When Daichi Yayahara got home, Dekisugi wasn't back yet, so he started preparing rice balls on his own.
As the rice cooked and he was getting the fillings ready, Dekisugi returned—arms full of flour and ingredients, seemingly preparing to make pastries.
Seeing Daichi already cooking, Dekisugi said nothing and quietly began kneading dough.
Noticing that Dekisugi was making enough for two, Daichi silently switched gears—abandoning the rice balls in favor of making dinner instead. Since the fillings were mostly meat and vegetables, a quick stir-fry would do.
So, in the end, Daichi handled dinner while Dekisugi prepared a batch of delicate pastries for the next day's lunch, including a portion for Daichi as well.
That night, their cold war continued. Neither said a word. The night passed in silence.
The next morning, they both woke up early, just as the sun shone down warmly on the start of a new day.
"Phew, looks like Doraemon's gadget didn't fail this time," Daichi murmured as he began his morning routine.
Dekisugi soon joined him, eating breakfast while watching the morning news.
Having lived with him this long, Daichi now found it hard to eat breakfast without watching the news too. Proximity shapes character, he thought—another ancient saying proving timeless.
Grabbing their lunches and homework, the two of them headed out.
As they passed Nobita's house, Daichi was stunned by what he saw: Nobita was leaving the house—with his school bag on time!
He's awake… he's really awake… The thought echoed endlessly in Daichi's mind.
This isn't normal! Even with Doraemon, this just isn't normal!
As he stood frozen in awe, Nobita cheerfully waved at them. "Hi, Dekisugi, Daichi! Morning!"
Dekisugi smiled and returned the greeting. Daichi just nodded dumbly.
"Great weather today, huh? See? I told you that weather forecast was wrong, didn't I, Daichi?"
Nobita was clearly gloating because Daichi had been there to witness both the forecast and Nobita's bet with Suneo the day before.
"…Yeah, it's a beautiful day. Congrats on winning your bet," Daichi replied expressionlessly—smiling was still too exhausting.
They met up with Shizuka and Gian on the way, then detoured together to Suneo's house.
Since there were no classes today, Dekisugi came along too—no harm in taking a longer route during an outing.
It was Daichi's first time seeing Suneo's house, and it matched the anime depiction perfectly—a massive, three-story Western-style mansion with a soft blue roof, unlike any of their modest homes.
The group passed through a proper garden—flowers, trees, even a pond.
At Suneo's door, Nobita knocked. A few minutes later, Suneo burst out, a pot on his head, shouting dramatically, "Nobita! I'm ready! Come punch me!"
The others laughed, except for Dekisugi, who simply observed quietly.
Nobita, though triumphant, ultimately didn't throw a punch. Perhaps seeing the pot reminded him of how pathetic he looked the day before.
Suneo, surprisingly touched, shook Nobita's hand repeatedly in thanks. The group set off toward school in high spirits.
Once they turned in their homework, the teacher announced it was time to board the buses.
Three fourth-grade classes meant three buses. They piled in and set off.
The buses moved slowly but soon left the city and entered mountain roads.
To liven things up, the teacher encouraged everyone to sing the school anthem.
Daichi didn't know the lyrics but followed along anyway. The kids were in high spirits—until the bus suddenly broke down.
Everyone was jolted in their seats, some even bumping their heads. Chaos ensued.
"What happened?!" the teacher rushed to the front to ask the driver.
The driver inspected the engine and said, "Looks like the engine's too old—it can't handle this many people. I'll radio ahead. Once the others arrive, they can come back and get us."
"That could take an hour—we're only halfway there!" the teacher groaned.
Groans filled the bus. But no one despaired more than Nobita.
He'd forgotten his lunch. He searched every pocket, every corner of his bag—nothing. The day was ruined.
But Doraemon, as always, came through like a beam of hope.
From the sky came Doraemon's voice: "Nobita! You forgot your lunch! I brought it for you!"
He landed beside Nobita and handed him the lunchbox. Nobita was so happy he nearly bowed in worship.
"Oh, Doraemon! Can you fix the bus too?"
Doraemon inspected it and found the engine truly worn out. "No problem! Leave it to me!"
He pulled out a gadget: Performance Booster Spray.
"Just a little spritz, and any machine's performance will skyrocket."
He sprayed the engine, which immediately roared back to life—and then the bus shot forward like a rocket.
"Wait for me!" Doraemon cried, putting on his bamboo-copter to chase after them.
Miraculously, their bus arrived at the destination before the other two.
The teacher stepped off and announced, "Alright, students, we'll be heading up the mountain for lunch. We'll split into groups for the climb. Time to divide!"
The class was split into groups of five. Since Daichi was an extra student, one group had six—and that was his group.
Unfortunately, he didn't know any of them. Understandably so—they didn't even have names in the original series.
Dekisugi, meanwhile, was grouped with Nobita, Shizuka, Gian, and Suneo—a smart move, considering he and Daichi were still avoiding each other.
One student asked, "Teacher, what about you? How are you climbing?"
The teacher grinned and pointed at the nearby lift. "I'll wait for you at the top!"
The students all silently judged him, then began their ascent.
The mountain path was about 3–4 kilometers—short, but still tough for elementary schoolers.
For Daichi, however, with the body of a Level 2 mage, it wasn't even a challenge—even without magic.
Most of the boys were fine, but one girl in their group had trouble. Whenever they hit a steep part, Daichi silently offered a hand.
She smiled, surprised, and gratefully accepted.
They climbed for over an hour without a single complaint. In the end, Daichi's group was the first to reach the summit.
The girl thanked him warmly. "Thank you, Daichi. I didn't expect you to be so strong—or so kind."
The others nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, we thought you were scary with that blank face all the time."
"And you never talk to anyone but Dekisugi. We thought you looked down on the rest of us because we're not top students."
Hearing their comments, Daichi—who hadn't even broken a sweat—started sweating nervously.
Wait, is that really how they see me? Some aloof genius with a cold glare? That's not the vibe I meant to give off!
Thankfully, the teacher stepped in to help.
"Now now, don't be like that. Daichi just has some difficult past experiences. He's actually a very good person—try to be friends with him, alright?"
"Okay!" said the girl, walking up with a smile and offering her hand. "I'm Yumiko Tsuneyoshi. Nice to meet you!"
The others followed suit. Daichi shook their hands, one by one.
Suddenly, they heard shouting from below. Looking down the mountain, Daichi saw a patch of trees in the middle had grown unusually tall—nearly double the height of the others.
He narrowed his eyes. This must be from one of Doraemon's gadgets.
Given how Doraemon never reclaims a gadget unless it's been "played wrong," Daichi figured it was likely the Performance Booster Spray from earlier.
That must mean Dekisugi's group is stuck somewhere down there. It's too far to scout with detection magic… Guess I'll have to go in person.
With that, he bid his group farewell and ran down toward the mountain's middle slope.
(End of Chapter)