The due date was originally still a week away.
But the little baby had her own schedule.
Hiroshi had just been about to leave for work when Misae called out to him.
"Hiroshi."
"What's wrong?"
"My stomach hurts. I think the baby's coming."
Hiroshi rushed to Misae's side and held her arm. "R-right now? Should we confirm it first? Could it be an upset stomach?"
"I've already given birth once." Misae took a deep breath. "I know what this is."
Shin-chan poked his head out from under the coffee table, still holding half a cookie in his mouth. "What's wrong with Mom?"
"You're about to have a little sister!" Hiroshi's voice kept jumping back and forth between excitement and panic.
"No, wait, honey, don't move. I'll go call someone... no, I should help you sit down first... no, where's the maternity bag? Last time, we clearly put it by the door..."
"It's in the big bag beside the second drawer of the bedroom cabinet," Misae said with her eyes closed.
Shin-chan had already run into the bedroom.
A few seconds later, he dragged out a bag even bigger than his upper body, his two legs pushing hard against the floor.
Hiroshi slung the maternity bag onto his back at the fastest speed of his life and helped Misae out the door.
Shin-chan put on his shoes by himself and chased after them.
The morning sunlight in Konoha Village was beautiful.
When they arrived at Konoha Hospital, Misae was pushed into the delivery room.
Hiroshi sat on the bench outside the delivery room, both hands clasped together on his knees, his gaze fixed on the door.
Shin-chan sat beside him, his legs unable to reach the floor. "Dad."
"Mm."
"Will Mom hurt?"
"She will." After saying that, Hiroshi immediately changed his words. "But the doctor big sisters will help her."
"Oh." Shin-chan was quiet for three seconds. "Then will Mom cry?"
Hiroshi remembered when Shin-chan was born five years ago. Misae had grabbed his hand in the delivery room, her nails digging into the back of his hand as she cried and cursed, "Nohara Hiroshi, I'm never giving birth again!"
That scene overlapped with the one now, and the back of his hand faintly went numb.
"She might cry."
Shin-chan did not reply. His eyes stayed fixed on the delivery room door.
No one knew how much time passed.
The nurses came out and went back in. Occasionally, sounds could be heard from inside the delivery room, but they couldn't make them out clearly.
Beside him, Shin-chan did not speak the entire time.
Before long, the delivery room door opened.
The young female doctor with a ponytail removed her mask and walked toward them.
"Mr. Nohara?"
Hiroshi hurriedly stood up. "That's me."
"Mother and daughter are both safe."
"Thank you." Hiroshi's entire body relaxed. "Can I go in and see her? Is Misae alright?"
"The mother is in good condition. You can go in, but please keep quiet."
When Hiroshi entered the delivery room, he looked back at Shin-chan.
Shin-chan jumped down from the bench and walked up to the doctor. "Mom is really okay?"
"She's okay." The female doctor crouched down and met his eyes. "Your mom was amazing, and the baby is very healthy. She cried really loudly."
Shin-chan nodded. "I cried really loudly when I was born too."
"Is that so?"
"Mm. Misae said so." Shin-chan tilted his head and looked at the female doctor in front of him. "Big sister, your hair is so pretty and smells so nice. What shampoo do you use?"
The female doctor froze for a moment. "The one provided by the hospital."
"Even the hospital-provided one smells this nice." Shin-chan leaned a little closer. "It smells even better than what my mom uses."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Big sister, do you deliver babies every day?"
"More or less."
"Then you must work really hard." Shin-chan stared into the female doctor's eyes. "Big sister, do you want to go on a trip of love with me? It can help you relax."
The female doctor rubbed Shin-chan's head. "Go in and see your mom first. We can talk about those questions next time."
"When is next time?"
"The next time you come to the hospital."
"Then I'll go bring Mom out now, and then come back in to find you."
After saying that, he turned and ran into the delivery room.
Misae was lying on the hospital bed. Her face was a little pale, and her damp hair clung to her forehead.
Hiroshi sat on the chair beside the bed, holding Misae's hand.
"Shin-chan, come look at your little sister."
"She's so small." Shin-chan leaned over the edge of the bed, his voice unconsciously becoming quieter.
"You were this small when you were just born too," Misae said.
Shin-chan stared at that wrinkled little face for a long time. "She looks like a monkey."
Hiroshi was just about to say something, but Misae spoke first.
"When you were just born, you looked even more like a monkey than her."
"Really?"
"Really."
Shin-chan looked at her for a while longer. "Then will she grow up to be as handsome as me?"
Misae and Hiroshi looked at each other.
"She will."
Shin-chan brought his face closer, stretched out one finger, and gently poked his little sister's cheek.
"So soft."
"Don't poke her awake."
"I poked her gently." Shin-chan unconsciously lowered his voice. "Mom, what's her name?"
"We haven't thought of one yet."
"What do you mean, you haven't thought of one?"
"It means we haven't decided yet."
Shin-chan's expression became serious. "Then is she called 'Hey' right now?"
"For now, she's called 'little baby.'"
"No." Shin-chan shook his head. "If someone asks her what her name is and she says, 'My name is Little Baby,' wouldn't that be really strange?"
"Then what do you think she should be called?"
Shin-chan struck an exaggerated thinking pose. "Nohara Himawari."
"Why Himawari?"
"Because sunflowers always look at the sun," Shin-chan said seriously. "The sun is warm, so sunflowers turn toward the sun."
He pointed at his little sister on the bed. "Little sister can be the sunflower."
Then he pointed at Misae. "Mom can be the sun."
"What about Dad?"
"Dad can be the person who waters it."
Hiroshi froze for a moment, then smiled and shook his head.
"Himawari." Misae softly repeated the name.
Shin-chan looked a little expectant. "How is it?"
"It's nice." Misae lowered her head and looked at the baby. "Nohara Himawari."
Hiroshi nodded as well. "Then it's decided."
His little sister was still sleeping, completely unaware that an important discussion about her name had just taken place.
Shin-chan stretched out his little finger and gently touched his sister's hand.
"Hima."
He tried calling her once.
His little sister did not open her eyes, but her hand unconsciously grabbed Shin-chan's pinky.
Shin-chan's body stiffened. "Mom, she grabbed me."
"She likes you." Misae smiled.
Shin-chan lowered his head and looked at the finger his little sister was holding. Her strength was very small, but he simply didn't dare move.
"When will she let go?"
"Maybe in a little while." Misae pulled the blanket up a bit. "You can gently pull it out."
Shin-chan hesitated for a few seconds, then finally shook his head.
"Forget it. Let her hold it."
"Why?"
"Because I'm her big brother." Shin-chan's expression was very serious. "A big brother's hand can be held by his little sister."
After a while like that, Shin-chan said again, "Before, I was Mom's bodyguard. Starting today, I'm the bodyguard of the Nohara family."
~~~
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