The schoolyard was bustling with students, chatter filling the air as everyone met after the summer break. Nobita sat on a bench under the shade of a tree, absently poking a stick at the dirt. He and Doraemon had briefly visited his great-grandson in the 22nd century, and one glance at Shizuka warmed his chest. Shizuka was leaning against another tree, and Nobita wished he were that tree. Shizuka was showing Gian one of the new books.
"No, Shizuka, I've decided. I want to be a singer!" Gian declared.
"But you'll still have to clear your exams, Gian", Shizuka said gently.
"You said that last year! And the year before that!" Gian groaned.
Shizuka chuckled, making butterflies erupt in Nobita's belly.
"This is our sophomore year, Gian," Dekisugi said calmly, engrossed in a book as he leaned against the fence.
"Well, where is Suneo?" Gian abruptly changed the topic and looked around.
Suddenly, the air shifted as Suneo Honekawa strolled into the yard. Dressed in the latest, trendiest outfit—a bright blue shirt with a designer logo and a pair of expensive sneakers that sparkled in the sun—he had an unmistakable air of self-satisfaction. A crowd of students gathered, their eyes drawn to the confident figure weaving toward the centre of attention.
"Oh, Nobita, did you see my new watch?" Suneo's voice was clear and intentionally loud. He extended his wrist, and on it gleamed a sleek, silver smartwatch, reflecting the sunlight.
Nobita's eyes widened a bit, more in surprise than admiration. "Ah... yeah. That's... nice, Suneo."
"Nice? 'Nice' doesn't even begin to cover it!" Suneo scoffed with a little laugh, raising his wrist higher for everyone else to see. "This isn't just any watch, you know. My dad got it from India—they don't even sell it here! It tracks my heart rate, calories, and even my sleep quality! Not that you'd understand, of course," he added with a sly grin, giving Nobita a look of mock sympathy.
Shizuka looked over. "That's... a lot of features for a watch," she said, trying to sound neutral.
But Suneo wagged a finger. "Oh, and did I mention it syncs with my smartphone?" He pulled out a sleek phone from his pocket, flashing it around. "This one's got three cameras! See? I bet none of you have even seen a phone like this before."
Gian folded his arms, a sour expression settling on his face. "Why would anyone need three cameras on one phone?"
Suneo let out a dramatic sigh, “Gian, Gian, Gian... it’s not about needing it. It's about having it. It's about... style, about status." He gave a false laugh. "Some people just understand quality, you know?"
Nobita slouched further down on the bench, his cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. The familiar weight of inadequacy settled on him. He kept glancing at his own plain, worn-out sneakers, wishing he could disappear.
Suneo managed to gather admirers, though.
"Hi! I am Haruka!" A tall, lean girl said. "Nice watch, Honekawa."
"Call me Suneo," Suneo said with the same false laughter.
"Ami here, and your hair looks cool!!" A shorter girl came up front.
Suneo straightened up and ran a hand through his hair, "You and I belong to the elite, Ami. It's a shame... not everyone is blessed with such refined tastes. Or good looks!" Suneo glanced around and sighed, "But, you know... I'm here to show you all what's possible."
"Yeah, yeah, we get it!" Gian snapped, his patience finally running out. "If I wanted a walking advertisement, I'd watch TV!"
"You need to work on hiding that jealousy, mate! You'll never understand how good it feels to have... well, everything." Suneo grinned and left for the classroom, his head held high.
As the students began hurrying, a voice called, "Hurry, Mika! We're going to be late!"
"Did you see his...?" The girl called Mika began.
"Oh, for God's sake! Isn't it obvious he is showing off?" The reply was scathing.
"Well, I shouldn't say this about my friend, but he does show off!" Shizuka sighed. Nobita seized the opportunity to brush a finger against hers. She smiled gratefully and Nobita was unsure of how butterflies multiplied within.
"Come, let's go." Shizuka said. She and Nobita followed a trumping Gian into the classroom, Dekisugi having already left.
Nobita felt his heart race when the new syllabus was thrust upon him. He knew the next few weeks were going to be hard for him. He had to study the new subjects. He liked the idea of being a nature researcher but wasn't sure if he could study the material required. Then, one slow afternoon at school, he found himself in a corridor with Shizuka, who was animatedly discussing a project with Dekisugi. Gian looked like he had nowhere to go and simply leaned against the corridor window. He noticed Suneo strutting along the corridor from the corner of his eye.
