The morning sun came through Shin's window. He opened his eyes slowly and sat up in bed. For a moment, he forgot what day it was. Then he remembered - today he was going to Tokyo.
"Today I'm going to meet Doraemon and Nobita," Shin thought. He got out of bed quickly.
The first thing he did was check his bag. He opened it and looked inside. The Kiteretsu Daihyakka was there, wrapped safely in a towel. Shin smiled and closed the bag again.
"Can't forget you," he whispered to the encyclopedia. "You're too important."
After checking his bag three more times to make sure everything was packed, Shin went to the bathroom. He took a shower and put on his clothes - a stylish blue hoodie with a white design in the middle and fashionable dark pants. He looked at himself in the mirror and fixed his hair. Even though he was only ten years old, Shin's haircut was cool and modern. In his previous life, he had been seventeen when he died. Sometimes he still felt like that seventeen-year-old inside this ten-year-old body.
"Being ten again is weird," Shin said to his reflection. "But at least I look good."
He went downstairs for breakfast. His grandfather was already sitting at the table, waiting for him. There were rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and pickled vegetables.
"Good morning, Shin! Ready for your big day?" Grandpa asked with a smile.
"Good morning, Grandpa. Yes, I'm ready," Shin replied, sitting down.
They started eating. For a while, nobody spoke. Shin looked at his grandfather's kind face and felt a little sad. He would miss the old man.
"Shin," Grandpa said suddenly. "I want you to promise me something."
"What is it, Grandpa?"
"Promise me you'll make friends in Tokyo. Real friends. You spend too much time alone reading books. A boy your age needs friends to play with and talk to."
Shin nodded. "I promise, Grandpa. I'll make friends."
"Good," Grandpa smiled. "And enjoy your time there. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine here."
"I'll miss you, Grandpa."
"I'll miss you too, boy. But it's just for the summer. You'll be back before you know it."
They finished breakfast and washed the dishes together. Shin went back to his room and brought down his bag. He sat on the porch, waiting for his uncle to arrive.
Around 10 o'clock in the morning, a man arrived at the house. He was wearing a suit and looked very gentle. This was Nobisuke Nobi, Nobita's father and Shin's uncle.
"Uncle Nobisuke!" Shin stood up and greeted him respectfully with a bow.
"Shin! Look how much you've grown!" Uncle Nobisuke said warmly. "You're so tall and handsome now!"
Grandpa came out to meet them. "Nobisuke, thank you for coming all this way."
"It's no problem at all," Uncle said. "We're family. Shin is always welcome at our home."
Grandpa and Uncle talked for a while. They talked about the weather, about the city, about many things. Shin stood nearby, holding his bag, waiting patiently.
Finally, Grandpa turned to Shin. "Well, it's time for you to go."
Shin hugged his grandfather tightly. "Goodbye, Grandpa. Take care of yourself."
"You too, Shin. Be a good boy."
Shin and Uncle Nobisuke started walking to the train station. The countryside was beautiful in the summer. Green fields everywhere, birds singing, and the sky was clear and blue.
"Your grandfather is a good man," Uncle said as they walked.
"Yes, he is," Shin agreed.
"Nobita is very excited to meet you. Well, maybe not very excited, but he's looking forward to it," Uncle laughed.
Shin smiled. "I'm looking forward to meeting him too."
They reached the train station and bought tickets. The train to Tokyo was crowded. Many people were traveling. Shin and Uncle found seats near a window.
The train started moving. Shin watched as the countryside slowly disappeared and more buildings started appearing. The four-hour journey to Tokyo began.
Uncle Nobisuke fell asleep after an hour. Shin looked out the window, thinking about everything. In his previous life, he had watched Doraemon on TV. It was just an anime. But now he was going to meet those characters in real life. It felt like a dream.
The train kept moving. Cities passed by. Mountains appeared and disappeared. Time moved slowly.
Finally, after four long hours, they arrived at Tokyo station. It was huge and crowded with people everywhere.
"Come on, Shin. Let's catch a taxi," Uncle said, yawning. He had just woken up.
They found a taxi outside the station. Uncle gave the driver their address, and they started driving through Tokyo. Shin looked out the window at all the tall buildings and busy streets. Tokyo was so different from the countryside.
The taxi ride took about thirty minutes. When they finally stopped, Shin saw a normal-looking house in a quiet neighborhood. This was the Nobi household.
Uncle checked his watch. "It's almost 5 PM. Perfect timing for dinner."
They walked to the front door. Uncle knocked.
"Coming!" a woman's voice called from inside.
The door opened, and Shin saw three faces looking at him. A woman with kind eyes - that must be Aunt Tamako, Nobita's mother. A boy with round glasses who looked nervous - that was Nobita. And then...
Shin's eyes went wide. There he was. A big blue robot cat with a round face, no ears, and a small tail. Doraemon. He was real. He was standing right there.
