The dinner was a lively affair, and it could truly be said that both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves. After eating, Lin Yu, Shizuka, and the others didn't linger much longer at Nobita's house; it was already getting quite late.
"Auntie Nobi, Nobita, Doraemon, we'll head home now," Lin Yu said politely, standing by the door and waving goodbye. "Thank you so much for dinner tonight!"
"Please come visit often!" Mrs. Nobi urged warmly. "And bring Nobita along with you to study! If only he were half as sensible as you, I'd be thrilled."
"Mom! What are you saying?" Nobita protested, flushing with embarrassment. Being compared unfavorably to Lin Yu like that, especially right in front of Shizuka, was more than he could bear.
"Lin Yu! We have a deal, okay?" Doraemon piped up cheerfully. "When you want me to visit, I'll call your house first!" (He was already eagerly anticipating the next installment of the manga).
"No problem, Doraemon. You're welcome anytime."
After saying their final goodbyes to the Nobi family, Lin Yu set off with Shizuka, Gian, and Suneo. (Back inside, hearing Doraemon's parting words, Nobita nodded complexly, managing only a soft grunt in reply. Before today, largely because of Shizuka, Nobita had strongly disliked Lin Yu, fueled by jealousy. But the day's events – especially seeing Lin Yu's skill firsthand – had undeniably shifted his perspective. Reluctantly, he had to admit Lin Yu really was incredibly talented.)
Soon, they reached the crossroads again.
"Alright, Lin Yu, Shizuka, we're heading home now!" Gian called out.
"See you at school tomorrow! And we'll be waiting for those new manga pages!~" Suneo added with a grin.
"Right, I won't forget," Lin Yu promised, waving back as Gian and Suneo disappeared around the corner. He then turned to Shizuka. "Shall we head home too?"
"Okay," Shizuka agreed, walking beside him. She clasped her hands behind her back, tilting her head slightly to look up at him with a soft smile. "You must be happy today, Lin Yu, finishing so many manga pages."
"Definitely," Lin Yu affirmed. "But really, it's all thanks to Shizuka. If it weren't for you, I might still be facing another ten days or more of slow grinding."
Hearing Lin Yu's praise, Shizuka's smile widened, though her cheeks flushed faintly pink again. "N-not really... All I did was make a suggestion..." she mumbled shyly.
"Regardless, Shizuka helped me out tremendously this time," Lin Yu insisted warmly. Being praised so directly by him made Shizuka blush deeper, the color even reaching the delicate tips of her ears, visible even in the dim evening light.
"Okay, okay," Shizuka protested lightly, though she was clearly pleased. "If you keep praising me like that, I'll be the one getting a big head!"
"But seriously," she added, her tone becoming earnestly concerned again, "since you drew so much today thanks to the pill, you absolutely cannot stay up late again tonight. You have to get some proper rest! If you don't," she finished, trying for a stern look that was mostly just cute, "then I won't help you find gadgets anymore!"
Seeing her expression, Lin Yu quickly raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, message received!" he laughed. "I promise I'll get to bed early tonight. You can rest easy."
Seeing his playful surrender, Shizuka couldn't help but giggle, her clear laughter sounding especially lovely in the quiet evening air.
After walking Shizuka to her door, Lin Yu headed back to his own apartment. Letting himself in, he switched on the lights. The empty rooms felt particularly quiet and stark after the warmth and noise of the Nobi household. But Lin Yu was long used to it.
He dropped his bag, quickly washed up, changed his clothes, and then promptly went to make himself a fresh cup of coffee. Rest early? Sorry, not tonight. As the internet saying went, "If the moon's not sleeping, neither am I." He finally had the boost from the Efficiency Booster Pill; there was no way he was going to waste the remaining duration. In just those few hours at Nobita's house, he'd managed to finish the entire first chapter and even make a start on the second. Chapter two was only twenty-one pages, and chapter three was seventeen. If he pushed himself tonight, fueled by the pill's effects, he could realistically finish both of them. (Pulling an actual all-nighter might let him finish even more, but that probably wasn't feasible since he still had school tomorrow. Besides, he had just promised Shizuka he'd rest. Breaking a promise like that felt a bit wrong.)
He took his manga supplies out of his bag again, arranging them on the desk. Looking at the completed pages stacked nearby, a determined smile touched his lips. But before diving back into drawing, there was one important thing he needed to do: check the System Shop and see what, if anything, his newfound points could actually buy. He strongly suspected his pitiful six points wouldn't get him much, but just seeing what was available might provide some extra motivation.
With a mental command, the System Shop interface unfolded in his mind. However, seeing its contents made Lin Yu's eye twitch. The "shop" consisted of only two options, both resembling large prize wheels, almost identical to the one he'd used with the beginner's gift pack. One wheel was for "Items/Abilities," the other for "Manga." The prices were starkly simple: 10,000 Reputation Points for one spin on the Item/Ability wheel, and a staggering 1,000,000 Reputation Points for one spin on the Manga wheel.
The exorbitant costs instantly crushed any hopeful fantasies Lin Yu might have entertained. (Even though small print indicated special bonuses for the first spin and guaranteed minimums for ten-spin pulls, it did absolutely nothing to tempt him – it was simply out of reach.) He looked at the 10,000 and 1,000,000 price tags, then glanced at his own pathetic '6' Reputation Points. Silently, he closed the Shop interface.
"Might as well not have looked..." he muttered wryly. The System Shop was clearly not something he could afford to even think about right now. "Better just stick to drawing," he resolved. "Maybe once the manga actually starts serialization and brings in some real points, then I can try my luck with this bottomless pit."
Shaking his head to clear away the last vestiges of unrealistic hope, Lin Yu downed the rest of his coffee in one gulp and immediately got back to drawing. This boost from the pill was a rare opportunity; he had to make the most of it. He couldn't rely on getting freebies or "leeching" off Doraemon's gadgets all the time. Doraemon had to acquire those items somehow, likely at cost from the future. Even with a good relationship, constantly asking for handouts wouldn't be right.
Silence fell once more in the small apartment, broken only by the soft, rhythmic scratch-scratch of Lin Yu's pencil moving across the manuscript paper, keeping him company through the night...