Yoru had only made the offer casually and didn't think much of it.
But it completely threw Nanami into emotional chaos.
She was torn and hesitant, unsure if she should trust him.
"Oh, by the way, do you need help moving your stuff?" Yoru suddenly turned around at the second floor to ask.
"Huh?"
"Moving?"
Nanami nearly lost her balance and almost bumped into him.
Come to think of it, when they met at the supermarket that day—
Yoru was really kind. When she missed out on the discounted vegetables, he offered her some of his.
Then he invited her over, helped her contact the landlord, and now even offered to help her move?
Originally, Nanami hadn't thought anything of it, but Sorata's words had planted a seed of doubt—was Yoru really being genuine?
She hesitated, murmuring internally, not sure how to respond.
Should she turn him down?
"Actually, I do have a small request..."
Yoru noticed her silence and assumed she was taking his words seriously. He continued on his own.
"A request...?"
"It's not what you think..."
Nanami's eyes widened. She took a step back, her ponytail swaying.
"The landlady's an elderly lady. If I help her find tenants, she gives me a small discount on utilities, so..."
Seeing her reaction, Yoru scratched his head and explained.
He wasn't well-off—everything was covered by his family.
So he tried to save where he could.
Once he slimmed down more, he planned to work during the summer break.
"Oh... I see. That's totally fine! If it helps you, I'm glad to do it."
"You don't need to help me move, though..."
Nanami gave a slightly awkward smile.
"Alright then. I'll go contact the landlady. You can wait here, or rest at my place."
Yoru nodded and headed back inside.
He left the door ajar, open just enough to peek through.
Nanami stayed at the stairwell landing between the second and third floors, leaning on the railing and gazing at the surroundings.
"I'm back," Yoru said as he changed into his slippers by the entrance. San-san wasn't there.
"Back already?"
Gabriel perked up in the living room.
"How's it going?"
Yoru walked over and saw the game still installing.
He placed the bag on the table, pulled out a bottle of juice, and handed it to Gabriel.
"Thanks."
Gabriel took the juice and kept her eyes on Yoru, who was helping with the laptop.
Soon, everything was set up.
Gabriel hugged her laptop, excited, and lay on the couch, ready to play Genshin Impact.
Yoru then contacted the elderly landlady who lived nearby and headed to the kitchen.
Outside—
Nanami leaned on the railing, her legs starting to feel sore.
She kept replaying Sorata's warning and Yoru's actions in her mind.
"Kitakami-kun doesn't seem like a bad person..."
She couldn't help but keep glancing at his apartment.
Maybe... I should go check?
Just to scout out the apartment layout in advance!
Using that excuse, she convinced herself and cautiously approached the door.
It was slightly ajar.
She placed her hand on the wall and peeked inside.
Then she bit her lip, pushed the door open, and stepped in.
She quietly removed her sneakers, her cute little feet in white socks pressing onto the clean wooden floor.
At the same time, Nanami carefully examined the layout of the entryway, feeling a little nervous as she slowly stepped inside.
"This is my first time entering a boy's home..."
Her heart was pounding, but soon she got drawn in by the apartment's interior and focused on her original purpose.
After passing through the short entryway, Nanami reached the living room and started to inspect everything seriously.
It was a studio apartment, suitable for a single person. Not very big.
Just one glance, and she already had a general grasp.
"Living room, bedroom, shower room..."
Nanami muttered to herself as she walked further in.
Gabriel, who was on the sofa logging into her game, sensed someone coming in and turned around in surprise.
Their eyes met.
"Huh? There's someone here!?"
Nanami instinctively cried out in surprise when she saw Gabriel, lying on the couch with striking golden hair and clear eyes.
She hadn't expected there to be anyone else in Yoru's place.
In the kitchen, Yoru—who was used to talking to himself while preparing San-san's cat food—heard the noise and peeked out.
He casually greeted Nanami and told her to sit anywhere she liked.
"Hello, I'm Tenma Gabriel White," Gabriel greeted politely.
Nanami blinked in surprise before replying and walked up to Gabriel.
"Hi, I'm Nanami Aoyama."
While responding politely, Nanami examined Gabriel.
Natural, dazzling golden hair. A cute face. An outstanding aura...
Nanami couldn't help but feel a little down on herself.
Such a cute foreign girl, and she was in Yoru's apartment?!
"Have a seat. There's juice in the bag on the table," Gabriel said, picking up her laptop and helping host the guest since Yoru was busy.
"Oh, thank you..."
"Um... can I ask what your relationship is with Kitakami-kun?"
Nanami nodded, but her curiosity about Gabriel's identity was growing.
Wasn't this supposed to be Yoru's place?
They seemed awfully close.
"I live next door. We're neighbors and friends," Gabriel said calmly.
Sitting cross-legged on the sofa in loose-fitting clothes, her pale thighs were largely exposed.
If she stood up, you might just get a full view of those soft curves.
"So... you and Kitakami-kun are pretty close..." Nanami's face immediately turned a little grim.
"Uh-huh." Gabriel focused on her game.
"Sigh..."
Nanami quietly sighed to herself.
Just earlier, she had been suspicious of Yoru—maybe he really was like Sorata had said.
Trying to get close to her with ulterior motives.
Now, thinking back on that suspicion made her feel both guilty and uneasy.
'Gabriel-san is way cuter than me...'
'And she's a foreigner too...'
'I'm just plain and ordinary. Even if Kitakami-kun had some bad intentions—not that he does—'
'With Gabriel around, he wouldn't even look at me, right?'
'And yet I suspected him like that...'
'I'm really...'
If Gabriel weren't there right now, Nanami might've been on the verge of covering her face and repenting.
She shouldn't have doubted Yoru.
He had helped her all along.
Only now did Nanami realize how ridiculous her thoughts had been.
Also... Gabriel is seriously adorable.
Feeling plain in comparison, Nanami suddenly lost her confidence.
A while later, Yoru came out after preparing the cat food and greeted them.
He didn't notice Nanami's odd behavior at all.
As a voice actor, even though she was still studying and preparing for exams, she had to be skilled at maintaining composure.
Controlling expressions and staying calm was the bare minimum requirement.
In the end, Yoru showed Nanami around the apartment. She was very satisfied.
The landlady soon arrived, and Nanami signed the contract on the spot.
However, she didn't choose to live on the second floor—she opted for the top floor, the fourth.