Chapter 4: A Mysterious Thief.



The morning sun shone brightly over Futaba Kindergarten.

For once...

Everything was peaceful.

Too peaceful.

Kazama narrowed his eyes as he entered the classroom.

"...Something feels strange."

Nene looked up from her doll.

"What do you mean?"

"It's quiet."

Masao blinked.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Before Kazama could answer—

"GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY!!"

The classroom door flew open with a loud bang.

Shinchan burst inside with his arms spread wide like a superhero making an entrance.

Kazama closed his eyes.

"...Never mind."

"There goes the peace," Nene sighed.

Shinchan grinned proudly.

"I heard that."

"I wanted you to."

After morning lessons, Miss Yoshinaga clapped her hands.

"Alright, everyone! It's snack time."

The children happily opened their bags.

"Chocolate cookies!"

"Apple slices!"

"Rice crackers!"

Masao reached into his bag.

"...Huh?"

He searched again.

His smile slowly disappeared.

"My cookies..."

Nene frowned.

"What happened?"

"They're gone."

"Gone?" Kazama asked.

"I packed them this morning..."

Everyone looked around.

Shinchan dramatically stood up.

"This..."

He pointed toward the ceiling.

"...is a case."

Kazama immediately sighed.

"No."

"A mysterious case!"

"No."

"A dangerous case!"

"No."

"The greatest mystery in kindergarten history!"

"...Definitely no."

Five minutes later...

The five children sat together in a circle.

Shinchan stood on a chair.

"I officially declare..."

He cleared his throat.

"...the first mission of the Kasukabe Defence Force!"



Bo-chan slowly clapped.

Nene smiled.

"Sounds fun."

Masao raised his hand nervously.

"Do... do mysteries have ghosts?"

Shinchan gasped.

"They might!"

Masao almost cried.

Kazama pinched the bridge of his nose.

"This isn't an investigation anymore."

Shinchan grabbed a stick from outside.

"This..."

He pointed at the ground.

"...is my detective stick."

Kazama folded his arms.

"What exactly does a detective stick do?"

"It points."

"..."

"Very professionally."

The group began searching around the playground.

Nene examined the flowerbeds.

Masao looked behind the slide.

Bo-chan quietly observed the ground.

Shinchan searched inside a toy bucket.

Kazama looked around carefully.

"There has to be a logical explanation."

Shinchan suddenly shouted—

"I FOUND A CLUE!"

Everyone ran over.

"What is it?" Nene asked.

Shinchan proudly held something in the air.

"...A leaf."

Silence.

Kazama stared.

"...That's a leaf."

"Exactly."

"Leaves are everywhere."

"Which makes it suspicious."

"It makes it a leaf."

Meanwhile...

Bo-chan slowly crouched near the sandbox.

"...Footprints."

Everyone gathered around.

Tiny marks covered the sand.

Kazama adjusted his glasses.

"Those aren't human footprints."

Shinchan gasped dramatically.

"An alien!"

"No."

"A monster!"

"No."

"A ninja hamster?"

"...No."

Bo-chan quietly pointed toward a nearby tree.

"Crow."

Everyone looked up.

Sitting on a branch...

A crow held a cookie in its beak.

Masao's eyes widened.

"My cookie!"

The crow flew away.

Shinchan pointed dramatically.

"CHASE IT!"

Before anyone could stop him—

He ran.

"Shinchan!"

Kazama chased after him.

"Wait!"

The others followed.

Soon...

Five tiny children were running through the playground, chasing one very confused crow.

The chase ended near a bench.

The crow flew away...

Leaving the cookie behind.

Masao carefully picked it up.

"...I don't think I want it anymore."

Nene giggled.

"I wouldn't either."

Shinchan proudly placed his hands on his hips.

"Mission complete."

Kazama looked at him.

"We accomplished absolutely nothing."

"We solved the mystery."

"..."

"...Fine."

"You admit I was right?"

"I admit there really was a mystery."

"Ha!"

"But your detective stick was still useless."

"It wasn't useless."

"What did it do?"

"It gave emotional support."

Kazama couldn't help it.

He laughed.

A real laugh.

Only for a second.

But Shinchan noticed.

"You laughed!"

"I didn't."

"You definitely did."

"I smiled."

"Same thing."

"It is not the same thing."

"It counts."

Kazama shook his head.

"...You're impossible."

"And yet..."

Shinchan smiled.

"...you still came with me."

Kazama looked away.

"...Because someone had to stop you from getting lost."

Shinchan grinned even wider.

"So you were worried about me."

"I was worried about everyone else."

"Sure, Kazama."

"..."

"...Maybe a little."

Shinchan blinked.

"...Really?"

Kazama immediately realized what he'd said.

"I TAKE THAT BACK!"

Shinchan burst into laughter so loudly that even Miss Yoshinaga looked outside the classroom.

Nene smiled knowingly.

Masao laughed along.

Bo-chan quietly said,

"They'll always argue."

No one realized how true those words would become.

Years later...

They wouldn't remember the stolen cookies.

Or the detective stick.

Or even the crow.

But they'd remember laughing together.

And sometimes...

Those are the memories that stay with you the longest.

Thank you so much guys!!!

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