If you haven't read the first part of this fanfiction, look no further.
The following day was hot and sunny. A combined swimming class was held for Nobita's and Yui's classes. Students were lined up in five rows, one behind the other. When the whistle blew, one row would plunge into the water and swim to the other end so the student behind could take their position.
Gian was the first student in the second row, Suneo was the third student in the second row, Degisuki was the fifth student in the third row, and Nobita was the seventh in the fourth row. A head shorter than Nobita, Yui was the sixth in the fourth row. To ease his nerves, he took to staring at the back of her head. A rather cute brunette, her hair was tied in a ponytail. The shade shifted slightly, revealing a small, sleek, silver object behind her earlobe. Nobita's stomach dropped. "That's it! That's the transmitter Doraemon gave to Suneo!" he whispered.
As if on cue, the next whistle rang, and splashing sounds were heard. But Yui had yet to jump with her peers. She instead covered her ears, her face screwed as if in deep pain. She stumbled back into Nobita's chest and ran away howling. People stared in shock and bewilderment. Some students exchanged awkward laughs, while others shook their heads in confusion. Meanwhile, Suneo stood by the pool with an odd smirk, watching the scene unfold with amusement.
"Did you hear that scream?" whispered one boy. "She's gone completely crazy!"
"She's like a raving lunatic," muttered another girl, stifling a laugh.
Rubbing his chest, Nobita motioned for Shizuka, Degisuki, and Gian and confirmed what he had just seen.
"Maybe she and Suneo have similar-looking transmitters." Degisuki said.
“Either way, we must find out!” Gian growled, leading the way to Suneo.
"Hey, Suneo. What's with that look?" Gian demanded.
Suneo quickly schooled his features, shrugging casually. "Oh, nothing," he said smoothly, "Just looking at our classmates' performances."
"In that case, show us the transmitter Doraemon gave you, Suneo," Nobita said coolly.
Suneo paled. "I - I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on, Suneo. We know Doraemon gave you that transmitter!" Gian said.
"I told them, Suneo. And I know you have it!" Nobita said.
"I—um—why'd I bring it to a swimming class, Nobita?" Suneo gave a false laugh.
"Fine, show us your bag!" Gian snapped. "This is your bag, isn't it?"
Before Suneo could react, Gian had emptied the contents of his bag and placed it on the wet ground. Pens, books, and crumpled papers spilt out, but no transmitter. Suneo smirked, crossing his arms. "See? I told you I didn't have anything."
"Why did you not bring it today?" Degisuki asked.
Suneo's smile faltered. He could fool around with Gian or Nobita but would never dare fool around with Degisuki, the class monitor. "I forgot."
"By any chance, did it travel to her?" Shizuka pointed at the door Yui had exited from. Suneo's confident smile wavered, but he raised his hands, feigning innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Dekisugi, ever calm, narrowed his eyes. "Then explain why Yui is suffering so much. She has something in her ear that looks exactly like the transmitter you asked Doraemon for."
With a hesitant glance, Suneo sighed at the small group now cornering him. "Fine, fine. I'll admit it. I did use the transmitter on her. But she deserved it for humiliating me in front of everyone! I didn't do anything wrong."
Shizuka's eyes widened in disbelief. "What did you do to her, Suneo?"
Suneo smirked and replied smugly. "She hates metal music, so I recorded some and set the transmitter to play it on a loop in her ear. I slipped it in during library class. She didn't even notice."
Nobita's eyebrows furrowed with disbelief. "How did you even know she hates metal music, Suneo?"
Suneo blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the question. "Well... I overheard her talking about it once while chatting with some of the girls," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "She was really vocal about how much she hated the stuff."
"But how did you get the transmitter in her ear without her knowing?" Dekisugi asked, his voice sceptical. "Did you trick her into trusting you?"
