After dinner, Kevin sat in front of the television, watching one of the trending anime series a story about people with superpowers.
"Why is my hamburger steak so tiny? Mom is so unfair!"
Noby sprawled out on the tatami, scowling with exaggerated frustration. He pressed his fingers into the mat, glaring at Kevin sitting in front of him.
"What do you expect? You didn't do well on your test," Doraemon chimed in, stepping forward with a voice of reason.
"If you scored a perfect 100 like Kevin, your mom would have rewarded you too."
Still holding the dorayaki he'd bitten into earlier, Doraemon had finally managed to erase the horrifying image from his mind and now could enjoy his treat in peace.
"Sigh, I get it already. You guys are so annoying. I want to get good grades too, okay?"
"If only I had superpowers like the characters on TV. Everything would be easier… and I could finally get revenge on that jerk Takeshi."
"Hey, Doraemon! You have one of those gadgets that gives people superpowers, don't you?"
Noby turned around with a hopeful look, rubbing his little hands together expectantly.
"A gadget that grants superpowers?" Doraemon scratched his head, swallowed his dorayaki, and replied reluctantly, "Yeah, I've got one… but are you sure you'd actually use it?"
"Training for superpowers is tough, you know. And with your lack of discipline, I doubt you'd last a day."
"Don't look down on me like that! If it's for superpowers, I'll train hard!"
Noby's eyes lit up the moment he realized the gadget was real.
"Well, all right then…"
"Here it is. The Superpower Training Box!"
Doraemon pulled out a colorful cylindrical box from his fourth-dimensional pocket. Several small steel balls rattled on the top it looked deceptively simple.
"Noby, think carefully," Doraemon warned. "This box is powerful, but you'll have to train three hours every day. After three years, you'll master x-ray vision, telekinesis, and teleportation."
"What?! Three years?!"
Noby's brain short-circuited.
Who in their right mind would spend three whole years training for this? Three hours a day? That was way too much work.
"See? I told you it's not for you. Might as well put it back."
"Wait, Doraemon! I want it, I want it!"
"Are you going to stick with it?"
"Of course! I promise I'll train hard!"
Doraemon, skeptical as ever of Noby's fleeting enthusiasm, gave in with a sigh and handed him the box anyway.
Noby ran upstairs with his new gadget, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Hey, Doraemon, can I borrow the Superpower Training Box too?"
"Sure, Kevin. You interested in trying it out?"
"I'll lend it to you after Noby gets bored with it. Honestly, I don't think he'll last more than two days."
Doraemon had already foreseen the outcome. Every time he loaned something to Noby, it never ended well.
"Thanks."
Kevin nodded, his expression calm as he returned his gaze to the television. He didn't mind waiting. Noby's grand ambitions always fizzled out in no time.
Once Kevin got it, he intended to make full use of it to build real self-defense skills, just in case their daily slice-of-life routine suddenly turned into something more… cinematic.
The three superpowers sounded impressive, but in the future world, there were countless gadgets with even more powerful features. This kind of training device was already obsolete.
X-ray vision alone had dozens of gadget variants, each with added functionality.
Teleportation? The range was short and imprecise. Even the earliest versions of the Anywhere Door could transport you across light-years with pinpoint accuracy.
In terms of time and efficiency, people from the future wouldn't use such an outdated toy. But Kevin wasn't from the future he didn't have easy access to advanced tools.
And more than relying on gadgets, Kevin valued the strength that came from within.
Martial arts. No cowardice.
Gadgets were just tools. If you couldn't master them, they were meaningless. Real steel had to come from within.
By 9 p.m., Kevin had finished his bath and was standing at the sink, examining his clean, youthful face. Soft features with a boyish charm he looked like a poster-perfect little gentleman.
"Kevin, could you keep an eye on Noby at school? Please help him with his studies," said Tamako as she stood behind him with a hair dryer, gently drying his hair. Her smile was soft, her tone tender.
"Don't worry, Aunt Tamako. I'll do my best to help Noby," Kevin replied.
The space around the sink was narrow. They were face to face, almost uncomfortably close.
The warm air from the dryer made Tamako's hands slow and hesitant.
Kevin's eyelashes fluttered slightly.
"Mmm… hmm…"
She turned off the dryer.
"All right, Kevin. Close your eyes."
"Huh? Why?"
"Just do it. Close them."
Tamako's tone was unusually firm. She had him sit down at the edge of the bathtub.
"O-okay…"
Kevin hesitated, but closed his eyes obediently.
"No peeking, okay?"
Gulp...
"Tamako, what were you just doing?"
In the master bedroom, Nobita's father looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"I heard from our neighbor that drinking milk at night helps with skin whitening, so I gave it a try."
Tamako laughed nervously, quickly coming up with an excuse before slipping into bed.
Her heart was still pounding wildly. She glanced at her husband with guilt, lowering her gaze.
"Hm? Haven't been sleeping well lately?"
Nobisuke gave her a curious look. Something felt a little off, but he didn't dwell on it.
"Yeah, just a little," she said, voice soft and hoarse.
"Well, don't stress too much. Noby may have done poorly today, but I believe he'll grow up someday."
He sighed, letting it go. The room grew quiet, except for the faint sound of Tamako gently rolling her tongue behind her teeth.