In the land of Japan, somewhere in the bustling Neon District, stood a quaint little two-story house with a red-tiled roof.
Upstairs in the bedroom, a figure began to stir under a futon laid out on the tatami floor. Slowly, a boy of about 160 centimeters tall wriggled his way out.
Ring ring, ring ring...
The old-fashioned alarm clock buzzed shrilly, stirring irritation. Hiro Nobi groggily opened his eyes, peeked his head out, and slapped the clock off with a weary hand. Still half-asleep, he rubbed his temples.
Looks like it's time for school again. Ah... that agonizing yet strangely nostalgic chapter of life.
"Nobita! How long are you going to stay in bed? If you don't get up now, you'll be late again!"
A woman's furious voice erupted from downstairs.
In the kitchen, a middle-aged woman still graceful in her maturity stood with a spatula in hand, shouting toward the second floor like it was part of her daily routine.
"I know, I know! I'm coming!"
The sliding door across the hall rattled as it flew open. Nobita Nobi burst out of his room, pulling his clothes on haphazardly as he bolted downstairs, grumbling about Hiro's laziness along the way.
"Why am I the only one getting yelled at when we both overslept? Totally unfair."
Thud!
A loud crash echoed from the stairwell. As expected, Nobita had tripped and gone sprawling, limbs flailing in all directions. Just another day in the life of the unluckiest boy in the neighborhood.
"Nobita! You're always so careless! Can't you give me one day without worrying?"
At the top of the stairs, Doraemon a round, blue robot cat from the future sighed in frustration as he stared at Nobita's pitiful state.
Still, he obediently turned back to fetch the first-aid kit.
"Pfft. Morning, Doraemon."
Hiro Nobi, now fully dressed, emerged from his room and greeted the blue robot cheerfully. Seeing Nobita bruised and groaning on the floor, Hiro had to fight back a grin.
Doraemon had been every child's dream companion growing up. To meet him in person now it felt surreal.
"Good morning, Hiro. Lovely weather today, isn't it?"
Doraemon extended his paw-like hand in greeting, eyes twinkling warmly. Yet behind them lingered a touch of sorrow he pitied this boy deeply.
After all, Hiro was not originally from this world.
His former life had ended prematurely too many greasy preserved meals and expired bubble tea drinks had finally done him in.
But waking up here hadn't been the worst outcome. At least he no longer lived in a metaphorical junkyard of a life.
Tragically, his parents in this new world had died soon after he arrived, leaving him without a home. Fortunately, the Nobi family, who were distant relatives, had taken him in. Nobita's father, Mr. Nobi, was a kind and generous man.
And so, Hiro moved into the Nobi household. Today marked the beginning of his new life.
(Don't worry about how there's suddenly another room on the second floor. Storage rooms are magic like in Crayon Shin-chan. It's not that strange.)
Stepping lightly down the wooden staircase, Hiro made his way downstairs, managing not to trip like Nobita had.
After relieving himself in the bathroom, he glanced at the mirror, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. For a teenager, he looked surprisingly charming.
Dressed in a clean white shirt and light gray shorts, his bright eyes gleamed with a quiet intelligence. Definitely above average in looks was he sure he was even related to the Nobis?
"Hiro, you're up."
"Oh, good morning, Aunt Tamako."
In the hallway, Hiro bumped into Tamako Nobi. She gently ruffled his hair, her motherly instincts in full bloom as she smiled at the boy who had lost both his parents.
"Go grab some breakfast. Then head to school with Nobita. And stop thinking about the past, alright?"
Hiro wasn't particularly bothered by the head-pat. He hadn't known his parents in this world, so there was no emotional attachment. His blank expression earlier had simply been due to being lost in thought.
He stole a subtle glance at Tamako. She wore thick black glasses and dressed in a soft pink blouse and a cream-colored skirt nothing out of the ordinary. Still, her skin was pale, and her legs were surprisingly well-toned.
Ahem. Let's not go there. That's your benefactor you're eyeing.
Realizing what he was thinking, Hiro mentally slapped himself. Hard.
How could he think that way about the woman who took him in? And Mr. Nobi was still very much alive just not in great shape thanks to years of exhausting business dinners and overwork.
But still... if things ever changed, who knows...?
At the square dining table, Nobita and Doraemon were already eating breakfast.
Mr. Nobi sat on the couch reading his newspaper. Seeing Hiro enter, he put down the paper and reached for his wallet with a fatherly smile.
"Hiro, welcome to our family. Here's a little pocket money from your uncle. Don't spend it all at once, okay?"
"Oh, I couldn't possibly... that's too generous!"
"Nonsense, take it. From now on, you can just ask Tamako for your allowance each month."
Mr. Nobi insisted gently but firmly. Though adding another mouth to feed strained his salary, he never hesitated.
"Alright then... thank you, Uncle."
There was no choice now but to accept. Mr. Nobi's kindness was overwhelming.
Don't worry, Hiro thought silently. If anything ever happens to you, I'll take good care of Tamako.
"Not fair! Hiro gets 100 yen more than me! Dad, I want a raise too!"
Nobita, ever the jealous child, cried out as soon as he noticed the discrepancy.
"Ahem. Nobita, how are your grades lately? Improved at all?"
Tamako's voice floated in from the kitchen.
At the mention of grades, Nobita paled. The last test he'd hidden away had a perfect zero. Improvement? Yeah, right.
"Gotta go now! Bye!"
Fleeing from the topic like it was a fire, Nobita rushed to the front door.
"Wait for Hiro! He hasn't finished breakfast yet!"
"It's okay, Aunt Tamako. I'll eat on the way."
Chugging the last of his milk and grabbing a piece of toast with his mouth, Hiro chased after Nobita. He had no idea how to get to school on his own yet.
"Honestly, that boy's always in such a hurry..."
Tamako shook her head and returned to her housework with a sigh.
On the way to school, Nobita's bad luck was in full swing. He stepped into puddles, got chased by stray dogs his every moment a magnet for misfortune.
Hiro, jogging beside him, silently rejoiced.
Thank goodness I didn't reincarnate as Nobita. With that kind of luck, I'd be lucky to make it past twenty.