Chapter 6
The sky stretched endlessly above the quiet town, painted in soft hues of orange and purple as the sun dipped below the horizon. Nobita walked home, his hands tucked into his pockets, deep in thought. Life had been different lately—less chaotic, more structured, but still carrying its usual share of surprises. His daily routine had changed, and with it, so had he.
His grades were improving—not dramatically, but enough for his teachers to stop sighing whenever they saw his name on a test paper. Gian had stopped bullying him as much, though that was mostly because Nobita had learned how to stand his ground. Suneo, ever the trickster, still found ways to tease him, but Nobita had developed a sharp wit of his own, countering his friend's taunts with clever remarks that often left Suneo speechless.
And then there was Ariana.
He hadn't expected her to become such a significant part of his life, but there she was, weaving herself into his days with her presence alone. Unlike Shizuka, who had always been kind but distant in her own way, Ariana was a force of nature—direct, curious, and always challenging him to be better.
Nobita reached his house and opened the door, greeted by the familiar scent of dinner cooking. His mother glanced at him from the kitchen, raising an eyebrow. "You're late today."
"I was just walking around," he replied casually, slipping off his shoes.
She gave him a knowing look but said nothing more, returning her focus to the simmering pot on the stove. Nobita headed to his room, dropping onto his bed with a sigh. His thoughts drifted back to the conversation he had with Ariana earlier that day.
"You always take the long way home," she had observed, falling into step beside him.
"Maybe I just like the walk," he had replied, keeping his tone light.
"Or maybe you just don't want to go home yet," she had countered, smirking slightly.
She wasn't wrong. There was something about the quiet moments after school that felt different—like time slowed down just enough for him to think.
His room felt smaller than usual, the walls lined with books, some old comics, and a few notebooks filled with scribbled ideas. He had started writing down his thoughts more often—plans, observations, and sometimes even random ideas for inventions, not that he was any kind of genius. Still, he liked the feeling of creating something, even if it was just on paper.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his phone vibrating. He reached for it, finding a message from Ariana.
Ariana: Are you coming tomorrow?
He blinked, trying to remember what she was talking about. Then it hit him—she had invited him to see something she was working on.
Nobita: Yeah. What time?
Ariana: Morning. Don't be late. And don't oversleep.
He rolled his eyes but smiled. She knew him too well.
The next morning, he found himself standing in front of her house, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Ariana opened the door before he could even knock, her expression unimpressed. "You look like you just rolled out of bed."
"Because I did," he admitted, stifling a yawn.
She sighed and pulled him inside. "Come on. I want to show you something."
Her room was filled with blueprints and scattered tools, a half-assembled gadget sitting on her desk. She had always been fascinated with building things—small contraptions, experimental devices, and anything that made life a little more interesting.
"This is what I wanted to show you," she said, picking up a small metallic object. It looked like a compact wristband with a sleek design, glowing faintly at the edges.
"What is it?" Nobita asked, leaning in.
"A personal assistant of sorts," she explained, strapping it onto her wrist. "It can store information, set reminders, and—well, I'm still working on voice commands. But I figured it might help someone like you, considering your memory is awful."
He scowled. "Gee, thanks."
She grinned, tossing him a second one. "Try it out."
He examined it before slipping it onto his wrist. The device was surprisingly lightweight, fitting comfortably against his skin. A small screen flickered to life, displaying a simple interface.
"You made this?" he asked, genuinely impressed.
"Of course," she said proudly. "I told you, I like building things that make life easier."
Nobita stared at the screen for a moment before glancing at her. "Then why do you still write everything down in a notebook?"
Ariana hesitated, then shrugged. "Because some things are better that way."
There was a brief silence before she smirked. "Now, let's see if you can actually use it without breaking it."
He groaned. "You really don't have any faith in me, do you?"
"Not when it comes to technology," she teased.
Despite his protests, he found himself genuinely intrigued by the device. Ariana was brilliant—he had always known that—but seeing her work up close was different. She didn't just create things; she poured a part of herself into them.
As the morning passed, they tested different functions, tweaking small errors and laughing at failed attempts. It was moments like these that made him realize just how much his life had changed. He wasn't just aimlessly drifting through his days anymore.
He was growing, learning, and—most importantly—he wasn't doing it alone.
For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.
---