Nobita's Time Heist

"Oh, Nobita's back?" Hearing the voice from the entrance, Dad put down his newspaper and came out of his room—he looked even younger than Nobita remembered, with not a single gray hair, just thick black hair. He still smiled so gently, touched Nobita's cheek which was a little hot from the sun, and asked with a smile, "How was the town baseball game? Did you win?"

"Of course we won!" Nobita felt that his personality had changed as well. He subconsciously started to speak in the tone he used in fourth grade, becoming easily excited. He waved his bat and shouted, "Dad, I hit a walk-off home run! A super awesome game-winner! We were down by a lot, but after that hit, the whole situation was reversed, and we won in the end!"

"Really? Hahaha... That's amazing. I knew it! Our son is actually very talented. If he wants to do something, he can definitely achieve it if he works hard." Dad smiled and patted his head. "Perfect timing! Dad got a bonus, it should be paid out tomorrow. Last time..."

He glanced mysteriously at the door, making sure his mother was still busy in the kitchen, then lowered his voice and winked at Da Xiong, saying, "Didn't I promise you I'd buy you a game or something after summer vacation? I'll buy it for you when I get my bonus."

To be fair, times are changing rapidly, and games have long been obsolete. Nineteen-year-old Nobita wouldn't be that excited to hear this news.

But nine-year-old Nobita was overjoyed and almost jumped for joy.

"Really!? Dad, thank you..."

"Shh—" Dad quickly put up a finger and smiled mysteriously, "You can't let Mom know."

Da Xiong understood immediately and nodded with a smile.

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.

"Daxiong, you're back?" Mom's voice came from the kitchen. "Perfect timing, dinner's almost ready..."

"Doraemon, come down for dinner!"

……

"Here it comes~~~~"

A familiar voice came from the stairs, holding Nobita captive for a full ten seconds.

Chapter 450: Doraemon's Long-Awaited Reunion

"..."

Nobita stared blankly at the sumptuous dinner laid out on the table, his mouth slightly agape. The dream he could never have, no matter how he tried to fall asleep, had now come true, so naturally. On the table were his favorite hamburger patties and salmon slices, and Doraemon was already devouring them, his round hands almost forming blurry shapes.

"Da Xiong, what's wrong? You're not eating at all." Mom noticed the surprised look on Da Xiong's face and thought he was still thinking about playing outside. She was displeased. "Eat properly when you're eating. You're out playing all day long. Half of summer vacation is almost over. Have you started doing your homework? Don't do what you did before, putting off all your homework until the last day. You can't even finish it in time."

"Dora-chan, if it really turns out like this, you're not allowed to help him this time, understand? You should do your own homework yourself, that way he'll feel a sense of urgency." She started her lecturing mode as usual, "Learning isn't for adults. You only have one year left in elementary school, and your foundation is already very weak, so you should take advantage of the summer vacation to catch up."

"Umm umm umm..." Doraemon used his best skill in this family—pretending to be confused. Whenever his mother asked him to be stricter with Nobita, he would pretend to be busy and say "uh-huh" twice.

But everyone knows that he's just saying it. Whenever Nobita starts acting like a scoundrel, he'll give him a "Oh well, I'll just give you one last push" look. To the point that later on, Nobita had a handle on this personality trait. As long as he acted like he'd "gone dark, do not disturb," Doraemon would automatically pull out his gadgets.

“Okay, Mom, kids only have a few months of summer vacation to play freely. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with letting him play sports with his friends outside. Nobita even hit a game-winning home run today, didn’t he?” Dad said, picking up some food for Nobita.

“Dad, here we go again… It’s because you spoil him too much that he’s become like this.” Mom seemed quite helpless with this routine, but ultimately didn’t say anything, which was tantamount to acknowledging the statement. She only emphasized at the end, “After this week, you have to start doing your summer homework, understand?”

"Yes~~~" Nobita replied, his voice trailing off, his heart overflowing with joy.

The experience of sneaking out to play with constant anxiety and trepidation is completely different from being able to play freely with parental permission. And now, Nobita is clearly in the latter situation, completely letting loose.

He had no appetite at all. He quickly shoveled the food in his bowl, said "I'm full!" and charged upstairs like a soldier.

"Ugh, Nobita! Seriously... you didn't finish your rice again..."

"This is outrageous!" Doraemon slammed his bowl down, feigning anger, and stormed off, following after him. "Nobody should interfere in this. I'll give him a good scolding!"

Such a clumsy little trick naturally couldn't fool the eyes of two adults, but Mom and Dad just smiled at each other and didn't say anything, letting Doraemon run upstairs with his short little legs.

