Crossed Signals (nobitaxdekisugi)

The Mysterious Love Gadget

The cherry blossoms rained down like soft pink snow, painting the park in a whimsical glow. Nobita Nobi, slumped on a park bench, couldn't appreciate the beauty. His rival in love, the infuriatingly perfect Dekisugi Hideki, was having lunch with Shizuka Minamoto, the object of Nobita's unrequited affection.

"Look at them, Nobita," whined Suneo Honekawa, Nobita's best friend, joining him on the bench. "So perfect, so happy..." Suneo sighed dramatically, his eyes trailing after Gian Ichikawa, another classmate. Gian, however, was engrossed in conversation with Dekisugi, completely oblivious to Suneo's pining gaze.

Nobita kicked at a pebble, his cheeks burning. "He's always hanging around Shizuka. What does he even have that I don't?"

Suneo nudged him. "Looks, brains, athleticism..."

"Don't rub it in!" Nobita scowled. Just then, a flash of blue materialized beside them. It was Doraemon, Nobita's robotic cat guardian from the 22nd century, holding a peculiar gadget - a heart-shaped antenna with pulsating lights.

"What's that, Doraemon?" Nobita's curiosity peeked through his dejection.

"This is the Love Finder 3000!" Doraemon explained, his voice robotic. "It detects feelings of love within a 10-meter radius."

Nobita's eyes widened. This could be the solution to all his problems! He pointed the antenna towards Shizuka, his heart pounding. The light flickered faintly. Disappointment washed over him. "See, Doraemon? Nothing!"

Suneo snatched the gadget and pointed it towards Gian. Again, a weak flicker. Suneo slumped. "Even the Love Finder rejects me."

Suddenly, the antenna pulsed brightly, the lights practically strobing. Nobita and Suneo looked in the direction it pointed - straight at Dekisugi. Both boys were speechless. There was no mistaking it - Dekisugi was radiating love.

"But who could Dekisugi possibly be in love with?" Suneo wondered, scratching his head.

Nobita's blood ran cold. A horrible thought crept into his mind. "What if... what if Dekisugi is in love with Shizuka too?"

Suneo gasped. "The competition just got fiercer!"

"No, it's worse than that!" Nobita exclaimed. "He's probably trying to steal Shizuka away from me!"

A seed of doubt had been planted. Nobita couldn't ignore the Love Finder's reading. His initial annoyance with Dekisugi was overshadowed by a new, more confusing feeling - a spark of jealousy he couldn't explain.

Meanwhile, Gian was starting to feel a prickle of annoyance every time Suneo spent more time with Nobita. He couldn't pinpoint why, but seeing them together made him strangely uncomfortable.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows, the boys walked home, each harboring unexpected feelings, oblivious to the complex web of emotions swirling around them. Little did they know, this was just the beginning of a hilarious and heartwarming love quadrangle, fueled by stolen glances, misplaced jealousy, and a very unreliable love detector.