Chapter 42: Nanami's Plan

Nanami Aoyama, a girl working hard for her dreams, still felt the lingering weakness from yesterday. She ultimately didn't go to the hospital for a check-up, because after paying the expensive tuition for voice acting training, she didn't have much money left. Yesterday afternoon, she thought she'd save money by skipping lunch and just eating something to fill her stomach at night to get by. But she didn't expect that she had overestimated her physical fitness. After several days of not eating properly, she collapsed by the roadside, baked in the scorching midday sun. Fortunately, she was rescued by a kind boy.

His name was Renji Kamisaka. He was quite handsome, and most importantly, incredibly gentle and attentive when speaking to her. Renji Kamisaka said that he lived in Sakurasou, which was right next to her school. Not too far at all.

When she arrived at school, Nanami Aoyama saw Sorata Kanda standing next to her before class began. An idea flashed in her mind. "Hi, good morning, Kanda-san," Nanami greeted, a faint smile on her lips.

"Good morning, Aoyama-san," Sorata replied, nodding.

"Eh, Kanda, I heard you left Sakurasou?" Nanami Aoyama suddenly asked, a barely concealed note of curiosity in her voice.

"Yes," Sorata Kanda recounted without hiding anything, his voice a little hoarse and full of annoyance, but more relief. "I was at a loss as to what to do with the kitten I found on the street. After that, Daisuke and I ended up 'catching' a few more cats, so I couldn't leave Sakurasou to return to the regular school dormitory."

Sorata let out a long sigh, then a bright smile appeared on his face. "But I feel relieved, because the landlord of Sakurasou—who happens to be my age—helped me solve this problem."

Sorata's eyes sparkled as he continued, "He contacted a pet shop owner, invited me to visit his shop, and promised to take good care of the cats. If anyone adopted them, going to the pet shop was the fastest way to find the cats' owners. It also saved me time because I didn't have to go around asking my classmates if they wanted to keep cats." Sorata Kanda said it with a beaming expression, completely oblivious to Nanami Aoyama's surprised look.

"Eh... may I know the name of the Sakurasou landlord?" Nanami asked, her voice slightly trembling with anticipation.

"Of course, his name is Renji Kamisaka, and he's a very mature person," Sorata answered proudly, as if Renji belonged to him. "But he's the landlord of Sakurasou, which is very close to our school, but he goes to Sobu High, which is quite far away. He's a top student." Sorata Kanda sounded very envious. He was a student in the general department of Suimei University of the Arts High School. Because he failed to get into Sobu High School or Fengzhiqi Academy, he had no other choice but to find a school with an artistic atmosphere to pass his time.

Nanami Aoyama's body trembled, her expression becoming excited. That's him! Sure enough, the person Kanda was talking about was the boy who helped her. Nanami's heart beat faster.

After Sorata Kanda introduced Renji Kamisaka, he looked at Nanami Aoyama in confusion. "Wow, Aoyama-san asked me about her landlord. Do you want to live in Sakurasou? That's where strange people gather. If you want to live there, you have to be prepared." Sorata warned, his expression a little serious.

Nanami Aoyama raised her eyebrows, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "Are there a lot of strange people there? I only know one senior who likes to womanize, Jin Mitaka."

It was only then that Sorata Kanda remembered that he was also a weirdo before, and he immediately touched the back of his head in embarrassment, his cheeks slightly flushed. "They're not weirdos. They're geniuses." Sorata corrected quickly. "The senior who lives on the third floor is a famous animation producer. The otaku who lives in the innermost part of the second floor is a programming expert. Needless to say, the landlord is a top student who was accepted into Sobu High School." Sorata sighed, "I heard from Teacher Chihiro that Renji was accepted with the second highest score in the entire class. I dare not imagine that I will never be able to catch up with this score in my entire life."

Nanami Aoyama couldn't help but burst into laughter, a crisp laugh that attracted the attention of several students. "Kanda, you're also a genius, a genius at picking up cats!" She teased. "You can catch several cats just by passing by. This is a talent."

"Aoyama, you're so annoying," Sorata Kanda pursed his lips, his face slightly dark, but there was an amused smile in his eyes.

Nanami Aoyama waved her hand indifferently, then asked in a more serious tone, "How much is the rent at Sakurasou?"

Sorata Kanda thought for a moment. "It's not expensive, only about 80,000 yen, including water and electricity bills." His eyes lit up. "The landlord and the assistant administrator will cook from time to time and invite everyone to eat together. This can save a lot of pocket money, and their cooking skills are excellent." Sorata looked at Nanami with a curious expression. "By the way, Aoyama-san, are you really planning to move to Sakurasou and become a weirdo?"

Nanami Aoyama smiled, a sincere smile that radiated hope. "I'm still thinking about it, but you also said that it's a gathering place for geniuses, so it's not weird, right? That famous Mitaka-senpai has already moved out, right?"

"That's right. I gave Renji another cat yesterday. He said he wanted to raise 10 cats as Sakurasou's mascots," Sorata nodded enthusiastically. "He was also the one who told me that Senior Mitaka had left."

"I see." The girl nodded in understanding, a slightly joyful expression on her face. The rent at Sakurasou was cheap, only 80,000 yen, and it included water and electricity bills. She could also eat there on weekdays. This was the best place for her, a perfect solution to her financial problems.

Moreover, Sakurasou was located near the high school affiliated with Suimei University of the Arts, and not far from shops and commercial streets. This also made it easier for her to work part-time. Nanami Aoyama planned to quit her job as a cashier at a convenience store and also wanted to take a part-time job delivering milk every morning. This was also a gift. That was what she needed to pursue her dreams—time and opportunity to focus on her voice acting training.

One more thing...

"Kanda, you just said there was a senior anime producer at Sakurasou? What's her name?" Nanami asked again, her voice a little softer.

"Oh, her name is Misaki Kamiigusa. She's a senior with a strange personality, but she's very easy to get along with," Sorata recalled.

"I see. Thank you, Kanda." Nanami smiled widely.

"You're welcome." Sorata Kanda waved his hand and didn't give it another thought. After all, he had already left Sakurasou and would no longer be treated as a weirdo. Imagining having to share a room with a genius was stressful for him.

When Nanami Aoyama heard Misaki Kamiigusa's name, she became even more determined to move to Sakurasou. She had previously met Misaki Kamiigusa because of her voice acting work. Two of the previous animated short films produced by Misaki Kamiigusa were dubbed by Nanami Aoyama. This was also a good training opportunity for Nanami Aoyama. If she moved to Sakurasou, perhaps she could work with Senior Misaki Kamiigusa again. For an aspiring voice actress, every opportunity to voice animated characters was incredibly valuable, like an priceless treasure.

However, even though she had the idea to move, Nanami Aoyama didn't act immediately. Because she had already paid this month's rent at her current residence, and she didn't have any extra money to pay a security deposit now. So, she decided to wait until she got through this month. Nanami Aoyama had a strong personality and high self-esteem. She didn't like to trouble others and tried to do everything herself if she could. She couldn't ask Renji Kamisaka for help again to let her live in Sakurasou without paying a deposit temporarily just because Renji Kamisaka had kindly helped her. That would be too impudent in her eyes. It would be better to wait until she received her salary next month and then treat him to a meal before discussing her move. The plan was set, and hope began to bloom in Nanami's heart.