Suneo looked uncomfortable momentarily before he shrugged, trying to play it off. "I mean, we were in the library, right? No one was really paying attention. Nobita was borrowing a book from you. Shizuka was browsing the science section. Gian was flipping pages through a magazine, bored. I just slipped it in when she wasn't looking, simple as that."
Nobita's face paled, "Suneo, she is in pain because of you!"
Suneo shrugged, brushing off Nobita's anger. "She humiliated me! She deserved it for what she said. Besides, it's just a little noise; she's overreacting."
"Well, in that case, you shouldn't have a problem letting Doraemon know what you did with his gadget." Degisuki declared.
Gian's eyes narrowed, "If you think of yourself so tough, why don't we talk to Doraemon immediately?"
Suneo's cheeks flushed.
"Yes, I think it's time Doraemon knew what you did. Let's see how proud he is of you then." Shizuka declared.
"W - what? No!" Suneo said in shock, but Nobita grabbed his hand.
"You keep bragging about how your ancestors were samurai who fought for Japanese emperors! Prove your courage now!" Nobita hissed, and Gian took Suneo's other hand.
When school ended for the day, Suneo jumped first and rushed for the gates. But Gian was quicker. The duo, Degisuki, Shizuka, and Nobita, went to Novbita's house together.
"Welcome home, Nobita. Oh, I see you've brought everybody today." Doraemon said, looking up from his manga.
"The great scion of the Honekawa clan has a confession to make!" Nobita growled. "Go on, Suneo!" Suneo looked unsure.
"NOW!" Gian barked, and Suneo shuddered.
"You're not getting away with this, Suneo," Degisuki said.
"What's going on?" Doraemon asked.
"Doraemon, your futuristic gadgets often get misused. Are you aware of that?" Degisuki demanded.
"What?" Doraemon's eyes widened.
"Yes, I admit I have misused Doraemon's gadgets!" Nobita said.
"And now, Suneo here would like to make something very clear!" Shizuka said. Gian was already gritting his teeth in fury.
"Remember that transmitter you gave Suneo that day, Doraemon? He hasn't been using it for whatever reason he told you!" Nobita furiously launched into whatever happened between Suneo and Yui.
Doraemon's eyes widened in disbelief with each word, and Suneo seemed to shrink into the wall.
"He put it in her ear and made her listen to metal music repeatedly without her knowing. She's been in pain because of it!" Nobita finished into the thick silence.
Suneo's face flushed, but he scoffed. "I didn't do anything wrong! She deserved it. She made fun of me!"
Doraemon stared at Suneo. It wasn't a glare. Just a disapproving stare. He stood up and walked over to Suneo, crossing his arms. "I trusted you, Suneo. I lent you that transmitter in good faith, believing you'd use it responsibly. This... this is not the way to handle things. What you did was cruel."
"Cruel?" Suneo sputtered, narrowing his eyes. "She insulted me! She called me an arrogant brat, and I was just teaching her a lesson!"
"A lesson?" Gian scoffed. "You traumatized her, Suneo!"
"From the looks of it, she has moved to Tokyo and lives independently in new surroundings. And you ensured that the first of her memories of independent life are traumatizing!" Shizuka said, her eyes brimming with tears. Nobita took her hand and glared at Suneo.
"Well, I can't help if she is too sensitive! She should just go back to wherever she came from!" Suneo said defiantly.
"Her father recently died, Suneo! And her mother is a daily wage earner in their village!" Shizuka said in outrage,
"Well, poor people like her…" Suneo began, but Degisuki cut him off. "What were you trying to prove? That because you have money, you can control people? That you can hurt someone just to make yourself feel better?" He shook his head at Suneo.
"I'm not concerned with your personal squabbles. I need that transmitter back. Now!" Doraemon said, "Suneo, you've breached a trust. I gave you that transmitter, thinking you would use it to help with your studies. But instead, you used it to manipulate someone for petty revenge. That's not how we solve problems."
"Was it right of her to insult me, then?" Suneo demanded.
"Maybe her tone wasn't the best, but nothing was wrong with what she said! You should stop showing off, Suneo!" Shizuka said.
