Living in the Heart of Tokyo

The gentle chimes of bell rang softly through the classroom as the final bow to the teacher signaled the end of the week.

Without even bothering to pack away her textbooks, Yamauchi Sakura stretched her arms high over her head with a satisfied sigh.

As if this gesture was some kind of secret switch, she suddenly leapt to her feet, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Kyousuke! Shou-chan! Since tomorrow's our rare day off, let's go to Antarctica to see the aurora!"

The two people she named didn't even flinch.

Instead, Yuigahama Yui, who sat in front of Shouko, turned around with wide, astonished eyes.

"Eh—? Wait, what?! Is Golden Week already here?!"

"You really are an airhead, Yui," Sakura scolded with an utterly serious expression. "Time doesn't bend to your will, you know! School days drag on forever, unlike holidays that fly by in a flash. There's still half a month left before Golden Week."

"But... weren't you the one who just said 'let's go to Antarctica'? How could we possibly make it there and back in just two days?" Yui asked, puzzled.

Sakura sighed and shook her head as if Yui's foolishness pained her soul.

"You're such a dummy, Yui-chan. Obviously two days isn't enough to go to Antarctica and back. The Phase Distortion Space Gate hasn't been invented yet!"

Frowning in mock frustration, Sakura seriously wondered how this girl even managed to get into Soubu High without having a childhood friend like Kyousuke to drag her along.

"Sakura!!"

Finally realizing she'd been pranked, Yui let out a soft cry.

Seriously, when Sakura joked around, she never let the slightest crack show—it was like she was solving a math problem with deadly seriousness.

Flustered, Yui snuck a glance over her shoulder at Shouko and Hojou, only to see that both of them had quietly ignored Sakura's antics, packing up their bags in perfect sync.

But... the faint smiles on their lips betrayed their amusement.

Ugh… they figured out what a dummy I am! (>﹏<)

Yui let out a silent groan and quickly turned back to gather her own things.

"Hahaha! Want to come over to my place later, Yui?"

Sakura's good mood—sparked first by secretly poking Kyousuke with her pen during class and getting a helpless smile in return—was now being fueled by teasing her dumb but adorable classmate.

"Eh? Wait... this isn't another lie, is it?"

Even as she said that, Yui's face lit up with hope.

"Yui, you forgot? We're supposed to go shopping in Shibuya tonight, remember?"

A voice cut in from the side. When Yui turned, she saw Miura Yumiko standing there, already packed up with her bag slung over her shoulder.

Crap! She got to her first!

Was Sakura angry that Yui's after-school plans were already claimed? Nope.

What Sakura was actually thinking was—Next time I'm packing up before the bell even rings! It's the last period of the week—I can't afford to fall behind!

"Heh... haha, of course I didn't forget! I've already decided which shop I'm gonna hit for snacks!" Yui shot back quickly.

She peeked at Sakura sneaking exaggerated winks at her and poked her tongue out playfully before speeding up her packing.

"See you next week then, Sakura, Shouko, Hojou-kun."

"Yeah, see you," nodded Kyousuke—who, of course, hadn't bothered bringing a bag at all.

He'd only pretended to pack up just now so he wouldn't have to witness the tragic sight of a pure high school girl getting caught in Sakura's mischief.

"Let's go."

He stood and carefully hooked his chair upside down onto the desk.

Then, almost out of habit, he did the same for Shouko's and Sakura's chairs.

Even after sitting all afternoon in the cramped chair, his tailored slacks showed barely a wrinkle—partly thanks to the fine fabric, but mostly because of his impeccable posture.

As they left the classroom, the two girls walked ahead, while Hojou Kyousuke and Kisaki followed behind, discussing plans for the next few days.

"…If you seriously plan on bringing all the girls with you tomorrow, I'll need to call the publishing house and arrange extra cars in advance," Kisaki said flatly.

"Don't be stupid, Kisaki. I'm not dragging everyone along," Kyousuke replied, exasperated.

"But the day after tomorrow, I'm heading to the company in Suginami. Make sure to come by—we can handle those pending interviews then," he instructed.

"Understood. Should I make the welcoming ceremony a formal one?"

Kisaki's eyes gleamed with excitement.

At last, the company that had been doing nothing but paying taxes was finally about to start actual operations!

He'd never doubted success for a moment—after all, if his big brother got serious, there was nothing he couldn't pull off.

