Chapter 2: The Human Book Cover

The morning assembly ended, and the first period began immediately.

Usually, when something this bizarre happened, I would turn to Dekisugi for a serious explanation. But the person I wanted to talk to—the girl claiming to be Dekisugi—was the very mystery I needed to solve. And the Dekisugi I knew was nowhere to be found.

If that girl really was Dekisugi, I should have just walked up and asked. But she was so far removed from the Dekisugi I knew that I couldn't muster the courage to speak to her.

From behind, her hair looked soft and slightly curled; she gave off the vibe of a very refined, elegant girl. It wasn't that there were no traces of the old Dekisugi, but the overall effect was... well, she was just too beautiful. For a guy like me, striking up a conversation with a girl I’d "technically" never met took more guts than I had.

(If Dekisugi just turned into a girl, it shouldn't be weird for me to talk to a classmate I know so well, but...)

Even so, there were problems. Just like the rest of the class, she didn't seem to realize she had changed from a boy to a girl. If I asked her, "Do you remember being a boy yesterday?" I’d be the laughingstock of the school. It was hard enough for me to accept that Dekisugi was now a girl; asking a "crazy" question like that would get me shunned by the whole class.

(I’ll just try asking Shizuka-chan casually.)

If I couldn't ask the person herself, the next best person to rely on was Shizuka-chan, his—no, her—closest friend.

I kept glancing at the clock, wishing for recess to arrive, unable to process a single word of the lesson. It was Japanese class. The teacher was reading a novel from the textbook. But instead of listening, my eyes darted back and forth between the clock and the back of Dekisugi’s head.

"Alright, Dekisugi-san. Please read from line three on page 129."

Prompted by the teacher, Dekisugi stood up and began reading the textbook fluently.

(It really is Dekisugi...)

The voice was a bit higher than the one I was used to, but it was undoubtedly Dekisugi’s. It was a feminine voice, yet the manner of speaking was so "Dekisugi" that I felt a strange sense of relief. As she finished reading and the teacher began writing on the blackboard, I couldn't take my eyes off her back.

(Something must have caused Dekisugi to turn into a girl. At least he—she—didn't disappear, so that's a relief. But I have to ask Doraemon to use a gadget to turn her back soon.)

Until a moment ago, I was terrified that this girl was a complete stranger and that my friend, Hidetoshi Dekisugi, had vanished. But even if the appearance had changed, he was definitely here.

I breathed a sigh of relief, and suddenly, I felt sleepy. I had overslept this morning and run to school at full speed. Plus, Dekisugi’s voice was so calm and pleasant that the story flowed into my head effortlessly—much better than when the teacher or any other classmate read.

(Come to think of it, didn't I ask Dekisugi to read a book to me once before?)

Back when I had to write a book report, Doraemon gave me a Secret Gadget called the Human Book Cover. If you put it on someone, they would recite a book they had memorized. Dekisugi’s reading was so vivid and immersive that it actually made me interested in literature.

(I remember that day... it was the first time I got so absorbed in a book full of nothing but words. I stayed up late and ended up oversleeping again, but it was a wonderful time.)

The book Dekisugi recommended, Two Years' Vacation (also known as Fifteen Boy Travelers), remained one of my fondest memories. I replayed the story in my head, immersing myself in a world of fantasy. As my body began to sway like a rocking boat, in my mind, I was on a small craft floating in the vast ocean. After overcoming many hardships, we escaped Chairman Island on the Walston gang's boat. The sound of a steamship’s whistle echoed in my ears...

"No-bi-ta! Napping during class is unacceptable! Go stand in the hallway!!!"

"Y-yes, sir!"

I must have fallen completely asleep. The teacher's roar right in my ear made me jump out of my skin. Giggles broke out around the room, and my face turned bright red with embarrassment. Making excuses would only make it worse and add fuel to the teacher's fire, so I quietly shuffled out to the hallway.

"Honestly... why can't you follow Dekisugi-san's example for once?"

Usually, those words sounded like a nasty dig, but even Dekisugi looked a bit troubled by the comment. Once I was out of the classroom, the hallway was silent. It was only natural since class was in session, but the stillness actually calmed my nerves.

"Well, it’s hard to 'follow her example' every single time."

Hidetoshi Dekisugi was the model honors student. Teachers held her up as the gold standard, and classmates were constantly in awe of her brilliance. But I suddenly wondered if that burden of responsibility—of being someone everyone relies on—was actually painful.

I remembered seeing my dad, Nobisuke, acting like a baby toward Grandma once. Doraemon’s words back then had left a deep impression on me:

"Adults are so pitiful. Because even when they're having a hard time or feeling sad, they don't have anyone to lean on, to be pampered by, or even someone to scold them."

