Doraemon: Starting by Taking Care of Tamako Nobi

"I don't want to do this anymore..."

"Why won't this stupid ring come off?!"

Nobita flailed helplessly as the Spartan Coach dragged him up and down from the water like a piece of discarded trash. He had gulped down more than enough seawater, yet hadn't made the slightest progress in learning how to swim.

Clutching at the belt around his waist, he kept whining, thrashing aimlessly in the water without making a real effort to learn.

When the coach pulled him back onto shore yet again, Nobita finally snapped. He grabbed a rock from the ground and hurled it.

"Take that! I hate you!"

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The robotic Spartan Coach crumpled into a pile of bent metal and broken wires. Nobita collapsed in the sand, victorious and free at last.

"That Doraemon... that blue blob was just torturing me!"

Spitting out a mouthful of seawater, Nobita staggered to his feet. Then he remembered the transformation gadget Doraemon had shown him earlier. If he was lucky, it might still be lying nearby.

"Found it! Hehe..."

"This is way more my style! Even if it only lasts fifteen minutes, it'll be enough!"

He scooped up the transformation cards and the ring-shaped device. Just insert a card and stand inside the ring, and you'd transform into the corresponding animal.

He picked up a fish card and grinned.

"Shizuka! Catch it!"

"Hey, Suneo! What are you doing? Move faster! Run!"

Meanwhile, Hiro Nobi and the others were playing a 2v2 beach volleyball match in the water, with Mini-Dora acting as the referee. The game was fast-paced and full of energy.

"Hey, Doraemon! Where's Nobita? I haven't seen him in a while," Hiro said during a break, looking around with concern. He was worried Nobita might be up to something again.

"Nobita? He's learning to swim," Doraemon replied.

"Yeah, right," Suneo scoffed. "That guy? Learn how to swim? Don't make me laugh."

Just as he finished speaking, something darted through the water beneath him.

"Whoa!"

A shadow surged up and knocked Suneo off his feet. Gian and Hiro were next, all dragged underwater, coughing and spluttering as they gulped down seawater. Only Shizuka managed to dodge in time.

"That little rascal... he actually learned how to swim?!"

"Come back here! Don't run!"

Gian growled and swam after him, fully intent on giving Nobita a good pounding.

But there was no way he could catch up. Nobita, now with a sleek fish tail instead of legs, zipped through the water with ease, dodging every attempt to grab him.

"Come on, try and catch me! There's five of you and you still can't keep up. How embarrassing!"

"With my swimming skills, I must be some kind of prodigy!"

Floating proudly on the surface, Nobita showed off, completely ignoring the furious expressions behind him.

But his moment of glory was short-lived.

His fish tail suddenly vanished.

"Oh no! My fifteen minutes are up!"

"Help! Somebody help me!"

Without the tail, Nobita was back to being the same old helpless klutz, thrashing in the water and calling for help.

"Ugh, always trying to take shortcuts... You're impossible," Doraemon muttered, dragging Nobita back to shore and helping pump water from his stomach.

In the rush, one very important detail was overlooked.

Nobita had no swim trunks on.

And so, the unfortunate truth was... everything was on display.

"...Just slightly better than Gian," Hiro muttered after a quick glance. Then, acting swiftly, he covered Shizuka's eyes with his hand.

"Ha ha ha! Naked!" Suneo howled, pointing mercilessly.

Gian gave an awkward chuckle, trying to hide the existential crisis swirling in his mind.

Being shown up by Nobita? That... that was just cruel. His meager 3.8 cm didn't stand a chance. He forced a smile to hide the sting.

"You jerks! I'll get back at you for this!" Nobita shouted, humiliated, as he ran off into the trees. Mini-Dora chased after him to keep him from causing any more trouble with the gadgets.

The rest of the group, tired from all the excitement, rested under the shade of a coconut tree, letting the ocean breeze soothe them.

Shizuka leaned lightly against Hiro, still a bit shaken. Even though he had blocked her view, she couldn't completely unsee what had flashed before her eyes.

"Um... would you like some water?" she asked timidly. "You didn't bring a bottle... you can use mine."

"Thanks."

Hiro wasn't one to fuss. He took the canteen and drank deeply without even unscrewing the lid.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Shizuka hadn't had a sip herself. Her lips were dry.

"Here. You should drink too," he said, handing it back.

As he passed it to her, his hand accidentally brushed the cooler beside them. Even with nothing special inside, the moment still felt warm and lovely—simple and sweet.

"Hmm... I wonder where Doraemon and the others went. They were supposed to bring lunch. I'm getting really hungry," Shizuka murmured as she took a small sip and rubbed her belly.

It was already the afternoon, and no one had eaten yet.

"I'm kind of hungry too. Why don't we go forage for some wild fruit?" Hiro suggested.

"Hey Gian, Suneo! Want to help us look?" he called.

"Sure! This feels just like a survival adventure on a deserted island!"

The two eagerly agreed and headed into the forest to search.

Hiro and Shizuka walked along the jagged rocks at the edge of the beach. If Hiro remembered correctly, he had seen some shellfish earlier.

"Wow! Look at these abalone and crabs! They look delicious!"

Shizuka's eyes sparkled as she picked up a plump abalone.

"Lucky us. I guess I wasn't imagining it. Let's grab as many as we can."

Hiro was thrilled by the find. He couldn't help but compare the abalone's richness to Shizuka's presence... and concluded the sweet girl still won.

"But we don't have any tools. I don't think we can carry much," Shizuka said, frowning.

Four hands weren't enough, and even the few they'd picked wouldn't fill anyone's belly.

Thankfully, Doraemon showed up just in time. It seemed he hadn't been able to catch Nobita.

He handed them each a bucket. Working together made it easy to gather plenty, and they soon returned to the shore with two full buckets.

Meanwhile, Gian and Suneo brought back a big pile of wild fruit. They crunched satisfyingly as they bit in, and no one got sick—so far, so good.

With all this food, it was time for a beachside barbecue. Doraemon set up a grill, wire rack, and smokeless charcoal.

No seasoning needed. When the ingredients are top quality, the simplest cooking method is best. Hiro had some grilling experience, so he took the role of head chef.

As the fire crackled, the scent of roasted crab and abalone filled the air.

"Hiro... is it ready yet? My stomach's been growling forever," Gian whined, licking his lips for the tenth time.

"Hold on, Gian. Almost there."

Hiro expertly flipped the food with a pair of tongs. The crab shells turned bright red, the abalone tender and juicy. Everything was nearly perfect.

"Alright! Dig in!"

"Finally! Let's eat!"

Gian rushed over with the plate Doraemon gave him, shoveling food onto it like a man starved.

"Hey! You haven't even finished your own plate and now you're going after mine!" Suneo yelped, dodging Gian's chopsticks as he ran with his food in hand.

The group burst into laughter as the playful chase began.

Only one person wasn't laughing.

Hidden in the bushes, a naked Nobita glared at them all.

"How dare they! Sneaking off to eat without me!"

Clutching his transformation card, he seethed with jealousy. The smell of grilled seafood tormented him.

He vowed silently: this wasn't over.