II - FOR THE ONE YOU LOVE (Doraemon Reimagination Series)

13 - FINALLY FOUND YOU

Everything had to come to a standstill. Just a few moments ago, things were happening so fast. Almost speeding like cars in a racing contest. But suddenly, as the door pushed open. Nothing was fast anymore. Everything seemed to have slowed down. Like nothing else mattered apart from the sight before his eyes.

Nobita had been waiting for this moment for so long. Imagined how this scenario would play out inside his head countless times. Every single night, ever since they returned from that Island without Shizuka with them, he had been softly crying himself to sleep; his only comfort being the different ways he put together inside his head of what he would do, what he would say when finally came face to face with the love of his life.

Even though that seemed impossible back then. He was constantly reminded of not paying it any mind as long as the time patrol was at it by literally everyone around him. But he couldn't. He couldn't stop. Because that was the only thing keeping him together. The small moments and simulations of his little reunion with Shizuka when that actually happened in the future.

That being said, he had never imagined it to be anything like this. His heart was pounding against his chest as he took in the situation. Registering the sight before his eyes proved far too unbearable for him. What is it that I'm looking at?

Before Nobita could stop the words from coming out, they had already escaped his lips. "Who are you? You're not Shizuka!"

Nobita instantly regretted having said those words out loud when he noticed the shift in the girl's expression as the colour drained away from her face.

She withdrew her gaze from the boy and turned it to a side. Her eyes closed shut, tears spilling down her face as she bit down on her lower lip.

Seeing the girl cry, Nobita ran inside the small wooden cabin and placed his hand on her back, running circles on it, trying to console her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you or anything." His voice was as sincere as it could get. "It's just you look a lot like someone I know."

Her face shot up on hearing that. Her cheeks were soaking wet from all the waterworks and her eyes swollen red. The desperate solemn look on her face made Nobita's stomach churn. Suddenly, he wanted to hurl everything he had inside him. His facial muscles twitched as realization hit him like a mack truck.

"Shizuka-?" Nobita mouthed, his shaky voice coming out as a low whisper. Now that her face was awfully close to his, he could fully recognise her. It was Shizuka and there was no doubt about it. The pinkness of her aura, the redness of her cheeks, the softness in her eyes, everything about that face screamed Shizuka, the love of his life.

Shizuka's shoulders relaxed as Nobita's hand reached out to lightly touch her cheek. She took in the warmth that was currently coming from every inch of Nobita's touch on her. Him, physically being there, in front of her, was enough to give her the strength to live out another twenty years in that tiny cell of hers.

"You're Shizuka, right? My Shizuka? I'm not dreaming, am I? Please tell me I'm not dreaming. Tell me this is real. That I'm really here with you, holding your face in my hand. Tell me this is not just my imagination. 'Cause if it is, I don't want to wake up from his dream ever again." Nobita had talked so much for the first time in a while. He had not spoken much in the last couple of months. Losing Shizuka had taken away everything from him. But now that he had again come into her dearly presence, words just kept spilling out of his mouth, without his control over them.

Shizuka's hand flew up as she curled her fingers around the hand of Nobita's that was touching her cheek. Leaning her face more into Nobita's palm and clasping his wrist, both gently and desperately, she mumbled, "Yes, I'm here. It's real. You're not dreaming. I'm really here, Nobita."