By the time it was called a day, Nobita was a bundle of nerves. He took a deep breath as he left the classroom, mentally preparing himself for the inevitable encounter.
He found Dekisugi waiting down the next street to their school, leaning against a wall with his hands in his pockets. He looked up as Nobita approached, a small, hesitant smile on his face.
Dekisugi's heart skipped a beat at the sight of Nobita approaching, his nerves on edge. He'd mentally prepared himself for the awkward silence, the tension, the uncertainty. But when Nobita stopped in front of him, his heart leaped at the lack of hostility in his eyes. There was wariness, yes, but also... something else. Something that gave him a flutter of hope.
"Hey," Dekisugi greeted quietly, his voice betraying his nervousness. "Can I join you on the way back home?." He attempted a casual smile, hiding his inner turmoil behind a facade of indifference. It was a poor attempt, and he knew it.
Nobita, being well-acquainted with Dekisugi, saw right through the facade. The nervous smile, the strained voice... he knew Dekisugi was just as anxious as he was.
"Yeah," he replied, his voice carefully neutral. "Yeah, you can." An awkward silence stretched between them for a moment, both boys unsure of how to proceed.
Dekisugi scrambled for something, anything to say. The silence was almost deafening, the tension palpable. He finally blurted out the first thing that popped into his head.
"Uh, did you finish the homework for Biology?" he asked, cursing himself inwardly for the lackluster question. Real smooth, Dekisugi. Definitely a grade-A conversation starter.
Nobita raised an eyebrow at the question, surprised at the unexpected topic. He couldn't help but huff a small laugh, the tension easing slightly.
"Yeah," he replied, managing a faint smile. "I did. It was a pain in the ass, but I got it done."
Dekisugi let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, relief filling him. The initial tension had abated, replaced by a slight sense of ease. *Talking. They were talking, and he hadn’t messed it up yet.*
He chuckled at Nobita's comment, mentally patting himself on the back for successfully steering the conversation into neutral territory. "Honestly, I barely managed to write an answer for question five."
Nobita let out a huff of a laugh. "Yeah, that one was unnecessarily complicated. Probably the teacher trying to sneak in some extra credit."
He surprised himself with how easily the conversation was flowing. It was almost... normal. Like they were just two classmates discussing homework.
Dekisugi smiled wider, feeling his confidence grow slightly. This...this was going well. "Right? I'm sure they just pull these questions straight out of the depths of their evil, sadistic minds," he joked lightly. "No one in their right mind would come up with something like that intentionally."
Nobita chuckled, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, they definitely have a quota for how many students they want to make cry over homework."
The easy banter felt strangely familiar, as if they were slipping back into the rhythm of their old friendship. It was both comforting and unnerving.
Dekisugi felt the same ease, the same comfort in the familiarity of their banter. It was as if the years of tension and anger had melted away, leaving nothing but the foundation of their old friendship. He chuckled at Nobita's comment, feeling a pang of nostalgia. "I bet they keep track. There's probably a 'Homework Tears' chart in the teacher's office."
Nobita let out a small snort at the mental image. "Yeah, with a tally for each student," he added jokingly. "Probably an award at the end of the year for 'Most Tears Shed Over Homework.' I think I'm a strong candidate for that one."
Dekisugi hummed in agreement, pretending to be deep in thought. "Oh, those math problems are brutal. I swear the textbook authors are secretly evil masterminds. They probably sit around and laugh manically while planning out new problems to give us panic attacks."
Nobita nodded solemnly, adopting an equally serious expression. "I hear their meetings are just laughing sessions where they discuss new ways to make our lives miserable.” He chuckled at the absurd image. It was nice, the easy banter. Sure, the underlying tension was there, the memories and pain not completely gone, but it felt good to just... chat. Like old times.
Nobita joined in, feigning surprise. "Oh, absolutely. I've heard the award is shaped like a giant pile of homework. It's what every teacher dreams of collecting at the end of the year."
He chuckled as well, feeling a hint of that old ease returning. The banter was familiar, like slipping into a worn-out pair of shoes.
Dekisugi joined the mock serious look. "They probably display it right above their desks for all the students to see. A badge of honor, proclaiming their sadistic triumph over innocent students." He stifled a laugh, feeling at ease. "Oh, and they probably get a bonus too. A free evil laugh every time a student bursts into tears over homework."
They laughed, hard and effortlessly, just like those good old days.
As their laughter faded, a comfortable silence settled between them. The playful banter had lightened the mood, easing some of the previous tension. Dekisugi leaned back against the wall, a small, genuine smile on his face. He looked over at Nobita, his expression soft. "That was... nice, y'know? Felt like old times."
Nobita hummed, his expression slightly softer as well. The casual banter had brought about a sense of nostalgia, a whisper of how things used to be. "Yeah... yeah, it did," he agreed quietly.
There was a subtle undercurrent of vulnerability in his tone, a hint that the pain and hurt from before were still there, albeit somewhat subdued.
Dekisugi sensed the vulnerability underneath Nobita's words, a pang of guilt tugging at his heart. He'd caused this, he'd driven Nobi-kun to this, this... guardedness. He swallowed the lump in his throat, his expression filled with sincerity. "Look... I... I know things aren't the same. And I hurt you, badly. But I... I want to try making things right between us."
Nobita fidgeted awkwardly, avoiding Dekisugi's gaze. The honest sorrow in his voice and expression was making it hard to stay distant, to keep his walls up. He was quiet for a long moment, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions. He wanted to trust Dekisugi, he truly did. But the fear of getting hurt again, of being betrayed again, was an ever-present weight in his chest.
It wasn't actually Dekisugi's fault, Nobita realised. It was Shizuka who was interested in him, not Dekisugi. Dekisugi treated her like he'd treat anyone else.
As Nobita thought over the last few events, a pang of realization struck him. It wasn't Dekisugi's fault, not completely, anyways. He'd been a victim of poor wording and miscommunication as well. He sighed internally, his heart weighing heavy with the knowledge that he'd held onto this unjustified grudge for so long. The pain was still there, the feeling of betrayal still raw. But the anger, the intense hatred he once felt, had lessened a little.
Dekisugi noticed Nobita's silence, the shift in his expression. He could practically see the gears turning in his mind, the realization slowly sinking in.
He didn't press, knowing Nobita needed time to process his thoughts. Instead, he waited patiently, his heart filled with a mixture of hope and anxiety. He knew this conversation was a delicate balancing act, one wrong move could send them both crashing back into animosity.
After several long moments, Nobita finally spoke, his voice soft but steady. "It... it wasn't just your fault," he admitted, his gaze still fixed on the ground. "I... I misjudged you, saw things that weren't there."
Dekisugi felt a mixture of relief and guilt wash over him. The words he'd longed to hear for so long, the truth finally coming out. But with it came the guilt, the knowledge that he played a part in the whole mess. He swallowed the lump in his throat, his voice thick with emotion. "I... I should've been clearer, I should've..." I should've picked you over her, he almost said. But those words stuck in his throat, too difficult to voice aloud.
YOU ARE READING
Bewitched By You
Fanfiction!! Friends to lovers trope !! Nobita had grown used to the fact that Shizuka-chan did not have any romantic feelings for him, though her rejection left him sore. In order to ease his nerves and avoid being found out, he would often try to avoid Shiz...