Of course, Dekisugi was a classmate like us—a child by any definition—but everyone perceived her as being very grown-up. The class respected her, but they also treated her like someone "special" or separate. I always kind of hated that. It felt like everyone forgot that Dekisugi was just a kid like the rest of us. Even someone like that probably wants to lean on someone and be pampered sometimes, just like Doraemon said.

(I wonder who Dekisugi acts like a spoiled kid with?)

We weren't extremely close, but her family seemed happy. Her dad seemed kind, and her mom was beautiful. Maybe behind closed doors, she showed a side of herself that was more age-appropriate. If I thought about friends, the person she seemed to enjoy talking to most was Shizuka-chan. They studied together often and even had an exchange diary. Come to think of it, it was always Shizuka-chan she invited to the art museum or to watch movies at her house.

(But it doesn't really feel like she's 'leaning' on Shizuka-chan.)

They were close, but "leaning on someone" felt different. I had spent so much time worrying that Shizuka-chan would fall for Dekisugi because he was such a great guy, but I had never really considered things from the other perspective.

In the empty hallway, I stole a peek back into the classroom and got a good look at Dekisugi’s face. She was fully a girl now—and honestly, a total beauty. If you asked who the "Class Madonna" was, everyone used to say Shizuka-chan, but with "Girl Dekisugi" here, the vote would be split right down the middle.

"Sheesh... I guess if you're handsome to begin with, you're still stunning as a girl."

I remembered when I used the Transformation Headband to turn into a girl. Gian fell in love with me and it was a total disaster, but I don't think I was nearly that cute. Honestly, this Dekisugi looked like she could be a TV idol like Marui Mari or Ito Tsubasa.

As I was staring at her, our eyes met. The face I had just acknowledged as "idol-tier" broke into a smile, and she gave me a tiny wave so the teacher wouldn't notice. Startled, I jerked my head back.

"W-wow, that gave me a heart attack. She still looks like him, but she suits being a girl way too well."

If she stayed that beautiful, I wouldn't be able to talk to her casually anymore. For the sake of my own mental health, it was better to get her back to normal as soon as possible.

While I was out in the hall making all sorts of faces, the bell finally rang. By the time I made it back into the classroom, a group of boys had already gathered around Dekisugi’s desk.

(Well, of course she's popular.)

If there was an idol-level beauty in class, that was bound to happen. If Marui Mari or Ito Tsubasa were my classmates, I’d be hanging around their desks too. In a way, it was lucky for me; I wouldn't know how to react if she tried to talk to me.

For now, I decided to approach Shizuka-chan, who was a little further away, to ask about Dekisugi.

"Shizuka-chan, do you have a second?"

"What is it, Nobita-san?"

"Um... about Dekisugi-san..."

I wasn't sure how to start, so I reflexively used the polite "-san" suffix. I used to just call him by his last name, or "-kun" when we were face-to-face. But I didn't know where I stood with this "Girl Dekisugi," and I couldn't bring myself to be overly familiar with a girl who felt like a stranger.

"What about Dekisugi-san?"

"Well, did you notice anything... different about her since yesterday?"

"Hmm... I don't think anything has changed..."

So, she didn't realize the gender had changed either. That was expected, but I pushed further.

"You know, remember the dodgeball game in P.E. yesterday?"

"Of course. You dropped the ball, and Dekisugi-san caught it and saved the day, right?"

"Was Dekisugi-san always that good at sports? You know, like... 'better than the boys'?"

"What are you talking about? Dekisugi-san has always been perfect at both sports and studies."

Just as I thought. Even as a girl, Dekisugi was a genius and an athlete.

"Was she better at studying than you, too?"

"I try my best, but I can never quite beat Dekisugi-san. She’s always been the top-ranked girl in our class."

I remembered that Dekisugi was always the top boy, and Shizuka-chan was the top girl.

"Then... who's the smartest boy in class?"

"In terms of test scores? I suppose it would be him."

Shizuka pointed toward a boy known as Gariben-kun. He was the one who was always one step behind Dekisugi, stuck in second place.

(I see. Since the top-ranked boy 'disappeared,' he got bumped up to number one.)

I was starting to understand the situation. It seemed I was the only one who realized the gender had flipped; to everyone else, Dekisugi had always been a girl. All of Dekisugi’s past achievements remained the same, but the social perception had shifted.

(Actually, Dekisugi used to be surrounded by girls a lot.)

In the old reality, Dekisugi was often hanging out with girls. But now that the gender was reversed, the crowd around the desk had swapped to boys.

"Is Dekisugi-san really that popular with the guys?"

"What a strange thing to ask, Nobita-san. She's beautiful, smart, and kind to everyone. Of course she's popular!"

