"Mm-hm. Lead the way."
Ryan nodded. After giving Nobita a brief glance, he and Shizuka walked out of the classroom with their schoolbags.
Nobita was left standing there, watching them leave, biting his lip in frustration.
"To think he's even going shopping with Shizuka… how unfair!"
"Ahhh… Doraemon!"
As the saying goes, when things go wrong—Doraemon; when in doubt—Doraemon; when life gets tough—Doraemon!
Whenever Nobita faced a problem or something he couldn't handle on his own, his first instinct was never to solve it himself but to run back home and ask Doraemon for help.
It had already become a psychological habit.
Though Doraemon often sighed helplessly, Nobita's constant pestering left it with no choice but to lend him some gadgets to get him out of trouble.
Of course, there were plenty of times when Nobita secretly sneaked gadgets out of Doraemon's four-dimensional pocket to mess around, and in the end, Doraemon always had to clean up his mess.
This time was no exception—Nobita ran home once again to complain to Doraemon.
Meanwhile, Ryan was still new to this world and could only take things one step at a time.
The first thing he needed to handle was his material life in this world.
Although the inheritance left behind by his predecessor's parents could sustain him for a while, Ryan wasn't the kind of person to live a tight, meager life.
Having gotten a second chance at life, he wanted to live comfortably.
Besides, he was only in the fifth grade—an important stage for physical growth. Eating instant noodles every day like before was far from ideal.
Drawing manga was the most practical and convenient way for him to make money right now, since it was a skill he was already good at.
Back in his previous life, he had made a living as a manga artist.
Unfortunately, the manga market had become oversaturated, and opportunities were hard to find.
He had only been scraping by.
But now? Things were different. It was the late 20th century, and many popular manga hadn't even been created yet.
For Ryan, this was a golden opportunity. If he seized it with his creativity and foresight, he could easily rise to fame—and fortune.
Even in Doraemon's world, money could do almost anything.
After all, even with a robot cat capable of producing futuristic gadgets, didn't Nobita still envy Suneo's wealthy life?
That was the power of capitalism.
"By the way, Ryan," Shizuka asked curiously, "what exactly are you planning to buy?"
Since she didn't know what he needed, she couldn't decide which part of the shopping street to head toward.
It sold everything—stationery, snacks, clothes, and toys. Without knowing his purpose, they could end up wandering for hours.
Although Shizuka wasn't in a rush, she knew her family would still comment if she came home too late.
"Of course," Ryan replied casually. "To be honest, I plan to buy some pens for drawing manga and a few sheets of manuscript paper."
Shizuka blinked in surprise. "You're buying those? Are you… planning to draw manga yourself?"
She stopped walking and turned toward him, her expression filled with astonishment.
It wasn't surprising—after all, at their age, drawing manga wasn't exactly a common hobby.
The most creative thing fifth graders usually did was sketch during art class.
"Well, I've always liked drawing manga," Ryan explained with a light smile. "But since I just moved here, I couldn't bring most of my tools and materials. So, I need to buy everything again."
It wasn't really a lie—after all, his sudden arrival in this world hadn't allowed him to bring any of his belongings.
"Ryan, that's amazing!" Shizuka said with admiration. "You actually have such a cool hobby. When your manga is finished, could you show it to me?"
Her eyes sparkled with genuine curiosity. She hadn't expected the quiet new transfer student to have such a talent.
"Of course, no problem. It's nothing too special anyway," Ryan said with a grin.
He didn't mind showing her his work—it wasn't anything inappropriate, and sharing it with someone as kind as Shizuka sounded pleasant enough.
"Then it's settled!" Shizuka said cheerfully. "Since you're buying art supplies, I know a shop nearby that sells those. Let's cross the road and head that way."
For someone like Shizuka, who had lived in this neighborhood all her life, finding the right place wasn't difficult at all.
Just as the two were about to cross the road together, a delicious aroma drifted through the air.
Ryan paused, his nose twitching slightly, and a small smile crept across his face.
He noticed Shizuka beside him also sniffing the air, her cute nose wrinkling slightly, and his smile grew wider.
That smell—it was unmistakably roasted sweet potatoes.
The scent grew stronger with each passing second, making their stomachs rumble.
They had shared a light lunch earlier, and although Shizuka ate delicately, Ryan could tell her portion hadn't been enough.
The inviting smell of roasted sweet potatoes made it clear—they were both getting hungry.