"This summer, we had gone on my fifth trip to Hawaii, Gian!" Suneo declared, and Gian let out a soft groan. Suneo's voice carried across the corridor. "You wouldn't believe the luxury. My dad rented a private yacht just for us. And you should have seen the five-star hotel with huge balconies and incredible ocean views. Way better than anything you could find here."
A group gathered around, mostly newcomers. Those who knew of Suneo stood back, listening with mild interest and annoyance.
Just then, a new voice cut sharply through the corridor.
"Would you just shut up already?"
All heads turned to see a new girl, her gaze steady, face set with a look of bold defiance. She stepped out from the crowd, her expression simmering with irritation as she stared at Suneo.
"Yui, don't!" A voice groaned.
"No, Mika!" Yui glared back at a girl by the door. She turned back to Suneo with the same glare.
"You think bragging makes you special?" she said, silencing the hallway. "You're not cool or handsome. You're just an arrogant brat who thinks he's better than everyone else. Guess what? You're not. Money doesn't make you better."
Nobita's mouth fell open, Shizuka covered her lips in shock, and even Gian looked momentarily frozen, unsure how to react. Suneo's face, meanwhile, was slowly turning red, his cheeks burning as he struggled to maintain his composure.
"How—how dare you talk to me like that!" he sputtered, his voice cracking with outrage. He took a step closer, jabbing a finger in her direction. "Do you even know who I am?"
"Yeah, I know exactly who you are. A spoiled rich kid who can't stop talking about himself." Yui crossed her arms. Suneo's face was contorted with rage. The crowd held their breath as Yui grabbed Mika's arm and stormed away.
Suneo spun around to face Gian, his eyes flashing with fury. "Did you hear that, Gian?" he hissed. "Did you see how she insulted me? Right here in front of everyone! How dare she think she can challenge my status!"
Gian felt his confidence and loudness vanish. He shrunk under Suneo's glare, and his words failed him. He looked between Yui and Suneo and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to mutter.
"Uh... yeah, I mean... pretty rude of her…" This was all that came out of Gian.
Suneo grabbed Gian's shoulder and brought his face down to his, "I'll show her who she's messing with! How dare she humiliate me!"
Sharply pushing Gian against the wall, Suneo stormed away. He had never been so publicly humiliated, and he could feel the eyes of the other students watching him.
With a final scornful look at the dispersing crowd, he muttered, "She'll regret this. I'll make sure of it."
Days passed, and the incident was rapidly forgotten. On a Saturday afternoon at Nobita's house, Doraemon's sister had just visited her brother and Nobita. As she departed in her time machine, there was a knock on the door.
"See you, Dorami. We have visitors." Doraemon said as Mrs. Nobi opened the door.
Soon, Suneo showed up in their presence with an overtly sweet smile and a small box, which he handed to Doraemon.
Curious, Doraemon opened it to find his favourite dorayaki cakes, perfectly golden, with their sweet aroma filling the room. His eyes widened, and he expressed his gratitude.
"Only the best for my dear friend. Besides, I could use some help from someone as clever as you…" Suneo said. Nobita's brows were furrowed, but Doraemon took no notice.
"What do you need help with, Suneo?" Doraemon looked at Suneo and back to the cakes, clearly wishing to eat immediately.
"Well, Doraemon, I've been trying to improve myself lately, you know? I was just thinking... I want to be able to listen to my lectures on repeat mode when I'm exercising. It's a new habit I'm working on," Suneo said, giving a hopeful smile. "So I thought maybe you'd have a gadget to help with that?"
Doraemon's face lit up with pride as he put down his dorayaki. "Wow, Suneo! That's amazing! I wish Nobita would show this kind of dedication to his studies!"
With a disapproving glance at Nobita, he turned back to Suneo.
"Alright, Suneo, I've got just the gadget for you! Let's see here…" He reached into his pouch, his arm going impossibly deep, before pulling out a small, sleek silver device that looked like a tiny earpiece. "This is a Lecture Loop Transmitter. You can attach it to a person's ear, and it's completely invisible to everyone else! They'll be able to hear the lecture on a loop, and no one else will even know it's there."
Suneo's eyes sparkled with delight as he took the transmitter, holding it carefully. "Wow, Doraemon! This is amazing!" he exclaimed. "With this, I'll be able to listen to every word while working out—just like I wanted!"
Doraemon beamed, patting Suneo on the back. "I'm proud of you, Suneo. Finally, someone appreciates my gadgets for education!"
Suneo, grinning slyly, slipped the transmitter into his pocket, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Thanks, Doraemon. You're the best," he said, heading toward the door.
"You can also be like him, you know?" Doraemon said, addressing Nobita. "Study smarter."
