, let's have sukiyaki for dinner tonight!"
The attitude of her husband and daughter relieved Misae. Although Shinnosuke was sometimes unreliable, he could still be depended on at important moments. She was just going through menopause, so she had many thoughts.
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In a luxurious villa in Chiba, a reddish-brown-haired girl was drinking tea.
'Finally back in Japan. I wonder how Shin-chan has been lately.'
Thinking of Shinnosuke, Suotome Ai put down her teacup.
The Suotome Group was a top-tier corporate group that far surpassed the Shinomiya family. The difference was that most of the Suotome Group's industries were overseas. That was why, after graduating from kindergarten, Ai went abroad to study.
The merger of Sobu High School and Shuchi'in Academy, as well as Toyogasaki High School this time, seemed to have the shadow of the Suotome family behind it.
It was called a merger, but in reality, Shuchi'in Academy swallowed the other two high schools.
"It's time to give Shinnosuke-sama surprise!"
Looking at Shinnosuke's photo on the desk in front of her, Ai couldn't help but smile, but that smile somehow looked a little strange.
Maeda, the bodyguard and servant beside her, felt a little helpless.
Her young lady would become like a lecherous woman every time she thought of Shinnosuke. If this were photographed and spread, the Suotome family's reputation could be severely damaged.
However, her young lady wouldn't care about that. After all, the young lady had already passed the tests of the head of the family and had been designated as the sole heir to the Suotome family.
Shinnosuke's physical condition was quite good, and his relationship with the young lady was also good. It would be best if he married into the Suotome family in the future.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Shinnosuke, who was eating sukiyaki, didn't know that someone was already looking forward to meeting him when school started.
On the other hand, the atmosphere in the Nohara family was still as good as ever, still very happy.
For Shinnosuke, this feeling of growing up slowly over time felt more real and happy.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
The next day, as promised, Hiroshi drove Shinnosuke to the apartment near the school. Because they had to bring luggage and Shiro, Himawari stayed at home.
The house Hiroshi rented for Shinnosuke wasn't far from the merged school. The room wasn't very big, but the facilities inside were complete, with a bedroom, a small living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. There was even a small bathtub in the bathroom for soaking.
"Shin-chan, if you have any difficulties or run short of pocket money, remember to tell us at home."
"Relax, I'll get a part-time job. Instead of worrying about me, you should worry about your figure."
Misae, who was initially still immersed in sadness because her son was starting to live independently, immediately clenched her fists.
"You little brat!"
A punch landed on Shinnosuke's head. Misae wasn't worried anymore. This damn potato kid really deserved to suffer a little!
"What's with that look!"
After hitting Shinnosuke, Misae turned her head and saw Hiroshi beside her giving a look of agreement, and she immediately flew into a rage.
As a housewife for many years, her figure had indeed changed a bit, but wasn't that a natural thing?
"Hahaha…"
Hiroshi awkwardly scratched the back of his head, apparently caught by Misae.
"Don't worry, Shinnosuke. Although our family's financial situation isn't great, your allowance will definitely be enough."
After the promotion, Hiroshi's monthly salary had increased significantly. Their family's housing loan wasn't fully paid off yet, but because the interest rate for first-time home buyers in Japan wasn't too high, their monthly mortgage payments were almost negligible, not much more expensive than this apartment Shinnosuke rented.
Shinnosuke nodded, not too worried. Since he was little, he had basically never worried about money.
After all, Nohara Shinnosuke's luck had always been very good. He was a child loved by the heavens, and his luck in romance was even more extraordinary.
After helping Shinnosuke tidy up his room, Hiroshi and Misae were about to leave.
"We're leaving, Shiro. You take good care of Shin-chan, understand?"
Before leaving, Misae and Hiroshi hugged Shiro. The entire Nohara family liked this smart dog very much. Shiro's intelligence was very high, far exceeding ordinary pets.
Shiro, who was being hugged, nodded, as if he also felt that Shinnosuke indeed needed his care.
"Hahahaha, I'm counting on you, Shiro."
After putting Shiro down, Hiroshi and Misae, although still a little worried, knew that Shinnosuke had reached this age, and it was indeed time for him to start becoming independent little by little.
Shinnosuke let out a sigh of relief after seeing his parents off. His mother had tidied up the room very comfortably, and she had also brought him a lot of snacks.
Looking at this room that was entirely his own, Shinnosuke's expression was serious, but soon he chuckled and showed his characteristic smile.
"First, let's drink a big iced coffee! Then while eating snacks, we'll watch TV until late at night!"
"A happy bachelor life, starts like this!"
'Turns out, he's still that Shin-chan, hasn't changed at all."
Shiro silently shook his head, then went to the side to study the layout of his new home. In this new apartment, it would be a bit troublesome to go for walks on his own.
Opening the refrigerator, he took out a can of coffee, then grabbed a bag of chocolate biscuits.
"Turns out, canned coffee tastes better than plastic bottles, but the best is still glass bottled coffee."
After taking a sip of coffee, Shinnosuke burped comfortably and unconsciously muttered.
*Beep beep beep…*
The phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and saw Toru Kazama's name displayed on the screen.
"Hello, Shin-chan, have you rented a house already?"
"Oh, Kazama. I'm drinking coffee. Do you also think cold canned coffee tastes better than plastic bottled coffee?"
"Yes, coffee tastes best when it's cold…"
Kazama followed Shinnosuke's words, imagining the taste of iced coffee, but soon realized something was wrong. The topic had gone off track again!
"No, that's not what I meant. I'm asking if you've rented a house or not. School is starting soon, how about we hang out with Masao, Bo-chan, and Nene?"