So many geniuses in anime! What's wrong with me joining?

It was given, but not entirely given; how much difference is there between this and not giving it at all?

At this rate, will he even be able to finish it in this lifetime?

Dragon Ball only requires seven, so why does he need so many?

Compared to spending decades gathering hundreds of Dragon Ball to summon Shenlong, the possibility of dying halfway through his endeavor seems far greater than the former.

"Does it really have to force me to become someone I hate?" His face twisted in agony as he stood on the bustling street, venting his frustration:

"Why! Why do you have to treat me like this!"

The sudden outburst caused passersby to fix their gazes on him within three seconds.

After seeing his appearance clearly, the crowd on the street quickly averted their eyes, and as they passed him, they quickened their pace and hurried away. In the eyes of the occasional beauty-obsessed person who couldn't help but look back, there was a hint of pity.

Such a handsome kid, what a pity he's a fool.

What was that word young people used to describe this lately? Right, it seems to be called Chūnibyō.

Ignoring the complex gazes of the hundreds of people nearby, Sakurakoji Talent walked forward along the sidewalk, half-soulless and driven by inertia. Thinking of this somewhat desperate fact, he felt mentally exhausted.

Dragging his weary feet, he arrived at the entrance of a familiar convenience store. After standing at the door and thinking it over, he walked inside.

Sorrow is sorrow, and dissatisfaction is dissatisfaction, but the things that need to be done must still be done.

Doing them doesn't guarantee success, but not doing them is definitely equivalent to giving up hope and waiting for death.

After years of being hammered by fate, he had developed this extremely resilient character and spirit.

"Welcome."

A familiar voice, but somewhat dull; compared to its usual vitality, something seemed off. Temporarily casting aside the worries in his mind, Sakurakoji Talent looked directly toward the checkout counter.

Volume 1: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies : Chapter 27 Persuading Aoyama Nanami

"Ah, it's Sakurakoji-san, passing by here again today?"

Upon realizing it was him, Aoyama Nanami, who was standing behind the counter, perked up and greeted him.

"Aoyama-san, what's with that?"

Sakurakoji Talent's gaze focused on her face—or more accurately, the blue mask covering most of it—and he asked with confusion.

"Ah, I have a bit of a cold these past two days. It might be the seasonal flu, don't worry about it." Aoyama Nanami waved her hand, explaining with a troubled expression.

"Eh? You have a cold?"

"Is it serious? If you're feeling really uncomfortable, you should take leave and go home to rest. Health is the most important thing."

Sakurakoji Talent couldn't even care about his previous melancholy and suggested it to her in a worried tone.

"No need, I'm really fine. I took cold medicine yesterday and today, I'm completely fine!"

"A small cold like this will be gone in a couple of days."

Aoyama Nanami stretched her arms to show that she was fine.

Sakurakoji Talent walked to the counter, saw the flushed skin on her face not covered by the mask, and said helplessly: "Your face is very red, aren't you just forcing yourself!"

"I'm really fine! The redness is because... well, it's hot wearing a mask!"

"...That reason is too forced; even a kindergartner wouldn't believe it."

Aoyama Nanami tried desperately to explain, but the reason she made up wouldn't be believed by an ordinary person, let alone Sakurakoji Talent. Facing her desperate attempt to act tough, Sakurakoji Talent felt a bit helpless.

He knew her situation; he knew that in order to chase her dreams, she had to work part-time to earn tuition, rent, living expenses, training fees, and many other costs.

But to persist to this extent, it could be considered a kind of illness, right?

Sakurakoji Talent chuckled, feeling inexplicably lighter in his heart. In front of this self-reliant girl, although his own problems were still urgent, he suddenly felt they weren't such a big deal after all.

At worst, I'll just do it!

"Woo~"

Aoyama Nanami also knew how terrible the reason she had blurted out in her panic was, and she couldn't help but cross her fingers, blushing as she fell into silence.

