Soft warmth surrounded him.
That was the first thing he noticed.
Not the pain because the pain was gone but the strange comfort of blankets pulled up to his chest. Something firm yet gentle supported the back of his head.
His eyelids fluttered.
Light filtered through them, muted and hazy, like sunlight seen through thin paper.
"…Mm…"
He stirred.
The moment he tried to move, a faint heaviness settled in his limbs. Not painful just… unfamiliar.
I'm… in bed?
He opened his eyes slowly.
The ceiling came into view: plain, slightly yellowed, with a faint crack running near the corner. It looked old... real.
He turned his head slightly.
Sitting beside the bed was a blue figure.
This time, it wasn't just a blur.
Round body, white face. Large eyes filled with worry, a small bell at the center of his neck.
The figure leaned forward immediately.
"Nobita! You're awake!"
The voice was unmistakable now.
Seeing him this clearly should have shocked him.
Strangely… it didn't.
Instead, a quiet ripple passed through his mind.
Images surfaced naturally.
Doraemon panicking over gadgets. Doraemon scolding him gently. Doraemon pulling miracles out of his pocket.
They felt… familiar.
Too familiar.
He swallowed.
"…Doraemon?"
The name came out easily, like it had always been there.
Doraemon's shoulders visibly relaxed.
"Oh, thank goodness! You suddenly collapsed earlier. I was really worried!"
He pressed his paws together nervously.
"Does your head hurt? Can you see clearly? Should I use a medical gadget?"
He shook his head lightly.
"No… I think… I'm okay."
And it was true.
The drilling pain was gone. Completely but in its place was something else, a quiet pressure behind his eyes, like unopened files waiting to be accessed.
Memories stirred when he didn't ask for them.
A manga panel layout. The feeling of holding a pen, a childhood memory of crying over a failed test.
They didn't clash anymore.
They overlapped.
Two lives. One mind.
He exhaled slowly, careful not to show anything on his face.
'Stay calm, don't panic and act normal.'
That was what he'd learned in his previous life.
Doraemon watched him closely, clearly not convinced.
"…Are you sure you're okay? You looked really scary earlier."
"I'm sure," he replied, offering a small, practiced smile.
"I just… felt dizzy."
Doraemon tilted his head.
"Dizzy?"
"Yeah. Maybe I stood up too fast."
The excuse sounded flimsy even to him but Doraemon didn't press further.
"Still," Doraemon said, standing up, "you should rest a bit more. I'll get you some water."
He turned toward the door.
"I'll be right back, okay?"
He nodded.
"Okay."
The door slid open, then closed softly behind the robot cat.
Silence returned to the room.
He stared at the ceiling again, his expression slowly fading.
The memories were clearer now.
Not flooding.
Just… there.
He knew things he hadn't learned. Felt emotions he hadn't lived, remembered events from two different perspectives.
'So it's real…'
'I didn't imagine it.'
His hand clenched the blanket. He wasn't just inside Nobita's body.
He was Nobita.
And also…
Someone else.