Doraemon: Reborn As Dekisugi

As autumn settled in, the daylight hours became shorter. The once bright summer sky now had a hint of dusk by six or seven in the evening. Dekisugi had originally planned to head straight to the stationery store to buy some professional drawing paper and brushes, but with the sky already darkening, he decided it would be better to accompany Shizuka home first.

After all, it wasn't the safest to let a girl go home alone at such a late hour.

"Shizuka, it's getting late. I'll walk you home first; it's not safe to go back alone at this hour," Dekisugi said with a warm smile, his voice filled with genuine concern.

Nobita, who had been watching them, felt a sharp pang in his chest. He was about to return to the house, feeling defeated, but then he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Doraemon, who had been standing beside him, immediately noticed Nobita's discomfort. His stern eyes shifted toward him.

"What's the matter with you, Nobita?" Doraemon asked, his tone serious as he observed his friend's unease.

Nobita, however, didn't respond to Doraemon's question. There were more important things on his mind at that moment. Gritting his teeth, he muttered something under his breath, words meant for his own ears only.

"Damn it, Dekisugi is so good at flattering people! This is unbearable! What a flatterer!" he hissed, seething with jealousy.

In Nobita's eyes, Dekisugi was taking every opportunity to show off, trying to steal his future bride away from him. Nobita couldn't bear to watch anymore.

He couldn't just stand by and let Dekisugi take the spotlight, so he quickly slipped on his sneakers and rushed toward Dekisugi and Shizuka.

Shizuka turned to see Nobita running toward them, a puzzled look crossing her face. "Nobita? What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be having dinner?"

Nobita quickly put on a dry smile and scratched his head, trying to sound casual. "It's nothing. I just came to see you off, Shizuka."

He puffed out his chest, trying to sound confident. "How could I let you go back alone, especially after coming all the way to my house? I can only relax and enjoy my dinner once I know you're home safely, right, Dekisugi?"

He turned to Dekisugi, flashing him a pitiful expression as if asking for help in smoothing things over.

Dekisugi sighed, clearly helpless at Nobita's antics. He had no idea why Nobita acted this way, but he decided not to make a big deal out of it. "Alright, whatever you say," he said with a shrug.

Shizuka, on the other hand, seemed happy that both of her friends were accompanying her home. She smiled warmly at them both.

"By the way, Dekisugi, when will your 'Digimon' manga be ready? I can't wait to see it," Shizuka asked, her voice filled with excitement as she recalled the cute little dinosaur Dekisugi had drawn earlier.

Nobita, still sulking and unable to speak much, followed them with his head down, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He couldn't stand the thought of admitting that he admired Dekisugi's drawing talent, especially not in front of Shizuka. His pride wouldn't allow it.

If Shizuka weren't around, Nobita would have rushed to Dekisugi to ask to see more drawings and even beg to read the manga first. But in front of Shizuka, he couldn't let Dekisugi see him admit that he was a fan.

"Yeah, Dekisugi, when will it be ready?" Nobita mumbled, his voice low and lacking enthusiasm, though it was clear he was still trying to mask his jealousy.

Dekisugi chuckled lightly at Nobita's reaction but didn't let it show. He simply responded, "For the first chapter, I should be able to draw it in about a week, but if I work fast, maybe three or four days. I'll definitely show it to you when I'm done."

Nobita couldn't help but feel even more envious. His jealousy flared up again, but he did his best to suppress it. After all, it wasn't like Dekisugi's skill would change anything. And yet, Nobita couldn't shake the feeling of inadequacy that lingered as they walked.

As Dekisugi and Shizuka chatted and laughed, Nobita quietly followed behind, sulking in silence. Soon enough, they arrived at Shizuka's house, and she turned to face them with a bright smile.

"Alright, I'm home. Thank you, Dekisugi and Nobita, for walking me home," Shizuka said, her voice warm and grateful.

Nobita, who had been silently stewing for so long, suddenly felt his body tense up at her words. His face turned red with embarrassment, and he quickly stammered, "Th-thank you, Shizuka."

Dekisugi, who had been observing the scene with a faint smile, couldn't help but find it amusing. Children were easy to coax with just a few nice words. Shizuka was so polite, and Nobita, despite his usual tough demeanor, was clearly affected by her kind gesture.

"See you tomorrow, Shizuka!" Dekisugi said, giving her a friendly wave.

He turned to Nobita, who was still blushing and avoiding eye contact. "Let's go, Nobita. You haven't had dinner yet, and I still need to buy some drawing supplies. I'll walk you home."

Nobita, still flustered, nodded silently. He wanted nothing more than to head home and eat, but he couldn't let go of his frustration just yet. With his pride in tow, he walked alongside Dekisugi, avoiding conversation.

Dekisugi, sensing Nobita's unease, glanced at him and smiled mischievously. "By the way, Nobita, you'd better study hard tomorrow," he said with a knowing grin.

Nobita blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about, Dekisugi? What's with that mysterious smile?"

Dekisugi chuckled softly, realizing that Nobita hadn't yet put the pieces together. "Didn't the teacher say tomorrow is a math test?" he said with a smirk.

Nobita froze in place, his eyes widening in shock. His face turned pale as he realized the truth.

"Oops!" Nobita cried out in despair. "I forgot I have an exam tomorrow!!"

His frustration and panic were evident, and Dekisugi couldn't help but laugh at Nobita's reaction. It seemed like the day was far from over for Nobita.