In Pursuit of Happiness, Starting from Sakurasou

After seeing the lackluster game animation plans her assistant had handed in, Kamiigusa Misaki nearly despaired. But then, her eyes landed on something different—a plan so perfect it felt like a divine revelation.

For a passionate animation producer like herself, this feeling was indescribable.

Only she knew how disappointed she had been every time she received Mitaka Jin's half-baked proposals. His so-called planning was nothing more than the bare minimum, lacking the creativity and passion necessary to bring a project to life. Every time, her heart sank a little more.

But now, when she discovered that the person who had written the plan that left her so incredibly satisfied was none other than the man she had shared an unforgettable night with, she was deeply moved.

While she could be a bit eccentric, she wasn't foolish. Hozuki Nozomi had deliberately left this plan at her door—it was obvious he had written it just for her.

This junior, who was technically her landlord and younger than her, turned out to be an absolute hidden gem!

If not for this 'Magical Girl Misaki' project, she might never have realized his talent.

This plan easily outclassed anything Mitaka Jin had ever presented her with.

A burning desire ignited within her—the urge to bring this vision to life, to see it go from the pages of a manga to an animated short film, and eventually, a full-fledged game release.

The soul of an animator was ablaze!

Her blood boiled just imagining it.

Once the work was completed, it would be aired on TV as a full-length anime series!

At that moment, she would rise to become one of the most renowned animation producers in the industry!

"Oi, Nozomi-kun, how did you come up with this plan?!"

Kamiigusa Misaki tugged at his sleeve, her eyes filled with admiration.

Hozuki Nozomi, however, couldn't exactly tell her that this was a slightly tweaked version of a magical girl anime he had seen in his past life.

After all, that series didn't exist in this world.

Right now, the industry was still stuck in its early stages, with most games and light novels revolving around generic school romances or mindless isekai harem adventures.

Hadn't he already seen how Kasumigaoka Utaha's Love Metronome was thriving despite being relatively unoriginal? While her writing was top-tier, the industry itself hadn't yet witnessed the groundbreaking works he knew from his past life.

It was time to shake things up in the world of light novels, anime, and gaming.

With that in mind, Nozomi flashed Kamiigusa Misaki a playful smile.

"Well, when I saw how cute Misaki-senpai is, I was reminded of the magical girl shows I've imagined before. The idea just kind of... came to me," he said with a wink.

"The story follows an ordinary high school girl, Yuanda Misaki, who encounters a strange, stuffed-animal-like creature, Kyubey, while on her way home from school. The creature, being pursued by a mysterious transfer student named Akemi Homura, pleads with Misaki to form a contract and become a magical girl. And so begins a heartwarming tale of magic and hope."

Kamiigusa Misaki's cheeks instantly turned bright red.

The protagonist was named after her?!

There was no doubt about it now—this was a story Nozomi had crafted just for her!

Placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart, she fought to suppress the flustered excitement welling up inside her.

Suddenly, she stood up, her posture formal and determined. Then, she bowed deeply toward the boy in front of her.

"Please, Nozomi-kun! Let me turn this into reality! I want you to be the planner for my future projects!"

The words left her lips with absolute sincerity.

For a brief moment, a familiar face flashed through her mind.

Mitaka Jin.

In the past, she had always relied on him for planning. They were childhood friends. More than that, he had even dated her older sister.

She had always held a vague affection for Mitaka Jin, pushing herself to become a great animation producer, partly for his sake.

If she had a choice, she wouldn't have changed partners so easily.

But then she thought of how Mitaka Jin spent his days procrastinating, prioritizing dates with his six different girlfriends over their animation projects. Even when he did hand in a plan, it was nothing but a halfhearted, uninspired mess.

Now, standing before her was Nozomi—handsome, talented, and genuinely interested in her work. He had written this plan without even being asked, gifting it to her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Given the choice, why wouldn't she pick the person who actually understood and supported her dreams?

Besides...

While Mitaka Jin had never once acknowledged her beauty, the man standing before her openly admired her cuteness.

For some reason, an embarrassing memory from the previous night resurfaced in her mind.

She had been so bold at first, so confident, taking the lead...

But by the end, she had been utterly defeated, reduced to begging for mercy.

