"Nobita! WHY are you late?"
"Mama, Doraemon... he... he lef-", the teary-eyed boy said through tears.
" NO EXCUSES. You never study, you're not good at anything! You don't deserve ANYTHING! No dinner today! Stay outside!", the woman in the white apron shouted.
She slammed shut, the front door of her home. But to her son outside, it felt like more of a slap in the face.
Nobita heard her footsteps, from outside. He felt her walking towards the kitchen, ladle in hand, muttering how lazy and non-punctual he was. After that, all he heard was silence.
The winter winds of Tokyo blew, freezing Nobita cold to the bone. He shivered in reflex. A stream of snot escaped through his nasal cavity. A stream of tears followed.
This was the fifth time in the month he had to suffer this. Usually, Doraemon would look at him from above, talking to him and comforting him. And as the brotherly conversation continues, his mother would already be with him, at the front door, ready to forgive her son. But this time...
Doraemon was not there to assure him. He was in the 22nd century. He didn't even want to think of him.
He watched the street dogs roaming in the dimly lit roads. Some barked, and some whined at him. Oh, how he wished, if he were to roam in the streets like the dogs. No one takes effort to take care of you, and you don't care about where you go. After all, he didn't deserve the care and attention his fellow humans showed him. He was shocked at his own thoughts.
'Give it another thought, Nobita', the wise words of Doraemon echoed in his empty mind. He was a good friend, Doraemon. "Wait, WAS?", he asked himself. Guilt overshadowed him. He longingly looked at the big window of his room, picturing the fat blue robot looking back at him.
He remembered the hurried departure of Doraemon, which had another reason. He remembered the fight they had, which he thought about several times over, but couldn't find the answer to.
It was no ordinary fight. It escalated quickly, and the last thing he saw was the red-faced Doraemon, rushing through the portal. Nobita never cared to take a look at the portal after that.
Thoughts of the incident flooded his mind, which was no longer empty.
'Give me a gadget soon, Doraemon!'
'Look, Nobita', you can't rely-'
'Then why are you even here?! Come on, give me a-'
'Oh, so you REALLY meant it? I was already planning to go away, and you've made it even EASIER! Thank you, Nobita! Bye!', he had told him in a sarcastic tone.
Waterfalls were rushing out of his eyes. He banged on the door with his cold bare fists, shouting aloud.
He heard loud footsteps, and the sound of a door getting locked. His parents had locked it from the inside.
He was hopeless, and worthless. He had lost everything. He was tired of his 'Loser's Schedule', which he followed everyday without even a slight change. Getting beaten up by his enemy and scolded by his mother were the most common, and it would include about seven bouts of incessant crying. He laughed mockingly at his own schedule, which was quite different from his over-achieving classmates.
He was fed up of himself. He had to escape from this routine. And there was only one way to do that.
He took a step forward.
It felt good. He was suddenly freed of all his distressing thoughts. It was as if he had been attracted by a whole new world, where he can be himself, and not worry about anything else.
"How will Nobita be out there?"
"Do not worry, dear. He deserves this punishment. It's time he changed, don't you agree?"
"Yes, Nobisuke, you're right..."
END