Nobita's Time Heist

Asur didn't give him a definite answer, but Nobita knew very well that it wouldn't be the 22nd century.

It should be a place very, very far away from me.

"..." The wind that was blowing made him feel uneasy. He swallowed his chaotic thoughts and forced a smile. "Even if you have to leave, please don't leave without saying goodbye."

"The New Year is just a few days away, and the town will hold a New Year's greeting ceremony. At least stay and join us in the festivities."

"As for parting... let's leave that for later, okay?"

Chapter 259: Long Time No See, Fat Tiger's Limited Farewell Concert!

The custom of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new is common in every civilization—people who have worked hard all year need such an excuse to recharge and hypnotize themselves.

All the troubles of the old year are left behind, and a new year is about to begin. One is sure to welcome a new life, encounter good fortune, and have everything go smoothly… and so on. But in reality, once the new year is over, most people's situation doesn't improve much; things remain the same, or even worse than last year.

For most people, life is a bitter, slow-acting medicine, and they must learn to treat themselves to a sweet treat every now and then. On this day of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, Tsukimidai Town was well-prepared. Everyone was gathering their energy, ready to exchange a year's hard work for the sweetest treat, to spend the last day of the year as they pleased, and to have a blast at the New Year's Eve festival. Then, as the countdown to the new year began, they would swallow this long-treasured candy in one gulp.

However, there are a few exceptions.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Sarara, in my heart—!! Continuing forever, the dream of my childhood—!! (Doraemon opening theme song from the Mizuta version)"

……

"I am Gian! I am the king of the kids!!" (Ooyama's version of Gian's song)

……

"One punch sends everyone flying, everyone's in danger~~ I'm Gian—! (Mizuta version of Gian's Song)"

……

"...friend of the heart, dearest friend of the soul—! (Mizuta version of 'Gian and Suneo's Duet')"

……

The "Asur Farewell Party" lasted from noon until 3:30 pm. After many years, Fat Tiger's voice had matured and evolved into a deep baritone.

Actually, his voice is quite rare; he's a master at beatboxing and should have a good grasp of slow-paced folk music.

Professionally speaking, Fat Tiger is an "intuitive" composer. He has never taken a real music theory class, can't even read sheet music, and relies entirely on humming melodies by feeling. He gets a general idea of ​​the melody and then immediately writes lyrics. The real problem is that his vocal inaccuracy is terrible; he almost never sings a single note correctly. Coupled with his deep, booming voice, singing like this is torture. Even Death Song pales in comparison.

Over the years, Fat Tiger has rarely held large-scale concerts anymore, but that doesn't mean he's given up on his musical dreams. Upon hearing that Asur was leaving, he volunteered to host the "farewell party."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Fu's hair immediately stood on end.

He vaguely remembered... once there was a misunderstanding. He thought he was going to study in Italy, and Fat Tiger "reluctantly" threw him a farewell party. It was truly reluctant to part, but it was also truly deadly, because no matter what the event was, Fat Tiger could always combine it with his two talents of "singing" and "cooking," which usually meant that someone was going to be in trouble.

Sure enough, Asur was subjected to nearly three and a half hours of ear-piercing music, which completely overwhelmed her. Just a few days ago, teenage idols had performed here, and the venue hadn't even been dismantled. How could the same location, the same stage, produce such drastically different audiovisual feasts?!

……

"It's been so long since I've given you all a shout from the bottom of my heart!" After singing for three and a half hours, Fat Tiger seemed to have a naturally golden voice. He didn't even drink a sip of water and still waved his hand with full vigor, "Thank you all for your support, thank you!"

"Wow...wow! That's awesome..."

"Xiao Wu's singing skills haven't deteriorated at all..."

Suneo and Shizuka's hairstyles were all messed up by his singing, and they looked half-dead. We applauded him. Dekisugi's face was ashen. From childhood, he was the classic "other people's child," rarely playing with Gian and Suneo. Compared to Nobita, who never missed a performance, he suffered far less abuse. But now, as he grew up, he'd made up for it all.

Asur himself was utterly deceived, and he was so frustrated that he almost had tinnitus. It was only through sheer willpower that he managed to hold himself on the ground for three and a half hours.

After the farewell concert ended, she turned around and saw that Da Xiong was still clapping. She couldn't help but sigh softly, "Although the sheet music itself was okay, when you actually sang it, not a single note was in tune... How did you guys manage to keep going?"

