******
The morning sun streamed through Nobita's window, painting his room in a warm glow. He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, the events of the previous night replaying in his mind. Doraemon's question echoed – "You've fallen in love with Dekisugi?" – sending shivers down his spine.
Nobita had always thought of Dekisugi as a friend, a rival at times, but never someone he could love romantically. The concept was new, unsettling, and yet… a strange warmth bloomed in his chest whenever he thought of Dekisugi's shy smile.
He sighed, rolling over and burying his face in his pillow. Denial, however, was a flimsy shield. He knew he couldn't ignore his feelings forever.
A notification on his phone jolted him out of his thoughts. It was another message from the group chat, Shizuka asking everyone to confirm their availability for the vacation.
Taking a deep breath, Nobita typed his reply. "I'm in! Just need to finalize the research grant details."
He sent the message and climbed out of bed.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed again.It was Suneo.
"Nobita! You won't believe it!"
Nobita asked calmly ,"what's it?"
Suneo said ,"it's about Dekisugi!"
Nobita's heart skipped a beat...
Suneo: "Dekisugi! He's back! I saw the lights turn on in his old apartment!"
Nobita : "..."
His heart leapt into his throat. "W..what?"
"What do you mean, lights on?" Shizuka chimed in, her voice laced with curiosity
Gian started texting, "Are you serious? Let's go check it out right now!"
The group chat erupted in a flurry of messages. Nobita felt a surge of hope mixed with trepidation. Could it really be Dekisugi after all these years? Ignoring the knot of anxiety in his stomach, he typed a message.
"Meet me there in 10 minutes!"
They raced out of their respective homes, reaching Dekisugi's old apartment building.
"Are you sure about this, Suneo?" shizuka asked, her voice laced with doubt.
"Of course I am! I saw the lights flicker on myself! Dekisugi's back, that's for sure."
Nobita cautiously climbed the stairs, each step echoing in the stillness. All of them following him. Reaching the third floor, they found the apartment door half opened.
Nobita, his heart pounding in his ears, hesitantly pushed the door open. The room was sparsely furnished, with boxes stacked against the walls and the faint smell of fresh paint still lingering.
A young woman with kind eyes looked up from unpacking a box, a startled gasp escaping her lips. A small child, clutching a stuffed toy, peeked out from behind her legs.
"Hello? Who is it?", young woman's sweet voice filled the atmosphere.
"Um, hi," Nobita stammered.
" We… we were looking for someone who used to live here? Dekisugi Sugimoto!" Gian asked with a hope.
"Oh, I see," she said kindly. "We just moved in here. I'm afraid there's no one by that name living here."
Dejected silence descended upon the group. Nobita felt all the hope drain from him.
"Oh, sorry," Suneo apologized, scratching his head sheepishly.
"no worries", the woman chuckled.
Nobita offered a weak smile, With a heavy heart, he turned away, his friends close behind, their faces etched with disappointment. As they walked down the stairs, the young woman stopped them. "Wait a minute," she said thoughtfully. "Did you mention someone named Dekisugi? He used to live here?"
Nobita's head snapped up, a flicker of hope reignited. "Yes! Do you know anything about him?"
❤️👏