Just then, an untimely sound rang out in the quiet space, announcing its own existence.

Gurgle~

Sakurakoji Talent was drawn by the sound and looked at Aoyama Nanami—specifically her stomach—revealing a look of realization.

Oh, right, it's the end of the month.

"!!!"

Realizing what had happened, Aoyama Nanami's delicate body trembled, the color of her skin deepening and becoming more vivid, followed by a violent reaction.

"That! It's not like that!"

"It's that! Right! I'm on a diet lately!"

"Lately, the girls in my class are all into pursuing a slim figure, so I joined them!"

"It's definitely not because it's the end of the month and I have no money for lunch after paying rent and utilities, so I'm feeling very hungry right now!"

"Ah! What am I even saying!!!"

Aoyama Nanami vigorously rubbed her originally neat high ponytail, feeling the world spinning around her. She couldn't even stand steadily; she was about to—no, she had already suffered a social death right there on the spot.

Perhaps it was because she was sick, but she couldn't think clearly, and the words that tumbled out hadn't passed through her brain at all. She only realized what she had said after it was already too late.

Sakurakoji Talent didn't refute her, merely wearing an understanding smile, which only made her want to die even more!

"Aoyama-san, are you very short on money?"

Sakurakoji Talent tucked a stray lock of hair that had brushed against his face and was tickling him behind his ear, then glanced around his surroundings and asked nonchalantly.

Hmm, as expected, the area was filled with food products.

To be sick and hungry while having to work in an environment like this, it really was difficult for her. He didn't even want to imagine how many times she had to swallow her saliva throughout the day.

"Yes..."

Aoyama Nanami's expression darkened as she answered honestly. In this situation, there was no point in trying to save face with excuses.

"Then I happen to have a good job to introduce to you. Would you like to consider it?"

"Huh?"

Aoyama Nanami looked at him in astonishment, not knowing why the topic had suddenly shifted to this.

She had thought that after realizing she was truly pushing herself, he would be like everyone else and just keep urging her to go back and rest.

Sakurakoji Talent naturally wouldn't do that. Even if he were to advise her, he should at least solve her predicament first, right?

What was the difference between ignoring someone's situation and just spouting self-righteous kindness, other than self-satisfaction? To put it more severely, it could even be seen as a mild form of moral kidnapping.

So, he continued: "I remember, Aoyama-san, your dream is to become a voice actor, right?"

"Yes."

Aoyama Nanami nodded. She had mentioned this to Sakurakoji Talent before, but neither side had delved into it. She looked at him with a puzzled expression, not knowing what he was trying to say.

"But the school you are currently attending, while it is an affiliated high school for the arts, you are only enrolled in the General Department, right?"

"Moreover, even in the Arts Department, it seems there are only Fine Arts and Music majors, with no education related to voice acting."

"That is why you have to attend training classes after school, isn't it?"

Without stating his purpose directly, Sakurakoji Talent first laid out Aoyama Nanami's current situation, then looked at her with rabbit-like eyes, as if seeking confirmation.

"What you said is completely correct."

Aoyama Nanami processed the information he had revealed, thought for a moment with her somewhat sluggish brain, and gave an affirmative answer, though she still didn't know what Sakurakoji Talent was trying to express.

What did this have to do with a job?

"Have you ever thought about changing schools? For example, going to a school that has a voice acting program."

"I have thought about it, but where would I go... and my budget wouldn't really allow me to do that."

Aoyama Nanami's willow-leaf brows furrowed, her face showing her difficulty. If she could, she would have done so when she first arrived in Tokyo.

However, due to being a newcomer with insufficient information and financial constraints, she had ultimately chosen a school that had some connection to animation.

Come to think of it, while Sui High had a Fine Arts department, it wasn't something an ordinary person like her without a foundation could enter, and the high school Fine Arts department wasn't a professional track for animation either. It was only upon entering university that it was subdivided into many disciplines... she only realized this after entering high school.