As for the ceremony—well, at the Carbonated Studio, all the drivers, cleaners, and clerical staff were retired members of the Rampaging Angels.

They'd been trained into such strict discipline that even lining up and bowing outside like background actors could turn into something artistic.

If Kyousuke ever stepped into the film business, they'd be the perfect extras!

"Keep it toned down unless you want the neighboring offices to call the cops."

Kyousuke said this without much care—by now, he was used to grand welcomes.

If he wasn't, the people under him would feel even more awkward.

But after a few more steps, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"...Maybe a little showmanship won't hurt. Just don't overdo it. I'll be bringing Eriri along this time."

Yeah... Eriri would definitely enjoy something like this.

A romance between a yakuza heir and a high school girl was right up her alley.

The first time she found out about his "bad boy" side, she'd gotten so excited she almost missed her first exhibition deadline after rewriting her entire piece.

"...Understood," Kisaki replied stiffly, then nodded. He knew his boss all too well by now.

"So... tomorrow at noon, should I still pick you up at home?"

"Yeah."

"How many cars this time?"

"Kisaki... are we really doing this again?" Kyousuke sighed sideways, giving him a tired glance.

"Two cars," he said, holding up two fingers.

"Seven-seat vans?" Kisaki asked knowingly.

"Regular sedans!"

"Yes, sir!"

Chatting like this, they reached the school gate—where a breathtakingly beautiful girl stood waiting gracefully, as if she'd stepped out of a painting.

Her long black hair fluttered wildly in the spring breeze.

With slender fingers, she tried to keep the rebellious strands from covering her eyes, while her other hand firmly held down her skirt with her bag.

"The wind is awfully lively today..."

Watching Yukinoshita Yukino fumble with such elegance, Kyousuke couldn't help but murmur.

What a lovely girl... even the spring wind can't resist teasing her skirt to sneak a peek.

Yukino caught his words and almost threw back a sharp retort—but then she remembered Sakura's weird theory about spring and flowers.

A small smile tugged at her lips.

"Yes... the wind is quite lively today," she replied softly.

"...?"

Now Kyousuke was the one itching to retort.

Sure, she only repeated his line—but somehow, it felt like she'd gotten the better of him.

"Hahaha, sorry to keep you waiting, Yukino!"

Seeing Kyousuke frown, Sakura hurried to interrupt with a grin.

"It's fine. Being five minutes early is basic social etiquette," Yukino replied smoothly.

Sakura glanced at her watch.

Only four minutes had passed since the end-of-class bell had rung.

"Wait… don't tell me you came here before your class even ended just to wait for me, Yukino-chan? Waaah, I'm so touched!" she exclaimed dramatically.

"Idiot," Yukinoshita replied coldly with just a single word.

But then, she suddenly widened her eyes and turned to Hojou Kyousuke.

"Why are you dressed like that?"

"I told you this morning, didn't I? About the Honya Taisho awards. I had to attend their reception, and there wasn't enough time to change before coming to school," Kyousuke explained simply, summarizing his busy afternoon.

"I see..." Yukinoshita nodded, her mood dropping for some reason.

Without another word, she turned and headed toward the school gate.

"Yukinoshita, you and Sakura go ahead to the Ruyi Dorm. I've got something to do, so I'll be a little late coming back," Kyousuke said.

Shouko stood quietly beside him, not moving either.

"Okay." Yukinoshita didn't ask further and kept walking.

Sakura waved energetically at Kyousuke before skipping after her.

"Let's go, Shouko." Kyousuke reached out and took her school bag, guiding her toward the other side of the school gate, where their driver, Hirata, was already waiting.

Shouko had voice acting lessons to attend.

Skipping Friday evening classes would be completely unacceptable for a professional attitude.

Kyousuke planned to drop her off at the subway station on the way to his real destination.

Not that he didn't have time to drive her all the way to the Chiyoda voice acting agency—using the subway was simply far more convenient in the city.

"Kyousuke-kun... did everything go well today?" Shouko asked softly.

Kyousuke smiled, reaching out to gently ruffle her hair before taking her small hand, resting on the seat, and starting to guide her in practicing counting from one to five.

"It went great. I made a few new friends and even landed a voice acting role from the publisher."

"Mm-hmm. Mhm! Eh—wait, what?!"

Shouko had been completely absorbed in the warmth of her hand in his, answering on autopilot until the meaning of his words finally hit her.

"Voice acting?!"

Of course, she didn't even think to ask "Is it for me?"—who else could it possibly be for? Obviously, it was for her. But still... but...

