Especially after Heino nodded in approval, Gian and Suneo were visibly delighted.
If their relationship had been a little closer, Gian might have rushed over and given Heino a big bear hug to show his gratitude.
Unfortunately, they had only just started getting along. Gian and Suneo still felt somewhat indebted and guilty towards Heino.
After all, when Heino first arrived, Gian and Suneo weren't used to his arrogant attitude and had even plotted to teach him a lesson.
It was just that their plan hadn't succeeded.
Now that the matter had passed, neither Gian nor Suneo had any intention of bringing it up again.
As for Heino, as an adult, he naturally wouldn't bother holding grudges with a couple of elementary school kids. Since they now wanted to build a better relationship, Heino simply accepted it.
Seeing Heino's willingness, Gian was in a great mood. He happily greeted Heino and returned to his seat with Suneo.
Meanwhile, Nobita, seeing Gian leave, visibly relaxed.
He gave Heino an awkward smile before hurrying back to his seat as well.
. . . . . . .
The afternoon classes ended quickly. Just as Heino and Shizuka stood up to pack their bags, Nobita ran over with his backpack slung over his shoulders.
It was easy to see that Nobita was still in high spirits, having momentarily forgotten about the morning quiz.
Today was a special day—he had invited Heino to visit his home. Yesterday, he had already told his family and Doraemon about it.
Both Nobita's parents and Doraemon had welcomed the idea of a new classmate visiting.
"Nobita, you seem really happy," Heino said with a smile, noticing his cheerful demeanor.
"Yeah!" Nobita nodded energetically. "I told Doraemon about you yesterday, and he's really interested! He can't wait to meet you."
Hearing that, Heino raised an eyebrow in amusement.
He wasn't sure if Doraemon's "interest" was directed at him as a person—or at the comics he was drawing...
But it didn't really matter.
If Doraemon liked his comics, that was just another way of being interested in him.
As long as everything went smoothly, and Heino could borrow some gadgets from Doraemon, his drawing speed would improve dramatically.
If he could meet the publishing house's standards, everything else would fall into place.
"In that case, let's go."
Heino quickly packed up his things, and after Shizuka finished as well, the three of them left the classroom together.
Originally, Nobita had planned to invite Shizuka to visit too, but she had something to do at home and had to head back early.
Although Nobita was a little disappointed, he quickly accepted it.
After all, Shizuka often visited his house. Missing one visit wasn't a big deal.
At a fork in the road, Shizuka waved goodbye to them and headed home.
Nobita then continued leading Heino toward his house.
On the way, when they passed a snack shop, Heino suddenly stopped.
If he remembered correctly, Doraemon's favorite food was dorayaki.
"Nobita, wait for me here."
Since he was about to meet the legendary Doraemon for the first time, it only felt right to bring a gift.
After all, who could resist a blue, magical, gadget-pulling cat-robot?
Watching Heino walk out of the snack shop carrying a pack of dorayaki, Nobita couldn't help but comment, "Heino, you seem to know Doraemon really well..."
"Well, I heard a little from Shizuka before, so I know some things," Heino replied casually.
There was no need to go into too much detail.
Besides, even if he did explain everything, Nobita probably wouldn't understand most of it anyway.
"So that's it! Heino, you're really thoughtful.
My house is just around the corner. We're almost there!"
Nobita beamed and led the way with even greater excitement.
Heino, looking at Nobita's carefree smile, shook his head with a helpless yet fond smile.
Hopefully, this naive kid could still smile so brightly after the results of the recent quiz came out...
After walking for a bit and turning a corner around a courtyard wall, a familiar two-story house came into view.
"We're here, Heino! This is my home!"
"Yeah," Heino said, smiling as he followed.
Anyone who had watched Doraemon would find Nobita's house incredibly familiar, and Heino was no exception.
Standing in front of Shizuka's house earlier hadn't stirred much emotion.
But Nobita's home—from the courtyard wall to the wooden gate, from the first floor to the second floor, and especially Nobita's room where so many dreams began—was iconic.
"Heino, what are you looking at? Come in already!"
Nobita's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The boy had already opened the gate and was waving him in.
"Coming," Heino chuckled.
He quickly collected himself.
Standing there, for a moment, he had felt an overwhelming sense of emotion.
When childhood dreams began to materialize in reality, everything felt a little more magical.
Thinking about how he was about to meet Doraemon up close, Heino couldn't help but feel a little excitement in his heart