#978 Norito’s Growth

Seasons come and go.

It’s me again.

After a long winter filled with all sorts of events, spring has finally returned to our farm.

“Our season has come backkkkkkkk!!!”

“Yayyyyyyyyyyyy!!!”

Even the cherry blossom and plum trees are excited.

They’re so loud.

I didn’t think plants were supposed to make that much noise.

But, oh well.

What’s important now is that winter’s chill has given way to spring, and life is bursting into action once again.

For us farmers, living in harmony with nature is especially important.

The start of a new year begins today!

Let’s make it a good one!!!

So, on this brand-new spring day, there’s something very important I need to address.

It’s about my son.

Junior?

Yes, Junior is growing up adorably and quickly, but this isn’t about him today.

I’m talking about my other son, my second-born, Norito.

Norito, born as the second child in our family, is three years old in this world without calendars.

He should be turning four this year.

At his age, he’s growing so fast.

He can stand, walk, and talk just fine now.

“Dad, daddd. Cwear your mind of all mundane thoughtsss.”

“Yes, yes, Junior, you’re full of energy today too.”

That was Junior speaking.

Confusing, I know.

Anyway, parents are always eager to see their children grow.

When will they stand up?

When will they talk?

When will they move on from breastfeeding to solid food?

We know every kid is different, but we still get anxious if our child is even a day behind the neighbor’s kid.

And with a second or third child, there’s even more to compare against our past experiences.

Did Junior talk this much at this age?

Compared to Norito?

These thoughts come naturally.

Thankfully, Norito is growing at a steady pace, never giving us too much to worry about.

He’s already running around the yard with strong legs, speaking quite well.

Today, he’s out in the sunny spring garden, running around with his big brother, Junior, and our guard dog, Pochi. He’s chattering away energetically.

And what is he saying?

“Fall, dwagonfwyyy!”

...

Yep. Our three-year-old just told a dragonfly to fall.

“Wait, Noritooo.”

In the yard, Junior is chasing after Norito.

With Pochi happily running around them.

Are they playing tag?

Norito, nimble for a three-year-old, dodges around skillfully...

“I can see them! I can see the enemiesss!”

...

Somehow, he’s picked up that phrase from somewhere.

While shouting curious things, he continues to avoid being caught by his brother and Pochi, and then he kicks over a can placed in front of him.

Were they playing Kick the Can?

“If you hadn’t come out, you wouldn’t have gotten into twouble!”

...

Okay, I’m definitely not hearing things.

Norito’s vocabulary is ridiculously biased.

Who the heck taught my kid these phrases?!

It definitely wasn’t me! I’m not one of those obsessive geeky parents!

“I don’t want to admit ittt. It’s a mistake of youth!”

No, no, no, no...!

That’s not it at all!

It’s not that I don’t want to admit it. I’m saying it definitely wasn’t me.

But think about it, there’s no way someone could have taught him these lines in this fantasy world.

If there’s even the slightest possibility, it would be me.

And I’m innocent. Really, believe me.

“It’s a mistake of youthhh.”

I told you, it’s not me!

I’m not that young anymore!

Am I older than Captain Ral now?

Y’know...

...The people who used to be older than me are now younger...!

No, that’s not the point!

D*gwin is still older than me!!!

No, that’s not the point, either.

The real issue is that my cute little Norito has picked up strange catchphrases.

Ideally, I’d find the person who taught him these phrases and confront them.

...But after thinking it over, I don’t think there’s a culprit.

Logically, there shouldn’t be anyone in this fantasy world who knows these phrases.

I think Norito somehow picked them up naturally.

After all, there’s Junior’s precedent.

Considering Junior’s style, that one enlightened person said, “I alone am honored in heaven and on earth” at birth, which means he didn’t have time to learn it from anyone, right?

Following that logic, it’s not surprising Junior declared, “I alone am honored in heaven and on earth” without being taught.

So, if my second son Norito says something like, “The heart of the universe was him all along,” it wasn’t taught by some random person; rather, it came from deep within his heart!

That’s even scarier, though.

Norito’s weird style has made him even harder to deal with as a parent.

Imagine being the parent of Gar*ta’s son. That must be a nightmare.

It’s like a world where everyone is perpetually in their rebellious phase.

I was terrified of having a son like Am*ro, but Norito’s other parent, Platy, doesn’t seem to mind.

“Junior, Norito, it’s time for your nap. Let’s wrap up the outdoor playtime.”

“No. It’s not over yet.”

“Oh, come on. If you don’t nap, you won’t last until night.”

“I’ll fix all the gwown-upsss.”

“Sorry, kids don’t win against their parents. Now, let’s get to bed as mommy says.”

“Platy could have been my mother!”

“Not ‘could have been,’ I am your mother.”

Platy is amazing.

She handles Norito’s extreme antics with ease.

Is this the strength of a mother?

Or is it that a true extrovert finds a catchphrase-spouting nerd insignificant?

In the end, Norito was captured by his mother and taken to the bedroom.

Pochi and his group watched him go, looking like they wanted to play more.

...Well.

It means everyone on our farm is growing up steadily.

“As the years pass, it’s hard for youth to learn.”

Junior declared this beside me.

This kid has grown up in his own unique way...

Then Platy returned...

“What are you doing, Junior?! You need to nap, too!”

“No! Those who have awakened are fwee from evewythinggg!”

Even though Junior has grown, he’s still a child to his mother.

People grow, but that doesn’t mean children suddenly turn into adults.

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the lines norito said and the censored character names kidan mentioned in his monologue both reference gundam. junior... well, it's always got something to do with buddha/buddhism