The next morning, the sky was clear and high.
Hiro Nobita had gotten up early to go for a jog. A hundred-meter dash might not require much endurance, but he was the type who liked to be prepared. Besides, improving his physical fitness brought all kinds of benefits. If it were just for beating Gian, that would hardly be worth the effort.
"I'm digging in!"
After finishing his morning training, Hiro arrived at the dining table early, while Nobita was still lazing in bed, fast asleep.
Hiro didn't feel right heading off to school alone, so he ended up going upstairs and literally slapping Nobita awake. The two of them rushed off to school together.
"Good morning, Nobita! Morning, Hiro!"
At the school gate, they ran into Shizuka.
Nobita, proud of not being late for once, beamed with a goofy grin and puffed out his chest, savoring his brief moment of glory in front of Shizuka.
Behind them, Hiro rolled his eyes. If not for me, you'd be late again today.
Unfortunately, Nobita's moment didn't last. No sooner had they arrived in class than the teacher dragged him out to stand in the hallway again.
Nothing new there. He'd forgotten to do his homework. Again.
"Hey, Hiro Nobita! Ready to get beaten by me?"
Gian stormed up to Hiro in his gym clothes, each stomp of his feet like a mini earthquake.
Trailing behind was his loyal sidekick Suneo Honekawa. The two of them looked like some kind of comedic martial arts duo.
Gian, the tank. Suneo, the fighter jet.
"Of course. But I wouldn't be so sure you're going to win."
"Hah! Got a big mouth, huh?"
Gian snorted, hot air puffing out of his nose. He led Hiro onto the school track.
Their classmates lined both sides of the track, curious to see the showdown. The news had spread, courtesy of Suneo's big mouth.
In the crowd, Shizuka clenched her tiny fists in nervous anticipation. She hoped Hiro would win, but deep down she knew Gian had the upper hand.
"On your marks!"
"Get set!"
"Run!"
There was no starter pistol. The referee, Dekisugi, simply waved his arm, and Gian shot forward with explosive force.
A cloud of dust followed behind him. Despite his bulky frame, he was incredibly fast like a charging gorilla.
"Hahaha! I've got this in the bag!"
Gian grinned with confidence. He'd already covered half the track, and Hiro was still several steps behind. The outcome seemed obvious.
"Go, Gian! Just like that!" shouted Suneo from the sidelines, crouched and hollering with all his might.
But then something strange happened.
Hiro started to close the gap. Little by little, he was catching up. In fact, he was now running neck and neck with Gian.
He was even beginning to pull ahead.
"Gian, you might want to save your boasting for later," Hiro said calmly.
"I'll go on ahead now."
His forefoot hit the ground smoothly as he accelerated like a cheetah. There was no panic, only rhythm. The wind whispered past his ears. He adjusted his breathing with precision: inhale every three steps, exhale every five. Sweat streamed down his face, soaking his clothes.
Still... this body's a bit too fragile.
"That damn kid! No way I'm losing to him!"
Seeing Hiro so far ahead drove Gian into a frenzy. His steps grew erratic, and in a moment of distraction, he tripped over himself and fell hard.
And with that, Hiro won.
When it came to speed, he was still a cut above.
"I lost. Go ahead and hit me," Gian muttered, dejected as he shuffled up to Hiro. With everyone watching, he had no choice but to admit defeat.
He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, waiting for the punch.
But Hiro didn't hit him.
"Ahem. Gian, I really enjoyed competing with you," Hiro said, extending a hand with a warm smile. "There's no need to fight. We're classmates, after all. No need to hold grudges."
"Hiro... Hiro Nobita..."
Gian's eyes welled up with tears. He was so moved he threw his arms around Hiro's small frame in a bear hug.
"You're such a good guy. I was wrong about you. From now on, we're friends!"
Hiro could barely breathe.
"Uh, Gian... could you let go? You're squeezing the life out of me."
"Ah! Sorry!"
Gian released him and wiped his tears. "Hiro, from now on, we're buddies!"
"Of course."
They bumped fists. Hiro looked at the bright light in Gian's eyes and breathed a small sigh of relief.
Hopefully, that would be the end of his troubles.
His thinking was simple. Beating Gian to a pulp would only lead to revenge down the line. Better to win him over with grace and humility.
Gian respected strength. Dekisugi was living proof Gian never messed with him. In fact, he even gave him face.
By defeating Gian fair and square, Hiro had earned that same respect.
On the other hand, someone like Nobita who always relied on Doraemon's gadgets to beat Gian was winning without honor. Of course Gian would keep picking on him.
"Hiro, you were amazing!"
Shizuka's sweet voice floated through the air. She ran over holding a towel and gently began wiping the sweat from Hiro's face.
"Even Gian couldn't beat you, and you're still so kind... I admire you more and more."
Hiro bowed his head humbly, letting her help him. "It was just a lucky win."
Her soft, delicate hands gently dabbed at his forehead. Her pretty face so close, the fragrance of her hair drifted into his nose. For someone who'd just finished a hard run, it was bliss.
"Hiro, do you have plans after this? Want to play badminton with us?"
Shizuka's face turned rosy as she spoke, her eyes glancing shyly to the side.
Clearly, her invitation wasn't just friendly. But for someone like Hiro, who had just experienced a perfect victory, the moment felt sweet.
"Sure, let's go!"
He saw the group of girls behind her carrying badminton rackets and didn't hesitate. Some of them were just as cute as Shizuka, but his feelings were leaning more toward nostalgia now.
"Wait for me! I'm joining too!"
Nobita came running up, clearly flustered. Hiro was hanging out with Shizuka again. There was no way he could just stand by.
It's one thing to see your brother suffer. It's another to see him drive a luxury car while you're still eating dirt.
Hiro was now his romantic rival.
And Shizuka? Wasn't she supposed to be his future wife? Why was she getting so close to Hiro?
"Nobita's welcome to join, but... you don't know how to play badminton, do you?"
Before Shizuka could respond, a tall girl in the group shot a question straight at Nobita's weak spot.
It wasn't just badminton. Nobita was bad at all sports.
As the others began whispering, Shizuka quickly stepped in to smooth things over, successfully getting Nobita added to the game.
But, true to form, Nobita didn't manage to return a single shot. Then he swung too hard, lost grip of the racket, and accidentally hit Shizuka square in the face.
"Nobita!!!"
"S-sorry, Shizuka!"