Just as Ryan and Shizuka were happily chatting, a pair of eyes filled with jealousy glared at them from behind.
The owner of that resentful gaze was none other than Nobita—the same Nobita who had been late on the very first day of the new semester.
From the moment Ryan entered the class, Nobita had already felt uneasy about this "international transfer student."
But after seeing how quickly Ryan became popular—especially among the girls—Nobita's jealousy started burning like wildfire.
Why was it that the moment he, Nobita, walked into class, everyone laughed or criticized him?
And yet this new guy—this "transfer student from the U.S."—only had to smile and talk a little, and suddenly everyone adored him?
It was totally unfair!
But what truly made Nobita snap was seeing Shizuka—his beloved Shizuka—sharing her lunch with Ryan and chatting so comfortably with him.
To Nobita, it felt as though the entire world had turned its back on him.
Sure, if he had forgotten his lunch, Shizuka might have shared hers too.
But that would've been different—expected, even. Nobita had always thought of Shizuka as his future bride.
Now, watching her laugh and talk with someone else, especially with a new boy who had just transferred in, was unbearable.
"Damn it… why does he get all the attention just for showing up? He's just a transfer student…" Nobita muttered bitterly under his breath.
But there wasn't much he could do.
All he could do was glare at Ryan while angrily stuffing rice into his mouth—pretending that every bite was him "defeating" the transfer student.
Ryan, of course, had no idea that he had just made an unintentional enemy in Nobita Nobi—the boy who practically lived inside a jar of jealousy.
After chatting with Shizuka, Ryan's understanding of the Doraemon world had deepened.
There was no longer any doubt—this truly was the world of Doraemon.
Although he didn't yet know what kind of future awaited him, since fate had given him a second chance at life, Ryan was determined to make the most of it.
And in a world like this—filled with gadgets and wonders—who knew what kind of exciting adventures might come his way?
The lunch break wasn't long, and since it was their first day talking, Ryan and Shizuka didn't chat too deeply.
There would be plenty of chances to get to know each other later.
For Ryan, talking to a gentle, kind-hearted girl like Shizuka was relaxing. And for Shizuka, learning about American customs was just as interesting.
Soon, the classroom lights dimmed and the curtains were drawn for the school's lunch break nap time.
The chatter faded, replaced by a quiet calm as students laid their heads down to rest.
It was a nice custom, Ryan thought—giving everyone time to recharge before afternoon classes.
He rested his head on his desk too, though he didn't fall asleep. His mind was busy thinking about plans for the future.
But not everyone could sleep easily—especially one fuming boy named Nobita.
Ever since the teacher had assigned Ryan to sit next to Shizuka, Nobita's mind had been in turmoil.
He hadn't heard a word of the lessons all morning.
Then, suddenly, an idea hit him like lightning.
"Oh right! Doraemon!"
His eyes lit up. He still had one trump card waiting for him at home—his trusty robotic cat from the future.
If he went home and acted a little pitiful, Doraemon would definitely feel sorry for him and lend him a gadget.
Then, with one of Doraemon's inventions, he'd make sure that this transfer student couldn't keep showing off in front of everyone!
It was Nobita's tried-and-true strategy.
Whenever Gian bullied him, he'd complain to Doraemon.
Whenever Suneo teased him, he'd complain to Doraemon.
Even when he went to visit Shizuka and found her hanging out with Dekisugi, he'd run home crying to Doraemon.
Ever since Doraemon appeared in Nobita's life, things had indeed changed—for better and for worse.
Sure, his life became a bit more exciting, but his reliance on Doraemon had also grown stronger than ever.
Even Doraemon himself often sighed helplessly at how dependent Nobita had become.
But scolding him never worked—after all, if Nobita could change with just a lecture, he wouldn't be Nobita.
Before long, the lunch break came to an end.
Ryan lifted his head after resting for a while. He hadn't really fallen asleep, but his short break had cleared his mind.
As he sat up and stretched, he noticed Shizuka sleeping quietly beside him, her cheek resting gently on her folded arms.
Even while napping, she looked peaceful—almost angelic. A faint smile curved her lips, as if she were dreaming something sweet.
Ryan smiled softly, then turned his gaze away. Staring too long at someone's sleeping face would've been impolite.
Still, he couldn't help but think to himself—Shizuka truly was as lovely as he remembered from the world of Doraemon.