The melodic school bell chimed across the campus grounds. Ding dong... ding dong...
"Oh no! Oh no! I'm going to be late again!" Nobita wailed as he sprinted across the schoolyard, backpack bouncing. "This is all Doraemon's fault! He made me do homework so late last night!" Though being late was practically routine for him, after yesterday's events, Nobita was determined to change. He wanted Shizuka to see him making an effort! Showing up late today would make his resolution seem completely insincere.
The final bell was just about to stop ringing when Nobita spotted a surprising figure standing outside their classroom door in the hallway. Lin Yu?!
"He's late too?!" Nobita muttered under his breath, surprised. It was the first time he'd ever seen Lin Yu late. A flicker of smug satisfaction mixed with his surprise. See? He's not so perfect after all! He's late just like me!
At the classroom door, Mr. Teragoya looked at the dark circles under Lin Yu's eyes, also feeling a bit surprised. As a transfer student, Lin Yu's performance had been consistently excellent. He always completed his assignments thoroughly and on time, got along well with his classmates, and his grades were consistently top of the class. Plus, he was exceptionally polite – practically a model student. Lateness was completely out of character for him.
"Lin Yu," the teacher asked kindly, his tone concerned, "are you feeling unwell? You look like you haven't slept well."
Lin Yu shook his head, looking slightly apologetic. "I'm sorry, Sensei," he said softly. "I was studying late last night and lost track of time." (After meeting Miyoko Mangetsu, Lin Yu's sense of urgency had intensified. He'd actually stayed up drawing until nearly three in the morning. Even though he was used to all-nighters from his previous life, his current child's body couldn't quite handle it, even with coffee. This morning, he'd been overwhelmingly tired and had inadvertently overslept.)
"Ah, I see," Mr. Teragoya said understandingly. "Studying hard is admirable, Lin Yu, but moderation is key. You need a balance between work and rest to be truly efficient. Just pulling all-nighters will lower your efficiency and take a toll on your health." (Teachers naturally tend to show a bit more leniency towards high-achieving students.)
"Yes, Sensei. I understand. I'll be more mindful of my limits in the future," Lin Yu replied earnestly, feeling a warmth spread through him at the teacher's kindness. (As a teacher, Mr. Teragoya was actually quite good – patient and not prone to simply blaming.)
Just as Lin Yu stepped into the classroom, Nobita arrived at the doorway right behind him.
"Nobita! Why are you late again?" Mr. Teragoya's tone instantly lost the warmth it held for Lin Yu. His expression became stern, though mixed with that familiar look of weary resignation. (If he could avoid it, he wouldn't always be sharp with Nobita, but the boy truly was exceptionally lazy. If school weren't only five days a week, Nobita could probably manage to be late seven days. And his homework was frequently left undone. If the teacher wasn't strict, Nobita would likely take things even less seriously.)
But seeing Mr. Teragoya's expression, Nobita – who had actually, through sheer willpower, done his homework last night – felt a surge of confidence. He rubbed the back of his head, almost looking justified. "It's because I was doing my homework so late last night! That's why I'm late!"
Mr. Teragoya blinked. He'd anticipated many excuses, but that was the last thing he expected to hear from Nobita. Before the teacher could respond, Nobita proudly presented his workbook. Mr. Teragoya flipped through it. While the answers were riddled with mistakes, it was true – Nobita had actually attempted every single problem.
Closing the error-filled workbook, a flicker of surprised approval appeared in Mr. Teragoya's eyes. The results weren't great, but the effort showed a change in Nobita.
"Well done, Nobita. That's real progress," the teacher said, offering rare praise. "But you still need to manage your time better next time. You can't be late again."
"Yes, Sensei!" Nobita beamed, puffing up slightly, and walked into the classroom.
The exchange outside, especially the revelation that Nobita had done his homework, caused a ripple of astonished whispers among the classmates.
Shizuka, however, paid little attention to the commotion surrounding Nobita. Her gaze was fixed worriedly on Lin Yu, who had settled into the seat behind her. "Lin Yu," she whispered, leaning back slightly, "your dark circles are even worse today! Didn't you promise me you wouldn't stay up so late?" (Unlike Mr. Teragoya, Shizuka couldn't be easily fobbed off with excuses about studying.)
Lin Yu took out his sketchbook, revealing several newly drawn pages, and offered a slightly sheepish smile. "It's because I really want to finish this manga – the one inspired by Shizuka – and see it serialized as soon as possible. So naturally, I have to work hard, right?"
Shizuka's eyes fell on the new pages in Lin Yu's hands. A faint blush returned to her cheeks, making her look even more charmingly flustered and cute. "B-but even so," she insisted softly, "you can't keep staying up all night! It's bad for your health!" Lin Yu's explanation made her heart feel warm, but her worry for him remained. "And... did you just eat a piece of bread for breakfast again this morning?" (She remembered seeing him rushing to school like that the other day. Thinking about him living alone, likely without breakfast, struck a pang of sympathy.)
Lin Yu awkwardly rubbed his nose. (He hadn't even had time for bread; he'd rushed straight to school on an empty stomach.) Seeing his silence, Shizuka assumed he was admitting to it. "You really can't keep doing that..." she murmured, truly concerned.
"Don't worry about it," Lin Yu reassured her quickly. "It's just for these next few days while I'm pushing to finish. Once it gets serialized, hopefully, it won't be quite so hectic." (He had originally planned a month, but now needed to rush. Typical manga artists, needing to plot, write dialogue, panel, and draw by hand, often only managed two or three pages a day.)