"Remember you told me last year I sucked at singing? That hurt me badly, but I knew it was true! It is time for you to face the music, Suneo. You tend to show off, and that is not acceptable!" Gian said.
Suneo's face twisted with frustration. "What? You're all against me now? You don't understand! She insulted me in front of everyone!"
"You're not listening to anyone, Suneo," Shizuka said, her voice firm. "You hurt her, and now it's time to make it right. No more excuses."
"I will personally come to your school tomorrow. I want to see you apologize for your actions and do everything in your power to help her. Do you understand, Suneo?" Doraemon demanded.
Suneo looked uncomfortable. "Okay, okay! I get it. He knew his arguments were in vain and wisely kept silent.
It was a bright morning as Shizuka, Gian, and Degisuki met Nobita on their way to school, with Doraemon in his wake.
"Mum and Dad were surprised," Nobita shrugged. But Doraemon said he had something to fix."
"Your parents must think Doraemon has mysterious errands to fulfil!" Shizuka giggled. "Especially when Doraemon is often seen moving around in secrecy."
"Guys, you do not want to be late!" Doraemon reprimanded them from the front. "In the 22nd century, parents and guardians are notified if their wards are even a few minutes late! This means detention!"
"You seem to be speaking from personal experience, Doraemon." Gian narrowed his eyes. "What's up, Nobita? Your great-grandson must be up to something, then?"
"As a matter of fact," Doraemon stopped and turned to face them. "Your great-grandson recently paid a whopping 3 million to the school as a fine because his son showed up late three days in a row, Gian!"
Everybody stopped dead and stared in horror.
"Not a big sum for him, but a large sum for you!" Doraemon said and marched ahead.
"Wow! He is furious!" Degisuki observed.
“But, why was he late?” Gian wondered, but Suneo turned up just then. Suneo looked pale as Doraemon’s glare intensified.
Before Suneo could mess things up, Gian grabbed him and exchanged dark looks with Nobita. After that, the group followed the cat robot silently.
When Yui looked up from her books towards the courtyard, she saw Suneo and his friends as usual. But they weren't alone.
"A raccoon dog?" Yui muttered, horrified.
"She is the one?" Doraemon pointed gruffly.
"Yes," Nobita said, and Gian prodded Suneo further.
Yui backed away into the wall as the group approached her, her eyes wide.
"Hello, Yui. I am Doraemon. A pleasure to meet you." Doraemon said briskly, ignoring Yui's wide eyes. "I am saddened to say that some of my gadgets are misused by the very people I trust!"
Doraemon reached out and pulled the transmitter from behind her ear. Her wide eyes stared at it with confusion.
"Yes, this transmitter is mine!" Doraemon growled. "Whoever is responsible for this breach of trust will carry this forward!"
Catching each arm of Suneo, Nobita and Gian stepped forward. Yui and Suneo stared at each other.
"You... You did this to me?" she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. "You made me feel like I was losing my mind."
Suneo stood frozen, his mouth opening and closing as if searching for the right words.
"Don’t just stand there, Suneo! Everyone is getting late!" Doraemon growled.
Suneo swallowed hard. Gian gritted his teeth, making him shrink further.
“I failed my PT exercise test because of you!” Yui’s voice, barely a whisper, shook.
Suneo looked down, swallowing yet again. He could sense his friends glaring at him.
"I - sorry!" Suneo blurted out.
"Louder!" Shizuka said firmly, making Suneo recoil.
"Sorry for everything!" Suneo said.
Yui glared at him with disgust and simply walked away.
"Suneo, it's not enough to just say sorry. You have to show that you understand your actions." Doraemon said, as the bell rang loudly. "Go on, guys, or you'll be late for class."
Suneo stood frozen for a moment, staring at Yui’s retreating figure.
