"I'm back!"
Nobita called out casually as he stepped through the door, his voice ringing through the house.
Maybe this was just Japanese tradition?
Heino suddenly remembered—every time Nobita's father, Daisuke Nobi, came home late after overtime or company socials, he would also shout "I'm back!" the moment he stepped inside.
Now that Heino lived alone, though, he realized he missed that kind of warm, lively atmosphere at home.
"Nobita, are you back?"
"This must be the new classmate you mentioned, right? The one visiting our home?"
"Hello, welcome!"
Hearing Nobita's voice at the door, Nobita's mother, Tamako Nobi, stepped out to greet them, smiling warmly at Heino.
"Hello, Auntie. My name is Heino Lim, a transfer student from China," Heino replied politely, smiling back at her enthusiasm.
"From China? That's quite far. It must be tough adjusting to life here."
"Well, don't just stand there. Nobita, take Heino upstairs for now. I'll call you two down once dinner is ready."
Heino noticed Tamako was wearing an apron — she must have been busy cooking when they arrived.
"Heino, come on! Doraemon's probably still upstairs. Let's go find him!" Nobita said eagerly, tugging at Heino.
"Okay," Heino nodded. He bowed slightly to Tamako in thanks, then followed Nobita upstairs.
"Doraemon! I'm back! Guess who I brought—huh? Doraemon?"
Nobita dashed up to the second floor, flinging open the door with a dramatic swoosh.
The room was just as familiar as ever... but empty.
"That's strange. He was here this morning..." Nobita muttered, setting his schoolbag down and starting to search the room.
He checked under the desk, in the closet, behind the bookshelf...
For a room this small, it was clear at a glance whether someone was there or not. Yet Nobita still rummaged through every possible (and impossible) hiding spot.
Heino couldn't help but feel a little helpless watching him.
A cat-shaped robot like Doraemon wouldn't exactly fit in the narrow gap between a desk and a wall.
"Maybe he went out?" Heino suggested.
"I don't know... he was definitely here when I left," Nobita said, scratching his cheek in confusion.
Just as they were puzzling over it, the drawer near the window began to rattle.
Click~!
With a soft sound, the drawer slid open — and a big, round, blue head popped out.
There was no mistaking it. Only Doraemon would make such an entrance.
He squeezed out of the drawer and landed nimbly on the tatami floor.
"You're back! I thought you disappeared!" Nobita cried happily, rushing over to grab Doraemon's head and shake it affectionately.
"Sorry, sorry! Something urgent came up, so I had to step out for a bit," Doraemon said, smiling apologetically.
Then he noticed Heino standing nearby. "By the way, Nobita, is this the new classmate you mentioned?"
"Yeah! This is Heino. He just transferred to our school from China," Nobita said enthusiastically.
Since reading Heino's works, Nobita's feelings toward him had changed dramatically.
He had been jealous at first—enough to cry to Doraemon, begging for gadgets to "teach that transfer student who stole Shizuka away" a lesson.
But after hearing more about Heino's tough family situation from Shizuka, Nobita's jealousy had faded, replaced by a sort of admiration.
"Hello, Heino-san! I'm Doraemon, a cat-type robot from the 22nd century. Nice to meet you! I look forward to being friends," Doraemon said, extending a friendly paw.
"Hello, Doraemon. I'm Heino Lim — but just 'Heino' is fine," Heino replied, shaking hands with a smile.
Meeting the childhood hero he once only saw in comics and anime, face to face like this... It felt truly surreal for Heino.
This was his first time meeting Doraemon since arriving in this world.
"Nobita! Come down here!"
Tamako's voice called from downstairs before they could chat more.
Nobita grimaced at Heino apologetically and ran off.
A few moments later, he returned with a droopy expression and a vegetable basket in his hands.
"Doraemon, lend me the Take-Copter, please... Mom asked me to buy soy sauce and vinegar. We're running out."
As expected, Tamako had given him the all-important shopping mission.
Of course, Nobita didn't really want to run errands — and now he was hoping Doraemon's gadgets could help him finish faster and get back to playing.