I guess if you have the looks and the brains, you're popular regardless of gender.

"And Dekisugi-san is a great cook, too. On Valentine’s Day this year, the chocolates she gave everyone were so delicious that the Return Gifts on White Day were out of control!"

It was true—Dekisugi’s cooking was amazing, from regular meals to baking cakes. If she made chocolates, even as a polite gesture, she wouldn't cut corners. They were probably gourmet.

"Yeah... and you're close with her too, right?"

"I think so. We study together and bake together. I think she’s my closest girl friend."

"Like... best friends?"

"We've never said it out loud, but I definitely see her as my most reliable best friend."

I used to think Dekisugi and Shizuka-chan made a perfect couple. I’d even told myself that if I had to "give up" Shizuka-chan to anyone, I’d want it to be Dekisugi.

Now, instead of being a perfect couple, they were the perfect best friends.

(If Dekisugi had been a girl all along, I guess she and Shizuka-chan would have just become besties.)

They were both smart and good-looking. Standing together, they were probably the dream duo for every boy in class. I glanced over at Dekisugi again. She was surrounded by boys, chatting away, and when she laughed, it had a different kind of charm than Shizuka-chan’s.

Then, perhaps noticing my gaze, Dekisugi looked my way. For a split second, our eyes met, but she quickly turned back to her conversation with the boys.

Author's Notes:

“Line 3 on Page 129”

At first glance, it’s just an ordinary number, but for Doraemon fans, it’s a familiar figure that immediately rings a bell.
In fact, the number 129.3 is used for many of Doraemon’s stats—his height, weight, horsepower, and even the speed at which he runs away from mice.

It’s well known that all these values use the same number so that children can easily remember them. But then, why “129.3”?

According to research, it was the average height of a fourth-grade elementary school girl at the time Doraemon was published. Perhaps it was chosen so that he would be at the same eye level as children back then. For a child-care robot like Doraemon, it’s a perfectly fitting setting, and overall, it’s a number filled with kindness.

Digging further, it turns out that the height of a Japanese postbox mail slot is roughly 129 cm. In other words, the motion of posting a postcard is about the same height as patting Doraemon on the head.
This is probably just a coincidence rather than intentional, but it somehow makes Doraemon feel even more familiar.

Incidentally, in Toyama Prefecture, the hometown of Fujiko F. Fujio, there is even something called a “Doraemon Post.” You can actually mail postcards there, and they’ll be stamped with a cute, original Doraemon postmark.
Made using the local traditional craft of Takaoka copperware, it’s a wholesome symbol of regional revitalization that combines local tradition with a beloved hometown star.

“Human Book Cover”

Appearing in Doraemon Volume 27 (Tentomushi Comics) and Volume 13 of the Fujiko F. Fujio Complete Works, this gadget is a book-cover-shaped tool. When placed on someone’s head, it makes them verbally reproduce the contents of a book they’ve read.

You can pause it by putting a bookmark in their mouth, but since it gets shoved into their mouth suddenly—and they can’t even go to the bathroom on their own while it’s active—it’s clearly not pleasant for the person being used.

It’s essentially a device for reading aloud. In modern terms, it might be comparable to a text-to-speech reader.
While reading at your own pace is enjoyable, hearing a story expressed through someone else’s voice also has its own charm.

If I could have someone read my favorite book aloud, I’d want to hear it in Noriko Ohara’s voice.

“Two Years’ Vacation (The Fifteen Boys)”
An adventure novel published in 1888 by the French author Jules Verne.
Walston, mentioned in the text, is the villain, and Chairman Island is the island where the protagonists are stranded (named after their school, Chairman Boarding School).

Though it’s over a century old, it remains a timeless masterpiece of children’s adventure literature.
Various editions exist, and even the title has slight variations. It was first translated as “Fifteen Boys”, later becoming “Two Years’ Vacation,” which is now more widely known.

Dekisugi also recommended other books such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, The Little Prince, and Night on the Galactic Railroad, showing that he’s quite the avid reader.
(As an aside, the book Shizuka lent Nobita was Anne of Green Gables, but Nobita couldn’t even get through a single page.)

“The Story of Nobisuke Being Spoiled by His Mother”

Originally titled “Papa Is a Mama’s Boy Too,” this episode appears in Volume 16 of Doraemon (Tentomushi Comics) and Volume 5 of the Complete Works.
It focuses on Nobita’s father and conveys the idea that even adults want someone to rely on—making it a story that resonates even more as you grow older.

The quoted line is one of the story’s most famous.