This question truly encapsulates a bloody and tearful history of everyone's childhood. Just think about it, how many perilous assassination adventures were added to ordinary daily life because of Gian's murderous singing? Every time he held a concert, it was a great adventure of wits and courage. How exciting was that!

Those memories flashed through his mind, and Nobita could only smile, point to himself, and say self-deprecatingly, "This is the true value of being the head of Gian's fan club." (In the daily life episode, Gian, out of jealousy that Tsubasa had her own fan club, asked Doraemon to set up a "Gian Fan Club" in the town, with Nobita as its head.)

……

"Well, the year is almost over. I'm sure you're all happy to be able to present some classic old songs that we haven't heard in a long time on the last day of the year, right?"

This performance really gave him a great time. Fat Tiger then took out a carefully prepared CD from his pocket, walked off the stage, and solemnly handed it to Asur. "Even if we're not together anymore and have to face many difficulties, as long as you listen to my songs, you'll definitely be full of energy!"

"Um... well... thank you then." Asur tremblingly accepted the discs, wondering if he should find a place to enshrine them, hoping they might at least serve as a talisman against evil spirits. Humans are terrified by this; wouldn't ghosts be scared out of their wits?

"But it doesn't look like it's four o'clock yet, it's still bright outside." Fat Tiger suddenly had a bright idea and invited enthusiastically, "Want to come to my place for a bite? Before you leave, I'll let you try my heartfelt Fat Tiger cooking!"

Everyone was stunned.

Are there any experts? !

The reviews for Gian's cooking skills are even worse than his singing.

Actually, Fat Tiger's sense of taste isn't the problem, and his skills in frying, stir-frying, steaming, and deep-frying are quite good; he's not the type to fry eggs until they're burnt. If he follows a recipe step by step, he can make something edible. The real problem is that he always likes to add his own top-notch understanding of ingredient selection and pursue a kind of sensory stimulation. Too much seasoning causes the ingredients to lose their original flavor, resulting in a dish that lacks color, aroma, and taste. One bite, and it's so intense it feels like you can see a black hole.

Seeing that things were about to get out of control, Xiaofu quickly stepped in to smooth things over, laughing and saying, "That's true, but isn't the fun of the New Year's Eve festival about holding snacks from various stalls, strolling around the back mountain, and waiting to watch the fireworks? If you eat too much now, you won't be able to eat anything later."

"It's not like we'll never see each other again in this lifetime. Let's save this wonderful opportunity to try Fat Tiger's cooking for next time."

Shizuka and Nobita quickly nodded and, after much persuasion, managed to get through this ordeal.

They decided to go home first, change their clothes, and then go directly to the back mountain for the New Year's Eve ancestral worship. Everyone had informed their families beforehand; the children from these families had known each other since childhood and knew each other well, so there was no reason for them to disagree.

During the brief separation, everyone tried their best to maintain relaxed smiles to ease the unease of the impending parting.

Chapter 260: The Undercurrents Behind the Ordinary Life

In the depths of winter, darkness always falls exceptionally quickly. It was only a little past 4:30, yet a bright orange glow had already spread across the horizon.

These days are public holidays in Japan. Tsukimidai, a small town that can't compare to big cities like Shinjuku, has a relatively slow pace of life. Ironically, it's during these times that everyone comes out. Excited children tug at their parents' clothes, eager to rush towards the back of the mountain—where their old friend, who has always stood there, welcomes its annual day of decorations and splendid attire.

Dad and Mom wouldn't come over until after dinner, so Nobita used the "Clothes Changer Camera" to dress Asur in a petite, purplish-red butterfly kimono, and changed himself into a dark blue kimono. They strolled leisurely down the street. In his words, the real festival didn't actually start at the venue, but rather the moment they stepped out of their homes.

Laughter.

Noise.

The sound of conversation.

Congratulations.

A cacophony of sounds rose from the bustling crowd, indistinct and barely audible. Each word lingered for a few seconds before being replaced by the next. Gazing at the soft glow of countless lights, Nobita, having just saved the world, felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. He loved this time when he didn't have to think about anything, didn't have to worry about anything, especially knowing… that a joyous celebration awaited him.

"By the way, how good is that guy's cooking?" As if he had just remembered this, Asur turned his head and asked, "Judging from how worried you all were, was it worse than his singing?"

"Well, how should I put it?" Da Xiong thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a sufficiently euphemistic word to describe it, so he had to answer honestly, "They're about the same. When we were kids in the area, they were considered a public nuisance, but he especially liked to force people to taste what he made, hahaha... The last time he made something, it almost poisoned their fake dog, Cool Guy. And the time before that, a strange talent scout came to him, saying he really liked his singing voice, and even recorded a few videotapes on the spot to take back. We all thought he was going to use those videotapes to kill people!"