Something didn't feel right for Nobita. He glanced over at Doraemon, busy with his cakes. Something told Nobita this wouldn't end well.
With the same unease, he walked into his classroom the following day.
"Nobita, what's wrong?" Shizuka asked him. But he shook his head.
"I guess it's the damn test!" Gian growled. "It gives me the nerves, too, bud! You're not alone!"
"We had a test?" Nobita stared in shock.
"Yeah, he's really stressed out!" Gian glanced at Shizuka.
Nobita looked over and saw Degisuki and Suneo engrossed in revision. Perhaps Suneo was using the transmitter for genuine study, Nobita supposed.
It wasn't the test that bothered him. The entire week went by like any other, and it wasn't long before Nobita got preoccupied with studies, homework, and tests.
One afternoon, in the middle of lunch, Nobita saw her sitting alone in the courtyard.
"Mum says she is happy to see that I've improved!" Gian said proudly. "The professor looked at me like never before!"
"Good, Gian!" Degisuki said.
"Like always, you topped the class on this test, too!" Shizuka said, "Congrats, Degisuki!"
"Oh, it's nothing. Frankly, it's a desire to learn." Degisuki said. "And I'm glad you caught up on that theorem, Shizuka."
"I still don't get it." Nobita muttered. "Why is math so hard?"
"Everything is hard for you, Nobita!" Suneo gave a bark of laughter. "Look at me. I got a fifty-nine!"
"But you got a seventy-three last time! What happened now?" Gian asked.
Suneo suddenly looked nervous, "Eh? I'm working on it."
A sharp cry pierced the room just then. Yui suddenly clasped her hands over her ears, trembling, and shook her head in anguish. "STOP IT!" she cried, her voice cracking, eyes shining with tears. Several students nearby turned to stare, whispering amongst themselves and exchanging uneasy glances.
Nobita frowned. Shizuka, Gian, and Dekisugi had noticed her as well. But Suneo sat back in his chair as though none of this affected him. Nobita bit his lip, debating whether to share what he suspected.
"What's wrong with her?" Dekisugi asked, glancing over at Yui. "It's like she's hearing something awful…"
"I'm not sure," Shizuka said quietly, worry lining her face. "She's been like this all week, but it's getting worse."
Gian snorted, crossing his arms. "Maybe she's just trying to get attention or something."
Later that day, Nobita was revising notes with Gian on the first-floor corridor when Shizuka and Degisuki passed by.
"Something's off about Yui." Shizuka was saying.
"Who?" Nobita asked.
"Don't interrupt people like that, Nobita!" Gian snapped, but he seemed keen now that Nobita had interrupted them.
"The new girl who gave Suneo the reality check that day!" Shizuka said. "Remember?"
"Okay, but what about her?" Gian said. "Even Suneo seems to have forgotten about that incident."
"It's not about Suneo. This girl, Yui, keeps pressing her hands tightly over her ears and only takes them away at short intervals!" Shizuka said.
"She might be sick, Shizuka," Degisuki said. "Sometimes, even ordinary sounds get too loud and overwhelming when you're sick."
Just then, they looked out of the window to see Yui's game period. She looked visibly worn out, and her shoulders were tense. No sooner had her turn to run come than she sank to the ground, sobbing.
"YUI!" Mika bellowed, running up to her. "Why don't you tell me what's troubling you, at least?"
"Mika... Make it stop!" Yui sobbed and dashed back into the school. The instructor shook his head and scribbled something on his notepad.
As Yui ran into the building, Nobita saw Suneo standing there with satisfaction, a smirk on his lips.
Nobita finally decided to speak up. "I think… I think it might have something to do with Suneo," he said in a low voice, glancing around.
"Suneo?" Shizuka repeated, frowning. "Why would he have anything to do with this?"
Nobita took a deep breath and quickly explained Suneo's visit to Doraemon, his story tumbling out as he shared how Suneo had convinced Doraemon to lend him a transmitter. He described how Doraemon, impressed by Suneo's supposed dedication, had given him a sleek, silver device.
Dekisugi's brow furrowed thoughtfully. "You're saying Suneo somehow got hold of this transmitter... and now Yui is the only one reacting this way? It can't be a coincidence."
Shizuka's eyes widened as the pieces started to come together. "Do you think... Suneo put it in her ear without her knowing? That's terrible!"
"Let's find out," Gian said, fists clenched. "If Suneo's behind this, we'll make him own up."
"Let us confirm our suspicions." Degisuki shook his head.
"Yes, we should give him the benefit of the doubt! I feel guilty for suspecting Suneo." Shizuka said.
_________
To Be Continued Here.
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