Mrs. Nobi's call for dinner drifted up from downstairs. Entering the living room, Lin Yu surveyed the feast laid out on the table and smiled warmly. "Mom, you worked so hard cooking all this food!"
"Oh, it's no trouble at all," Mrs. Nobi beamed, clearly gratified. "If you were always this diligent, dear, I'd happily cook like this every day!" She couldn't help but feel that today's Nobita seemed to have grown up somehow, acting remarkably sensible.
"Come, come, eat up!" she urged everyone. "Eat plenty! You need fuel for your brains to work quickly when you study!"
Under Mrs. Nobi's cheerful encouragement, the group began to eat, the room filled with lively chatter.
But outside, banished from his own home by his disastrous attempt to shift blame, the real Nobita crept into the yard. Peeking into the living room, he saw the warm, cheerful scene around the dinner table. His stomach let out a loud, mournful growl, and a wave of panic washed over him.
'What do I do? I'm so hungry...' he thought miserably. 'I can't go back... What if this sticker never comes off? Will I never be able to go home again? I don't even have a place to sleep tonight...' Glancing up at the deepening twilight, a fresh wave of fear gripped him. Images of ghosts and monsters flashed through his terrified mind, and hot tears streamed down his cheeks. He was overwhelmed with regret.
He watched them finish the meal. Time ticked by relentlessly. Soon, Shizuka, Gian, and Suneo were getting ready to leave. The house lights would soon go out. Finally, the terror of being left alone in the dark became unbearable. Sobbing uncontrollably, Nobita stumbled to the front door and began pounding on it frantically.
"Oh? Who could that be so late?" Mrs. Nobi wondered aloud as she prepared to see the guests off.
Hearing the desperate knocking, Lin Yu allowed himself a small, knowing smile. Right on cue. If Nobita hadn't broken down soon, he was planning to reveal the truth himself anyway.
The moment Mrs. Nobi opened the door, a tear-streaked figure – a complete "stranger" to her eyes – burst in, wailing, and threw himself at her, clinging tightly. "Mom! Doraemon! I was wrong! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have misused your gadget to play a prank!" The "stranger" sobbed hysterically. Mrs. Nobi stared down at the child clutching her legs, utterly bewildered.
"Goodness! Child, you must have the wrong house! I'm not your mother..."
"No, Mom, it is me! I'm Nobita!" the boy cried desperately, hiccuping between sobs. "The one inside is fake! It's because of Doraemon's gadget!"
At these words, everyone turned, staring at Lin Yu with confused expressions.
Suddenly, Doraemon's eyes widened in realization. He smacked a fist into his palm. "Aha! Now I get it!" he exclaimed. "No wonder I thought 'Nobita' was acting so strangely today! So that's what happened!"
Seeing Doraemon finally understood, Nobita felt a surge of hope. He nodded eagerly, kicked off his shoes, scrambled over to Lin Yu, and ripped the Substitute Sticker off Lin Yu's back.
As the sticker came away, the perception shifted. The figure everyone had seen as Nobita suddenly resolved back into the familiar features of Lin Yu.
"See!" Nobita declared triumphantly. "I'm the real Nobita! He's the fake! He's Lin Yu!"
Having proven his words true, Nobita looked around at the astonished faces. For a fleeting moment, the fear vanished, replaced by the smug pride of a prankster who'd successfully baffled everyone.
But his triumphant feeling evaporated as soon as he spoke. The atmosphere in the room had turned decidedly frosty. He cautiously glanced around – everyone was staring at him, their expressions stony. He swallowed hard, suddenly nervous, and started waving his hands defensively. "Uh... I didn't really mean to..."
"Nobita!" The chorus of stern voices cut through his weak excuse. Clearly, no one was buying his feeble attempt at justification.
Mrs. Nobi, Doraemon, Shizuka, even Gian and Suneo – they all glared at Nobita, genuinely angry this time. Minor scuffles and silly pranks were one thing, but this – effectively stealing someone's identity – had crossed a line. It was simply too much. And beyond the prank itself, hadn't he considered Lin Yu's family? (Though they didn't know his situation) Imagine how worried they'd be, their child not home so late at night?
Mrs. Nobi shot Nobita a glare filled with frustration – that classic "hating iron for not becoming steel" look. Then, turning to Lin Yu, her expression softened into deep apology. "Lin Yu, dear, I am so terribly sorry. This is all Nobita's fault. Because of him, you're still not home this late. Your family must be frantic with worry! Please, use our phone to call them right away! And don't you worry," she added, fixing Nobita with another stern look, "I will make sure Nobita learns his lesson..."
Lin Yu met Mrs. Nobi's apologetic gaze with a gentle, reassuring smile. "Please, Mrs. Nobi, there's no need for that. Actually, I should be thanking you for your hospitality today. Your cooking is wonderful, and I wouldn't have had the chance to taste it if not for Nobita," he added, the subtle irony likely lost on most.
Lin Yu's humble and polite demeanor, showing no outward anger over Nobita's prank, only highlighted the contrast. While Mrs. Nobi felt a surge of admiration for Lin Yu, her anger towards her own son simmered even hotter. Why can't my child be as sensible as someone else's child from the same class?
Shizuka, however, watched the scene with a growing ache in her heart. Remembering that Lin Yu lived alone after his parents' passing, this situation felt particularly cruel. She had always imagined how difficult his life must be without family companionship. Now, this "prank" seemed like it was just twisting the knife – forcing Lin Yu to experience the warmth of a family dinner, only to have it revealed as part of a trick. That kind of emotional whiplash must have hurt him deeply, she thought, even if he's too polite to show it.
"Nobita!" Shizuka finally spoke, her voice quiet but firm. She looked at him, her eyes filled with profound disappointment. "You've really, really disappointed me." Minor, harmless pranks were one thing, but what he'd done today, in Shizuka's eyes, was truly unacceptable.
Nobita's stomach plummeted. This was different. Usually, things like this happened, he'd apologize, maybe cry a little, and everyone would eventually forgive him. But he'd never seen this look in Shizuka's eyes before – such cold disappointment. It was as if she were looking right through him, at a stranger. He felt completely lost.
"No, Shizuka, wait! Let me explain..." he pleaded desperately.
"Hmph!" Gian snorted, crossing his arms. "Nobita, I actually thought you had some guts earlier, handling things like you did," (referring to Lin Yu's actions) "thought maybe you could take responsibility. Guess I was wrong about you!" Lin Yu's handling of the situation had briefly made Gian reconsider his opinion of Nobita. Now, it turned out, that impressive display had all been an act – Lin Yu's act.