"..."

As Nobita spoke, Asur stared intently at him, as if he were facing an unsolvable riddle, defying common sense. Perhaps it was this gaze that was too direct and unabashed, making him somewhat uncomfortable, that finally he stopped his narration and asked, "Why are you suddenly interested in Gian?"

"I hope this question doesn't offend you." The girl fidgeted with her sleeve, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "What...what is your relationship with Fat Tiger?"

Without hesitation, Nobita replied, "Friend."

"And before that?"

"What do you mean before that? Before where?" Nobita was completely confused, but he smiled gently and repeated, "We've always been friends."

"Are you pretending to be slow-witted or what?" Asur sighed helplessly and decided to be blunt. "I asked Shizuka, when you were little, he bullied you all the time, right? You have a very gentle personality, how could you become friends with such a violent person?"

"..." Da Xiong was somewhat stunned, seemingly not expecting this little girl to raise such a pointed question at the very beginning of the new year. Usually, at the end of anime series like this, shouldn't they just say something auspicious like making dumplings, wishing everyone well, to smooth things over? At least that's how it's handled in the manga he's read!

The noisy crowd provided excellent white noise, memories flowed through his mind, and a smile crept onto Nobita's profile.

Seeing him laugh, Asur couldn't understand it and added, "I once met someone... His circumstances were very similar to yours. As a child, he was bullied by the village bully, which greatly distorted his personality and his understanding of humanity. When he grew up, he became a staunch advocate of 'human evil,' and his thoughts and actions became extremely dangerous."

"What I'm curious about is why you haven't become like that?"

"..." After a moment of silence, Nobita looked at the back mountain that was gradually merging into the night and said with a smile, "Gian is irritable, Suneo is slippery, Shizuka is a little stubborn, I am an incurable slowpoke, and Doraemon will let us down at crucial moments."

“If we look at each of us individually, we are all imperfect. Perhaps that’s why it’s hard for someone as perfect as Xiaoshan to fit in?”

"Back then, I dreamed of becoming the perfect elementary school student, and then an opportunity just happened to come my way. There was a place called Sky Island, where anyone could become perfect if they stayed there for a while. Their studies, sports, character, and habits would all be impeccable. We went together, and I watched the three of them change with my own eyes. At first, I thought it was a good thing, until..."

"The three of them became exactly the same person."

"The same politeness, the same distance, the same tone, as if we were no longer old friends who had known each other since kindergarten, but guests who came to conduct business."

"It wasn't until then that I understood... that perfection isn't always the best thing. Gian's enthusiasm, Suneo's quick wit, Shizuka's gentleness—the best parts of their humanity disappeared along with the pursuit of perfection. They ceased to be themselves, becoming empty shells, formatted and repetitive. They could only live unchanging lives according to rules set by others."

"Asur, do you think this is a good idea?"

The two walked and talked. Asur rarely showed such a serious expression, listening intently to every word. It was as if this was not a casual chat, but a crucial speech that could change everything.

"Besides, you're imagining our relationship to be far too bad. Gian and Suneo have quite a few good points; they're not as bad as they seem. Although they certainly have their flaws, but..."

"you are wrong."

This time, Asur's tone became very firm, his mint-green eyes staring directly at Nobita, as if a divine prophecy had been delivered, he said word by word, "Nobita, on this matter alone, you are terribly wrong. Your two friends are essentially people who are very easy to go astray... Deep in their souls, there are still remnants of violence and lies."

"Some force changed them, just as some force changed you. If I'm not mistaken, it must be that friend from the future."

"Doraemon?" Nobita was stunned for a moment, then recalled the bleak future Doraemon had described to him when they first met.

Nobita in that timeline was the ultimate combination of bad luck and misfortune. Not only was his academic path arduous, but his marriage was also far from smooth. He finally managed to start a company, only to have it burned down in a fire within a year, leaving him with all sorts of debts, and his descendants were all affected by his life.

But... at least after he came here, everything changed.

He changed the future, which means he changed the present.

“Yes, it’s the Doraemon you often mention.” Asur nodded and said in a deep voice, “He discovered your courage, kindness, dreams, and hope. And these qualities further changed you and your friends, making them better people.”

"There must be some reason for doing this, Nobita, but I haven't figured it out yet..."

"What exactly does the person who orchestrated all of this want to gain?"

