"Hey, Yumi, Nobita. Here." They heard a familiar voice calling them. The voice came from their playground.
Looking that way, both of them saw Suneo and Shizuka waving at them. Suneo was the one who called them.
Yumi waves back and walked up to them followed by Nobita who happens to be concentrating on something else. Suneo smiled when seeing them both. "Wow, I never thought I'll see you both together at the same time. You're not fighting anymore?" He wondered making yumi blush.
"Stop assuming things. We're going to the same place so, Dekisuki told me to go with this guy. I swear I'm not interested in gloomy types." She defended herself.
Shizuka looks at both of them and then back at Nobita, who doesn't seem to paying attention. He got that distant look as always. She wish to make him that old Nobita they are familiar with and liked. But all they could do now is keep company and make him feel like loved. Maybe that way, he'll go back to being that old Nobita. And then she saw something white in his hands. It seems like a device or capsule of some sort.
"Whatever you say." Suneo chuckled.
"I don't care about him." Yumi said.
"Sure." Suneo teased.
"You wanna fight, foxy?" She threatened.
He raised both his arms surrendering. "Of course not." He said.
"You better not push me." She warned.
"Okay, okay. I give up. I'm sorry." He apologized with a smile.
She scoffed and looks away in frustration.
"What about you Nobita? How you feeling now? Your wounds healed?" Suneo asked concerned. Nobita looks at his way nodded.
"I'm fine." He replied.
"By the way, what is that thing you're holding?" Suneo asked.
"I'm not sure. But I'm sure I'll get my answer soon." He said.
Then he looks behind and his eyes landed on the wooden fence of the playground. "Come out here. I knew you're there." Nobita said and the others looks at him confused.
"Who are you talking to?" Shizuka asked in confusion.
Yumi raised a brow when he didn't reply anything.
However when they looks at the same way he's looking, they saw someone coming to their view. A girl both Suneo and Shizuka unfamiliar with.
But Nobita and Yumi seen her before. She was the same girl who they saw at Dekisuki' place.
"Oh, it's you." Yumi said.
"You know her?" Shizuka questioned.
Yumi just shrugged. "Not really. This guy was bothering her. Probably he knows." She said pointing at Nobita who is still glaring at the stranger.
Shizuka tilted her head to a side. "You know her Nobita?" She asked.
He just shook his head a no. "Not yet." He replied.
"Why are you following us?" Nobita voiced out his confusion.
The girl didn't spoke anything at first. "Let me guess. You're after whatever this thing is."he said pointing at the object in his hand.
The girl' eyes widened a bit. Probably because of how accurately he guessed it.
His friends didn't miss the change aura around Nobita. He's talking differently than before. His talk was held back until now. Because now he sounded more demanding and commanding. He's desperately searching for the answers it seems. Because they saw the craze he had for the thing he risked his life for. A mood swing like this is frightening. A second he's introverted and silent and the next second he's loud and unsettling.
"I am right, am I?" He said slowly taking a few steps towards the stranger.
***************
Luna can't believe that he caught her sneaking behind them. She knew that there's no choice but to reveal herself. There's nothing she could do other than to come out of her hiding spot.
However she wasn't prepared for this awfully familiar boy. Even though he's a complete different person, there was something about this Nobita guy that bothered her.
On top of that, he guessed her motives as if he's familiar with it. Who is this guy?
Then again, he's coming close to her slowly.
"I am right, am I?" He said.
She could just take back what's her's forcefully, but she was hesitant. Don't know why she's hesitant.
That's why she decided to speak instead. She sighed and nodded. "Yes. You're right." She said.
Nobita just halted on the spot.
"What's going on here?" Luna heard the other fox faced boy say.
Instead of the bespectacled boy, she decided speak. "Look, I know that you're curious and all, but it's not time for questions. I need that object you have on your possession. It's a very important equipment." She said looking at the white capsule.
Nobita looks at it and back at her. "What is it?" He asked.
"None of your concern." Luna said.
"IT'S DAMN MY CONCERN. BECAUSE I FOUND IT. TELL ME, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS THING?" Nobita roared in anger, making others around him flinch including Luna herself. That was an unpredictable outrage by his part.
His breathing quickens and his eyes are wide and bloodshot. For some reason, she felt uncomfortable with his behaviour. He's unhinged. She almost missed the darkness in his eyes. A monster ready to pounce.
Sure, she's familiar with combat and all, but still he made her feel threatened.
Luna also saw the shocked expression of his friends. But he doesn't even looking anything but her.
But soon he took a deep breath and sighed. "I've almost lost my unimportant life searching for this, thing. Then someone shows up and try to take it away without an explanation. I need an explanation." He demanded. "Because I am curious." His mood changed once again. This time he was calm and demanding rather than shouting and breathing like a wild animal.
She sighed. "You won't understand my situation. Even if I tell you, it'll sound as if I lost my mind. So, please. Give me my gadget back. Or I'll use force to accomplish the task." Luna warned.
Suneo, Shizuka and Yumi then looks at Nobita. He's just standing there like a statue.
Luna wasn't sure why this Nobita kid looks so unaffected by her warning. He's so calm like an ocean that hides a storm inside. His eyes are blank, yet it possesses a power to see through anyone's soul. Nobita then took some step forward.