And now, she was struggling even with her monthly living expenses, and the tuition for the next semester was nowhere in sight, let alone the idea of transferring schools.

After laying the groundwork, Sakurakoji Talent finally revealed his true intentions.

"I know someone who recently opened an apartment complex under his name that needs to hire some staff. I think that with your diligent and responsible personality, Aoyama-san, you would be a perfect fit for this job."

"Furthermore, a five-minute walk away from it is a comprehensive arts high school, which also has an Animation College and a Vocal Music College."

"If you need it, I can have the other party pay a portion of your salary in the form of tuition, and the job includes room and board with decent benefits."

"The work only requires you to complete your daily tasks. There is no time limit, and you can do it after school."

"How about it? Are you interested in this?"

After finishing, Sakurakoji Talent didn't press her further, simply waiting quietly for her answer.

Image: "Daily Ending Image", Location: "Images/1754392619-100446961-113685605.jpg"

Volume 1: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies : Chapter 28: Two Unexpected Appearances

After hearing his words clearly, Aoyama Nanami couldn't quite believe her ears.

Not only did it include room and board and full tuition coverage, but she could also pursue the vocal music major she was interested in, and she could adjust her own working hours?

Although a portion of her salary would be used to pay for tuition, it was already far better than her current situation.

Because of time constraints, she could only work part-time after school. Although she held several jobs, her income was still lower than that of a full-time position. She also had to balance her studies to keep her grades at the top of her grade level.

To be honest, she felt she had reached her limit. If things continued like this, she feared she wouldn't even be able to scrape together the tuition for the next semester before the deadline arrived.

The proposal Sakurakoji Talent offered was exactly what she needed to solve her urgent crisis, and in the long run, it was more favorable for her to chase her dreams.

Such generous conditions even made her feel like she wasn't worthy of them.

Seemingly, she had no other choice, but there was still hesitation in her eyes.

Transferring schools one-third of the way through high school was a major life-altering decision for her, and she still needed to consider it carefully.

Moreover, she didn't know what kind of school or job Sakurakoji Talent was talking about. If it were something too outrageous, she couldn't agree to it, even if it meant sleeping on the streets.

Although based on her understanding of Sakurakoji Talent over this period, he didn't seem like that kind of person, she still needed to maintain a certain level of vigilance. Having been tempered by the struggle of surviving on her own, she was already a battle-hardened semi-adult.

"Um, could I ask first, what kind of school is that?"

Aoyama Nanami felt a bit nervous, but she still spoke up firmly to ask.

"Philia Academy, have you heard of it?"

What Sakurakoji Talent was referring to was, naturally, the high-level vocational school adjacent to Ten no Yashiro, an academy that also had quite a connection to his own family.

Its teaching staff was beyond doubt; among similar professional institutions, there were few in all of Japan that could compare to it, and even his Sister and some Relatives had chosen to attend this school.

Although they were in the Special Programming Class, which differed slightly from regular students, there was basically no major difference in the instruction provided, which showed just how robust its educational resources were.

Upon graduation, it also issued a standard high school diploma, and in terms of the School System, it was basically no different from a regular school.

"Philia Academy?! Is that the prestigious comprehensive institution?"

Aoyama Nanami widened her eyes in surprise, even more shocked than before. She hadn't expected that the school the other party mentioned—the one within walking distance of the job—would actually be that luxurious Famous School, which was renowned throughout Tokyo.

She had only heard of it in the past but had never looked into it deeply, knowing that even if she did, she would have little chance of getting in; she only knew that it had cultivated many world-class professionals.

But now...

"Sakurakoji-san, are you telling the truth? Is it really that very famous Philia?"

Her tone was a bit more anxious than usual, as she urgently wanted to know the answer to this question.

"Naturally, it is true. If you have the intention, you don't need to worry about the transfer process; they will take care of it for you."