Night passed, and a new day arrived.
Having freshened up and eaten breakfast, I carried my new schoolbag and prepared to head to school with Shizuka.
After saying goodbye to her parents, we left the house together.
Seeing this iconic school in real life gave me a much more vibrant and lively feeling than anything the anime had ever captured.
I had made sure I was transferred to the same class as Shizuka, and after a brief self-introduction, my new student life officially began.
Nobita, Suneo, Gian, Dekisugi, and others were all in this class.
Since I was new, Shizuka took the initiative to introduce me, and everyone welcomed me enthusiastically.
But when they learned that I was living in Shizuka's house, the whole class erupted into chatter, especially Nobita, who turned visibly pale with jealousy, protesting like his world had ended.
Suneo and Gian exchanged knowing smirks, saying I was "lucky" but wouldn't always be so lucky. Only Dekisugi was the most serious and politely shook my hand to welcome me.
Naturally, I greeted everyone with a smile, while Suneo and Nobita, with a few others, began whispering among themselves, clearly plotting something.
After school, Shizuka and I went to the park together, while Nobita and Suneo, clearly unable to let things go, instigated Gian to "teach me a lesson."
Especially Nobita, who was completely desperate to make me leave Shizuka's house.
Unsurprisingly, Gian was also interested and was cracking his knuckles in excitement.
Shizuka immediately stepped in to stop them. She knew better than anyone that Gian was the strongest among the group and the best fighter.
Watching this all happen, I raised an eyebrow in amusement and reassured Shizuka before agreeing to their challenge.
"Take this!"
Gian didn't waste words. With a loud yell, he charged straight at me.
But did he really think he could beat me? He hadn't even noticed my perfectly toned body with six-pack abs and all.
One had to know that even though I'd become smaller and had indulged in pleasure since arriving in this world, I'd never abandoned my training.
I'd practiced muay thai, judo, and boxing, and had taken all kinds of strengthening tonics. Of course, I might not be able to beat a fully grown adult man, but against kids my age? I was practically invincible.
So, with a single forward kick from me, Gian flew out like a kite with a broken string, even faster than when he had rushed in.
Bang!
This result stunned the four people nearby. I didn't look particularly strong, but apparently, appearances could be deceiving, as even someone as big as Gian went flying from just one kick.
Gian, who fell to the ground, touched his head, obviously having taken a solid hit. I walked over and reached out a hand to help him up.
He hesitated for a moment, then grasped my hand and stood up, still catching his breath.
"I didn't expect you to be that strong."
The little duel ended there, and I became the undisputed boss of the group. Soon after, we all went back to playing together in the park.
Later, I spent some time wandering through the nearby streets, getting familiar with my new surroundings.
Since building relationships took time, I decided to behave myself for the next few days.
Acting cute and sharing my "sad story" about how my mother died during childbirth, how my father became an alcoholic, and how I grew up without the love of a family, I easily stirred the motherly affection of Shizuka's mother, Michiko.
At the same time, I improved my relationship with Shizuka by helping her with homework and little chores.
Of course, that was only on the surface.
Behind the scenes, I ordered my female secretary, whom I had trained since childhood, to approach Nobita's mother and draw her into the circle of rich housewives, making her addicted to expensive luxuries and the praise of others.
Meanwhile, I befriended Nobita himself and turned his initial hostility into friendship. He was a timid boy, often bullied and looked down upon.
So when I, the new "boss" of the group, treated him kindly, let him play with my electronic toys, and lent him my latest comics, he instantly became my biggest fan.
Then, I started lending him money.
At first, he was hesitant, but when he realized I never asked for repayment, he grew bolder.
Whenever Nobita wanted a comic, I lent him money.
Whenever he wanted a toy, I lent him money.
Whenever he wanted to eat something special, I lent him money.
Money, money, money.
In short, money makes the world go round, and money bought Nobita.
When he finally considered me his best friend, it was time to set my plan in motion.
It began with me deliberately giving Nobita a defective remote-control plane to play with. Unaware of its condition, he excitedly took it, only for it to break and crash moments later.
The moment the plane crashed, Nobita froze, and cold sweat started to run down his forehead. He knew it was a next-generation model worth tens of thousands of yen.
Seizing this opportunity, I turned on him at once. Gone was my amicable and kind face.
"Nobita, what have you done? This was worth seventy thousand yen. How are you going to pay it back?"
My voice was loud and serious as I continued.
"Speaking of paying back, the total you owe me, including the cost of that remote-control plane, comes to about one hundred and twenty thousand yen. Here, check it yourself."
I took out a small notebook that listed every sum Nobita had borrowed from me and the dates he'd taken them.
"Since you're my good friend, I can round it down to a hundred thousand. But that's it."
Nobita turned pale with fright when he saw the journal, and he slumped down on the ground as if his whole world had collapsed.
"T-this much money… I… what should I do?"
"That, I don't know. But money is money. You can't just default on me. And if you don't pay, I'll have to ask your parents for it."
The moment he heard I would tell his parents, Nobita's mentality collapsed. He dropped to his knees, clutching my legs, and began to cry and beg.
"No, no, no, Takashi! You can't do that! Anything but that! Don't tell my parents!"
When he finally broke down completely, I cheered inwardly, though on the outside, I put on a troubled expression. After pretending to think for a while, I sighed and spoke as if reluctantly giving him a chance.
"Alright, alright… Since you're my friend, I can't just watch you cry like this. But my grandfather always said that money given should never be wasted. So, I'll need something in return, or you'll have to do something for me."
Hearing that I was finally willing to compromise, Nobita's face lit up. He thumped his chest confidently.
"Don't worry, Takashi! Just say the word and I'll help you with anything!"
"Is that so? Then how about this… I heard you have a blue raccoon at home called Doraemon, and…"
To cut it short, I told him that I'd heard 'rumors' that Doraemon had all kinds of gadgets, which made me curious, and I wanted to try one out for myself. I wouldn't need it permanently; just let me use it once or twice.
And if Nobita could help me achieve that, all his debt would be cleared, and I would even reward him.
Hearing my request, Nobita looked as if he'd just won the lottery. Without a moment's hesitation, he agreed.
So, we made a plan to trick Doraemon before he took me to his house, making me chuckle inwardly.
'Hahaha… so easy to fool an idiot.'