"Why do I even care?" he muttered, rubbing his temples and glancing around to see Doraemon exiting the school. "I should have been careful! Getting caught in front of my friends! What about my reputation? Gian has his strength! Shizuka and Degisuki are the brightest students in class. Nobita has Doraemon. What do I have?"
He dragged his feet to class and took his seat, suddenly feeling hollow.
"Focus!" He muttered with a heavy heart as the teacher opened the maths textbook.
"SUNEO!"
Suneo jumped. The entire class was staring at him.
"I want you to solve this equation!" The teacher barked, glaring at his lack of attention.
There were a lot of numbers and letters on the blackboard. Suneo walked up and held the chalk numbly.
"Have you been sleeping in my class?" The teacher barked. "Go and kneel down outside the class!"
“Nobita, come up here!” Suneo heard his teacher and risked a glance backwards. It was a slap in the face—Nobita was struggling with math, yet here he was, being treated with more respect than Suneo ever was.
His knees protested, and his hands cried out as he stared into the opposite corridor outside his classroom.
It was long after Suneo's hands and knees had given up and he had slumped to the cold, metallic floor that the door slid open. To his luck, the teacher did not notice him and simply walked away. It was lunchtime.
Suneo stood up, but instead of entering the classroom, continued across the corridor, away from his classmates. He ignored Nobita's groans of massive homework but couldn't ignore the hollow feeling inside his stomach - homework again!
His luck hadn't been exhausted yet, for he saw Yui sitting by herself on a bench on the fifth floor.
"Yui," he began uncertainly. She looked up, her eyes narrowing.
"Do me a favour and listen to me this one time," Suneo said earnestly. "I know that just saying sorry isn't sufficient. But I was hurt at how you..."
"So you're blaming me now?" Yui stood up angrily. "Stop thinking everything can be fixed by throwing money or power at it, Suneo!"
"No, no, I'm not blaming you! Please!" Suneo said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you!”
“I don’t know what you expect me to say,” she said. “You can’t just apologize and expect everything to be fine.” Suneo shifted his weight, looking down.
"Well, I need to reappear... for those tests, so if you'll excuse me!" Yui stood up and left.
Suneo clenched his fists at his sides, trying to hold back his frustration. A student had failed her class and been called mentally unstable because of him. And now, there was no way she would forgive him!
Suneo was on edge all week. Nobita, Gian, Shizuka, and Degisuki did not press him for anything; he was grateful for it. He couldn’t shake the discomfort of what had happened with Yui. Every time he and Yui crossed paths in the corridors or during the assembly, they'd meet eyes briefly and hasten away from one another.
The midterm exams were upon them soon, and it meant one thing.
"Oh, so much to study!" Nobita groaned, each hand on each side of his face.
"We've been cramming this until sunset for the last four days!' Gian gritted his teeth, rubbing his eyes. "I miss the baseball matches and my singing!"
"Well, Nobita, Gian, this is all for your future, right?" Shizuka whistled softly, her head tilted to one side. Her eyes hadn't left her book.
“I guess!” Nobita sighed, as Gian furrowed his eyebrows.
The two boys turned to Degisuki, who appeared to have never heard them. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, and he kept mumbling inaudible.
“Hey, where’s Suneo been?” Gian asked, glancing around.
“I was enjoying a peaceful walk through the halls, minding my own business,” Suneo said casually, arriving just in time to overhear them.
“And studying?” Shizuka raised an eyebrow.
“Studying is overrated,” Suneo shrugged, dismissing it with a smirk. The whole library stared at the sudden interruption.
"Ouch!" Nobita yelped, rubbing his back where Suneo had just whacked him.
"You'll live," Suneo said with a smug grin.
"Where have you been, Suneo?" Shizuka asked again as they walked out of the library.
"I was... enjoying the solitude of the halls," he said, as though it was the most normal thing in the world.
"I'm off for a break!" Gian snapped, getting up.
Shizuka shook her head.
"BOYS!!" The librarian snapped, her patience wearing thin. "Get out!'
"That hurt, Suneo!" Nobita growled, rubbing his back. Suneo shrugged.