Chapter 261: Osaka Theory

"I refuse to believe it... One more time! The last time, this time I have to get something out of it!"

Fat Tiger squatted in front of a stall at the New Year's Eve festival, staring intently at the goldfish floating slowly in the water, his eyes wide with anger and a look of utter defiance. After fumbling around for a while, he realized he had spent all his change, and finally borrowed two coins from Suneo. He angrily picked up a paper net and, as if dealing with a sworn enemy from a past life, scooped it into the pond with all his might.

This is an indispensable goldfish scooping activity at various summer festivals, winter festivals, and school festivals, originally meant for the main characters to show off. But seeing Gian, such a big guy, squatting there with a bunch of used paper nets lying around his feet, everyone probably gave up. Only the shop owner, arms crossed, watched Gian with a smile—those who rely entirely on brute force to play this game are his favorite customers, purely there to throw money away.

pat.

Water splashed everywhere.

As if rewarding him for his long and hard work, Fat Tiger miraculously scooped up a small goldfish with his bare hands.

"Ha! Hahahaha! I knew it! I'm a genius at catching goldfish!" He was so happy he was out of his mind, but the goldfish was too small. Xiaofu was afraid that his mouth was too big and he might accidentally swallow it. "Perfect, I'll give this goldfish to Fatty."

"This thing that costs fifty yen to fish once cost me a full five hundred yen..." Suneo muttered to himself.

"Well, as long as he's happy, it's fine, right?" Dekisugi looked at the three goldfish he had bought for 150 yen. "If you don't mind, Gian, you can have my three goldfish too."

"No, no... Suneo, you don't understand." Gian held up a finger with a mysterious look and laughed loudly, "You only feel a sense of accomplishment when you get your own spoils, right, Suneo? Can I have one of your takoyaki?"

"Don't take other people's food for granted and treat it as a trophy!"

……

Nobita sat on a chair to the side, watching his friends. After a somewhat depressing adventure, they had finally been able to reclaim their daily lives. His expression was complicated, as if he was thinking about something.

"It's a rare New Year's Eve celebration, why are you keeping such a long face? Didn't we agree that even if we're separated for a while, we shouldn't be sad?" Shizuka sensed that he was feeling down, so she took two steps closer to him and comforted him, "It's not like we'll never see each other again."

"No, Shizuka, I was just thinking..."

Da Xiong hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should bring up these somewhat heavy topics when everyone was so happy.

He has always been a person who values ​​"emotional value." Because of his strong empathy, Da Xiong is often able to keenly perceive other people's emotionally vulnerable moments and say what they need most at that time.

Bianbian, Miyako, Kukuru, and even Prince Dio of Maya… many people are particularly drawn to this. This is also why his late-night talks often yield results—if someone with poor communication skills were to come along, and they were already feeling emotional, you could easily drive them away with just three sentences, and then there would be no point in having a conversation.

From this perspective, he's actually a rather traditional Japanese person, quite adept at reading the room. It's just that most of the time, he's too lazy to think about it.

Perhaps sensing his hesitation, Shizuka sat down beside him, straightened the wide sleeves of her kimono, and folded them together. She leaned slightly towards him, her eyes fixed on him, adopting the posture of a attentive listener.

Such a direct willingness to listen made Nobita feel at ease.

He composed himself and then said, "I was thinking, if Doraemon hadn't come, what would we be like now?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Shizuka looked at him with some confusion.

"Oh, right, Shizuka doesn't know yet..." Nobita suddenly realized that he had never told his friends why Doraemon was here.

Back then, everyone was a child, more accepting of strange things, and less likely to question them. In their eyes, Doraemon simply appeared one day and naturally ended up living in Nobita's house, becoming a part of the town. No wonder Shizuka was puzzled; she couldn't understand why Nobita would say such a thing. In her view, Doraemon's arrival in this era was a foregone conclusion, a matter of course.

Unfortunately, this matter is inextricably linked to Shizuka, making it difficult to bring up the topic.

Nobita thought for a while, then condensed the whole story and recounted it in detail. This included his wasted life, the burden he had placed on his descendants, and Doraemon's true purpose in coming to his house. These were things he hadn't originally intended to tell anyone, but amidst the noisy, jubilant voices, he told them all to the girl he trusted most.

"Huh?! Fat Girl? Fat Girl?!" Shizuka exclaimed in surprise, then realized that Gian's older brother was still there. She quickly covered her mouth, her face flushed with excitement at hearing such juicy gossip, and lowered her voice, "Then... according to this logic, wouldn't Gian become your brother?! Is it that exciting?"