The morning sun was a welcome sight. A soft breeze brushed past Reo's face as he walked to school, the same as always, but everything felt different now. He wasn't just Nobita anymore. He was a man with a plan. Every step, every action—each moment was calculated.
---
School was still the same. The dull, monotonous rhythm of classes, the teasing from Suneo and Jaian, the occasional flurry of excitement when Shizuka asked to help him with homework. But Reo had grown used to it. He let them think he was still the same loser, the same dull boy with no ambition.
It was the perfect cover.
He walked through the halls of school, ignoring the insults hurled his way. "Loser," "Good-for-nothing," they whispered. Reo didn't care. His mind was focused on the bigger picture now.
---
The first thing he had to do was gain wealth. He couldn't rely on Doraemon's gadgets forever, at least not openly. No, he needed something more substantial, a foundation that no one could take from him.
During the past week, Reo had been carefully analyzing the stock market trends, using Doraemon's "Future Predictor" gadget. It was a game-changer. While others scrambled to invest based on hope or guesswork, Reo had access to an entire database of future data. He knew where the stock market was going—what was booming, what was crashing, and where the money would flow next.
---
He'd started small, just enough to get the ball rolling. Stock in a little-known tech company had already begun to rise, as predicted. The best part was that Nobita's name wasn't associated with it at all—he kept his actions under a mask of anonymity. Just as he wanted it.
Reo knew this was only the beginning. With enough time, enough patience, his investments would grow exponentially. And he wouldn't stop until he reached the top. But the world wasn't just about money. No. It was about influence—and that was something Reo had to acquire with more care.
---
It was at lunch when it happened again.
He sat in the corner of the cafeteria, quietly eating his meal while pretending to watch the others. The usual group—Suneo, Jaian, Shizuka—gathered around. Reo didn't engage. He wasn't interested in their banter anymore.
Until she walked in.
Aika Hoshino.
Her presence seemed to command the room. The moment she entered, it was like the world paused. Every eye was drawn to her, and even the boys who'd once laughed at Reo were now frozen in awe.
Aika wasn't just an actress. She was a force of nature.
She was a star.
---
And, as fate would have it, their paths crossed again.
She looked around the cafeteria, her eyes sweeping over the crowd, and her gaze briefly landed on Reo. A moment passed—a fleeting moment—and she smiled.
Not a flirtatious smile. Not a "you're cute" smile.
It was a genuine, soft smile. One that said: "I see you."
Reo's heart skipped a beat. He wasn't some dumb kid anymore; he understood the weight of that look. Aika Hoshino had noticed him.
---
As the bell rang for the end of lunch, Reo walked out into the courtyard. His mind was still on the encounter. She had acknowledged him—something very few people ever did. She was different from the others, the others who only saw a dull, ordinary Nobita.
But that smile… that smile meant something. And Reo would find out what it was.
---
That night, he sat in his room, thinking.
> "I can't be just another face. Not in her world. Not in this world."
He needed something that would make him stand out. Something unique.
The plan was forming.
He started pulling out gadgets. Some of them were useful, some of them were just toys. But there was one that caught his eye—a gadget that Doraemon had warned him about once, years ago: The 'Face-Changer'.
It was an advanced gadget that could alter a person's appearance. In the future, it was used for temporary disguises, but Reo saw a different potential for it.
If he wanted to be truly powerful, he needed to be someone else. Someone beyond Nobita. Someone who could move freely between worlds—his own world and the world of Aika Hoshino. He needed to show her that he was more than just the weak, invisible boy she'd met that day.
---
The next day at school, Reo made his move.
He didn't transform entirely. That would be too obvious. No, he just made subtle adjustments to his face: sharper features, more defined eyes, a cleaner jawline. A transformation that made him look more mature, more… polished.
When he entered the classroom, the change was subtle enough that no one immediately noticed. But the difference was there.
And it wasn't long before Shizuka noticed.
Her eyes widened, her brow furrowed.
"Nobita, you… you look different today." Her voice was quiet, almost uncertain.
Reo smirked, but he didn't say anything. He simply sat down, opened his book, and acted like nothing was unusual.
---
The day went on, and the murmurs followed him everywhere. People couldn't place it. They couldn't quite figure it out, but something about him had shifted. Nobita had always been the quiet, bumbling mess of a boy, but now… he wasn't.
But Reo wasn't concerned with school anymore. He had set his sights higher. He needed Aika, and to get to her, he needed influence. To gain influence, he needed to move in circles that mattered.
So, that evening, after school, he did something unexpected. He sent an email—an invitation to a small gathering.
The subject?
"An opportunity for something greater."
It was addressed to Aika Hoshino.
---
The message was simple, but the implications were clear.
> "We all have a choice, Aika. The world can remain the way it is, or it can change. But in order for that change to happen, someone needs to take the first step. That step is yours."
Reo hit send.
His heart raced.
This was no longer just about money. This was about control.
---
Later that night, as he lay in bed, his phone buzzed with a notification.
A reply.
Aika Hoshino had responded.
> "I don't know who you are, but I'm intrigued. I'll meet you."
---
The game had begun.
---