"Speaking of which, Doraemon has been with us for almost two years now," Mom said, tidying up the plates on the table. "Time really flies, especially these last two years. In the blink of an eye, Nobita will be a sixth-grade student when school starts again."

"Two years?" Dad peeked out from behind the newspaper, his eyes wide with shock. "Has it been that long?"

“Dad, how could you forget that? Doraemon is a member of our family now,” Mom reminded her. “He came when Nobita was in fourth grade, right? After this summer vacation, Nobita will be in sixth grade, which is two years.”

"Two years...two years." Dad put down his newspaper. Although he sighed, a genuine smile appeared on the face of this pillar of the family. "He's been staying at home all this time. I've completely come to regard him as one of my own. If it's been a year or two, I can't tell the difference at all."

"In that case, we should give him a proper celebration. Since he came, Nobita has become much more cheerful."

"Yes, although the progress is slow, it's still a little progress, right?" Recalling her child, even when he was doing terribly, the mother still smiled. "It's all thanks to Doraemon."

"Sometimes I think, if we had two children, would it be like this? An older brother and a younger brother, taking care of and supporting each other. When they grow up, it would be best if they didn't find jobs too far away, but stayed near home. I don't expect them to make a lot of money in the future, I would be happy as long as they live a peaceful and safe life."

“Don’t be silly, Mom.” Dad picked up the newspaper again and said slowly, “I have a younger brother too, so I know… Nobita and Doraemon’s relationship goes beyond just ‘brothers.’ They must have gone through a lot of incredible things together without us knowing.”

"Besides, Doraemon is from the future, right? He'll have to go back someday, which means he'll eventually be separated from Nobita..."

The mother looked pained. Although she was always busy with the family's budget, chores, and practical matters, she harbored an unrealistic ideal about the family's current situation.

Subconsciously, she had already come to regard Doraemon as an integral part of this family, as her own child. (In fact, Doraemon did receive an allowance at Nobita's house, 100 yen a month, mainly because he didn't have many expenses, primarily buying sweets like dorayaki. Every afternoon, their mother would prepare two portions of the same sweets for the children, and Nobita and Doraemon would always eat the exact same ones. Sometimes they would argue because one ate the other's sweets.)

There's a harsh saying: "You can be careless with women and children, but not with men."

Similarly, as the only adult male in the family, Dad understood the situation perfectly and had long been prepared for the separation. Therefore, when he said those words, he was well hidden behind the newspaper, and his tone showed no hesitation.

"So, Mom, before that day comes, let's create some happy memories for Doraemon. Maybe he's always had a plan in mind about when he'll leave, maybe tomorrow, the day after... But in a way, that's a good thing."

"Is it...good?" Tamako asked, somewhat confused. "What's good about it?"

“When I’m drawing, my dad… he always lectures me, saying that people can’t live on dreams alone, and that one day I will have to break out of my own world and face reality. Actually, everyone is like that, including Nobita. It may be cruel, but it’s better to let Doraemon teach him than to let society teach him.”

"When that day comes, he will grow up overnight."

Chapter 451: A Cat-Type Robot from the 22nd Century

"Honestly, Nobita, I told you to do your homework, you should at least put some effort into it. Usually, it takes you an hour or two to finish all those problems, but now you've finished in half an hour..." Doraemon flipped through the homework book, couldn't help but sigh, and waved the notebook full of numbers. "Don't blame me for not reminding you, Mom is going to check your homework later, saying it's so you won't just fill it in carelessly."

"If she sees this homework full of mistakes, which was clearly done perfunctorily, then the consequences could be... a little..."

As he spoke, his voice gradually faded, as if he had seen a dog walking on two legs. Doraemon rubbed his eyes, slammed the notebook shut, and let out a long breath. He even managed to glance at Nobita between these actions, a look that seemed to last a lifetime. He reopened the notebook and tackled each question one by one, his voice trembling.

"You...you got everything right! Even multiplication and division within 100 are done so perfectly, Nobita...you..."

"So they really did steal my computer pencil after all?"

His initial shock was understandable, as Nobita was far from mature at that age. He'd secretly used Doraemon's gadgets to cause trouble more than once or twice. You're someone who gets zeros every day, especially during summer vacation after playing around for over a month, having forgotten almost everything. How could he possibly do a perfect math problem?

He rummaged through his pockets and, finding the computer pencil still there, his expression grew even more incredulous. However, to Nobita, this was perfectly reasonable. Even if his grades weren't good, he was already a high school student; if he couldn't even understand elementary school math problems, it would be somewhat unacceptable.

