Doraemon: Starting by Taking Care of Tamako Nobi

The morning sun rose gently over the rooftops, casting its soft glow through the curtains.

A slender arm reached out from beneath the covers. Tamako slowly opened her eyes, still half-asleep, a faint blush lingering on her cheeks.

Fortunately, nothing too out of bounds had happened last night. There was still room to keep things normal.

"Mom! Why didn't you wake me up today?!"

"Oh no, I'm going to be late!" came Noby's frantic voice from the hallway as he scrambled to get dressed and packed for school.

He charged into the kitchen only to find the dining table empty.

"Mom? You're not up yet?"

"Ah sorry, Noby! I'm coming! Just wait for me in the hallway!" Tamako called back in a fluster.

She quickly put on her glasses and hurried to the kitchen. She hadn't slept that well in a long time, and it had been hard to get out of bed that morning.

Meanwhile, Hiro slowly stirred and sat up, rubbing his eyes. Yawning, he made his way to the sink.

"Morning, Noby," Hiro said casually, brushing his teeth.

"…Morning, Hiro."

Noby blinked at him, puzzled as to why Hiro was coming out of the guest room on the first floor. He tried to piece it together but couldn't make sense of it and there was no time anyway.

"Come on, Hiro! We're gonna be late if we don't leave now!"

He glanced at the clock, then bolted out the door without waiting for breakfast.

Hiro, on the other hand, stayed behind brushing his teeth unhurriedly.

He was already late. A few more seconds wouldn't make a difference. Besides, skipping breakfast was unthinkable.

After finishing his meal, Hiro slowly made his way to the entryway, putting on his shoes.

"Have a good day at school. Be careful out there," Tamako said warmly, still with a rosy glow in her cheeks.

"Thanks," Hiro replied.

He stood on tiptoe and pecked her gently on the chin just barely reaching due to his height.

Tamako leaned down slightly and returned the gesture with a small smile.

Once he left, she went back to her room to tidy up the bed.

Luckily, the weather was sunny. The laundry would dry quickly without leaving any marks.

Placing a hand gently over her heart, Tamako took a breath. For once, the emptiness she often felt was a little lighter.