Originally published in the September 1977 issue of Shogaku Rokunensei, when Doraemon was serialized across grades one through six, giving it slightly more mature themes.
It was adapted into anime in 1986 (Nobuyo Oyama version) and 2014 (Wasabi Mizuta version). (Interestingly, while Nobita’s grandmother is usually depicted without glasses, she wears them in this story.)

This episode is actually a sequel to the famous story “Grandma’s Memories,” one of Doraemon’s most beloved episodes, even adapted into a movie. (The grandmother recognizes Nobita from the future as the same boy she met before.)
Another related story, “Grandfather in a Dream Pillow,” focusing on Nobita’s father and grandfather, is also quite touching.

“Dekisugi’s Family”

His father appears only in a single panel in the original manga, his mother only via voice, and there’s also a pet dog good enough to win competitions, as well as a grandfather mentioned to have died in the war.
Interestingly, the dog gets the most appearances. In the anime, a few additional scenes featuring his father were added.

While the manga doesn’t reveal whether his mother is beautiful, she actually appears in the Super Famicom game “Doraemon 3: Nobita and the Jewel of Time.”
She only has one line, but surprisingly has a full character portrait—and appears quite beautiful.

As of now, this game is the only place where her face is shown. It also features many minor characters from the original, making it a delight for fans. The game itself is also considered quite good and easy to play among SNES titles.

“Exchange Diary, Art Museum, Movie Watching”

All of these are original manga episodes, introduced here together:

Exchange Diary: Appears in Volume 23 (“A Big Pinch with X-Ray Stickers”). It was adapted into anime twice in both the Oyama and Mizuta versions.

Art Museum: Appears in Volume 42 (“Gas for Making Things Yours Alone”). Dekisugi invites Shizuka to a French Impressionist exhibition. (He also invites Nobita, who declines with a simple “No.”) Dekisugi is not only good at appreciating art but also skilled at drawing.

Movie Watching: Appears in Volume 36 (“Private Screening Chip”). This is the only appearance of Dekisugi’s father. They were planning to watch a video at home—“Space Wars,” clearly a parody of Star Wars.

These sections pack in a lot of small details from the original manga.
As a result, verifying everything while writing the afterword was quite a task (I relied on memory while writing, then double-checked details like anime air dates and publication sources afterward).

“Transformation Headband”

This gadget does not appear in the original manga and is exclusive to the Mizuta-era anime.
When worn, it transforms the user into a girl, and others perceive them as having always been female.

It only changes appearance and social role—the user’s personality remains the same. Nobita uses it to play with girls and eventually even gets confessed to by Gian.

While gender transformation appears occasionally in the original, this specific gadget is unique.
It aired in November 2011 and caused excitement among fans of gender-bender themes. While fan works imagining “What if Nobita were a girl?” already existed, this marked a rare official take on the concept.

Interestingly, there are far fewer works imagining “What if Dekisugi were a girl?”—a niche even among niches. But I personally enjoy such underexplored ideas.
If you put it nicely, I write fan fiction using a “blue ocean strategy.”

“Marui Mari”

Appearing in Volume 8 (“I’m Mari-chan”), she is a female idol whom Doraemon is a huge fan of. Her mother serves as her manager.

She was adapted into anime once in both the Oyama and Mizuta versions—the former with an original design, the latter faithful to the manga.
In the Mizuta version, Doraemon’s otaku tendencies are even more pronounced. After switching places with her, he handles an interview flawlessly, answering as if he were the real Mari.

“Ito Tsubasa”

First appearing in Volume 29 (“Tsubasa-chan Came to Our House”), she later appears multiple times and becomes a representative idol figure in the Doraemon world.
She even has a fan club—led by Suneo.

Though based on popular idols of the time, her name varies within the series (Ito, Itou, Tsubasa), and she has had six different voice actors, making her image differ by generation.
She even appears in the movie “Nobita’s Great Adventure in the Antarctic Kachi Kochi” as a poster in Doraemon’s closet.

“Gariben-kun”

Appearing in Volume 30 (“Midnight Phone Caller”), he is a classmate who can never surpass second place in exams because of Dekisugi.
Though he only appears once, his strong impression led to appearances in games and even a movie.

“Dekisugi’s Cooking Skills”

He also has a talent for cooking, and there are about two episodes in the series where his culinary abilities are shown.

These appear in Doraemon Volume 40 of the Tentōmushi Comics, as well as Volume 16 of the Fujiko F. Fujio Complete Works (“Shizuka-chan o Torimodose” / “Win Back Shizuka”), and in Volume 42 of the Tentōmushi Comics, also included in Volume 16 of the Complete Works (“Futarikkiri de Nani Shiteru?” / “What Are You Two Doing Alone?”).

In the former, he prepares a soup-like dish, while in the latter, he makes a homemade birthday cake for Nobita.