"Where were you, Suneo?" Shizuka asked.
"Oh, I was enjoying my solitary walk in these corridors. No one was there!" Suneo said.
"And what about your studies?" Shizuka demanded.
"NOW!" The librarian charged at them. Suneo and Nobita were driven out of the library.
Out in the corridor, a red-faced Nobita rounded on Suneo, “What’s your problem?”
Suneo smirked, "Meh! You're so pathetic that you must be reminded to flex when you're around... Shizuka!"
Nobita went red in the face. Just then, their teacher spotted them.
"Nobita!" He called out, "Suneo!"
"S -Sir, I was just going to do my homework!" Nobita shivered and took to his heels before anybody could utter a word. Suneo smirked disbelievingly.
"Eh? What's happened to him?" The teacher wondered. "Yui, Suneo here will help you, then!"
"What?" Suneo's disbelief turned into shock.
"Everybody else is busy with revision, Suneo! You're the only one strutting around the school!"
"But, sir, my chemistry..." Suneo blabbered.
"Excellent! Yui can help you with science! She needs your help with economics!" The teacher said, finally revealing Yui.
Yui glared at Suneo, who returned the favour.
"Sir, maybe someone..." Yui turned to the teacher.
"There-there, Yui. Don't waste your time. You have a week until your exams!" The teacher went inside, leaving Yui and Suneo alone in the corridor.
Suneo sighed in frustration as he slowly approached Yui, who didn't look happy to be paired with him either.
"Great," he muttered under his breath.
Yui's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you want?"
Suneo paused, looking at her for a moment before shrugging. "I guess we should get started."
As they entered the library, they found Sizuka and Degisuki leaving. They were too engrossed in their revision to pay attention.
“Did you check the fourth module?”
“Oh, that? It’s particularly challenging!”
"Your father is the Chief Executive Officer of Honekawa Groups, isn't he?" Yui asked as Suneo bent further away to avoid being seen with her by Shizuka or Degisuki.
"Yes!" he snapped.
"Well, you can help me with... this! Economics isn’t for me, but I’ve got to get this done!" Yui said, gesturing to the several notes she had splattered across the table. Reluctantly, Suneo took out his bag and began flipping through the pages. "Uh...! Chemistry!"
Yui's eyes suddenly lit up, taking him aback. "Is that your favourite subject?" He asked.
"Yes!" Yui replied. "What do you want to learn first?"
"Um, okay, we can start with this chapter," Suneo suggested.
Yui explained the concept with such passion that Suneo felt goosebumps.
"Which one do you need help with?" Suneo asked.
"Eh?" Yui looked up, her wide eyes narrowing slightly. "Oh, that one!"
She pointed at her economics notes.
"Hmm. This looks simple enough. You'll get the hang of it in no time!" Suneo observed.
"You will, too, if you focus here," Yui said, pointing at a diagram. "Here goes nothing!" he sighed, ready to study.
The library gradually emptied as the duo sat revising until the librarian ushered them outside.
"I learned something," Suneo said.
"The second module?" Yui asked.
"That too...!" Suneo said.
"Hmm. I got to learn, too!" Yui said. "No one has ever been so soft while explaining."
"Soft?" Suneo asked, turning to her. She smiled at him for the first time, sending something fluttery within him.
"Yes!” Yui said.
“I have… broken someone’s trust.” Suneo said reluctantly. He sighed.
Yui looked confused until her eyes widened in realization, “That friend whose gadget you misused?”
Suneo didn’t meet her eyes. Yui looked away, looking into the distance.
“If you can make things okay with me, he is your friend, so you should definitely amend things with him. He will forgive you.” Yui said.
“And how do you know?” Suneo asked curiously.
“Sometimes, keeping things simple helps better than complicating everything. Anyways, see you tomorrow!" Yui said and left.
Suneo watched her retreat. “I will talk to Doraemon.” He muttered to himself.
_________
To Be Continued
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