Cartoonist in Doraemon

As the test papers were handed out to each desk, the atmosphere in the classroom grew heavier.

Most students seemed focused, but for Nobita, the minutes felt like hours. He'd spent so much time enjoying his holiday that he'd forgotten most of what he'd learned before. It wasn't until the test was imminent that panic set in, but by then, it was far too late.

Staring at the black-and-white test paper in front of him, Nobita felt his head spin. The questions seemed familiar, but the answers were nowhere to be found in his mind. It was a truly miserable feeling.

---

During the test, only two people in the room appeared completely composed.

One was Dekisugi, the class's undisputed academic leader. For someone like him, this test was just another routine exercise.

The other was Ashton, the new transfer student. As an adult with a solid education, a fifth-grade test posed no real challenge for him.

Even Shizuka, who usually excelled academically, had moments of hesitation as she frowned at a particularly tough question. It was clear that not all of the test was straightforward.

Meanwhile, Nobita's hands trembled as he gripped his pencil. His panic only grew with each passing second. Though he had skimmed Shizuka's notebook earlier, his poor study habits made it impossible to retain anything meaningful.

Now, sitting in front of the paper, his mind was a complete blank.

"It's over... I can't answer any of this. What am I supposed to do?" Nobita thought, his heart sinking further.

Left with no other choice, he clasped his hands together, muttered a silent prayer, and began scribbling whatever came to mind.

---

Time always seems to fly during an exam, and before long, the bell rang, signaling the end of the test.

As the students handed in their papers, the tense atmosphere in the classroom lifted, replaced by chatter and laughter.

Nobita, however, couldn't relax. His mind had already jumped to the next problem—how to hide his test results once they were returned.

"Hey, Gian, look at Nobita. He must've flunked again!" Suneo laughed, nudging his friend.

"Yeah, typical Nobita! I bet he got zero points this time!" Gian added, roaring with laughter.

Nobita barely reacted to their teasing. He glanced at them briefly, then lowered his head with a resigned sigh. Mockery about his academic struggles was nothing new.

It wasn't that Nobita lacked potential; he simply wasn't suited for traditional studying. Perhaps his talents lay elsewhere—fields where he could shine in ways others couldn't.

---

After two more classes, lunch break finally arrived.

Today, Ashton had brought a simple but delicious meal of egg and scallion oil noodles, a traditional dish from his hometown. While it wasn't an extravagant lunch, the aroma and presentation made it undeniably appetizing.

By now, the classmates had grown used to Ashton's homemade lunches and no longer crowded around him out of curiosity. However, Shizuka couldn't help but glance over with mild interest.

"Ashton's lunch always looks so good," she thought as she packed up her own bento.

---

After finishing his meal, Ashton decided to use the lunch break productively. He pulled out a blank sheet of drawing paper and began sketching at his desk.

Although he had plans to visit Nobita's house later that day and potentially borrow some of Doraemon's gadgets, Ashton didn't want to rely solely on others. His financial situation was tight, and he needed to start earning through his art soon.

"Are you drawing again, Ash?" Shizuka asked, noticing him setting up his paper and tools.

"Yeah," Ashton replied with a smile. "I'm not sleepy, so I figured I'd make the most of the time."

"Didn't you get enough rest last night?" Shizuka asked, though her eyes were drawn to his hand as he moved the pencil across the paper.

With steady, deliberate strokes, Ashton began connecting seemingly random lines into coherent shapes.

The scene he was working on was part of the first chapter of Demon Slayer. He had already finished the earlier moments where Tanjiro said goodbye to his family before heading to town to sell charcoal. Now, he was starting the part where Tanjiro, caught in a snowstorm on his way back, was taken in by the kind-hearted Saburo.

Many readers had once criticized this scene for being overly dramatic, but Ashton appreciated its subtle significance in foreshadowing the story's themes of compassion and survival.

Because if the uncle hadn't asked Tanjiro to stay overnight at his house at the foot of the mountain, things would've turned out very differently.

There are two possible outcomes in that scenario.

