It was a Sunday, so Nobita slept in. No one came to wake him up, which in itself was unusual. Soon, the sunlight pouring in through his window grew too intense to bear and he woke up.
"Doraemon?" he called out, looking around. There was no sign of the blue cat-robot anywhere.
Nobita went down for breakfast, greeting his mother.
"Ka-san, have you seen Doraemon?" he asked as he buttered his breads.
"No, I haven't seen him at all this morning," answered his mother as she scrubbed the pans.
Nobita wondered where his friend was. But then, someone knocked on the door and he went to answer.
"Ah, Shizu-chan!" he cried in surprise. "Ohayo!"
"Ohayo, Nobita-san," greeted Shizuka. "Do you want to go out and play?"
"Sure!" answered Nobita eagerly as he left the house, all thoughts of Doraemon fleeing his mind. He felt as though the day was going to be a good day.
Until he saw Suneo and Gian at the field where they always play.
His heart sank. Gian still seemed to be in a bad mood and Suneo was trying to calm him down.
"Maybe we shouldn't play here…" Nobita suggested.
"You're right," answered Shizuka, eyeing Gian.
However, Gian spotted them.
"NOBITA!" he shouted.
Nobita jumped about a metre into the air.
"Yesterday, we lost because of you!" roared Gian, rushing forward, fists raised.
"Eh? But you already beat me up for that!" cried Nobita as he scrambled to get away.
"You think that was beating you up?" snarled Gian as he reached Nobita. "I'll show you what being beaten up really is!"
Nobita dodged the flying fists and ran as fast as his legs would carry him, Gian hot on his heels.
In his panic, he took a wrong turning and ended up in a dead-end. He turned and saw Gian advancing on him menacingly, Suneo cackling in the background.
Gian raised one huge meaty fist and swung it at Nobita's face. Nobita closed his eyes, expecting to feel the fist crashing into his cheek and the agony that followed after.
It never came.
What's going on?
Nobita opened his eyes and saw Doraemon standing in front of him, blocking Gian's first.
"Doraemon," he cried in relief.
Gian however, had become eerily calm. "Step aside."
"Never," retorted Doraemon.
"Step aside and walk away," growled Gian. "This doesn't concern you."
"You're hurting my friend," answered Doraemon, straining to hold the powerful fist back. "Of course it concerns me."
Suddenly, Doraemon doubled over in pain. Suneo had just charged forward and kicked Doraemon in the stomach. Both of them proceeded to beat Doraemon up. Nobita watched, torn between wanting to run away and to help his best friend.
"I'm sorry, Doraemon," he whispered, and tried to sneak away when Doraemon cried out in pain.
The cry of pain stopped him.
Memories floated into his mind.
Doraemon listening to his complaints.
Doraemon looking after him when he was ill.
Doraemon recklessly fighting a villain from the 23rd century to save them.
Doraemon going out into the rain to feed Pisuke when Nobita was too ill to do it.
Doraemon comforting him every time he felt hurt when Shizuka did not notice him…
He turned. "STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"
Gian and Suneo turned to face him. "Why should we?" sneered Suneo.
"This is Doraemon," shouted Nobita. "The one who looked out for us during our adventures! The one who saved us whenever we were in danger! Above all, he's our friend! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
Both Gian and Suneo looked slightly uncomfortable.
But then, Gian grinned. "If he is your friend, why don't you come and save him?"
Nobita gulped, and took a step back.
Gian sneered. "You're all talk. You say we don't care about Doraemon, but you're no different. You wouldn't even help him out…"
As Gian railed on and on about Nobita having no spine and being a hypocrite, Suneo continued kicking at Doraemon.
Gian's words grated at Nobita's heart, for he knew they were true. Doraemon had helped him countless of times, and now when Doraemon needed him, Nobita was going to run away. He was not a true friend, unless…
With a sudden cry that surprised both Gian and Suneo, Nobita charged forward and swung his fist into Gian's face.
Gian grunted in pain and stumbled back. Nobita then rounded on Suneo, who was gaping at him, his mouth open with shock. Until Nobita closed it for him with a vicious uppercut.
Suneo was sent crashing to the ground, his mouth bleeding.
Nobita turned and found a huge meaty fist crashing into his face, sending him and his glasses their separate ways.
Gian straddled Nobita and proceeded to punch the boy below him. But then, Nobita somehow managed to catch one Gian's arms and bit it viciously. Gian howled in pain before Nobita threw another punch to the side of his head.
Gian rolled off and got back to his feet, just as Nobita got to his.
Both of them threw themselves at each other. Fists were exchanged, so were kicks and an occasional headbutt or bite.
Finally, Gian, weary, threw Nobita off him and lumbered off, not wanting to fight the determined boy anymore. Suneo quickly followed.
"Nobita-kun!" cried Doraemon as Nobita slumped against a wall. He pulled out the Dokodemo door and helped Nobita to his feet.
"Doraemon, are you all right?" asked Nobita softly as Doraemon helped him through the door.
Doraemon stared at Nobita as though the boy had just gone insane. "Baka, you're the one bleeding all over, and you're asking me that?"
Nobita chuckled a little before passing out.
Doraemon cleaned up the wounds and bandaged them before putting rolling out Nobita's futon and placing the boy on it. He then the used the Doctor's Bag to make sure that there weren't any broken bones or ruptured organs. Once he was done, he went through the Dokodemo door again.
He went to the field and saw Gian and Suneo both nursing their wounds.
He walked up to them and took the Doctor's Bag again.
"Thank you for your help," said Doraemon as he inspected both Gian and Suneo.
"I never thought that Nobita could hit so hard," whined Suneo, wincing when Doraemon accidentally touched a sore spot.
"Heh, you were right, Doraemon," said Gian, guffawing despite his own injuries. "Nobita can be a man in the right situation. Maybe he'll have a backbone now and can stand up for himself more…"
Gian trailed off, looking uncertain. "I'm not so sure that's a good thing…"
"Oh, be quiet," said Doraemon as he treated their wounds. "Did you have to hit him so hard?"
"Hey!" exclaimed Gian. "He got us pretty good! Besides, I was so into the fight that I didn't hold back. I think if I didn't, Nobita might have actually beaten me!"
Doraemon chuckled.
"Well, maybe he'll be much braver now," he said. "But you also have to learn to control your temper, Gian-kun."
"Oh, shut up…" grumbled Gian.
The three of them laughed.
As he treated their wounds, Doraemon thought that Nobita didn't really need a lesson to be brave. He was already brave. He just needed to be in the right situation. But then, Doraemon had not been too sure about that, so he had enlisted Gian and Suneo's help. He was right, Nobita would go to any lengths to defend his friends, but he wouldn't do nuts to defend himself.
Although, Doraemon thought with amusement, running away is a form of self-defense.
Doraemon had not been too sure what this particular episode had accomplished, but he was certain of one thing. He was certain that Nobita did indeed care for him.
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