"Tracing a Dream" - Act I

Chapter 10 - The Cousin-Sitters!

Sunday, 22 July 2012

08.20 Local Time

Third Person Perspective centered around Nobita

~~~

"I really like you, Nobita!"

"I want to be with you for the rest of my life!"

Those were the words that echoed in Nobita's memory from the dream that he had in April. It has been a few months since he first had it, and he'd yet to even come across a single clue about the girl in the dream.

While it was true that his visit to the shrine gave him helpful information on where he should look to find the clues, now he knew for a fact that the answer was either right in front of him, or perhaps it came from somewhere that he didn't expect before.

It was just a matter how he will find the clues that will ultimately lead him to the answer.

That day played out just like usual. Nobita was laying down on his tatami mat, staring towards the outside of his window. The atmosphere wasn't that hot, and the sky was thoroughly covered with clouds. As a result, it unintentionally made the day a bit uncomfortable, as it was neither too hot nor too dark.

Aiko was lying down on her stomach right next to him, drawing some stuff in an empty unused notebook that Nobita happened to have. She was mumbling some kids' song as she scratched the piece of paper using her crayons.

"Hmm, family huh?" Nobita thought, remarking what Aiko said yesterday. "Aiko had some sick joke right there."

However, those thoughts soon led him to a question. He wondered why Shizuka got a little flustered and embarrassed by that little joke that Aiko had made. It was clear that Shizuka's attempt to keep herself intact wasn't as effective as it used to be.

This questionable behaviour has caught Nobita's attention and he was curious as to what the cause might be. This wasn't a thing before Shizuka's holiday in Osaka, so there must have been something happened there.

"Is that because she likes me?"

Nobita quickly shook his head in response to the unlikeliness of that thought.

"No no no.... That couldn't be it!" Nobita thought.

"Hey, Nobita-kun..." Doraemon called the bespectacled boy, snapping him out from his fantasies for a second.

"Hm?" He replied.

"So, enjoying this awkward and uncomfortable weather?" Doraemon asked, eating the last batch of Dorayakis that he had bought at a bargain price.

"Not so much." Nobita murmured. "I've got nothing better to look at anyways."

"Why don't you pay Shizuka-chan a visit?" Doraemon asked.

"I'm not sure..."

"You haven't been visiting her very much lately, have you?" asked Doraemon. "You used to visit her every so often when you had free time."

"Yeah, I did... It's just, I don't want to bother her too much." replied Nobita. "She might be fine with it. However, I just don't feel like that's the case behind the curtain."

"So, now you realize how annoying you are to her, huh?"

"Perhaps...." Nobita nodded as he sighed out of regret. "It feels wrong if I just barged into her home without much of a reason, other than just to hang out."

"I don't know, Nobita-kun... But perhaps, you can talk to Shizuka-chan about your dream." Doraemon said,

The room fell silent (excluding the humming sound that Aiko made), as Nobita felt like an idea has popped up inside his head. He knew what Doraemon had said has some truth to it.