Right now, Ryan's main goal was clear—understand this world better and quietly build up his own strength in case something unexpected happened.
"Ding-a-ling-ling~"
The bell rang, signaling the end of the first class.
Ryan hadn't paid attention to a single word the teacher said.
His thoughts were entirely focused on one thing—how to survive peacefully in the Doraemon world.
The inheritance left to him by his original parents wasn't much. After paying tuition and other school expenses, very little remained.
That meant one thing—he'd have to find a way to earn money soon.
"Hm… if it comes to it, maybe I'll have to return to my old job," Ryan muttered.
Besides his previous profession, he couldn't think of another way to make money. After all, he was now just a fifth-grader—too young for most jobs.
Back in his previous life, he'd been a third-rate manga artist. Drawing comics was practically the only skill he had.
"I wonder how the manga industry is in this world," he thought.
From what he remembered of Doraemon, Gian was often seen grabbing newly bought manga from Suneo and Nobita. Clearly, manga was popular here too.
That meant his old talent could be useful again.
With his adult mind and knowledge of hit series from his past life, recreating a few famous titles would easily make him popular—and rich.
Even the royalties alone could let him live comfortably, maybe even luxuriously.
For now, it seemed like the perfect plan.
While Ryan was lost in thought, a few curious classmates began gathering around his desk.
They all lived in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, and usually didn't get to meet international students. A transfer student from the U.S. was certainly a novelty.
Naturally, they had lots of questions for him.
Ryan answered each one patiently, smiling and speaking with polite humor.
These were his future classmates, after all, and they had approached him warmly.
His easygoing and witty personality soon won them over—especially the girls.
Even Shizuka, who sat beside him, smiled softly as she listened to Ryan chatting cheerfully with everyone.
Meanwhile, Nobita, Gian, and Suneo noticed how much attention Ryan was getting—and they didn't like it.
It was only the first day of the new semester, and already this transfer student had become the center of attention.
Even Dekisugi, the class genius and president, had never drawn that kind of crowd.
But Dekisugi didn't mind. He simply glanced over, smiled faintly, and went back to his book.
As class president, he was actually relieved—if Ryan got along with everyone easily, it meant fewer problems to deal with.
Nobita, however, wasn't nearly as calm.
Especially when he noticed that Shizuka seemed to have taken a liking to Ryan.
Jealousy burned inside him like a wildfire.
As for Gian and Suneo, though they weren't fans of the new kid either, they had already failed once with their prank earlier.
For now, they just sulked quietly at their desks, glaring at Ryan from a distance.
Soon, the break ended and the next bell rang. The students reluctantly returned to their seats.
Even though the time had been short, Ryan had already made quite an impression.
His humor and friendly attitude had earned him the admiration of many classmates—especially the girls.
That naturally included Shizuka, who had been watching him with quiet interest.
Most of the questions Ryan received were about life in the U.S.—students were curious about how it differed from Japan.
Ryan had nothing to hide, so he shared a few interesting stories.
The kids listened with fascination, marveling at how different things sounded overseas.
But Nobita, sitting a few rows away, heard it all differently.
To him, Ryan wasn't just sharing stories—he was showing off.
"Hmph, he's just an exchange student. What's so special about that…" Nobita grumbled under his breath, biting his lip.
The more he thought about how much attention Ryan was getting—especially from Shizuka—the more frustrated he became.
By the time class resumed, he could barely focus at all. His mind was stuck on one thing: the new kid had stolen Shizuka's attention.
It wasn't until the morning classes ended that he even realized how much time had passed.
Meanwhile, Ryan stretched his arms and let out a small sigh.
Compared to his previous life, fifth-grade lessons were a breeze.
With his adult-level knowledge, he could understand everything effortlessly, even without paying attention.
As the lunch bell rang, Ryan smiled faintly to himself.
Things were starting to get interesting in this world—and he intended to make the most of it.