Ever since my changes last time brought happiness to the whole Nobi family, it seems like life at home is finally back on track.
But after the joy fades, reality still needs to be faced.
Mom is kneeling in the living room. Her long legs are folded under her on the cushion, dainty little feet supporting her. That peach-shaped figure seems too soft, forming a slight curve under her feet.
But right now, Mom doesn't realize how tempting she looks.
Instead, she's holding a pen in one hand, frowning as she looks at the household accounts, scratching her head in distress.
I know that Dad's compensation money really won't last much longer.
The funeral last time, household expenses, and even my school fees—all of these need money. Money disappears fast. And when Dad was still around, he'd already racked up a lot of debt that still hasn't been paid off.
Back then, Dad had a steady income. Sometimes there was even enough for Mom to keep a little stash for herself.
But now, the money's only going out, not coming in.
How do I know all this? Of course, I accidentally took a peek at the accounts.
Looking at Mom like this, I know she's not feeling good. Maybe she's already thinking about going out to work in a few days.
A lot of women here do that—when there's not enough money at home, they go out to work. Gian's mother does that, for example.
But that's not really a good thing. A full-time housewife means the family is well-off, and the man can support the whole household.
If the woman has to work, it just shows the family is in decline.
Not to mention, this country is notorious for NTR stories. They love tales of pure wives being seduced and corrupted. Who knows if that could happen here? You wouldn't want that to happen to your own mother, right?
Who knows what kind of people Mom might run into if she works outside?
Even though Mom always says things like "I'm already old," anyone can see she's still beautiful and charming.
So I absolutely can't let that happen. If anyone's going to support this family, it has to be me. No way am I letting outsiders take advantage.
I have to think of a way to stop Mom from going out to work.
Maybe I should try making some money myself. But first, I need a way to get cash fast—something to reassure Mom, so she'll believe I can support the household.
I thought for a while—right! There was that treasure game in the original anime. There really was a treasure! That could solve our urgent money problems. And it's not even far away, just in the forested hill behind our house.
I remember it so clearly: in the anime, I almost got rich—so close! Just thinking about it is frustrating.
I have no idea if that treasure has been dug up yet. Wait, why don't I just ask Doraemon for a gadget to check?
Once I had the idea, I ran straight upstairs. Doraemon was eating dorayaki as usual, so I went right up to him and asked, "Doraemon, do you have any gadgets for finding treasure?"
"Sure, why? You want to play a treasure-hunting game?" Doraemon asked, looking puzzled.
"Uh, not really. It's just that I lost a few hundred-yen coins in the back hills recently. I thought maybe you had a gadget that could help me look for them. It's boring to just look for them directly, but searching for treasure would be more fun."
"Oh, I see! Let me check—ah, got it." Doraemon didn't suspect anything as he rummaged through his 4D pocket.
"Treasure Finder!"
Doraemon pulled out a pink device with a little searchlight attached at the bottom.
He quickly explained, "This is the Treasure Finder. It can search for hidden treasure underground. The closer you get, the stronger the reaction—the light gets brighter."
My eyes lit up. I took the Treasure Finder from Doraemon with both hands.
Then, dragging Doraemon along, I ran excitedly to the back hill.
In the old Doraemon anime, the treasure wasn't found with a Treasure Finder—it was because I was playing a treasure game with Doraemon, and somehow Mom's jeweled ring got mixed up in the gadgets. By a weird twist of fate, we found the treasure. I remember there was even someone else competing with us for it.
The riddle about the treasure was unforgettable: in the anime, it was said to be under a cedar tree in the back hill, lined up with the skull specimen in the school.
Honestly, I could find the spot myself, even without the Treasure Finder. But I still needed some excuse.
"Nobita, slow down! That's not how you look for treasure," Doraemon called, running after me with his stubby legs.
"Doraemon! The Treasure Finder is reacting!" I exaggerated my tone.
"What? Let me see!" Doraemon finally caught up to me.
"Huh? This reaction… It shouldn't be this strong for just a few hundred-yen coins!" Doraemon looked confused.
"Could it be… there's real treasure?" Doraemon suddenly got excited.
"Hurry up, Nobita! If we're late, what if someone else finds the treasure?"
For once, Doraemon rushed ahead, charging in the direction pointed by the Treasure Finder.
I couldn't help but laugh and cry at his reaction.
"Doraemon, slow down!" I called, panting as I chased after him.
Pretty soon, I led Doraemon to a cedar tree.
I checked around—no one was nearby. Looking in the direction of the school, I could just see the skull specimen in the science room.
And the Treasure Finder was reacting at full strength.
Muttering about how many dorayaki this could buy, Doraemon reached into his 4D pocket for another gadget.
"Mole Gloves."
"These help with digging."
"Enough talking, Doraemon—just start digging!" I urged him.
Doraemon knew now wasn't the time for chit-chat, and got busy with the digging gadget.
I have to say, Doraemon's gadgets are amazing. Seeing them in real life is totally different from watching them in the anime.
With the gloves on, Doraemon was like an excavator—dirt flew everywhere, making a huge mess.
After a while—
"Found it!" Doraemon shouted excitedly.
"Really? Where? Let me see!" I jumped into the hole Doraemon had dug.
Looking over, I saw Doraemon holding a battered wooden box.
He set it down and brushed off the dirt.
Both of us were a little excited.
As I slowly opened the box, what appeared before my eyes were gold coins, covered in dirt, but unmistakably real.
"We made it! We made it, Doraemon!" I hugged him in excitement.
"Dorayaki… how many dorayaki could we buy with this…" Doraemon murmured, dazed.
After celebrating for a while, the two of us quickly refilled the hole, then carried the ancient gold coins home, thrilled.