For a moment, Shin's mind went blank. He should feel shocked, right? He should feel confused seeing a robot cat. But strangely, his brain just accepted it. It was like his mind was telling him, "Yes, Doraemon is a perfectly normal person. Nothing weird here."
"Welcome! You must be Shin!" Aunt Tamako said warmly. "Come in, come in!"
"Thank you for having me," Shin said politely, bowing. "I'm Shin. Nice to meet you all."
"I'm Nobita," the boy with glasses said quietly. He didn't look very excited.
"I'm Doraemon!" the blue robot cat said cheerfully. "Welcome to our home!"
Shin smiled at them. "Thank you, Doraemon. I've heard a lot about you."
"You have?" Doraemon looked surprised.
"Oh, uh, I mean, Uncle mentioned you on the train," Shin said quickly. He almost made a mistake.
"Nobita, show Shin to his room and help him settle in," Aunt Tamako said.
"Okay, Mom. Come on, Shin," Nobita said. He started walking upstairs.
Shin followed him. Doraemon picked up Shin's bag and came behind them. Shin noticed how easily Doraemon carried the heavy bag. Robot strength was amazing.
Nobita opened a door. "This is your room."
Shin stepped inside. The room was nice and clean. There was a table and chair that looked just like the ones in Nobita's room. A futon was placed in one corner. There was a cupboard for clothes. The whole room was like a mirror version of Nobita's room, just without all the toys and manga.
"It's perfect! Thank you!" Shin said happily.
Doraemon put the bag down. "If you need anything, just ask us!"
"I will, thank you," Shin said. He opened his bag and started taking out his clothes. He put them carefully in the cupboard. The encyclopedia stayed hidden at the bottom of the bag. He would take it out later when he was alone.
"All done?" Nobita asked.
"Yes, all done," Shin replied.
"Then come see my room!" Nobita said. He seemed a bit more friendly now.
Shin followed Nobita to the room across the hall. When Nobita opened the door, Shin felt like he had stepped into the TV. This was it. The iconic room from the anime. The study desk was there. The bookshelf filled with manga. The closet with the time machine inside. Everything.
"Wow, your room is cool!" Shin said. It wasn't a lie. Seeing it in person was different from seeing it on TV.
"Really? Thanks!" Nobita looked happy. "Most people say my room is messy."
"It has character," Shin laughed.
The three boys sat down on the floor. There was a moment of silence. Then Shin decided to ask the question he had been thinking about all day.
"So, Doraemon," Shin said carefully. "What exactly are you? If you don't mind me asking."
"I'm a robot cat from the 22nd century!" Doraemon said proudly. "I came from the future to help Nobita!"
Shin pretended to look shocked. "From the future? So time travel is real?"
"Yes! Very real!" Doraemon nodded.
"That's amazing! What can you do?" Shin asked, leaning forward with interest.
Doraemon's eyes lit up. He loved talking about his gadgets. He reached into his four-dimensional pocket.
"I have many gadgets! Look!" Doraemon pulled out a flashlight. "This is the Small Light. It can make things smaller!" He pulled out another flashlight. "And this is the Big Light. It makes things bigger!"
"Wow!" Shin said. He wasn't pretending this time. Seeing the gadgets in real life was exciting.
Doraemon pulled out something that looked like a propeller. "And this is the Bamboo Copter! You put it on your head and you can fly!"
"Fly? Really?" Shin's eyes went wide.
"Yes! Tomorrow I'll let you try all these gadgets!" Doraemon promised.
"I'm so excited! I've always wanted to fly in the sky!" Shin said. Again, not pretending. Flying would be incredible.
They kept talking for a while. Nobita told Shin about school and their friends. Doraemon told funny stories about his adventures. Shin laughed and asked questions. Slowly, the awkwardness disappeared. They were becoming friends.
"Nobita! Shin! Doraemon! Dinner is ready!" Aunt Tamako called from downstairs.
They went down to the dining room. Uncle Nobisuke was already sitting at the table. There was so much delicious food - rice, curry, salad, and tempura.
"How do you like it here so far, Shin?" Aunt Tamako asked as they ate.
"I love it! Everyone is so nice," Shin said honestly. "Thank you for letting me stay here."
"You're family, dear. You're always welcome," Aunt Tamako smiled. "And if Nobita is ever mean to you, you tell me right away!"
"Mom!" Nobita protested.
Shin laughed. "I'm sure Nobita and I will get along great!"
Uncle Nobisuke smiled. "See? I told you they would be friends."
They finished dinner with lots of talking and laughter. After dinner, Shin helped wash the dishes. Then everyone went to their rooms.
Shin lay on his futon, looking at the ceiling. His first day in Tokyo was over. He had met Doraemon and Nobita. Tomorrow, he would try flying with the Bamboo Copter. And someday soon, he would start using the Kiteretsu Daihyakka.
"This is going to be an interesting summer," Shin whispered to himself with a smile.
Outside, the Tokyo night was full of lights and sounds. Very different from the quiet countryside. But Shin didn't mind. He was exactly where he needed to be.