Her face instantly turned as red as a ripe tomato.

===============

Hearing Kamiigusa Misaki's heartfelt plea, Hozuki Nozomi blinked in mild surprise.

"Eh? Me? I just wrote it casually. Compared to someone like Mitaka-senpai, who specializes in animation planning, I'm just an amateur."

"Absolutely not!" Misaki shook her head vigorously, her twin tails bouncing with enthusiasm. "Nozomi-kun, you don't understand how incredible this is! This plan—it's on a whole different level!"

Damn it, is this guy trying to be humble or just showing off? If Mitaka Jin knew Nozomi could pull off something like this effortlessly, he'd probably cry himself to sleep!

Not willing to let this chance slip away, Misaki gritted her teeth and suddenly clung to Nozomi's arm, shaking it like an overly enthusiastic puppy.

"Please, Nozomi-kun, just think of it as your beloved senpai begging you! Come be my planner! If you don't, I won't dare to bring this brilliant plan to life!"

Nozomi blinked, a little flustered by her sudden closeness. He could feel the warmth of her body pressing against him, and for a brief moment, his brain short-circuited. But he quickly composed himself and put on a slightly troubled expression.

"I mean... I don't mind helping out, and I'd be happy to support you, Misaki-senpai," he said. "But what about Mitaka-senpai? Isn't he your partner?"

Misaki immediately scowled, puffing up her cheeks in frustration.

"Hah?! That idiot? Partner? Please. That bastard is too busy chasing after his girlfriend to even care about my work! Do you know how many times I had to beg him just to get a half-baked plan? I can't count anymore!"

She exhaled sharply and crossed her arms. "But you... Nozomi-kun, you actually see me. You care about my passion. You respect my dreams."

As she spoke, a warmth spread through her chest, and for the first time in a long while, she felt truly understood.

Ah, what is this? The more I compare them, the better my junior looks.

He's talented...

He's dependable...

He's even... kind of handsome...

Nozomi watched her flustered expression with a hint of amusement. He already knew the answer, but he decided to tease her just a little longer.

"Alright, since you put it that way, I'll do it." He flashed her a charming smile. "So, when do we start?"

Misaki's eyes lit up like fireworks on a summer night.

"Yatta! You agreed! This is amazing!" Overcome with excitement, she launched herself at Nozomi, tackling him onto the floor in a burst of energy.

Nozomi let out a small grunt as he found himself pinned beneath her. He blinked up at Misaki, who was practically vibrating with happiness on top of him.

"Senpai... you do realize what position we're in right now, right?" he asked dryly.

Misaki blinked. Then, slowly, realization dawned upon her.

The memories of last night hit her like a truck.

She was straddling him. Just like before.

Her hands were on his chest. Just like before.

Her heartbeat was going crazy. Just. Like. Before.

Her face turned so red, she could probably be mistaken for a tomato at a grocery store.

"A-A-Ah! Nozomi-kun! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—"

"I know you didn't mean it, but if you don't get off me soon, senpai, I might actually turn into a monster."

Misaki stiffened.

Her brain took approximately three seconds to process that sentence before it completely shut down.

"W-What?! N-Nozomi-kun, you can't transform right now!"

"Holding it in is what causes transformation."

"AHH! No, I mean—you shouldn't hold it in! No, wait—! That's not what I meant either!" Misaki waved her hands around in a panic, looking like a malfunctioning robot.

Nozomi couldn't help it—he burst into laughter.

She's too easy to mess with.

With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he reached up and lightly patted her head.

"Misaki-senpai, you're really cute."

Time stopped.

Misaki's body jolted as if she had been struck by lightning. Her brain overloaded from the sheer impact of those words.

Misaki-senpai, you're so cute.

Misaki... cute.

The words echoed in her head, bouncing around like ping-pong balls, completely frying her circuits. Her face turned a shade of red so intense, it put a setting sun to shame.

Her knees wobbled. Her eyes rolled back.

And just like that—

Thud.

She fainted.

Nozomi barely managed to catch her before she collapsed entirely, sighing as he cradled her in his arms.

"Geez, senpai... You're really something else."

Well, things were about to get very, very interesting.