Naturally, Ryan's appetite was much bigger—boys usually ate more than girls did.
Even though he wasn't an adult yet, a fifth grader still needed plenty of energy and nutrition.
The reason Ryan was smiling at that moment was because of a little-known secret about Shizuka.
To be precise, it was something only people who had watched Doraemon would know—Shizuka, though perfectly sweet and adorable, wasn't without her flaws.
Gian's singing could make people faint, Suneo was boastful, Nobita was lazy… and Shizuka, as perfect as she seemed, wasn't exactly a musical prodigy either.
Her violin playing was… well, disastrous.
But besides her struggle with the violin, Shizuka had another secret—her irresistible love for roasted sweet potatoes.
This was something very few people knew. Even her closest friends—Nobita, Gian, Suneo, or even Doraemon—were completely unaware.
However, Ryan, who had watched the anime in his previous life, knew this all too well.
"Shizuka, do you smell something?"
Thinking of her secret, Ryan deliberately acted curious, sniffing the air.
Then, pretending not to notice Shizuka's sudden stiff expression, he smiled and asked casually.
"Smell? What smell? I don't smell anything…"
Shizuka was clearly flustered. She blinked rapidly, then tried to act natural, but her tone betrayed her awkwardness.
"It's that delicious smell in the air," Ryan said, pretending to take another deep breath. "It smells like food—something freshly baked."
Seeing Shizuka's cute reaction, he hid his grin and continued to tease her gently.
"Oh… now that you mention it, I think I smell something too," she replied, her voice slightly nervous and forced.
Shizuka tried her best to stay composed, but Ryan could tell she was struggling.
After all, her secret love for roasted sweet potatoes was something she found embarrassing—not because of the food itself, but because eating too many tended to… have side effects.
For a girl as proper and ladylike as Shizuka, that was a nightmare.
So, she'd kept this guilty pleasure entirely to herself. Not even her parents knew.
Only when she was completely alone, certain no one was watching, would she sneak off to buy a roasted sweet potato and enjoy it quietly.
She'd eat carefully, savoring every bite, always afraid of being seen.
Ryan couldn't help but find this little quirk adorable.
He completely understood her reasoning, though. After all, even angels probably didn't want anyone to know that they sometimes had… less graceful moments.
"Perfect," Ryan said with a grin. "Let's grab something to eat first. My treat—consider it a thank-you for showing me around today."
Just as the crosswalk light turned green, Ryan took the lead, walking toward the direction of the delicious aroma without waiting for her response.
"Huh? How can I just accept that…"
Shizuka hesitated. It was her first day getting to know the new transfer student, and she already felt awkward about letting him treat her to food.
But since Ryan framed it as a thank-you, she didn't have a good reason to refuse. And if she stood there too long, the light would turn red again.
So, with a small sigh, she picked up her pace and followed after him.
Ryan knew exactly what he was doing. With Shizuka's kind and polite nature, as long as he gave her a reasonable excuse, she'd feel too shy to refuse.
Watching her conflicted expression as she tried to act composed only made him find her even cuter.
The two of them followed the scent down the street until Ryan stopped in front of a small roasted sweet potato stand.
When Shizuka saw where he had stopped, her heart began to race.
Every time she had come to a place like this, she had always come alone, making sure no one familiar was around.
But now—Ryan was standing right next to her.
Her face turned slightly pink, and she panicked internally, though she forced herself to look calm on the outside.
"The smell I caught earlier really was coming from here," Ryan said lightly. Then he turned to the vendor. "Excuse me, sir—how much for the roasted sweet potatoes? We'll take two."
He didn't bother asking Shizuka if she wanted one—he knew she'd be too embarrassed to admit it.
But her expression said it all.
She might have been pretending not to care, but the way her eyes followed the steaming sweet potatoes gave her away completely.
There was nothing wrong with loving roasted sweet potatoes. The only thing holding her back was her obsession with appearing like a perfect lady.
If she were more carefree—like Nobita or Gian—she probably wouldn't have cared at all.
"Sure thing!" the vendor said cheerfully.
He picked out two perfectly roasted sweet potatoes—golden, steaming, and sweet-smelling—wrapped them neatly, and handed them to Ryan.
Ryan paid, then turned around with one in each hand.
"Here," he said, placing one warm sweet potato into Shizuka's hands before she could protest.
The heat of it spread through her palms, and for a moment, Shizuka just stood there, frozen.