The scene shifts to Nanami Aoyama, a girl who works tirelessly toward her dream.
She had considered going to the hospital for a check-up, but in the end, she chose not to. Medical bills weren't something she could afford easily—not when her funds were barely enough to cover tuition for voice acting school. Every yen counted, and skipping meals had become her way of stretching her budget.
But she had overestimated her endurance.
Days of inadequate nutrition had taken their toll, and under the scorching midday sun, she had collapsed on the sidewalk. If not for the kindness of a passing stranger, she might have lain there for much longer.
That stranger was Hozuki Nozomi.
Handsome and remarkably composed, he had not only helped her up but had also spoken to her in a voice so gentle that she almost forgot the embarrassment of fainting in public. He had introduced himself and mentioned that he lived in Sakurasou, a dormitory close to her school. It wasn't far at all.
Now, back at school, Nanami sat in her classroom, still replaying the events from the day before. Her thoughts were interrupted as she spotted Kanda Sorata, a familiar face, and approached him before class started.
"Good morning, Kanda-san."
"Morning, Aoyama-san."
Nanami hesitated for a moment before asking, "Hey, Kanda... I heard you moved out of Sakurasou?"
Kanda Sorata nodded, a wry smile on his face. "Yeah."
He didn't try to hide it and casually recounted his story.
"You remember how I was always struggling to take care of all those stray kittens? Aoyama, Daichi, and I picked them up together, after all. But then I kept picking up more and more, and before I knew it, I couldn't leave Sakurasou because the school dorms don't allow pets."
"But guess what? The new landlord of Sakurasou—he's about my age—helped me find a solution. He got in touch with a pet shop owner and took me there to check out the place. The shop owner promised to take good care of them and even help find new homes for them faster than I ever could on my own."
Sorata beamed as he spoke, clearly still impressed. "That saved me from going around begging classmates to adopt the kittens one by one."
Nanami's eyes widened slightly. "The new landlord? What's his name?"
"Hozuki Nozomi," Kanda replied easily. "He's a really reliable guy. It's kind of surprising, honestly. He's just a high school student like us, but he already manages Sakurasou. And get this—he goes to Sobu High. That school's crazy hard to get into."
Nanami stiffened at the name. A spark of realization flashed through her mind.
It's him! The boy who helped me yesterday!
Sorata, oblivious to her reaction, continued talking. "I heard from Sengoku-Sensei that Nozomi got in with the second-highest entrance score in his entire grade. Can you believe that? I could study for a lifetime and still never reach that level."
Nanami took a moment to digest that information, then chuckled. "Kanda, you're not bad yourself. You have a talent for picking up stray cats."
Sorata's face immediately fell into a deadpan expression. "Aoyama, that's not funny."
Aoyama Nanami waved her hand dismissively. "How much is the rent at Sakurasou?"
Kanda Sorata scratched his head. "Not too expensive, around 80,000 yen, and that includes utilities."
"Plus, the landlord and the dorm manager's assistant cook for everyone from time to time. If you're lucky, you can save a lot of money on food. And their cooking is seriously top-tier."
He paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "Wait, Aoyama-san, are you actually considering moving into Sakurasou? You do realize it's a den of weirdos, right?"
Aoyama Nanami let out a small chuckle. "Still thinking about it. But you did say it's a gathering place for geniuses, so maybe it's not as weird as you make it sound."
"Haa... Well, that's true. Oh, and Mitaka-senpai moved out, so there's that."
"Mitaka-senpai? That famous playboy?" Nanami asked, feigning indifference but inwardly relieved.
Kanda nodded. "Yeah. Actually, I gave Hozuki another cat yesterday. He said he wants to raise ten of them as Sakurasou's official mascots. He was the one who told me Mitaka-senpai had left."
"I see…" Nanami murmured, her expression shifting slightly as if she was lost in thought.
Sakurasou's rent was cheap. Just 80,000 yen a month, and that even included utilities. Not to mention the free meals now and then.
For someone like her, struggling to balance part-time jobs while pursuing a dream, this was practically a godsend.
And, on top of that, Sakurasou was conveniently located near Suimei University of the Arts' affiliated high school. It was also close to convenience stores and shopping districts, making it easier for her to juggle her part-time jobs.
Speaking of part-time work…
Nanami had just come from her cashier shift at the convenience store, but she was also planning to take on a morning milk delivery job. Every extra yen counted. She had no choice but to push herself harder.
Then another thought struck her.
"Kanda, you mentioned earlier that there's an animation producer living in Sakurasou? What's her name?"
"Oh, you mean Kamiigusa Misaki-senpai? She's got a pretty eccentric personality, but she's fun to be around."
Nanami's eyes widened slightly. "I see… Thanks, Kanda."
"No problem." Kanda waved his hand nonchalantly, as if the conversation had already left his mind.
After all, he had already left Sakurasou. He no longer had to bear the pressure of living alongside geniuses.
But for Nanami, this changed everything.
She had met Kamiigusa Misaki before—through her work in voice acting.
In fact, she had lent her voice to two of the animated shorts that Misaki had produced.
If she moved into Sakurasou, she might get the chance to collaborate with her again.
For an aspiring voice actress like Nanami, every opportunity to voice a character, no matter how small, was invaluable.
But even with all this in mind, she wasn't about to rush into anything.
She had already paid rent for her current apartment for the month. There was no extra money lying around for a security deposit at Sakurasou.
So, she would have to wait. One more month.
Aoyama Nanami had always been fiercely independent and proud. She never wanted to be a burden to anyone. If she could do something on her own, she would.
Even though Hozuki Nozomi had helped her before, she couldn't just ask him to let her stay at Sakurasou for free. That would be far too shameless.
No, she would wait until she had the money. And when the time came, she would treat him to a meal as thanks.
Then she could talk about moving in.
*************
Attached is Nanami Aoyama, can't remember if I posted her.