Nobita
“Doraemoooon!”
The familiar shout echoed through the room.
Nobita burst through the door, clutching his cheek dramatically. His school bag slipped from one shoulder as he pointed at himself accusingly.
“Gian punched me here! And here too! It hurts!”
On the floor, Doraemon didn’t even look up from the comic book he was reading.
“Mhm.”
Nobita froze.
“...Mhm?”
Doraemon flipped a page.
“You always come running to me whenever something happens.”
Nobita immediately dropped beside him.
“Then give me a gadget! Just one! This once! Please?”
“No.”
The answer came so quickly that Nobita blinked.
“No?”
“No.”
Doraemon finally lowered the comic book and stared at him.
“If you keep relying on my gadgets, when are you ever going to grow up?”
Nobita’s mouth fell open.
“Grow up? Gian beat me up!”
“And your solution is always a gadget.”
“That’s because you’re supposed to help me!”
Doraemon frowned.
“No. I was sent here to help you become better, not solve every problem for you.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The room suddenly felt much smaller.
Nobita looked away first.
“Fine.”
His voice came out quieter than he intended.
“If you don’t want to help me just say so!.”
Doraemon turned back to his comic.
That hit him harder than Gian’s punch.
Nobita clenched his fists.
“Whatever.”
He stormed out of the room.
The door slammed shut.
Silence followed.
A few seconds later, Doraemon lowered his comic again exhaling.
“...Stupid Nobita.”
Truthfully, he had already been in a bad mood.
The dorayaki he’d been looking forward to all week had sold out before Nobita’s mother could buy any.
Doraemon was being stubborn, and he put his frustration onto nobita instead.
Outside, Nobita kicked a pebble along the road.
“What’s his problem?”
Kick.
“I didn’t even do anything.”
Kick.
“He’s the one acting weird.”
Kick.
The pebble rolled too far.
Nobita hurried after it—
—and walked straight into someone.
“Oof!”
Books scattered across the pavement.
“A-Ah!”
Nobita immediately dropped to his knees.
“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”
He hurriedly gathered the fallen books before handing them back.
A hand reached out to take them.
“It’s alright.”
Nobita looked up.
Dekisugi.
As always, perfectly neat.
Perfectly calm.
Perfectly unlike him.
Dekisugi accepted the books with a small smile.
“Thank you.”
Nobita scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“No problem.”
For some reason, Dekisugi kept looking at him.
Nobita shifted.
“...What?”
Dekisugi tilted his head.
“You seem upset.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m not.”
Dekisugi smiled slightly.
“Then where are you going?”
“Nowhere.”
“Why?”
Nobita opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
“...No reason.”
Without waiting for another question, he turned and started walking away.
But as he did, he couldn’t help noticing something strange.
Dekisugi’s gaze lingered on him for just a second longer than usual.
And for some reason—
it made him feel embarrassed? He kept walking slightly faster,
As, Dekisugi stood still for a moment, holding the books against his chest.
Something about Nobita looked… off.
Not the usual dramatic sulking after Gian bullied him.
This felt quieter.
Heavier.
“Wait,” Dekisugi suddenly called.
Nobita stopped but didn’t turn around immediately.
Dekisugi walked closer, slower this time.
“You’re really upset.”
“I said I’m fine.”
“That usually means you’re not.”
Nobita clicked his tongue lightly. “Why does that concern u?”
Dekisugi blinked mumbling with a sigh
“it’s true? then”
Nobita finally turned toward him with an annoyed expression, though it looked more tired than angry.
“Do I really look that pathetic?”
Dekisugi’s eyes widened slightly. “No.”
The answer came too fast.
Too honest.
Nobita looked surprised.
For a second neither of them spoke.
The breeze moved through the trees softly.
Then Dekisugi adjusted the books in his arms and said quietly, “If someone hurts you, you don’t always have to pretend it doesn’t matter.”
Nobita laughed awkwardly. “Easy for you to say.”
“Hm?”
“You’re good at everything.”
Dekisugi’s expression changed a little at that.
Not offended. Not smug.
Just… sad.
“You think that makes things easy?”
Nobita frowned.
“Well… yeah?”
Dekisugi looked away toward the sunset.
“People only like the version of me that never struggles.”
That caught Nobita off guard.
Because Dekisugi almost never talked about himself.
“You…” Nobita hesitated. “You struggle too?”
A tiny smile appeared on Dekisugi’s face.
“Of course.”
Nobita stared at him like this was shocking new information.
And somehow, Dekisugi found that expression unbearably cute.
So cute, in fact, that he immediately looked away again before his face betrayed him.
“Well,” Dekisugi cleared his throat softly, “where were you planning to go?”
“Nowhere.”
“That’s not a destination.”
Nobita sighed dramatically. “I just wanted to get away from home for a bit.”
“Because of Doraemon?”
“…Maybe.”
Dekisugi was quiet for a moment before speaking again.
“There’s a new café near the stationery shop.”
Nobita blinked. “Huh?”
“They sell melon bread.”
“…Are you trying to bribe me?”
“A little.”
Nobita snorted despite himself.
And Dekisugi felt an odd sense of victory seeing him smile again.
“Come on,” Dekisugi said gently. “You can complain to me instead.”
Nobita stared at him suspiciously.
“You’re weird today.”
Dekisugi froze internally for half a second.
“Sorry?”
“You’re being… extra nice.”
Dekisugi let out a small laugh. “Maybe I felt bad for crashing into you.”
“You didn’t crash into me. I crashed into you.”
“Hm. Then maybe I’m just being selfish.”
Nobita tilted his head. “How is buying me food selfish?”
Dekisugi looked at him quietly.
Because the real answer was:
Because I like hearing you laugh.
But instead he simply smiled.
“You’ll understand someday.”
And somehow that answer made Nobita’s chest feel strangely warm.
