Under the shady tree in the Carval family's garden, Myra sat on a wooden bench with Lumi beside her. A gentle breeze blew, making the afternoon feel pleasant. Lumi kicked her legs enthusiastically while hugging the Doraemon Volume 1 manga that Eldric had just given her.
"Mama, let's read!" Lumi exclaimed, handing the manga to Myra.
Myra smiled softly. "Alright, sweetie. Actually, I'm curious about this manga too," she said, opening the first page. Despite this, she still felt a little intrigued by Your Name, which had romantic elements. But for now, spending time with Lumi was more important.
As she opened the first page, Myra was immediately drawn to the colorful panels and expressive characters. "Look, Lumi. This is Doraemon," she said, pointing to the picture of a blue robotic cat emerging from a magical door.
"Is that its magic pouch?" Lumi asked with wide eyes.
"Yes, that's right," Myra replied, reading the narration in the panel. "Doraemon is a robot cat from the future. He came to help Nobita, a boy who often gets into trouble."
Lumi listened intently, following each picture Myra pointed to. Though she was starting to read on her own, Lumi often asked Myra to explain the story.
Myra continued reading, occasionally mimicking Nobita's clumsy voice or Doraemon's slightly stiff but wise tone. "Look at this, Lumi. Nobita can't escape from Gian, the big boy who always bullies him. But Doraemon has a tool from his magic pouch!"
Lumi laughed when Doraemon pulled out an item called the "Bamboo Copter." "A propeller on his head? That's so funny! Nobita can fly!"
"That's right, he can fly. But look, Lumi," Myra said, pointing to the next panel, "because Nobita is clumsy, he almost falls into the river."
Lumi laughed loudly, holding her stomach. "Nobita is so silly! Mama, I like him!"
As they kept reading, Lumi began asking more questions. "Why doesn't Doraemon have ears, Mama?"
"Hmmm, it's explained here," Myra said, reading further. "It says Doraemon's ears were bitten by a mouse in the future, so now he's afraid of mice."
Lumi was shocked. "A robot afraid of mice? That's weird!"
"That's what makes the story funny, sweetheart," Myra said with a wide smile.
When they reached the part where Nobita uses a magical tool to try and make himself smarter but ends up making everything worse, Lumi couldn't stop laughing. However, between her giggles, Myra noticed that this manga also delivered valuable lessons.
"Lumi," Myra said gently, "Doraemon always helps Nobita, but those tools don't solve everything. Nobita also has to learn how to face problems on his own. That's an important lesson, isn't it?"
Lumi nodded, though she was more interested in the magical tools that kept appearing. "Yes, Mama. But I want a magic pouch like Doraemon. I'll ask for a tool that can make all my dolls come to life!"
Myra laughed at Lumi's imagination. "Maybe one day, Lumi. But remember, the most important thing is to try things on your own first, okay?"
As they finished the last page, Lumi looked a bit disappointed. "Mama, is the story over? Nobita still has so many problems. Doesn't Doraemon help anymore?"
Myra gently stroked Lumi's head. "This is just Volume 1, sweetie. There are many more Doraemon stories to come."
"Mama, we need to ask Papa to make Volume 2 right away!" Lumi exclaimed enthusiastically.
Myra chuckled. "I agree. But Papa must be really busy. We'll have to be patient, okay?"
Lumi nodded slowly, though she seemed impatient. "But I like this story, Mama. Nobita is funny, and Doraemon is so amazing!"
Myra hugged Lumi, feeling happy to see her child enjoying the story so much. "I like it too, sweetheart. Papa is really good at creating such wonderful entertainment."
Still, in her heart, Myra felt increasingly curious about Your Name. "Tonight," she thought, "when Lumi's asleep, it'll be Mama's turn to enjoy the manga I've been waiting for."
But for now, seeing Lumi so happy with Doraemon was happiness enough for Myra.