"I can't... I haven't even graduated yet!" she shook her head firmly, but her small hand stayed obediently in his grip.

"It's for 'Neighbor, Neighbor, Neighbor'~" Kyousuke said with a teasing smile.

"Eh?! 'Neighbor, Neighbor, Neighbor' is getting a TV adaptation?!" Shouko's brown eyes widened in shock.

"That's right. The production company's already set, the funding's secured, and they're about to start making it."

Kyousuke continued gently massaging her delicate fingers.

Her skin was so soft and smooth that even the tiny folds of her knuckles barely registered—her whole hand felt like polished jade, warm and pliant.

Shouko bit her lip, struggling in her mind.

Just like Kyousuke had thought, this manga was a family favorite.

Everyone had dreamed of seeing those cute little girls come to life on TV—and now there was even a chance to be part of it.

It felt like a dream.

She remembered the time in middle school when she'd gotten to do voice acting as part of a hobby class.

She remembered sitting at home with Kyousuke, watching the anime she'd voiced.

That overflowing warmth, the feeling of fulfillment—it all came rushing back to her chest just from the memory.

If she could really be part of 'Neighbor, Neighbor, Neighbor', then someday everyone in Ruyi Dorm would sit together in the lounge, laughing and watching the show.

And she'd get to see their happy faces too.

But...

"No, I can't... I'm still not good enough..."

The dream was wonderful, but what if she ruined a character everyone loved because of her inexperience? That thought terrified her.

"Shou-chan, maybe you didn't catch what I just said properly," Kyousuke shook his head gently.

"Eh?" Shouko blinked, confused.

"I didn't say I got you an audition, or that the director's thinking about you. I said the role is already yours. If you don't do it, who else will? Me?"

"Ah—"

Shouko blinked again.

"But... I've never even met the production staff. Why would they just give the role to me? Wait—did you take the self-introduction tape from my agency?"

Every registered voice actor at an agency had a demo reel—a recording that showed off their voice range and acting skills.

Even though Shouko hadn't graduated from training school yet, as a registered talent, she had one too.

"Shouko... do you realize who's sitting next to you? For me, doing something like that is a piece of cake. When we launch our own anime studio, you could even voice every single role if you wanted to."

Kyousuke chuckled as he gently ruffled her soft, fluffy brown hair until it was a mess.

Shouko didn't resist at all. She simply closed her eyes with a silly grin, giggling quietly.

"Hehehe~"

"Anyway, later, take this folder to the agency and have them help you pick which role suits you best."

Kyousuke leaned over and pulled a thick envelope from the passenger seat.

Inside were materials from Editor Shimomura Tetsuya—the list of 'Neighbor, Neighbor, Neighbor' roles that hadn't been cast yet.

"Okay!" Shouko nodded hard, all her worries instantly forgotten.

As for giving the role back... no way she'd ever think something that foolish.

Kyousuke could probably make that happen in seconds, but she wasn't dumb enough to even consider it.

"Um... Kyousuke-kun, will you come with me when I do my first recording session?" she asked, tilting her head up with a hopeful smile.

"Of course I will"

Looking into her big, glimmering brown eyes, Kyousuke nodded without hesitation.

"Hehe, I'll do my best!"

"Just don't push yourself too hard. You're already doing great as you are," Kyousuke quickly added, worried she'd overwork herself like before and damage her throat.

"Mm-hmm!" Shouko responded instantly.

"And besides the five main roles, you can pick three supporting roles to offer to your agency seniors," Kyousuke said casually.

This had been part of the silent understanding with President Matsuda from Our Voice Talent Agency from the start.

"Okay!" Shouko's face lit up.

This was so like Kyousuke-kun—his kindness always seemed to touch every corner of her life.

"Actually, you'd better tell President Matsuda directly. Let her decide who gets which role. Wouldn't want any hard feelings from misplaced gifts," Kyousuke added.

Better safe than sorry.

"Hehe, I know that~" Shouko replied with a cheeky smile.

She'd managed to get along well at the agency not just because of Kyousuke's influence—she understood the basics herself.

"Sorry, sorry... for a second there, I forgot you're not an idiot." Kyousuke laughed softly.

Shouko said nothing.

Instead, she unbuckled her seatbelt, scooted closer, and gently rested her cheek against Kyousuke's arm.

"Because Kyousuke-kun is here... I can afford to be a little dumb sometimes."