"That's so exaggerated, Doraemon... Shizuka taught me all of these." Nobita scratched his head. In order not to worry Doraemon, he could only make up some reasons as much as possible. "Before playing baseball, I went to Shizuka's house and asked her to teach me math problems. But I didn't have much time, so I only know a few. If I do them again tomorrow, I might get a lot wrong."

Sure enough, as soon as Shizuka was brought out, all of Doraemon's doubts vanished.

"Oh, I see. No wonder you changed your ways so quickly this afternoon... Well, it's a big improvement to think of asking others for help! You've finished most of your summer homework in such a short time, congratulations!" Doraemon was happy for him and finally closed his notebook with a sigh of relief. "Well then, without further ado, the drama starring Tsubasa and Marui Mary is about to start airing, and I thought I'd never make it..."

"【Random Cube】—!!"

He took a square metal box out of his pocket. It could transform into any square tool, a very useful and convenient gadget: a lighter, a refrigerator, a washing machine... anything square could be used. Nobita's family only had one television, located in his parents' study downstairs.

Generally, only during the New Year's Day and Lunar New Year holidays are they allowed to watch TV downstairs a little later. Normally, if it's past eight o'clock, Da Xiong should go back to his room to sleep. It's hard to imagine that a primary school student who goes to bed promptly at eight-thirty can still be so sleepy every day.

Of course, today is an exception, but it's also just an ordinary day for Doraemon and Nobita when they live together.

New gadgets don't appear every day. Most of the time, they get through each day by using the "slightly incredible" power of secret gadgets.

……

"Hahahaha—ah, haha!!"

"Shh... keep your voice down, don't let Mom find out! Otherwise, I'll get scolded too!" He said this, but he couldn't help laughing himself. Despite being an idol star, Xiao Yi's acting talent was undeniable. She played a seemingly foolish, "dumb beauty" character, yet she delivered hilarious moments that had both of them laughing heartily. To avoid their mothers finding out, Doraemon and Nobita had to cover each other's mouths.

People often lose track of time when they're having fun, and an hour passes quickly. It's 9:30, a time that's still early for adults, but for children, it's time to go to bed immediately. Even Nobita himself felt embarrassed to stay up any longer.

"Ah... Tsubasa and Marui Mary are so interesting! I heard this drama is doing really well, and they're even planning a third season." Doraemon climbed onto his closet, tidying up the bedding while gossiping like he was with Nobita. "Suneo's dad has connections with the TV station, right? He secretly told me last time that Hoshino Sumire will be joining the third season! Just thinking about it makes me so excited!"

Yes, I'm so excited!

I'm so excited...

Nobita looked at his room, and without realizing it, it seemed to have grown bigger, big enough to fit both him and Doraemon.

The dinosaur gashapon machine and the Nobi pirate ship model on the table lay there quietly.

Outside the window, the cool tranquility of a summer night, accompanied by the chirping of cicadas, stirred a sense of indescribable melancholy within him.

“But even the best TV series… will eventually be exposed.” Da Xiong also felt confused. He had just laughed out loud, but his heart felt blocked by something, and he couldn’t let it go. “I can’t be happy when I think about their story ending.”

"Do you think that when the hero finally defeats the Demon King and lives with the princess, he'll feel bored? In the quiet of the night, will he especially miss his comrades who once fought alongside him but are now scattered to the four winds?"

"Huh...? Nobita, what's wrong with you today? You're actually thinking about such profound things, it's like you've become a different person." Doraemon exclaimed, "If I couldn't see you, just listening to what you were saying, I would have thought that the person standing in front of me was a high school student."

"But that makes sense, you're going to sixth grade soon. It's perfectly normal for people to be sentimental sometimes as they grow up. The point is..."

Doraemon looked at him with truly gentle eyes and said, "It's very difficult to stay the same forever in life."

"The story of the hero defeating the demon king was created simply to give children hope. In reality, after the hero defeats the demon king, whether he returns to the countryside to farm or goes to live with the princess in a castle, he inevitably has to face life. Only life, which is everyone's daily routine, cannot be defeated."

"While we still have the chance to enjoy life, living each day to the fullest is enough, I think."

……

"Pfft~~" Nobita couldn't help but laugh when he saw Doraemon's unusually serious expression. "He's just Doraemon, but he's quite the talker."

"Of course!" Doraemon patted his chest with particular pride. "I'm a babysitting cat-type robot from the 22nd century!"

Chapter 452: I went back to the past, but no one was waiting for me there anymore.

Goodnight, Doraemon.

"Goodnight, Nobita." Just before closing the closet doors, perhaps sensing that Nobita was in a sensitive mood today, Doraemon waited an extra second and smiled at him, "See you tomorrow."

“…Hmm.” Nobita hesitated for a moment, then nodded with a smile. “See you tomorrow.”

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.

