Chapter 103: Have His Kid?
Originally, Mikazuki Haruna was just tagging along, but now she felt like a little sidekick.
Sakamoto Ken didn’t pay attention to the convoluted little thoughts in her mind and kept walking straight into the real estate agency called “East Capital Real Estate.”
The storefront wasn’t large, and the glass wall outside was plastered with various floor plans and house information.
It wasn’t peak renting season now, and being a weekday, there were very few people passing by in the residential area, with no other customers in the store.
However, several staff members wearing white shirts and black trousers were still sitting in front of their computers, pretending to be busy.
“Ding dong!”
The sensor at the doorway chimed, and a young man who looked to be in his early thirties immediately stood up and hurried over to greet them.
“Hello, are you here to inquire about housing? Renting or buying?”
Sakamoto Ken stated his purpose directly: “I’d like to rent a detached house.”
His gaze swept over the name tag on the man’s chest: Tanaka Hikaru.
Tanaka Hikaru sized up Sakamoto Ken’s age and attire, then gestured invitingly toward the store.
“Please have a seat here, you two. Let’s discuss your needs in detail.”
Mikazuki Haruna followed behind, curiously eyeing the small shop.
Was this the place to rent a house?
Her family had many houses, but none were rented, and she had never personally been involved in this process herself, so everything felt quite novel.
Mikazuki Haruna sat down with Sakamoto Ken at the small round table in the meeting area, and Tanaka Hikaru poured two cups of iced barley tea before sitting across from them.
“Do you have any specific requirements for location, size, or budget?” Tanaka Hikaru took out a tablet computer and opened the filtering system.
Tanaka Hikaru tapped on the tablet, and the screen immediately displayed a dense list of properties, most with attached photos and detailed data.
Sakamoto Ken thought for a moment and said, “First, the first floor must have a space large enough to accommodate at least five drawing workbenches.”
“Drawing workbenches?” Tanaka was a bit surprised.
Sakamoto Ken nodded and said, “I’m a manga author, and I’m renting mainly to use as a studio.”
“Oh oh, so you’re a mangaka sensei!” Tanaka Hikaru, knowing Sakamoto Ken was a manga artist, spoke in a more respectful tone.
“However… sorry, I’m not sure how much space sensei’s workbenches require.” Tanaka Hikaru said.
Sakamoto Ken estimated and said, “The living room area should be at least 15 square meters or more.”
Hearing this number, Mikazuki Haruna said softly, “Eh? Is that small size enough?”
Sakamoto Ken turned to look at her and said, “Three or four assistants, plus my desk—should be enough, right?”
Mikazuki Haruna thought about it and shook her head: “But you also need space for equipment, right? Scanner, printer, computers, and bookshelves for storing information and reference books… all of those take up a lot of space.”
Sakamoto Ken shook his head lightly and said, “Don’t compare it to your house. Your family’s living room is bigger than the editorial department, right?”
“True…” Mikazuki Haruna agreed and nodded.
But she immediately thought of something else, her eyes fixed tightly on Sakamoto Ken as she quickly asked, “Have you seen my family’s living room?”
Sakamoto Ken calmly shook his head: “No, but I could guess it with my toes—it’s definitely a mansion.”
Thinking about it carefully, 15 square meters was indeed a bit tight, just barely enough to fit.
There was no need to skimp on the budget now; renting a larger one would just mean a few more ten thousand yen per month.
Sakamoto Ken said, “Tanaka-san, besides the five desks, factoring in space for movement and such, how much area do you estimate is needed?”
“At least 12 tatami mats, which is about 20 square meters or more.” Tanaka Hikaru said, “Not just the aisles for walking, but also space for moving chairs, and whether sensei wants to set up a dining table.”
He scrolled through the list and soon clicked on one.
“How about this one? Monthly rent is 330,000 yen.”
He turned the tablet computer toward the two.
It was over ten times the current apartment—Tokyo really was inch-of-gold territory…
Although royalty fees had come in and finances were more relaxed now, Sakamoto Ken was still a bit stunned by the price.
