Takeshi's bragging?

After stepping out of his home, Ken spotted Suneo standing by the gate with his mother, ready to greet him. Ken's own mother, Ruri, engaged in conversation with Suneo's mother nearby.

"Hello there, Suneo! What's the latest?" Ken cheerfully inquired, approaching Suneo with a grin.

"Hey, Ken! How about we embark on a joint journey to school? After all, we're not just classmates but also neighbors!" Suneo responded with enthusiasm, exchanging a friendly greeting.

Suneo's intention was to establish a bond with the Hayashi Family, as per his father's advice. Forge connections, and the Honekawa family would flourish.

"Sure thing," Ken agreed, gripping the straps of his black backpack.

"Already heading to school, you two? Take care on your way!" Suneo's mother chimed in, a playful giggle escaping her lips as she held her hand up to her mouth, subtly displaying her affluent status through her gestures.

Ken and Suneo exchanged nods and set off on their way to school.

...

As they strolled along the path to school, Ken and Suneo engaged in a conversation. While Suneo's enthusiasm for certain topics was evident, Ken's mind began to drift into its own world.

With excitement twinkling in his eyes, Ken couldn't help but daydream about the countless gadgets he could snatch from Doraemon. Just that time machine alone held the promise of boundless advantages, if he could get his hands on it.

And who could forget how the system always gave those copied gadgets an upgrade, making them even more advanced and impressive?

His thoughts meandered into speculation about the potential differences between the time tunnel and time machine he might copy. But, of course, that was a thought for the future, assuming he could ever replicate Doraemon's remarkable contraptions.

Meanwhile, Suneo's chatter continued, blissfully unaware of Ken's mental wanderings.

Seemingly oblivious to Ken's daydreaming, Suneo carried on chatting without a care in the world.

...

After Ken and Suneo stepped into the classroom, it was still quite early, leaving time for Nobita and the teacher to arrive.

But the classroom was already abuzz with activity as several classmates had taken their seats, including Dekisugi, Shizuka, and surprisingly Takeshi, who had gotten there before Ken and Suneo.

Ken was about to offer a friendly greeting when a group of unfamiliar classmates suddenly surrounded him. "Hayashi-san! Is it true that your house has a cinema and that you treated Shizuka-chan and the others to the most expensive food in the world!?" a girl with brown hair inquired with excitement.

The other classmates who shared the same question eagerly nodded toward Ken, awaiting his response.

"Uh..." Ken felt a bit bewildered. Had the news already spread?

*Flashback*

Ten minutes earlier.

Takeshi walked into the classroom accompanied by his classmates. Many of them were taken aback to see Takeshi arriving at school so early. There was still an hour or half-hour before class began, and Takeshi usually arrived neither too early nor too late.

This unusual timing stirred some concerns among his classmates. Could Takeshi be planning to unleash another peculiar album again!?

It seemed they might need to pretend to be sick for a little while.

Luckily, their assumption was off the mark; Takeshi wasn't plotting any mischief but rather basking in the glory of bragging to his peers.

Takeshi boasted that he, along with Suneo, Shizuka, and Dekisugi, along with Doraemon and Nobita, had indulged in the most lavish feast and experienced an early movie access on mini yet grand cinema at Ken's house.

As Takeshi regaled his tale, their classmates surrounded him, treating him as if he were the host of the extravaganza.

To some extent, Takeshi even elevated himself, claiming that everyone but him had been astounded by Ken's house party. He even took credit for explaining the intricacies of the so-called Almas Caviar to Nobita and their friends.

Shizuka and Dekisugi, who overheard, sighed helplessly, all too familiar with Takeshi's way of boasting.

They knew him all too well.

...

Ken directed his gaze toward the girl who had posed the initial question, her brown hair framing her features in a way that was only slightly less captivating than Shizuka's. Yet Ken was indifferent to such matters; this girl must be Tachibana-chan.

"Tachibana-chan, where did you hear about this?" Ken asked in a gentle tone, a kind smile forming on his lips, causing Tachibana to blush momentarily.

"Um... Hayashi-san, it's, it's, Takeshi-san who said it..." Tachibana stammered, her shyness evident, though she ultimately managed to gesture toward Takeshi.

"Oh?" Ken turned his gaze toward Takeshi, who shifted uncomfortably and offered an awkward whistle, attempting to evade Ken's stare.

The classmates were taken aback by Takeshi's behavior; they had never seen him act this way before.

Meanwhile, Shizuka, Dekisugi, and Suneo exchanged subtle smiles. Ken's impact on Takeshi remained unchanged, or perhaps Takeshi was feeling a tad guilty for excessively boasting about Ken's wealth as if it were his own.

But Ken simply smiled. He didn't mind Takeshi's occasional bouts of bragging. After all, weren't they all kids once? Especially in their youth, they often displayed a certain arrogance. When given the chance to brag, they'd do so without hesitation. Takeshi was just one of those kids. Sometimes, even adults were worse than children when it came to bragging, much like Suneo and Takeshi.

Ken couldn't help but smile in amusement. This was the way things should be. Childhood was a fleeting period, one to be treasured even if it sometimes manifested as arrogance or bragging in the eyes of others. When they grew older, they would reminisce about these moments with others. Eventually, these memories would become embarrassing relics, cherished only by those who experienced them. Moments like these were the jewels of their memories, shared only among those present at the time. It was a treasure they should all hold dear.

So Ken brushed off Takeshi's boasting about the party and simply nodded. "That's correct. When I decide to throw another party, I'll invite the entire class."

"Really!?" Yasuo, a boy sporting a hat, chimed in with excitement.

"When's that gonna be!?" Haruo followed, his stature similar to Takeshi's but on a smaller scale.

Ken grinned playfully and replied, "For instance... on my birthday."

----

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