"Actually, Nobita, I came to ask you something," Shizuka clarified, a little breathless from having run over.
"Oh? What is it?" Nobita asked, a flicker of hopeful curiosity in his eyes.
"After school today," Shizuka continued, "could Lin Yu and I come over to your house? There's something we need to ask Doraemon for."
The moment Lin Yu's name left her lips, the eager smile on Nobita's face froze, then slowly began to crumble. He'd actually allowed himself a sliver of hope that his earlier dejection had somehow caught Shizuka's attention, that perhaps this was his chance to win her back from Lin Yu. But no, he'd clearly been dreaming. Shizuka hadn't sought him out because of him at all; she wanted to go with Lin Yu to see Doraemon. The realization that Shizuka was only approaching him as a means to get to Lin Yu and Doraemon made Nobita's chest feel tight and uncomfortably heavy.
"So, is that okay, Nobita?" Shizuka pressed gently when his silence stretched.
Though the very last thing he wanted was Lin Yu setting foot in his house, Nobita found it impossible to refuse Shizuka when she looked at him so earnestly. He took a deep, shaky breath, forcing down a wave of resentment, and managed a smile that felt more like a grimace. "Sure, Shizuka. No problem. If that's what you want."
"Great! Then it's settled! We'll all go home together after school!" Shizuka beamed, absolutely delighted. She gave him a quick thank you and practically skipped back to her seat, clearly eager to share the good news with Lin Yu.
Nobita watched wistfully as Shizuka rejoined Lin Yu, the two of them immediately falling into an easy, animated conversation. His misery deepened when Lin Yu glanced over, caught his eye, and offered a perfectly friendly, innocent smile. Nobita's stomach churned; suddenly, even his lunch looked completely unappetizing.
'It's fine, it's fine...' Nobita muttered to himself, desperately trying to find a silver lining. 'At least this way Shizuka will come over to my house... that's... that's a good thing, right?...' But his attempt at self-consolation sounded utterly pathetic, even to his own ears. He felt like one of those sad saps in stories who faithfully brings breakfast to their crush every single day, only to end up having to bring a double portion when she finally starts dating someone else – and it isn't him.
"Lin Yu! I talked to Nobita, and it's all set!" Shizuka reported excitedly when she returned to her desk, her face glowing. "We can go to his house after school to see Doraemon! Then Doraemon will definitely be able to help you, and you won't have to stay up so late and work so incredibly hard every single day!"
"Thank you so much, Shizuka. That's really thoughtful of you, going out of your way like that."
"Oh, it's nothing at all!" Shizuka replied, beaming, though a hint of shyness tinged her smile. "I just really wanted to help you in any way I could, Lin Yu." It was obvious that being able to genuinely assist him made her very happy.
The rest of the school day seemed to fly by. (Thanks to a short but effective nap during lunch break, Lin Yu was feeling reasonably refreshed despite his accumulated sleep debt.)
"Let's go, Lin Yu! Shall we head back with Nobita?" The moment the final bell rang, signaling the end of classes, Shizuka turned to Lin Yu, ready to go. She was aware that Nobita seemed to harbor some sort of grudge or misunderstanding towards Lin Yu, so she proactively took on the role of a bridge between them.
Nobita shuffled over to them reluctantly, his heart sinking a little further as he saw Shizuka and Lin Yu already chatting and looking perfectly comfortable with each other.
"Nobita, thanks for having us over today," Lin Yu said with an easy, polite smile.
"Mm-hmm," Nobita grunted sullenly in response. He'd already given Shizuka his word, so he couldn't very well back out now. Doing so would only make Shizuka dislike him even more, and even he was smart enough to figure that much out.
"Well then, let's get going!" Shizuka said brightly, breaking the slightly awkward, heavy silence that had fallen.
The three of them had just stepped out of the classroom when Gian's boisterous voice boomed from behind them. "Hey, Nobita! Lin Yu! Shizuka! Where are you guys off to?"
"We're going to Nobita's house to see Doraemon," Shizuka explained cheerfully. "There's something important we need his help with." Nobita, whether still stewing about the whole situation or perhaps still nursing the psychological wounds from yesterday's beating, kept his head down and remained stubbornly silent.
"Oh, really? Sounds fun! In that case, let's all go to Nobita's house to play! What do you say, Nobita?" Suneo chimed in from beside Gian, flashing Nobita a sly, knowing grin.
There was absolutely no way Nobita would dare refuse an 'invitation' from Gian and Suneo. He just nodded miserably, his face a picture of resignation.
"Nobita, what's with that long face? Cat got your tongue? Or are you saying you don't welcome us?" Gian growled, his tone turning instantly unfriendly. He casually rolled up his sleeves, every deliberate movement radiating a clear, unspoken 'threat'.
"Ah! No, no! Not at all! You're welcome! Of course, you're totally welcome!" Nobita stammered, waving his hands frantically in a desperate attempt to convey just how incredibly hospitable he was suddenly feeling.
"Alright, Gian, take it easy on him. We're all classmates, after all," Lin Yu interjected smoothly, stepping forward with an amiable smile as he took in Nobita's pitiful, cornered expression. "And hey," he continued, turning to Gian and Suneo, "didn't I mention I'd treat you guys to drinks? Today's as good a day as any. My treat, let's go!" (He knew he'd need Doraemon's cooperation later; it wouldn't do to have Gian and Nobita on the verge of a brawl.)
Sure enough, the mere mention of free drinks instantly diverted Gian's attention. He clapped Lin Yu heartily on the shoulder. "Ha! You're alright, Lin Yu! A real stand-up guy! I thought you'd forgotten about that! We were actually going to ask you to play baseball yesterday, but you took off right after school. We ended up having to play with Nobita, and man, let me tell you, that was nearly the death of me..."
The group walked on, their chatter and laughter echoing down the street – with only Nobita trailing miserably behind them, looking utterly out of place and completely dejected.
Leaving the school grounds, they came to a familiar intersection. A left turn led to Nobita's house, while a right turn and a short walk would take them to a bustling little shopping street.
"Let's head this way first," Lin Yu suggested, pointing towards the shopping street. "Since we're going to ask Doraemon for a pretty big favor, it would probably be good manners to bring a small gift. Plus," he added casually, "they have a much better selection of drinks over there." (Lin Yu was, of course, keenly aware of Doraemon's legendary weakness for dorayaki. He was living alone these days, and his aunt had provided him with a decent amount of living expenses; spending a little on some tasty treats for their robotic friend wasn't a big deal at all.)
"You know, Lin Yu, you always seem like such a grown-up," Gian remarked, scratching his head with a slightly dopey but earnest expression. "It never even occurred to us to buy anything when we went over to Nobita's house before."
"Maybe it's just different customs, that's all. It's not really about being a grown-up or not," Lin Yu replied with a modest smile. He led them down the street to a popular confectionery shop, where he bought drinks for everyone, and then, as planned, added a beautifully packaged box of fresh dorayaki to his purchase.
"Here, Nobita, this one's for you." Seeing Nobita still looking thoroughly downcast and lagging behind, Lin Yu didn't want to seem like he was playing favorites or excluding him. He walked back a few steps and handed him a chilled can of soda as well.
"Huh?" Nobita stared at the drink offered to him, momentarily stunned into silence.