Amidst my puzzlement, the bowl haircut kid makes his entrance, declaring, "Uhh, well, I'm Nobi Nobita."
Ken's train of thought crashes as he's abruptly jolted back to reality, forced to acknowledge that he's truly been transported into the world of Doraemon.
As my gaze falls upon the protagonist, Nobita, who's wriggling like a worm that's just encountered a heap of salt, I can't help but feel utterly helpless. There's no escape from the undeniable truth—I'm smack in the middle of the Doraemon universe. Although, weirdly enough, this world doesn't quite look like the 2D cartoons I'm used to.
Either way, he's stuck with it. And you know what? Couldn't he just befriend Nobita and Doraemon and dive headfirst into their wacky and fantastical adventures? He might even get to time travel with them, which would be absolutely awesome! Hah, seems like I don't need to worry much. I'm actually feeling like I should thank truck-kun for not dropping me into the Detective Conan world, where crime rates are sky high.
I even crack a grin at the thought. And right after Nobita's whole intro routine, in saunters a pint-sized dude with hair slicked back like it's on a mission - probably to defy gravity.
"Hey there~ I'm Suneo Honekawa! Delighted to make your acquaintance."
Cue the short kid with an air of seriousness, chiming in, "I am Dekisugi Hidetoshi..."
After the kids introduced themselves, the female teacher finally kicked off the learning session. Occasionally, she had to coax clueless children who were itching to head home. Essentially, the teacher was dealing with the playful antics of the little ones, guiding them through the alphabet song and whatnot.
When the class wrapped up, school was officially over for the kindergarteners, and they were free to head home. However, Ken decided to approach Nobita, sporting a friendly smile.
Just as I was about to reach Nobita, my eyes caught Takeshi swiping something from him, reducing Nobita to tears. I glanced around, only to realize that the homeroom teacher had already left the room.
"Takeshi-san, Teacher Mia told us not to steal!" Shizuka positioned herself between Nobita and Takeshi, giving him a stern look.
"Hmph... Uh... It's not really stealing, it's more like borrowing, right, Nobita?" Takeshi hastily came up with an excuse while sending an intimidating glare toward Nobita.
"Is that true, Nobita-san?" Shizuka inquired with an innocent expression.
Nobita was about to shake his head, but Takeshi's menacing stare forced him to reluctantly nod.
"If that's the case, then I must have misunderstood." Shizuka promptly apologized to Takeshi for the mix-up, and Takeshi smugly nodded, shooting a smirk in Nobita's direction.
Takeshi had been stewing in frustration ever since his initial introduction. He had aimed to be friendly, only to be insulted in front of everyone. After the teacher left, he resolved to change his approach—to stop being a target and instead become the one who bullies. He had singled out Nobita, but Shizuka had intervened. Yet, every time he found a loophole and saw how scared Nobita was, Takeshi got a twisted sense of satisfaction. Plus, the uncanny resemblance between Nobita and the boy who'd insulted him solidified Takeshi's decision to become the aggressor.
"You didn't borrow it. You took it without Nobita-kun's consent."
A voice interjected, drawing the attention of Nobita, Shizuka, and Takeshi.
It was Ken.
"Who are you!? Oh, right, you introduced yourself, it's Ren-chan, isn't it? I clearly borrowed this notebook from Nobita-chan. Are you calling me a liar?" Takeshi shot a fiery glare at Ken.
"I'm Ken, and yes, you're a liar." I replied straightforwardly, looking Takeshi square in the eyes.
"Nani?" Takeshi seethed, grinding his teeth. Who was this guy? He was ruining all his fun.
"That's awful, Takeshi-san! You shouldn't lie!" Shizuka covered her mouth, her eyes wide as she glared at Takeshi.
Takeshi felt embarrassed, hastily tossing the notebook back to Nobita before making a quick exit.
"I won't forget this, Ken-chan!"
Takeshi's childish voice echoed as he huffed away.
I couldn't help but chuckle. After all, Takeshi and everyone else here were just kids, while I was the one with a young body and an old soul.
"Thanks, Ken-chan. Really appreciate it!" Nobita looked at me gratefully before shyly glancing at Shizuka. "And thanks to you too, Shizuka-chan."
Shizuka smiled warmly, her eyes closed, leaving Nobita utterly flabbergasted.
"Don't let others push you around like that, Nobita-kun. Otherwise, you'll end up being taken advantage of, especially by that Gorilla." I interjected, snapping Nobita out of his thoughts.
Nobita burst into laughter at my playful jab at Takeshi, and Shizuka joined in with a gentle, graceful chuckle.