Chapter 69: Chapter 69: This Is a Topic That Absolutely Cannot Be Touched!
"Who's the most obedient little doggy? Come over here and let me give you a hug!"
Maybe it was because she got a little too carried away after everyone praised her, or maybe it was because… in that other world, Shin-chan often called her over like that.
Hearing Shin-chan suddenly get the urge to get closer to the little pup, Eriri opened her mouth without thinking at all.
"Of course it's me! Here I come!"
Only after Eriri, full of joy, ran to Shin-chan's side did she realize something was wrong.
'Wait? Why did I speak?'
At this moment, Eriri finally came back to her senses. She was no longer "Kei", and it wasn't just her and Shin-chan at home anymore.
Her tsundere traits disappeared, but the trait of being a dumb beauty remained unchanged. Maybe it was because she'd been taken care of by Shin-chan for over ten years, Eriri's reactions were always a beat slow.
In that moment, the room felt as if time had frozen.
Yukinoshita Yukino's iceberg-like face instantly cracked.
'I knew it! You guys are playing some kind of sick thing behind my back! Ate too much McDonald's and now actually think you're a little dog! Fully roleplaying this kink into real life!'
Misae's mouth hung open. 'Shin-chan does stuff like this in private? No, wait, this girl named Eriri doesn't seem like that kind of person? There must be some misunderstanding, right?'
'And also, Shin-chan... Shin-chan...'
Misae tried to convince herself Shin-chan was a good kid, but when she recalled everything he'd done growing up, she just couldn't convince herself anymore.
Could it be Shin-chan really went down the path of crime and made a move on Eriri?
'Look at what he's turned this silly girl into!'
Himawari didn't say a word, just pulled out her phone and started rapidly messaging Ai-chan.
[Himawari: Home in danger! Come back quick!]
"Eriri, it's not good to joke around like that all the time." Shin-chan felt the murderous glares from Misae, Himawari, and Yukino, and wiped away a cold sweat.
"Ahem, Eriri is actually a manga artist. She's always joking around like this."
"Sorry sorry! I just suddenly thought of a story idea! My brain didn't react in time!"
Eriri's face turned beet red. 'What to do, what to do?'
If it were anyone else who heard her, it wouldn't matter, but it had to be Shin-chan's biological family that heard.
'Would Auntie think I'm a shameless girl?'
But the explanation Shin-chan gave actually sounded kind of reasonable. Otaku culture was huge here in Japan, though the general public still didn't have the best opinion of people obsessed with it.
Judging by that oil painting Eriri did, her art skills were clearly top-tier, so it wouldn't be surprising at all if she became a manga artist.
"I didn't know Eriri was a manga artist? What kind of manga do you draw? Shoujo romance?"
Misae then asked a question Eriri absolutely couldn't answer. She was a dark genre doujinshi artist.
If she revealed the name of the doujinshi she drew, not only would she suffer a social death, but the entire book might get erased. This was a topic that couldn't be touched, at all.
"Yes, romance genre… manga. Not really that well-known."
Humiliation and romance are not the same thing.
Yukino was still full of suspicion. The explanation sounded reasonable, but something just didn't sit right with her.
The relationship between Eriri and Shin-chan definitely wasn't that simple.
"Um, our family driver is here to pick me up. It's getting late, so I'll be leaving now."
Eriri took out her phone and saw a message from, Sayuri asking if she was going home tonight. If not, the driver would be sent to pick her up.
She breathed a sigh of relief, finally saved. Standing up, she gave a small apologetic bow. It was time for Eriri's strategic escape.
"Alright then, Eriri, you can head out first."
Shin-chan wondered if Eriri's IQ might actually be lower than that of a real puppy. How could she be this dumb? Talking and acting without thinking, but then again, the Eriri from back then really was just like that.
"Sorry, Auntie and Himawari, if I wait any longer, the driver will leave. See you next time."
"Yukinoshita-san, see you tomorrow."
After saying that, Eriri ran off in panic.
———
On the other side, Ai Suotome was watching her phone with interest, looking at the messages sent by Himawari. She really didn't spoil this sister for nothing. 'Even at a time like this, she's still thinking about me.'
But Eriri was way too naïve. Did she really think the thing between her and Shin-chan was something only the two of them knew?
What the system hadn't told Shin-chan was, as the most important NPC in that world besides Shin-chan and Eriri, Ai Suotome also gained a fragment of memory when the system integrated the multiverse.
The memory abruptly cut off at the part where she and Shin-chan started dating in Japan and eventually separated due to family reasons.
The moment they met again in the classroom, Ai-chan recognized the girl named Eriri as the Yorkshire terrier that Shin-chan raised.
'No wonder whenever Eriri was with Shin-chan, she kept sneaking peeks and seemed to have intense hostility toward me.'
Ai-chan only had to observe briefly to deduce that both Shin-chan and Eriri had gained fragments of that world's memories, just like her.
Still, Ai-chan wasn't worried. After all, that was something that happened in another world.
In this world, she was the sole heir to the Suotome family. Her parents had no intention of interfering with her love life or marrying her off to other powerful families.
And after she regained that piece of memory, Ai-chan had immediately started making moves. She was going to take full control of the Suotome family and secure absolute authority.
'The plan is just about to come to fruition, so let this disobedient little dog enjoy herself a little while longer.'
Ai-chan glanced at the photo on the table in front of her.
'Oohara Nanako…'
That was her real rival.
In this world, Ohara Nanako and Shin-chan didn't know each other, but ever since Shin-chan gained memories from that other world, Nanako had become Ai-chan's greatest threat.
The worst part was, in this world, Ohara Nanako was only four years older than Shin-chan. There wasn't much of an age gap between them at all.
The only silver lining for Ai-chan was that Nanako didn't seem to have regained her memories from the other world. She and Shin-chan were still strangers.
Looks like the plan needs to move even faster…
———
Just after leaving Shin-chan's apartment and getting into her family's luxury car, Eriri finally let out a breath of relief. But when she took out her phone, she saw a friend request notification on her phone.
Shin-chan had requested to add her as a friend. The request message said, [Eriri, long time no see.]
Eriri, '!!!'
[Eriri: Who are you?]
[I'm your mistress, of course. Don't tell me Eriri forgot about me?]
'Wha… What the hell!? This evil woman also has memories of that world!?'
Eriri felt like the sky was falling. She thought she'd secretly made the first move, but in reality, she'd been standing in place the entire time?
'This woman is terrifying! She must've recognized me the moment we met, and she still pretended like she didn't know me!?'
[What's wrong? Can't speak? Didn't you just go see Shin-chan today? Even met his mom and Himawari, didn't you?]
'His mom???'
Eriri's mental ship… completely sunk.
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