Tanaka Hikaru introduced, “This detached house has a living and dining area on the first floor that connects to 16 tatami mats, about 26 square meters—plenty of space. Plus, the area by the entrance is large too, which can be used for bookshelves. With good design, you could even fit a dining table in front of the kitchen counter.”
Sakamoto Ken looked at the photos and was fairly satisfied with the layout.
Tanaka Hikaru then asked, “By the way, for the upper floors of the house, will it be just you, sensei, and your family using them?”
Sakamoto Ken nodded: “Yeah, I don’t plan to have the assistants live in the house.”
If the assistants needed it, he could help find apartments nearby for them to live in; on one hand, it would inconvenience his daily life, and on the other, it would make him seem like one of those black-hearted bosses who force employees to live at the company…
“Got it.”
Tanaka Hikaru glanced at the house’s notes again and said, “By the way… if I may ask boldly, do either of you have children, or plans to have children soon?”
Huh? Have kids with him?
Mikazuki Haruna froze completely, looking at Tanaka Hikaru in stunned bewilderment, then at Sakamoto Ken beside her.
Sakamoto Ken’s expression didn’t change; he calmly said, “No plans for that for now.”
Mikazuki Haruna’s little mouth opened and closed; she really wanted to clarify right away that they weren’t married at all, not even a couple.
But Sakamoto Ken’s words didn’t imply they were married either…
And Tanaka Hikaru had already interrupted her train of thought and continued, so she pursed her lips and swallowed her words.
Tanaka Hikaru explained, “Here’s the thing: the landlord of this house prefers not to rent to families with kids, worried that children might damage the tatami, wallpaper, and such.”
He added, “Of course, if you’re willing to compensate for any damage at full price, that’s fine too. It’s just that the landlord used very expensive, special materials in the initial renovation.”
Listening to Tanaka Hikaru’s explanation, Mikazuki Haruna felt like she and Sakamoto Ken really seemed like a family here, looking for a house to live in as a household…
She inexplicably wanted to laugh—a mix of secret delight, smugness, and a bit of shyness. She bit her lip tightly to barely hold back from laughing out loud.
Sakamoto Ken looked seriously at the house images and said, “No need to worry about that; we’re all adults and won’t damage the house.”
“Then this house perfectly matches your requirements, sensei!” Tanaka Hikaru said. “The first floor can serve as a manga studio, the second floor has three independent rooms, and the third floor has a large room plus a nook.”
The so-called “nook” was actually a space that couldn’t be called an official room because its window area didn’t meet the 《Building Standards Act》 regulations for lighting in “rooms.”
Such rooms were typically used as study rooms, entertainment rooms, or closets.
However, the nook in this detached house was even larger than the adjacent room; it was specially designed that way by the landlord when it was built.
This room, with proper soundproofing, could be perfectly transformed into a great entertainment room or home theater.
As he was thinking about furniture arrangement, Tanaka Hikaru had already opened a video of the house interior that had been filmed earlier.
“You can get a feel for it through the video first.”
The video’s shots started from the entrance, showcasing the first floor’s living and dining area, kitchen, and bathroom, then going up to the second and third floors.
When the camera reached the third floor and pushed open the door to that nook, both Sakamoto Ken and Mikazuki Haruna became interested.
The furniture in the room had all been cleared out, but the renovation style was quite unique.
First, that door—it looked much thicker and heavier than a standard room door.
The interior walls weren’t ordinary white wallpaper but covered in rough black sound-absorbing material, with sound-absorbing panels installed on the walls.
The floor wasn’t wood flooring or tatami either, but a board material similar to sponge with porous surfaces.
Tanaka Hikaru explained, “The landlord used to be in a band, and this room was used as the band’s rehearsal room, so it has professional soundproofing renovations. The walls and floor might not be suitable for ordinary room use, so I need to mention that upfront.”
Mikazuki Haruna looked curiously at the room on the screen and said, “Looks pretty good. Watching movies in here with the sound maxed out wouldn’t bother the neighbors, right?”
Tanaka Hikaru smiled and said, “We’ve tested it—playing a song at max volume inside, and as long as the door is closed, you can’t hear anything even leaning against the doorway.”
Sakamoto Ken nodded in satisfaction and said, “Great, then let’s go see the place in person. If it’s suitable, we’ll rent it today.”
