When they entered Nobita's house, his mother was in the living room watching TV.
It was only 4:30—dinner usually started around 5 and they ate at 6.
Daichi Yayahara, who had looked like a devil just moments ago, instantly changed expressions. "Good afternoon, ma'am!"
Nobita's mother, Tamako Nobi, was a match for Daichi when it came to switching faces—she could transform from angel to demon in the blink of an eye.
In her demon mode, her power level was unknown. A worthy opponent indeed when it came to dramatic emotional shifts—Daichi looked forward to some healthy competition.
"Oh, hello!" Since Daichi had transferred in only this semester, it was understandable Tamako didn't recognize him.
But she immediately turned and shouted at her son, "Nobita! A guest has arrived and you didn't even introduce him? Where are your manners?!"
Then, smiling warmly again, she turned to Daichi. "So sorry about that. Nobita never mentioned you before—please, have a seat!"
Nobita reluctantly spoke up, "Mom, this is Daichi Yayahara. He transferred here this semester, so I hadn't told you about him yet."
Tamako nodded with a smile and said, "So Daichi, are you here to hang out with Nobita? If so, I'm afraid that'll have to wait—he has studying to do."
Then she turned and shouted again, "And when a guest comes over, you should serve them snacks! Is this what I've taught you?!"
Nobita hurriedly apologized and rushed to the kitchen to prepare tea and snacks.
"Actually, that's exactly why I'm here." Daichi set his bag down and sat, mentally noting: What presence… she's truly a face-changing demon!
She had already hit him with a strong opening salvo in just a few short minutes.
Maintaining his usual cold expression, Daichi said calmly, "Since transferring, I've seen a number of Nobita's test scores. I suspect his grades might be causing you some concern."
In truth, Daichi already knew—Tamako had been stressed about Nobita's zeroes for a long time.
But he had to pretend ignorance. His persona demanded it. Being the new transfer student gave him a believable excuse.
"I was wondering… have you considered hiring a private tutor for him?" Daichi asked with a smile.
Tamako went silent. This was, indeed, something that had troubled her for a long while.
Nobita returned with tea and snacks, sitting beside them and quietly waiting for her decision.
After a moment, she finally spoke. "May I ask about your grades? I'd like to be sure you're qualified to teach."
Daichi had anticipated this, which was why he'd brought his test papers along.
"These are my recent test results." He spread them out—every single one a perfect score. Nobita turned pale.
Tamako's furrowed brow relaxed slightly, though her eyes burned with disappointment as she glared at her son.
Then she said, "If I really wanted to hire a tutor, why wouldn't I get a professional? Why choose you?"
Daichi knew this was the moment. His answer would decide everything.
"First, hiring me is cheaper than hiring a professional. Second, as his classmate, I spend more time with Nobita than even you do—I'm more familiar with his day-to-day learning."
"And finally, and most importantly, if I'm his tutor, you'll never have to worry about where to hide his test results again. I can just tell you his scores directly."
With each sentence, Nobita's face grew paler. At the last one, he jumped up to protest.
But his sharp-eyed mother yelled, "Sit down!" Nobita immediately sat and lowered his head. He knew his days of freedom were over.
Tamako took a deep breath. "Alright, you've convinced me. I'll have you tutor Nobita. I'll need to discuss the payment with his father, but I'll give you a clear answer tomorrow. Is that okay?"
Daichi smiled and nodded. "It's settled then. Please let Nobita know—I'll head upstairs and get ready. I only have thirty minutes today since I need to cook dinner later. Tomorrow I'll come with him after school."
Then he stood up and went upstairs.
Even though he and Dekisugi weren't speaking, they still cooked and read together in the evenings. He had to be back by five.
Meanwhile, Nobita remained in the living room, enduring his mother's "enlightenment session."
When Daichi opened the door to Nobita's room, he found a round blue robot sitting on the floor with tea and dorayaki beside him—it was Doraemon.
As he turned to look, he started to say, "Nobita, did you make your mom angry ag—" but stopped when he saw it wasn't Nobita.
"Hi, Doraemon. Official introduction: I'm Daichi Yayahara. I'm in the same class as Nobita—and starting today, I'm also his tutor."
His voice was friendly, but his face was still cold and expressionless, giving off a strange vibe.
Doraemon scratched his head awkwardly. "I-I see. Welcome, I guess! Where's Nobita?"
"He didn't seem too happy about me being his tutor. His mother's giving him a little 'talk' right now. He'll be up soon."
Sure enough, Nobita trudged into the room moments later, with Tamako behind him.
She gently pushed him forward. "I'll be counting on you to help this child!"
Daichi returned her smile. "Don't worry—I'll give it my all." She nodded and left.
Despite her sharp mood swings, Daichi held genuine respect for parents like her—those who sacrificed so much for their children.
Every time he saw someone like her, it reminded him of countless families doing the same. Nobita was lucky—he had Doraemon, his light in the darkness.
Turning to him, Daichi said, "Alright then, Nobita, let's get started on your homework."
It might've been a little cruel, perhaps even a bit of revenge.
But now that he was Nobita's tutor, he would do his duty. Accept the responsibility, fulfill the obligation—that was Daichi's creed.
"…Yes." Nobita sat at the desk reluctantly and began working.
Daichi stood by, helping when Nobita got stuck or made mistakes.
He remained cold-faced the whole time. For him, the thirty minutes passed quickly. For Nobita, it felt like half a year in hell.
The pressure Daichi gave off was suffocating. Resistance was futile—he couldn't win a fight, and since his mom had approved it, complaining was useless. Nobita felt like his future was doomed.
As Daichi got up to leave, Nobita asked weakly, "Are you… going to come every day?"
Daichi thought for a moment. "Probably not. I've got other things to do too. I'll come tutor you on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays."
Nobita lit up, jumping from his seat with joy.
Daichi shot him a glare, and he quietly sat back down and resumed writing.
Daichi actually let out a small sigh of relief too. If he had to come every day, he'd go insane.
One simple math problem—28 + 36—took Nobita four tries and he still didn't get it right.
Even with help, he only finished two subjects in thirty minutes!
He and Dekisugi could finish all their homework in less than half an hour without breaking a sweat. He nearly exploded on the spot.
If not for his previous life's experience as a tutor and his fairly decent temper, he would've quit on the spot.
As he headed downstairs, Daichi explained the arrangement to Tamako, who understood. Everyone had their own life, after all.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner? Cooking after you get back sounds like a hassle," she said gently, standing at the door.
Seeing her, Daichi thought of his own mother.
In both lives, she had always smiled like this—soft and warm. Sadly, no matter the life, he probably wouldn't see her again.
He shook his head. "No, thanks. I promised Dekisugi we'd cook together tonight. Thank you for the offer." He bowed and left.
Tamako watched him leave, glanced up at the stairs, and almost shouted something—but in the end, all she did was sigh softly, tied on her apron, and went back to the kitchen.
On the walk home, Daichi thought of his parents. The memory stirred something.
He felt an odd itch on his face. When he reached up to touch it, he found a trace of warmth.
Staring at that tear, Daichi suddenly remembered so many things.
And in the end, he just smiled.
(End of Chapter)