Doraemon: Starting by Taking Care of Tamako Nobi

Nobita combed the coastline carefully, searching every nook and cranny while calling out Shizuka's name.

No response.

After a long while, his anxious search finally led him to the cliffside cave, where he spotted two figures Shizuka and Hiro.

"Shizuka! Are you okay? I've been looking everywhere for you!" he cried out, practically tumbling forward in excitement like the Monkey King springing from a stone.

Shizuka glanced at him coolly, her tone flat. "It's just you, Nobita. Thanks to Hiro, I'm perfectly fine."

Her expression carried a tinge of quiet disapproval.

Everyone knew the truth by now. That dinosaur must have been Nobita's doing another prank involving one of Doraemon's gadgets that had gotten wildly out of hand. The fact that it caused so much chaos was no surprise.

Still, she chose not to press the matter. They were friends, after all.

"Heh... that's good to hear..." Nobita scratched his head and laughed awkwardly, missing the subtext entirely. He had no idea Shizuka was criticizing him.

Instead, his eyes fixated on her with an infatuated grin. Shizuka's flushed cheeks and pale yellow swimsuit made her look even more adorable.

Uncomfortable under his gaze, Shizuka instinctively covered her chest and walked over to Hiro, who was rinsing off his stomach with seawater.

She blinked at him and spoke with a mix of hope and excitement. "By the way, Hiro... tomorrow... would you like to go out with me?"

"Tomorrow?" Hiro smiled. "Of course. As long as you ask me, I'm always free."

"Great! I'll wait for you at the entrance to the shopping street tomorrow morning. Don't be late, okay?"

Shizuka's cheeks turned even pinker as she spoke. It was the first time she had ever invited Hiro out herself, and she was both nervous and thrilled.

Now that they'd secretly acknowledged their feelings, going on a date just felt like the natural next step. She couldn't wait.

"Tch. There she goes again, whispering sweet nothings to him. Disgusting."

Even without hearing the conversation, Nobita could tell it was irritating. Just watching the two of them made his blood boil.

He puffed out his cheeks in frustration and made a mocking face at them from a distance. It was all he could do.

Eventually, it was time for everyone to go home.

Doraemon pulled out the Anywhere Door, and the group returned to their respective homes.

Night fell over the town, its lights twinkling like stars scattered across the Milky Way.

After dinner, Nobita and Doraemon sat in the living room watching TV. Hiro had been there too, but Nobita's mother, Tamako, had mysteriously pulled him away, saying she urgently needed his help with something.

"Wow, there are so many stars tonight. Looks like we'll have great weather tomorrow," Nobisuke, Nobita's father, said as he sat outside enjoying the night sky.

"Huh? Where's this water coming from? Is it raining?"

Warm droplets landed on his face. He looked up, puzzled. There were no clouds in sight. The water didn't behave like rain either it appeared, then vanished, like it had never been there at all.

...

...

The next morning, Hiro woke up early. Today was important. He couldn't afford to be late.

He washed up downstairs, checked himself in the mirror, and picked out a cheerful, sunny outfit. He looked good and knew it.

"Perfect. Let's go."

In high spirits, he left the house and headed for the shopping street.

He'd told Tamako ahead of time that he'd be out today, so there was no breakfast waiting. He'd grab something to eat later on.

His wrist still ached a little from last night. Tamako had insisted on stargazing by the window, and he'd ended up doing all the heavy lifting. But it wasn't all bad. As a reward, he'd gotten to see a "fountain." Unexpected, but worth it.

"Leaving this early? Something's definitely fishy."

Creak.

From the second-floor stairs came the sound of footsteps.

Just moments after Hiro left the house, Nobita slipped out too, fully dressed and suspicious.

He was sure Hiro was hiding something from him.

"I'm going to find out exactly what he's up to."

He followed Hiro quietly, keeping just far enough back to stay hidden behind telephone poles and corners.

Hiro felt a pair of eyes on him but couldn't spot anyone. Shaking off the feeling, he made his way to the shopping street.

"Shizuka!"

He spotted her from across the street and waved with a bright smile.

"Good morning, Hiro!"

Shizuka returned the wave with a gentle smile. Her obsidian eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and she had clearly dressed up just for today.

She wore a blue-and-white blouse tucked into a mini skirt, with her soft hair cascading freely, pinned back by an elegant clip. A shoulder bag hung from her arm, and she wore white sneakers and socks. She looked full of youthful charm.

"You look amazing today, Shizuka. Honestly, there's no room in my eyes for anyone else."

"A-Ah... thank you. You look really handsome today too, Hiro. Like... like a prince..."

Shizuka blushed as she glanced at her skirt. It was a special reward she'd earned recently for scoring 100 on a test.

Wearing it today had been the right choice. Hiro's reaction said it all.

"A prince, huh?" Hiro chuckled. "Then allow me to escort you, Princess."

He reached out and gently took her soft hand, leading the way.

Her fair, smooth skin and adorable outfit brought a huge sense of satisfaction to Hiro.

If anyone had asked whether he liked cute girls well, they wouldn't be wrong.

After they left the street, a figure crept out from behind a trash bin.

"A prince? A princess? Ugh, those two actually came here without telling me!"

"And now they're holding hands?! Why didn't Shizuka stop him? That smug little punk's getting way too full of himself."

Nobita watched the two like a betrayed lover. His expression was a mix of heartbreak and disbelief.

He bit his lip hard, fighting the urge to cry.

"I've known Shizuka longer than anyone. We've always been close. Why would she only invite him out?"

"Shizuka should be mine! It's all his fault!"

Wiping his eyes, Nobita picked himself up and continued tailing them from a distance, his face filled with grim determination.

"Did you eat breakfast yet, Shizuka?"

"No, not yet. Did you?"

"Me neither. Let's go find something good. My treat."

"Eh? Are you sure?"

"Of course. Isn't it normal to treat your girlfriend to breakfast?"

Her stomach gave a tiny growl, and Shizuka blushed. Hiro just grinned at her.

She didn't argue anymore. Instead, she gave a soft nod, gripping his hand even tighter.

With that, the two began their grand tour of the shopping district's food stalls.

Takoyaki, tempura, grilled skewers they tried a little of everything.

Hiro pulled out a fat wallet when it came time to pay, surprising Shizuka.

It was stuffed full of 1,000 and 10,000 yen notes.

Of course, it wasn't just his pocket money. It came from the condolence money left by the late Mr. Fubuki roughly 500,000 yen in total. Most of it was in the bank, but Hiro carried some around for spending.