The first is that Tanjiro would've returned home in the dark, reuniting with his mother and siblings. But when Muzan arrived, they would've killed everyone, ending the story right there.

The second possibility is that when Muzan arrived, he would've noticed the scar on Tanjiro's forehead and the sun-wheel earrings he wore. He might've been scared off... or Muzan could've chosen to kill them anyway out of fear.

But no matter which scenario played out, there wouldn't be much room for the story to continue.

You see, the foundation of Demon Slayer's plot lies in the tragedy that sets Tanjiro's journey in motion. His mother and siblings are killed by demons, and Nezuko is turned into one herself. That heartbreak drives him to become stronger, to protect the last of his family, and to avenge those he lost.

So, for the story to progress, it was essential for Tanjiro to face that devastating reality the next morning. Saburo's role, while brief, is crucial in delaying Tanjiro's return. It allows the tragedy to unfold as intended, while also introducing the audience to the terrifying world of man-eating demons.

As Ashton thought of this, he continued to sketch, his pencil moving deftly across the paper. He had spent extra time crafting the scene where Saburo warns Tanjiro, using it to subtly foreshadow the danger that lay ahead.

---

By the time lunch break was nearly over, Ashton had filled the A4-sized sheet in front of him with rough sketches. Though it was just a first draft, it already hinted at the emotional weight of the chapter.

He leaned back, stretched his arms, and let out a small sigh. "Done!"

The intense concentration had left him slightly tired, but his skill had improved over the past few days, and it showed in the speed and quality of his work. Though it still needed final touches and inking, he had made significant progress.

"Are you done, Ash?"

Shizuka's voice was soft, careful not to disturb him earlier. Now that Ashton had put down his pencil, she couldn't help but speak up.

"Yeah, almost. I just need to clean up the lines and ink it later," Ashton replied with a smile.

He had noticed Shizuka watching him earlier but chose not to interrupt her. She had been so quiet, sitting beside him and observing his work with curiosity.

"Can I see it?" she asked, her tone hopeful.

"Of course."

Ashton handed her the draft without hesitation.

Shizuka took it carefully, her eyes lighting up as she examined the sketches. "Wow... this is incredible, Ash. To create something like this in such a short time is amazing!"

Her admiration was genuine. If this draft were resized to fit the format of a comic book, it could easily be mistaken for a professionally published page.

Ashton chuckled lightly at her praise. He didn't comment, but deep down, he felt a flicker of pride. After all, his golden finger—his mysterious system—had played a big part in his ability to produce such work.

---

As the lunch break neared its end, Nobita approached Shizuka's desk, holding her notebook.

"Shizuka, I almost forgot to return your notebook. Here—" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes locking onto the stack of drawings on her desk.

"Wait, is this... Ash's drawing?" Nobita asked, wide-eyed.

"Yep," Shizuka replied, still holding the draft. "Isn't it amazing?"

Nobita leaned in, his curiosity piqued. He'd already been captivated by Ashton's work the day before, and now he couldn't wait to see more.

"Let me take a look, Shizuka!" he said eagerly, handing her the notebook before reaching for the drawings.

Ashton had included the pages he'd worked on the previous night, stacking them neatly with today's draft. Together, they formed a small pile of over ten A4 pages, each brimming with detail and emotion.

Nobita flipped through them, his excitement growing with each page. "This is so cool! I want to see what happens next!"

Nobita's enthusiastic movements were a bit loud, drawing the attention of some of his classmates.

Among them were Gian and Suneo, who always seemed to take a special interest in whatever Nobita was up to.

Noticing his excitement, the two exchanged curious glances and walked over, intrigued by what had caught his attention.

But the moment they saw the stack of drawings on Shizuka's desk, they froze in place.

As avid comic fans, both Gian and Suneo immediately recognized the quality of Ashton's work. Suneo, who prided himself on being the first to snag new releases from weekly comic magazines, was utterly captivated. Gian, on the other hand, wasn't one to spend money on comics—he had a habit of "borrowing" them from Nobita instead.

This time, though, even Gian couldn't find a teasing remark. Both of them were simply too stunned to look away.