Nobita's POV:
I slammed the bathroom door shut, my breath catching in my throat as I locked it behind me. My chest burned. My legs gave out, and I slid down the wall, knees to my chest, arms wrapped around them.
Tears poured down without permission. The image of Shizuka pinning Dekisugi to the wall played in loops in my mind like a cruel movie I couldn't pause. She kissed him. In front of everyone. And Dekisugi… he didn't even push her away.
Why didn't he push her away?
Why did it have to hurt so much?
Then I heard voices outside—familiar ones. Jian. And Sunio.
"She always liked Dekisugi. It was just a matter of time."
"Yeah. And let's be honest… Nobita was never really good enough."
"Right? Dekisugi probably realized it too. Nobita's just… Nobita."
My breath caught. My whole body froze. Those words sliced through me sharper than anything Shizuka had done.
Never good enough.
That sentence echoed louder than anything. I felt small. Invisible. Like everything I believed in—his words, his eyes, his love—had been a lie.
I bit my lip to stop the sob threatening to escape. My hands clenched against my chest, trying to hold my heart together as it shattered again and again.
Did Dekisugi really change his mind?
Or was I just… never enough to begin with?
I locked the door behind me, but the words still found a way in