"Try me. I've experienced complications in my whole life. Nothing seems unreal to me." He said stopping some distance away from her. "If not, use force. You can kill me if you want. I would've let you borrow my box cutter, but unfortunately I forgot to bring it." He said and sounded way too normal for it.
Luna didn't miss the horror appeared on his friend' face. They looked so pale.
"What are you saying, Nobita?" Shizuka scolded.
"I meant every last word of it. I can't be risking my life for something unachievable. I'll take every last option if it means to get the answer I was looking for." He said to no one in particular.
Luna wasn't sure what to do other than to sigh deeply. "I won't kill you. But you have something which I own. Now I want it back. That's why I don't have to explain everything to you to get it back." She said.
"I don't see anyone's name written on it. Why do I have to give it back unless I get an evidence or an answer? I'll go crazy if you won't answer me. Because I saw things that won't happen unless something particular happens." Nobita replied coldly.
Luna was taken back by his answer. "What did you see? And why do I need evidence? I don't care. Just give me back my belongings and we're even." She said.
Nobita shook his head. "You're not some random girl after some random object as far I know. Because something like this don't fall from the sky as if it's normal." He said. "You're not some random person, are you?" He asked.
Luna was surprised to hear that. Was he observing everything? How does he keep connecting dots as if he's familiar with it. And why does he knows that it fell from the sky? How much he knows?
"You're wasting my time." Luna warned.
However before Nobita could say anything, Shizuka moved forward. "Excuse me. I know that it's not my place to speak. But Nobita was keeping his eyes on the sky for some time. He wouldn't tell us what is attracting his attention. But he saw something which lead us to the hill behind our school. We found some strange burnt spot up there. Then we heard about some explosion at a mountain far from here. And Nobita did his everything to figure out what is going on. He was hurt and almost lost his life. That's why, just please answer him. Trust me when I tell you. He seen complicated things that's supposed to be impossible. Yet he tried to figure out the truth behind it. Just please at least some brief information. Consider it as a reward for bringing back your property. It's a request. Please." Shizuka politely said in a sad voice.
Why is she speaking for Nobita like this? The answer is simple. She doesn't want to lose him again.
Luna was shocked. This Nobita guy was watching everything. And yet he doesn't seem to doubting what he saw. Normally, people won't go this far for some answer with few words. And Luna cannot spot any lies in their faces nor they seem to messing around. Especially the time bomb like teen who would lose his composure at any point in time.
But still how on earth she's supposed to answer them. "Look, I'm from a far away place which is out of reach from here. And you're holding something that'll help me go back to my time to my home." She said briefly.
Well that's all he needed. Because he heard something along those lines many times. And recalling everything from the start, now he recall where he saw the glow up in the sky before. He seen similar lights and glows. And he's familiar with the burnt marks left up at the mountains. And he got his answer almost immediately. And looking down at the object in his hand, he never seen a material like this before. And the realisation hit him like a truck.
"How is this white thing help you go back to your home? What it is?" Suneo was the one to speak since he was listening to them for some time.
Luna shook her head. "You said brief. And I briefly told you everything you need to know. Now give me back my gadget. I won't ask a second time." She warned them again.
"Hey, calm down. We're not trying to pick a fight. Jeez. Just keep your hands on the glasses. Not us." Yumi spoke.
"Why not we avoid violence all at once? Just hand over the capsule, then I'll leave you alone." Luna said stretching out her hand towards Nobita who' eyes are shadowed by his hair.
Then there was a silence. Everyone is waiting for Nobita' next move.
When Nobita looks at Luna once again, a shiver ran down her spine. An unreadable yet dark glint appeared in his eyes. The warning she gave him doesn't seem to effect him. Instead it only fueled his sinister glare. It's as if he's playing with death and isn't afraid of losing against the death itself. He's prepared for everything.
Luna subconsciously gulped a little. Something about him seem so impossible to comprehend. He's so unpredictable.
"Which century are you from? 22th?" He asked finally after a long silence.
Nobody spoke and everyone heard him say it. Those words are only processing in their brains. Why did he ask her that? What does he mean?
Luna however had her eyes widened in shock. "H..huh?"
"I said, which century do you belong? 22th century?" He asked again. Thus time he emphasised his every word more.
His friends are shocked except for Yumi who' still don't understand the meaning of it.
"23rd." Luna mumbled without realising. She's too shocked for keeping her mouth shut or simply process anything.
Shizuka and Suneo stood there as if they seen a ghost or something. "Impossible." Suneo mumbled.
"H.. how?" Shizuka said.
"Umm... What's going on? Why do you look so shocked all of a sudden? What's wrong?" Yumi voiced out her confusion.
"A 23rd century time traveller looking for her time machine. No it all makes sense. Everything was out of place yet consistent to my memories of an actual time machine." Nobita was speaking to himself at this point. He had a crazed smile on his face which showed his accomplishment. However from outside, they were seeing someone who's losing their sanity right before their eyes. Nobita is losing himself
"What the fuck?" Yumi shouted. That's the worst thing you could come up with. Seriously? Time machine? Pfft... grow up." Yumi chuckled. "Right?" She asked looking at her other two friends. However she wasn't expecting them to have their faces filled with shock.
Yumi raised a brow. "Wait, don't tell me you believe him. Or is it that you're too shocked about the absurdity?" She said shaking Shizuka by her shoulder.