With the blanket pulled over him, Nobita, who could fall asleep in less than a second, tossed and turned, unable to close his eyes. He stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar ceiling, a sense of bewilderment washing over him. The room felt strange to him, and after much thought, he finally realized that he had grown accustomed to the absence of Doraemon's presence in the room.

Can't sleep.

That distant real world, that distant crisis, have all become blurred. At this moment, Nobita only cares about one thing: how much longer until he "wakes up"? If he stays awake like this, he can stay in this town forever, in this never-ending summer vacation... Dad, Mom, Shizuka, Suneo, Gian, and Doraemon, everyone is the shining image in his memory.

Midsummer, sunshine, cicadas chirping, orange soda, wind chimes—a long, leisurely, and aimless summer vacation. This is probably his most cherished memory.

If... it could stay like this... and I could never wake up...

This place will become your "reality".

……

Unable to fall asleep no matter what, Nobita quietly threw back the covers and got out of bed. He found his body frighteningly light—this was the body of a fifth-grader, completely different from his adult self. He could walk on the tatami mat on tiptoe without making a sound. He suddenly had a strong premonition to open the closet and have another good talk with Doraemon, but a strange sense of reason stopped him.

I gently closed the door and quietly went downstairs. When I passed my parents' room, they were already asleep.

"Click—"

As I opened the door and stepped into this long summer night, a cool breeze caressed my body.

Where should he go? Nobita didn't know. He just started walking and looked at this familiar yet unfamiliar town. He was born here and grew up here. Every day he experienced left an indelible mark on him.

Looking up, he saw a tangled mess of wires, their origins indistinguishable, resembling a giant bird's nest, which instinctively reminded Nobita of his own situation. In truth, who isn't a wire in this world? Coming from afar, we become entangled with other wires somewhere, only to quickly separate and head towards our respective destinations.

Are those people alright?

Haruo, Anxiong, the teacher, Uncle Shencheng, the ramen shop owner who adopted the lucky cat, the confectionery shop owner who helped him advertise once, and the down-on-his-luck writer who is still writing but will not win a literary award for another ten years... How are the people in the town doing?

What do the cicadas in the trees know that keeps chirping day and night?

"here it is……"

Almost entirely on instinct, he walked to the place he knew best, that open space.

Three cement pipes, placed here at some unknown time, seem to be gone forever. Children play baseball and soccer here, and Gian considers this his designated location for holding concerts and issuing the "King of the Kids Decree."

Every blade of grass and every stone in this clearing has an inextricable connection with Nobita. Now, without the children's noise, the clearing is exceptionally quiet. Some small insects in the grass are chirping incessantly, as if trying to fill the space with their loud sounds. Nobita unconsciously puts his hands behind his back, gazing at the wall not far away. The evening breeze rustles the grass, gently caressing him and drawing him into a deeper tranquility.

Nothing is static, nothing at all.

Staring blankly at the night sky, Nobita suddenly burst into tears—ever since parting ways with Doraemon, he had always been quiet and reserved, rarely crying in front of others. Yet, after such a happy afternoon and evening, he was crying, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. A wave of sorrow surged in from all directions, silently engulfing him completely.

Because I was so happy.

But joy and excitement are fleeting; the feast must eventually end. The sudden contrast and loneliness can subconsciously make one feel that they will never experience such pleasure again. Moreover, deep down, Nobita knows that everything here is not reality, but a dream created by sound and light, originating from his own memories. That's why it can appear so perfect, almost flawless.

A gust of wind blew.

He saw himself standing under a tree in the open space, gazing at him quietly, with an indescribable sadness in his eyes.

That was the real Nobita Nobi, the Nobita Nobi who was about to enter sixth grade but was stuck in the summer vacation of fifth grade.

"...Why are you crying? Is the future going to be terrible?" he asked. "Will Doraemon leave us?"

"Heh..." Nobita was overwhelmed with emotions, but he finally chuckled softly and wiped away his tears. He didn't want to show his vulnerable side in front of his fifth-grader self, whether this was a dream or reality.

"The future isn't great, but it's not that bad either... Let's put it this way, most of the time, we're still in this little town of Tsukimi-dai, going to and from school every day, and we're always at the bottom of the class in exams, but we can barely manage." He walked over and explained to him with a smile, trying to sound as relaxed as possible, "Suneo became the student council president, Gian has won a lot of honors for the school thanks to his athletic talent, Dekisugi is still the model student as always, and Shizuka..."

"She often tutored me, and thanks to her, my grades were barely at the middle level in the class."

Nobita's eyes light up again whenever Shizuka is mentioned; both Nobitas are like that. Even after Doraemon left, she continued to maintain the light in Nobita's world.